Beneath This Man (This Man 2)

‘Ladies’!’

I look up and see Sam grinning from ear to ear. What is he doing here? It’s supposed to be a girls’ night out and Kate still hasn’t given her verdict on my current screwed up situation.

He shoves his tongue in Kate’s ear, and I huff to myself. Kate would never let any man invade her girl time. I pick my wine up and down the rest, watching over the rim of my glass as Sam greets Kate and she accepts willingly. If she tries to tell me tomorrow that this is just fun, then I’ll challenge her…hard!

‘I’m going to the toilet.’ I inform them.

‘Okay.’ Kate says idly.

I lower myself to the floor and turn towards the entrance, reaching up to rub my temples in an attempt to sooth my thumping head. As I make my way through the roaring crowd, the sound around me dulls into a faint hum and my head starts spinning slightly. I push my way past the blurry gatherings of people and very nearly have a seizure when I clock Jesse stood a few meters ahead of me in the doorway of the bar.

Oh shit!

I freeze on the spot. I knew he wouldn’t be able to leave me be, not even for a few hours to enjoy a few glasses of well-earned wine. My vision might be challenged, but there is no mistaking the pure fury that’s spread across his handsome features. I don’t know why. I’m not drunk. I’ve had a few glasses of wine, and I’ve enjoyed them. He’s the one with the drink issue, not me.

And with that thought, I stagger slightly again. Maybe I’m just topping up last night’s session.

We stand staring at each other for a few moments, then he starts stalking towards me. I make a grab for a table when I feel my legs wobble and the change in his approaching expression from rage to pure terror is the last thing I see before the black sets in and I become weightless.

Chapter 27

‘Jesse, calm down. She had three glasses of wine. She wasn’t drunk.’

My eyes are attacked by fluorescent lighting and bright white at every wall. I feel like I’ve been bashed over the head a few times with an iron bar. Where the hell am I? I close my eyes again and reach up to brush away a lock of hair that’s tickling my cheek. The soft contact of my hand on my head stabs at my brain.

‘Ava?’ His voice is quiet and his hand clamped around mine. ‘Ava baby, open your eyes.’

I try my best, but it is too bloody painful. Fuck! What is wrong with me? Is this the worse hangover ever? I don’t remember drinking that much.

‘Will someone tell me what the FUCK is going on!’ he roars.

I snap my eyes open again and gaze around my unfamiliar surroundings. The only familiar thing is that irate voice and it’s a strange comfort to me, but God it’s playing havoc with my sensitive head. I reach up to clasp my aching skull.

‘Ava, baby?’

I squint my eyes in an attempt to focus, and I’m met with a green, grief-stricken pair. The feel of his warm palm stroking my head has me groaning in protest. It hurts. ‘Hi.’ I squeak. My throat is raspy and dry.

‘Oh, thank f**king God!’ He swaps my face in kisses, and I beat him away. I can’t breathe.

‘Ava, chick. Are you okay?’

I follow the sound of another familiar voice and find Sam leaning over me, looking the most serious I’ve ever seen him. What’s going on?

‘Does she f**king look all right?’ Jesse yells in Sam’s face. ‘For f**k sake!’

‘Calm down!’

I know that voice too. I flick my sensitive eyes around the room and find Kate sat in a chair opposite me. ‘Where am I?’ I ask through my dryness. I need some water.

‘You’re in hospital, baby.’ He strokes my face and kisses my forehead again.

What on earth am I doing in hospital? I try to sit up, but I’m met with the full force of Jesse pressing down on me. ‘I need the toilet.’ I grumble, trying to fight him off. I slap his persistent hands away and scramble into a sitting position, prompting my hands to fly up and grasp my head when the full force of gravity crashes in around my brain. Holy shit! This really is the worse hangover ever. I groan and cross my legs in front of me, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

‘I’ll take her.’ I hear Kate volunteer. ‘Ava, come on.’

‘No f**king way!’

I roll my eyes at the sound of the unreasonable voice I love and wait for Kate to retaliate, but nothing follows. ‘I’m fine.’ I snap irritably. I can go to the bloody toilet on my own.

I shift myself to the side of the bed and lower my feet to the floor. My heels are gone.

‘I don’t think so, lady.’ He sweeps me up from the side of the bed. ‘Whatever happened to en-suites?’ he mutters as he carries me out of the room and into the corridor. The lights are brighter out here. I shade my eyes from the invasion.

‘Ah! She’s come round.’

‘I’m taking her to the bathroom.’ Jesse barks, continuing his long strides to the nearest toilet.

‘Sir, please, we need a urine sample.’

Jesse pauses momentarily, before carrying on his way. I’m placed on my feet and held up while I watch Jesse use his free hand to cake some tissue in anti-bacterial spray and wipe the toilet seat, muttering insults about the NHS and shit cleaners. My dress is pulled up, my knickers down and I’m lowered onto the toilet with a cardboard bowl held under me.

I have no shyness or inhibitions. I release the muscles around my bladder and sigh in relief as the pressure drains. I can’t believe I’m sat on his arm while he holds a pee-pot under me.

‘No stage fright then?’ he asks softly.