“I’ll be right back with those,” Bethany said, heading to the bar.

“Why go to the play again?” Kristi asked.

“Required.” Marnie picked up a few peanuts from the dish at the center of the table and tossed them into her mouth.

“It’s required to see the same play twice?”

Trudie glared at Grace, willing her to shut up. “Not if you’re drunk, it isn’t.”

“Oh, get over yourself, ‘Death,’” Grace said, and she and Marnie laughed uproariously.

Trudie, flushed, muttered, “Screw you, bitches,” then swept through the surrounding tables in outrage, nearly running into a busboy with a tub of dirty dishes.

“She’s pissed,” Marnie said, and they laughed again.

“You know,” Kristi said, as someone changed the music from hip-hop to country. A Keith Urban ballad could barely be heard over the conversation, “I almost believed you. About the drinks.”

Marnie exchanged glances with her friend, then whispered barely loud enough to be heard, “Grace wasn’t lying. We doctor ours.” To prove a point, she actually pulled a small dark bottle from her purse, then surreptitiously unscrewed the lid and added a few drops of dark liquid to her glass. “It’s kind of salty.”

“Like a margarita,” Grace chimed in.

“Yeah, right.”

Grace shrugged, as if she didn’t care what Kristi thought, and took a sip. Either the two friends were certifiable, or they’d decided to have a little fun at Kristi’s expense. Kristi didn’t comment, but waited for her drink as the music changed again. There was a loud eruption of noise at the nearby pool table when one of the players missed a shot.

A few seconds later, Bethany returned, left fresh drinks, and swept up the empty glasses.

Marnie reached into her purse again and lifted her eyebrows, offering a bit of the “blood” to Kristi. Though she wanted to appear to be part of their group, Kristi wasn’t about to drink down some concoction of unknown origins. She shook her head. Besides, both Marnie and Grace were already acting so giddy and drunk, Kristi wondered if whatever they were putting into their drinks might be a street or prescription drug that enhanced the effects of alcohol.

“Come on, Kristi. You’ve been asking all the questions,” Grace said. “Don’t you want Marnie to add a little bit of real blood?”

“Nah. Got too much to do tonight.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing.” Marnie shook several drops into her drink, then some into Grace’s as well. Lifting her glass, she said, “To vampires,” her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“To vampires,” Grace agreed, clinking her glass to her friend’s.

Kristi hoisted her stemmed glass. “To vampires,” she intoned, and they all took a sip.