"You have to put your name on the board but I can see if the next person wants to play partners." Without waiting for a reply, Laura looked around. "Hey Kelly, you want to play partners?"
"Hang on." The catcher turned and asked someone wearing a Falcon shirt, exchanging a few words before turning her attention back to Laura. "Sure, Carrie and me against you and who? Jenny?"
"No, Crystal."
"Sure. We'd be happy to kick your ass."
"Are you any good?" Laura asked quietly.
"I spend most of my life in bars and clubs. I can handle myself with a cue stick," Crystal replied. Feeling cocky, she called out to the grinning catcher. "Hey Kelly, you wanna put your money where your mouth is?"
"Where I'd like to put my mouth has nothing to do with money," the catcher replied. That garnered a few comments and hoots from the women around her. "How about a pitcher of beer?"
"Deal," Laura answered for the blushing Crystal. "You rack, we break."
The game progressed but not without several suggestive comments from Kelly and Carrie, especially when Crystal, her upper body covered only with a tank top, leaned over the table to make her shots. For the most part the stripper was able to fend off the innuendoes and occasionally found her roommate coming to her defense. It ended with Kelly sinking the eight ball out of turn, making Laura and Crystal the winners. The two women returned to their table to find fresh drinks waiting for them courtesy of Jenny. Moments later a pitcher of beer was delivered as per the bet made with Kelly. Crystal made quick work of her scotch and soda, her third of the evening, and reached for the pitcher. Laura just as quickly reached picked up a napkin to use as a makeshift coaster, lest any water sweat off the glass and onto the tabletop. The ever charming Carmen came along and talked Laura into joining her one the dance floor while Kelly pulled Jenny into a pool game. Now free to observe, Crystal watched several women slip out a side door. Ah hah. Making sure her lighter was in her pocket, the blonde woman crossed the room and exited through the door.
The side door led to the alley, still lit by the late day sun. Crystal saw the crowd standing on the far side of a dumpster. Most were wearing the red jerseys of the Falcons but two were Airhearts. A red cooler was sitting on the ground next to them, the lid open to reveal several cans of beer chilling oni.e.Jackpot. Beer and weed. "Got room for one more?" she asked.
"Sure," one of the women in red replied. "I'm Diane and this is Liz, Dawn, and Tracy."
"We met at the game," Tracy said as she held out the burning joint. "Crystal, isn't it?"
"Yeah," she replied, taking the offered joint. "Laura's new roommate."
"Oh yeah," Diane said. "The straight one." She took the joint from Crystal and took a long drag. "Well, you seem pretty cool anyway." Gee thanks, the stripper thought to herself. It's not like I have a disease or anything.
"Then again," Diane continued. "Anyone who can appreciate fine herb can't be all bad."
"Spoken like a true pothead," Dawn said. "Keep your eye on her, Crystal. Diane is notorious for plying women with wine and weed." "Yeah, any more notches on her belt and it'll fall apart," Tracy chimed in.
"Fuck you both," Diane joked back. "There's nothing wrong with having a joint or two on auspicious occasions."
"Yeah, like sunset," Crystal said, causing the group to burst into laughter.
"Oh, Blondie has a wit about her, eh? Well fuck you too."
Crystal used the tips of her fingernails to take the remaining end of the joint from Dawn. "Naw, you'd enjoy it too much." The women howled again. "She got you that time, Diane," Liz teased. "That's probably the first time I've seen you not have a comeback."
"You gonna hog it or pass it?" Diane growled good-naturedly. "And as for you," she turned to Crystal. "All I can say is once you've been with me, you'll never go back to a man."
"Amen to that," Dawn agreed. "But then again we can't all be perfect like you, Diane."
"Yup, that's her, all right," Liz said. "Practically perfect in every way. The lesbian Mary Poppins."
"Oh please," Diane said, rolling her eyes. "You see what I have to put up with?"
"Oh yeah, it's real torture," Tracy replied. "Stop griping and pass it around."
Crystal stayed in the alley with the women, smoking their pot and joining in on the jokes whenever she could. It was a sharp contrast to her druggie friends who preferred to spend their time indoors with rock music blasting. She leaned against the dumpster and let the heady feeling of the pot work its way through her body. She relaxed and let herself enjoy hanging out with a new group of people. By the time Jenny found her, Crystal's eyes were little slits and her gait resembled organized stumbling more than walking. Her new friends weren't any better, laughing at her and staggering about themselves.
"It's time to go," the therapist said, putting a hand on Crystal's shoulder.
"I'll give her a ride home," Liz offered.
"I think she wants to get home with all her clothes on," Tracy joked.
"I'll take her home," Jenny said firmly. "I think she's had enough fun for one day."
"Nice meeting you," Crystal said, waving her hand sluggishly. The combination of liquor, beer, and pot had the stripper totally under their control. She made no fuss when Jenny led her back into the bar and over to their table.
"Where'd you find her?" Laura asked, rising to her feet to help Jenny guide Crystal into a chair.
"Outside with Diane and her cronies."
"Yeah, she looks it. How'd she get hooked up with them?"
"I don't know. She must have figured out what they were doing and got herself invited, I guess."
"I've heard of gaydar but potdar?" The writer shook her head. "And you thought it'd be a goodi.e.for her to come out with us. She could have stayed home and gotten trashed or stoned or whatever they call it."
"Trashed looks like an accurate term," Jenny agreed, looking at the semi-conscious woman sitting on the chair before her. "I still think it was a positive experience for her. Come on, let's get her out to the car."
"How do you figure that?" Laura asked while putting an arm around the smaller woman. "Crystal
Crystal, it's time to go. Think you can stand up?"
"S-sssure." Grabbing Laura's arm for support, the stripper pulled herself to her feet. She teetered for a moment before gripping her roommate's arm with both hands. "Damn, guess I drank more than I thought."
"More like smoked, I believe," Laura muttered. "Jenny, you got her on that side?"
"I've got her. Let's go."
"I can walk," Crystal protested, not wanting to be helped out of the bar.
"Walk right into a wall, you mean." Laura let her agitation show through in her voice. Her grip never lessened as she led the trio to the door. "I can see this was a really good experience for her, Jen." She used her hip to push open the door. "Now she has a new place to go get her drugs." "Now you know Diane wouldn't sell anyone pot."
"Sell? Did you see the way everyone acted around her today? If Crystal said she wanted some I'm sure at least a half dozen women would offer to give her some. Oh, there's something positive. Crystal learned she can seduce women into buying her drinks." Laura paused her ranting long enough to open the back door of the Thing. "I thought poor Alex Duncan was going to have an orgasm right there on the infield when Crystal took her shirt off."
"That was pretty funny, wasn't it? I'm just glad she didn't do that again on the dance floor."
"Don't try to change the subject, Jen." Together they helped the lethargic Crystal into the back seat. "How on earth is this a positive experience for her?"