Free Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

moved further into the room and were quickly swallowed by the crowd. Lauren glanced around uncomfortably. Stephen was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to go home.
    “How you doing?”
    Lauren turned to find Kevin beside her. “I’m okay,” she replied.
    “How come you’re so quiet?”
    “That’s just me.”
    “Stephen told me you don’t party,” Kevin said. “What else doesn’t he know about his big sister?”
    Kevin’s hot whiskey breath made Lauren queasy. She scanned the room. No sign of Gina and Carrie was engrossed in a conversation with a guy in heavy black eyeliner. She turned back to Kevin and said, “I’m actually not much of a party person.”
    “You sure are gorgeous. We could get away from all the noise if you want.”
    Gina came up behind them, playfully slapping Kevin’s arm. “She’s not like that, Kevin.”
    “Like what?” Kevin asked with feigned innocence.
    “She’s a nice girl,” Gina said. “Leave her alone.”
    Kevin gazed at Lauren. “Was I bothering you?”
    Lauren averted his hungry eyes. “No…”
    “You can be honest,” Gina said. “He can take it.”
    “Chill,” Kevin told Gina. “If I’m bothering her, she’ll tell me. Christ, she is an adult, right?”
    Lauren spotted Stephen wandering into the room. The sight of him staggering confirmed all the negative feelings she’d had. Before she could say anything, Kevin called out, “Hey Stephen, look who’s here!”
    Stephen headed toward them. He abruptly stopped a few feet away, his eyes riveted on Lauren. “What the hell are you doing here?” he said.
    Stephen’s pupils overpowered the blue rings in his bloodshot eyes. He held a half-empty pint of Jack Daniels in one hand. Lauren found herself wishing she could shrink back into the wall. What had she been expecting to gain by coming here? Stephen wasn’t about to surrender and go home with her. Not in front of his friends. Not when he was already wasted.
    “Relax,” Kevin told Stephen. “She’s cool.”
    Stephen shot Kevin a cold glare. “Whatever.”
    Kevin sighed. “Christ Stephen, she’s -”
    “Fuck off,” Stephen muttered.
    Stephen turned away. Lauren said, “I think I should go.”
    “Don’t let him chase you away,” Kevin said. “It’s his problem.”
    Stephen muttered a string of curses between gulps from the bottle of whiskey. He kept his back to Lauren, wouldn’t meet her eyes or even glance her way.
    Carrie had been standing by, watching. Now she stepped in and said, “Lauren’s right. No sense in creating a scene or starting trouble.”
    Kevin shot an angry glare at Stephen. He said, “Hey, he don’t pay the rent here.”
    Lauren shifted her weight, allowing more space between herself and Kevin. She searched for something to say that wouldn’t show her desperation to escape. “These are his friends,” she said. “Not mine.”
    Kevin started to protest further but Gina wriggled between them. “Lauren’s right,” she said. “No sense in starting a family feud over this.”
    “Oh c’mon,” Kevin said. “Don’t let his sour mood chase you out of here.”
    “We weren’t planning to stay long, anyway,” Gina said. “I just wanted to stop by and say hi.”
    Stephen shot a look over his shoulder. He took another long swallow, seemingly defying Lauren to say something. Kevin shook his head. His eyes remained locked on Lauren. “I could toss him outta here easy enough.”
    “No,” Lauren said quickly. “I have to go anyway.”
    “I’ll have a talk with him,” Kevin said, more to Lauren than anyone else. “He’ll be cool with this next time.”
    Next time? Lauren forced a smile. She’s sooner spend the night in a snake pit.
    Out in the car, Gina couldn’t stop giggling. “Kevin really has the hots for you,” she said.
    Lauren groaned. “Yeah, thanks.”
    “Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it,” Gina said.
    “He’s a stoned drug dealer, for God sake!”
    “But he is a sexy stoned drug dealer,”