Page 5 of New Year's Faye

"Shots!" Justice held up the bottle of tequila he’d pulled from God only knew where. "Come on, Faye.” He shook it enticingly. “You've orchestrated the perfect show, the perfect countdown, the perfect everything. Time to let loose!"

"Leave her alone," Sam said, but I could hear the smile in his voice. "You know Faye doesn't do unplanned fun."

I glanced back at him, poking my tongue out "I do too!"

The entire band turned to look at me with identical expressions of disbelief.

"Name one time," Radley challenged with a laugh. “I dare you.”

"I..." My mind raced through five years of touring, searching for a single moment of spontaneity.

"The time she let us order pizza without checking Yelp reviews first?" Felix offered.

"And because of that we all ended up with food poisoning," Justice countered.

Sam's chest rumbled with laughter behind me. "Face it, babe. You're about as spontaneous as a tax return.”

There had to be something in the air, because unlike the other million times Sam had teased me, this time the way 'babe' rolled off his tongue so casually, made my spine tingle even as I grounded my teeth together at his stupid dig.

It shouldn’t hurt that people assumed I wasn’t fun. I was! Just because I had structured, planned times to let loose didn’t make it any less fun.

Tax return. I’ll how him how spontaneous I can be.

"Fine." I straightened, squaring my shoulders. "One shot." I held up a finger. “One.”

Justice's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

"Really." I grabbed the bottle from his hands, determined to prove them all wrong. "But I'm instigating our responsible drinking protocols."

The band groaned in unison.

"Faye..." Justice pouted. “Really?”

“It's practical. Item one: establish a designated driver?—"

"Already handled," Radley cut in. "Car service is booked until noon tomorrow."

"Item two: ensure proper hydration?—"

"Got water bottles in the car and the hotel rooms," Felix said.

"Item three: maintain professional boundaries?—"

Radley squeezed my shoulders and leaned in, licking my cheek. "Like this?”

“Radley!”

She laughed, dancing away.

I looked at the shot glass Justice held out, tempted to take it but also strangely terrified.

Well, not so strangely if I allowed myself to remember why I instigated a no drinking policy in the first place.

Alex.

The remnant shadow and humiliation and shame burned the back of my throat as I stared at the glass.

My ex-boyfriend had taken me out drinking the night before a big presentation. We’d worked at the same firm, keeping our relationship secret. I’d thought it romantic and dangerous—never realising that the only reason he’d wanted in my pants was to steal my ideas.

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