by Kelly Risser
***
Mom dropped me off at Katie’s house. After I said goodbye to her, I swallowed the lump in my throat. There was a distance between us now, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. I hurt too much, so the best I could manage was polite indifference. She was trying, but it was going to take more than a few kind words to heal my pain.
I hitched the duffle bag strap higher on my shoulder and started up the steps. I was spending the night, and so were Jen and Valerie, or Val as she kept insisting I call her. We were meeting here, and Katie was going to drive to the club.
The last time I had a sleepover was when Kim visited. I missed her, but I also realized, sadly, that we were growing apart. I hadn’t talked to her in weeks, just exchanged a few brief texts. I knew she had a new boyfriend now, but that was about it.
When I knocked, Evan answered the door. He smiled uncertainly at me. We hadn’t spoken much this week. It was hard keeping so much from him, but I wasn’t ready to share. It made me feel uncomfortable. I was sure he felt it, too.
“You look great,” he said.
I looked down at my puffy coat, the same one I’d worn all winter. “You can tell how I look through my coat?”
“You always look great.”
I laughed. “And, you’re trying to butter me up.”
“Is it working?” He leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“No.” I tried unsuccessfully to keep a straight face.
He stepped back to let me in. “They’re all upstairs in Katie’s room.”
When I set down my bag to take off my coat, Evan eyed it with interest. “You’re staying over, too?”
“Katie asked me, so yes.” I frowned at him, catching the wicked gleam in his eyes. “Don’t get any ideas. This is a girls’ night, remember?”
He held up his hands and gave me an innocent look. “Who me? Never. I’ll just be in my room all night, studying and watching reruns with my friends.”
“Friends?” Who was he having over?
“Yes.” He paused. “Ebb and Flow.”
Hearing their names, the two dogs ran over, bodies wiggling with excitement. I crouched and scratched them each behind an ear.
“How could I forget?” Straightening, I grabbed my bag.
Evan crouched and took over petting the dogs. “Have fun!”
When I reached Katie’s room, I stopped in the doorway. Jen sat at Katie’s desk, painting her nails. Katie was on the bed, and Val was on the floor in front of her, wincing as Katie tugged on her hair.
“Katie!” she cried. “That hurts!”
“Sorry,” Katie said. “But it hurts to be beautiful.” She bit her cheek to keep from laughing.
Val sulked. “I think my hair looked fine before.”
“Well, it will look better now,” Katie replied.
“Hi girls,” I said, entering the room and setting my bag next to the bed. I sat on the floor in front of Val. “What’s the plan?”
Katie glanced at the clock. “We’ll leave in about an hour. We don’t want to get there too early. I heard the place doesn’t get going until about ten.”
“Okay,” I said. “So what will we do for the next hour?”
“Hang out?” Katie suggested. She twisted the last few strands of Val’s hair and pinned them. The finished style was sophisticated and sexy. Val, free of Katie’s hands, rummaged in her duffle and pulled out a bottle of red liquid.
“Drink?” she asked. She opened the bottle, took a long swig, and handed it to me, smacking her lips. “Yum.”
I took the bottle and sniffed at the opening. It smelled like a cherry Jolly Rancher. I wasn’t big on community drinking, but we were all friends here. I took a sip, then a longer drink. “This is good,” I said.
Val laughed. “Right? Like liquid candy.”
“Let me try!” Jen reached for the bottle. I handed it to her and she took it awkwardly to avoid smudging her nails. Taking a small sip, she shook her head and puckered her mouth. “Ewww. I don’t like that.” She set the bottle on the desk and pointed to her bag across the room. “Val, be a doll and get the bottle out of my bag?”
Valerie rummaged around and pulled out a small bottle with an old-fashioned picture on the front. Jen smiled at me. “I prefer mint.”
Val took her bottle back and offered it to Katie. Katie shook her head. “I’m driving,” she said.
“Not even a sip?” Val asked.
“I don’t want to risk it,” Katie said. “I’m good. You go ahead.”
Val gave me a wicked grin. “More for you and me then, Meara.”
Katie stood up and closed her door. “My parents aren’t home right now, but you never know,” she said. “And, Evan is here.”
“Would he bust you?” I asked, surprised.
“Nah,” she said. She looked at me pointedly as I took another drink from the bottle. “But he wouldn’t like to see his girlfriend drinking and going out without him.”
“True enough,” I said.
She crossed behind me to her dresser and turned on some music. The heady beat made me want to dance. “This is what they play at the club,” Katie said. She started to move, and we joined her, dancing around her room. Valerie and I continued to pass the bottle between us. Jen carried her own, singing into it like a microphone between sips.
I giggled. For the first time in weeks, I felt good. I threw one arm around Katie and the other around Val. “I love you guys.”
They both hugged me back, and Jen came over and wrapped her arms around all of us. “Group hug!” she cried.
Katie disentangled herself first. “Easy on the refreshments, ladies. We have a long night ahead of us.”
Val waved her arm in reply, and I said, “We’ll sober up on the drive over.”
Only we didn’t sober up on the drive over. I tripped a bit as I got out of the car, and Val banged her head. “Ow!” Rubbing her head, she frowned. I wrapped my arm around her waist, and she put hers around mine. We supported each other to the club entrance. I looked back at Katie. Her arm was around Jen’s shoulders. Jen swayed and hiccupped.
“Sober my ass,” Katie murmured. I didn’t think she meant for any of us to hear, but I heard anyway. I didn’t care. I was having fun.
Once inside, it was impossible to hear anyone without shouting. The club was dark, pulsing with colored lights and a deep bass rhythm. Heady perfume and sweat mingled in the thick, warm air. Bodies packed the dance floor, hands up and heads bobbing to the music. Katie grabbed my arm and shouted in my ear, “Let’s see if we can find a table.”
We found one in the corner and threw our jackets over the chair backs, eager to dance. I bounced to the music, not caring how I looked. Val pulled my hand, and I struggled to balance.
“Let’s dance!” she shouted. The three of us followed her. We broke through the crowd only to be swallowed by it. It felt as though we moved as one. I let the music take me, losing myself in the beat.
It wasn’t long before a group of guys discovered us. I looked up and saw one behind each of my friends. They looked like models—perfect hair, chiseled features, and thick, dark lashes. My friends’ eyes widened in awareness as they realized someone was behind them. At the same time, I felt hands light on my hips and warm breath on my neck. A deep voice rumbled near my ear, “I haven’t seen you before. Do you come here often?”
Do you come here often? Wasn’t that, like, the oldest pick-up line in the book? I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the giggle that I couldn’t hold back. I shook my head, but didn’t turn around.
“What’s your name?” he persisted. His hands touched me, my skin tingling where his fingers brushed. Did I tell him the truth?
“It’s Meara!” Val shouted, winking at me.
Great, thanks for the help, I thought sarcastically.
“Meara.” His pronunciation of my name sounded exotic, a roll to the r. “I like that.”
The voice, the touch…I shouldn’t be attracted, but my body told me d
ifferently. Guilt, hot and heavy, coursed through my veins. I should have walked away, but I couldn’t help myself. I turned to look at him. I was eye level with his chest, showcased in a tight, black t-shirt. It was made of a shiny, slinky material that might look feminine on some men, but not him. It clung to his muscles and his flat abs. I swallowed and looked up, up, up, into dark, slightly upturned eyes. My breath caught. He didn’t look like he was from here. He didn’t look like he was from anywhere I’d ever been. His spiky, blond hair bordered on white, and his skin was buttery toffee. He smiled down at me, straight teeth gleaming in the club lights.
“I’m Kieran.” His voice was melodic.
“Do I know you?” I frowned. Even with his unusual looks, I swore I’d seen him before. I tried to remember, but my foggy brain refused to help.
“We haven’t met.” He winked. “You would have remembered.”
All that and arrogance, too, I thought as Kieran’s hands gripped my hips tighter. He moved with me. “You’re not from here, are you, Meara?”
I shook my head, and he nodded. “I didn’t think so.”
“What about you?”
“No, I’m not from here.” He didn’t elaborate. His hands felt good on my waist. I fought the urge to run my hand down his arm, to feel the strength. He must live at the gym to have muscles like that, I thought. My cheeks burned. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be having these thoughts. Evan was my boyfriend. I loved him. Yet, even as I chanted this mantra, my eyes were glued to the man in front of me. Unlike Evan, Kieran had moves.
The song ended and another began. He dropped his hands from my side and took my hand in his. “Can I get you a drink?”
“I think I’ve had enough.” I wasn’t trying to be funny, but he laughed. He had a beautiful laugh. It fluttered inside me and shivered down my spine.
“I meant a Coke or water or…” His dark eyes held mine.
“Diet Coke is great.” I turned to see if my friends wanted anything, but they were gone. I quickly glanced around the area, but I didn’t see them in the crowd. “Where is everyone?”
Kieran nodded toward the back of the dance floor, and I followed his gaze. Katie, Val, and Jen were all dancing close with the other guys. They were just as built and beautiful as Kieran. I looked at him and raised my eyebrow. “Friends of yours?”
“Friends.” He seemed to mull it over. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
I tilted my head and studied him. He was so different from other guys. Was he older? He seemed like it. Maybe early twenties. Mom would be furious. Before I could think about it more, he pulled me with him to the bar. He paid for the drinks and handed one to me, tilting his glass toward mine as if to toast. With a half-smile, he put it to his lips.
I drank greedily. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was. When the glass was empty, he took it from me and placed it on the bar. He ran his finger down my forearm. I shivered, but didn’t pull away. Even as my body responded to his touch, I felt another burst of guilt.
“I have a boyfriend,” I blurted.
Kieran laughed his delicious laugh again. “Oh, I know.”
I stepped back, an alarm sounding in my head. “What do you mean, ‘you know’?”
He gestured to me. “A beautiful girl like you is never free.”
I felt my face grow hot when he called me beautiful. Stay focused. I closed my eyes to clear my head. “If you know I’m not free, why are you here?”
He grinned, and his teeth gleamed in the dark. He looked dangerous. “I could ask you the same thing.”
My pulse quickened. He had a point. I knew it was wrong. I knew Evan would be hurt, but I felt flushed and reckless. I needed to go before I did something I’d regret. “I need to get back to my friends.”
“They are fine.” Kieran’s expression softened, which made him look younger. Almost boyish. He took my hand in his again. “Please, stay.”
Sadness filled my heart. I tried to shake it off. I wasn’t sad, was I? The music slowed, and bodies coupled together on the dance floor. Kieran lifted my hand in his. “Will you dance?”
I considered him. A dance was not cheating, right? I placed my hand in his, and he led me to the floor. He pulled me close against him. He was so tall that my head rested on his chest, just below his heart. Its steady beat matched our steps. Why did he seem so familiar? I couldn’t clear my head. It was like trying to wake from a dream. I took a deep breath and sighed. He smelled like spring rain.
Kieran didn’t speak. He held me tight, his arms strong and comforting. When the song ended, he stepped back and looked down at me. He frowned.
“I must go,” he said. “Can I see you again?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
He looked resigned. “I thought you’d say that.”
He bent his head and I watched him, transfixed. When his lips touched mine, they were warm and inviting. I didn’t mean to kiss him back, but my eyes fluttered closed and I did. He tasted like spring rain, too.
When he broke the kiss and I opened my eyes, I realized that I gripped the front of his shirt in my fists. I let go and jumped back, my hand flying to my lips. What had I done?
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Meara Quinn.” He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.
It took a moment for his words to sink through the layers of guilt. “How do you know my last name?” I called, but he was already swallowed up by the crowd.
“Who was that?”
I turned to see Jen staring at the spot where Kieran last stood. “He said his name was Kieran.” I touched my lips again. They tingled from his kiss.
“Oh my God, Meara!” Katie shoved my shoulder. “You kissed him.”
“He kissed me,” I corrected, although my cheeks burned. My friends saw us? I thought they were too busy dancing with their own hotties.
“Whatever.” Katie frowned at me. “You shared a kiss.”
I didn’t say anything. All three of them stared at me, envy and disbelief clearly written on their faces. “What?” I crossed my arms and a looked behind them. “Where are the guys you were dancing with?”
“What guys?” Val asked. Her lower lip pouted in confusion.
“Are you serious?” I asked. What kind of joke were they playing? “I saw you dancing with them. They looked like models. I asked Kieran, and he said that they were his friends.” I looked from one to the other. No one seemed to know what I was talking about.
Frustrated, I pointed at Jen. “You laughed at something he said to you. He was tall, blond, and tan. How can you not remember?”
Jen shook her head and looked at me sympathetically. “How much did you have to drink, Meara? Seriously, we all went on to the dance floor, and then you were gone. We’ve spent the entire time looking for you.”
“Is this a joke?” I looked at Katie. She pursed her lips and drew her eyebrows together. I tried again. “I’ve been here the whole time.”
“With Kieran,” Katie stated, a cold edge to her voice.
“Y…yes,” I stammered. Why were they acting like this? I knew what I saw. Katie, Jen, and Val, surrounded by guys, dancing with them. I thought they even kissed them, which made me all the more irritated by Katie’s response. I mean, she was with Brian. It wasn’t not like she didn’t just cheat, too.
Katie shook her head at me. Jen and Val looked worried. Why didn’t they remember anything? Unless…damn it! Unless Kieran and his friends were Selkies. His exotic looks, those dark, hypnotizing eyes—it was the only explanation that made sense. Had he used his powers on me? I remembered him perfectly; I wouldn’t have trouble describing him. But did he influence me? Was that why I kissed him?
“You have to tell Evan,” Katie said. She sounded angry, bordering on furious. “If you don’t, I will.”
“I was planning to.” As guilty as I felt, I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret anyway.
“Tonight,” she insisted.
; “Back off, Katie,” I snapped. “It’s not your concern.”
“He’s my brother, Meara,” she snapped back. “So I would argue that it is.”
“Girls, let’s not fight.” Jen couldn’t stand fighting. She was always trying to calm Katie down. It was a thankless job. At any rate, it was too late. I glared at Katie, frustrated that my friends couldn’t remember, and bewildered by what happened. Katie scowled at me, her arms crossed in front of her.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said finally, spinning on her heel and stalking to the exit. She shouted above the music. “Going out tonight was a horrible idea.”
I sighed and hurried to follow them, my mind elsewhere. How I was going to explain what happened to Evan? No matter what angle I took, I kissed another guy. The worst part, and the part I wouldn’t tell him, was that I liked it. Even now, I felt a thrill as I thought about being in Kieran’s arms.
Katie threw open the club door, and cold air blasted me in the face. My head cleared, and I remembered. I remembered Ula fighting with Kieran at the hockey game. I remembered Kieran standing on campus when I went to visit Evan. I didn’t know it then, but in my memory, I saw his white hair, his unusual coloring. He was Selkie. I felt certain, and Ula knew him. I wished I could go home instead of Katie’s house. I wanted to contact Ula. I wanted answers.
I couldn’t believe that I didn’t see it. I didn’t even consider it. I knew other Selkies existed. Ula and David told me as much. I could blame my slowness on the alcohol, but by the time we left the club, I was sober. I didn’t recognize what he was, and I couldn’t think of anything that would have made me aware that he was Selkie. That, more than anything, worried me.
How many more Selkies would I meet? How could I better prepare myself for the next one?
