Page 21 of Heimlock

Twisting in my chair, I search for a Centaur, but don’t see one. Turning back to her, I frown. “I don’t see one.”

She shrugs, lifting the martini to her lips. “It’s so dim in here, I must’ve been mistaken.” Priscilla gives my drink a pointed look. “Go ahead. One glass won’t hurt you.”

Anxiety encourages me to sip — repeatedly. When our food arrives, my head is swimming. My limbs feel relaxed. The appeal of alcohol is immediately apparent. Priscilla fills the silence while I focus on getting the fork into my mouth. My depth perception is off more than normal.

“You feeling okay?” she asks, face tight with concern.

I nod, but it feels odd to move my head. “Yeah. I don’t feel so good.” With a dramatic sigh, all anxiety forgotten, I admit, “I was nervous about this date, actually.”

“Oh, no. Why?” She leans against the table, frowning. “I don’t bite.”

I laugh a little too loudly at the joke. “This is my first date ever, askually.” I pause, frowning. “Axetually. Askanally.”

“Actually?”

My face lights up. “Yes! That one.” Why does my brain feel so slow? Should I call Fynn? It feels like swimming through mud, reaching for my phone.

“What’s wrong?” Priscilla says.

It takes enormous effort, but I’m able to pull out my phone. “I’m … I’m going to call my brother. He can come get me. I don’t feel so good.”

Priscilla gently pulls the phone out of my hand. “It’s okay. I can get you where you need to be.” She puts my phone in her purse for safekeeping. That’s smart. I’d probably lose it.

My breathing slows as she gets the check and pays. I want to protest, but my tongue won’t work properly. She coaxes me into standing, and I follow her instructions as she leads me outside. When the scent of fresh air hits my nose, I inhale. Yet, it does nothing to steady the shakes rattling in my body.

A tiny voice in my mind screams that something’s wrong, but only darkness exists.

***

When my senses return, the first thing I notice is soreness in my body. Especially my groin. With a groan, I shift. A warm body presses against my side. An unfamiliar naked body.

My eyes fly open. In a panic, I try to scramble away. All I accomplish are jerky movements.

“You’re up.” Priscilla’s face enters my field of vision. “Ready for round four, handsome?”

My mouth feels like sandpaper as I croak out, “What?” I look around, trying to get my bearings. “Where are we?”

“My house, silly.” She playfully slaps my arm like it’s an inside joke. “You don’t remember ravishing me?”

“What?” I try to sit up, but my head’s pounding so hard it’s impossible to think. “I don’t remember …”

Pressing a palm to my forehead, I grimace at the pain. That’s when I notice I’m naked too. Not only am I naked, there’s a condom on my flaccid cock. I rip it off, staring at the contents. What in the Hells? Turning to look at Priscilla with my good eye, I say, “Did you put something in my drink?”

Her eyes widened. “What? No! Absolutely not. Are you saying you didn’t mean anything you did tonight?” Tears shimmer in her eyes, and the urge to comfort her is overwhelming.

Instantly, I’m fawning. “No, it’s not that. I must’ve fallen asleep. It’s been fun.” The lies mix with my growing stomach ache, birthing an unforgivable sense of nausea. “But I think it’s time to go home.”

Like there are stones glued to my limbs, I shuffle out of bed. So much hurts; I don’t even want to pay attention to it.

“If you insist,” she pouts. While I gather energy sitting on the edge of the mattress, her nails rake down my back. Bile rises, threatening to spill all over her white carpet. What in the twelve Hells just happened? Did we have sex? How did I go from wanting a first kiss to fucking a virtual stranger? Did she spike my drink?

“Where are my clothes?”

Her hand leaves my back. Priscilla sighs. “I don’t know.”

She refuses to help while I stumble around confused, naked, and numb, trying to find my trousers. Humiliation promises a long-term visit, when I can feel something again.

The female Dragon lounges in bed, naked, watching me struggle. A small, satisfied smile on her face. I can’t even look her in the eye. By the time I have my belt fastened, I’m near tears.