Crazy Maybe (6 page)

The DJ calls out to the audience, “What do you guys say – do we want Andi to do one more song for us?”  The drunk and disorderly crowd goes wild and the DJ looks at Andi, “You heard ‘em, girl, now sing it for us,” and he starts the music to
Buttons
, by the Pussycat Dolls. 

Perfect, for the next several minutes, I have to sit here and watch her moving her body in every suggestive and tempting way imaginable as other guys’ hands try to touch her.  She is definitely putting on a good show. 

A bouncer has to grab one guy who tries to climb onstage with her after she sings one especially enticing part of the song that basically says she can’t get the guy to help her take her clothes off.  Andi’s running her hands up and down her torso in the most seductive show performed outside a strip club.  Every fucker in here is revved up – all for her.

Andi finally leaves the stage and I see several motherfuckers lined up waiting to get her attention as she maneuvers around people on the dance floor.  She doesn’t stop for any of them but she gives them her warm smile as she keeps walking, including the guy she was dancing with earlier.  I’ve pushed nameless-girl out of my lap and not so nicely got rid of her.  She’s already found someone else’s lap to sit in.  Fine with me - maybe I can find a way to convince Andi that I’m not a complete dickhead.

Over the next hour, I watch Andi order one shot after another, dance with the girls and a few guys who try to cut in on them.  She keeps on until she’s barely able to stand on her own.  Even drunk, she ignores me when I try to talk to her.  I think she’s trying to get to the point where she’d let some random guy take her home.  Even completely shit-faced drunk, I still don’t think she has it in her to go through with it.  And that gives me much more satisfaction than it should.

ANDI

The little pinpricks of sunlight streaming through my closed blinds are causing me serious pain.  If I could remove my head and put it in a vice, I think I would feel much better, because I swear the damn thing is about to split in two.  I think I must have passed out before I had to experience the spinning rooms or the puking that always follows the spinning. 

I’m not really sure though because I can’t remember getting home.

Or getting undressed and into my bed.

Or who the hair sticking out of the covers belongs to.

Oh shit, what have I done?

I need to get to my bathroom, take some ibuprofen and drink some water.  I should’ve done it before going to bed last night, but with how I feel this morning, I’m pretty positive I didn’t. I don’t even know who is in my bed with me but I can feel that I’m not wearing any clothes.  This is so not good.  I look around on the bed and on the floor beside me until I find a shirt. 

A man’s shirt.  A nameless, faceless man that I don’t remember bringing home, or getting naked with, or getting in the bed with.  And he’s still here.  This won’t be awkward at all.

I snatch it up and quickly pull it over my head before I ease out of bed.  I’m doing my version of the walk of shame to my own damn bathroom.  I am pathetic.  I close the bathroom door and lock it behind me before digging the Advil out of the cabinet.  I take a long, hot shower, letting the water spray all over me and wash away whatever happened last night.  I feel more human, not quite full human yet but at least
more
human, after my shower. 

After I brush my teeth, comb my wet hair and wrap
a towel around it, I put on my robe and take a deep breath before stepping back into my bedroom.

And I freeze dead in my tracks. 

Luke is sitting up in my bed, leaned up against my headboard, with a stupid, shit-eating grin on his face. 
Of all people, why the hell did I have to bring him home with me?

“Good morning, sunshine,” he has the audacity to smile at me and sound chipper, “How are you feeling?”

“Better, after a shower.”  Even to my ears, my voice is flat and void of all emotions.  It’s the only way I’m keeping them in check because my head is precariously sitting on top of my shoulders right now and I’m desperately trying to not disrupt that balance.

His smile increases and his voice takes on a low, sexy rumble when he answers, “Good.  I was afraid you’d feel pretty rough.  Does that mean you’re up for a late-morning r
epeat of last night?”  He pulls the covers back on my side of the bed and pats the mattress, inviting me to get back into my bed.

Not one to back down, I can’t help but take this moment to burst his ginormous ego-bubble.

“I was actually hoping you could help me with that, Luke,” I say as I move to sit exactly where his hand was, forcing him to quickly move it out of my way. 

His smile quickly fades, but he isn’t giving up yet.  His brows are furrowed and his eyes are crinkled at the corners.  “Help you with what, exactly?”

“I’m afraid I don’t remember anything about last night.  How we got here.  Where my clothes went.  How we got in the bed together….”  I intentionally left it here, knowing he would take full advantage of my alcohol induced amnesia.

“Oh, yeah, baby, I can definitely try to help refresh
your memory.”  He slowly starts leaning towards me and I know he expects me to jump back away from him.  Sorry to disappoint you, buddy.

“Well, what’s strange is -- I’m not sore. 
At all.
  So if we had sex, as you’re implying, I guess that means you have a
really tiny
penis and I didn’t enjoy it much at all.  If that’s the case, then no, I’m not up for a repeat of last night.  One disappointment is enough for me.  Thanks for the offer though – I admire how you don’t give up.  Can I call you a cab to get home or do you have your car here?”

I keep a straight face while waiting for him to digest everything I said.  It takes about ten seconds before I see the red creeping up his neck until it takes over his entire face, ears and head.  The low, mean growl comes first, then his thundering roar comes soon after.  If my head felt just a little better, I would be more amused, but it really isn’t bad entertainment considering my current hangover state.

This time when he really does make a lunge for me across the bed, I jump up and scoot across the room farther away from him. 

“Something you’d like to say, Luke?”  I innocently ask.

“Say?  Oh no – I have nothing to
say
, Andi.  But I definitely have something to
show
you,” he challenges.

I sigh dramatically, “Luke, seriously, we don’t have to go through this again.  Your secret’s safe with me.  I promise.”

And now I know how fast the big guy really is – because he is out of my bed and has me pinned against the wall before I can even scream.  Not that I would have screamed because my head isn’t quite ready for that yet.

He grabs my wrists and pushes my arms up over my head, pinning them to wall.  The gleam in his eye is wild and dangerous….and sexy.  He grinds his hips into me, pushing his impressive erection between my legs as he growls into my ear, “Baby,
if
I’d made you mine last night, you would definitely remember it and you would most definitely still
feel
it this morning.”

A shudder runs down my spine and goose bumps pebble across my skin at his words, his insinuation and his possessiveness.  Right now, I am definitely not thinking about my throbbing head since I have other body parts that are throbbing in a very different way.  I’m actually glad he has me pinned to the wall with his weight, otherwise my knees would have already buckled and I’d be a quivering mess in the floor.  And I freaking love it!

Excuse me while I interrupt these thoughts to get back to the angry man in front of me.

He’s still in challenging mode, daring me to dispute his alpha-male, Neanderthal-ways, empowering words.  I answer him with my full-blown, mega-watt smile that neither laughs nor mocks him but lets him know I’ve just totally played him.  His eyes narrow as he studies me for a few seconds before realization and understanding crosses his face.

“You play a dangerous game, little girl,” he snarls, but with much less venom than just a minute ago. 

“You started this game, little boy,” I gently chide, raising my chin in defiance.

He shakes his head and I feel more than hear the rumble of his light chuckle as it ripples through his chest.  A chest that I have to say is pretty impressive, now that I’m getting a look at it while he’s standing in front of me wearing only his boxer briefs.  
Nice, very, very nice.
 

He widens his stance so that we were more even in height and puts his forehead against mine.  He is staring into my eyes and when he speaks, the sincerity in his voice is clear.  “I’m sorry, Andi – for what a jerk I’ve been.  Can you forgive me?  Give me a chance to make it up to you?”

LUKE

I’m holding my breath, waiting for her to answer me.  This girl has turned me upside down and inside out so many times in less than one day and I know I want to at least give this an honest try.  Last night, when I thought she’d went home with another guy, I was out of my fucking mind with jealousy.  Then when she saw me with the drunk nameless-girl, I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out.  For whatever reason, I know that hurt her.  

Which is crazy, right?  I mean we just met and I shouldn’t have even been concerned with what she thought or about hurting her with a one night stand.  But it does matter, I am concerned and I don’t want to do anything to hurt her.  So whatever this is between us, however far it goes, and where it takes us, I’ve decided to see it through to the end.  The only thing I know for sure is that today is not the end.

So now I’m just waiting for her to confirm it.  I’m still looking in her eyes and silently willing her to take a chance on me.  Again.  She lets out a small sigh and simply says, “OK.”  But her tone is genuine and heartfelt, just like she is.  I can’t stop the rush of feelings that suddenly engulf me. 

I brush my lips against hers once, then twice, and on the third time, she responds and kisses me back.   I still have her pinned against the wall and she feels so soft and sweet under me.  I release her hands and she immediately wraps them around me, rubbing her hands slowly up and down my back.  My hands move up and I pull the towel off her head then thread my fingers through her still wet hair.  I tilt her head slightly to the side and slide my tongue across the middle of her lips, urging her to open up and let me in.

When she does, I can’t contain my growl of approval and our kiss becomes urgent and demanding.  Her tongue is velvety soft and she drives me into a fucking frenzy with the way she caresses and sucks on my tongue.  Her hands are on my chest now and her fingers are lightly tracing the striations of my muscles, heating me to my core with no more than her touch on my skin. 

I’ve kissed countless women in my life, but in this moment, this is the first real kiss I’ve ever experienced.  This is the first kiss, the only kiss. that has ever branded me and rocked my entire world.  I am really getting worked up now and I know I need to back off.  I want to spend time with her, getting to know her and give whatever this is between us a fighting chance.  Reluctantly, I slow the pace until I can naturally pull away from her.

We’re both panting like we’ve just finished a marathon and we’re forehead to forehead.  After taking a minute to catch my breath, I finally feel like I can speak.  I step back so I can see her full reaction to my words.

“Andi, whatever this is between us, I want us to take it slow.” 

She gives me a skeptical look, like she thinks I’m feeding her a line.  She pushes herself off the wall to stand up straight and nods.

“Fine, if you want to go slow, then we’ll go slowly.  But I need to know what you mean by ‘
whatever this is between us.’
”

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.  I don’t know how to put in words what I’m feeling.  “I don’t know what it is.  I’m not a relationship kind of guy.  Or at least I haven’t been.  But I know I want you and I want to see where this goes.”

My answer does not please her, this is evident from the fire in her eyes that is darting out at me.  But she controls it impressively.

“All right, Luke.  We’ll see where it goes.  But just know that until you can say something other than you ‘want me,’ we’ll remain just friends.  And not friends with benefits.  We’ll get to know each other as friends first.”