The margaritas came in short plastic blue cups with warped sides that were bumpy in her hands. The salt on the rim was thick with huge granules that she licked up along with the flavored fruity drinks that came one at a time.

The first one went down easy with a large mint leaf in the middle. The second one was blueberry flavored and came with mini-tacos filled with spicy pulled pork in the middle. She ate two in what felt like a single bite. The third drink was a strawberry one that had Eliza giggling to herself and slightly red in the face.

“How’re you feeling?” Bailey giggled right back at her with a sly grin.

Eliza just nodded. “I’m feeling.” She said back flatly and that made the rest of the table laugh.

They discussed their majors and midterms and when exactly their football team was going to get their act together (a topic Mickey just wrinkled her nose at). Of course, eventually they rounded back to The Great Halloween Costume Debate.

“There’s nothing sexier than a farm girl.” Bailey slurred slightly and brought her drink up. “You can have props! And pigtails! Imagine, you're innocent to big city ways, but also know how to get down in the hay.”

“Boo,” Tambara booed from the other side of the table, “generic, boring, you might as well be a sexy fireman or secretary.” She shook her head, “you’ve got to think outside the box.”

“Crab! Crab! Crab!” Nate started banging his fists on the table enthusiastically which sent Eliza off into a giggling fit again, “Sexy. Crab. And none of this boob or butt window thing. The whole allure of the crab costume is that you are fully covered with huge-ass foam claws.”

“What are you, a Mr. Crabs fetishist? Get your Spongebob loving-ass out of here,” Bailey made a face at all of them. “A farm girl is classic. Get some corn in there and wink at the camera.”

“No, no, you’re all wrong, every single one of you. Horribly, terribly mistaken. Everyone be quiet,” Tambara put her hands up. “There is only one right answer. And it is… Cross dressing as Freddy Mercury and that’s the last thing I’m going to say on the matter!”

“Come on,” Logan put his hands up. “That’s definitely not what Mickey’s audience wants to see.”

“Freddy Mercury is universally sexy regardless of gender. The tank top! The tight pants! Mickey could wear a cape and a crown. Fuck off,” Tambara, in a final fit of making her point, downed the rest of her margarita in one swig.

“Woo!” Eliza clapped along. “She makes,” Eliza hiccuped, “a good point.”

Logan shook his head, “it’s been done before.”

“Boo.” Tambara booed again and looked ready to throw her drink at him.

“Here me out… there are no original ideas, just original angles. So, angel costume, but with a twist.” He made eye contact with each one of them like a business CEO at a board meeting. “Fangs.”

“You are so predictable, Logan.” Bailey rolled her eyes. “That’s like your middle school deviant art page all over again.”

Logan flipped her off and they were all laughing. Eliza was happy to watch their exchanges with the warm feeling in her gut, but Mickey turned abruptly to her. “Well I know Eliza here is still in favor of me being a lumberjack--”

“I am not.”

“But if you had to choose something else, what would it be?” Mickey looked at her expectantly and Eliza swallowed thickly. They were all looking at her now.

“Yes, your guest should totally decide on this all important matter.” Bailey said mock-seriously.

“Shush.” Mickey put a hand up. “I know. She definitely has better taste than the rest of you.”

Eliza ducked her head down and hiccuped gently. “This is, uh, for your show?” She didn’t know how else to phrase it.

“I mean, yeah,” she looked around the table. “And ultimately they’ll vote on the actual costume. But I should give options!”

Logan crossed his arms over his chest, “Angel. With. Fangs.”

“If you guys aren’t gonna do crab, what about tentacle monster?”

“Nate! No!”

Eliza blocked them out for a moment as she chewed on her bottom lip. A fourth drink arrived in front of her, “What’s this?” She hesitated as she still didn’t have much food in her stomach besides the mini-tacos. Mickey pushed the pink concoction toward her.

“I ordered you one more,” she said and pushed her hair back, “this one is raspberry rhubarb. It’s my favorite.”

Eliza felt that same lost fluttery feeling in her gut as she accepted it. “Thanks.” She ducked her head, “and how about…” Eliza searched the air. “A sexy tax accountant?”

“Girl, what?”

“Hear me out,” she laid her hands flat on the table. “So you’ve just moved into the big city, right?”

“Are taxes an integral part of this?” Logan looked like he was holding back laughter. “Is this an IRS fantasy?”

Eliza ignored him. “Your name is Cindy and you’ve started this monotonous day job, but you like it. You like this stable predictable life, at least you think you do, but all of the sudden you feel these… urges. And suddenly you want more than your tax accountant ways. You want to let loose a little, but you need help. You need someone to show you how to unbutton your blouse and…” Eliza stopped as she realized the others were about to lose it. “What?” She said as the rest of the group was snickering.

“Are you writing a full-out porno for us?” Nate gestured at her, “she’s a natural.”

Eliza’s face burned and she looked down into her lap. “Aren’t these things supposed to have story lines?”

“Not really.” Bailey said and sipped the last of her drink. “It’s about the aesthetic.”

“No way,” Tambara argued, “it’s about how it makes the audience feel. Like how Freddy Mercury makes you feel.”

“It’s about…” Nate continued, “the crab.”

“Ugh, well, none of you actually have this job.” Mickey turned to her with her dark eyes and looked her over. “And I like story lines.”

Eliza sat straight up in her chair. “So, it’s like just a secretary outfit or whatever. With the pencil skirt and button-up.” She grabbed for her next drink. “With glasses. People like girls with glasses.”

Logan shook his head. “Nah, no glasses. I think they get in the way.”

“You would.” They all began to chatter amiably among themselves and Mickey turned to her again.

“How do you like it?”

“I like it a lot.” Eliza felt dizzy and her chest tight. "They're all good ideas."

Mickey snorted, “No. I mean the drink.”

“Right,” Eliza took a deep sip of her raspberry rhubarb margarita and it was sweet with a bit of tang to it. She smiled and touched her hair, “it’s good. Really good.”

"I knew you would!" Mickey leaned her elbow on the table. “Want to head out after this? It’s getting pretty late.”

Eliza just nodded as she looked outside and realized it was incredibly dark out. “Wow, I totally lost track of time.”

Mickey drew closer and Eliza could see faint freckles under her makeup. “I’m glad you came. My friends are nuthouse, but it’s fun to hang out like this.”

Eliza squirmed. “I’m glad I came too.” She said softly, darted her eyes up, and then down again. She stood up in one jerky movement. “I’m going to the restroom.”

“Alright,” Mickey blew her a mock-kiss, “stay safe. Don’t fall in.”

Eliza wobbled toward the restroom sign. She didn’t not realize how gone she was until she had to grope her way to the ladies room and could have peed enough to put out a small fire.

She stared at her shoes as she waited. Her head felt full of cotton and a type of panic she didn’t quite understand. Does Mickey not realize about me? Eliza shrank down. She probably did. Eliza sighed as she remembered her tax accountant speech.

She was feeling woozy and slightly lost by the time she washed her hands and fumbled back to the table where the group was beginning to pack up. “Thanks for letting us meet you, Eliza.” Tambara grinned.

“Yeah,” Logan nodded. “We all thought Mickey was lying about having a roommate for months now.”

“Plus,” Nate winked, “about how you guys had that recent run-in--”

“Nate,” Bailey elbowed him and then turned back to her. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you.” They shook hands again and then Eliza found herself chugging the last of her pink margarita and reaching for her wallet.

“Wait,” Mickey grabbed her elbow. “I already got you covered.”

Eliza’s eyes went wide, “you paid for me?”

Mickey shrugged and didn’t meet her eye. “It was the least I could do. I was the one who invited you out.” She was rubbing the back of her neck again.

Eliza straightened up and turned toward the door. “Alright… but the next one’s on me. I’ll get you for the next one.”

“The next one?” Mickey lit up. “Alright. Cool. What do you usually like to drink?”

Eliza started making their way toward the door and the tepid night air. “Capri Suns, but out of a wine glass.”

Mickey snickered shortly. “And Italian wine out of pouches with a straw?”

Eliza pushed on her shoulder. “Exactly.” They turned to start walking back to their apartment and Eliza started to bite her bottom lip again. They walked in pleasant silence for a little while before something came bubbling up to the surface.

“So um,” Eliza reviewed the night one step at a time. “What did Nate mean about the run-in?”

“Oh, uh,” Mickey looked away, “I sort of told my friends about that night you were sick.” Eliza had never seen Mickey blush before, but she fidgeted as they walked. “Sorry, I know it was personal. But it was kind of funny too.”

“It was kind of funny,” Eliza said, but didn’t believe herself. It wasn’t funny to her, it was the thing that haunted her waking hours and featured in her own private guilty fantasies on repeat. “Plus I,” she gaped for the words and felt some guilt weigh on her chest. “I told my friends you were a camgirl. So I’m not one to talk.”

Mickey stopped in place and looked at her. “You did?” Her eyes were wide.

Eliza swayed in space. She saw Mickey’s confusion clear on her face and Eliza started to shake with it. “Wait, I’m sorry,” her eyes prickled embarrassingly and she should have never have drank so much. She always got emotional. “Don’t be mad.”

“Oh no, it’s fine.” Mickey went to pat her on the shoulder. “I mean, do you trust them?”

“Yeah! I do, I've known them for ages.” Eliza leaned into her touch, “They’re great. They won't tell anyone.” She wasn’t actually sure about that, but she could text Joany and Seb in the morning and make them promise.

“It’s okay, really.” Mickey pushed her forward so they could keep walking. “My job isn’t a big secret. I mean, I don’t want it getting out there too much for future jobs and academics, but I’m not going to hide either.”

Eliza sniffed and wiped her eyes clear. “That’s really awesome of you.” She said in awe. “You're really… yourself. All the time.”

Mickey just snorted and her eyes flicked over to Eliza. “I guess,” She said softly, “I’m not going to live like it’s some puritanical blight on the family tree or like I’m a huge shame just because of a side hustle.”

Eliza nodded like she understood, but the ground was spinning slightly and she tried to keep her gaze focused. “I dunno,” she heard herself saying. “It’s complicated, right?”

“It’s complicated.” Mickey nodded before putting an arm around her shoulder. “Up you go.”

Eliza must have lost track of time as they arrived at their apartment building and Mickey hoisted her up toward the stairs. “You’re kind of a lightweight, aren’t you?”

Eliza snorted as she leaned on her, “it’s only four drinks.”

“That’s a lot, hun.”

Eliza tipped her head back. “To some people.” She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder as they reached their door. “Besides, how could I say no? It was your treat.”

“Alright, we’re gonna go inside and drink like four cups of water though.”

Eliza huffed, “alright, mom.”

Mickey snorted and just pushed her through the door. “Not that first time I’ve been called that. Though I think I prefer ma’am.”

Eliza wobbled to one of the chairs at their corner nook and sat down. “What about ‘mistress’?”

“No way, I’m not that much of a bad porno.” She hooted as she got them water.

“Mistress,” Eliza reached for her playfully, “my mistress, my beautiful, wonderful, very not-a-vampire mistress.”

“Are you into vampires?” Mickey teased as she forced the water on her.

Eliza shrugged, “They were on my teen list of fantasies I indulged in.”

“Ooh,” Mickey pushed on her shoulder. “Do tell.”

“I mean, there was vampires, werewolves, the loch ness monster--

“What?”

“Crabs. Farm girls. Crabs again.”

Mickey was laughing. “You’re so weird! I can never tell when you’re serious.”

Eliza shifted in place and felt some boldness building in her. “Are you tired yet?”

“Not really.” Mickey swirled her water around. She was lean and sharp in the lights of their apartment-- all clean lines and hard looks. “You?”

“Nah.” Eliza wanted to fall into her at that moment. Wanted to grab her around the waist. She wanted to push her down or be pushed down onto the floor right there and then. “Want to watch TV?” She asked instead and Mickey just nodded.

She made her way to the couch and they fell onto the cushions just a little too close to one another. Their eyes kept meeting and then breaking apart again as they turned the TV on and held their breath as they waited for something else.