Nightstruck by Jenna Black Read Free Book Online

couldn’t get enough beer into me to make much of a dent in my inhibitions.
    That was one problem Piper most definitely did not have. I didn’t keep track of how many beers she drank, except it was a lot, and her dancing got progressively wilder and more sexual. Sweat plastered her already clingy shirt to her body and shone on her skin, and her movements became less coordinated. Already, I was dreading what would happen when it was time to go home. There was no way I was letting her get behind the wheel of a car in her condition, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she put up a fight.
    The alcohol seemed to give Piper a limitless supply of energy, and after a while she stopped taking her turn watching the coats. Once she was drunk enough, even Luke seemed to have become optional to her, and eventually he and I were left standing at the table together while Piper danced on in a little all-girl cluster toward the edge of the floor. I noticed with some relief that Luke was drinking a Coke rather than a beer.
    â€œWe’re not letting her drive,” I shouted at him, hoping like hell he would be on my side.
    He shook his head, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys on a Hello Kitty key chain. They definitely weren’t his, and I breathed a sigh of relief as he flashed me a wry grin.
    â€œNot my first time around the block,” he yelled back. I could barely hear him over the music, which was so monotonously repetitive I longed for my iPod and some earbuds. I hoped my top wasn’t showing sweat stains and that my makeup hadn’t melted off. How Piper could keep dancing with such energy in this heat was a mystery.
    I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost midnight. So much for my eleven o’clock curfew. I fished my cell phone out of my pocket and saw I had three missed calls from my dad. Great. I hoped Dad hadn’t called Piper’s house looking for me when I didn’t answer. Luke caught me checking and leaned in closer so he wouldn’t have to shout quite as loud.
    â€œWhat time did you tell your dad you’d be home?” he asked.
    â€œEleven,” I replied glumly. Piper was obviously having a blast, drinking and dancing, even flirting a little, which I didn’t think Luke much appreciated. Prying her away was going to take a major effort.
    Luke winced in sympathy. He knew my dad. “We’d better get out of here, then,” he said.
    I wasn’t exactly having fun, but I might have felt compelled to argue anyway—if Luke had waited for a response. Instead, he immediately waded out onto the crowded dance floor and shouted something into Piper’s ear. Still dancing, she made a pouty face at him. I didn’t need to hear them to know she was telling him she wasn’t ready to leave yet.
    I don’t know what Luke said to her—he appeared to try several different tactics—but eventually she gave in. I noticed she had to cling to his arm to keep herself upright, and when she got back to the table, it took both Luke and me to get her into her coat.
    We left the same way we came in, through the back door. Piper puked into the gutter before we were halfway back to her car. I hoped getting some of the alcohol out of her would sober her up just a little, but no such luck. She was so unsteady on her feet that I thought Luke was going to have to carry her, and when she spoke her words were so slurred I couldn’t understand her. I had the feeling I wasn’t missing much.
    When we got to the car, Luke handed me the keys, and I opened the door. Luke then guided Piper in so she could lie down on the backseat, where she passed out immediately. Luke shook his head at her as he closed the door. I wondered how many times she’d ended up passed out when one of their dates was over.
    â€œI thought maybe with you here she wouldn’t get so drunk,” he said, giving Piper a rueful look as he reclaimed the car keys.
    I