Party Time, Part 1

A blast of noise greeted Megan as she opened the apartment door. Bass thumped from inside the dark interior. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her jacket around herself like a shield and plunged into the crowd.

Dozens of people had somehow packed themselves into a small two-bedroom, leaving little room for personal comfort. Megan felt a little claustrophobic until she made it to the oasis around the makeshift bar. None of the dancers wanted to risk toppling the precarious shelves of bottles and glasses.

“Hey, there, honey,” a voice said from behind her. “Haven't seen you here before.” The smell of his breath alerted Megan to his state before she had even turned around. Six foot something body builder. Drunk as her gramma in winter. Probably on something else, too, judging by the dilated eyes. Perfect.

“Yeah, this is my first invite,” she said, injecting a bit of hesitation into her voice. “I'm a little... overwhelmed.”

“Well, sweet thing, there's a balcony if you want to go out there. Whole lot quieter.” He winked. Subtle. “Less folks around.”

Megan smiled. She made sure to keep it a little bit shy, not show all her teeth. “Let's go.”