Page 33 of Surviving the Merge
“Yeah?
“Where am I?”
It hurt to laugh. “We were too drunk to drive, and you couldn’t find your house keys, so we took a cab to my place.” I forced myself to stand in increments and went in search of towels and robes.
Returning with the bundle tucked under one arm, I rolled Sam over and instructed her to take off her stuff, while I did the same. After laying towels down on the upholstery, I put our wet clothes in the dryer.
“We’re going to regret how much we drank in the morning,” I said, as we both collapsed on either end.
“Yeah, we are. But it was worth it,” she said.
“Yeah, it was.” The silence was comfortable.
“Where’s your husband?”
“Hanging with a friend and then spending the night at our house in Chadwick. He’ll be back in the morning. You’ll get to meet him, if you’re still here.” I’d told her about Blake during intermission. Briefly explaining why I was getting my own place, without going into the whole two-husbands thing.
“I want a husband. God, I miss sex.”
“Sex is my kryptonite. Sometimes, I think I’d sell my soul for it,” I admitted.
“Well, that’s damn depressing,” she slurred sarcastically.
Because teasing Sam was fast becoming my new favorite thing, I replied, “I suppose it can be. Lucky for me my husband's—”
“Okay, you shut the hell up right now with all your amazing sex—wait, did you say husband’s?”
“Ah, it sure feels like there’s two of him sometimes,” I said, cleaning up my slip.
“My relationships never work out. They always end up walking away. ‘You’re too much to handle, Sam. You need to work on your filter, Sam. I’m just not that into you, Sam,’” she said, mockingly.
“Screw them,” I shouted and wished I hadn’t.Ow.
“Use your inside voice, Justin.”
“Shit, sorry.” More silence. “I happen to think you’re quite magical,” I whispered.
“Really? You think that?” She slowly raised her head, looking in my direction.
I didn’t know if it was the tequila or if she simply wasn’t used to hearing nice things about herself, but I could tell my words meant something to her. More than I understood at that moment.
“Yeah, Sam. I really do.” I felt around blindly until I found her hand and held it tight.
* * *
I jackknifedawake and then instantly fell back to my prone position, groaning and shielding my eyes. “Who the hell turned on the lights?”
“That would be the sun.”
I heard laughter coming from somewhere to my right, and I slowly opened one eyelid to find Blake holding out a mug of what smelled like hazelnut heaven. Sittin up gingerly, I accepted his offering. To my left, someone complained about the noise level, and I remembered Sam was here. Last night came flooding back to me.
Sam got herself upright one body part at a time. An interesting thing to watch. When she opened her mouth to speak, I wanted to knock her back into the dream world.
“Holy Mary and Moses, this must be the husband.NowI understand why he likes his exit entered.”
“Sammmm,” I groaned.
“What?” Her expression morphed from bemused to shocked. “I said that out loud, didn't I?”
