Page 45 of Overachiever
“I’m sorry. I noticed she wasn’t here today.”
“She went back to Indiana.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not even a little bit.”
Colin nods and holds up another disgusting egg, amusement in his voice. “Sure you don’t want the last one?”
“Fuck off,” I laugh, shoving his hand away.
The rest of the work day goes by too fast. There’s no Remee standing by my truck at quitting time, no night with her to look forward to. Instead, Graham waits for me back at the motel. He’s sitting in the same lounger by the pool I slept in my first night here.
Giving him a wave, I let myself into our room and jump into the shower. It’s everything I can do to keep my mind blank while I get cleaned up and dressed. I don’t want to think tonight.
“Where are you headed?” Graham asks when I scoop up my truck keys.
“Liquor store. Then the beach. Want to get trashed?” A bar full of people isn’t what I need, but a bottle of whiskey and the stars above the ocean, that sounds like a plan.
“Nope, but I’ll go with you.”
A few hours later, I lie on my back, listening to the waves smash against the sand. “Drinking was an awesome idea. This is so much better!” I exclaim.
“Uh-huh,” Graham says.
That’s been his answer to my last few comments. So maybe I’ve screwed up pronouncing a few words but it isn’t like I’m that drunk. “Hey, don’t patton…poton…patronize me.” I sling my arm around to point at him. “Ha! Got it in three!”
“If you pass out here, I’m going to leave your ass on the beach,” he threatens.
“Pfft. Liar. And I’m not going to pass out. So just go suck a cock. A big veiny cock.”
The small group of people walking by escaped my attention until I hear their laughter.
“Dude, there are people around,” he warns.
“So? This is a free country, and I should be able to scream veiny cocks all the livelong day.”
Graham doesn’t reply, and the sound of the ocean is only broken by occasional voices in the distance until I sigh. “Remee and I are done. Over and done. So done. Donion rings.” Despite my heavy chest, a laugh leaps out.
“You don’t know that,” Graham argues. “It sucks that she left, but we’ll be back home in a few weeks and you never know what could happen.”
“I miss her. I’m stuck with you, and you aren’t as pretty.”
“I’m not going to tie you to the bed either.”
“That’s fine. I can be on top.” I glance back to see a smirk on Graham’s blurry face. “You don’t need to babysit me while we’re here. You should be out having fun.” The world spins when I try to get up, but I manage to make it to my feet. Whew, walking drunk on sand is like trying to stand up in a bounce house.
“Yeah, it’s clear you have everything under control.” He grabs my arm to steady me.
The next moment I’m waking up with sunlight searing into my brain through the window. I slam a pillow over my eyes, but it doesn’t help the railroad spike feeling much, and my stomach feels raw and sick.
“Ugh, I’m not going to work,” I groan, and Graham chuckles.
“You texted your boss you wouldn’t be in before you passed out.”
At least drunk Owen did something right. The memory floats back to me of Graham warning me not to text Remee. Oh god, did I drunk text her?
My phone lies beside me in the bed. The first text to my boss isn’t too bad, considering I can’t remember writing it.
