The sudden topic change threw me for a loop, and I had to think about it for a second. “Can’t say they have.”
“That’s a shame. But now that I think about it, your ass is pretty great, too. Especially in those jeans you’re wearing right now. Jeans look way better on you than the khakis you wear to work. You should burn those khakis. They’re hideous.” She took another bite.
Drunk Mila was incredibly insightful, and I had so many questions. Trying not to get offended by the admission she found my work pants hideous, I focused on the more important reveal of her spiel. “You were checking out my ass?”
She shrugged without the slightest hint of repentance. “I appreciate a good ass. Most women do. That lady at the coffee shop was checking it out, too. The one you almost sat with. Of course, you were wearing those god-awful khakis that day, so she was robbed of your full glory.”
Okay, now she was being ridiculous. “You’re drunk.”
She swallowed again and smiled. “In vino veritas.”
“Huh?”
“In wine lies the truth. It’s Latin.” She glanced at the bottle. “But I guess in this case, in tequila lies the truth. It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.”
“You speak Latin?” I asked, impressed.
“Hell no. That’s just a saying I read somewhere. It’s true, though. Drunk people tell no lies.” She poured herself another splash of tequila. “I should get that printed on a T-shirt.”
I had no idea which pearl of wisdom she was considering having commemorated, but was more concerned about the contents of the cup she was lifting to her lips. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m sorry, do you want some? It was very rude of me not to offer. I don’t have any other cups, but we can share.” She offered her drink to me.
“No thanks. I don’t drink anymore.”
“Yeah?” She giggled again. “Well, I don’t drink any less.”
Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“You serious?” She watched me. “Like you don’t drink ever?”
“No. It dulls the pain, and that’s a slippery slope for me.”
Waving her fork at me again, she said, “Explic… explica… explain.”
I eyed her, wondering if she’d be able to stand again when the time came. “Once I start to feel some relief, I want more. And more. I don’t know when to stop. I keep drinking, or using, trying to bring my body back to normal. But I don’t even remember what normal feels like anymore, so even if I somehow reached that point, I doubt I’d even recognize it. Pain’s weird like that.”
She downed her drink, making the same exact face she’d made before. Slapping the cup down on the coffee table, she said, “You’re a real buzz kill, you know that?”
I was, and I didn’t want to ruin… whatever she had going on with her tequila party for one. Besides, I was enjoying her company a little too much. Reminding myself of why I put distance between us in the first place, I stood. “Yeah. I should leave.”
“No!” She sounded almost desperate as her hand landed on my thigh. As if realizing what she’d done, she withdrew it slowly. “Stay. Please?” Her eyes pleaded even louder than her words, making it impossible for me to refuse. “I miss hanging out with you.”
That was the nail in my coffin. I slumped back into my seat and nodded to her cup. “What’s the occasion?”
“I’m trying desperately to forget that my cousin’s an asshole. I mean, he’s a knowledgeable asshole, and so fucking right it’s annoying, but his delivery could use a little work. He needs some of that… that thing doctors need when they have to break bad news to patients.”
“Bedside manner?” I provided.
“Yeah. He could use a little bedside manner. I get it,Levi, I have issues. You don’t have to beat me over the head with them. Why don’t you space out my lashings and give me a little time to heal between each?”
Glancing around the room, I verified that we were alone. “You know Morse isn’t here, right?”
“Morse.” She snorted. “Such a lame name. It goes with his geeky cologne. What is that anyway?Eau de toilette de nerd.”
“You have a problem with Morse’s cologne?” She was all over the place, and I was having trouble following.
“It’s not that he smells bad. It’s just so… nerdy.”
