As the girls began to move their bodies to the music, right in front of the fire, I drank my beer slowly, fingering the wet label on the bottle until I’d rubbed it off, its pieces falling onto my jeans, jeans that were getting way too tight in the crotch. I distracted myself from the hypnotic sway of Daisy’s hips by listening to the words being sung by Guitar Boy. I smiled when I followed along. It was about a wild world, where a girl could lose her way to the dangers that laid in wait for the innocent. I even found myself nodding along with it.
“Cat Stevens, man. Gotta dig it,” the young buck beside me said as the woman in his lap nodded.
Indeed, I could dig it. The words rang true, reminding me of why I was here and that I wasn’t the only one in the world who knew the dangers a flower in a wild world full of weeds could face.
My own flower raised her arms over her head, her smile one of rapture. A few of the men watched her intently, looking like a pack of drooling wolves, and I almost growled like one myself.
It wasn’t time to take my Daisy, not yet. Not until the time was right. But right now, with the looks she was getting, I knew it was only a matter of time before I had no choice but to make my move.
Chapter Three
I ended up hanging out with Daisy and her crew over the next few days. I had to hand it to these kids; their energy was on fire. Early to rise and late to bed, they were all smiles, every waking moment, energetically clamoring for more.
For the most part, I watched by the sidelines, always when there were more than ten people in attendance at the impromptu parties and get-togethers. Apparently, Daisy and her friends were like vines—wherever they went, they spread out their happy-go-lucky selves, attracting like-minded individuals to them like bees to flowers. Never bored, always doing something as a group.
The latest thing that occupied their thoughts, though, had me concerned. A plan to travel midway between here and the coast, a place where a small group of hippies had started a commune of some kind. A married couple, both in their late twenties, had sung its praises to Daisy and her friends last night, inviting the teenagers to follow them on their trek to this place of “healing and light.”
Sounded like a scam to me, but I’d follow anyway. Knowing Daisy, I already knew she’d be unable to resist an invitation.
The plan was to leave in the morning, early. We’d have one more night in the motel, and then we’d head out.
It was going on eight at night when we arrived at the married couple’s farmhouse. They had packed their things earlier and were throwing a goodbye party. Of course, we were invited to that, too, along with all and sundry in Saint Marlot, it seemed.
The house was packed. It was hard to keep an eye on Daisy, but I managed for the most part. But when she and Paula hadn’t returned for a while from the bathroom, I decided to check on them.
“Golly, I can’t believe we get to see a real commune in action!” Paula, as always, was beside herself as I listened from the hallway, my ear to the bathroom door.
Music distantly filtered in from the living room, along with the skunk smell of grass. The lights were dim in every damn room in this place, and only Christmas lights, with their fat bulbs of color, lit the walls in what had to be a fire hazard in the making.
“I know! I’m just over the moon with it, I really am!” Daisy was sounding giddy, a bit too much.
I quickly ran over the past hour in my head, trying to see how much, or what, she had partaken of the various vices going on in this house of love. But besides a few drinks—mostly watered-down gin and mixers—I was pretty sure she hadn’t taken anything.
The door clicked, and I stepped back a few paces in front of another door, pretending I was looking for the bathroom.
“Oh, hey, Sonny,” Daisy cooed, her smile bright, her eyelids a bit too lazy looking for my liking. She placed her hand on my forearm. “I didn’t even see you earlier. Seems like every time I turn around, there you are!” She laughed, which made Paula snort. I eyed the latter, seeing her roll her eyes at her friend.
“Guess I’ll leave you two birdies alone.” Paula smirked and headed toward the living room.
I looked down at Daisy, who was tall enough for my lips to rest against her forehead. Her cat eyes widened at me, fading in and out just a bit. I narrowed my own.
“Girl, what are you on?” I swept a stray strand of blonde hair away from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear.
Giggling, she made an innocent face, her lips soft, eyes downcast. “Something Buzz gave me. It’s called, get this, love. With a name like that, I had to try it!”
I put my finger under her chin. “Right. Well now, who is this Buzz? Not sure I’ve met him.” I kept my expression and tone light, even teasing, but inside I was furious. I couldn’t believe I had missed seeing her take anything. Must have been when I had gone to the kitchen for some water.
Daisy flapped a hand at my chest like a fish. Yep, she was definitely on something.
“Oh Sonny, Sonny, Sooooonnnny.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she licked her lips, her eyes growing wide and bright again.
I pulled her close, not about to resist her. “What is it, baby?”
Her breath puffed against my throat. “Oh, Lordy. Your voice. It’s so dreamy. So, so, so dreamy.” When her tongue came out to lick my Adam’s apple, I spun her around and
