by Stacey Lynn
“Ew,” I said with a scrunched up nose at the slobber he was leaving all over the place.
Macy laughed and brushed him off. “He won’t remember this in the morning.”
I waved down the cocktail waitress as she walked by and asked for another round of shots and a refill on my vodka tonic. While I waited, I pulled out my phone and saw five missed calls. Panic seized me at the thought that it was Marcus needing help with Logan or something. Just as I was swiping my finger across the screen to unlock it, it started buzzing in my hand.
It was Jack.
Tate grabbed the phone from me instantly, probably recognizing the look of either fear or fury that crossed my face and held it out so I couldn’t reach it.
“Hey!” I yelled, and jumped for it. Except he was so tall and his arm was so far away, I practically dove over the table and crashed a bunch of our shot glasses into the floor. Tate caught me with his free hand and steadied me so I didn’t fall over again.
Everyone at the table busted out laughing, but I was pretty sure my face was purple in anger.
I held out my hand and put another on my hip. “Give me my phone, Tate.”
He shook his head. “No way. You’re going to talk to him and say something stupid, or take him back when he apologizes for being such a prick.”
I huffed in frustration. They knew Jack fired me, and that was reason alone to be concerned about me, but they didn’t know the other details. I wasn’t going to explain the feral and cold way he looked at me after he got done forcefully screwing me against his couch. It was mortifying. I couldn’t even bring myself to tell Macy afraid of what she would say, or do, to Jack at work.
She’d probably lace his coffee with diuretics.
My phone lit up and I knew he was calling again so I put my hands on the table and glared at Tate. “I want my phone. I’m not going to be stupid. I promise.” I crossed my heart with an x over my heart and smiled sassily.
Slowly, he handed me my phone and I answered it.
“What do you want Jack?” I yelled into my phone over the noise in the club.
“Where are you?” He demanded. Seriously?
“None of your fucking business,” I yelled back but started walking back toward the bathroom hallway so I could hear what he was saying to me. Tate shook his head while I walked away, clearly not believing my story about not being stupid.
“Damn it, Emma. I need to know you’re safe. Where are you?”
“I don’t think you have any right to know where I am or what I’m doing.”
I heard him sigh through the phone and I could imagine him leaning against his kitchen counter, gripping a fistful of his hair.
“I know. I know. And I can’t explain what happened. I just…” His voice trailed off and I said nothing. I stared at the graffiti along the bathroom walls like I was actually planning on calling Damien for a good time like the carving on the stall door suggested. Jack spoke again, his voice a little bit softer. “Where are you?”
“I told you. It’s none of your business.”
I think I heard his teeth grind together, and maybe I was pushing his buttons intentionally, but I was drunk and didn’t care.
“I can tell you’re wasted. I just need to make sure you’re okay.”
I scoffed. “Sure you do, Jack. Because you always take such good care of me. You don’t need to worry about me; Dean will take good care of me tonight.”
I closed my eyes, knowing I had gone too far when Jack growled a string curse words through the phone.
“Emma.”
“Whatever Jack. I need to go.” I hung the phone up.
I cleaned up in the bathroom and walked back to everyone at the table.
As soon as I got there, my phone started buzzing in my hand again.
“What?” I yelled, not even bothering to look at the number, but just assuming it was Jack again.
“It’s Marcus. Logan had a nightmare and can’t go back to sleep. I hate to ask, but can you come help?”
I swayed a little bit. A mixture of the alcohol, my argument with Jack, and worry about Logan. I put a hand on the table and closed my eyes, trying to get my balance under control.
“Emma?” He shouted through the phone.
“I’ll be right there,” I said and then turned my phone off. I could be at Marcus’s in five minutes and already the realization of how drunk I must have sounded to Jack made me realize he was going to start blowing it up in a few minutes anyway.
Dean frowned, seeing the concern on my face.
“There’s never a dull moment with you around, is there?”
I snorted. He was right. In the last two months, I’d started a passionate affair with my boss, fell in love, been faced with my ex walking – literally – back into my life, attacked by a well-known Senator, introduced ex to his son, ended a passionate affair, and lost my job. My life was anything but dull.
Having a dull and boring life suddenly sounded absolutely perfect.
“I need to get going, can you help me get a cab?” I asked. At least I was sober enough to realize being alone wasn’t a smart idea.
“Tell me you’re not going over that asshole’s house, Emma.”
I shook my head at Tate. “No, that was Marcus. He needs some help with Logan.”
Macy hiccupped. “Sure…Logan. Of course that’s what he needs help with.”
My eyebrows pulled in. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She grinned at me and I rolled my eyes, figuring out what she meant.
“Whatever,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Logan had a nightmare and can’t go back to sleep.” I looked at Dean. “Can you walk me outside?”
He nodded, and once a cab pulled up, he slid in next to me.
“I can get there by myself, you know.” I felt a little uncomfortable with him sitting so close, remembering what he said to me in the bar. He was probably joking, but still.
“I know. I’m going to head home anyway. Just want you to be safe.” He clamped his mouth shut and didn’t finish the rest of his thought. Which was probably along the lines of …and not stupid.
Dean told the cab to wait when we pulled up to Marcus’ building. He walked me to the elevator and down the hallway to his door - it was really more him dragging me while I held on and stumbled instead of walking - but whatever, semantics.
I practically fell into Marcus’s apartment when he opened the door.
“Thanks, Dean!” I called out, but he was already gone.
Marcus’s mouth dropped open when he saw me. “You’re trashed.”
I giggled like a girl and dropped my heels just inside the doorway. He reached out to hold me at my elbow.
“Sit here,” he said and pulled out a kitchen chair for me. He left and came back with a glass of water and two pills.
“Thanks.” I swallowed the pills and chugged the water, still feeling thirsty. I wanted to drop my head onto the table and pass out, but then I remembered Logan. “I’m going to see Logan.”
Marcus stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I tried to text you. He fell asleep right after I called you. Sorry for cutting your night short.”
I looked up at him and then closed my eyes to stop the room from the slow spin it had started. I shook my head and heard Marcus laugh.
“Come one. Let’s get you to bed.” He started pulling me to my feet.
I was so confused. I was mad at Jack, dancing with Dean, and now I was sleeping with Marcus? When did I become such a slut? I choked on my own laugh and Marcus turned to me, with a slight smile.
“I’m not sleeping with you.”
“Yeah, because I like my women this wasted. I prefer to have them not acting like a sloppy fish.”
Somehow, I found myself in Marcus’ room and looked around. “Have you had a lot of them?”
He walked me to the bed and once I was sitting down, went to his closet. “Do you really need the answer to that?”
He tossed me a sh
irt from a shelf and crossed his arms.
“Answer to what?” I asked him. Did I ask him something? His room felt suspiciously like one of those merry-go-rounds I used to play on when I was kid. Those were fun.
He shook his head and laughed. “Do you need help getting in the bed?”
I looked around his room again, and then his bed, and furrowed my eyebrows. “Where’s your fish?”
“What?” He asked, clearly choking back laughter.
“You said you like your women to meet your fish.”
Marcus bit down on his knuckle and I watched his shoulders shake. What is so funny? I didn’t know he liked fish.
“Go to sleep, drunk girl. I’ll tell you all about my fish in the morning.”
I shrugged. Sleep did sound really good right about now. Before I knew it, Marcus was holding me up while he pulled back the covers. Once he laid me down on the bed, he pulled his cream comforter over me and gently brushed the hair off my forehead.
NINETEEN
I woke up the next morning under the softest comforter I had ever felt in my entire life and on top of smooth as silk chocolate brown sheets. I was not in my bed, and my heart rate began thumping wildly out of control. I peeked out from under the covers and closed my eyes when the sunshine from the windows pierced straight into my brain.
Where in the hell was I? And how did I get here? Was I drugged? That would certainly explain why my head felt like it was going to explode and my mouth felt like I swallowed a bag of cotton balls.
I laid back down and closed my eyes hoping to stop the pounding in my head. I was out with Macy, Tate and Dean at Sip’s. Dean and I danced and he hit on me. My eyes flew open and I immediately regretted even the smallest, quickest movement. Dean hit on me. But he had said he was joking. Right? Right. Of course he was just joking. He said something about me being his sister.
I talked to Jack. I groaned and burrowed even further under the covers as I tried to recall Jack’s phone call. He was angry. I knew that. And I led him to believe Dean was taking me home. And then I left. The memories came slowly back like a loosely fit jigsaw puzzle.
I left the bar in a cab with Dean. I moaned miserably again. Am I at Dean’s? I looked around the room for more clues. First – I was wearing a man’s t-shirt. But it was grey and non-descript and I didn’t know Dean well enough to know what types of shirts he wore.
A knock on the door startled me and I crawled up against the headboard. I curled my legs up in front of me, and hoped that somehow, I could let Dean down easily. A quick glance to the side of the bed told me it was still made. It hadn’t been slept in.
I sunk my head into my knees. Thank goodness.
“Yea?” I asked, when someone knocked again. My throat felt like I had swallowed a bowl full of broken glass and I cringed at the sound of my own voice.
My mouth dropped open when Marcus peeked his head in through the door.
“You awake?”
“I’m in your house? How in the hell did that happen?”
Marcus chuckled and stepped into his room. He was holding a large bottle of a yellow sports drink, a bottle of pills, and my phone.
“Oh god, you’re my hero,” I moaned and rested my head back against the headboard. Marcus handed me the drink and my pills.
“Jack’s been calling every ten minutes for the last hour. He’s kind of a persistent ass, isn’t he?”
Marcus had no idea. I turned my phone off without even looking at the number of missed calls I had.
“What happened to me last night?” I asked after guzzling half of the drink bottle.
His shoulders started shaking as he shook his head and sat down on the bed by my feet. “I called you when you were out because Logan had a nightmare and couldn’t go back to sleep. Dean brought you here and dropped you off, but Logan had already fallen back asleep. You could barely walk so I brought you in here. You don’t remember?” He laughed again and I could only imagine what dumbass things my drunk-self did.
“Do I even want to know?”
“Nothing bad I swear. You were funny.”
“Glad I could amuse you. Thanks for letting me stay.”
“Not a problem. I have eggs and bacon cooking for Logan and me. Feel like you could stomach some food, right now?”
Grease sounded exceptionally good. “Can I use your bathroom to get cleaned up a bit first?”
He nodded and went to the bathroom and came out a few seconds later with a towel and unopened toothbrush. “Not a problem. But can I give you a suggestion?”
“What’s that?”
“Call Jack before he has a heart attack. I turned your phone on last night to call Macy to let her know you were here and you had ten missed calls from him. And another handful of calls and texts this morning.”
I wrinkled my nose and felt myself grow crimson from anger and embarrassment. I didn’t want to call Jack. I barely remembered the phone call from the bar. Although I could figure from his incessant calling afterwards, it probably didn’t end so well.
I nodded and closed the door to the bathroom. Mascara ran halfway down my cheeks, my brown hair was matted and crazy from sleeping on it, and I had lipstick smeared all over my mouth. I looked like a demented clown.
Before Jack could call or text me again, I sent him a quick text message, hoping it would pacify him.
I’m fine. Now leave me alone.
I took the few necessary minutes I needed to wash my face and brush my teeth. I was so dehydrated from the night before, I guzzled water straight from the bathroom tap as if I would never see water again.
Finally, I stopped ignoring the constant buzzing on my cell phone and answered it when Jack called again. I should have known better than think that text would do anything except irritate him further.
“Where are you?” He barked as soon as I answered. Had I been a dog, my teeth would be snarling and the hair on my back would be standing straight up I was so instantly irritated at his tone.
I bit my cheek to keep from snapping back at him.
“What do you want, Jack?” I asked, exhaustion pouring through my voice.
He sighed and I could hear him grinding his teeth through the phone. “You didn’t come home last night and I want to know where you are. That you’re safe.”
I looked around Marcus’ master bathroom and one edge of my lips tilted up. “How did you know I didn’t come home?” I asked as sweetly as possible, even though I knew I was goading him. He was about ready to snap all of his control, and a part of me, liked pissing him off. Served him right.
“Because I’ve been sitting outside your building waiting for you ever since you fucking hung up on me. Now where are you?”
I shook my head, irritation and fury growing within me, but I refused to let him see it. “Stop worrying. I’m fine, and I’ll be home later so you can drop your watch outside my place.”
“Did Dean take you home?”
I pursed my lips. Why would he think that? Oh yes, I had let him believe that before I hung up on him. I knew he wouldn’t be any happier knowing I ended up at Marcus’s so I wisely kept my mouth shut.
“Listen, Jack, I don’t really remember much of what happened last night, but I’m not exactly feeling like telling you everything going on in my life when you think you can throw me over your couch, screw me like I’m some sort of animal, not bother answering one fucking question of mine and then fire me. I don’t owe you anything. And I certainly don’t want to talk to you.”
The sound of a throat clearing made me snap my head to the right. Marcus’s eyes were wide and I instantly paled. Based on the shocked look he wore, I had a feeling he had just heard every single word I threw at Jack.
I rubbed the tips of my fingers across my forehead trying to soothe my pounding headache and hide my embarrassment.
“Breakfast is ready,” he whispered. Before he turned away, I mouthed a silent thank you to him as Jack groaned unhappily into my ear.
“I know I owe you an explanati
on…” he began saying but I cut him off.
“And an apology. A big fat ass, I’m the world’s biggest asshole apology.”
“I know,” he said with a slight chuckle. I wanted it to piss me off, instead it only calmed me down. I couldn’t believe I was even joking around with him about this, but damn it I loved him and I knew something huge happened to piss him off so badly. Not that it made me want to instantly go another round with him, but I still didn’t hate him, either.
“I’ll make it up to you. But I can’t explain what’s going on. I just need you safe.”
I rolled my eyes in the bathroom mirror before walking out to meet Marcus and Logan for breakfast.
I sat down at the kitchen table while Marcus served me up a plate of eggs and bacon. I plastered on the fakest smile I could muster given the circumstances and squeezed Logan’s hand next to me while he shoveled his eggs in his mouth as fast as his little mouth could open.
“Did you have a fun sleepover with daddy?”
Logan smiled and squeezed out mushy eggs through the gap in his two front teeth. Gross. “We built Legos and he said I could stay over again.”
“Anytime you want to, buddy, you got it.”
We finished our breakfast with an awkward silence filling the table. Now that my headache was disappearing, I was starting to recall even more of my night.
I turned to Marcus. “Did you get fish?”
“We don’t fish, mommy!” Logan said but Marcus choked on his eggs. His shoulders shook with laughter and I stared at him, wondering what in the hell I had just said.
Finally, he drank his orange juice and wiped his drool off the sides of his mouth. He shook his head, still laughing. “No, I don’t have fish here.”
“Why am I thinking you do?”
With a laughing smile he just shook his head. “You don’t want to know. Remember anything else from your night?”
It was all kind of fuzzy. Like I was replaying my drunken memories through a hazy tunnel with holes.
“A little bit,” I replied and began clearing my breakfast dishes. “We should probably get going soon.”