Page 21 of Along Comes Trouble

Tessa looks crestfallen. “I didn’t mean …”

“Kidding. I’m kidding. But come on, let’s break stereotypes together. Drink with me .”

Tessa mulls the thought over for a long time. “Okay. Fine. Yeah. Let’s do this.” She sounds less than certain .

“I promise to take care of you,” I say .

“Good. I’ll probably need it .”

We order another round of drinks and just as I think up a good first question for Never Have I Ever, a hush falls over the bar. Up at the front, near the door, Liam and his wife Bailey stand in front of a piano, smiling as silence falls over the crowd like a wave receding from shore .

“Hey there,” says Liam .

“Surprise!” Bailey holds out her hands, looking far from comfortable with so many sets of eyes on hers .

“We won’t take up much of your time. I know you have much better things to do than listen to us.” Liam grins as the crowd laughs. “But Bailey and I have an announcement. First of all, Smitty’s has been kind enough to let us play a song for you.” He pauses as a cheer drowns out the rest of his words. “But,” he says, holding up a finger, “it’s even cooler than that. Bailey and I have spent the last couple years writing songs and recording an album. The song we’re going to play tonight will be the first single we release and you all are officially the first to hear it !”

The crowd loses their collective mind and my friends settle down at the piano to start playing. It’s a head bopping kind of song, but it’s got soul and when they sing, Tessa’s eyes go wide and goosebumps shiver across her skin .

“Never have I ever sung in front of a crowd,” I say .

She turns to me, confused, and then bobs her head and takes a drink. We spend the next hour asking questions and getting answers and two things become clear fast. First, Tessa hasn’t really done much of anything besides get good grades and find a job, and second, she’s not designed for drinking. She skips right past adorably tipsy and barrels straight into ‘too drunk to walk’ without even noticing .

“Hey. Listen,” I say after she nearly slips off the side of her stool. “How about we get you in a cab and into bed .”

Tessa bites her lip and stares at me, her already red cheeks flushing crimson. “Whatever you say, big guy .”

Well, shit. I actually didn’t mean that I was going to join her in bed. This woman is a ticking time bomb and she needs to get home before she starts throwing up. I order a bottle of water—things will go better if we start rehydrating her sooner rather than later—and then call a cab. As soon as the water’s in hand, I lead her through the raucous crowd and out onto the sidewalk while we wait .

The drizzle from earlier has stopped and it’s turned into a clear, cool night. The rain-scented air might do her some good. She staggers for balance even standing still, swaying in place and giggling at herself. I grip her arm to help steady her. I didn’t mean to get her shitfaced. Not at all .

When the cab pulls up, I help her into the backseat and climb in beside her. The least I can do is make sure she gets into her apartment without issue and judging by her quickly deteriorating condition, the only way to be sure that happens is if I’m there to help her through the door. It takes three tries for the driver to understand her address and then, once we’re driving, Tessa leans into me. I wrap an arm around her and she snuggles against me, one hand on my thigh, dangerously close to my crotch .

It’s a short drive to her place, and thank God for that because by the time we pull into the parking lot, Tessa is moaning in a way that can only mean one thing. She’s going to be sick. Like, now. I pay the cabbie and mostly drag her out of the backseat .

“Here. Give me your keys .”

Tessa pushes her purse into my hands and drapes her arms around my neck. “I’m gonna kiss you…” She licks her lips and stumbles as she looks up at me .

“Let’s just focus on getting you inside.” I open her purse and dig around for her keys. If this is a violation of her privacy, we’ll have to deal with it in the morning because we’ve got about five minutes before she blows .

“I’m tired of playing it safe,” Tessa says. When I step into the doorway to unlock her apartment, she staggers against me. I slide her keys into the lock and she wraps her arms around me, slides them down my torso, and right onto my dick. I yelp, but that doesn’t seem to bother her in the least .

“I want to be set free. Will you set me free, Colton ?”

“I swear,” I mutter as I swing open the door and pull out of her grasp, “I deserve some kind of medal for this .”

We half-fall into her apartment and I run my hand along a wall, looking for a light switch. Tessa hiccups as the lights blink on. Color drains from her face and she swallows hard. Her eyes slip closed and she sways on her feet .

“Come on, then.” I take a wild guess at the location of the nearest bathroom and help her up the stairs. When we reach the top of the steps, she lurches out of my arms and falls through a door across the hall, retching and heaving a night’s worth of alcohol into the toilet .

Her wig slips off her head and lands on the floor, allowing a few locks of her strawberry blonde hair to hang in her face. I smooth them back and rub a hand across her shoulders as she throws up. When she’s done, I help her rinse her mouth and wipe the tears off her face, frowning down at her smeared makeup .

“I’m really sorry the night got so out of control,” I say .

Tessa mumbles an unintelligible response and I let out a long breath .

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” I lead her out of the bathroom and into the only other room on the second floor. She collapses onto a queen size bed mostly hidden by throw pillows and I slip her shoes off. She doesn’t stir, but groans miserably when I try to help her under the covers. I wait around for about an hour, my eyes growing heavier and heavier with each passing minute. When the clock ticks past three in the morning and she hasn’t thrown up again, I call a cab and quietly let myself out of her apartment, careful to twist the lock on the doorknob so she’s safe .

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