Chapter Four Euan
Everything hurts and I deeply regret touching even a drop of alcohol last night.
It’s been so long since I really indulged that I forgot I'm not twenty-one anymore.
Anything stronger than a few beers causes a day-long hangover.
Not that I have anywhere to go today. I can mope in bed and nurse my pounding head and broken heart for an entire fucking week if I want.
Except I’m not alone.
The first thing I notice is the weight on my arm when I try to lift it. The next thing is the pins and needles stabbing my nerves when I try to move. I freeze and clench my jaw against the new, different pain added to my growing list.
Breathing in through my nose, I focus on everything else I feel. A warm cheek pressed against my chest. Not skin to skin, so I’m not completely naked. Underneath the fluffy comforter I also feel the slight discomfort of stiff jeans. I’ve never been so happy to have fallen asleep in my clothes.
Yes, I thought about fucking a random stranger last night, but that was before we really started drinking.
And maybe quite a while after, when all those shots drowned out my normal reservations.
Imbibing a little liquid courage before a one-night stand is fine, but getting dead drunk was a step too far for both of us.
My partner also seems to be dressed. Now that my arm is waking up again, I can feel the thin cotton of his button-down shirt, and the tips of my fingers brush against a leather belt. Good, we’re both decent enough to have a calm conversation once he wakes up.
I have no idea how long that will take because he seems absolutely dead to the world.
Even when I shift my arm, he doesn’t so much as twitch.
His warm breath ghosts against my face and chest, confirming he’s at least alive.
And that we had far, far too many drinks last night, because he still smells vaguely of alcohol and sugary syrup.
I peel one eye open to confirm the man snuggled against me is who I think it is. All I see is messy blond curls, but that’s enough. I relax back into the bed, my eyes drifting shut as my hold tightens on Alex.
I should let him go. Wake him up. Put some distance between us.
Have a proper conversation to see how much he remembers about last night, since my own memory is foggy at best. I remember his big blue eyes gazing up at me.
His perfect pink lips shaping the words ‘will you marry me.’ A kiss soaked in peach liqueur.
The images that follow don’t quite make sense. Someone telling us “You make such a cute couple!” The giggling, high energy of a crowd. Fumbling for my ID. Grinning as I pulled Alex close to me, though he’d already practically climbed into my lap.
But I don’t know the order of those events, or if they’re even real. The memories get hazier as I try to focus on them in the same way a dream fades after waking. Maybe they were a dream. Or maybe I’m dreaming now.
The persistent throb of the hangover quickly disproves that theory. Then Alex shifts on top of me, accidentally digging his knee into my bladder.
I grunt and instinctively pull away from him. This time, the movement is enough to jostle him awake.
His red-gold eyelashes flutter as he blinks them open, those big blue eyes unfocused. He rubs his face with the back of his hand and when he looks at me again, it’s with a little more recognition. “Euan?”
It comes out a little too much like ‘Yoon’, but his sleepy voice is too adorable, so I instantly forgive him. “Good morning.” My throat is so parched that the two simple words come out as a raspy drawl. “I have to go to the bathroom. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
He nods and rolls away so I can get out from under him. He tucks one hand under the pillow and the other under his cheek and seems to fall back asleep within seconds.
When I return from the bathroom, I expect him to be sleeping, but he’s sitting upright on the bed. He still looks a bit dazed, like he’d rather burrow under the covers like a little forest animal hibernating for the winter, but he’s forcing himself to act human.
“So,” he begins, then licks his lips.
I grab a water bottle from the mini fridge and bring it back to him.
He uncaps it and takes several slow, careful sips, then sets it on the nightstand. “So, last night, we um …”
“I don’t think it went further than a kiss.”
His shoulders slump in relief until he fully registers my words, then they tense up close to his ears. “You don’t remember either.”
“I remember a little bit after the kiss,” I hedge, the scenes too foggy for me to explain. “But I don’t remember coming back to the room.”
“Shit,” he mutters, dropping his head into both hands. “Fuck!”
I remain silent, allowing him to vent his frustration.
After a few more curses, he finally lifts his head and explains, “Sorry, I just … I’ve never done this before.”
“Gone to a hotel room with a guy?” I ask, genuinely curious.
The only partner he talked about last night was his ex-girlfriend, so I don’t know where he lands on the spectrum.
I know he’s attracted to me. The clearest memories from last night are of his eyes caressing me and his hand squeezing my arm.
I just don’t know if he knows he’s attracted to me, or if that’ll come as an unpleasant surprise.
Alex smiles, and while it’s more self-deprecating than happy, it’s better than disgust or denial. “Technically, that’s true, but only because we met in one of our dorm rooms. I meant I’ve never had a one-night stand before.”
“You still haven’t,” I reply, then add, “technically.”
His smile widens slightly and my heart swells with triumph. He really does have the sweetest smile.
You thought the same thing about Nick. And Tyler. And all the other boys. I push the thoughts away. Obviously, I need to deal with the breakup at some point, but right now the man in front of me is more important.
He runs a hand over his curls, flattening some of them and sticking up others. “Is this the part where I awkwardly get dressed and do the walk of shame while pretending nothing ever happened?”
My heart that was soaring moments ago now crashes back down to reality.
Of course that’s what he wants. That’s what both of us set out for when we first shared a drink—a night exchanging sob stories with a stranger before we separate to lick our wounds and heal on our own.
I’m only in the city for a week, and his relationship sounds more serious than mine.
He probably has to figure out how to disentangle himself from the woman he spent over a year of his life with.
But we had a connection last night, one I’m not ready to sever.
I like you. You matter to me. It’s a gamble to take his words as anything more than drunken rambling, but it’s a fairly low stakes bet. “Or we can exchange numbers. Maybe get some breakfast before you go home.”
His pretty pink lips form a surprised ‘o’, like he didn't know that was an option. I wait for him to give me some false platitudes, to tell me he’s not interested in pursuing anything further.
Instead, he says, “I’d like that.” Then his face twitches and he lays a hand on his stomach.
“The phone number, at least. Breakfast is a little questionable right now.”
I grin and search the room for my phone. It doesn’t take long to find it—even drunk I got it on the charger. I open it up, ready to ask for his number, when an email notification catches my eye.
Virtual Vows
Thanks For Your Payment
“Euan?”
“One second.” I click on the email and scroll through it. Cold shock splashes through me as I view the receipt.
Your Receipt # 5496
Thanks for your payment to Virtual Vows the online service for all your marriage needs!
Payment Summary
Service: Fast-Track Marriage Ceremony
Participant Names: Alexander Marklin and Euan Blair
Ceremony Fee: $499.00
Government Processing Fee: $80.00
Shipping Fee: $18.95
Total: $597.95
Credit Card Ending in: 5683
Confirmation Number # 201387
Your Marriage Certificate Will Arrive in 5-7 Business Days. We wish you and your new spouse a long, happy marriage!
“Euan?” This time, Alex sounds concerned. And closer.
I turn to see him sitting on the near side of the bed, eyes flicking back and forth between my face and my phone.
“Is everything alright?”
I clear my throat of a roughness that has nothing to do with the hangover. “Do you remember getting married last night?”