Laurie and Jennifer each carried a bag from Jennifer's dorm room down to Laurie's silver Mustang convertible. It was a warm day for November, so Laurie had driven down from Arlington with the top down. As Jennifer tossed her laundry bag into Laurie's back seat and Laurie followed by laying Jennifer's suitcase next to it, Laurie said, "Your roommate seemed less tense than she did the last time I came and saw you."
"Did she," Jennifer said as she slid into the passenger seat and Laurie took her place behind the wheel.
"Yeah," Laurie said. "Considerably less tense."
Jennifer giggled as Laurie put the car in drive and pulled away from the curve. She glanced at Jennifer who was still giggling and smiled as she said, "You two hooked up, didn't you."
Jennifer just giggled some more as she found Laurie's pack of Marlboro Reds in the glove box and dug through the regular cigarettes until she found one of the joints she knew Laurie would have hidden with them. As Jennifer used the car's lighter to put fire to the joint, Laurie said, "I've got some blow in my purse if you want to stop and do a couple of lines."
Jennifer shook her and sucked deeply on the weed. After she could no longer hold the smoke in her lungs, she let it out and said, "This is fine with me."
She took another long pull on the joint and then held it to Laurie's lips so her friend wouldn't have to take a hand off the steering wheel. After Laurie had drawn as much marijuana smoke into her lungs as was humanly possible, she held her toke for a minute and then blew the remains in Jennifer's face. Jennifer giggled some more.
"God, you're goofy today," Laurie said. "Have you already been smoking some shit?"
Jennifer shook her head and said, "Nope, but me and Becky sucked our pussies until we were out of juice for about two hours before you showed up."
"Damn," Laurie said. "I didn't think that little honey was up for it."
"She is."
"Tell me the whole story about how you nailed her and I'll even let you drive."
Jennifer took another hit on the joint, coughed as she held the smoke in too long, giggled some more when she finished coughing and said, "Deal, bitch. Pull the fuck over."
"Yeah, right," Laurie said. "Maybe after I hear the story."
"I can drive you know."
"I didn't say you couldn't," Laurie said. "But this is my 'stang."
"Shit," Jennifer said as she tossed the residual of the joint out of the car. "It's just a car."
"True," Laurie said. "But it's MY car."
Jenny laughed. "You got me there. What are we doing tonight?"
"We could have a little party at my place."
"Sounds cool," Jenny said. "Who you inviting?"
"You."
Jenny laughed again. "That's a start."
Laurie laughed too. "Taylor went to England with Frankie. Howie is in town, so my sister will be shacked up with him. We could go over to Cleo's."
"Cleo's cool."
"She's always got good blow."
Jennifer rolled her eyes and said, "Would you forget about that shit? It's going to kill you one of these days."
Laurie shrugged and said, "Wasn't planning to live forever; but since you are, we could just soak in her hot tub if you want."
"Oh yeah," Jennifer said. "I love her hot tub."
"Cool," Laurie said. "We can hit some balls first. They've got the court right there on the estate."
"Gee, Laurie," Jennifer said. "I play tennis every fucking day."
"Scared I'll beat you."
"Of course not."
"I'm pretty good, Jenny. I used to play in high school too."
"But I play in college."
"Only because your mom is friends with someone that knows the coach and pulled some strings to get you a scholarship."
"Fuck you, Laurie. Yes. Coach Reardon is married to my mom's sales manager's brother, but she still gave me the scholarship because I can play. If I couldn't play, she never would have."
"So play me tonight."
"I'll tell you what," Jennifer said. "Let me toss the snowflake you've got in your purse out of the car right now, and I'll play tennis with you tonight."
Laurie looked horrified. "Why the fuck would you want to do that?"
"So, you can prove to me that the stuff doesn't rule your life."
"It doesn't rule my life, Jenny; but throwing that shit out the window would mean I sucked that cock this morning for free."
Jenny rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, in that case, I see your point."
*
Sandy Gordon dropped her purse on her desk and answered the ringing phone. "Hudson Pharmaceuticals."
"Mr. Hudson wants you in his office."
Shit, Sandy thought. "He say what he wants, Carmen?"
"What does he always want?"
"Fuck," Sandy said softly. "I should have gone into real estate."
"You don't have to do it, you know," Carmen said.