Page 21 of Girls Will Be Girls
“Just a blip.” He smiles. “You could’ve called me.”
I lift my shot glass to my lips, and he copies. The burn not as bad as the first time.
“If I knew you were coming here, maybe I would’ve,” I say.
“Even if I wasn’t.” He swigs his beer. “I would’ve come.”
“Do you have a hero complex or something?” I ask, the tequila clearly pushing away any niceties I had left in me.
He laughs again. “Maybe I do.” He leans towards me as if telling me a secret. “Or I just like you.”
I ignore his words, accompanied by that studying gaze.
He’s way too direct — who actually just says what they’re thinking like that?
The silence becomes unbearable. “You wanna get suitably and sensibly tipsy with me again?” I offer.
He grins. “Absolutely, I do.”
“Great.” I signal for another refill. “We’ve got three hours to make sure we’re the perfect level of boozed to sleep soundly.”
“What’s in three hours?” He asks.
“I can check into my room.”
He pauses for a second as if he’s wondering if he should tell me something. “You’re staying atThe Lodges too?” He grimaces.
I pause with my straw on my lips. “You’re kidding me?”
“‘Fraid not.”
I can’t decide if I want to sleep with him or date him, but I’ve decided it’s definitely one of the two. I’m not opposed to something casual — I’ve had my fair share of situationships — but I need to know going in what it’ll be so I can prepare myself, and I don’t like the rules changing. It’s one or the other from the start, or nothing at all.
I know for sure that I’d enjoy seeing him in minimal clothing, the prerequisite for something casual, but he did say earlier how he wants to take me on a date.
But then, if I want to date him, I’ll eventually need to tell him what I do for a living, and then there’s the risk that he’ll judge me, and I’ll be upset that my fears came true and I didn’t just choose the other route. Because there’s no way I can backtrack to the other option if I decide Ilikelike him.
It’s a lot for my tequila-addled brain to handle.
Probably best to sleep on it, not do anything stupid right now, and see where things stand the next time I see him.
“Speaking of sleep…” I say.
“Are you hitting on me?” Lou smirks.
“What?” I turn abruptly. “No.”
Lou laughs. “Okay. Then, when were we talking about sleeping?”
“Oh, right.” I try to catch up. “You weren’t part of that.”
“Hearing voices now?” He grins.
“Har har.” I grab his left wrist and check the time on his watch before hopping off my stool. “We can check in now.”
We’re both a little sluggish, almost veering past tipsy territory to straight-up drunk.
Lou takes my bags again before I have a chance.
