23 - Dean
The pounding in my head is what wakes me up. Either that or the sun beaming down into my eyes. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar voices that do it, but all I know is that when I wake up I have no idea where I am. I open my eyes slowly to see a little boy inches from my face. He has a bead of drool hanging off her chin to an incredible length and I back up in shock. The back of my head hits the end of the sofa and I wince as the throbbing in my head increases. I look around in panic, not recognising anything around me.
The little boy giggles and reaches up to poke my face. His tiny fingers sink into my cheeks and he giggles some more.
“Who are you?” I whisper as he laughs at me. I groan and try to swing my legs off the sofa. I frown as I look down at my clothes. I’m still wearing a full suit, and my sling is folded on the coffee table beside me. I reach over to start putting it on my throbbing arm.
“He’s alive!” comes a voice from behind me. There’s something familiar about it, and I turn to see the mom from my last birthday party. Sam’s friend. I glance back at the kid and recognise the one with the killer aim. I groan.
“Here,” she says as she hands me some water and painkillers. “Have these. You were pretty drunk last night.”
“Did I come here on my own?” I ask as I take the glass and pills from her. She laughs. I can’t quite remember her name. Something with a J?
“You were desperate to see Samantha,” she says with a grin. “You want some coffee?”
“Fuck,” I say and then look at the little boy. “Sorry,” I say, looking back at the woman. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s what Sam kept saying too,” she says. “I said you’d probably have the apologies covered when you woke up. Don’t worry about it. I think it’s cute.”
“Cute?” I ask as my eyebrows knit together. She laughs.
“Call me a hopeless romantic. What’s more devoted than showing up at a girl’s house completely plastered telling her how beautiful she is.”
I groan and put my hand to my head. “Don’t tell me, please. Don’t tell me anything. Where is she?”
“She’s at work. Don’t worry, Dean, you weren’t that bad.”
“Work?” I ask, frowning. “She got a job already?”
“She’s very resourceful,” the woman says - Jess! That’s her name. “She knew some people in town and they offered her a good job if she could start right away.”
“That’s great. That’s really good. Fuck, and the night before she starts I show up like this. Oh my god,” I groan.
Jess puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles kindly. “Don’t worry about it, Dean, really. I think she was flattered.”
“I’m an idiot,” I say. My head is still throbbing and I reach for the glass of water again.
“Yes, but we won’t hold it against you,” Jess says with a laugh. I try to smile but it feels like my face is cracking when I move. “Here, I’ll grab you a towel and you can have a shower. Do you remember where your car is? I can drive you to it when you’re ready. You’re welcome to stay here and wait for Sam to get home, it should only be a couple hours.”
“And re-live this embarrassment all over again?”
“You’ll have to re-live it next time you see her anyways, she says as she walks towards a closet in the hall. “Here.”
I take the towel she hands me and take a deep breath. “Thank you, Jess. You and Sam - you’re both so nice. It’s.. I just… thanks.”
Jess smiles. “It’s the whole small town thing, I think.” Her face settles into a serious expression as she stares at me. My heart starts beating a bit faster and she opens her mouth to speak again. Her voice is low and emotionless.
“If you break her heart, I’ll break your legs. Do you understand me?”
I would laugh if she wasn’t so serious. I nod slowly. “Got it.”
“Good,” she says, smiling again. “Bathroom is down the hall to the right. There should be soap and everything you need in there.”
“Thanks. Small town kindness, hey?” I ask with a grin.
“Don’t take my kindness for weakness,” she responds with a smile. “Or Sam’s.”
I just nod and head down the hall towards the bathroom. I turn it up so hot the steam starts filling the bathroom. I strip off all my clothes and stick my arm outside the shower to save my cast from getting wet as I let the water wash over me. I groan in satisfaction as the pounding in my head dulls under the water. I wash slowly, trying to breathe some life into my heavy limbs.
By the time my shower is done I feel half-normal. I pick up my suit off the bathroom floor and put it back on, feeling fresher and more alive than I did half an hour ago. I fix my hair and take a swig of mouthwash to get rid of the furry feeling on my teeth before opening the bathroom door and stepping out.
I walk into the living room just as the front door opens and Sam walks in. She sees me and a smile breaks out across her face. The tightness in my chest loosens up and a grin starts to form on my lips.
“Hey,” I say. “You’re back early.”
“They sent me home early after my orientation,” she replies. “You look better than you did yesterday.”
“That’s not saying much,” I laugh. “Listen, Sam, I’m sorry about all that.”
She holds up a hand and kicks off her shoes before taking a step towards me. She puts her hands on either side of my face and pulls my face towards hers. I melt into her, putting my good arm around her and crushing my lips against hers. When she pulls away, her eyes are shining and she clears her throat.
“I’m sorry you lost your job. You want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” I answer in a low voice. “It’s bad enough I showed up here last night.” All I want to do is pull her into me and kiss her again, but I hold back. “Congratulations. At least one of us is employed now.”
“I’ll take care of you,” she says with a wink. “Might not be as glamorous as you’re used to though.”
“Glamorous,” I say with a snort. “Wasn’t too glamorous last night.”
Sam puts her purse on the coffee table and starts pulling out her earrings. She glances at me and shakes her head. “Wouldn’t expect you to go off the deep end like that. I didn’t know you were a drinker.”
“Neither would I. I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry.”
“Stop it,” she says with a laugh. “You want me to drive you back to your place?” Her eyes narrow and she grins. “Was this all just an elaborate ploy to finally get me back to your apartment?”
“Is it working? If yes, then.. Yeah. I’m a mastermind.”
Sam laughs. “Give me a couple minutes to get out of these work clothes and I’ll bring you back.”
I nod and watch as she heads down the hall. I hear her talking to Jess and I sink down on the sofa again. My heart is racing and I feel like my whole body is electrified. My hangover has disappeared and in its place is that familiar excitement in the pit of my stomach that I get whenever Sam is near.