Page 34 of Role Play
“To be candid, condoms and routine testing. If a client requests an encounter without protection, it’s extra, and they have to provide me with clean test results from the clinic.” I keep my voice matter-of-fact, like I’m discussing the weather instead of my sex life.
“Holy shit. You’re not messing with me. You really do this as your job, don’t you?” Her eyes widen, pupils dilating.
“Why on earth would I lie to you about this?” I kind of want to. What I wouldn’t give to honestly tell Sora I’m a firefighter or something.
We both turn our attention to the door when the music from the reception shifts to something slower, the bass no longer vibrating through the walls.
“Why not lie? I’m a stranger. You don’t owe me anything.”
I glance at her chest again, my desired view now obstructed by her patched-together neckline. “We’re a little more than strangers now, right?”
She turns toward the mirror, watching me through the reflection, like she’s trying to check me from a different angle. “I guess.”
Sora proceeds to the counter and fumbles with her makeup. The contents of her small purse scatter across the marble surface. She reaches for her eyeliner, but misses, like her depth perception is off. Reeling, she rotates her hand slowly in front of her face, looking mystified, and sluggish, like she’s moving through water.
“Are you okay?” The question comes out sharper than I intended, worry edging my voice.
“I feel a little funny…lightheaded.” Her words slur at the edges.
“Funny like how?” I inquire, growing concerned with her suddenly offbeat mannerisms. I move closer, ready to catch her if she falls.
“I’m not a big drinker, and I had a couple glasses of champagne. I think it’s going to my head. Probably just need to eat something.” She pins her gaze to the counter, like she’s hyperfocusing. There’s a loud crinkle from the packaging when she successfully snatches up her small bag of candy. “Want some?” she offers.
I shake my head when I eye the leaf on the top-right corner of the bag. I recognize the label. “No, thank you. My roommate, Taio, always uses that brand. I tried them once and they knocked me on my ass. Too strong for my taste. But I have to say I’m impressed you can handle all that.”
“You’re blurry,” she answers abstractly, her gaze unfocused. The candy bag dangles loosely from her fingers.
I let out a breathy chuckle. “Oh yeah? Are they kicking in?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Her voice rises, echoing. Her eyes burst wide at her own loudness.
Realization washes over me.Oh, fuck.She must think this is regular candy. “Sora, those are really strong edibles. Two pieces will keep a grown man, twice your size, high as a kite all night. You didn’t know that?” She shakes her head silently. Her pupils have fully dilated now, nearly swallowing the brown of her irises. “How many did you eat?”
The shocked fear slowly soaks into her expression. “Six,” she murmurs. “At leastsix.”
“Well…fuck.” I run a hand through my hair, mentally calculating how bad this is going to get. “You should probably get home to sleep it off.”
Nodding in agreement, she makes her way to my side. With the elegance of a clumsy sloth, she hoists her ass back onto the counter, the side of her thigh pressing against my hip. “Good idea.”
“Want me to escort you?”
She shows me a sleepy smirk. “I doubt I can afford you.”
I bite back my chuckle, trying not to tease her too viciously. “No, I meanescort you out, Sora. Maybe help you call a rideshare home?”
“Oh, yes. Okay, thank you.” Except she still doesn’t move. She tilts her head backward, her eyes resting on the ceiling.
“Should we get going, then?” I suggest, trying not to burst out in laughter. She’s goofily adorable at the moment.
“You go ahead. I want a moment with all these pretty stars,” she monotones, staring at the speckled overhead tile that she’s mistaking for a celestial view.
“All right, that does it.” I wrap my hands around her wrists, gently coaxing her off the countertop. “No way I can let you go on your own now. I’ll take you home.”
“Don’t be silly,” she insists. But in contradiction to her protests, she melts into my chest, using my body for support. “No need to fuss. Let me go, Forrest.”
“Can’t,” I murmur, leaning down to secure my arm around her slim waist, steadying her.
Don’t want to.
