The Bedtime Tales of Be287m

Dealing with the Devil, Chapter One

“Jess, darling, I have a present for you.”

I looked up and met Barry’s eyes. They were warm with just a hint of puppy dog in them.

“Oh, Barry, driving me to the airport was gift enough.”

“I wanted to get you something else,” he insisted. “Open it.”

I removed the wrapping paper and discovered a stuffed animal, slightly larger than my fist. It was a white rabbit.

“A snow bunny for my snow bunny,” Barry said.

I couldn’t help the small smile. The bunny was goofy and sweet, just like Barry was when no one was looking. And of course, Barry had chosen his moment perfectly. A quick glance around the concourse confirmed that no one was looking. My other sorority sisters were talking among themselves over by the gate. Only Hayley was casually looking in our direction.

“This is really sweet,” I said, giving Barry a hug and then tucking the rabbit in my bag.

“I wish I could go with you,” he said.

I pulled back with a sigh. “It’s a ‘girls only’ trip. As much as I’d love to have you along...” I sighed again. I had argued with Regan and Hayley about bringing our boyfriends, but they’d been insistent. Just Chi O sisters. Since it was Regan’s family’s chalet, I’d let it drop.

“That’s okay,” Barry said. “You’ll be back in time for us to be together before Christmas.”

“Yes I will. Or do we have to be at your parents earlier?”

“No,” Barry reassured me. “Father hasn’t called. I don’t think he will, since Mother was so upset about his last-minute changes last year. I don’t think he wants to endure another of her crying fits.” Barry and I shared a smile. No one with any sanity wanted to endure one of his mother’s crying fits.

“Well, hello, Bartholomew.” Hayley had walked up while we’d been talking.

“Hello, Hayley,” Barry said.

“Nice of you to see Jessica off,” she said with a small smile. Her eyes flicked to me and back.

“It’s what any gentleman would do,” Barry said.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re a gentleman.” Hayley’s face contained a little too much innocence for me to believe she meant what she said, but Barry didn’t see it. Instead, he reddened a little at the compliment.

“Just living up to the family name,” he said, a little too eagerly.

I shot Barry a dirty look, but he didn’t see it. Hayley was still smiling at him, turning on the charm. Of course, I knew it was just a mask; she had no real interest in Barry’s well-being.

“So how is your family? Your father’s firm doing well?”

“Quite well,” Barry said. “They should bring in record profits this year.”

“Well, that must make for a very merry Christmas,” Hayley said.

“Oh, yes.”

Hayley glanced at me and moistened her lips as she grinned. “Jessica is so lucky to be dating you,” she practically purred, returning her attention to Barry. “She’s so lucky to have caught you!”

“Hayley!”

We looked in the direction of the shout and saw Regan waving her arm. Hayley turned back to Barry.

“It was good to see you, Bartholomew,” she said, lightly touching his arm before turning and heading over to join my sisters.

“She is such a bitch,” I spat through gritted teeth.

“What?” Barry responded. “I thought she was perfectly nice.”

“You didn’t catch the insult? That I had to be lucky to be with you?”

“That was an insult?” he asked.

Barry, dear Barry, was completely clueless. I just shook my head.

“She’s always getting away with stuff like that,” I muttered.

“Huh?”

I turned and looked Barry in the eyes.

“You know I don’t like her, but it’s more than that. Her nickname’s ‘Hayley Devil.’ It’s partially a play on her last name, Devlin. Most people think it’s because she can be so naughty. But some of us know better.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She’s selfish, amoral, and smart enough to get away with it,” I said. “She can be really nasty too.”

“She’s always been nice to me.”

I closed my eyes for a second and gritted my teeth. Barry could be so sweet, but he just didn’t see beneath the surface.

“So, if she’s all those things,” Barry asked, “why hang out with her?”

“You know why. We’re sorority sisters.”

“Oh.”

Barry seemed to still have a question hovering on his lips. While I was debating whether to try and explain more, we heard the boarding call.

“You have to go,” Barry said with a small pout.

“Yes.” I stepped forward and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight until we heard the second boarding call. I pulled back and we exchanged a quick kiss.

“Take care of yourself, darling,” he said, forcing a smile.

“I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I pulled away, slowly letting go of his hands, before turning toward the gate. With a final wave, I boarded the plane.

The first leg of the flight was uneventful. My “little sister” Gina met us in Atlanta. Her entire family and boyfriend Paul saw her off, so I didn’t think Barry doing the same for me was that unusual. Despite what Hayley might say.

As I settled into my seat by the window, Gina surprised me by throwing her bag into the same overhead compartment.

“Hi, Jess,” she said.

“I thought you’d be up with Regan,” I said, gesturing toward First Class.

Gina frowned. “When Regan made the reservations, she said she’d get me a seat with her, but she didn’t reserve enough seats in First Class. Then Hayley persuaded her that they needed to talk about some ‘plans’ for the weekend. So I got bumped.”

“Plans?”

“They didn’t say.”

Gina sank down next to me. A few moments later, Gina’s fellow pledge Cassie appeared in the aisle. She looked tense as she claimed the remaining seat, her eyes darting to Gina and me and back. I gave her a reassuring smile as she got settled and pushed her carry-on under the seat in front of her. As she did so, she gave a quick sideways glance at Gina, who had pulled out a book, and then retrieved her own paperback. Neither girl looked up during the pre-flight safety announcement. I watched the two readers while the flight attendants conducted their spiel.

Gina was already several chapters into Burger’s Daughter, by Nadine Gordimer. I had to smile. My World Lit professor had put it on our optional reading list, claiming that Gordimer was one of the best writers to ever come out of South Africa. I hadn’t picked it up, but Gina was apparently reading it for pleasure.

Gina was like that, I mused. Smart, serious about school, but still a lot of fun. I was glad we’d offered her a bid to join the sorority, even if I was cynical about some of my sisters’ motivations. Since Gina’s mother was Indian, she had a darker complexion, which allowed us to claim we didn’t discriminate against minorities. Never mind that she was the only ‘minority’ in the pledge class. Our annual ‘token’ pledge.

Cassie, on the other hand, was fair-skinned with dark hair. She was much more of an intellectual lightweight than Gina, although she worked incredibly hard to compensate. She was a Chi O legacy through her mother, but Hayley constantly reminded her that it didn’t guarantee she’d get in. I tilted my head so I could see the cover of her book. A bodice-ripper romance. That figured.

I pulled out my own book as we taxied toward the runway. Agatha Christie, Dead Man’s Folly. Not as highbrow as Gina, but not as trashy as Cassie. Just right, I supposed.

I only finished a couple of chapters before the attendants started serving drinks. Gina and Cassie had already set their novels down and lowered their trays. I decided to switch to a travel magazine for a while and pulled out my carry-on. Gina spotted the white bunny in my bag as I moved it to make room for my book.

“A gift from Barry?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I admitted, unavoidably brightening at his name. “He can be such a sweetie.”

“Cool,” Gina said. “I’m glad he does things like that. He usually seems so...” I could tell she was trying to pick her words.

“Stuffy?”

“Yeah. Stuffy. At least when I’ve been around him.”

“You and everybody else,” I said. “His dad has drilled this idea of ‘proper’ behavior into him. Unimpeachable morals and reputation. The works.” I sighed. “So Barry doesn’t relax unless no one’s watching.”

“Must be hard to be with him,” Gina said.

“It can be. But he’s really sweet, and a good guy otherwise. How can I not love him?”

“I know what you mean,” Gina said, nodding.

“Since we’re on the topic, how are things with Paul?”

“Good,” she said. “We’re finally getting some time together.”

“Except you’re leaving for a week of skiing,” I pointed out.

Gina sighed. “True. But Paul urged me to go. He knows how much I enjoy it. I mean, our families have been skiing together for years.”

“Really? Where?”

“Park City, Utah. We rent a condo every year.”

“I’ve only been skiing a couple of times,” I admitted. “But Regan’s place sounds wonderful.”

“You haven’t been there before?”

I sighed. “I was never part of Regan’s crowd, so I never got invited. But the girls that did go used to tell these incredible stories. So I jumped at the opportunity when Regan invited the entire sorority instead of just her friends. I decided I still wanted to go even when most of the others declined.”

“You and Regan aren’t friends?” Cassie asked. She’d put down her book and was listening in on Gina’s and my conversation.

“No,” I answered. “But we’re not enemies either. I just don’t know her well enough. Not like Gina does.”

Gina pursed her lips in a small smile.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to come,” Cassie continued, “but Hayley reminded me that stuff like this would help my chances of getting in.”

“Regan told me something like that,” Gina said.

“Neither of you have anything to worry about,” I reassured them. “You’ll both get in. Being a pledge is just a step we all go through.”

“Some step,” Cassie said sourly. “I can’t wait until Hayley can no longer call ‘Oh, Pledge Cassie!’” She curled her lips into a frown and stared straight ahead.

“So don’t answer,” I said.

“It’s not that easy,” she said. “Hayley knows my mother.” She didn’t look at us as she answered.

I paused. I’d met Cassie’s mom too. Four times in fifteen minutes, she’d told her daughter what to do and how to behave. I could easily imagine Cassie’s mom going on a tirade if her “precious daughter” didn’t get into the same sorority she’d been in.

“I know what you mean,” Gina said. “When Regan says ‘Pledge Gina,’ it’s hard to say no.”

“Regan’s just a pledge herself,” I said. “Even though she’s been hanging out with the Chi O's since she was in high school, she doesn’t vote on whether we let you in, and she wouldn’t blackball you anyway. She likes you, and you don’t blackball your friends.”

Gina nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

“Well, I’m sure everything is going to be fine during this trip. We’ll get in some good skiing and have a lot of fun.”

Gina nodded in agreement.

I glanced over at Cassie, but she’d already buried her head in her book again. That seemed like a good idea, so I picked up my magazine and we all returned to reading.

I finished my magazine before we touched down in Boston. The layover before catching the commuter flight to Rutland was short, and we spent most of it in the Crown Room Club, courtesy of Regan once again. I tried reading a newspaper someone else had left, but I mostly just watched Regan joke with Gina. Regan seemed relaxed and ready to cut loose. She was getting a little loud and almost giggly. Gina was having a good time too, and looked more relaxed than she’d been earlier.

On the commuter flight, Gina and Regan ended up several rows ahead of me. I wasn’t too disappointed because my friend Patricia took the seat across the aisle from me. Since the plane was so small, that constituted our entire row.

“Hey, Jess,” Patricia said facetiously, once we’d gotten settled. “Long time no chat.”

I snorted. “What, a full week?”

She grinned at me.

Since we ate lunch together a couple of times a week, the only reason we hadn’t talked recently was because of the rearranged schedule for finals and then Christmas break. However, vacations and finals had been the only times we hadn’t talked since we both joined the sorority two years ago.

“How did your exams go?” she asked.

“Pretty well,” I replied. “I struggled in finance, but I think I pulled it out. I also aced marketing.”

Patricia grinned. “Your dad will be proud.”

“He was proud the day I announced I was following his footsteps into Hotel Management,” I said, beaming. Dad had been very proud.

Patricia gave me a knowing smile.

“How about you?” I asked, returning to the subject of exams.

“Not too bad. I got enough studying in and they went pretty smoothly.”

“Found enough time to study, eh?” I grinned to show her I was teasing.

She grinned and shrugged. She was habitually overbooked, with classes, extra-curricular activities, and an internship she’d picked up at a law office. How she managed to find time to see her boyfriend, Rusty, was beyond me, but somehow they managed.

“You looking forward to this?” Patricia asked.

“A week of good skiing? You bet!”

“Oh, the skiing will be great. Killington’s really great.”

“I don’t know much about it,” I admitted. “This’ll be my first time.”

“Oh. Well, skiing is skiing, really. You’ve been to Vail,” Patricia said. I nodded. “Killington is smaller, without as many trails, but it’s got about the same amount of snow.”

“That’s okay,” I said, “there’s more to a ski trip than just the skiing.”

“True,” Patricia said, grinning. “The town’s great—lots of good bars so we can always find a party. Some good places to eat too.”

“I hope it’s good,” I said, “I’ve heard enough stories that I’m looking forward to it.”

“Speaking of stories,” she said, “I assume you heard the latest about Regan and Rod?”

“The last time I heard, she was talking about spending New Year’s with him.”

“Well, that may change. She broke up with Rod during finals when she found out he’d slept with a DZ after a party.”

“Again!?” I shook my head. “How many times does he have to cheat on her?”

“Who knows?” Patricia said, rolling her eyes. “But he manages to convince her that he’s sorry and she forgives him. Of course, that doesn’t prevent him from bragging that he’s screwed half the Chi O’s. You think she’d figure it out.”

“Or find a better relationship,” I muttered.

“No kidding. I really wish she’d look for another guy, but she never seems interested in other men when she and Rod are broken up.”

“Why should she?” I asked. “She’s got her ‘sisters.’” Patricia and I grinned at each other. Regan’s interest in girls was no secret. The story around the sorority was that her ‘private’ birthday party had been an all-night, all-girl orgy. Neither Patricia nor I had been invited, but Margot had basically confirmed it. Since Margot was just a blonde satellite in Regan’s orbit, we assumed all the stories of that night were true.

That got me thinking. “This is an all-girl trip. You don’t suppose...?”

“With Hayley along?” Patricia snorted. “Anything’s possible. But it doesn’t bother me if it does. I’ll just leave or watch, depending on my mood.”

“Me too,” I said, grinning.

“Although it won’t be all-girl for long,” Patricia said. “Rusty and some of the other Pikes are showing up on Saturday.” Two days from now.

“What?! When did they get invited?”

“The day after Finals. Or at least that’s when Rusty found out.”

“But why? Why would Regan invite them?”

“Beats me,” Patricia said. “Rusty found out from some of the other fraternity brothers that Rod was organizing a trip and so Rusty got himself included. Except we’re not going to stay in Killington very long. Rusty’s older brother lives in Ithaca, so we’re going to head over for a visit Monday morning after the guys arrive. We’ll be back Wednesday, a few hours before everyone heads home.”

“So you’ll miss a lot of the skiing.”

“I’ll get plenty in.”

“Wait a minute...,” I said, “Rod was organizing this? I thought you just said he and Regan broke up again?”

“I did. But Rod told Rusty he’d been invited and was allowed to bring some of the Pikes. So I don’t understand it either.”

“Huh.”

Patricia just shrugged in reply. “So what do you and Barry have planned for the holidays?” she asked, changing the subject.

“The same as last year,” I said. “Christmas Eve dinner with his folks followed by church. Then the full set of Williams’ family traditions the following day, until late afternoon, when we’ll go see my folks.”

“Expect any problems this year?”

“Not really...,” For the next few minutes, I told Patricia about how I expected Barry’s parents to be saner this year, and how I hoped my own would be more accepting of my choice of boyfriends. Patricia shared some stories about Rusty’s brother, and before we knew it, the pilot was telling us to prepare for landing.

After we debarked, most of the girls headed to baggage claim. Regan split off, walking past a sign that pointed to ‘ground transportation.’ I followed.

“Regan!” I called. “I heard some of the Pikes are coming up.”

“They are,” she said. “Rod, Neil, Rusty, Tommy, and John.”

“Why did you invite them?” I pressed. Unfortunately, the guy at the counter was now ready to talk to us.

“It was Hayley’s idea,” she said. Then she turned to the counter guy.

“Well, not entirely,” Hayley said from behind me, startling me.

I turned to face her.

“Rod was so upset that he hadn’t had a chance to fix things with Regan before we all left,” Hayley said, “and she agreed to give him a chance if he was willing to trek up here.” I glanced at Regan, but she was too busy to pay attention.

“So why five of them?” I asked.

“That’s the part that was my idea,” Hayley said. “I figured we’d have a better time with more guys. Better partying.”

I scowled. While Margot’s boyfriend, Neil, and Patricia’s boyfriend, Rusty, had been invited, neither Barry nor Gina’s boyfriend, Paul, had been. At least Cassie didn’t have a boyfriend to neglect.

“We only invited Pikes,” Hayley said, as if reading my mind.

“You could have mentioned it and let me invite Barry on my own,” I shot back.

“Do you really think Bartholomew would be able to handle a wild Pike and Chi O party?”

I bit my lip and didn’t answer. She was right about Barry, dammit. That didn’t mean he shouldn’t have been given the chance to decide for himself.

“Don’t worry, Jess,” Hayley said, raising her eyebrows conspiratorially. “Barry doesn’t need to know what happens in Vermont.”

“It’d be no big deal if he did,” I said.

Hayley just smirked. I stared at her and she met my gaze, not blinking.

Regan had finished up her arrangements and turned to tell Hayley and me to go get our bags so we could meet the van. I broke away and retrieved my bags. Margot had snagged Hayley’s suitcase, so I was the last to join the group at the van.

When Regan had said we were driving from Rutland to Killington, I thought we’d be renting a car. It turned out she meant we’d be driven. The driver loaded all our bags into the back while we found our seats. I ended up in the back next to Margot, who only wanted to chatter about the upcoming partying. Mercifully, it was a short trip.

At the chalet we tumbled out of the van and milled around while the driver unloaded the skis and luggage. Regan waited until she had our attention.

“Since not everyone’s been here before,” she said, “let me explain some stuff. The shuttle to town stops just outside the gate. It starts at eight and goes pretty late, but not too late. When we go out for dinner, we’ll drive.” She waved toward a three-car garage off to one side.

When I looked back, Regan was unlocking the door to the lodge. She motioned for us to follow her in.

The foyer was completely paneled with pine and a huge stairway led up to a larger room. Benches lined either side of the entry with hooks for coats above them.

“Coats and stuff go here,” Regan announced. “Boots too.” She kicked her shoes off, opened one of the benches, and threw her gloves and hat into it. Hayley and Margot immediately did the same, so the rest of us got the hint. We followed Regan up the stairs.

The great room was huge. It easily reached two full stories tall, with floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side. The wood paneling continued from the foyer and old-fashioned ski equipment decorated the walls. Couches and end tables sat scattered throughout the room. Along one wall was a fireplace, and across from it ran a long bar. Two hallways led off to the left and right.

“This is the great room,” Regan said, continuing her lecture. “I know it’s not much, but we’ll do most of our partying here. There’s a hot tub on the deck.” She pointed to the windows on the far side where I realized there was a door and, indeed, a wooden deck.

But what was beyond the deck really caught my attention. The view was breathtaking. I immediately wanted a better look.

“Bathrooms are at the end of each hall. Kitchen is down that hall.” Regan pointed to the left. “There’s a maid who shows up at 8:30 and put some breakfast foods out on the bar, but if you miss it, you’re on your own. She also leaves before three, so if you make a mess in the evening, you have to clean it up.”

How convenient. The maid would be long gone by the time the serious partying began.

“Jessica and Gina—you have the room at the end,” Regan continued, pointing to the left hall. “Patricia and Cassie have the room in the middle, and Margot will be with me in the first room. At least until the guys get here.” I looked around, realizing that Hayley hadn’t followed us up the stairs. Where was she sleeping?

“Guys?” Gina asked.

“Yeah, guys,” Regan said. “Rod and some of the Pikes will be here Saturday and they’ll be down that hallway.” She pointed to the right one. “At least at first.”

“First room on the right,” Hayley told the driver, who was carrying her bags. She was pointing to the guys’ hallway. That seemed appropriate. It’d be easier to have one of the guys share her bed. I returned to looking at the floor-to-ceiling windows and the scene beyond them.

“You didn’t tell me about the Pikes coming,” Gina said to Regan. The other girls started to haul their stuff to their rooms. Meanwhile, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the view. I walked up to the windows and didn’t hear Regan’s reply.

The panorama was incredible. The ground behind the chalet sloped away, making the deck appear to be in the tree tops and not a mere story up. Beyond the trees, the ground dipped and then rose steeply up the far mountain. Almost near the top, the trees parted, revealing icy cliffs that sparkled in the fading sun. The window faced west, and I was sure the sunsets would be spectacular as the rays peeked through the rocks standing sentinel on the ridge.

The professional side of my brain kicked in. I imagined this view for a hotel, with the guests sipping their hot toddies and cocoa from the bar, watching the snow lightly fall. It wouldn’t be hard to add a popcorn machine or, even better, a small oven that baked cookies. The smells would mix well with those from the cackling fire. People would pay good money to sit here and enjoy this view.

They had, I realized. But Regan’s family didn’t have to share it. I wondered if Regan took that for granted or not.

That was probably the biggest difference between us, I mused. Regan could take things like this view for granted. Her family’s money went back generations. Mine was still accumulating it. While he couldn’t give me a lot of money, my Dad had shared his instincts for spotting business opportunities. They were everywhere, he often said, if you were perceptive enough and willing to do the work to ferret them out. So Regan saw a great room that ‘wasn’t much,’ and I saw what could have been the central room in a successful business.

I moved closer to the window. A large hot tub dominated the deck. It would hold a dozen people, and the roof extended far enough on one side to keep snow off the walkway between the tub and the lodge. I could already imagine us hanging out there after skiing.

When I turned away from the window, only Gina and Regan remained in the room, quietly talking off to one side. I wandered over.

“I still don’t see why you’re giving Rod what he wants,” Gina said as I entered earshot.

“He’s can be a pretty good boyfriend,” Regan said, her hands on her hips.

“On the face of things, maybe,” Gina argued. “In reality, he cheats on you all the time.”

“He comes back to me, though.”

Gina glared at her.

“You just don’t like him because of Paul,” Regan said.

That’s right, I thought. Paul and Rod hate each other.

“We’ve been through this,” Gina answered with a sigh. “I don’t automatically take my boyfriend’s side in everything.”

Regan noticed me for the first time and frowned. Gina turned and looked at me.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize this conversation was private.”

“That’s okay,” Gina said. “We’re done.”

Gina and Regan silently stared at each other for a moment, before curtly nodding. Gina looked at me.

“So let’s go unpack,” I said.

“Sure.”

I grabbed my bags and followed Gina down to our room. Gina threw her bags on the closest of the two beds. I put mine at the foot of the other bed and started unpacking by putting the white bunny on my pillow. Then I turned to Gina, who was already transferring clothes to the closet.

“So what was that about?” I asked.

Gina crossed her arms and huffed. “I wish she’d told me she’d invited some guys.”

“Me too. Barry wanted to come and I told him it was ‘girls only.’”

Gina nodded. “Paul’s not going to be too happy, either.”

That reminded me of our conversation on the plane. Which reminded me why Gina had ended up sitting next to me.

“I wonder what else they have planned,” I thought aloud.

“What?” Gina asked. We were both nearly done unpacking, so I paused to look at her as I answered.

“Hayley got the last first class seat instead of you so they could discuss some ‘plans’,” I said. “They’d already invited the guys, so that can’t be what they were discussing.”

“Maybe they were talking about which rooms they’d give to the guys.”

“Maybe,” I replied. I wasn’t convinced, though. Hayley might have insisted on getting the first class seat, simply because she was Hayley and deserved the first class seat. But she wouldn’t have mentioned ‘plans’ then. Hayley was up to something, and Regan was somehow involved.

“Ready to go get dinner?” Gina asked a few minutes later, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Sure.”

We met some of the others in the main room, though it took a while for Hayley and Margot to trickle out of their rooms. Regan still managed to get us all out the door and to the restaurant in a reasonable amount of time.

After dinner, Hayley wanted to go barhopping.

“It’ll be fun!” she insisted.

“I don’t know,” Patricia said. “I want to hit the slopes really early in the morning. We won’t be able to do that if we spend the night partying.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Regan?” Hayley asked.

“I could go either way,” Regan said.

“Margot?” Hayley prompted.

Margot hesitated, looking first at Regan, then at Hayley. “Whatever Regan chooses,” she said at last.

Patricia suppressed a snort, but not well enough to avoid a glare from Regan.

“I think we’ll go out,” Regan announced. “I can drop anyone off at the chalet who doesn’t think they can handle it.”

There was some general discussion as both Regan and Patricia asked Gina what she was going to do, and Cassie wanted to know what time we had to get up to go skiing in the morning.

In the end, Patricia, Cassie, and I returned to the chalet.

Patricia said goodnight immediately after we hit the main room. Cassie said she was going to soak in the hot tub for a little while, and I helped her track down towels. We found them in a cupboard near the door to the deck. She invited me to join her, but as much as the water was tempting, I decided I could use a little time alone. I found a deck of cards and played some solitaire in front of the fireplace before calling it a night and turning in.

* * *

Gina was asleep in her bed when I awoke. I padded out and found Patricia in the main room, already dressed and assembling a day pack.

“No breakfast?” I asked.

“The maid’s not here yet,” she said. “I started coffee in the kitchen and there’s some cereal.”

“And granola bars, apparently,” I said, indicating the ones Patricia was putting in her day pack.

“There’s a bunch of other snack food too.”

“Good. I’ll get something. Will you wait for me?”

Patricia grinned. “What do you think I’ve been doing?”

I laughed. “We should’ve agreed on a time to set our alarms!”

“Maybe tomorrow. I want to get in a full day before Rusty and the guys get here.”

I nodded. Then I caught myself frowning. “I want to talk to you about that,” I said.

“How about on the lift?”

“Deal,” I said. “I’ll go get ready and have a granola bar on the way.”

I hustled through my morning routine as quickly as I could, since I knew Patricia would get cranky if we didn’t get to the resort before the crowds. As it was, the shuttle arrived almost immediately and the lines weren’t too bad. I spent the time in line watching how the resort handled the operations and trying to figure out what I’d do different if I was in charge.

“So,” I asked, once Patricia and I were seated on the lift, “exactly how did the Pikes get invited?”

“Like I said, the entire fraternity wasn’t invited. Rusty heard John and Tommy talking about going skiing in Vermont, and since he knew I was going, he asked if it was the same trip. They tried to dodge his questions, but he can be pretty insistent.”

I nodded.

“Ultimately, they admitted that Rod had invited them. But they said he told them to keep it quiet.”

“Why?”

“Why? I think because Rod didn’t want a lot of guys to come along.”

“Did he say so?”

“Pretty much,” Patricia said, shrugging. “When Rusty confronted him about the trip, Rod said only ‘selected’ guys were going to get to go. But Rusty pointed out that I was going, so he should get to go. Rod still wasn’t happy, and he tried to tell Rusty he wouldn’t enjoy Vermont skiing, but Rusty told him he’d been here before, when he’d been up visiting his brother. Rod shut up then and said he’d check if it was okay.”

“Hmm,” I said. “Obviously it was. I wish you’d told me, though, so I could have invited Barry.”

“It was last-minute and, besides, I haven’t seen you in a while, Jess.”

“True,” I admitted. “And I’m still not going to see much of you this trip.”

Patricia gave a sympathetic nod before continuing. “When John started asking Rusty how often he went to see his brother and how close they were, Rusty felt guilty about how long it had been. So he asked if I’d mind the side trip.”

“Anything special planned?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

For the remainder of the ride up the mountain, Patricia and I chatted about their plans with Rusty’s brother and his family in Ithaca. At the top of the lift, she lowered her ski goggles and pushed off.

“See you at the bottom!”

I grinned, lowered my own goggles, and followed.

The morning was glorious. Fresh snow had fallen overnight and the sun reflected off the new powder. There weren’t many people on the slopes, and we got in a few runs before the crowds started showing up.

We ran into Gina, Regan, and Margot when we took a break for lunch. They’d just arrived and were eager to get their first runs in, so we didn’t talk long. Patricia asked about Cassie, and Regan said that she and Hayley had left the lodge about an hour before them. So they had to be on the slopes somewhere.

That got me wondering about Hayley and Regan’s plans. What exactly were they up to?

Regan had invited the Pikes at Hayley’s suggestion—ostensibly to get back together with Rod—but then she’d invited five of them.

No, she’d invited four, I corrected myself. Rusty had bullied his way into coming along.

Why those four? Rod was obvious—at least for Regan. Neil too. Not only was he Margot’s boyfriend, but he was basically Rod’s lapdog. No way he’d be excluded.

John. He always struck me as a typical partying Pike. I didn’t know much about him beyond that.

Tommy was good-looking, rich, and partied hard. He regularly hung with Rod, so there was no mystery in why he was coming. He was also frequently in Hayley’s bed, which said a lot about his sexual prowess. While it wasn’t hard for a guy to get invited to spend the night with Hayley, most were never invited back.

Maybe that was it. Hayley’s plans involved getting laid, which was why her room was in the guys’ hall. Tommy was a known quantity and John was fresh meat.

Maybe.

I didn’t have much more time to think about it, because we were soon headed up the mountain again. I forgot about Hayley and just enjoyed the remaining runs until the sun set.

But she and Cassie joined Patricia and me on the shuttle back to the chalet.

“Did you guys have fun?” Hayley asked.

Patricia and I nodded in unison.

“It was a great day, wasn’t it, Pledge Cassie?” Hayley said.

I watched Cassie’s smile fade and then die. She’d been relaxed and bright before Hayley spoke. Now, her guarded wariness was back.

“It was,” Cassie said. “It’s too bad it’s over.”

“It’s not over,” Hayley said. “We’ve still got plenty of partying to do!”

I rolled my eyes, but didn’t object. Hayley was unbelievable; I wondered why she even bothered with the pretense of skiing. Probably just a good way to kill time until she could do what she really wanted.

When we got back to the chalet, we discovered that Regan, Margot, and Gina had already been back for a while. Regan announced that we’d order pizzas and party at the chalet tonight. While she placed the order, Margot started fixing drinks at the bar. I decided I wanted to change into more comfortable clothes and so I headed to my room.

When I returned, someone had put a Go-Go's album on the stereo and gotten some chips and pretzels out of the kitchen. I grabbed a handful and a beer.

“Regan, do you have any blow?” Margot asked when she finished with the drinks.

“No,” Regan said, a little irked. “At least not till Rod gets here.”

Ah, yes, I thought. One more reason for Regan to date Rod.

Hayley smirked. “I’ve got some.”

“You?” Regan asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

“From Rod,” Hayley said. “I said I’d do him a favor, remember? Helping him get back together with you?”

“Oh, right,” Regan said, frowning.

“I’ll go get it,” Hayley said, and then disappeared down the hall.

Margot found a small silver serving platter behind the bar and brought it out. When Hayley returned with a vial, she poured some of the white powder onto the tray. Some of it had clumped together and Hayley started looking around. She found the playing cards I’d left on the end table and used one to chop up the cocaine before laying out the lines. Hayley looked up at Margot and grinned.

“Ready?” Hayley asked.

Margot nodded.

Hayley leaned over, closed one nostril, and took a snort. Then she backed off and offered the tray to Margot, who snorted a line and passed it to Regan.

“Gina?” Hayley called. “Jess?”

I couldn’t tell if Hayley was offering just to be polite or not. I didn’t regularly do coke and most of the time, the others were happy when I didn’t—more for them.

I looked at Patricia, who shrugged. If she was in, why not? Gina was already bending over the tray as I approached. When she was done, I snorted a line.

Tingling and then numbness hit my nose and spread outward. God, it felt great! I could feel the energy kicking in and, the day’s fatigue fading away. It was like being back on the slopes, but without the cold, just the rush of adrenaline.

“Cassie?” Hayley prompted, as Patricia snorted her line.

“Uh, I think I’ll just go get in the hot tub,” Cassie said.

“Excuse me?” Hayley said with an indignant snort.

Patricia stood up quickly and faced Hayley. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Hayley scowled. Then her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips together in a tight grin.

“You’re right, that’s a great idea.” Hayley said without a smile. She started walking toward the deck, shedding her clothes.

“No suits in the hot tub,” Regan said with a laugh and then began pulling her top off. “Shall we?” She glanced around the room at the rest of us.

Why not? I thought. The hot tub would feel great too.

A few minutes later, all seven of us were lowering ourselves into the water or finding places to balance our drinks along the edge.

I glanced around. Gina seemed most comfortable hanging out in the nude with six other women. The two blondes, Regan and Margot, were leaning toward each other and giggling. Even Cassie seemed to be relaxing as the warmth of the water and the alcohol flowed.

“What about the pizza?” Cassie asked after several minutes.

Regan squinted to see the clock on the far wall. “It should be here in five minutes.”

“Will we be able to hear the front door?” Cassie asked.

“I’ll go wait for it,” Margot said, hoisting herself out of the water.

“I’ll join you,” Hayley said.

The two girls dried themselves off and then Margot wrapped the towel around herself. Hayley threw hers against one wall and walked stark naked back into the main room. She bent over the tray of cocaine for a bump before they disappeared down the stairs to the main door.

Ten minutes later, they both burst onto the deck, laughing.

“C’mon!” Margot said. “Pizza’s on the bar.”

“What’s so funny?” Cassie asked as we climbed out of the tub.

“Hayley answered the door nude!” Margot choked out between giggles. “You should have seen the delivery guy’s face!”

“I’m surprised she didn’t offer to blow him,” I muttered to Patricia.

“Oh, but I did, Jessica,” Hayley said from behind me.

I jumped.

“If he’d give us the pizzas for free, of course,” Hayley practically drawled.

“The poor guy was so shocked he just started sputtering!” Margot said. “Then he just stood there while Hayley took the pizzas out of his hands and I handed him the money.”

“He took the money? Instead of a blowjob?” Regan asked. Then she laughed.

“He did!” Margot said.

“Which is too bad,” Hayley said, with a mock pout. “He was cute.”

“I can’t believe you,” Regan said, rolling her eyes. “You’re outrageous!”

“Guilty as charged,” Hayley said, beaming at the praise.

There was plenty of pizza, but I wasn’t hungry. Probably the coke. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with a low appetite as the other girls just picked at their food. Afterward, we all got more drinks, everyone but Cassie did some more coke, and we headed back to the hot tub.

As we settled back into the tub, the chatter was mostly gossip from finals week. There wasn’t much, surprisingly, so it didn’t take long to hit the first lull.

“God, I’m horny!” Regan announced, ending the pause. Her grin was almost maniacal, which brought titters from the rest of us.

“Me too!” Hayley announced. She raised her hand. “Who else?”

Margot’s hand shot up immediately, quickly followed by Gina’s. Cassie looked around and edged her hand up as well. I glanced at Patricia. Her arms were still under the water. I left mine down as well, even though I was starting to feel aroused too.

“Oh, great!” Regan said. Without hesitating, she caressed Gina’s breast and then pulled the darker girl toward her. They began kissing passionately. Margot, trapped between them and the side of the hot tub, started rubbing their backs and sliding her hands down their bodies under the water. On the other side of the tub, Hayley was now sitting on the side.

“Pledge Cassie,” she said. The edge in her voice made it a command, which she emphasized by tapping the inside of one spread thigh. “Service me.”

Cassie looked up at Hayley, eyes wide. She swallowed hard.

“Don’t worry,” Hayley said, “we’ll get you off.”

Cassie hesitated, glancing at Patricia, who just gave her a drunken nod. Then Hayley tapped the inside of her thigh again, beckoning. Cassie floated over between Hayley’s legs and placed her head inches from Hayley’s pussy. Hayley immediately closed her legs, trapping Cassie and pulling her closer. Hayley let out a deep sigh, signaling that Cassie had begun licking. She put her hands on the back of the pledge’s head, lightly holding her in place.

Back on my left, Margot was starting to scowl and kept trying to slide her hands between Regan and Gina to play with their breasts. Unfortunately, they weren’t moving to help her, so she wasn’t succeeding. She tried to lean in and kiss them as well, but Regan shook her off. She whispered something to Margot, who nodded. Margot quickly glanced at Patricia and me before sliding up the side of the hot tub and then dropping onto the deck. She dashed into the lodge.

Patricia rolled her eyes at me and grinned. I just shook my head, silently chuckling. I didn’t quite know where the night was going, but I wasn’t ready to run off quite yet.

Gina’s hands disappeared under the water near Regan’s waist. The blonde squirmed around, first just a little and then with more vigor. She whimpered a little and then moaned. Regan began panting louder and started shuddering just when Margot’s return interrupted things.

Margot carried something flesh-colored with straps. When she tapped Regan on the shoulder, Regan scowled and shot her a murderous look. Then she saw what Margot carried and her face calmed. She nodded and climbed out of the hot tub. Margot unfolded the straps and I realized what she was carrying—a strap-on dildo. She climbed into the harness while Regan and Gina grabbed towels and then the three of them went into the chalet’s main room.

I glanced over at Hayley. She had her eyes closed and was stroking the back of Cassie’s head as the brunette continued to go down on her. I looked at Patricia. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head toward the chalet. I nodded in agreement and we silently got out and dried off.

Inside the main room, Gina and Regan were in a sixty-nine with Regan on top. Margot knelt a few feet behind Regan, fiddling with the dildo’s harness. Patricia and I refilled our drinks and took seats on a couch off to one side.

When Margot was satisfied with the straps, she shuffled forward on her knees. She guided the toy to Regan’s pussy and then quickly sank it all the way in. She held Regan’s hips and began fucking her hard and fast.

Regan immediately began whimpering and crying out softly. She couldn’t keep her mouth on Gina’s pussy, but I suspected Gina had no trouble keeping her tongue on Regan’s clit. Regan’s cries got louder and she began thrusting her hips back against Margot. She arched her neck and let out a loud groan, before tucking her head back down. As her shudders died down, she rolled forward and then to the side, off Gina and away from Margot.

“God, that was incredible!” Regan said, still catching her breath.

“My turn!” Margot said.

Regan shook her head. “Let’s do Gina first.”

Gina scrambled to a sitting position and nodded at Regan’s suggestion.

“But I want a bump first,” Regan continued. She glanced toward the coke. Patricia fetched the tray and brought it over. She began cutting it into lines as the other girls gathered round.

First Regan, then Patricia, Gina, and Margot all took a snort. Then Patricia gestured for me to take my turn.

I didn’t realize that the earlier coke had begun to wear off, but when I snorted the new line, the euphoria hit pretty quickly. I shuddered slightly and licked my lips, the back of my throat already going numb. I glanced at Patricia, who grinned back at me. We quietly eased back into our seats on the couch.

In the middle of the room, Margot had lain down on the floor with Gina straddling her, slowly settling into a sixty-nine. Regan strapped on the dildo harness as the other two girls began licking each other. When she had it in place, she knelt behind Gina and guided it in.

Gina began whimpering as Regan fucked her while Margot licked her. Fortunately for Margot, Gina kept contact with her clit. Margot’s legs trembled and she slowly spread them wider. Gina used the extra space to bring her hand around and slide a finger into Margot.

The door from the deck banged as Hayley and Cassie entered. Hayley made a beeline for the tray of cocaine. She did a line and then slid onto the couch across from us, her eyes on the mini-orgy in front of her. Cassie joined Patricia instead. They started speaking quietly to each other.

In the middle of the room Gina shuddered and moaned loudly. Regan gripped Gina’s hips as the darker girl arched her back and shook, her cries muffled by Margot’s thighs. As Gina’s orgasm subsided, she collapsed to one side, slowly panting.

“That was so hot!” Hayley said. “Let’s have Regan do Margot while Margot licks me!”

“You promised Cassie you’d get her off,” Patricia said, sitting up and staring at Hayley.

Hayley’s nostrils flared. She glared at Patricia and started to say something, but then stopped. Her eyes flitted to me before focusing back on Cassie.

“I believe I did,” Hayley said. She paused. “Margot, Regan—how about if we give Cassie the ‘full treatment’?”

The two blondes looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement. Hayley gestured for Cassie to come forward.

“Lie down in the center of the floor,” Hayley said.

Cassie stared at her for a moment, but then complied, stretching out on her back. As she did, the other girls gathered around. Margot and Regan moved to opposite sides of her, crouching near her head. Cassie just stared up, past them, not saying anything.

“Relax,” Regan said. “This’ll be good.”

Gina stirred and then sat up. She knelt near Cassie’s feet, though still off to one side. Hayley looked a question at me and I shook my head, not quite understanding. She looked at Patricia, who raised her eyebrows, and then firmly and slowly shook her head no. Hayley frowned but then joined Gina on the floor.

“Now what?” Cassie asked nervously.

“You’ll see,” Regan said.

With that, Regan lifted Cassie’s hand. She held it close to her face for a moment, and then lightly kissed the palm. Then Regan slowly feathered kisses down to Cassie’s wrist, nuzzling it lightly.

Margot was giving Cassie’s other hand the same treatment while Hayley and Gina had each moved to Cassie’s feet. Hayley massaged and caressed the arch of one foot while Gina scattered kisses across Cassie’s toes and moved toward her ankle. Cassie gasped, with surprise or pleasure I couldn’t tell, as the four other women all caressed, licked, and kissed her.

Then each of the four began to work their way in. Regan feathered kisses across Cassie’s wrist, while Margot nuzzled her other forearm. Hayley and Gina had maneuvered until they were side by side, Hayley still just caressing while Gina kissed her way up. She gave a lot of attention to spots just inside Cassie’s knee and further up her thigh.

My blood began to pulse and it felt like my whole lower half was on fire. I could already feel myself getting damp and couldn’t resist squirming in my seat. I glanced at Patricia and saw she was playing with herself while she watched.

Gina and Hayley reached Cassie’s inner thighs, nudging her legs apart as they did. Margot darted ahead to kiss one of Cassie’s nipples before returning to her upper arm. As she and Regan reached Cassie’s torso and breasts, their blonde hair seemed to blanket the smaller girl. Cassie moaned as they licked and kissed her nipples simultaneously.

Cassie moaned again when Gina and Hayley reached her pussy. Hayley sat back, letting Gina sink her full mouth onto Cassie’s clit and lower lips. Then Hayley reached down and began caressing Gina’s upturned ass. The darker girl didn’t flinch, even when Hayley’s fingers slid behind and, judging from the way Hayley’s arm was moving, inside of her. Hayley glanced up, saw me watching, and grinned.

Cassie squirmed quietly, tossing her head side to side. All those hands and tongues… I could only imagine what it felt like. In fact, those thoughts were getting unbearable. I realized I was stroking my own thighs and I really wanted to move those fingers in further, like Patricia had. I glanced over at her. She gazed back at me through half-lidded eyes.

“Oh God, I need... more than just watching,” she whispered. “Good thing I brought something…”

“A toy?” I asked.

She nodded. Then she closed her legs and eased herself off the couch. “Have fun,” she said, more to me than anyone else.

Hayley gave her a wave as she continued to finger Gina. The other women didn’t even notice.

Patricia strode off without looking back.

I decided she had the right idea. I grabbed my drink and headed back to my room. After closing the door, I lay on my bed and played with myself while thinking about what I’d seen: Cassie’s chest covered in blonde hair, Regan’s face as she came, Gina’s tongue, licking away. I idly imagined Gina licking me, but changed the fantasy to Barry licking me. It didn’t take much longer to come.

The first one wasn’t enough, so I started fantasizing about Barry doing more than licking, like I wished he would. I was on my knees as he knelt behind me, much as Margot had knelt behind Regan. We were watching the other girls play as they had tonight. My second climax crashed through me and wiped me out. Satiated, I realized I was tired enough to maybe get to sleep. Gina hadn’t come back yet, so I turned off the light and lay in the dark until I finally faded into slumber.

* * *

Bright sun shining through the window on my face forced me awake. I lay still for a while, aching. My nose was completely stuffed up. My head pounded and it took effort to concentrate on the clock. It was later than I expected. The room wasn’t spinning, which was good. I also had to pee, but I didn’t want to move. Eventually my bladder won the argument, so I stumbled down the hall to the bathroom.

Once I took care of my bladder, I gulped down some aspirin and drank some water. Then I sank to the floor and just sat there for a while.

Some time later, Patricia walked in.

“You okay?” she asked, kneeling down next to me.

“Hangover,” I answered. She nodded. She looked fine. Which was irritating. She never seemed to suffer the next morning. Her and Hayley both. It wasn’t fair.

Patricia just sat with me until I shook my head and started to get up. “I want to get in some runs before the guys get here,” she said then. “You interested?”

“I’ll go with you if I can just sit in the lodge for a while.”

She smiled in sympathy and nodded. “Cassie wants to go,” she continued, “but no one else is up. They must have partied pretty hard.”

I slowly nodded. I didn’t hurt as much as I had other times I’d partied hard. The others were probably hurting a lot worse.

It took a while to get dressed and catch the shuttle. I nursed some juice in the snack bar near the lift while Cassie and Patricia skied. I slowly started feeling better. By the time they took a late lunch break, my hangover had faded and I was ready to be sociable again. Cassie settled in to a seat next to me, smiling.

“It looked like you had a good time last night,” I said, as lightheartedly as I could.

She just shrugged. “It was okay.”

“Just okay?” Patricia asked.

“Yeah,” Cassie said. She shrugged again. “I couldn’t really relax.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” she said. “I kept wondering if I was going to have to help do the same thing to Regan or Hayley.”

“Did you?” Patricia asked, her eyes wary.

“No,” Cassie said. “After they were done with me, everybody stopped for some more—” she looked around and then lowered her voice “—cocaine. I went to the bathroom, but when I came back, Gina and Regan were going at it while Margot ‘serviced’ Hayley.”

“And you didn’t join in?” I asked.

Cassie shook her head. “I figured I could slip away to bed.” She paused. “I was getting tired. Everyone else was pretty wide awake though.”

“That would be the coke,” Patricia said. “It’s a stimulant—keeps you up.”

“Oh,” Cassie said. She paused, thinking. “But you all went to bed early.”

“Bed and sleep aren’t the same thing,” Patricia said, grinning.

Cassie looked at me, her brow furrowed.

I nodded.

“Why do you do it?” Cassie asked. “The coke, I mean.”

I shrugged. “It’s part of the party, I guess. And if everybody’s doing it, why not? It feels great—like you’re flying. And it’s not like I’m doing it often enough for it to be a problem.”

“Yeah, not like Cynthia,” Patricia said.

“Cynthia?” Cassie asked.

“She was a sister who couldn’t handle the coke,” I said, “and started doing it on her own, outside of parties. She flunked out about a year ago.”

“Oh,” Cassie said. She took a bite of her sandwich, her expression contemplative.

I was feeling a little better after lunch, so I joined Cassie and Patricia as they headed back outside. We were almost to the lift line when Hayley showed up, surprisingly alone.

“Hey, y’all!” she called. “Wait up, I’ll join you.”

“I’m with Patricia,” Cassie said quickly.

Hayley looked at me.

What could I do? I shrugged as she stepped into line next to me.

“What’s up?” Hayley said as she joined me.

“I’m surprised to see you by yourself.”

Hayley shrugged. “No one else was moving and I got tired of waiting. I knew I could find y’all.”

“Right.” A huge ski area and she knew she could find us. What made her arrogance worse was that she had. Fortunately, she didn’t talk to me again until we were on the lift halfway up the mountain.

“So why didn’t you join in last night?” she said, seemingly out of the blue.

“I didn’t want to cheat on Barry,” I answered, wary.

Hayley flipped her hand dismissively. “Oh, he’d never know.”

I snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“How would he find out?” she said. “None of us would tell him.”

Yeah right. I didn’t believe that for a minute. I frowned. I also felt my blood pressure rising. Why did she care whether I joined in or not?

“You’re not a prude, are you?” Hayley asked, obviously referring to the all-girl sex.

“No... no. I’m not into it, but it doesn’t bother me.”

“I bet it would bother Barry,” Hayley said acerbically. “He is so straitlaced.”

“What the hell is this with Barry?” I snapped. “Why do you care about my boyfriend?”

Hayley recoiled. “Jeez, Jess. Calm down. I like the guy, even if he is uptight.”

“Then why the hell do you keep bringing him up?”

“I want you two to be happy together.”

“We don’t need you to be happy,” I snarled.

“Fine, whatever,” Hayley said. Then she made a show of turning to watch the scenery move past. “Forget I said anything.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t. I was too distracted the entire run down the mountain—furious at the way Hayley was sucking up to Barry and then insulting him to my face. Why was she being such a bitch? It was like she was intentionally trying to piss me off!

Maybe she was, I realized, near the bottom of the run. While she often started stuff just to watch the resulting fireworks, she could be devious. What if she wasn’t just trying to get me riled up for the hell of it?

But Hayley would enjoy pissing me off for the hell of it. She’d always been a little too in love with her own cleverness and would be thrilled if she could get under my skin in a way that was completely deniable... like she’d done at the airport talking to Barry.

Then again, she could just as easily have some hidden agenda. Get me angry so I did something or said something I shouldn’t. She would like that—let the sorority discipline me because I lost control.

I wasn’t sure, but either way, I couldn’t let her get to me.

Hayley was waiting for me when we got to the bottom.

“Another run?” she asked, tilting her head toward the lift line.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” I half-lied. “You go ahead.”

Hayley shrugged and headed to the line. A group of guys already there watched her approach. I knew she wouldn’t have any trouble getting a lift partner.

I didn’t really have to go to the bathroom, but I decided to anyway. Afterward, I settled into a seat at the snack bar. When Cassie and Patricia showed up, I asked if I could ride up with one of them. Cassie said she’d see us back at the chalet and I made one final run with Patricia before calling it a day.

When we got back to the chalet, the other girls were hanging out in the main room—except for Hayley.

“What’s going on?” I asked Regan.

“The guys should be here soon,” she said.

“Do I have time to shower?”

“Sure. And once Hayley gets back, you can bump up.”

“No thanks,” I said. “I’ll pass this time.”

When I returned from my shower, Gina was playing cards with Cassie in front of the fireplace. Regan and Margot had disappeared, so I settled into a chair. When Margot returned, I knew right away that she’d done some coke. She practically bounced over to the stereo and put on a Joan Jett album. Then she walked behind the bar and started mixing drinks. Regan and Hayley walked in a moment later, laughing and full of energy.

Patricia came in behind me. She’d changed into a tight-fitting sweater with a silver necklace. She smiled when I noticed it.

“Gotta look good for my guy,” she said.

I grinned and nodded.

Banging noises arose from the foyer down the stairs. Margot hurried over and turned off the music.

Deep, laughing voices welled up from below. It had to be the Pikes. They trampled up the stairs a moment later, still clad in their jackets and boots. Rod was in the lead, with Neil right behind and the rest of the guys completely filling the stairwell. Rod looked around, took note of all us women, and grinned.

“A party,” he said sardonically as he pulled off his gloves, slowly and dramatically.

He reminded me of a conquering Roman general, surveying his new domain. I felt a chill run up my spine.

“Well, now we’re here,” he said as he slowly scanned the room. “Time to really get the party started.”

--Fin--

© 2006 by be287m. Summer Camp characters and universe © 2006 by Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.

Read the next chapter in this story: Chapter Two

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