Chapter 8 Drunk

_I used a piece of cardboard to separate the space. You know, so we don't end up wearing each other's panties_ says Autumn.

"Excellent. Thank you," I force out, my face burning as I study the long green dildo tucked into the side.

"When does he plan on using that? I never dared buy one, let alone bring it into a cabin with five other women!" I quickly empty out the rest of my stuff and close the drawer, just in case he forgot to hide it.

"So, are you all meeting up at the staff lodge tonight?" Tillie asks, looking in the mirror as she paints her bottom lip with scarlet lipstick. I've tried red lipstick once, while dressing up for Halloween, only to wipe it off minutes later. I looked like a clown. Not Tilly, though. She looks sultry.

_Yeah. We might as well enjoy the fun now before they work us to the bone. _ Lorraine slides off her bunk and swaps her magazine for a flask from the top drawer. Guess I missed the flask memo.

"Oh please. I hear masseuses work six-hour shifts, tops," Tillie scolds. Lorraine waves her hands in the air.

_ My precious hands need a rest.

_Those lovely hands of yours better give my body a deep tissue massage after a long day of answering stupid rich people's questions,_ Autumn says, filling her flask with a bottle of vodka. How much has she had to drink? Is she always this friendly, or is she just drunk? _Hey, Prue, where will you be working?_

_ I'm supposed to be doing Outdoor, but they put me in Housekeeping.

_ Oh, that's where I am! We can go to the training session together tomorrow morning. Us redheads need to stick together _ Tillie is obviously happy about this. I hate bursting her bubble and telling her that I'm getting transferred as soon as Belinda sorts things out, so I stay quiet and just smile.

"That Outdoor team is a bunch of perverted men, anyway. They all stood behind the yoga team this morning and watched them walk through their sessions," Rachel warns, taking off her shirt. Katie does the same.

_ Let's take a quick shower. We'll meet there, okay?

"Sure thing. Hey, Prue. You're coming, right?" Autumn zips up her vest. I'm exhausted. I've barely slept in the past two weeks, thanks to finals and jitters about this trip. Afraid of the unknown. Normally, I'd curl up in bed with a good book and read until I fell asleep. I even loaded my e-reader with about fifty novels to get me through four months of summer nights and free hours. Everyone's drinking, obviously, and they don't bother to hide it. In college, people used to have get-togethers, but they were docile and kept covert compared to what I've heard happens on other campuses. This is all new to me. But I want to have fun. Plus, it's the best way to distract myself from Abraham and her at Greenbank.

_Of course. Yes. _ They are the kind of girls I never hung out with at school, although sometimes I wondered what it would be like to be their friends; to be part of the crowd.

_ Excellent! Alcohol at the hostel is the only thing that isn't subsidized, and it's very expensive, so you'll want to bring your own, _ Autumn warns, adding: _ Unless you have money.

I bite my tongue before admitting to them that I don't drink. That I've never been drunk before in my life.

_Here. We can share until you can get to Homer to stock up next week_ Tillie pushes her flask into my hand. What if I refuse? Do I get a ticket to Loser Town with them? This feels like high school all over again.

_ Hey, can you save us seats on that couch by the fire? -Raquel asks.

She hooks her thumbs under her panties and pulls them up until they fall to the floor. Both she and Katie stand front and center in the room, completely naked, seemingly without a care in the world. On our campus, girls would change before heading to the shared bathrooms and cover themselves with towels. Another thing I'll have to get used to. I bring the flask to my mouth and take a big swig that makes me shudder.

_SO, YOU'RE A THING... THIS..._ I can't pronounce the name, and I'm not sure if it's because of the word or the alcohol Tillie's been pumping me with.

_Beautician. Yes. _ Katie laughs, flipping her silky blonde hair over her shoulder. _I worked for the Hilton for a couple of years, but I got laid off last December. Star hired me for this job. We'll see how things go. Maybe I can be transferred to a permanent location when the season is over. They have hotels all over the world.

_What exactly does an esthetician do, again?_ The closest place to a beauty salon I've ever been to is Sheila's Clip 'N' Color shop on Main Street, back home. Sheila, my mom's childhood friend, has been trimming my hair for as long as I can remember.

_ Anything beauty and grooming related. That's me. That's what I love _ All it takes is one more time from her to see that. Perfectly shaped and painted nails, glowing skin, shaped brows _ Facials, chemical peels, mani-pedis, waxing, makeup application.

_I've never had any of those things done to me, _ I admit.

_ Really? _ Her blue eyes slide over my face. I don't think she's that surprised. _ You should let me do your eyebrows. It takes like ten minutes. Tops.

"Does it hurt?" I look around, suddenly embarrassed that someone might overhear this conversation. I don't see that happening, though. The staff lodge has come alive with laughter and music compared to an hour ago when I was bussing out dinner. A guy in a beanie is sitting by the fireplace, playing an acoustic guitar. If there was a piano here, I'd try to match his notes. That's one thing I'll miss about not being back home for the summer: access to the piano in our family room. I've been playing since I was six; it's mostly church hymns, though. Sometimes, when old Mollie Simmons isn't feeling well, Reverend Enderbey asks me to play at the Sunday service.

_Not really. Well, not your eyebrows, anyway_ She laughs. _It's so worth it. Especially for the summer, when you don't want to worry about stubble under your arms or your bikini line. I can do it all for you, if you want. I do Rachel's all the time, and she loves it.

_But she's bald... down there_ I snap, then blush because I basically admitted to having looked at her before.

_It's a good look, trust me. Just say the word and I'll clean you right up_ Katie winks_ And the boys love it too.

Abraham said he didn't understand why a woman would want to look like a girl. He thought she'd prefer some hair. I wonder if she still prefers that. Then again, I'm not doing anything for Abraham anymore. Still... "I'd have to be drunk." He knocks his glass with my water bottle.

_ Well then, cheers to that.

_ Hi, Prue. I'm going back to sleep. We have to get up in a few hours. A few hours?

_ What time is it? _ I squint at my watch; the hands are blurry.

_ It's two o'clock. Training starts at nine, and if you don't want to wait in line to shower, you need to arrive before seven.

Shit. How do I stay awake? Especially with the time zone change.

_Okay. I'm coming._ Katie squeezes my thigh affectionately, the simple touch making me feel even more comfortable in this group of strangers.

_ We're not too far behind you.

I stand up. And stumble several times towards a tall guy. He wraps his arms around my waist to steady me, but doesn't let go.

_ Wow, little lady. Are you okay? _ She sounds like she's from the south. She has that lovely southern accent, but it's different than Tillie's. I tilt my head back and look into smiling emerald green eyes.