Walking across the room toward him, she enjoyed his look of absolute adoration and awe. She set her wineglass down on a table and held out her hand to him and he took it, blinking slowly. His hand was slightly trembling and sweaty in hers.

“Damn,” was all he managed.

“You like?”

“Damn,” he said again.

“This is what Nerit was helping me with earlier,” she went on.

“I’ll thank Nerit later,” Travis decided.

“Want to dance?” she asked.

Travis got the goofiest look on his face. It made her laugh.

“I have other things in mind, but dancing is good for now,” he responded.

Taking her hand, he guided her out onto the dance floor and drew her close. They danced slowly to a ballad sung by Patsy Kline, slipping across the highly-polished floor gracefully. Staring into each other’s eyes, they were oblivious to all the looks of approval they were receiving. Old Man Watson even applauded as they danced past his table. At last, to everyone in the room, it was clear that Travis and Katie were in love with each other.

When the song finished, and Travis kissed Katie softly, the room erupted into applause.

Giggling, a little too tipsy and stoned for her own good, Katie clung to Travis, embarrassed. Travis just looked dazed and happy and did a little bow to those in the room. The laughter that followed was heartfelt and warming. He turned and kissed her again. Katie was absolutely happy.

A few glasses of wine later, she found it harder to stand in her shoes. Plus, she was having issues keeping her hands off Travis. She was sure they were making a spectacle of themselves. When they sat down to eat some dinner, she had sat on his lap.

“Disgusting,” Jenni decided. “You two are disgustingly happy together.”

Old Man Watson sat nearby, nodding, pointing at them, and smiling. Peggy had finally ditched Calhoun onto Old Man Watson and she grinned at Katie and Travis.

“I always knew those rumors about you liking women was bullshit,” Peggy said with a wink.

Katie opened her mouth to correct her, but Travis lightly pinched her leg. She thought better of it.

Finally, she knew the wine had gotten the best of her and she excused herself to the restroom. Walking out of the ballroom, she felt even more lightheaded and giddy and was cursing herself for drinking too much and the hit of pot she had taken.

The foyer was empty when she entered it and she hesitated to fix her shoe. The elevator doors opened. Philip and Shane came into view.

“Fuck,” Philip said staring at her.

Katie looked up, saw their expressions, and her blood turned to ice.

Ignoring them, she moved quickly to the restroom and slipped in. The last thing she needed was a confrontation with Shane and his sidekick when she was drunk and a little stoned.

Splashing cold water on her face, she took a deep breath and felt a little better. Realizing she had smudged her makeup, she picked up a hand towel and started to dab at her eyeliner. When she looked up into the mirror, she saw Shane staring at her.

Twisting around, she fell back against the counter top. “Get out.”

“It’s a damn shame that a fine piece of ass like you is a carpet muncher,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.

“Get out!”

“Look at those titties,” he said, and reached out and grabbed one of her breasts.

She thrust his hand away and repeated in a low voice, “Get out now.”

“And that ass,” he said. His gaze was dangerous and feral.

Katie felt horrifyingly sober at all at once. She knew this wasn’t another one of the stupid confrontations they had when they threw insults back and forth. This was damn serious. He had already touched her and it would now be easier for him.

“Get out now!”

He moved fast and she tried to duck away. His hand gripped the straps of her dress and he yanked hard. Her breasts fell free from her dress and she picked up a decorative candle holder from the marble counter top and swung it at his head.

Blood sprayed over her as she managed to hit his nose. Enraged, he tackled her full force, sending both of them sprawling across the long marble counter. Gripping her hair, he shoved her hard up against the wall and pushed himself between her legs. She beat on him with her fists, and began to claw at him.

“I’ll teach you to cock tease me, bitch,” he hissed.

Fumbling with her dress, he tried to grab hold of her panties.

It was then Katie started to scream.

***

Travis felt too happy for words. He now knew what it meant to be beaming with happiness. After Katie sashayed out in that damn hot dress, many of his friends had come to congratulate and wish him the best.

“You’re damn lucky.” Bill winked.

“I would say you have the hottest girlfriend in town, but Stacey would kill me,” Eric added as he got drinks for him and his girlfriend at the bar.

Travis laughed and flushed a little.

Jack, Pepe, and Nerit’s old dog, Tucker, scampered past him, dancing around with doggy delight. The party was in full swing now and everyone was having fun. Travis smiled as he saw Lenore and her best friend, Ken, dancing away in one corner and Katarina and Peggy line dancing to one side. Even Belinda had come out and sat at a table with Rosie and Linda, Juan’s cousin. Belinda’s eyes were red from crying. Travis couldn’t blame her mourning Mike’s death. If Katie had died yesterday, he didn’t think he would even be able to function.

He was so grateful they were both alive and together.

A minute or two later when Curtis approached he assumed the younger man was coming up to him to make some comment about what a lucky man he was. But then it became obvious that Curtis was really upset about something.

“Travis, I found contraband on the kids,” Curtis said in a low voice.

“They were smoking pot out in the gazebo. I confiscated what they had, but there may be more.”

“Pot, huh?” Travis considered this. “Well, they are kids…”

“We are rebuilding this society. We do not need drugs to worm their way back into it and destroy our youth!”

“Well, Curtis, look around. Half the adults in here are pretty damn drunk. Hell, I’m on my way, too. A little pot isn’t going to hurt them.”

“Pot is a gateway drug!”

“To what? The drug war is over, Curtis. The kids found some pot.

Big deal. Once they smoke it, it's gone. It’s over. I smoked it myself back in the day. And I’m a fine outstanding citizen,” Travis said in a voice he hoped wasn’t too condescending. He was really annoyed with Curtis ruining the kids’ party. Yeah, he wasn’t fond of the idea of the kids smoking, but it wasn’t going to kill them.

“I thought you would be a little more understanding,” Curtis said in a tone that was half-hurt, half-angry. “I really did.”

“Well, I am understanding, but I don’t think it's such a big deal in the grand scheme of things.” Travis sighed. “Sorry, Curtis, but I don’t.

I’m going to go check on Katie. She’s a little blitzed.”

Curtis sighed, then nodded. “Okay…okay. I guess I’ll drop it.”

Travis squeezed Curtis shoulder and walked out into the foyer. He noticed Philip standing near the women’s bathroom the second he was in the hall and he paused in his steps. Rubbing his chin, he moved toward Philip slowly.

“Have you seen Katie?” he asked.

Philip turned, startled. “Oh, um, yeah. She went into the ladies room with someone.”

“What?”

Philip looked a little flustered. “Yeah, she, uh, she, uh…you know.

She’s trying out the other side of the fence.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Philip stepped away from the door, looking vastly uncomfortable.

“She came on to Shane, all slutty-like, saying she wanted to know what it felt like to have a man.”

Travis didn’t even respond. He burst through the bathroom door and took in the scene.

Katie was fighting Shane as he tried to push himself into her. Katie had one hand planted hard into his throat, but the other was twisted behind her back. Shane was exposed and the sight enraged Travis.

“Get off my girlfriend,” Travis shouted. He grabbed Shane by the shoulders and sent him flying across the room.

“Travis,” Katie sobbed.

“Baby, I’m here,” Travis said, wiping away her tears. His heart was thudding so hard in his chest it hurt. The anger he felt was so intense it was pulsing in his temples. He was torn between comforting her and beating the shit out of Shane.

Shane resolved that dilemma by punching him in the kidneys and knocking him forward into Katie.

“Leave us alone!” Katie slammed her fists against Shane.

Travis twisted around and nailed Shane with a hard left to the jaw.

He tackled him to the ground and began to slam his fist into his opponent's face over and over again.

Philip appeared, grabbed Travis and swung him around into the wall.

“Run, Katie,” Travis grunted, turned, and swung at Philip.

To his relief, she managed to evade Shane and run out the door. It slammed shut with a resounding boom and left him trapped with Shane and Philip bearing down on him.