I sat up, remembering all the cleaning and baking I had done. There was no way I was going to eat all those cookies myself. "How about we do it at my place? It's actually clean for once."
Allie nodded and let me put my head back on her shoulder. She resumed gently stroking my hair as she whispered, "Sure, Kaylee, anything you want."
Chapter 21
My head buzzed as I sat up, the room unfamiliar. Slowly, I realized I had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV. The menu of a DVD was on loop, the instrumental song starting over every twenty seconds. I hit the power button, the pain in my head decreasing as the annoying song went away.
I glanced at my watch, glad to see it was a little past ten instead of hours before dawn. Maybe my jet lag was finally wearing off. Marissa was snoring peacefully on the couch, the slight wheeze and chuckle rather endearing. I looked around for Allie, finally finding her curled up in the papasan chair, a blanket draped over her head. I smiled at my friends, then frowned as I looked around at the mess they had made.
Pizza boxes littered the floor, empty beer cans hiding among them. Three empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table, a row of shot glasses lined up neatly beside them. How the shot glasses got there was a complete mystery to me, but I was sure I would hear about it once the girls woke up.
I picked up the pizza boxes, stacking them in a pile by the door. I went to my room and threw on the first pants I found, and a light blue shirt. I stepped outside, humidity hitting me in the face like a wet towel. I was glad I had good air conditioning in my apartment. It was already hot and muggy, the sky threatening to burst at any time.
Back inside, Allie and Marissa were up and putting the glasses in the dishwasher, moving slowly but nonetheless getting things done. Allie gave me a big grin as I came back inside, then she grabbed her stomach and looked a little green. Marissa laughed at her, but the motion made her grab her bright red hair and grimace.
"I think the shots might have been a mistake," she groaned.
"No kidding. How are you up and moving around, Kaylee? You were slamming them back as fast as we were," Allie groaned, closing the dishwasher. I opened the fridge and gave them each a sports drink.
"I guess I just hold my liquor better than the two of you. I don't remember doing shots, though," I answered.
"That's because you didn't. You were passed out on the floor when someone decided it was a good idea." Marissa took a big sip of her drink and leaned against the counter, glaring at Allie.
Allie blushed. "I guess I really overdid it if I didn't realize Kaylee wasn't drinking hers. No wonder I feel it today."
"You two look like you might pass out or barf any minute now. Go sit on the couch and relax. I'll get the rest of this. You guys took care of me last night. I can take care of you this morning." I shooed them toward the couch, but Marissa stopped me.
"Honestly, I just want a shower and to crawl into my own bed. Thank you, Kaylee, but I'm going to head home. Besides, your shampoo sucks." Marissa gave me a weak smile to show she wasn't trying to be mean.
>
"I'm with you on the going home," Allie said quietly, holding her stomach like it might fall out if she let go. "Thanks for the offer, Kaylee, but I want to be miserable in my own bed."
"All right. How about I bring you two soup later then? It's the least I can do," I said, helping them gather the last of their things.
"That sounds fantastic. Make that chicken dumpling one for me?" Allie asked, seeming to perk up a little bit. I nodded and promised as the two of them staggered zombie like down the hall. They were going to need a lot more than soup to make those hangovers better.
Back inside my own apartment, I cleaned up the last of our sleepover and organized the kitchen. It wasn't long before my phone chirped with a message from Allie that they had both made it home safe and sound.
I played with the phone in my hand, toying with the idea of sending a message to Owen. I opened a message three times, stared at the blank page with no idea what to say, only to close it again. What could I possibly say to Owen that would make this better? I just had to deal with the fact that there was no easy way to fix this. Owen was gone.
Thunder rumbled outside, making my neighbor's dog bark. Technically the building didn't allow dogs, but somehow the dog was still there. I knew Emma would know how to calm the dog down from the storm. I smiled at the thought of my sister, then looked down at the phone. I was already on my speed dial page, my thumb poised over her number.
"Hey, Kaylee, how're you doing?" Emma's voice was music to my ears. I should have called her first thing when I got back instead of waiting this long.
"Crappy. I assume you've heard all about it," I said, settling into the couch.
"Yeah, but I'd rather hear it from you. I just had a meeting cancel on me, so I've got some spare time." I could just see her in my head, spinning around in an office chair and smiling at the phone.
I started by telling her about Dubai, the skyscrapers and the hotel, then the dinner at the sheik's house. I told her how uncomfortable the sheik's son made me, how he leered and made my skin crawl.
"I should have known something was off about Roger, but I thought he was harmless. Creepy, but harmless." I sighed. "The next day he got in my hotel room, Emma. He just walked right in like it was nothing."
"I heard about that. I'm glad Dean got there in time. I'm so sorry this happened to you," Emma said softly. I didn't trust my voice to answer right away.
"Emma, it's all so messed up. I told Owen that we can't be together. His life is in Dubai and I won't, I can't, ever go back there. That fucking prick messed everything up." I was surprised at my own anger, especially since I almost never cussed, but it felt good to call him a name.
"Well, I can completely understand why Owen told the sheik off about it. What his son did was completely inappropriate."