The Beginning of Us (280 page)

Read The Beginning of Us Online

Authors: Alexis Noelle

“Remember the first time we cried while at the movies?” They both laugh. “We were bawling, so he ran out of the theater and came back with two handfuls of napkins. He looked terrified, trying to figure out what he could do to cheer us up. After that, he took us for ice cream and started keeping tissues in his pockets.”

“He was a great dad,” Angel sighs.

“Yes he was. He was like my dad. He always let me tag along.” Courtney looks over at me, then to Josh. “My mom didn’t know who my dad was.” She shrugs.

We all got quiet for a few minutes.

“Enough with all this. Let’s start drinking and telling embarrassing stories about one another,” Courtney says, trying to lighten the mood.

“Oh no,” Angel shakes her head. “No embarrassing stories.”

“What are you worried about? You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about,” she laughs.

“I don’t know about that.” She looks over at me.

“I’m sure I could tell a few.” I lean up, placing my elbows on the table like I have some juicy gossip on her.

“Oh no. Don’t you dare.” She pulls on my arm as she laughs.

Josh starts telling Courtney how drunk Angel got from the tequila on her birthday. I tune them out and lean back, watching Angel. I feel sorry for both of them. I can’t imagine not having a family. I have to keep reminding myself that Angel is very strong willed.

The rest of dinner goes by in a blur as I continue to think of a way I can get her to once again open up to me without running off scared afterwards.

“You want to have our usual?” Courtney asks Sam as we all sit down at the bar.

“I haven’t been to many of the bars here in town, but the ones I have been to don’t have tequila rose.” Angel frowns.

“We have it,” the bartender says, overhearing the girl’s conversation.

“Do you have butterscotch schnapps?” Angel sounds hopeful.

“We do,” he nods his bleach blonde spiked tips, giving her a big smile. I don’t like this guy very much. He looks like he wants to take her home. I saddle up closer to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. She gives me a look that says she knows exactly what I’m doing. I just shrug and give her a light peck on her lips. I pull back, giving her a wink. She laughs.

“Okay, then. We will take four Wet Pussies,” Angel says to the bartender. I lift an eyebrow at her while I hear Josh choking.

“You okay?” Courtney pats him on the back.

“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “What are we drinking?”

“Wet Pussies,” Angel repeats deadpan.

I pull her close to me as I whisper in her ear, “I bet you have a wet pussy.”

“Always ready for you, baby.” She smiles, and it makes my dick stand up. She’s right. She is always wet and ready.

“Here you go.” The bartender places the shots in front of us.

“To old friends and new friends,” Courtney says as she raises her glass. We all nod our heads and down the shot.

“Shit! That
is
good,” Josh says as he puts his shot glass down. “A little girly tasting, but good.”

“Girly?” Angel laughs. “It tastes like strawberry milk. There’s nothing girly about strawberry milk.”

“That was good. What made you start drinking that?” I look to the bartender to single another round as he nods his head.

“A month after my dad had passed, I got into a huge fight with my mother, so I left and picked up Court. We went to hang out at my dad’s house, and decided to go through all of his liquor. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but he was always throwing parties for all his employees or Christmas parties for companies, so he had a huge wet bar. Anyway, we just started mixing things together and ended up liking it.” She shrugs “Three years later I was in a bar, and when I asked for that he told me it was a Wet Pussy.” The girls laugh. “I was disappointed. All those years we thought we had come up with it ourselves.”

We all laugh.

The bartender places our second round in front of us. “Do any of you want a beer or a mixed drink?” I ask them as I pull out my wallet to start a tab.

“No thanks,” they all say at the same time.

“I don’t want to get too drunk tonight,” Angel replies.

I pull her to me. “You? Not get too drunk?” I lift an eyebrow.

“Hey, hey.” She pushes me away. “I can drink but not get drunk.” She sounds offended.

I just smile to myself as I look at the bartender and order her a Long Island. I know she loves those.

And I know she’s going to get drunk tonight.

 

 

Samantha

 

I’m leaning up against the bar on my forearms, trying to keep my butt on the barstool.

And I’m mad.

How could he let me get this drunk? How did I let myself get this drunk? I can barely see anything. Everything is so blurry.

I hear giggling. I look to my left to see Court leaning on Josh as she laughs at him. She’s not nearly as drunk as I am which isn’t fair. Josh didn’t buy her drink after drink. Slade is going to be in so much trouble, and I know just the way to get him back. No sex for him tonight.

Ha!

Wait.

That means no sex for me either.

Maybe I should kick him with these heels on.

I prop my head up in my hand, and sit there watching Court and Josh. In the time I’ve known Josh, I have never seen him laugh or smile as much as I have since he saw Court. It makes me smile, but my smile feels sloppy because my mouth feels numb.

“Ready for another one?”

I look at the bartender like he’s crazy. I shake my head. “No. Quit giving me drinks. I’ve had enough,” I snap.

He smiles.

And it annoys me.

How long does it take Slade to go to the restroom?
He’s going to be in trouble for leaving me here with this creepy bartender. He’s been gone like an hour.

Okay.

Probably more like a minute.

“Angel is a pretty name.” He places his tatted up arms on the bar and leans over, getting closer to my face.

I remove my elbow from the bar and sit back in my seat, raising my eyebrows. “My name is Sam,” I say with my best bitchy voice.

He continues to smile that annoying smile. “That guy keeps calling you Angel.”

“Well that guy is my boyfriend. To you, I’m Sam.” I cross my hands over my chest.

“Well, I want to call you Angel.”

“Well, you can’t.”

“I can do whatever I want, Angel.” He leans even further over the bar.

“Don’t call me that!” My voice rises.

“Is there a problem?” Josh and Courtney are looking at us. I keep my head facing them while I slide my eyes to look over at the bartender, then back to Josh. I really don’t want to get in a fight tonight, I just want to have fun, but this guy is starting to creep me out. Josh gets up from his seat on the other side of Courtney and moves to stand between Courtney and I.

“There’s no problem,” the creepy bartender finally responds.

Josh places his hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”

I nod. “Thanks. I think I need to go to the room. I don’t feel so well.” Everything is getting pretty damn dizzy.

“Come on, Courtney. We are going to take Sam back to her room.” He grabs Courtney’s hand.

“No.” I shake my head. “I can make it. I’m okay.” I don’t want them to have to leave the bar. They are having fun.

“No. We’ll take you,” Josh replies.

“Really, Josh. Please, stay here. You two have fun. I have a key in my purse. Just tell Slade I went to our room to lie down.” I stand up off the barstool and have to grip the counter with everything I have so that I don’t fall over.

“No. we’ll walk you to your room,” he says, grabbing Courtney’s hand.

I nod, not wanting to argue. It won’t do any good. I turn and start to walk very slowly to the bar entrance as they walk behind me. I feel like a snail trying to cross a street while traffic is coming. I’m trying to walk extra careful so that Josh can’t see how drunk I am. If he knew I could barely stand, he’d be carrying my ass to the room.

We finally make it to the elevator, and I lean up against the back wall to keep myself from falling to the floor.

What the hell was Slade thinking?

I’m going to kill him. I kept telling him I didn’t want anymore, but he didn’t listen; the drinks just kept coming. Courtney presses the correct floor for us then she turns to look at me. I give her a smile trying to reassure her I’m fine. Although, my lips are numb.

The elevator rings and the doors open. An older couple gets on as I try to get off. I turn to face Courtney and Josh, and give them a smile. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Josh goes to step off the elevator, but I hold my hand up. “I can make it to my room.”

Courtney hugs me. “Okay, Sis. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I say good night as the elevator closes.

I have to place my hand on the wall to make it to our room. As soon as I make it the room, I fall onto the bed, still dressed and clenching my purse to my side. I close my eyes, trying to stop all the spinning.

 

*****

 

I pry my eyes open and look around slowly. I feel awful. My body is so tired and sluggish. I’m naked and under the covers. It takes everything I have to roll over. Slade is soundly sleeping next to me. He must have undressed me when he came to bed.

I roll to my back and put an arm over my head.
Ugh, I feel awful.
My throat is sore, and it feels raw. My head is pounding.
I need to take something
. I think I have some Tylenol in my purse. Do I really want to get up, though? My pounding head is telling me yes. My body, however, is telling me no.

I sigh as I take my arm off my face and push the covers off of my body. I sit up and place my head in my hands, taking a couple of deep breaths. Didn’t I tell myself a few weeks ago I was never drinking again? Well, I need to stick to that plan from now on.

I place my hands on the bed and scoot so that my feet are on the floor. I get myself to stand and feel dizzy, so I wait until it passes. I have to remind myself to place one foot in front of the other as I look around for my purse.

Where the hell is it?

If I knew it was going to be this hard to find, I would have stayed in bed. I give up and walk to use the restroom where I find my purse lying on the floor.

Huh. How did it end up in here?

I shrug, and bend down to pick it up. I stand up too fast, and it causes me to go off balance and fall into the counter.

“Shit!” I whisper, holding my right hip. I try rubbing it to get the sting to go away.
Man that really hurt.

I throw my purse on the counter and pull out the Tylenol. I need to take this and get my butt back to bed before I kill myself.

I fill the glass with a bit of water, down the pill, and take my time crawling back in bed.

I crawl in and face away from Slade.

He is in trouble.

 

*****

 

I groan in discomfort as I open my eyes. I don’t feel as bad as I did last night, but I still feel like shit.

I sit up and look around to see I’m in here alone. I rub my head.
Where is Slade?
I look over to see a note on the dresser. I get up and walk over to it as my body screams in protest.

 

Angel- went to have breakfast with Josh in the hotel lobby. You stay in bed. I will bring you breakfast back
.

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