Through the still evening air I heard Jack’s voice, but I couldn’t see him. I took a long draw on my cigarette and licked the remaining coke from the back of my hand.

The patio wrapped all the way around the house, so I followed it. My high heels clacked on the wood as I headed for Jack. I carefully avoided the slats as I passed the window. Glancing at the group of people sipping from champagne flutes, standing too close together, flicking their heads back, their jaws unhinged, I thought, Idiots. I stepped forward without looking and my heel landed between the slat. I hollered and stumbled forward as the heads inside turned toward me. I straightened and waved. “I’m fine.” Yanking my leg to unstick my shoe, I continued on, rounding the corner.

There was Jack, standing alone with a woman. She had short red hair and was wearing a low-cut black cocktail dress.

Jack caught sight of me and froze for a second. “Hey, baby.” He extended his hand, pulling me in by the shoulder. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh, really?” I shrugged loose from his grip, glaring at the woman. “That’s funny. I was just inside speaking of academia with a most lovely gentleman.”

They both stared at me, then at the empty shot glass in my hand.

I tried to remember the man’s name. “Bob. Brian. Bill. Phil. Anyway, big guy. It was a real treat. What a gas, indeedy do.” I took a sloppy draw on my cigarette, and blew smoke up and down and to the left and the right. The redhead fanned the air in front of her face.

“That’s great.” Confused, Jack turned and motioned to the woman. “This is Jessica. Jessica, this is Grace.”

I extended my hand flatly, inviting her to kiss it. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

She took my fingers and shook them awkwardly.

Jack stepped alongside her and mouthed “money” to me, in an obvious attempt to get me to behave. I shook my head at him and examined Jessica’s face. Her eyes were large and brown, shiny and reflective, like those of a well-trained border collie.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Grace,” she said. “Jack has told me so much about you.”

“And it’s so nice to meet you, Jessica.” I let my head bounce from side to side as I repeated her name: Jesss-ick-ahhh.

Jack cleared his throat and I continued, “May I say, you are just lovely. You look like you’d make a great wife. Just great. Curled up on a Sunday morning with the newspaper. Freaking beautiful.”

Jessica glanced at Jack, who shrugged. “That’s so sweet.” She smiled, revealing her humongous teeth. “You, uh, look like you’d make a good wife, too.”

“And what large teeth you have,” I announced, stumbling forward, tossing my hands in the air and letting my empty glass fly free. It landed in the grass. “Oopsie daisy.”

Jack grabbed my arm and squeezed it tightly. “Are you high?” he whispered through clenched teeth.