Chasing Us (Dark Love 2)

“Nice of you to wake up.”

The sound of a voice makes me jump. I’m not alone.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m guessing you don’t remember any of last night?”

I strain my brain trying to remember what happened. I drank so much—I mean a lot. The entire bottle of whiskey and even raided the hotel room mini-fridge.

Inside the hotel lobby, I saw Victoria and dragged her to my suite. I remember the shrill in her voice as she unbuttoned my shirt and ran her hands along my chest. She mumbled words like ‘finally I get a piece of you’ and other dirty shit, but then it became a blur and I think, well, hope, I blacked out.

I rub my face, wishing this away. “What did I do?”

“What do you think you did?”

“Please tell me I didn’t?”

This could affect my business. Victoria will have something to hold over my head for the rest of my life. How could I have been so unbelievably stupid?

“And why would you want me to tell you that you didn’t?”

“Because… because…” I can’t say her name. It’s still too raw. I told her I was done, but was I really done, or is this some mini-break? I don’t know the right answer, but I know enough that I don’t want to jeopardize anything in the future because I was drunk and fucked up, and I mean big fucking time.

“Just tell me, okay?”

“No, you didn’t,” Kate assures me. “I stopped it.”

“You stopped it?” I ask, shocked and confused by her comment.

“Yes. I knew you would regret this, so drastic times called for drastic measures.”

“What did you do?”

The worry creeps in, but I’m also relieved nothing happened. It was my fucking lucky day all right, whatever it was that saved me.

“I called Eric.”

“You did what?”

“I called Eric. He met me, and we got access to your suite. Victoria was all over you, and, well, she told us to piss off, but we said no. If it meant we had to sit here and watch, then so be it.”

“And then?”

“She said fine and to watch, I s’pose trying to call our bluff, so we did. You even said to me I was free to join in if I wanted, but Eric wasn’t allowed.”

I bury my face into my hands. “I’m so sorry, Kate.”

“Apology accepted,” she states, awkwardly. “Well, she got annoyed and realized we weren’t going anywhere, so she yelled at us, then finally got her stuff and left.”

“And the condom with the…” Slightly uncomfortable, I don’t want to say the word in front of her, but I think all sense of professionalism flew out the door kicking and screaming last night. “The… um, you know what’s inside?”

“Oh, that’s just coconut juice. Eric thought you needed a lesson. Go ahead, smell it.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

As I sit there, I let out a big sigh that Kate saved the day once again. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious of the fact I was shirtless as she sat across from me. She must have sensed it as well, throwing my Yankees T-shirt over, which I gladly put on.

“Kate, I could’ve fucked up big time,” I say, barely above a whisper.