AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My phone dinged justas I poured whisky into a glass. I put on a black and white movie and sat down on my couch. I’d locked my door four times. No one was there to see me, so I could be happy about the four. I was holding steady at four. That was something I’d hold on to. I wiped my face. The tears were coming and going now. It was like, since I’d opened the faucet, they just felt free to stream down my face anytime they wanted.
This was glass two, and already, I was ridiculous. I’d stop at three because I’d be outright drunk at that time. Probably dance naked in my apartment. Take a bath where I’d send my sisters texts about ducks or other random things. Eventually, I’d fall asleep until two in the morning, when I’d wake up with a headache.
Tomorrow, I would regret drinking.
Now? I was fully invested.
I only drank alone or with my sisters. It was the only safe way to make sure I could feel like this and have nothing bad happen to me.
My phone rang. Someone was actually calling me? I looked down as Max’s number popped up. “Hello?”
“Hey.” He had the sexiest, richest voice. I could really listen to it all day. “What are you doing?”
“Drinking,” I answered honestly. “What are you doing?” I looked at my clock. “Aren’t you working?”
There was a bang in the background that sounded like someone had dropped something. “Watch it, Pete. I don’t want to be buying another box of those. Yes, I’m working. I just wanted to check on you. Anna said that you had a bad day because of that vlog. I wanted to see if you were okay.”
I sighed. “Great. It’s so awesome hearing that the guy you almost slept with last night has heard how you are fat and ugly. Yes, I’m great. My party sucked. I’m apparently done, so now I’m drinking whisky. Straight up. So I’m going to go.”
“Hold on.” His tone lowered. “You know that’s a bunch of bullshit. You’re the prettiest woman in any room you walk into. Hands down. Where are you drinking? I’ll meet you there in two hours.”
I shook my head, but then it occurred to me that he couldn’t see that. I smiled at the thought. “I only drink alone. Or with my sisters. But they don’t live here anymore. In Manhattan. They never lived here.”
He was quiet for a long second. “You only drink if you drink alone?”
“That’s right.” I put my legs up on the coffee table and sighed. “So I’m going to get back to it.”
“Did you sleep today?”
“Nope.” I looked out my window. The red lights of the city were always so inviting from this height. Like it was fake outside, not real.
But of course it was.
“And now you’re drinking alone.” He sighed. “Drinking alone is a very bad idea.”
I groaned. “Okay, I’m going to go. Thanks for the lecture.”
“That wasn’t a lecture. I promise you that. That was an eye roll at best. Call down to your doorman and your security. Tell them I’m going to be there in the morning and to let me up. We’re having breakfast. Do it now.”
Was he really ordering me around? I squirmed on the couch. What did it mean that I sort of liked it? “Okay.”
“And go to bed.”
“I’m not done.”
“You are.” He sighed. “You’re more than done with today. Go to bed. Put me on the list, then sleep.”
I yawned. Maybe he was right.
By the timehe pounded on my door the next morning, I’d been up for six hours. Like I’d guessed would happen, I’d been tossing and turning since two in the morning. My head wasn’t pounding as badly as it had been then. It was probably a good idea that I’d listened and cut it off after two drinks. Not drinking very often or regularly really lowered my tolerance.
I swung open the door, glad I’d showered and put on some makeup.
“You’re okay.” He let out a breath. “I spent the whole night wondering if you had drunk yourself to death because of some lowlife talking nonsense about you on a vlog.”
I waved my hand. “It would take more than that to bring me down. What did you bring me to eat?”
He shook his head and strode inside. “Drinking alone is absolutely the worst way to do it. Who would know if you got in trouble?”
