Roxanne dove her closet for something to wear. One of the perks of leaving clothes at home, it's easier to dress for the weather and look cute. She found her outfit. She stretched out her black stockings and rolled them from the bottom of her foot to her hips. She slipped on her sparkled shorts and gold top. It wasn't that cold outside. Thank God for that. She curled her hair in sultry curls and added her makeup.
There was a knock on her door.
"I'm coming Charlie!" she shouted from her bathroom.
Still knocking.
"Goddamn it," she muttered.
She opened her door, not expecting Jarrett in her doorway.
"Where are you going in that?" he asked curiously.
"None of your business," she said, folding her arms.
He stared at her from her shoes to her legs to her shorts and her eyes. She looked irritated.
"What's your problem?" he asked.
"I don't have a problem, Jarrett. I'm going out."
"I can only imagine where," he said, "I also couldn't help noticing how annoyed you looked at dinner. Did I do something?"
"You know very damn well, what you were doing, Jay. But I'm not playing games with you."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not playing games."
"Is this how you're gonna act while we're here? Like an asshole?"
"The only one being an asshole is you, Roxy. I'm following your rules to the T. You're the one having a hissy fit because I'm not paying any attention to you."
"I don't need your attention, Jay. If I wanted attention, I could go out there and get it."
"Keep it up, and you're gonna get the wrong kind of attention tonight, especially in that."
"Fuck you, Jarrett. This is exactly what you like to see me in."
Jarrett chuckled a little.
"You just admitted to wearing that outfit for me."
Fuck, she thought.
"You're doing you, good for you."
Charlie met the two of them in the hallway.
"Girl, you ain't ready yet?" she sighed, "You coming?" she asked Jarrett.
"No, thank you. You two have fun tonight," he said.
***********************************
Roxanne had no qualms against downing as many drinks as she could while being with Charlotte. The good thing about having a sister like Charlotte around is that Roxanne could drink as much as she want and have a designated driver take her home. Charlotte didn't drink as much as Roxanne, if not at all. She liked bars mostly for the social interaction and music.
"Keep it up and you're be as drunk as you were on your birthday," Charlotte said.
"Don't turn me down, turn me up!" Roxanne shouted over the music.
Charlotte shook her head.
"I'm not nearly as drunk as I'd like to be," Roxanne admitted.
"Is it about Jarrett?"
Roxanne shook her head.
"I'm not talking about him," she said.
"Why not?" Charlotte said, "Something's there.
You're trying to ignore it. Friends my ass."
"I'm not talking about him," she repeated.
"Yeah, we are. You like him, you just don't wanna admit it. For whatever reason."
She couldn't keep it to herself for long anyway. Roxanne spilled her guts to her sister, telling her everything.
"Is the sex good?"
"It's great," Roxanne confessed, "Fuck me, none of this would have happened if I didn't go over to his apartment that night."
"Sounds to me like it was bound to happen. You wanted that boy just as much as he wanted you," Charlotte said, "I don't understand you, Roxanne, you say you like him but you act like you don't. He's not going to appreciate the mixed signals."
Roxanne poured herself another drink.
"I like to play games, I'll admit that, but I don't trust him."
"Get over it," Charlotte said.
Roxanne drank her shot.
"Like I said, if you don't hold on to him, he's not going to stick around."
"You don't even know him, Charlie."
"I know that he likes you. He's doing exactly what you want, be your friend, and it's not enough for you."
Roxanne didn't want to hear it. The liquor was pouring in abundance and Roxanne found herself seeing shapes instead of faces and life in a haze.
***********************************
The next morning, Roxanne woke up. Her room was dark, blinds closed and lights off. There was no sign of daylight. She couldn't remember how she got home last night. She didn't remember how she got to her bed or got undressed. Thankfully, she wasn't hung over. She forced herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She stood in the shower, trying to wake herself up. She slipped on some pants and a t-shirt, brushed her teeth and shuffled her way downstairs. Eleven in the morning. Jarrett sat in the kitchen dressed in his plaid pajama pants and a t-shirt. He heard her come in. Judging from the content look on his face, he seemed over the argument yesterday.
"You're mom and sister are gone," he said, not looking at her, "I don't know how you're alive after what you did last night."
"Fuck, what did I do?" she asked.
"You were pretty smashed."
"How do you know? You weren't there."
Jarrett filled her in. Before the night was over, she was completely inebriated. At first, Charlotte was amused, but shortly after she realized she couldn't get her sister home by herself without attracting the wrong attention. Jarrett took her home.
"I thought it was pretty amusing too before you starting falling down," he said.
He didn't look at her. Roxanne raked her fingers through her hair. Her curls now tangled and out of place.
"Please don't tell me I danced on tables like some sad, sad single girl."
"You were one tequila shot away from it," he said.
"Tequila," she repeated, "Gets me every time."
