“Hey Jenny, long time no see, girl!”

Hey, Darah, you look beautiful.”

Thanks. I give Jenny a hug and she kisses my cheek.

Isnt she hot? Shane says, eyeing me hungrily, salving my anger from before. She has changed into a green tee shirt and torn jeans.

Thanks. Whats up?

Not much.

Shane pours some slushy froth from a pitcher into a cup and hands it to me.

Thanks.

I choose to stand against the pillar that up the porch, rather than sit down on the ratty wicker that would likely snag my dress. I see a half-dozen empties on the table, in addition to the margaritas. Shane leans down, long arm stretching, and pulls another beer from the icy tub. So this is how shes coping with the Cherie Encounter? Getting pissed with Jenny?

So Shane says you won an award?”

“Um, yeah. I got voted Nurse of the Year.”

“Congratulations.

Thanks.

The three of us are sedate but probably only Shane and I feel the tension under our smooth surface. Shane lights up a joint and holds a hit in, passing it to me. I do the same, then pass it to Jen.

From within their phone rings. Jenny wastes a lungful of good weed, jumping up and squeaking. Thats Jamie. I know it. She runs for the phone.

Shane and I exchange a look as the screen door slams. ***** do jour?

Yup. She takes a hit and hands it back to me.

Boy or girl? I hit the joint hard, feeling the smoke inside my lungs.

She shrugs, waits, then exhales a long plume of smoke. “Hey, good for her, you know?”

“Yeah.”

We hang out like that for a while, with the sound of crickets and Jenny prattling from the depths of the house.

Lets go in. She says in that honeyed voice, looking at me with the eyes that just mush me to a pulp. I wanna ***** you.

.

I come out of the bathroom, trying to undo my silver bracelet, but the clasp is being stubborn. And she is there, pressing me against the wall.

Shane, knock it off. I push back, walk into the bedroom, determined to get this damn bracelet off. Its annoying and it keeps pinching the fine hairs on my arm.