“So, I should probably get going,” she adds, somehow phrasing it as a question.
“Yeah, alright. It was a nice evening though, wasn’t it?” I turn up the charm, trying to mask the fact that I can’t remember a single detail of our night.
She laughs, the sound soft, delicate, and genuinely pleasant. “We did have fun, as you promised.” She stands and smacks me squarely on the ass as she passes. “You were good, lover.”
In remarkable time, she’s fully dressed and carrying a small purse. I perch on the edge of the couch.
“Thanks for a good night,” she calls, smiling. She heads for the front door.
“Yeah. I’ll call you, we’ll go out again sometime.” To my surprise, she laughs again, a little louder this time.
“Wouldn’t that break the rules?” she asks.
“Rules?” I frown, trying to follow.
“My, you were sloshed last night.” She brushes my cheek. “It’s okay. You owe me nothing. No strings attached, no relationship, no expectations. Just fun.”
“Lindsey, I…”
She presses a finger to my lips, silencing me mid-sentence. “Nope. We had a deal. Bye, lover.” Quick kiss, and she’s gone.
What the hell happened last night?
“Zach!” I bellow.
He pops his head out of his room. “What?”
“What the hell happened last night?”
“Alcohol.” He smirks and retreats.
“Obviously,” I mutter. Then louder, “Where did we go?”
“Pub,” he reappears, “then a strip club when you started on about a gal.”
“A gal?”
“Yeah, some chick from the States.”
“Shit. What did I say?” I worry. Zach is the type to hold any slip against me.
“Nothing really, just went on about some fucking wedding. We took your arse to the strippers and they sorted you out.”
I nod, heading toward the kitchen for coffee. Then it hits me. “Shit, man, was Lindsey a fucking stripper?”
Zach laughs again. “We only knew her as Radiance, man.” And disappears.
I shake my head. Oh well. At least I proved my point. Guess who’s still got game?
Chapter 52
Ben, March 25
Zach barges into the room like a bad felon begging to be caught breaking and entering. “Morning, mates,” he calls out by way of a greeting. Kyle and I exchange annoyed glances. We’re sitting on separate ends of the couch watching some cop show. I reach for the remote and turn it up.
“It’s actually evening, but hey,” Kyle says.
“Is it?” Zach slurs. “Lost time at a pub.”