"Hey, Mom!" Brad called out looking for his mother. "Mom!"
Kristine walked into the kitchen. "Jesus, Brad, stop yelling. What's up?"
"Do you mind if I have some friends over on Saturday?"
"How many friends?" She asked cautiously.
"Just some guys from the team. We have a game against our biggest rival, and we'll blow off some steam."
"It won't be a rager like last time, right? I was cleaning the house for a week after that. Cleaning that you should have done, mister."
Brad looked sheepish. "That got a little out of control. But it won't happen this time, I promise. You can even be here if you want. The guys love you."
"I don't know about that. I'll find something to do and leave you guys to your little party."
"Thanks, Mom, you're the best!" He grabbed her in a big bear hug and lifted her off the ground.
"Stop that, honey," She shrieked, laughing.
"Okay, I have to tell the guys."
"Hey, Brad."
He turned back, and said, "Yeah?"
"A few people."
"Got it, Mom, small party." He pinched his forefinger and thumb together and grinned.
****
Kristine pulled up to her house, or at least tried to. She finally found a spot a block away from the house. She looked at all the cars as she walked. They filled all the spots up and down her street. "Small party, my ass. I'm going to kill that boy."
Inside, music blared and there were people all over her house. "Brad! Get out here, now!" She screamed, loud enough for those nearby to turn and stop talking.
From the kitchen, he bounded in. "Oh, hey mom. You're back early. Everything okay?"
"What the hell is this?" She waved her arms around, nearly hitting someone walking by. "You said a few friends!"
"Mom, relax, it's cool. It's just a few people."
She winced and recoiled away from him. He was slurring his words and his breath reeked of booze.
"Jesus, Bradley. You are fucking hammered."
"Nah, I'm goo--" She barely caught him and stood holding his dead weight. Kris was stuck holding her passed-out son.
"Hey sorry, Mrs. Grant. He went hard on the drinks." She turned to the tall black man next to her. Bill, her son's teammate and long-time best friend, stood there shaking his head. He took Brad out of her arms and eased him onto the couch.
"Thanks, Bill. I wish he'd take it easy. He always parties way too hard. One day it's going to catch up with him, just like his father."
Kris looked at her son's friend. He'd always been the more sensible of the two. Ever since junior high, when Brad had dragged him home after school to play video games, he'd been a constant presence in their home. Always polite and considerate, she was glad that her son had him as a friend.
"You look like you could use a drink yourself. What can I get for you?" He flashed a big toothy smile with his perfectly white teeth at her.
"How about a Seven and 7?"
"Coming right up." He whisked away to the booze table.
"Here you go."
"Thanks, Bill." She winced. "Holy shit, how strong did you make this?"
He grinned. "You look like you need some help to relax. He said just a few people, right?"
She sighed. "Yeah, just a little bit."
He raised his beer. "Take a drink. Let loose. Say fuck it."
"Fuck it." She toasted him and downed the rest of the glass in one swallow.
"Woo hoo, Mrs. Grant!"
"Kris. Call me Kris. Mrs. Grant makes me feel like an old lady."
"Okay, Kris." He leaned in close to her. "You are not old, but you are sexy."
Bill was always smooth with girls. She saw him at their games, the girls would be trying to catch his eye. He flirted right back at them, effortlessly.
"Pish posh. You need to find someone your own age. I'm sure the little slut girls around school would love to get a piece of you. Big, tall, soccer player." She ran her hand up his arm.
He held her, his arm along her lower back, just above her ass. "They are so immature. I hate how they play games."
"Yeah, somehow, I doubt that. I see the way you flirt with them."
"It's not like that. I mean, sure, who doesn't like some attention? But I like someone who knows what they like and isn't afraid to tell you what they want. I always imagined someone like you. You've been my inspiration in what to look for in a woman."
"Ohh, you are smooth, Bill. I bet you have to beat them off with your stick." The drink was hitting her fast, loosening her tongue.
He chuckled. "What can I say, I like to have fun, and they are willing. But they don't rate for anything besides fuck bunnies.
A fast dance song started playing. "Let's dance, I love this song."
They moved to the music during the fast songs, and Bill held her close during the slow songs.
She could feel his hardness poking her belly and it made her stomach flutter. It'd been a long time since she had been pursued by a man, and Bill was a handsome one.
She was sweaty from the fast-paced music these college kids liked and welcomed the change of pace when the slow songs played.
He held her close.
"Bill, I'm all sweaty. Are you sure you want to hold me so close?"
"I like when I can make a beautiful woman sweat. It means I'm doing something right." He grinned down at her, his white teeth flashing against his dark skin.
"Oh, and how do you like to make a woman sweat?"
He picked her up, supporting her by her ass. His grip was effortless, and she wrapped her legs around him out of instinct.
She could smell his musky scent, and his skin glistened with his own sweat.
"I take her to bed, and I have my way with her." She shivered at the thought. This was her son's best friend, she'd known him for years, watched him grow up. But now she was seeing the man that he'd become, and was curious.