3. You Look A Bit Pale
YOU LOOK A BIT PALE
TARA
Sunlight pours through the window of my hotel room. Opening my eyes, slowly, I blink, trying to clear my blurred vision, before clamping a hand over them when unbearable pain stabs my brain.
Groaning, I roll over, and gasp when I see a shirtless man lying beside me.
Oh my god… What happened last night?
Aiden’s chest rises and falls steadily while he continues to sleep. Lifting the sheet that covers me very slowly, I see that I’m wearing what I assume is his shirt. And only that shirt.
Shit… Where are my undies?
The soft cotton brushes across my braless chest when I sit up, trying to keep my movements slow to stop the stabbing pain behind my eyes from growing any worse. Keeping my eyes on Aiden, I slide out of bed and tiptoe into the bathroom of what I now realise must be his hotel room.
Fighting back the wave of nausea that hits me while I go to the bathroom, I wash my hands and take in my reflection. My face is smeared with make-up, although my false lashes seem to be staying put, which is impressive.
I have no memory of anything after about the sixth cocktail, and my state of undress has me very concerned that I did something last night that my sober self will regret.
Opening the door, I silently gather my things, keeping my eyes on the gorgeous man sleeping soundly on the bed, trying not to be distracted by the very impressive abs on display.
The sheet covers him from his hips down, and it’s hard not to stare at the V that taunts me, begging me to look a little lower.
Something I adamantly refuse to do, even though it takes every ounce of my self control.
Stepping back into the bathroom, I pull my bridesmaids dress back on as quickly as I can, struggling for a moment to get the zip back up on my own.
Checking to make sure I have my phone and room key in my little handbag, I ease my way back into the bedroom to find Aiden still fast asleep.
While I envy his ability to sleep so soundly, right now I’m incredibly grateful, as it gives me a chance to make a fast getaway without any awkward conversation.
Out in the empty hallway, I’m unsure what floor I’m on, so I’m grateful that the layout seems to be the same as the one my room is on as I make a beeline for the elevators.
My racing heart doesn’t slow until the elevator doors close, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Just wish I’d made it back to my own room instead of apparently sleeping with a random stranger.
Checking my phone for the first time, I see that I’ve got an hour before we’re all scheduled to meet for brunch. Plenty of time to throw up and then get ready, with no one having to know what I’ve been up to.
I can’t believe I’ve finally slept with someone after four years of forced celibacy and I don’t even fricking remember if it was any good or not .
“Where’d you end up last night?” Morgan asks when I take a seat next to her at brunch.
Jake and Bri had arranged for us all to stay in the hotel where the wedding had been, wanting everyone together so that we could make an entire weekend out of the celebrations.
At the time, I’d thought it was a waste of money, given how close I live, but now that I’m feeling so crap, I’m glad they’d splashed a little cash, so that I didn’t have to go far to meet everyone.
I’d not had the energy to do much with my appearance, so my hair is piled on top of my head in a messy bun, and I haven’t got a stitch of make up on.
Turns out, I needed more time to throw up than I’d thought.
I’m just grateful we hadn’t decided to have breakfast at the hotel, or I’d be looking over my shoulder for Aiden.
Not that he’d recognise me, as I definitely no longer look as good as last night.
“Just had a few drinks in the bar and then went up to bed.”
Not a lie. We just won’t discuss whose bed.
Chris eyes me from across the table. “You okay? You look a bit pale.”
“Just had a bit more to drink than usual. I’ll be okay after I have a cup of tea and some toast.”
I hope.
Aside from a night in Amsterdam when I tried my first - and only - edible, I’ve never had a hangover before. If this is what they all feel like, I have no idea why anyone would do this more than once.
“Tara met a guy last night,” Kylie says with a grin, and I kick her under the table. “Ow. What?”
I glare at her. “We were just talking.”
“I know. I didn’t say you did anything with him.” She bends slightly to rub her leg while raising any eyebrow.
Seth clears his throat beside her, and she shoots him a look before glancing back at me. She narrows her eyes, but doesn’t say anything further .
I’m almost grateful when Will takes a seat on the other side of me. Almost.
Great, as if this could get any more awkward.
Finally, the newlyweds join us, and a server appears to take our orders.
“What do we say? Mimosas for the table?” Morgan says, looking around while the others nod, and I have to fight the urge to vomit at the mere thought of any more alcohol right now.
It’s clear that I’m the only one who drank way too much last night.
Thankfully, Kylie also says no, as she doesn’t drink, so I’m not the only one not touching alcohol this morning.
I order a camomile tea and Vegemite on toast, something that raises a few eyebrows. Out for brunch and I order the most boring thing on the menu, but I don’t care. Vegemite on toast has always been my go to when I feel sick.
“So, you guys are here for a few more days?” Chris asks Seth and Kylie.
“Yeah, just til Wednesday. We’re crashing at the apartment, then heading up north for a few weeks. We’ll be back before we head back to Calgary, though.”
“The apartment” is how everyone refers to the one that Jake won a few years ago, a gorgeous penthouse in Kangaroo Point, and where I currently live.
It’s basically a half-way house for everyone in the group who lives out of town, but I get the main bedroom and ensuite, so it doesn’t worry me all that much.
It’s nice to have company occasionally. Jake and Bri used to come once a month or so, but lately it’s been more like the occasional weekend stay every two or three months.
And Kylie only comes home once, maybe twice, a year, so I live alone most of the time.
In a fancy four-bedroom apartment. It gets lonely sometimes, but it’s worked out well.
I pay next to nothing in rent, which has helped me to save for my own place.
I’m not sure when that will be, but it’s nice to have the option there for one day soon .
“You’re back at work tomorrow, right T?” Kylie asks, and I realise I’ve blanked out on the conversation the others were having.
“Um, no, Tuesday. I figured I’d probably need tomorrow to sleep in.”
“How are things at work, anyway?” Chris asks.
We used to work together, but he left a year ago to go to a bigger insurance brokerage.
“John just retired. I know the clients better than anyone, so I’ve been hoping to take on the role myself. I’m ready to move out of personal lines.”
Chris nods. “They’d be stupid not to hand the portfolio to you.”
The server arrives with our drinks, and I take a sip of my tea. “That’s my thoughts as well, but it’s David’s call, so who knows?”
Chris winces. “Yeah, that will be interesting. Still no female brokers?”
“Nope.” I shake my head, before realising that’s a stupid idea with the mother of all hangovers.
My boss isn’t exactly known for his strong sense of equality in the workplace.
He’s old school, been in the industry since his father brought him in right out of high school forty years ago.
All the brokers in the office are men, while most of the assistant brokers and support staff are women.
It is something that has pissed off quite a lot of us over the years, but I’m determined to break that ridiculous stereotype.
The rest of brunch is uneventful, and I’m so ready to go home and try to recover from everything that happened last night. But home won’t be a sanctuary today. Not with two of the happy couples staying there.
As we’re all finishing up, my phone buzzes on the table between myself and Will.
Looking down, I spy my sister’s name on the screen, showing an incoming message.
I glance at Will and swallow hard when I see his eyes trained on the screen.
I slide the phone off the table and grip it in my hand.
As much as I resent him for how he treated me when she left, I don’t want to cause him any pain.
And Annelisa… Well, just the mere mention of her name causes Will pain.
I tilt the phone away so that Will can’t see the screen, even though he’s making an obvious effort to look anywhere else but at me.
Annelisa
Hey. You good for our chat tonight?
Tara
Can’t. It’s a full house at the apartment. The wedding was last night, remember?
Annelisa
Right. I forgot. Guess it’ll be next week then.
Annelisa and I have a standing monthly chat on the last Sunday night of each month.
Well, Sunday night for me, but it’s early morning for her in London.
On the nights when I have people staying at the apartment though…
Well, I guess that’s the consequences of her actions, when she abandoned everyone for what is still an unknown reason.