Andi finally leaves the stage and I see several motherfuckers lined up waiting to get her attention as she maneuvers around people on the dance floor. She doesn’t stop for any of them but she gives them her warm smile as she keeps walking, including the guy she was dancing with earlier. I’ve pushed nameless-girl out of my lap and not so nicely got rid of her. She’s already found someone else’s lap to sit in. Fine with me - maybe I can find a way to convince Andi that I’m not a complete dickhead.
Over the next hour, I watch Andi order one shot after another, dance with the girls and a few guys who try to cut in on them. She keeps on until she’s barely able to stand on her own. Even drunk, she ignores me when I try to talk to her. I think she’s trying to get to the point where she’d let some random guy take her home. Even completely shit-faced drunk, I still don’t think she has it in her to go through with it. And that gives me much more satisfaction than it should.
CHAPTER FIVE
ANDI
The little pinpricks of sunlight streaming through my closed blinds are causing me serious pain. If I could remove my head and put it in a vice, I think I would feel much better, because I swear the damn thing is about to split in two. I think I must have passed out before I had to experience the spinning rooms or the puking that always follows the spinning.
I’m not really sure though because I can’t remember getting home.
Or getting undressed and into my bed.
Or who the hair sticking out of the covers belongs to.
Oh shit, what have I done?
I need to get to my bathroom, take some ibuprofen and drink some water. I should’ve done it before going to bed last night, but with how I feel this morning, I’m pretty positive I didn’t. I don’t even know who is in my bed with me but I can feel that I’m not wearing any clothes. This is so not good. I look around on the bed and on the floor beside me until I find a shirt.
A man’s shirt. A nameless, faceless man that I don’t remember bringing home, or getting naked with, or getting in the bed with. And he’s still here. This won’t be awkward at all.
I snatch it up and quickly pull it over my head before I ease out of bed. I’m doing my version of the walk of shame to my own damn bathroom. I am pathetic. I close the bathroom door and lock it behind me before digging the Advil out of the cabinet. I take a long, hot shower, letting the water spray all over me and wash away whatever happened last night. I feel more human, not quite full human yet but at leastmorehuman, after my shower.
After I brush my teeth, comb my wet hair and wrapa towel around it, I put on my robe and take a deep breath before stepping back into my bedroom.
And I freeze dead in my tracks.
Luke is sitting up in my bed, leaned up against my headboard, with a stupid, shit-eating grin on his face.Of all people, why the hell did I have to bring him home with me?
“Good morning, sunshine,” he has the audacity to smile at me and sound chipper, “How are you feeling?”
“Better, after a shower.” Even to my ears, my voice is flat and void of all emotions. It’s the only way I’m keeping them in check because my head is precariously sitting on top of my shoulders right now and I’m desperately trying to not disrupt that balance.
His smile increases and his voice takes on a low, sexy rumble when he answers, “Good. I was afraid you’d feel pretty rough. Does that mean you’re up for a late-morning repeat of last night?” He pulls the covers back on my side of the bed and pats the mattress, inviting me to get back into my bed.
Not one to back down, I can’t help but take this moment to burst his ginormous ego-bubble.
“I was actually hoping you could help me with that, Luke,” I say as I move to sit exactly where his hand was, forcing him to quickly move it out of my way.
His smile quickly fades, but he isn’t giving up yet. His brows are furrowed and his eyes are crinkled at the corners. “Help you with what, exactly?”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember anything about last night. How we got here. Where my clothes went. How we got in the bed together….” I intentionally left it here, knowing he would take full advantage of my alcohol induced amnesia.
“Oh, yeah, baby, I can definitely try to help refreshyour memory.” He slowly starts leaning towards me and I know he expects me to jump back away from him. Sorry to disappoint you, buddy.
“Well, what’s strange is -- I’m not sore.At all. So if we had sex, as you’re implying, I guess that means you have areally tinypenis and I didn’t enjoy it much at all. If that’s the case, then no, I’m not up for a repeat of last night. One disappointment is enough for me. Thanks for the offer though – I admire how you don’t give up. Can I call you a cab to get home or do you have your car here?”
I keep a straight face while waiting for him to digest everything I said. It takes about ten seconds before I see the red creeping up his neck until it takes over his entire face, ears and head. The low, mean growl comes first, then his thundering roar comes soon after. If my head felt just a little better, I would be more amused, but it really isn’t bad entertainment considering my current hangover state.
This time when he really does make a lunge for me across the bed, I jump up and scoot across the room farther away from him.
“Something you’d like to say, Luke?” I innocently ask.
“Say? Oh no – I have nothing tosay, Andi. But I definitely have something toshowyou,” he challenges.
I sigh dramatically, “Luke, seriously, we don’t have to go through this again. Your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”
And now I know how fast the big guy really is – because he is out of my bed and has me pinned against the wall before I can even scream. Not that I would have screamed because my head isn’t quite ready for that yet.
