Chapter 7 #2
“While you ladies do that, I’m gonna hit the restroom,” Randall says. “Don’t go dancing with any other guys while I’m gone.” He smacks Serena on the ass as he passes. “Or you’ll be in trouble.”
Even though he said it playfully, the flicker of unease on Serena’s face says she knows he’s not playing around.
“Order me a strawberry margarita, yeah?” he says over his shoulder as he saunters off.
Once Randall’s out of earshot, she turns to us.
“I’m so sorry!” she groans, burying her face in her hands.
“When I told him I was going out tonight, he insisted on coming. He told me he was worried about me going out without him since I can’t handle my liquor.
Truthfully… I don’t think he trusts me.”
She waves down the bartender to get his attention. “Hi, can I get a strawberry margarita? And—uh—are you girls okay with lemon drops?”
Mazi and I both nod.
“And three lemon drop shots, please,” she adds, sliding her card across the bar.
“I don’t understand why he doesn’t trust you,” Mazi says, shaking her head. “You go to work and then come straight home to study!”
“Exactly! I barely have time to do anything!”
“That man is way too controlling,” I say. “I would feel suffocated if I was with someone who wanted to do everything together.”
“What do you even see in him?” Mazi asks, her brows furrowed. “You’re gorgeous, and he’s, well…”
“A walking red flag,” I cut in, finishing her thought.
Serena doesn’t disagree with us or try to come to Randall’s defense.
The bartender slides our shots across the bar, and we raise our glasses in unison. After a quick clink, we down them in one smooth motion.
“When I started nursing school, he became unbearably clingy,” Serena says, setting her shot glass down. “I thought things would get better, but lately I—”
She spots Randall nearing us and quickly drops the conversation.
It’s impossible to enjoy ourselves with Randall in our presence. Every time we start talking, he butts in and makes it about himself.
“Mazikeen! Annalise! Ah, it’s so good to see you two lovely ladies!” Mazi and I turn toward the voice. Standing before us is a lanky man with red hair and freckles across his cheeks.
“Oh, hey,” I reply, giving him a wave.
“Girl, who is that?” I whisper to Mazi.
“Hell if I know,” she replies. “He is pretty cute, though.”
“Do you remember me? I’m Austin Roberts,” he says, flashing me a toothy grin. “We went to high school together.”
“Oh, that’s right! We, uh, had biology class together.” I pull something out of my ass, hoping he doesn’t notice that I’m completely blanking on who he is.
“Ah, so you do remember!” His smile widens.
“I had the biggest crush on you in high school.” He steps closer to me, and I nearly pass out after I catch a whiff of his rancid breath. This man clearly hasn’t picked up a toothbrush since we graduated high school.
I glance at Mazi, wanting to signal for her to save me, but she’s deep in conversation with a beautiful woman next to us.
He leans in and I hold my breath, trying to control my face.
“So… are you seeing anyone right now?”
“No, I’m riding solo,” I reply, forcing a smile.
Austin is pretty cute, and I might’ve gone for it if it wasn’t for his poor dental hygiene.
Sifting through my purse, I reach in and retrieve my pack of gum. “Do you want some?” I ask, holding it up.
Please say yes.
“Nah, I’m good,” he says.
Fuck me.
Mazi taps me on the shoulder. “Hey, do you mind if I go dancing?”
The woman she’s been chatting with rests a hand on Mazi’s hip, staring at her with pure lust.
I want to scream Please don’t leave me, but I don’t want to clamjam her.
“No, you go ahead! I’ll join you in a bit.”
Mazi gives me a quick smile, takes the woman’s hand, and disappears into the crowd.
I scan the bar, looking for Serena, but she’s nowhere to be found. Maybe she and Randall got into an argument.
Austin stares down at his phone, letting out a long sigh. “Ah, damn, my buddy just canceled on me.” He slings his arm around my shoulder, and my body stiffens at his touch. “So you get the pleasure of keeping me company for the rest of the night.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Well, aren’t I lucky?”
I wave at the bartender to order another drink. This is going to be a long night…
I lost count of how many drinks I had last night and can’t even recall how I made it home. I haven’t been this wasted since my freshmen year of college. I pray I didn’t do anything stupid last night.
I should get up and make something to cure my hangover, but I don’t want to leave the comfort of my bed.
Wait. This bed is too comfortable to be mine.
Slowly, I open my eyes.
I take in my surroundings and freak out when I realize I’m not in my apartment.
Fuck. Did I go home with Austin Stinky-Breath Roberts?
The bedroom I’m in is larger than my entire apartment and looks like it was pulled straight from a design magazine.
Dark hardwood floors stretch across the space, and floor-to-ceiling windows flood the room with light.
The stunning art pieces displayed above the modern king-sized platform bed bring the room to life.
This man may have bad breath, but he sure is rich—and he has an eye for interior design.
Scrambling out of bed, I get up to look for my belongings, and I’m instantly hit with a wave of nausea.
I scan the room, and spot a sliding barn door on the left and sprint to it, hoping it’s the bathroom.
I stumble to the toilet and everything I consumed last night comes up, burning my throat.
The shower shuts off and footsteps echo, drawing closer while I continue to heave.
“Rough night?”
I glance up to find Maddox standing there, completely naked, with a smirk on his face.
I did indeed do something stupid, after all.