Open Your Eyes

Aimee and Alyssa stood to the side of the room as Ben and Adam went to get them more punch. They had been at the party for almost an hour now, and although the boys were good company, Alyssa couldn’t help but scan the room. “He’s not here yet,” Aimee said to Alyssa, who looked back at her friend confused. “Marian,” Aimee clarified, knowing her friend had grown closer to the man in the past few weeks and had been anticipating his arrival all night.

“I just want to see what his costume is, that’s all,” Alyssa half lied. The boys came back then, handing each girl a cup filled with fruity, red, alcoholic liquid. There were three other bowls, each with a different color punch. So far, Aimee, Alyssa, Ben, and Adam had tried the blue one, and Aimee made it her own personal mission to have tried the green and orange ones by the end of the night as well. She had the duty of driving herself and Alyssa home, so if she was going to get drunk it was going to be right at the beginning of the night so that she’d be sober by the time the party was over.

That was her plan, at least. Adam Burish, on the other hand, had a different plan as he discreetly pulled her slightly away from Alyssa and placed an arm around her waist. Besides the two cups of punch, he had already had a beer and a shot before the girls had arrived. The alcohol was definitely getting to him, and Aimee was looking damn good in her Greek Goddess costume.

“How’s the punch?” Adam asked her softly, dangerously close to her ear. Aimee turned her head to look at him, noticing the look in his eyes.

“Good…” she stuttered out, not knowing how to handle the situation. She liked Adam, she found him very attractive, and lord knew she flirted with him incessantly, but she also considered him a good friend. She didn’t want to mess that up. He kissed her lightly under the jaw, and she was grateful he had a supporting arm around her suddenly weak frame.

“Do a shot with me?” Adam requested. Aimee knew she shouldn’t, but Adam’s piercing blue eyes made her brain fuzzy and she found herself nodding.

Alyssa didn’t notice her friend being pulled across the room by Adam, because she had her own hockey player to deal with. She couldn’t stop staring at his chest under his opened flannel shirt, and the scruff on his jaw was driving her up a wall.

Ben suddenly spotted Marian and Tomas, and he grinned. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” He called out, waving the men over. After realizing that Alyssa and Tomas had literally just had one of those weird, close connections, he stopped viewing the man negatively. Marian and Tomas had assimilated into the team almost without a hitch, and Ben didn’t even realize that the real threat to his time with Alyssa was Marian.

The four of them all greeted each other, and Alyssa inwardly groaned. Marian also had scruff on his face and an open shirt, but his was more open and flowing due to him being a pirate. Alyssa also enjoyed his high boots with is fitted black pants, but the same could not be said for Tomas.

The thing was, Tomas wasn’t wearing pants. He was dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh, and his entire outfit consisted of a headdress, skirt, and sandals. She had to tear her eyes away from his muscular thighs and took a big swig of her drink. Alyssa wished the men had taken their lead from Sharpie and dressed like flowers or something not as…sexy.

“When did you guys get here?” Ben asked.

“We’ve been here for a little while, actually,” Tomas said, looking toward the bar area. He had seen Adam’s hands and lips on Aimee and was trying to spot them now.

“Where’s Aimee?” Marian inquired, taking the words right out of Tomas’s mouth.

“I’m not sure, actually,” Alyssa answered, looking around. “Somewhere with Adam, I’d guess.” That seemed to be a reasonable answer to everyone except Tomas, as they all went back to partying.

Marian had a hard time keeping his eyes off of Alyssa, who looked absolutely stunning as Snow White. The blue corseted top showcased her curves well, while the short yellow skirt paired with the thigh high white stockings left just enough of her legs uncovered to keep Marian’s heart racing.

He decided it should be safe to look at her face, which again was a mistake as he found himself looking a little too long at her red, full lips. He took a long sip of his drink, grateful that Tomas agreed to be the designated driver for the evening.

---

Meanwhile, Aimee was well on her way to being sloshed. She was far from a lightweight when it came to drinking, but she had definitely had a bit too much too soon with Adam. Aimee sat on a stool at the makeshift bar, Adam standing directly in front of her with his hand on her bare thigh through the high slit in her dress.

Just as Adam was about to shift his hand higher and lean in to kiss Aimee’s neck, a strong hand on his shoulder pulled him back. Aimee, who was a bit too intoxicated to realize what was going on, didn’t see where Adam had gone or who took him. All she saw was her beer in front of her, so she took a swig.

“Is there a problem?” Adam asked Tomas, who had pulled him away from Aimee and settled a few feet behind the woman

“You know there is, Adam,” Tomas whispered harshly.

“You don’t even like her,” the blue eyed man argued, swaying a bit. Tomas placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, rolling his eyes.

“You’re wasted,” Tomas pointed out. “And so is she. Go ahead and hook up with her, Bur. But not when the two of you are like this.”

Adam glanced back at Aimee momentarily, and when he looked back at Tomas his eyes showed that he had sobered up a little.

“Shit,” he muttered. “You’re right. Take care of her for me, eh? Keep her out of trouble.”

“What? Wait, no, that’s not what I-”

“Thanks, Tomas. Really,” Adam called, disappearing into the party. Tomas cursed, wondering if he should have just let them hook up.

“Hey,” he greeted, standing behind Aimee and putting a hand on her back. Aimee leaned back quickly, causing him to catch her so that she looked up at him from where her head rested on his chest.

“Well, helloooo there,” she smiled, looking his shirtless form up and down. “Holy cow,” she added, grabbing his upper leg and giving it a squeeze. “Hockey thighs. Very nice.” Tomas could say the same about her thighs, one of which was exposed in her white, goddess-esque gown. The dress was cut into a deep v at her chest, golden strips around the sides as her straps. There was another golden strap under her breasts, and one more just above her waist, and in-between was a thick, vertical strip of the white gown, leaving her back and sides completely void of white fabric.

Aimee gazed back up his form, spotting the large headdress he had on. “Oh god, please take that off,” she requested, pulling the hat off herself. She tossed it to the side, obviously not caring where it went, and ran her fingers through his short hair once. “Much better.”

“You should sober up,” Tomas suggested, pushing her beer away from her.

“You should dress like this all the time,” Aimee replied, leaning against Tomas as he pulled her off her stool.

“Let’s get you some fresh air.”

Aimee nodded as Tomas grabbed her hand, leading her outside where the cool air felt a million times better on her skin. Brent Sopel had really pulled out all the stops for this party, which continued into his backyard as well. “Bobbing for apples!” Aimee exclaimed. “Can we?”

Tomas looked down at her, bewildered that she was asking for his permission. “If you want to,” he shrugged, not knowing what she expected him to say.

“I want to see you do it,” she nudged.

“Not going to happen,” Tomas denied, shaking his head. He looked down at Aimee, who was pouting. She was definitely a lot more agreeable when she was drunk, he had to give that much credit to Adam. Aimee’s attention was suddenly diverted by a loud scream however, coming from the haunted house that Brent had attached to the back of his own home.

“Oh my god!” Aimee gasped, turning to Tomas with big eyes. “Please?”

He didn’t need to ask what she was referring to; he knew she meant the haunted house. “You don’t need my permission Aimee. Go ahead.”

Her grip on his arm tightened, and she made her eyes impossibly wider. “I can’t go in there alone! Come with me, please?” Tomas nodded, finding himself unable to refuse for some reason.

“Fine. The entrance is back inside Brent’s house though, come on.” Tomas led her back into the house, stopping when she tugged on his hand.

“Bathroom break first,” she said pulling away and scurrying off into the bathroom.

Tomas looked around him, trying to spot Alyssa and Marian so they could take this woman off his hands. When he spotted them however, Ben had just walked away to talk to Patrick Sharp, which meant Marian would be alone with Alyssa. Once he had caught the attention of the older man, Tomas waved them over quickly.

“I’m about to go in the haunted house, care to join?” Tomas invited.

“Why? Too afraid to go by yourself?” Alyssa teased, actually grateful for the distraction. She had been having a hard time focusing with Marian on one side of her and Ben on the other.

“I’m not by myself,” Tomas retorted, just as Aimee came up beside him and looped her arm through his. Alyssa and Marian’s eyes widened, until they saw that Aimee was intoxicated.

“She’s drunk!” Alyssa shouted, angry. “She’s supposed to be driving us home later. Where the Hell is Adam? I know this is his fault.”

Marian interrupted her visual hunt, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Just let it go for now, this is the longest they’ve been around each other without fighting. Enjoy it while you can.”

Alyssa grinned, deciding he was right. The night was still young, and Aimee could hold her liquor. She wasn’t going to worry just yet. Aimee grabbed Alyssa’s hand with her free one, causing Alyssa to use her other free hand to grab Marian as Tomas led them toward the haunted house entrance.

“Hey guys, single file,” the hired man from wherever Brent got the haunted house requested. The group readjusted themselves with Tomas in the front, Aimee behind him with her arms wrapped around his bare torso, Alyssa behind her with her arms on Aimee’s shoulders, and Marian behind her with his hands on her hips.

Tomas began walking, and he felt Aimee’s face press up against his back. “Well now what’s the point of that?” He asked her, craning his neck to see her. “We haven’t even gone in yet!”

“Shut up and start moving,” Aimee ordered, clearly sobering up a bit and reverting to her old self. Tomas sighed and started moving, sharing a laugh with Marian as they noticed Alyssa’s face pressed into Aimee’s back much like Aimee was with Tomas.

“Wimps,” Tomas muttered, finally entering the house. It was your stereotypical haunted house, pitch black with random neon lights or flashing white strobe lights. The girls would scream whenever someone jumped out at them, even if Tomas and Marian knew they had their eyes shut tight. Tomas had to walk very slowly, since it was literally impossible to see in the house.

He might as well have had his eyes closed, like the girls. Suddenly he walked smack dab into a wall, causing a pile-up behind him.

“Are you okay?” Aimee asked him, blindly reaching up to touch his head.

“Yeah,” he answered, feeling his way with his hands. He finally felt the opening, walking though it slowly before feeling another wall in front of him again. “What the fuck,” he muttered, knowing Aimee was growing increasingly nervous by her grip on his waist. He felt around to the side, noticing it was open, and that was when he realized they had reached a maze.

Tomas felt around as best as he could, all the while fending off ghouls and goblins with Marian that were frightening the girls. Suddenly, he heard Aimee and Alyssa let out simultaneous bloodcurdling screams, and he felt Aimee trying desperately to hold onto him. He grabbed her arm firmly, just before it left his body, and pulled her close so that they were pressed together front to front.

“What happened? Where’s Marian and Alyssa?”

“I don’t know!” Aimee shrieked. “They tried separating all of us, but you got me in time.”

Tomas pressed a quick kiss to the top of her hair before calling out to his teammate.

“Yeah, Tomas!” Marian replied. Neither Aimee nor Tomas could figure out where it was coming from. “I have Alyssa, do you have Aimee?”

“Yeah, she’s with me,” Tomas replied. The two men kept calling out to each other, trying to reconvene, but their attempts were unsuccessful.

“Oh my god. We’re going to die. We’re never going to get out of here and they’re going to find my dead body dressed as a slutty Snow White,” Alyssa moaned, clutching onto Marian.

“Don’t be silly,” Marian chuckled. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise.” He felt Alyssa nod and began to walk with her attached to his side. “And by the way, you look beautiful,” he added, hot in her ear.

“Thanks,” Alyssa managed to squeak, following his lead.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my-”

“Aimee!” Tomas yelled. “We’re going to be fine. Stop it.”

“Your best friend wasn’t ripped out of your hands, Tomas,” Aimee spat. “She hates scary stuff, and I make her watch things like Ghost Hunters with me and I make her go into haunted houses with me and she’s probably freaking out and-” Aimee felt the finger of Tomas at her lips, and she resisted the urge to bite it off.

“She’s with Marian,” he reminded her, feeling he relax. “Now shut your trap and come on.”

Minutes passed, feeling like hours, but soon Tomas pulled Aimee out the exit of the haunted house which emptied into the back yard.

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” She cried, kissing him on the cheek before looking anxiously at the exit for her best friend. Minutes later, Marian emerged with Alyssa in tow. The two girls ran toward each other and embraced, causing the Slovaks to laugh.

“Drama queens,” Tomas muttered, earning a glare from the females. The quartet headed back into the party, where Aimee stuck with drinking water the rest of the night. Each of them went their own separate ways for a while, mixing and mingling with the crowd.

“You two are beyond adorable right now,” Alyssa said to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Jonathan was dressed as Buzz Lightyear, leaving Patrick as the obvious Woody. “Aren’t they adorable, Aimee?” Alyssa asked the Greek goddess who had just joined the conversation.

“Sexy,” Aimee nodded, causing both men to blush even more profusely than they had been. “I love me a man in uniform and some astronauts.”

“Space Ranger,” Jonathan corrected. The girls laughed, falling into an easy conversation with the young guns of the Chicago Blackhawks.

---

Hours later, it was time for everyone to go home. The party was winding down, and it was getting late. Aimee and Alyssa said goodbye to Ben and Adam, the latter of which had sobered up as well, and who also offered Aimee an apology.

“No harm done,” she replied, kissing his cheek. “See you boys around!”

“Are you sure you don’t need a ride?” Marian asked again, making Alyssa snort.

“We’re fine Marian! I’ll see you boys later,” she said, hugging each of them. Aimee hugged Marian next, who waited with baited breath with Alyssa when it was Tomas and Aimee’s turn to hug. “Night,” she offered awkwardly.

“Night,” he echoed, noticing she was not as rigid as the night it was their turn to hug outside the pizzeria. He figured it was all or nothing by that point, so he wrapped his arms tightly around her and gave her a quick squeeze, feeling her return it lightly before pulling away.

They got in their respective vehicles, settling in for the somewhat long drive ahead. Aimee drove the route as much as she could remember, but she knew that soon she’d need Alyssa’s GPS that they had brought. Alyssa turned it on for her, frowning at the low battery sign.

“Shit!”

“What?” Aimee asked, startled by her friend’s outburst.

“I forgot the power cord,” Alyssa responded sheepishly as the GPS powered itself off.

“It’s okay,” Aimee brushed off. “I’m sure we can figure it out.”

Words that would of course, come back to haunt them.