It had felt so good.
More than buzzed from vodka cocktails good.
Or maybe he just remembered it that way because he felt so washed out now.
Jessica moaned on the bed next to him and rolled over, slapping the bed like she was searching for the cell phone to turn off the alarm. Drew jolted and squirmed over the realization that he’d been so caught up in memories of kissing Lee that he hadn’t even turned off his blaring alarm.
He did that immediately, then muscled himself up from being sprawled on his stomach to sit. He rubbed his face with one hand and blearily stared at his phone, hoping it would reassure him and explain away everything he was feeling.
“God, your alarm is loud,” Jessica groaned, sitting up and looking around the room, like she wasn’t sure where she was.
She focused on Drew, then scooted closer to him with a pitiful sound and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Drew sighed and slipped his arm around her waist to comfort her.
Or maybe he needed that comfort and reassurance for himself.
He’d kissed Lee, unprompted, and he hadn’t hated it.
Hereallyhadn’t hated it.
“Shit!” Jessica jerked to sit straight, her eyes suddenly wide. “What time is it?”
Drew glanced at his phone again, embarrassed that he hadn’t even noticed the time, his thoughts were so scattered. “Just after six,” he told her.
“Shit, shit, shit! My flight is in four hours and I haven’t packed yet.”
Jessica jumped out of bed, jostling the whole thing enough to remind Drew that a mild hangover headache was still a headache. As Jessica dashed into the en suite and turned on the shower, Drew dragged himself out of bed and headed to the kitchen in his underwear to see if there were any painkillers in the apartment.
He ran into Abby in the main room, dressed for travel, suitcases already stacked by the door, looking chipper and put together, a book in hand, of course.
“Morning, sunshine,” Abby greeted him with a knowing grin, putting down her book and getting up from the couch to approach him.
Drew wasn’t ready for his friend’s cheerfulness or teasing. “You’re not allowed to look at me with that shit-eating grin so early in the morning,” he said slogging into the kitchen area and opening drawers and cabinets until he found a box of Tylenol or paracetamol or whatever it was in the UK.
“I’m surprised you’re not feeling on top of the world after that display last night,” Abby said, following him into the kitchen and leaning against the counter. “Did you have fun?”
The question was facetious, and Drew answered it with a flat look as he found a glass to get water from the sink so he could take a pill.
“At least you accomplished what you set out to accomplish,” Abby went on, her expression slightly more sympathetic.
“Did I?” Drew asked after swallowing the pill and half a glass of water.
Abby pulled out her phone, tapped a few things, then showed it to him.
If anything was going to wake Drew up, it was the slew of pictures on social media. They were all there, just like he knew they would be. Pictures of him at Nikky’s concert with Lee right next to him. Pictures of the two of them at the afterparty. And yep, pictures of the two of them sucking face on the dance floor.
“They’re not bad pictures, really,” Abby said, sliding in to stand by Drew’s side, watching as he scrolled. “You two look cute.”
They did. Some of the pics were decent and not grainy or blurred. He was smiling and having a great time in all of them.Lee looked overwhelmed but happy, too. And the pics of the two of them kissing….
He stopped scrolling on one pic that had to have been taken from about five feet away from where they had been dancing. He had his eyes closed and his hand on the side of Lee’s face as they sucked each other’s tonsils. He didn’t remember being so grabby with Lee, but he did remember how that kiss made him feel.
Happy. Invigorated.
Horny.
He sucked in a breath and handed the phone back to Abby, who was watching him with uncanny perception. “What are all the comments saying?” he asked, pretending that was more important than the uncomfortable feelings ricocheting around his insides.
Abby took the phone and scrolled a bit more. “Comments are mixed, of course. You’ve got everything from the people who are saying ‘I knew it’ and they love it to the haters who think you’re cheating on Nikky, or Joe, or even Jessica.”