“Who’s Jake?” the blonde slut who had tried to seduce her earlier slurred. “Maybe he wants to join the party?”

“He’s my son,” Sherry said in an angry tone.

Both women laughed as if Sherry had made a joke.

Phil shoved one of the women so that she fell to the side. In a serious voice, he said, “Sorry, Mad. We had to empty the bottle so we could start. We’ll behave now.”

“Yes, Mad,” the blonde slut said and added in a bad imitation of Phil, “We’ll behave now.”

Sherry’s lips pressed together in obvious disapproval.

Madison and Sherry sat down, completing the circle.

Jason held the now-empty vodka bottle. “Ready?”

Everybody but Madison and Sherry cheered.

“Dammit!” Madison spat. “This is the last time I’m telling you this. Be quiet!”

To her surprise, Sherry squeezed her arm and sent her a grateful smile.

Madison straightened under the silent praise until she became aware of what she was doing. Hell, she didn’t need to get Sherry’s approval.

She snatched the bottle from Jason. “I’ll go first.”

Nobody dared to cheer this time.

It was strange to see how Madison kissed first one of the men and later one of the women on the lips. In both cases, it was just a fleeting kiss, but it still seemed silly. Not even as a teenager had Sherry played such a stupid game.

The bottle neck landed on Sherry, and the man who had spun the bottle crawled on his hands and knees toward her like a lion stalking its prey.

Sherry’s heart was racing.

“Behave,” Madison warned him.

The man halted his movement. “Oh, c’mon, Mad. Don’t be like that. Even Elton John would get a hard-on if he kissed her.”

Sherry had problems keeping her expression neutral. She certainly hadn’t grown up in the nicer parts of the city, and these last years she hadn’t lived in something remotely close to a middle-class home. But never in all those years had anybody talked about her in that way. Not even Andy and that said something.

Hopefully, Jake will never meet any of them. Jake… Was he asleep?

Probably not. The music, the chatter, and laughter were likely loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

“Elton John and everybody else—and yes, I also mean you, Ryan—had better keep their hard-ons in their pants when my girlfriend is close by.” Madison grinned as if she were starring in a toothpaste commercial. “She’s all mine.”

Both Phil and Ryan’s jaws dropped.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ryan asked.

Madison pulled Sherry closer. “As serious as a heart attack.”

“But I’ve won this kiss,” Ryan protested like a petulant child.

Sherry used his distraction and gave him the merest hint of a kiss on his lips before leaning back.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” Ryan pouted. “I wasn’t ready.”