Kay was fascinated with the band of women who were upset with Dan but still couldn't stop lusting for him. She tried to inquire discretely. "Gee, Tiffany, you seem to have a bit of a crush on Dan."
"He's hot, but he's so annoying. We went out last year. After a week, I was fed up with him coming home at nine every night, too tired to party. I told him that I needed him to spend more time with me and less time at that stupid office. Can you believe he laughed at me when I told him that?" She blew out her breath. "Nobody laughs at me. That guy doesn't know how to handle a real woman." She crossed her arms.
Kay looked at Tiffany, her completely painted face, her incredibly skinny legs-possibly even anorexic-the dozens of bracelets, necklaces, piercings, tattoos, and adornments all over her body. Kay was amused at the irony of her use of the word "real."
Dan saw Kay, across the room, and wandered in her general direction, stopping to greet everyone along the way. Finally, he got to the group of women near her, giving hugs to everyone there. He turned to Kay just as Surfer Boy appeared, hooked his arm around Kay's, and demanded that the most beautiful woman at the party dance with him. Perfect timing. She smiled at Dan, gave him a shrug, and followed the flowing blonde hair toward the music.
Soon they were surrounded by a dozen people jumping and gyrating to House beats, the band only a few feet away. There wasn't much space on the dance floor, but the intensity of the music was through the roof. Surfer Boy was a pretty good dancer, and Kay was entertained by some of his exaggerated moves, probably intended to impress her. Still, the music was great. She let it wash over her and move her around, the less appealing parts of the day starting to fade away.
When the music stopped, Surfer Boy took her aside. "Time for a drink! What are you having?"
A drink. Yes, I could certainly use one. "Actually, I haven't started drinking yet-just got here. So sure, let's get a drink. Beyond that, no promises." She gave him a look that was full of promises and followed him to the bar.
"So what brings such a lovely woman to our little gathering tonight? Did you wander in off the street just to sweep me off my feet?"
What a salesman. "Dan Avery invited me." She turned to the bartender. "Jack Daniels, neat."