Page 33 of Sparks
I giggled again, but the room was really swaying now, and my eyes fluttered. “I should go.”
“Already?”
“Yes.” I snuggled the blanket close. “I really appreciate what you did tonight. You saved me.”
“That’s what friends do, right?”
“Right,” I said, pulling a face that I was glad he couldn’t see. “Good night, friend.”
He chuckled. “Night, Harlow. I’m really glad you reached out.”
“Me too.”
I hung up before either of us could say anything else. Maybe this had been why God introduced us—so Shawn could help me tonight. Yeah. That had to be it. My good buddy-ole-pal, Shawn. Friends forevah. My eyes fluttered shut.
Aquiet whistle woke me, and I cracked my eyes open in the darkness. What the…?
Oh, I was on the couch entwined in the throw blanket. I kicked my way out of them and looked at my screen. A text from Beth.
OMG! I just saw this. Ru okay? I’m so pissed. I ordered your ride and the driver canceled but I didn’t hear it!
Before I could type a response, she texted again:Ru okay? Plz answer!
Ugh, she was worried. I couldn’t even be mad at the stupid hooch.
I’m okay, I sent.I got a ride.
Omg. Ok. On my way to the apt now.
I looked at the clock. 4:12am. The shower was going in the bathroom and I heard Cheryl zipping up her bag in the bedroom. I snuggled back down, still dizzy from my vodka hours earlier. I had dozed off again when the click of the door woke me. Beth tiptoed in with her hair frizzed out in the back and her face paler than usual in the slant of streetlight coming through the window.
“Hey,” she whispered into the dark. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I whispered back. “Glad you’re still alive.” I wanted to ask what happened with the scary dudes, but I was afraid she might actually tell me. “But listen.” I steeled my nerve even though I hated any kind of confrontation. “If we go out again, just the two of us, and I don’t have a good feeling about the company, please don’t ever leave me. We should have stayed together. It wasn’t safe for either of us.”
Beth let out a groaning sigh. “Yeah, okay, fine. I should have come home with you. Now I need to go to bed.”
I fell back into the hard pillow. Beth started toward the closet hall and the big room when a light turned on. I heard Holly’s voice say, “Damn, Gina.”
“Ugh,” Beth said. “Turn the fucking light off.”
“I have to get ready for work. Are you just getting in?”
“Yes,” she groaned.
I lifted my head to see Beth shuffle her way past Holly in the closet and disappear into the room. Holly peered over to me on the couch.
“I would offer to drive you,” I said in a deeper-than-usual voice, “but I think I’m still a little drunk.”
She grabbed her uniform and brought it into the living room, stepping into the dress while she talked.
“How was it? Was he hot?”
I curled back up and shut my eyes. “He had face tats.”
“You swiped on a guy with face tats?”
“No,” I grumbled. “He didn’t have them in his profile pictures.”
