“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her. “She will be fine .”
Selina nodded before turning back to me. “Alright, I’m gonna go dance a little bit more. Just let me know if you need anything okay ?”
“Sure thing, kiddo! I know that you are always there to take care of me, right? Even if it’s with Mom’s silver credit card. You know, I wonder—” I said .
“Alright Selina,” Earl interjected. “Go enjoy yourself, you’ve earned it. I think we are going to go get a cup of coffee or maybe I’ll just take her right home .”
“Thanks, Earl,” Selina said softly .
“Yeah,” I said as she walked away. “Thanks, Earl. You sure are a fantastic guy. So, tell me something,” I said to him. “Since we are related, does that mean I can get my new boobs half off ?”
He rolled his eyes as he took my hand and started to lead me out of the club. “I don’t think that’s something we should talk about tonight. Maybe tomorrow you can stop by the office and we can talk about it then .”
“Boy,” I huffed. “I never expected you to be this much of a stick in the mud .”
He laughed as we stepped outside. The warm night air hit me like a brick wall. I wasn’t ready to face reality. In my current state though, there wasn’t much I could make sense of. I didn’t even know how to get back to my own apartment which was a good thing. It was probably a mess. I never wanted to go back to that hellhole again. Too bad I wasn’t outgoing like Selina, then I could meet someone and maybe my life would get a little better. The depression was starting to take over again and I quickly brushed it off .
“I don’t want to go home yet,” I said with a pout as Earl helped me into the car .
“Well, I think that you should get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere though. I would feel terrible if I left you like this .”
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “You are such a good brother .”
He glared down at me. “I am not your brother and you know it. Our parents are married, yes, but that is where the connection ends. What my father does with his life is up to him, not me .”
“Ahh,” I said. “So, you know that my mother is no good too .”
“What are you talking about?” he asked me .
I shoo
k my head and my stomach churned. Moving at all no longer seemed like a good idea. When Earl closed the car door I didn’t fight him. What was the point? I was so drunk that I couldn’t see straight. As he climbed into the car next to me I realized he didn’t know where I lived .
“Where are we going?” I asked, barely able to keep my eyes open .
“I’m taking you home. Then you are going to get some water and Tylenol before I leave,” he said pointedly .
“You could always stay, you know, to make sure that I am safe. Maybe I have alcohol poisoning,” I joked .
“I think you are just a little bit drunk, Tabitha,” he said .
I wiggled my way closer to the driver’s side and moved my hand across the center divider until it rested on his leg. Carefully, I slid my hand up a little further until he reached down and stopped me. The rejection hurt, but I liked a challenge like him .
“Tabitha,” he said in a rough voice. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea .”
“Because I’m drunk?” I asked, squeezing his thigh gently and watching his eyes roll back in his head briefly. “I don’t think I’m so drunk that I can’t show you a good time. You know there is an attraction between us. Why not see where it goes ?”
“It’s not that,” he said, pushing my hand away .
I groaned in anger, but took my hand away from him and ran it up my own leg. The short skirt I was wearing already rode up dangerously close to my crotch. Through hooded eyes I watched Earl as his eyes traveled away from the road to where my hands were moving now between my thighs. He wanted me, I could smell the desire in the air between us. It was like a fog that wouldn’t break until we explored each other’s bodies. I arched my back and bit my lip for him .
Suddenly, he swerved in the road and the spell was broken. The jolting sensation sent my head and stomach into a tailspin. I couldn’t think about being sexy anymore. It was taking all of my self-control just to keep from vomiting in his expensive sports car. I closed my eyes and cradled my head in my hands, fighting to stay awake and not vomit .
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice sounding far away .
I nodded, but before I could reply, the alcohol packed its final punch and the world around me started to go dark. There wasn’t time to answer. In a brief second of clarity my mind played back everything that had just happened. I winced, I was going to regret my decisions in the morning .
Chapter Five
Earl
I couldn’t believe what a mess the night had become. I just wanted to get laid at first, but seeing Tabitha changed all that. Now my head was spinning as I watched her sleep in the seat next to me. Things had become very complicated incredibly quickly. There was only one thing that I could do for the moment and that was get her back home safely. Everything else, the intense and confusing conversations that we need to have could wait until she was sober .
It was amusing to see her in such a state. In my office, her fiery and independent character had been refreshing. She was so stubborn, seeing her like this was warming to know that she was capable of being vulnerable. I drove down the highway for a few minutes before realizing I had no idea where I was going. I quickly plugged in the address that Selina had texted me at the club and gritted my teeth. Tabitha didn’t live in a good part of town as I had suspected .
As I drove, I did my best to forget about how seductive she’d been. It was probably the alcohol that made her so brazen. I followed the directions my navigation system gave me, but the further I went the more uncomfortable I felt. Soon enough I was parking in front of a seedy looking building. The front steps of the ancient brick structure were covered in trash that was dulled only by the boarded-up windows and graffiti covered walls. A faded black fence was meant to keep out intruders, but it wasn’t needed. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to break into the dilapidated building, much less live there .
Glancing at the sleeping woman in the seat next to me I knew that I couldn’t leave her there. It might have been a rash decision, but it was the only one to make as far as I was concerned. Without another thought about it, I made a U-turn and peeled away from the neighborhood. Even if it was just for one night, I was going to make sure that Tabitha was safe. It was the least I could do .
* * *