stepped out into the chilly night air. Whitney was glad to have Chace so close and she told herself that was just because it was freezing out. Still, she couldn’t deny that she was a little disappointed when he pulled his head away from her shoulder.
She had to stop running into him before something crazy happened. It was scary because she’d never felt this warm and shocking thing before, but she couldn’t say it was unpleasant. That would have been a lie. And that fact made what she felt even scarier.
* * *
After they helped Chace fall into the backseat of Whitney’s car they closed the door after him.
“What if he throws up back there? Aren’t you leasing this thing?” Melinda asked as they slid into the front seats.
“He’ll be fine. Plus, the seats are leather. Almost anything will come right off them. Unless he bleeds back there or something, and I don’t see that happening.” Whitney turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.
Melinda turned to the back of the car. “Where do you live?”
“The Gateway Apartments. Number…two…thirty…four,” Chace said, mumbling into his arm, which he had thrown across his face.
Whitney drove to the Gateway Apartments, which were not that far from Main Street, where the bar was. Melinda kept throwing her glances that said Whitney was crazy, but Whitney just grinned, shook her head, and kept driving. She wouldn’t have felt right leaving the nearly incoherent man to find his own way home.
Besides, she couldn’t get that image out of her head from the 7-11 when she’d first seen him. And some irrational part of her wanted to stay with him as long as she could since she would probably never see him again. Then again, hadn’t she said the same thing at 7-11? But really, why or how would they ever see each other again after that night?
When they parked in front of Chace’s building, they helped him out so that they could all walk up the exterior stairs to the second floor landing. Then, they walked to the door of apartment 234.
Whitney and Melinda stood at the door while Chace fumbled through his keys with slow, clumsy fingers.
“Here. It’s one of these.” Chace slurred his words, handing Whitney the key ring. She tried each key until she found one that fit the lock. She turned it, unlocking the door. Whitney and Melinda walked inside, nearly dragging Chace between them. Her purse slipped down her shoulder to her elbow, and she let it fall to the floor because it was easier than trying to catch it. She would pick it up on her way out.
“You know, you guys really didn’t have to do this.” Chace’s head hung forward. “It’s really sweet of you. You’re nice. Both of you. Really. I wish everyone was as nice as you.”
“Which way is the bedroom, Chace?” Whitney asked.
“That way.” He pointed straight back.
Whitney didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended that he hadn’t taken her question the wrong way. Looking down at him, she decided that he probably wasn’t even capable of taking it the wrong way that evening. Then again, even though she didn’t know much about him, he didn’t seem like the garden variety lecherous jerks she usually attracted in bars and clubs late at night. The more she thought about it, the more she really thought Chace had just had a bad day. She could sympathize with that. Hers hadn’t been great, either.
He leaned against her, settling his head onto her shoulder. His breath was warm against her neck. Her heart fluttered for a moment. She had a sudden, strong urge to sleep next to him all night so he could leave his head right there. Disturbing. Good thing Melinda was there so that she would have to be rational.
“Beautiful Whitney,” he whispered. She moved a little faster toward the bedroom. The quicker she could get out of there, the better.
She flipped on the overhead light and they helped him stumble across his bedroom. Walking him over to the
She had to stop running into him before something crazy happened. It was scary because she’d never felt this warm and shocking thing before, but she couldn’t say it was unpleasant. That would have been a lie. And that fact made what she felt even scarier.
* * *
After they helped Chace fall into the backseat of Whitney’s car they closed the door after him.
“What if he throws up back there? Aren’t you leasing this thing?” Melinda asked as they slid into the front seats.
“He’ll be fine. Plus, the seats are leather. Almost anything will come right off them. Unless he bleeds back there or something, and I don’t see that happening.” Whitney turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.
Melinda turned to the back of the car. “Where do you live?”
“The Gateway Apartments. Number…two…thirty…four,” Chace said, mumbling into his arm, which he had thrown across his face.
Whitney drove to the Gateway Apartments, which were not that far from Main Street, where the bar was. Melinda kept throwing her glances that said Whitney was crazy, but Whitney just grinned, shook her head, and kept driving. She wouldn’t have felt right leaving the nearly incoherent man to find his own way home.
Besides, she couldn’t get that image out of her head from the 7-11 when she’d first seen him. And some irrational part of her wanted to stay with him as long as she could since she would probably never see him again. Then again, hadn’t she said the same thing at 7-11? But really, why or how would they ever see each other again after that night?
When they parked in front of Chace’s building, they helped him out so that they could all walk up the exterior stairs to the second floor landing. Then, they walked to the door of apartment 234.
Whitney and Melinda stood at the door while Chace fumbled through his keys with slow, clumsy fingers.
“Here. It’s one of these.” Chace slurred his words, handing Whitney the key ring. She tried each key until she found one that fit the lock. She turned it, unlocking the door. Whitney and Melinda walked inside, nearly dragging Chace between them. Her purse slipped down her shoulder to her elbow, and she let it fall to the floor because it was easier than trying to catch it. She would pick it up on her way out.
“You know, you guys really didn’t have to do this.” Chace’s head hung forward. “It’s really sweet of you. You’re nice. Both of you. Really. I wish everyone was as nice as you.”
“Which way is the bedroom, Chace?” Whitney asked.
“That way.” He pointed straight back.
Whitney didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended that he hadn’t taken her question the wrong way. Looking down at him, she decided that he probably wasn’t even capable of taking it the wrong way that evening. Then again, even though she didn’t know much about him, he didn’t seem like the garden variety lecherous jerks she usually attracted in bars and clubs late at night. The more she thought about it, the more she really thought Chace had just had a bad day. She could sympathize with that. Hers hadn’t been great, either.
He leaned against her, settling his head onto her shoulder. His breath was warm against her neck. Her heart fluttered for a moment. She had a sudden, strong urge to sleep next to him all night so he could leave his head right there. Disturbing. Good thing Melinda was there so that she would have to be rational.
“Beautiful Whitney,” he whispered. She moved a little faster toward the bedroom. The quicker she could get out of there, the better.
She flipped on the overhead light and they helped him stumble across his bedroom. Walking him over to the
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