"Here," Uma said, thrusting an ordered drink Phoebe's direction. "Try a Dark & Stormy. Perfect for after hours or party atmosphere and you can't go too wrong with rum."
Phoebe took the drink, staring at the amber liquid on the rocks with a lime. "But the weather wasn't that bad today."
Uma sighed. "It's the name of the drink Phebs. You like ginger ale so this is kinda close."
The drink loosened up Phoebe as early as her first sip, as her eyes grew wide and excited. "This is tasty! Thanks Uma, what are you drinking?"
"Blue Bull." Uma snapped her fingers at the bartender. "Hey buddy, give me the rest of the can." Uma smashed the dregs of the energy drink that made up her cocktail.
"Uma?" As the pair made their way from the bar they were approached by a tall, bearded man with a well built physique. "Yo babe, how you've been?"
"Bruce!" Uma slugged the guy on a tan arm and then pulled him into a hug. "It's been ages, man, had to come when I heard you'd be here."
Phoebe had first been startled and then dumbstruck with a budding crush the moment 'Bruce' had appeared. In lieu of saying anything she had pounded most of her drink. Maybe a bit too hard as the alcohol began coursing through her veins and the drink gave her some hiccups. "Sorry *hic* who is Bruce?"
Bruce had a beefy arm spun around Uma's shoulder. "We played mixed doubles and other coed sports in college. You look sorta familiar, have I met you before?"
"She's Audrey's sister, Bruce," Uma said.
"Odd Aud's sis! Man, short of the hair color that's some resemblance for Audrey back in the day."
"Odd Aud!!!" Phoebe, having never heard such a nickname for her older sister but it was perfect. She startled chortling so hard her laugh was punctuated with even more hiccups. Bruce and Uma laughed too, although not as long as Phoebe.
"You okay Phoebe," Uma asked, her duties as chaperone slapping her in the face.
"Stay still a sec," Bruce rolled up a sleeve, steadying Phoebe with a firm hand. He gave her one forceful slap in the back. "Sorry babe did that hurt?"
"Oooff!" Phoebe's back stung a moment but as her breathing returned to normal she realized her hiccups were gone. "Hey, thanks, how'd you do that?"
"Just a little system shock. I've gotten into sport massage and usually a well placed jolt can sort out some muscle spasms." Bruce grinned sheepishly, a contrast to his tough first impression. "You two check out the spread yet? Nat's not one to slouch on vittles."
"We're on our way," Uma said, bewildering Phoebe even further.
"Catch you girls there I have to hit the can," Bruce made his exit, oblivious to the stares from the increasingly buzzed redhead.
Uma was all too familiar with Phoebe's tendency to fawn after guys like the latest hot fad. "Tone it down girl, or you're really going to be disappointed."
"Huh?" Phoebe tried to dodge the question by returning the drink to her lips.
"I saw your goo-goo eyes checking out Bruce's chiseled physique. I'm just warning you he might not swing that way."
"Who's swinging, Uma? Don't tell me you did ballroom dance in college too."
"Not that kinda swing," Uma sighed, Phoebe could be such a ditz. She dragged the younger housemate by the wrist so they could find a somewhat quieter corner. "I mean he's gay," Uma half whispered.
"Aw, really?" Phoebe pouted.
"Well," Uma paused, "he might be bi? I'm not sure when the last time he dated a woman was..." Uma cut short her next comment, about how most of their friends had experimented in college, realizing that she was talking to the college aged housemate.
"So your friends are Bruce and Nat?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah," Uma explained. She gestured to the crowd gathered in the music pumping atmosphere. "I mean, this is Nat's place. She owns the club."
"Really?!" Phoebe hadn't expected that the plump, tight dressed tattooed woman would be the one running this party. "So how come you and Audrey know someone like that?"
"We all lived on the same floor, Phebs. Except Bruce, obviously. Thought I might have heard Sheryl recognize you but she's probably at the DJ booth now. She was a DJ on our college radio station." Uma looked sideways at Phoebe. 'Well, not you obviously. I invited Regan to a hookup last summer but she mostly brushed everyone off.
Uma scratched her bare midriff. "That enough background for you now? Let's order up some grub, the apps are killer here and I skipped dinner."
"Ok," Phoebe said, starting to feel her party groove coming back on.
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