Page 21 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

“I don’t want your help,” she grumbled. “If you’ll go get Holly, I can just leave.”

“If I go get Holly, she needs to drive you home in her car, right?”

Delilah shook her head. “No, my car.”

“Even worse. Wouldn’t you rather stink up my truck than your car? I deserve it for being such a dick.”

Delilah sniffled. “You do.”

“That’s the spirit,” Anthony laughed.

“My phone and purse are in the car, and Holly has my keys,” Delilah said, arm held out stiffly at her sides as if she was afraid to touch herself.

Anthony reached out and patted her shoulder briefly. “I’ll run in and grab them while you get cleaned up. Come on.”

“What about him?” she asked, pointing to the prone man at her feet.

Anthony leaned over and reached under the man’s arms, dragging him back to prop him against the building. “I’ll let Paulie know he’s out here.” He cupped Delilah’s elbow, surprised she didn’t jerk away as he led her to the second row where his truck was parked.

“Alright—” He clicked the fob and opened the back door, hauling out the gym bag, the blanket, and a trash bag from the door. “Change out of those clothes and get inside. I’ll warm it up.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked.

Anthony chuckled. “Don’t I seem like a nice guy?”

“Not in my experience.”

“Fair enough,” he said soberly. “You may not believe it, but I’m not known for taking out my bad temper on people. I apologize for doing it to you.”

Delilah didn’t meet his eyes when she nodded, turning her back on him. “Will you please unzip me? I’d rather not pull it over my head and get chunks in my hair.”

He swallowed back the urge to gag at the imagery and did as she asked, dragging the metal tab down until it stopped above the curve of her ass. Anthony saw the flash of lacy underwear and dropped the zipper like it burned him.

“I’ll go get the stuff from Holly,” he said, rubbing his singed fingers against the front of his jacket.

“Thanks.” He took a step back, turning to leave, but she called out, “Wait, Anthony?”

He twisted around and met her gaze. “Yeah?”

“Please don’t tell anyone except Holly what happened,” Delilah whispered with wide, shimmering eyes.

Anthony almost reached out to hug her, but stopped, remembering his behavior and the vomit. “I won’t.”

Anthony turned when she started sliding the straps of the dress down her arms, and went around to the driver’s side to start the truck. He turned the heater on high and hopped down, addressing her through the open back door. “There’s a towel in the bag if you want to wipe up any excess. Just put your dress and the towel in the trash bag.”

“My shoes, too,” she said. “It dripped all over them.”

“On that note, I’m out.” Anthony thought he heard Delilah laugh as he walked away, heading for the front of Brews and Chews, where Paulie was watching the door.

“Anthony, I thought you were already inside,” the burly bouncer greeted him.

“I was, but there was an incident off the patio. There’s a drunk guy on the side of the building puking.”

Paulie grimaced. “Fucking idiots. No one knows how to hold their liquor.”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”

Paulie hollered for someone to cover the door as Anthony stepped inside and made a beeline for the table, only to make a sharp turn when he spotted Holly coming in from the patio. They met in the hallway outside the bathroom and before he could get a word out, Holly asked, “Have you seen Delilah?”