02

#####02

Just great.

Of course Sarah managed to latch on to some thickly-muscled hunk and disappeared onto the dance floor with him. « I’ll be right back, » she slurred. « Right back, okay Lizzy, just stay right there. »

I leaned against the bar where she had left me, setting down my empty cup. My head was feeling light, and everything felt a little numb. Definitely drunk. Crap. A guy offered to buy me a drink, but he honestly looked just a little too much like Jay. I lied and told him I was waiting for my boyfriend to get back, motioning in the general direction of the bathroom.

And that’s when I saw him.

He was sitting at one of the few tall round tables in the place, chin resting on his fist. He looked like someone had picked him up out of a library and plopped him into a bar. He had tousled dark blonde hair, with a slim build and cheekbones sharp enough to cut a girl. Damn. Thin silver glasses sat on his nose, and he was . . . actually reading a book ?

In a bar ?

The liquor was giving me courage, and with a deep breath I sidled over.

« Hi, » I said, trying to seem casual and confident. He glanced up at me in surprise, as if he had forgotten that he was actually in a public place.

« Hello, » he said, with the slightest hint of a smile around his perfect lips. Oh god. The liquor was making me horny too.

« Are you really reading Marquis de Sade ? » I said, nodding at the book in his hands, Philosophy in the Bedroom. He laughed, looking at the book as if a little embarrassed.

« Yeah, ahh, » he shrugged. « Classes start tomorrow. I have to study up. You’re familiar with de Sade ? »

« I’ve read some of his short fiction, » I said. « He’s one seriously twisted fuck. »

That got him to laugh. I liked the way his eyes lit up when he did. He was nodding in agreement. « Yeah, I still haven’t quite been able to get through 120 Days of Sodom. Just so disturbing. But I find libertine philosophy, over all, to be pretty interesting-« 

« Heeeeyyyy, giiiiirl ! » Sarah suddenly wrapped herself around me, hugging me way too tightly. Wow, she was drunk. She still had hunky-boy with her too. She motioned to him, « This is Rich, by the way. Oooh, and hello, who is this ? »

« Kahlan, » he said, extending his hand to her. She looked confused, so he said his name again, louder this time. I don’t think it actually did any good, because she called him Caitlyn for the rest of the night.

« Come on, we need more drinks, » she said, tugging at me before her man-hunk shoved his way up to the bar. I really did not think I needed another drink. She definitely didn’t need one. I looked back at Kahlan a little helplessly.

« Do you want a drink ? » I said.

He got up from his seat, tucking the book under his arm. « Shouldn’t I be asking you that ? I’ll buy. »

Sarah was downing some pink thing with a cherry in it. Man-hunk was asking her if she could tie a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue. Now that he was standing, I realized how tall this Kahlan guy was. He wasn’t muscular, but he was well-built, slim and long. Like a pianist, or a painter, or something romantic like that. God. I really didn’t need another drink.

« I’ll get an Old Fashioned, » Kahlan said, before turning to me. « What would you like ? »

« Oh, same thing you’re having. » I was slurring. Dammit. He frowned.

« Are you sure ? »

I wasn’t. But I said I was.

My ability to form short term memories for the rest of the night was awful. I remember a lot of 80’s songs playing. I remember discovering that Old Fashioned’s tasted awful, so Kahlan finished mine for me. I had some vague recollection of grinding on him to Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Then we were on the sidewalk. My heels were in my hand because my feet hurt like hell and I was telling Kahlan that I could just walk back to my apartment because it was only two blocks. Sarah had gotten an Uber with man-hunk, but it didn’t matter because I knew this city like the back of my hand and I could walk two blocks at 1 in the morning no problem.

Kahlan got an Uber. « I’m not letting you out of my sight, » he said, helping me get into the car without hitting my head.

« Good, I’m not letting you out of my sight, » I said. I wasn’t really sure how loud I was speaking. Kahlan had this amused little smile on his face, but I still felt as if I should apologize. I hiccupped. « Sorry. Sorry, Kahlan. »

He looked genuinely concerned. « Why ? »

I bent over in the seat. I considered vomiting but decided that wasn’t a good idea. « I’m just so drunk, » I muttered.

I heard him laugh. That made me happy. « I know. Don’t worry about it. »

By the time we had reached my apartment, I knew exactly what I wanted. « You’re coming up, right ? » I said, as the car pulled to the sidewalk. He shook his head quickly.

« That’s not a good idea, » he said, but he sounded as if he regretted saying it. « You’re too drunk. »

I frowned and shoved him gently. « I’m not. Come on. Come up. You have to at least see me to my apartment right ? »

Kahlan considered a moment. His eyes – dark, chocolate-y brown – were suddenly hard when they met mine. Almost . . . scary.

« If I go up there, » he said slowly. « You’re not really going to get any sleep. »

I grinned, feeling a kid in a candy shop. I took his hand and pulled him along after me as we left the car. « Come on then. Sleep is overrated. »

I had forgotten what a mess my apartment was. I really hoped Kahlan wouldn’t notice. Luckily, he noticed Charles instead, my fluffy white cat, and he paused to give him chin scratches. He was hot and he liked cats ? God damn.

« Are you sure about this ? » he said, after I had managed to get him as far as the living room and then had to sit down on the couch. « You’re really drunk. » He kept saying that. Annoying.

« You’re drunk too, » I said. I had unhooked his belt from his jeans, and yanked it out of the loops. I folded it over and snapped it, mock-threatening. « Have you been a bad boy ? »