It was so not like her, but she was certain a little alcohol could do the trick. Truth was she wanted nothing more than to go straight home, get into her jammies, and crawl in bed. But she knew what would happen then. The tears would inevitably start, and she refused to do that again.

She sat up, turning back to Drew. “If you’re feeling well enough, I’m up for this.” No, she’d be honest and admit it. “I need to do this.”

The familiar bright smile Charlee was so used to seeing on Drew was back. Red nose and all, she actually looked excited. “Good! But I won’t be doing any drinking just so you know. I finally caved and took medicine for this damn cold.” Drew sniffled and reached for a tissue from the glove compartment then blew her nose.

“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough, Drew? I can always do this another time.”

Drew shook her head adamantly, opening her door. “I’m fine, and you are not putting this off even one more day. We’re doing this tonight. I’m just doing it minus the booze.” Charlee got out of her side nervously then looked over at Drew across her car’s roof. “But you, my dear,” Drew lifted her brow with a smirk, “will hang loose and enjoy yourself tonight. This night will not be a waste if I have anything to do with it.”

Refusing to give into her natural instinct to tell Drew that just being out of the car and hearing the music coming from the party she was already having second thoughts, Charlee remained calm. She continued walking alongside of her best friend ready to do this. Even though she wasn’t quite sure what this would consist of exactly.

Once inside the packed backyard, Drew wasted no time filling both their cups with beer. She said it would save them the time having to stand back in line to get Charlee’s next cupful. She also reminded Charlee to not sip so slowly because the beer in the cup Drew would be holding for her would get warm.

“I don’t care what you say, Charlee. You don’t like beer, and there is nothing worse than warm beer. So drink fast.”

“I’ll give you that warm beer is bad, but I’m telling you I don’t have a problem with beer,” Charlee sipped from her cup, wiping the foam from her top lip. “See?” She smiled.

It really wasn’t bad at all. She actually liked the taste. She sipped an even bigger drink for good measure then placed her hand over her mouth and burped. Now she remembered what she didn’t like about beer. Drew laughed, making Charlee laugh too.

They began their stroll around the backyard. Charlee couldn’t get over how blatant the guys were about checking her and Drew out as they walked past them. Their leering smiles as their elevator eyes took them in before stopping at their faces were almost comical. Almost. As ridiculous as they looked doing it, Charlee couldn’t help feeling a bit unnerved by it all. She was so not used to any of this.

Drew leaned into Charlee after one good-looking and well-built guy in particular stopped talking to the group he was in and stared at them. “He’s not bad,” Drew whispered. “Not bad at all. Even looks a little like someone we’re not talking about tonight.”

Charlee finished the last of her beer as she glanced in the guy’s direction. He smiled as soon as their eyes met. No, he wasn’t bad at all. The vest over a t-shirt with jeans look was sexy and he wore it well. And, yes, he did look a little like Hector because he was tall with dark hair and somewhat of a buff guy, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Still, Charlee wasn’t here looking for someone just like Hector. In fact, she should be looking for someone totally different. She reminded herself the whole point of being here tonight was to get over the guy already.

One thing was for sure. Charlee would need more beer if she was going to get the nerve to hang loose like she’d come here to do. Already she felt like spinning around, bolting through the crowd, and running back to the safety of Drew’s car.

Absentmindedly, because she needed any reason to look away from the guy staring at her, she glanced around for a trash can and found one. She started toward it, but she felt Drew’s hand her arm. “Where you going?”

“Trash can,” Charlee responded.

“No! We paid for these cups, remember? It’s what we’re going to use to refill all night.” Drew traded cups with Charlee. “Here you go. Drink up, buttercup. We’ll go refill when you’re done.”

The second cup went down a little smoother than the first, but then Charlee remembered the other reason why she didn’t like beer. “Maybe I should’ve thought this out a little better.”

Drew looked at her a bit exasperated. “What? Don’t tell my you’re changing your mind already.”

“Sort of,” Charlee admitted, but seeing the beginning of a reprimanding glare from Drew, she added quickly. “Not the having fun part, but I forgot beer makes me pee like crazy.”

Ironically, the only other time Charlee had drank enough beer to have her running to and from the ladies’ room was last summer at a party similar to this one where Danny first approached her. She hoped this wasn’t an omen.

“Not a problem,” Drew said, taking her by the hand. “The guy we paid to get the cups said only girls get to go inside to use the restroom.”

Charlee followed her through the crowd to the backdoor of the house. Not surprising, there was a line for the restroom, but it wasn’t as long as she expected. After getting her turn to use it but before she left the small room, she reflected on tonight’s turn of events: the smile Hector had given her and how the stupid lump in her throat hadn’t allowed her to so much as lift a corner of her lips in response. This was the first time she’d had a moment alone since seeing him with that girl.