Battle calloused hands wearing fingerless gloves welcomed the bottle of fine liquor with much enthusiasm. “Come to mama,” Kitty grinned, talking to the bottle. Her cheeks were flushed, but she would not admit to being tipsy. 

The black-haired WARDEN chose to sit on the truck’s bed with Gideon and Zimmy. There was no bet, no contest, no nothing that had compelled her to take the position outside the relative shelter of the cabin. It was a choice she made based on a hunch that Gideon was about to finally break the sacred seal that had imprisoned the spirit of alcohol inside that royally expensive bottle. Fortunately, she was correct. Otherwise her battered bottom and chilled skin would have been for nothing. And so, to celebrate, Katarina touched the bottle to her lips then closed her eyes feeling the intimacy of the moment. She then took a swig and savored the smooth warmth that traced a line from her mouth down her stomach where it settled happily. When they got back from their road trip, she would have to ask her daddy to get her some of those, because who knows it might be the last request she would have the chance to ask.

“I’ll sleep with you anytime, anywhere, Morander.” She winked, passing the bottle as Lori made an offer that was too good Kitty regretted not opening the bidding herself. 

Kitty sat on a cooler of imported beer she brought for the trip. Although she was getting drunk on someone else's drink, she did not go empty-handed, but she conceded that Gideon brought the finest they could ever have. Her back rested against the cabin and a gloved hand grasped the corners of the window to keep her from falling over. She could feel the bass drumming against her leather jacket as the guitar solo reached the end of a crescendo and the vocalist howled the notes into life. She could have sworn that the truck was dancing to the beat of the blaring music that Setzer so loved listening to and maybe, just maybe, he was doing it on purpose.

“So here’s what’s going to happen.” Blushing and all, her face was completely serious and there was no hint of slurring when she spoke, regarding both Gideon and Zimmy like their drill sergeant used to before laying down the objective for the day and the corresponding consequence should they fail. The WARDEN let go of the window and leaned forward with her elbows on her leggings-covered thighs, balancing herself so that she didn’t fall off the truck. “We have twenty more minutes before this is over. So, I propose we drink to celebrate Setzer’s driving skills and not falling off this bed.” Her hand rummaged through her pack and produced plastic cups while she raised her voice. “Anybody inside wants to join a drinking game? One shot every time Setzer drives over a pothole.” She shoved the cups to Gideon’s direction. It was his liquor anyway. “No retreat. No surrender. Quitters are losers.”