Page 29 of The Bad Girl List

A hollow ache fills me. When Gramps pulls to a stop in front of an unassuming house in a quiet Healdsburg cul-de-sac, I glance quickly in Dom’s direction.

If the look of misery on her face is anything to go by, I haven’t made her first night of vacation all that great. I have screwed things up in so many ways. Neither of us speaks to one another as she climbs out of the truck.

“Thanks for the ride!” Annika gives us a wave from the sidewalk. She points at Thomas and adds, “I’ll give you a call when I get something set up with Minnie.” She winks at him, and Thomas grins. Has he really roped a complete stranger into helping him get into that bartender’s pants?

Gramps pulls away, his old truck rumbling loudly in the night. I stare at the blue smudge of Dominique wrapped in my shirt as she leans on her cousin and walks up the path to their VRBO rental.

“What the hell, dude?” Thomas shoots me a puzzled look. “I gave you the perfect setup. Why did you give her the cold shoulder all the way home?”

I look at him sharply. “What do you mean?”

“I saw you guys staring at each other across the bar. You tried to hide behind your wine bottle. She tried to hide behind her sketchbook. You guys are both really bad at being sneaky. Annika and I both noticed.”

I replay the scene when I spilled the wine all over Dom. “Did you trip me on purpose?”

“Of course I tripped you on purpose. I knew neither one of you was going to break the ice, so I helped you out.” His eyes twinkle as he leans forward. “Did you get a date for Sunday dinner?”

“I don’t know. No, I don’t think so.”

“You’re not making any sense. Did you at least screw her in the back of my car?”

“No,” I snap, “I did not screw her in the back of your car!” He doesn’t need to know that I wanted to. He doesn’t need to know that I proposed trading sex for a dinner date, either. Dom must think I am the biggest sleazebag. What would Elle think of my going after another girl on the anniversary of her death? Only a complete douchebag does something like that.

“Jeez.” Thomas holds up his hands defensively. “You never were a fun drunk.”

We don’t talk as Gramps exits Healdsburg and drives back onto the two-lane road that snakes through the vineyards back to our winery. The cold air blowing through my hair and across my face sobers me up even more.

So what if Dom is the first girl who’s made me feel a spark since losing Elle? That had been the wine talking. The wine, my parents, and the silly Bad Girl List. All three had gotten the better of my reason. I still love Elle. I won't ever be into anyone else. Ever.

I focus on memories of Elle as I stare out at the swaying leaves of the grapevines, doing my best to put Dominique Chen out of my mind.

CHAPTER 9

Hangover

DOMINIQUE

I wake up feeling like death warmed over. Letting out a soft groan, I roll over and try to hide under the blankets.

“Morning, sleepy head. Rise and shine.” Annika yanks the covers off my head.

She looks disgustingly chipper considering the night we had. Then again, Annika’s alcohol tolerance is well-honed in comparison to mine. She and her restaurant friends drink people like me under the table all the time.

She’s already dressed in jeans with a tank top and sandals. Her make-up is perfect and her hair looks like she came fresh from the salon. How does she do that?

“Time to get up,” Annika says. “We have a schedule today and your mom is cooking breakfast.”

“Can you tell her I'm sick?”

“Hell, no. It’s the first day of Passport. We’re going to treat your Cosmo hangover with some wine.”

“That sounds like a really bad idea.”

“Are you kidding? The best treatment for a hangover is more alcohol. Why do you think I took up day-drinking? Besides, what are you whining about? You puked up at least half the alcohol you consumed. You really shouldn’t be feeling that bad.”

“I think there is a band of gnomes hammering at my head with pick axes.” I can picture the tiny little bodies and their maniacal grins as they rail away on my skull. Maybe I’ll draw them later. If my hungover body can properly hold pencils.

“You are so weird. Here.” Annika sets a glass of water on the nightstand between our two twin beds. “Take the Tylenol, then come and eat. Your mom is fixing sausage and eggs. It’s the perfect meal to help you soak up that hangover. Plus, there’s coffee.” She kneels in front of the bed so that we’re eye level. “I am so damn proud of you, cousin. Not only did you drink yourself sick, but you almost fucked a smoking hot guy in the trunk of a car.”

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