Sidequest for Love

by L.H. Cosway

  “I don’t think you should go,” I blurted.

  We were sitting in our seats by the wall again while most of the other party-goers danced in the middle of the roof terrace to some catchy pop song.

  Neil tilted his head to me, a shine of inebriation in his gorgeous brown eyes. Had they always been gorgeous or was I just now noticing them? His normally perfect hair was a little mussed, his glasses a little askew, and my fingers itched to reach out and fix them for him.

  “You don’t think I should go where?”

  “To meet Annabelle tomorrow. I’m worried.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Is that why you’re getting shitfaced?”

  “I don’t know. Probably.”

  “Why don’t you just cancel?”

  “I can’t. I have to do this. I have to come clean.”

  “No, you don’t,” I said emphatically before lowering my voice to a whisper. “Catfishing is a lot more common than you’d think. And the vast majority of people who do it never have some big moment of confession, and certainly not face to face.”

  “The lie is weighing on me. I have to get it out,” he said, his words slightly slurred as he brought his gaze to mine. “You’ll still come with me, won’t you?”

  I blew out a breath. “Of course, I’ll still come. I’ll even take out my hoops for you if it comes to it.”

  His brow furrowed. “Take out your—”

  I motioned to my earrings. “I’ll take these out and fight her if she’s cruel to you. I mean it. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the day in a busy café. If she doesn’t realise what a gem you are, then I’m liable to lose it,” I said, rambling tipsily.

  At this, Neil smiled. Then he surprised me when he tiredly rested his head on my shoulder. “I think that might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever promised to do for me.”

  “Well, I’m bordering on drunk, so don’t get used to it,” I replied with a chuckle, enjoying his warmth on my shoulder. The next time I glanced down, I found him fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady. “Poor boy, you’re exhausted,” I whispered as I finally gave in to the urge to fix his glasses.

  He wasn’t lying when he said alcohol made him sleepy because, judging from his breathing, he was completely conked out.

  I was busy admiring his face while he slept when someone cleared their throat, and I looked up to find Michaela standing over us with James at her side. “Is he asleep?” she whispered.

  I nodded. “He’s still jet-lagged, and I think he drank a little too much.”

  “We should call a taxi to take him home,” Michaela said. “I can’t leave, though. I have to hand the keys over to the clean-up crew once the party is over.”

  “I can bring him,” I offered impulsively. “I haven’t had too much to drink.”

  Michaela eyed me a moment, then glanced at James, who shrugged at her in return. She looked back at me. “Okay, let me write down his address.”

  And that was how I found myself in the back of a taxi with Neil dozing against me. James and Callum had assisted me in getting him down and into the cab, both of them thoroughly amused since neither had witnessed their prim and proper assistant get blackout drunk before.

  “Are we almost there?” I asked the driver about fifteen minutes into the journey.

  “Almost. You might want to try waking your friend up. No offence, but a little thing like you isn’t going to be able to carry him.”

  The driver was right. I definitely couldn’t carry Neil, especially not since his flat was several storeys up. Michaela said it was on the fourth floor. I nudged his arm, and he groaned in response, but he didn’t open his eyes.

  “Neil,” I said softly, “you have to wake up.”

  He groaned a second time, but instead of moving his head off my shoulder, he snuggled closer, effectively resting his head on my boobs. I glanced down at him, and my breathing stuttered. He looked so boyish and handsome, and I didn’t dislike him resting on me. In fact, I liked it more than I should have.

  I stroked his hair away from his face and shook him again. Finally, his eyes opened as he blearily took in his surroundings. “Afric, where are—”

  “We’re in a taxi. We’re almost at your place, but you need to wake up because I can’t carry you up four flights of stairs.”

  “Oh,” he said, still drunk but not entirely unaware of where his head was resting. A faint redness touched his cheeks as he withdrew. The taxi came to a stop, and I paid the driver before ushering Neil out. I slung his arm around my shoulders as I made my way towards the entrance to his building.

  “Do you have a key fob to get in?” I asked.

  “In my pocket,” he said, fumbling for it to no avail. I batted his hand away before sliding my own into his back pocket and pulling out the fob as well as the key to his flat. We entered the building, and thankfully, there was a lift. Neil lived in a nice place, much nicer than where I lived. I led him inside the lift, and his head sagged to the side as I pressed the button for his floor.

  “I’m sorry. I drank too much,” he slurred.

  “It’s okay. We all drink too much from time to time.”

  “You shouldn’t have to bring me home like this,” he went on. “It’s embarrassing.”

  “No, it isn’t. I can’t count the number of times I’ve gotten shitfaced and Michaela or Sarita have had to escort me home. It’s what friends do for each other.”

  “Right, friends,” he said, and there was an odd note in his voice, but I put it down to his lack of sobriety. The lift opened, and we stepped out, Neil’s arm still around my shoulders. I found his door and slid in the key before pushing it open.

  We entered a moderately sized combined kitchen and living area. It was just as neat and tidy as I expected it to be, with a large bookshelf next to a comfortable-looking grey sofa, a coffee table, and a flat screen TV on the wall. For a second, I imagined us having our movie nights all curled up together on that sofa, and a swell of want bloomed within me. I wanted to watch movies here with Neil. I wanted to laze on his sofa reading novels from his bookshelf while he whipped something up for us in the kitchen.

  Man, I really did have it bad. Pretty sure I’d never drunkenly lusted after cosy domestic bliss before.

  Neil finally let go of me before leaning back against the wall as he kicked off his shoes.

  “Thanks for getting me home,” he said. “How are you … going … to get …”

  “Home?” I finished, and he nodded. “I’ll order a taxi.”

  Neil frowned and glanced over at the sofa I’d just been ogling. “You can sleep over there if you want. I have some extra pillows and blankets … somewhere.”

  His offer sent a flutter through me. I was on the verge of accepting when my phone buzzed in my bag. I pulled it out and quickly read the text before bringing my attention back to Neil.

  “That was Sarita. She and Mabel are in a taxi now. They’re going to stop off here and pick me up. This building is more or less on their way, so—”

  Before I could finish the sentence, Neil closed the distance between us. I stood frozen as he lowered his face to my neck, his nose nuzzling at the sensitive hollow below my ear as he breathed, “I wish you could stay.”

  For a second, I swear my heart stopped beating. “I wish I could, too, but I’m drunk, and you’re even drunker. It’s a bad idea.”

  His nose moved, drawing a line from my neck up to my jaw. “I love how soft you are,” he said, and a shiver trickled down my spine. “I love you in this dress.” His hand came to rest on my ribs, just below the swell of my breast. The heat of it seared into me, warming me up from the outside in.

  “Neil,” I said his name, a weak protest.

  “I want to kiss you. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  “You know I don’t do kissing.” My heart hammered a mile a minute as my subconscious added, but for you, I might. The realisation was startling. I honestly hadn’t wanted to kiss anyone since I was fourteen years old.r />
  “Do you have any idea how much that kills me?” he asked, his breathing heavy against me as he finally withdrew. I couldn’t believe he just said that. Had he been thinking about kissing me? Did my preference bother him so much because he’d been wanting to kiss me as badly as he seemed to want to right now?

  He lifted his head, his eyes so bright and intense I would’ve fallen over if he didn’t have me backed up against the wall. “I know I’m going to … regret saying all this in the morning.”

  “Don’t. It’s nice to be wanted.”

  Now his eyes practically blazed. “Want is too tame a word.”

  I stared at him, just stared and stared until the annoying vibration of my phone interrupted the moment. Sarita and Mabel were obviously outside in the taxi, and I wasn’t enough of an arsehole to leave them with the meter running just to prolong this epic moment of honesty between Neil and me.

  “That’s probably Sarita,” I said. “I should go.”

  He didn’t move away, instead pressing even closer. “I can’t understand why I want you so much,” he murmured, and I became aware of a stiff length against my thigh.

  I swallowed tightly. “One of life’s strange mysteries.”

  Neil blew out a long breath. “I should let you go.”

  “Yes, you should.”

  “But I don’t want to.”

  “Me neither.”

  Now his eyes met mine again, and they were practically undressing me. “Text Sarita and tell her you’re staying here.”

  I lifted a hand and stroked his cheek. “If you weren’t drunk right now, I would.” I’d do it in a heartbeat.

  “I’m not that drunk.”

  “I practically had to lift you out of the taxi, Neil.”

  He huffed an amused breath. “Fine. I’m drunk. But that doesn’t mean—”

  “It means you’re not thinking straight. I’m not thinking straight either. Now go and drink some water before you go to bed. You don’t want to have a hangover in the morning.”

  “Okay,” he said, looking at me like I was torturing him by leaving. I moved away and toward the door.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I left.

  “See you tomorrow, Afric,” he reluctantly replied.

  13.

  Neil

  I woke up with the mother and father of a hangover. The tail end of last night was a little blurry, though I did recall flashes of Afric coming back here with me in a taxi. Freaking out, I sat up in bed, trying to recall what happened, what I’d said to her. There was a half-finished glass of water on my nightstand. I picked it up and downed it in one long gulp, just as the memories resurfaced.

  Oh, God.

  I’d told her I wanted her.

  I’d rested my head on her perfect breasts, nuzzled her neck, backed her up against the wall, and inhaled her scent. But … wait, had she said something about wanting me, too? The memory was too hazy to recall her exact words, but she certainly hadn’t been disgusted by my advances.

  I was so full of regret and sick with a hangover that all I wanted to do was stay in bed all day and feel sorry for myself. I couldn’t do that, though, because I’d stupidly arranged to meet Annabelle. Not only that, I’d asked Afric to accompany me. So, now I had to meet Annabelle face to face with a hangover, and I also had to do it while being mortifyingly embarrassed for practically groping my newest friend last night.

  Maybe deep down, I was a truly despicable person.

  I sat there, wallowing for a long few minutes before I finally dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. I scrubbed my entire body clean while trying to figure out how to act in front of Afric when I saw her. Perhaps I should feign amnesia? People got too drunk to remember things all the time, right? At least that way, we wouldn’t have to discuss it.

  I want to kiss you. I can’t stop thinking about it.

  I winced. I couldn’t believe I’d told her that. What on earth had possessed me? I was normally so good at keeping my feelings and impulses to myself, but a few beers and a bit of jet lag and I was spilling my guts to one of the few people I truly enjoyed spending time with.

  I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t show up today. I’d probably scarred her for life with my drunken advances.

  It was almost time for me to head out to the café when my phone buzzed with a text.

  Afric: Hey! How’s your head? I’m outside your building, and I brought coffee. Thought you could do with some caffeine before you face Annabelle.

  Just like that, relief hit. I hadn’t scarred her for life. At the very least, I hadn’t scared her away completely. Now I just needed to worry about what she remembered me saying to her.

  Neil: My head is pounding. It’s my own fault, really. Stay where you are. I’m on my way down.

  I grabbed my keys and wallet, then made my way to the lift. One of my neighbours, an elderly woman with curly, plum-dyed hair, was bringing her Pomeranian for a walk. The little dog emitted a tiny growl when I passed, and I made sure to give it a wide berth.

  “Sorry about him,” the woman said. “He’s terrified of everything, so he growls.”

  “No worries,” I said, thinking the little dog probably had the right idea. Maybe if I growled at everything that scared me, the world would give me a wide berth, too, and I wouldn’t have to face days like this.

  The doors to the lift opened when we reached the ground floor, and I motioned for the woman to leave first.

  “Such a polite young man,” she chirped approvingly as she exited the lift.

  As soon as I emerged, I spotted Afric standing outside, two takeaway coffee cups in hand. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She still wore the hoop earrings from last night, the ones I distinctly remembered her saying she’d take out to fight Annabelle for me. A faint smile touched my lips at the memory.

  She wore an oversized black hoodie that appeared to have epaulets on the shoulders boasting studs, spikes, and diamante. On her legs were forest green leggings. Her clothing choices were always unusual, though I’d come to appreciate them. I’d noticed she spent quite a bit of money on clothes when I’d gone through her accounts. Far too much, actually. So, these strange outfits had to be designer, given how much they cost. Maybe my taste was so basic that I couldn’t spot style when I was looking at it.

  The woman and her little dog passed by Afric, the dog growling at her, too. She grinned down at it. “Tell me about it, buddy. Feckin’ ridiculous if you ask me.”

  My neighbour gave a chuckle before continuing on her way.

  “Morning,” I said, “I didn’t realise you could converse with animals.” She turned around with a tired smile. I was glad I wasn’t the only one feeling worse for wear.

  “Just one of my many talents,” she replied and held out a coffee. I took a long sip, eyeing her because she appeared to be acting like everything was normal. She hadn’t brought up last night, but some impulse had me needing to clear the air. “Afric, if I said anything to offend you last night, I’m deeply sorry. I was drunk and jet-lagged, and that’s no excuse, but I’d still like to apologise.”

  She gave a small, fond chuckle. “Would you ever stop? We’re friends, Neil. You don’t need to apologise for getting drunk and letting loose. In fact, I highly approve of it. Everyone needs to let their hair down once in a while.”

  I scratched the spot behind my ear. “Still, I shouldn’t have been so—”

  “Horny?” she cut in. “It happens to the best of us, especially when alcohol is involved. You were horny and drunk, and I was the only one there to receive said horny drunkenness. I get it. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten some action myself. Anyway, can you please wipe that guilty look off your face? We’re good. I actually think I like you more now. You’re an adorable, horny drunk, and in my book, that’s far better than an angry drunk or a mean one.”

  “I still feel bad about it,” I said while pondering her statement.

  It’s been a while since I’ve gotten some
action myself.

  The urge to rectify that situation hit me like a sledgehammer.

  “Well, don’t,” she insisted. “There’s nothing to feel bad about. Now, how are your nerves for today? You sure you don’t want to cancel on Annabelle? I won’t judge you for it if you do.”

  I inhaled a deep breath. “No, I want to get this over and done with. If worse comes to worst and I lose my job, I can always go on the dole and move back in with Rosie and Grandma until I figure things out.”

  “You’re not going on the dole, and you won’t lose your job. I met most of the people you work for last night, and Neil, you probably don’t realise this, but they all completely adore you. I suspect that even if they found out about Annabelle, they’d still forgive you for it.”

  “I don’t deserve their forgiveness.”

  She shook her head at me. “It goes to show just how good you are that you think this is the worst thing a person could possibly do on the internet. I’ve basically lived online since I was a teenager, and I’ve seen some seriously foul shit. Your little catfishing episode is barely the tip of the iceberg.”

  What she said made me feel a tiny bit better, but not by much. We rode the Tube together, and Afric was kind enough to distract me by talking endlessly about the mission she and her gaming friends, Yellowshoes and TheBigSix, were currently undertaking in her favourite game, Greenforest. Most of the details went right over my head since I’d never been into computer games, but the way her eyes lit up with passion as she spoke was what held my attention.

  There was magic to this woman. The more I got to know her, the more evident it became. She lived in her own world, made up her own rules, and I was almost envious of her. I’d always lived in other people’s worlds. I facilitated their lives, made sure everything was planned for and running smoothly. Perhaps the possibility of Annabelle outing me to Callum was a good thing. Maybe it meant I’d finally quit being someone’s assistant and start chasing my own dreams for a change.

  But what were my dreams?

  The idea of branching off and starting my own event planning business was certainly appealing. I’d even done research and sketched out a business plan, but that didn’t mean I’d ever go through with it. It was just so much easier to stay put, keep working as an assistant and let my life go on as normal. Sometimes, I felt like I was drowning in the status quo and I’d never find the courage to try and build something of my own. I was paying my bills. I was putting money away in savings, but was I actually living? Was I fulfilling my potential? Did I want to? Did I have it in me to be my own boss and possibly other people’s boss?