Intoxicated

by Alicia Renee Kline

  “Are you okay?” There he was being super perceptive again.

  “Not really. My car’s dead. I’m still at work. I tried calling Blake, but she’s out on a date.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line, during which I chastised myself for not calling a cab instead. Had Blake’s lecture scared him off totally? Had I? I had been so certain that he would have agreed to help me out, and I blushed at my stupidity. I wondered if he was even still on the other end of the line. I pulled my phone away from my ear to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped.

  “Matthew,” I said shakily, “don’t worry about it. I’ll just call a cab.”

  “No, don’t,” he said quickly, “give me half an hour or so.”

  “Okay,” I said hesitantly, “see you then.”

  Guiltily, I hung up the phone. Him asking for a half hour leeway meant that he was not just sitting at home, doing nothing. I was interrupting whatever was going on in his life right now. It had taken him a few more rings than usual to pick up, and he had seemed strange after he answered. Yet he was going to drop whatever it was he was in the middle of and come rescue me. Just like Gracie said, he had proven he would open the proverbial vein for me.

  Half an hour would be enough time to go back inside and finish some more work, but I didn’t want to run the risk of making him wait for me. Besides, I wasn’t too keen on crossing the windy, wet parking lot once more and dealing with the security code to the building. It all seemed like more trouble than it was worth. It wasn’t too cold out here; even though I couldn’t turn on the heater given its current state, just being inside the car provided a small bit of warmth and a barrier from the breeze.

  The operations center for the bank sat off the main road by several hundred yards. I doubted anyone would drive by here and give me trouble, but I locked my doors just to be certain. Then I reclined my seat and closed my eyes. My mind wandered almost immediately, starting with the mundane, like what I was going to eat for dinner. All too soon, I was reminded of my current dilemma.

  My eyes snapped open as I realized that Matthew, like Blake, could also be out on a date tonight. Jealousy stirred in my empty stomach. True, from what I had gathered, he hadn’t had a serious relationship since his legal issues had begun, but that wouldn’t stop him from taking part in a string of one-night stands. Someone as handsome as he was wouldn’t have any problem finding a willing partner. Maybe he and Blake were more alike in that regard than I cared to admit.

  No, I told myself. I couldn’t see that being the case. While Blake was fairly open about her love them and leave them philosophy, Matthew didn’t act like a stud. He acted so hollow and lonely and ashamed that I couldn’t imagine him having the confidence to pick up lady after lady. The only time he seemed to be at ease was around his sister or me. I had seen a glimpse of his charm appear last night when he asked Gracie to ride with him, but he had only been on a fishing expedition to find out more about yours truly.

  I reached over to the passenger seat and removed my phone from my purse. I flipped it open and checked the time. Five minutes more, give or take. I yawned and could have sworn I saw my breath. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up and stretched in my seat.

  Headlights reflected off my rearview mirror. I jumped, despite anticipating Matthew’s arrival. I whirled around, watching as the vehicle continued down the drive and entered the parking lot proper. They didn’t belong to the Mustang or even the Camry. I shuddered, this time not due to the weather.

  Silly me, I chided myself. The cleaning crew was probably showing up now. I hadn’t yet stayed at work this late and had no idea at what time they normally arrived. However, when the car didn’t pull into one of the spots nearest the building, I was glad I had locked my doors. As I feared, it continued across the lot in my direction. As it came closer, I could see it was an older model Honda Civic, probably blue in color, a cousin of my own currently worthless vehicle. My heart pounded as I reached for my cell once more, ready to call the police.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for there to be an explanation for this. Nobody would have seen me parked here from the road. Someone looking for trouble wouldn’t just happen by a secluded parking lot, hoping for something to be there; they’d pick an easier mark, right? For that reason only, I held off on dialing 911.

  That’s me, ever the eternal optimist. I wondered how that optimism would benefit me when the driver of the unknown car came at me with a gun and demanded my purse. Or worse, realized that I was a bank employee and thought I had access to a vault that contained massive amounts of money.

  My breath caught in my lungs as the Civic came to a stop in the spot right beside me. I kept my face straight ahead, but attempted to look to my right to see the driver. It was too dark, but the shadow appeared tall and bulky enough to be male. Some witness I would be. The dome light of the other vehicle snapped on, but the driver didn’t budge. This meant only one thing. He had a passenger, and that passenger was getting out of the car.

  I braced myself for whatever was going to come next. I hoped that my attacker was small enough that I could fight him or her off. I was only about a hundred pounds soaking wet, but adrenaline had to count for something. Maybe I could bide my time until Matthew showed up. He would swoop in and get me out of whatever mess I had gotten into. I only had to not die or get too severely injured before he got there. Or try not to get clubbed over the head and kidnapped. It also wouldn’t be good if I wasn’t physically here to save.

  My hysteria at how to control the situation lasted long enough for the passenger to cross around the back of my vehicle and approach the driver’s side. I could see a silhouette out of the corner of my eye, but I stubbornly refused to turn my head. A hand reached out and rapped on my window.

  I screamed. A loud, bloodcurdling scream. I hoped it would be enough to distract whoever it was outside long enough to call for help. All I had to do was get the dispatcher on the line, and even if something bad happened, as long as we were connected, they could trace the general proximity of my phone and that would be better than nothing. But before I could convince my trembling fingers to dial anything on the touch screen, I was keenly aware of the sound of laughter.

  Slowly, I turned to look out my window. Matthew stood mere inches away from my door, practically doubled over. I realized that the laughter was coming from him, and heat entered my cheeks. I unlocked my doors and climbed out.

  “Thanks a lot!” I practically yelled at him, my embarrassment causing me to be more harsh than I should have been. After all, he was the one who agreed to help me. Still upset, I swatted at him with my purse.

  He straightened himself up to his full six foot four inch frame. “I’m so sorry, Lauren,” he choked out, “but I got you good.”

  “You could have at least told me that you were coming with someone else. I was looking for one of your cars, not someone else’s.” My words were still tinged with bitterness. I couldn’t help it.

  “I’m sorry, gorgeous, you’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”

  He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his warmth. Maybe it was colder out here than I had originally thought. I began to shiver uncontrollably, maybe caused by a variety of factors, and he hugged me tighter, this time with both arms.

  “Shhhh,” he soothed softly, rubbing his hand in circles across my back, “it’s okay.”

  I relaxed in his embrace as I always did, and if we hadn’t both realized that the Civic was still idling beside my car, we might have stayed like that for an extended period of time. Instead, he cleared his throat, and I untangled myself from him.

  “Do you know what’s wrong with it?” he asked, motioning to my Honda as if I needed a visual.

  I shook my head.

  “Good,” he smirked, “because I wouldn’t know how to fix it anyway. Grab your purse, your garage door opener, and anything else you think is valuable. We can call for a tow truck in the morning.”

  I nodded, and did as instructed
. I locked my car and followed him to the Civic.

  “I’m really sorry about being pissed off at you,” I admitted as we rounded the trunk of the offending car, “but I was really scared. I appreciate you dropping what you were doing to come get me.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

  He opened the rear passenger door for me and I climbed in. For a brief, awkward moment, I was sitting in some guy’s car that I had never met before, alone with him. Then Matthew assumed his place up front and made the introductions.

  “Lauren, this is Chris. Chris, Lauren.”

  “Hi,” I said softly, my mind working overtime.

  “Hi,” Chris replied. He turned around in his seat to face me as best as he could.

  So here he was. The elusive Chris. Matthew’s best friend. Blake’s ex-boyfriend.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” He smiled easily, showing off perfect teeth. His dark brown, almost black hair was worn spiky, and he had large, chocolate brown eyes. Was everyone associated with the Snyders ridiculously attractive? If so, what was I doing here?

  “Do you want to stop somewhere and get something to eat?” Matthew asked.

  It took me a moment to realize that his question was directed towards me.

  “No, I’m not really hungry,” I lied.

  “It’s no trouble, really,” Chris indicated, but I shook my head.

  “I’ll just eat something at home.”

  “Okay then,” Chris said, “home it is.”

  Matthew directed him on just where that was, and I realized that Chris and Blake had broken up long before she became a homeowner. For whatever reason, I just assumed that he would have known where she lived now, but it made sense that he didn’t.

  “You would think,” Chris began, “that this car would be some kind of a divining rod, but it’s not.”

  Matthew laughed heartily before explaining to me. “This used to be Blake’s car. Our dad bought this for her when she turned sixteen. When she graduated from high school, he bought her a Mercedes, and sold this to Chris for a song.”

  “Just goes to show you that their parents weren’t always assholes,” Chris commented.

  “So the two of you are like kindred spirits of sorts, driving aged Hondas and all.”

  “Mine’s fifteen years old with two hundred thousand miles on it,” I said proudly, finding my voice.

  “This one’s slightly newer. Eleven years old. I hope she lasts another four years. Actually, I think it will be a sad day when I have to give her up.”

  “You’ve taken really good care of it,” I said, and meant it. The interior was showroom clean, and I would have bet the balance in my bank account that the outside was just as immaculate. This car was a labor of love for him. I reckoned it had less to do with the car itself and more to do with who it used to belong to. If he was a car guy like Matthew, he wouldn’t be babying a well-used Civic. It wasn’t exactly a classic car.

  “Thanks. So, you’ve been Blake’s roommate for what, about two or three months now? Just a word of warning: don’t believe anything she says about me.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that she had said very little about him at all. Instead, I just nodded. I had been sure that there was juicy backstory behind their breakup; this just confirmed that. But while Blake had been fairly forthcoming with her brother’s secrets, she hadn’t come nearly as clean with her own. I was fully aware that Matthew knew the whole truth, but I hadn’t been willing to pry. We had barely talked about his own issues; I didn’t want to seem gossipy. Which reminded me that Matthew hadn’t opened up about what he had discussed with my father. At this rate, he probably never would. I might have to get that story from Blake as well.

  We were fast approaching the juncture with the interstate. As we got closer to the fast food restaurants on either side of the onramps, Matthew asked again if I was hungry. Even though the bright lights beckoned to me with their offerings of fatty, inexpensive food, I declined once more. I didn’t want to impose upon them any more than I already had.

  “You probably scared away any appetite she had,” Chris muttered. “That was pretty harsh.”

  Matthew shifted in his seat, and I blushed. Of course Chris would have heard the whole thing. He just hadn’t mentioned it until now. I tried to decide if he was taking my side, or if he was complimenting his friend’s ability to scare the living daylights out of me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and figured he was attempting to defend my honor.

  “I told her I was sorry!”

  “Yeah,” Chris chuckled, “I saw your guys’ little apology session.”

  If possible, I turned even redder. Fortunately for me, we were far enough away from the interstate now that the city lights had disappeared. Even if one of them would have looked back at me, I would be covered in shadows, my embarrassment hidden.

  Matthew directed Chris the rest of the way to Blake’s house, effectively ending that line of conversation. I wondered how much Chris knew about me; was he judging me for an innocent hug with his friend? Did he know all about Eric? About what had happened last night? I wasn’t sure if guys confided in each other the way that girls did. At that moment, I hoped not.

  “So which house is it?” Chris asked as he pulled onto my street.

  “The yellow one on the cul-de-sac,” I replied, finding my voice.

  “Don’t worry, man,” Matthew encouraged, “she’s not home. She’s out on a – “

  “Client meeting,” I interjected, feeling the need to lie.

  Chris snorted. “So that’s what she calls them now. Honestly, I’m afraid that I’ll burst into flames if I get within fifty feet of her door.”

  “You can drop me off at the curb,” I suggested helpfully.

  “Nah, it’s okay. Sometimes you just have to confront your demons.”

  He pulled into the driveway without incident.

  “I suppose inviting you inside is out of the question, then?” I laughed.

  “I said confront your demons, not stick your finger in them where the sun doesn’t shine.”

  I smiled as I gathered up my belongings. “Well, Chris, it was nice meeting you. And thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  “My pleasure. Try to have a good night, considering everything.”

  I had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t referring to just my car.

  “Yeah,” I said nonchalantly, “hope you guys do, too.”

  “Lauren,” Matthew stopped me just as I was about to pop open the door, “if you need anything, let me know.”

  “Okay.”

  I made my way up the sidewalk and to the porch. Chris waited to pull away until I had the front door unlocked and I had started to go inside. I turned and waved; he gave a quick honk of his horn in response. I stood at the door long after the taillights of the Civic had disappeared from view, trying to piece together what had just happened. One thing I was sure of was that a lot of angst had filled the interior of that car when the three of us had occupied it.

  Suddenly exhausted, I piled my stuff on the kitchen table and made my way to the fridge to get something, anything, to eat. My growling stomach had returned, and I regretted my decision not to pick up anything on the way here. I settled for a bowl of cereal, swallowing it down quickly before retreating upstairs to my room. Not a gourmet meal by any means, but it did the trick.

  I changed into my pajamas, even though it wasn’t yet ten o’clock on a Friday night. I carefully placed my work clothes into the bag I kept handy for drycleaning and shoved it into my closet. As I set the bag on the floor, I looked straight up at the red dress I had been wearing that ill-fated night Eric had chosen the airport over me. Matthew had hung it up in here, and I hadn’t been able to look at it the same since. Every time I did, I thought of him picking it up off the floor, his hands smoothing the fabric as he placed it on the hanger, positioning my shoes underneath.

  Then my mind would invariably wander to him carrying me up the
stairs and depositing me in my bed, pulling the comforter over my sleeping body. I wished I would have been a fly on the wall that night, to see the way he treated me when no one else was looking, not even myself. The thought both scared and intrigued me.

  Before I could continue any further down that road, I pushed my thoughts back to Eric. He was no doubt having the time of his life in Vegas by now. I was probably the last thing on his mind. If I was placing a bet, I would wager it had been quite a while since I had placed in his top ten. Yet something kept us together, gravitating towards one another. Stubbornness, stupidity, fear of the unknown? I wasn’t certain.

  What I did know was that I wouldn’t be able to make it through the weekend without trying to pick up the pieces that had fallen apart yet again.

  Chapter Twenty

  Blake and Matthew met me in the driveway as I pulled up in my brand new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, despite the fact that it was freezing cold and snow flurries dotted the sky. I didn’t bother opening the garage door, parking instead in the driveway and hopping out. I unlocked all the doors, popped open the trunk and hood, and stood amused as they made their inspections.

  After much soul-searching, the impulsive side of me had won out and I had decided against having the Accord fixed. On Matthew’s advice, I had had my old car towed to the garage he recommended. Although the estimate I had been given was reasonable, I decided against paying to have it fixed and instead sold it to the owner so he could part it out.

  For the past couple of weeks I had depended upon Blake’s generosity. She had brought home the Trailblazer from the design studio and allowed me to drive the Miata. Secretly, I figured her graciousness was the direct result of her wanting to beat her brother to the punch. I knew that had I needed him to, he would have given me the keys to either the Mustang or the Camry without a second thought, further blurring the lines of our friendship. Before we delved into even more dangerous territory, Blake had sacrificed her own car. I knew she didn’t like to drive the SUV for personal use, but I hadn’t heard one complaint about it.