Page 52 of Space Balls: Houston, We Have Liftoff
#EmotionalPanic
Rose
There wasno stranger danger sex last night.
That’s my first thought upon consciousness taking ahold of me.
Hell, there wasn’t even regular sex. I squeeze my eyes shut as the events of last night unfold in my mind. Fuck.
Maybe it was all a dream. Carefully, I open my eyes. Instead of the bare, light gray bedroom wall of my condo, where I was supposed to sleep last night, it’s the bare, white wall of Vance’s apartment. Fuck. Fuck.
Nope. Apparently, I really did pass out in a food coma, only to later blow chunks into my friend-with-bennies’ toilet in the wee hours of the morning.Awesome.
I burrow deeper under the covers.
My skin feels too tight, and my chest is all fluttery. Is this… embarrassment? It’s a new feeling for me. I mean, I do ridiculous thingsallthe time. I’m the queen of the outlandish and in-your-face-ness. And never, not once, have I been so embarrassed that I felt like dying.
Until this moment.
I huff out a large sigh under the covers and regret it immediately. My breath is hot and foul like a metal garbage can left out in the Texas sun. Just another fantastic morning revelation. I pull the covers off for a breath of fresh air and catch sight of the windows above the bed.
Okay, maybe I don’t want todie, but I do find myself contemplating how to jump out of a three-story-high window without legit bodily harm. A sprained ankle would be a fair price to pay for bypassing a walk of shame.
Especially as my side of the bed has a towel draped over the edge and a trashcan pulled up close. There’s even a tall glass of water on a coaster on the nightstand.
So not only did he not get stranger danger, but Vance took care of me? That’s weird, right?
I slide my foot across the sheets in search of another body but find no one. Okay, good. Silver lining. I can sneak off to the bathroom before he—
“Rose?”
Slamming my eyes shut, I lie still and feign sleep.
I can’t hear his footsteps on the carpet, but from my awkward position, on my side with my back leg extended, I can feel him getting closer.
Breathe in, breathe out. Relax your eyelids. Do not react to his unfair, delicious morning scent.
He taps my nose. “No use pretending, Rosie-girl. You arenotthat graceful a breather.”
I try to fake snore, but the air gets caught funny, and I start coughing.
Hashtag fail.
Vance chuckles, soft and deep. Not only is it an awesome sound, but it’s a fantastic visual when I open my eyes, even though I’m embarrassed as fuck.
“You’re a nut, you know that?” His eye crinkles are deep and sexy.
I grunt, not sure what to say. Because on top of being disgusted with the aftermath of being sick, embarrassed that he took care of me, and ashamed that I didn’t make good on my stranger danger plans, I’m now turned on.
He laughs again. “The great and mighty Rose West isn’t feeling embarrassed, is she?” His right eye crinkles more as his smile turns into a smirk.
“Maybe,” I say into the pillow, regretting it instantly when my breath blows back at me.
Instead of more laughter, which is what I’m expecting, Vance runs his hands through my hair. Or tries to—it’s kind of a knotty mess. “No need to be embarrassed.”
I grunt again.
“Come on.” He lightly shakes my shoulder. “After being sick, nothing feels better than a warm shower.”
