First Kiss (7 page)

Beth's eyes fluttered open when she realized she was swallowing air. She licked the rim of the glass and  then licked her lips. It was gone. The third glass. Her third drink. Her last. She set it down and stared at the empty glass. Beth took a deep breath and turned. The doorway awaited even though the rest of the club became blurry and seemed to spin around her. She felt lightheaded and warm. Not warm like when she'd been in the sunlight, but warm like she was relaxing in a warm shower. Or maybe a hot tub, since she hadn't been able to have a hot shower all week.

Beth nodded and began her walk into her future.

Chapter 11

The white wall shimmered and shifted. A panel slid down while another moved up. Above them the whiteness curled on itself, twisting like an albino snake. Beth let her breath out slowly, hissing as it slipped between her lips.

She blinked until the wall stopped moving and she realized it wasn't the wall, it was the ceiling. The wall next to her bed met the ceiling, but that had just confused her. She stretched and rolled over, fumbling for where her phone would be lying on the floor next to her bed. It wasn't there.

Beth frowned and looked around, squinting against the brightness. The blinds had been dropped over the window but they were glowing with the sunlight on them. That seemed odd. Why would they be so bright this early? The sun didn't even shine on them.

She threw back her sheets and sat up. Her underwear had slipped up her cheeks and ridden up her ass last night. Beth leaned to her left and reached down to adjust them. Her hand slid over her hip and cheek before she realized she couldn't find her underwear.

"Holy shit!" Beth hissed and jumped up. She looked down at herself and saw the black panties at her waist. They shimmered in the light coming from the blinds. She reached back and tugged the thong from between her cheeks. She held it out for a moment, struggling to remember where she'd gotten it and why she had it on. When she realized there was nowhere else for it to go she let it snap back into the crack of her ass.

Above the mysterious thong she wore her white shirt— and nothing else! She never wore it without a bra and at least a cami under it. Except for last night, apparently. She stared down at herself and shook her head. What was she thinking?

Beth's purse was on her desk and her red skirt lay crumpled in a pile on the floor. Her boots were next to the foot of her bed, one of them knocked on its side. She wouldn't have done that, she'd have taken care of them. The skirt too. And changed into proper sleepwear.

She bit her lip and tasted the lipstick on it. That and something else. Something spicy. Maybe coppery. She sucked her lip between her teeth and ran her tongue over it, trying to taste more of it and understand what it was. It was gone, leaving nothing behind except a sense of familiarity. Like seeing an old friend she couldn't remember the name of.

Beth frowned and grabbed her purse. She rooted through it until she found her phone. Her messages were empty, nothing new since yesterday evening. No voice mails. No calls. No clues. She sighed and started to set it down when she noticed the clock on it. It was almost four in the afternoon!

Beth dropped the phone and stumbled back. She caught her balance as she bumped into Carla's desk. She turned, surprised by how close it seemed. Her reflection in Carla's mirror caught her attention and drew her gaze. Her lips parted in a gasp that her chest wouldn't take.

She turned to face the mirror fully and raised her hand to her face. Was that really her? The lipstick and eye shadow and wild hair? She'd slept in it, giving a fluffy eighties look, but she could tell she'd spent some time on it. She still looked better than she thought was possible, even after sleeping in her hair and makeup.

"What did I do last night?" she wondered. She bit her lip to stifle a giggle. "Or who?"

No, it wasn't sex. She was pretty sure she hadn't done that. She'd only done that once, sort of, and that left her sore for days. It hadn't been invited or welcomed though. He'd kept doing it though. Doing her, rutting like the animal he was. Over and over.

Beth shook her head. That was a lifetime ago. A different girl. A southern belle wannabe. A stupid kid. She was older and wiser now. Maybe not more experienced, but wiser. Except how wise could she be if she couldn't remember last night? Or much of anything, really.

She turned away from the mirror and grabbed her running pants out of her dirty clothes basket. She pulled them on over the strange panties and  grabbed her shower bag. She needed to get cleaned up first, then she'd worry about the rest.

Beth paused at the door and turned to look at herself in the mirror again. It wasn't just the makeup, she really was thinner. Sure, she had that morning after / walk of shame look, but she looked good. Pretty. No, not pretty, sexy. Hot. She caught herself smiling and turned away. That wasn't her. This. This wasn't her.

Beth opened the door and stepped out. The conversation in the room died instantly between Carla and Mandy. They both rose to their feet but Carla did one better and charged at Beth. She slammed into her and knocked the wind from her as she stumbled back a couple of steps.

Beth started to struggled until she figured out that Carla was hugging her. She reached around her roommate and hugged her back. It was an awkward hug. "Um, Carla, what's going on?"

Carla let go and backed up. She stared at her and shook her head. "Holy shit, girl! You are hot! What did you do last night?"

Beth's eyes widened. Carla didn't know? "Um, it's kind of blurry."

"Did Colin like it?"

"Colin?" Shit! What had happened with Colin? They'd gone out. A weird first date, she'd taken him for his birthday to a strip club downtown. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to pick out the details. There was a bouncer, a big black guy that was pretty cool wearing a knit cap because it was so cold out. She'd worn— She glanced down at her shirt. She hadn't worn this.

"Beth? Is something wrong? Did he do something? Is that why some strange woman drove you home?"

Beth gasped as a fleeting image of a dark haired beauty wearing something white flashed in her mind. It was gone before she could focus on it "Strange woman?"

"Blurry isn't right, is it?" Mandy asked as she stuck her head around the corner of the bedroom door. "Did you get drugged? What's the last thing you remember?"

Beth bit her lip and glanced at her phone on the desk. She picked it up and glanced at it. This time she focused on the date, not the time. It was January twenty fourth, not the seventeenth. She hadn't gone out with Colin last night— except Carla and Mandy thought she had.

"Oh fuck," she whispered. Beth staggered back and sat down on the edge of Carla's bed. "What happened?"

Carla and Mandy looked at each other and then her. Carla moved first and sat down next to her. "You don't remember? Are you sore?"

"Sore?"

Mandy stepped in and leaned against the door frame. "Yeah, like you had sex."

Beth shook her head. "No. I feel good. I mean, my body feels good. I don't get it though, I don't look like this. I love it, but it's not me."

"Beth, sweetie, you've been— what's wrong?"

Beth stared at her. "What did you call me?"

Carla looked at Mandy and then back at her roommate. "Uh, Beth? It's your name."

"You called me sweetie?"

"Did I? Okay. Is that bad?"

"Do it again."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, just do it. It sounded… weird. Familiar, like somebody else called me that recently. It's right there."

"This is fucked up," Mandy said. "Beth, we need to get you to the hospital I think. Or maybe the cops."

Beth shook her head and looked at Carla. "Please?"

Carla shrugged. "Okay. Um, sweetie?"

Beth stared at her and then sighed. "Nothing. Damn it. What is going on with me?"

"You lost the weight last week. You haven't been sleeping well until that girl brought you home last night. She drove your car and left it downstairs. Then she left and I didn't see where she went."

"What did she look like?" Beth asked.

"You don't even remember that?" Mandy cried.

Beth shook her head and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"She was tall," Carla offered. "Dark hair and these really blue eyes."

Beth frowned. It sounded familiar, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't pull a face out of her memory. "What else? Did she give her name or anything?"

"I forgot to ask her," Carla said. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew her."

"I— I don't know. Maybe I do? Or did. What else?"

Carla frowned and then snapped her fingers. "Boots! She had these wicked white leather boots. I don't know how she drove or walked in them, but she made it look easy."

Beth's brow furrowed. Boots sounded right. She felt like they were right there, like a missing word on the tip of her tongue. "Fuck," she hissed. "I can't remember her."

"What about Colin?" Mandy asked. "You didn't go out clubbing with us because you were hooking up with him."

Beth shook her head. "Nothing. I don't know. The last thing I remember is going out with Colin, but that was a week ago. For his birthday."

"When you sucked him off," Carla said.

"I did what?"

"You don't remember that either?"

"I su— I gave him a blow job?"

"That's what you told us."

"Holy shit," Beth breathed.

"So, um, what are you going to do now?" Carla asked.

Beth shook her head. "Try to remember, I guess. I need a shower though."

"I like the new look," Mandy offered. "Not if it means you're screwed up, I'm just saying you really look good."

"Um, thanks," Beth blushed. Out of all the crazy that was happening to her she wondered if maybe it was worth it. She did look good. She felt good too. But it wasn't worth it if it meant she was being abused or going crazy.

"Are you good to go to the showers?" Carla asked. "I can take you down."

"No, I'm fine. I think. I'll ju—" Beth yelped as her phone rang in her lap. She stared at it and then looked up at Mandy and Carla. All three burst out laughing at her reaction. She picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

"Beth?"

"Colin?" she asked with a glance at her suitemates. "Hey, how are you?"

"Good! Sorry again about last night. Like I said, I figured you weren't interested. Dick move, I know, but I'm going to make it up to you tonight, I promise!"

"Oh, uh, okay. That's cool," Beth said. She turned to look at her roommate who was leaning next to her so she could hear what he said.

"Did you find something to do, at least?"

"Me? Um, yeah, something."

"Cool. The party will start ripping around eleven or so, but you can come over any time. We should be ready after eight or so, if that's cool?"

"Eight? Yeah, I can be ready by then."

"Awesome," he said. "Hey, I'm really glad things are cool with us. Nobody's ever done anything like you did for me before."

Beth's eyes widened. She glanced at her friends and then gambled. "You've never had a blowjob before?"

Colin laughed. "Not like that! I still can't believe that was your first. If you keep that up I'm going to be hooked!"

"That good, eh?" Beth asked.

"Ask him what part he really liked," Carla whispered.

Beth scowled at her roommate and slapped her thigh. Mandy had to stifle a giggle with her hand.

"Well yeah," Colin said. "That's not what I meant though. I mean taking me to that strip club. I mean, who knew you would be that cool. I hope it didn't weird you out too much. I know you said you were curious."

Carla gasped and turned to stare at her. Beth ignored her. "No, it was cool. I'd never been, I wondered if they were like they are in the movies."

"Oh, I thought you told me once you were curious about—"

"Hey," Beth interrupted. "I was trying to tell my friends when you called but I can't remember the name of that place. What was it?"

"You were telling your friends? Holy shit! You said you wanted to keep it quiet."

Carla stared at her with her mouth hanging open. Beth closed her eyes and fought through the embarrassment that threatened to silence her. "I've been making some changes lately. You might be surprised."

"Wow, I'll say! I mean, I think who you are is great, but now I'm really curious. Oh, um, Club Paradise, I think? Or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention to the name, you know."

Beth forced a laugh. "I noticed."

"Hey, I left with you."

"Yes you did," Beth said. "Can I bring my friends by tonight? To the party, I mean."

"Huh? Oh sure. The more the better."

"Cool. I'll see you later then."

"You bet. Can't wait!"

Beth hung up the phone and turned to Carla. She was hit in the face with a pillow immediately.

"You dirty slut!" Carla laughed.

Beth sputtered and wiped the imaginary pillow dust off her face. "What's that for?"

Carla pouted. "You took him to a strip club? You didn't tell me that!"

"Like you wanted to go?"

"Maybe," she said.

"You said you're strictly dickly, remember?"

Mandy held up a hand. "Wait a minute. I only heard half the conversation. What's going on?"

Beth sighed. "Last Friday I took Colin to a strip club for his birthday. Club Paradise, but I don't remember much more than that."