Forbidden: King (The Four 4)

Eventually, Casey and Eden dropped into a booth, and I exclaimed, “No, don’t sit down! The trick is to keep moving so the booze and exhaustion can’t catch up to you. I’m going to dance. That’s the ticket.” That was definitely drunk logic.

After I tossed my leather jacket into the booth and rolled up my sleeves, I stepped onto the dance floor and started to move. For a guy built like a tank, I was actually pretty good at this. I ended up catching the attention of two women who were dancing together, and when they joined me I had an excuse to put on a show.

Of course, the only audience I was interested in was Eden. I danced just for him, pulling out all my sexiest moves, not that he cared. When I glanced in his direction it did actually seem like he was watching me, but come on. He was probably looking at my cute dance partners.

When the song ended, I thanked the two women and politely turned down their offer to join them at the bar. Then I returned to the booth, where Casey had his head down and was right on the verge of dozing off. I retrieved my phone from my jacket pocket and said, “I’m requesting a Lyft before Casey falls asleep. What a party animal. It’s not even eleven p.m.”

“I’m not used to drinking that much anymore,” my brother muttered, without raising his head.

“Well, just don’t pass out on me,” I said, as I put on my jacket. “I really don’t feel like carrying you.”

He sat up and told me, “You won’t have to. I’m fine, just a little tired.”

“And drunk,” I added. Then I glanced at my screen. “Our ride’s going to be about half an hour. That figures, on a busy Saturday night.”

“That’s fine. I can hang.” Casey rubbed his face with both hands, then dragged them upward, which made his dark hair stand on end. All of a sudden, his face twisted into a scowl, and he exclaimed, “You have got to be kidding me!”

Eden and I both followed his gaze to the bar, and Eden asked, “What are we looking at?”

“One douche to rule them all,” Casey muttered.

“Wait,” I said, “that doctor you hate so much from work is here?”

“Yeah. Theodore Koenig. Even on my day off, there he is. It’s like a horror movie. Heeeere’s Chuckie!” I started to tell him that was actually a bad mash-up of two horror movies, but why bother? He was way too drunk to care.

Eden asked, “Which one is he?”

Casey’s scowl deepened. “Take a guess.”

Everyone at the bar looked relaxed and happy, except for a tall, dark-haired guy in a suit. He was actually really attractive, in a willowy and aristocratic sort of way, and he appeared to be on a date. A guy was hanging all over him, while Koenig stood with his back totally rigid and a wine glass in his hand, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here.

“This bar’s not big enough for the two of us,” Casey muttered, like he was an old-timey gunslinger. He started to slip out of the booth, but I boxed him in by blocking the end of it, so he was trapped between Eden and me.

“You’re drunk off your ass,” I reminded him. “What are you going to do, go over there and barf on him?”

“Get out of my way, Seth.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and stood my ground. “No chance. Whatever you think you’re going to do is a bad idea.”

Eden chimed in, “Even if he’s a douche, that’s someone you work with. We’re not going to let you do something you’ll regret when you sober up.”

“He’s so horrible, though,” Casey grumbled. “You’d both hate him. He’s full of himself, and rude, and cold. He’s a fucking ice queen. Or king. Did you know Koenig means king in German? Even his name is stuck up.”

“He’s leaving,” Eden said. “Let’s just relax.”

I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of Koenig just as he reached the exit. He appeared to be arguing with his date, who ended up staying behind after the doctor left the bar. “Good riddance,” Casey mumbled, as he returned his head to the tabletop.

When we got home maybe forty-five minutes later, Casey said, “I still can’t believe George didn’t come back with us.” He took off his blazer and headed for the stairs. “Do you think he’s actually—”

Eden cut him off. “Nope. We’re not going there.”

“Yeah, good point,” Casey murmured.

“Be sure to drink plenty of water tonight,” Eden called after him, “not that I think anything is going to prevent the hangover that’s waiting for all three of us in the morning.”

My brother mumbled, “No shit. I’m a nurse, remember?”

Eden replied, “That doesn’t mean you’ll actually take care of yourself.”