Sam glanced at her watch. Twelve thirty. She’d been waiting in Drew’s room since eleven. Dinner with her parents shouldn’t have taken this long. She should’ve gone with her, but she still had too much to do before the race. After her conversation with Paddy this afternoon, she wasn’t feeling up to hobnobbing with the rich tonight.
Her head began to throb, and she scanned the room for an ibuprofen bottle. She spotted the suitcase on the chair and flipped it open. Rummaging through Drew’s socks and T-shirts, she held up a pair of plaid boy-shorts and smiled. She dropped them back in and dug to the bottom of the bag. Nothing but clothes.
She closed the case and kneaded her forehead with her fingers. The bathroom. She went to the sink basin and found a bottle on the counter. She twisted the cap, but it didn’t budge.
“Damn childproof bottles.” She pushed, squeezed, and finally pulled the top off. After shaking out three tablets into her hand, she snapped the cap back on the bottle. After popping them into her mouth, she dipped her hand under the faucet and washed them down with a lukewarm swig of water before settling in on the bed.
She watched her stomach rise and fall with her breath. Closing her eyes, she imagined the heat of Drew’s breath brushing across her. She didn’t know how Drew had left such a mark on her so soon, but it was clear that she had. Sam yearned for her in every way. She was certainly not a virgin, but Drew sure made her feel like one. She smoothed her hand across her stomach, trying to purge the lingering feeling. When she felt the rough border of her jeans, she opened her eyes and hopped off the bed. After the way they’d made love last night, jeans and a T-shirt just wouldn’t do.
Sam opened the door and peeked through it before stepping outside. The balcony was deserted, so she sprinted around to her room, opened the door, and squeezed through quickly.
She’d made it halfway. Now to find what she’d come for. She rushed to her suitcase, unzipped a small compartment inside, and held up a silk, emerald-green teddy. Her sister, Faith had convinced her to buy it not long ago when they’d been out shopping together, but she’d never had the urge to wear it until now.
She heard a thud against the door and spun around. Her excitement flattened. She’d wanted to surprise Drew. She heard another thud and her pulse raced. She tucked the silken piece of clothing back into her case, rushed to the door, and opened it. Brad fell into her.
“Omigod.” Sam struggled to hold him up. “You smell like a brewery.” In one swift motion he barreled through the door at her, and they tumbled onto the bed. She rolled him to the side and slid out from under him.
“How many drinks have you had?”
“Dunno.” His words were slurred as he tried to catch the tail of her shirt when she stood up. “Come back.”
“You’re going to be out again tomorrow, aren’t you?” She rubbed her face and paced to the window. “Paddy’s going to replace you if you keep this up.”
“He’s not gonna replace me. I’m the best and he knows it.”
“Then why don’t you act like it?” She waited for his cocky response but didn’t hear one. At the sound of a gurgling snort, she spun back around. “Oh, no—you can’t stay here.” She slapped at his face, but he didn’t flinch.
Suddenly he grabbed the bed, lurched forward, and spewed all over both of them.
“Uh—Yuk!” Sam flew back, gagging. “Fuck!” She gave him a shove, and he flopped back onto the bed. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She was supposed to be having a nice romantic evening with Drew, and instead she was covered in puke and dealing with a heaving drunk.
“Get up.” She pulled his arm around her neck and led him into the bathroom. “Take your clothes off,” she said, leaning him up against the wall and starting the shower.
He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt but had no luck. Sam held her breath as she unbuttoned the vomit-covered shirt and slid it from his shoulders. She pulled the button loose on his jeans, and the zipper went down with one swift tug.
“There. Now get in.”
“You’re not going to help me with the rest?”
“No.” She picked up his clothes. I am so done with you.
“How’m I gonna get in there?”
“You figure it out.” She turned and pulled the door closed behind her. She gagged and tried not to breathe as she dropped his shirt into the sink, then peeled off her own. After slipping on a clean shirt, she rinsed the clothes and hung them across the balcony railing. Her stomach turned as the stench of liquor and vomit hit her when she came back into the room. She dug a perfume bottle out of her cosmetic bag and squirted it a couple of times. A miserable end to a miserable night.
She heard Brad fumbling with the doorknob. “You okay in there?”
“Can’t get the door open.”
She pushed it open, and he was right where she’d left him, only now totally naked and dripping wet. She let her gaze sweep his length and didn’t feel even a twinge of desire. Only regret. She pulled a towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist.
“No takers tonight?” He slurred his words.
“Stop.” She blotted his chest, then his hair. “Come on. Let’s get you into bed.” She wedged her shoulder under his arm and guided him out. Before she could pull the blanket back, he was on his way down. She let him drop onto the bed.
“Why couldn’t you have just gone home with someone tonight?” She pressed her fingers against his neck and felt his pulse, slow but rhythmic, so he was still alive.
She pulled his legs around, then went to the other side of the bed, wedged her arms underneath him, and shifted him to one side. After glancing at her watch, she let out a heavy breath before flopping down onto the vacant side of the bed. It was close to two o’clock, and her romantic surprise for Drew would have to wait. It seemed as though Drew had stayed with her parents for the night. She clicked off the light, then crossed her arms and sank back onto the pillow.
Sam glanced over at the pathetic man lying beside her. How had she ever gotten involved with him? Charm, arrogance, and a handsome face, that was how. Sam never could resist a rebel, especially if they got a rise out of her father. She put her hand on his chest and felt his slow, erratic breaths. She had to make sure this one made it through the night, for Paddy’s sake.