Mr. Kincaid: I don’t know if you’re back at your friend’s apartment yet, but I just want to make sure you’re okay.

“Shut the fuck up! He’s waiting up for you?” Jacqueline squeals as she reads over my shoulder.

“He’s probably just working,”I say but my heart flutters at the thought that he might be waiting to make sure I get back to Jacqueline’s safely.

“Tell him to come get us!”

“What? Jacqueline, no.”

“Why!? I want to meet him.” She giggles. “And it’s so annoying to get an Uber to whip us by Taco Bell.”

Remembering that he said he wanted to meet her or any of my friends, I roll my eyes. “Let’s just get pizza before we get in the Uber.”

“Or have Daddy pick us up!”

“I’m not making him drive thirty-five minutes at two in the morning to pick us up just so you can get late-night food.”

“I am suuuure he won’t mind and I’m even more sure you can find a way to thank him for his service.” She nods at my phone. “What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know! And I’m drunk but don’t want to sound drunk and you’re drunk so neither of us is reliable right now!”

“Just say we’re leaving the bar soon.”

I’m trying to type what she said but I’ve already forgotten what exactly that was. “Wait, what do I say?”

“God, Ellie this is not hard. Okay, listen. Say, ‘hey comma. We are heading back soon.’ Feel free to use an exclamation point. That’s a personal preference,” she explains like she’s teaching a class on drunk texting. “Then add, when can I suck your dick?”she says as we move up in the line.

“When…can…I—” I start typing before I glare at her. “Jacqueline!” She chuckles before pulling her beer bottle to her lips and finishing it. “Okay, sent.”

And that’s the last thing I remember before I blacked out.

The sounds of my phone ringing breaks me out of the last few minutes of sleep and I moan at the shrill noise that pierces the air.

“Jesus Christ, why is your phone on sound?” Jacqueline whines from next to me. “Turn it off!”

“It’s a phone call.” I groan, already feeling that special kind of annoyance that only comes with a hangover. “Who is calling me?” I open one eye slowly before both fly open when I see Mr. Kincaid’s name across the screen. “Fuck. It’s Rowan.”

“Isn’t it your weekend off? How did they survive before they met you?”she says as she gets up and trudges into her bathroom.

“Yes, which is why it could be important!” I clear my throat and get off the bed. Despite the hangover that I feel creeping into all of my senses, adrenaline kicks in and I run into Jacqueline’s kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. I down half of it and clear my throat in hopes it’ll make my voice sound presentable and not like I had multiple tequila shots last night.

I press the button to call him back and he answers on the first ring. “Well, good morning, sunshine. How are you feeling?” His voice is light and so incredibly sexy for…I look at my phone to see what time it is.Eight-thirty in the morning.

“Hi. Sorry I missed your call, is everything okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Okay…” I trail off as if to saythen is there a reason that you’re calling me at eight-thirty on my Sunday off?

“You told me to call you at eight-thirty to make sure you were up.”

I freeze. “What?”When did I say that?

“When we talked last night…” He trails off. “How drunk were you?” He chuckles with a bit of an edge to his voice and I wonder if I was super embarrassing and annoying.Oh, my fucking God.

“Oh, uh…I just forgot.”

“Do you remember talking to me?”