The Descent Ch. 11

Now, however, those superficial concerns had dissolved into the background as more pressing interests captured her attention. Getting off and getting high chief amongst them. She was intent on satisfying the second one at the moment and intended on marching into the lounge to do so regardless of the social faux pas of appearing in public covered in another married man's cum. All the better that his wife would be present to appreciate it, she thought to herself darkly.

Taking two successive drags on the half-smoked cigarette calmed her fraying nerves enough to proceed. She trapped the thick smoke deeply in her lungs as it anchored her to reality while she strode out of the bathroom down the hall. Music playing softly in the background also helped make her feel less like the bull in a China shop as she stepped into the lounge and inevitably drew the attention of those in attendance. She hardly noted the array of different expressions as she scanned the place she'd been seated at the couch for her purse.

Damnit--she cursed to herself as she realized it wasn't there.

Next, she began scanning for who might be responsible. She noticed Jim and Julian chatting with Gene and Chloe next to far wall. Julian flashed her a sly smile while making a small gesture to nod to his wife who remained sat at the couch with Barb. She looked perturbed and conflicted and Sharon figured she was quite aware that something had gone amiss in her absence. Upon looking up to meet her gaze Sharon recognized the silent horror of a woman puzzling it together and reveled in it.

Sarah's eyes met her in pained outrage, quickly filling with a glassiness that indicated she was trying intently to deny a river of tears from streaming down her flushed cheeks. Her irises seemed to shake with the ferocity of her inner turmoil as she looked her over to take stock of the various pieces of unmistakable evidence present before her. Sharon's lips curled into a cruel smirk as she crooked her arm back up to her face and took a hard pull on her dwindling cigarette. She enjoyed the feeling of the harsh smoke burning her insides as Sarah contended with her demure nature and a primal rage that cried out for release.

In the end, Sarah simply looked away and off into space, defeated and demoralized in the face of such willful denial of social decency. Sharon went back to scanning the room as she slowly exhaled a stream of smoke up in an intentionally eye-catching manner. This drew Jim's eyes who almost instantly shifted from a flash of lust and attraction to surprise. To have his wife look so incredibly unkempt in front of his best friends and new acquaintances was jarring for him, his previously reserved spouse a near unrecognizable version of herself.

She didn't see any reason for him to have ran off with his purse and the intentionally avoidant gazes of Gene and Chloe communicated much the same from them. Barb, however, was making her way toward her and Sharon hoped she had good news about her missing purse.

"You look..." Barb stammered drunkenly, trying to find the words.

"I know, have you seen my purse?" Sharon dismissed quickly, a singular focus that permeated her every molecule.

"Um, no, are you, I mean, where did you last see it?" Barb stammered again, her intoxication rendering her nearly incomprehensible.

"Jesus, you're wasted," Sharon commented in a moment of clarity.

"Yer Goddamned right, been at it since, early," she replied, the cadence of her words sped up and then slowed down in a stilted mess.

"Well I need to find it; I need a bump before my skull splits open. Where's Rich and Amanda?" Sharon asked.

Barb only then seemed to realize they weren't in the room and began looking around herself. Her compromised equilibrium caused the maneuver to set her off balance and she swayed precariously as she craned her neck.

"Forget it, I'll find them," Sharon huffed in exasperation.

But before she did more than take a few steps Amanda appeared from the back hall with her purse slung over her shoulder. Sharon practically bounded over to her and before they'd even reach one another Amanda had slipped the strap off her shoulder and was extending it out to her.

"Sorry, didn't think you'd want it laying around," Amanda lied nonchalantly.

Sharon's eyes narrowed at her as she accepted her purse and she made no attempts at hiding her intention. Sharon dug into the purse and found the small baggy of coke untouched, prompting surprise and relief to wash over her.

"You thought, what?" Amanda queried playfully.

Sharon just smiled in response, too relieved to offer anything other than appreciation.

"Join me?" Sharon offered, her face softening.

Amanda had already railed four thick lines in the last twenty minutes, but she wouldn't be letting her mother know that. Instead she just curled her lips into an appreciative smile and nodded, anxious to blast her brain with another coating of the delicious white powder that she had fallen completely and utterly in love with.

"I think this could be the beginning of a really amazing chapter in our relationship," Sharon offered in a rare moment of closeness with her recently adversarial daughter.

Amanda fought back a laugh of what would've been perceived as manic glee and composed herself enough to reply in a level tone.

"I think you could be right, mom."