silly!” Katie laughed.
Branson nodded to the DJ as if they
had some secret bond and the song instantly changed to “Teardrop”
by Mezzanine. Katie laid her head on Branson’s chest as she enjoyed
the way his arms felt around her. He was strong enough to protect
her, yet gentle enough to hold her and make her feel like she was
the only woman in the world. She felt tears sting her eyes when the
reality of her emotion hit her. She felt alive when she was with
Branson, and when she wasn’t she thought about him constantly. His
eyes disarmed her, his dimples made her giggle, and his body sent
an electric current from her toes to the top of her head whenever
she came in contact with it.
Her breath hitched in her throat,
causing Branson to pull back and look at her. His eyes roamed her
face. “What’s wrong?”
Katie blinked back the tears that
threatened to spill over. She gazed into his eyes for what seemed
an eternity before replying. “I—I’ve fallen in love with you,
Branson.”
Branson responded with a deep kiss
that left Katie balancing on unsteady legs. He felt her wobble and
wondered if she had too much to drink already. “Are you all
right?”
Katie flashed a crooked smile. “You
make my world spin when you kiss me like that.”
“ You have no idea how much
I like making your world spin,” he whispered into her ear and
kissed her neck.
“ Hi, guys!” Maggie and
Mike were on the dance floor, interrupting the moment before things
got out of hand.
“ Hi. Having a good time?”
Katie asked.
Maggie grinned and nodded her head.
“As soon as this song is over, we’re doing a round of
shots.”
“ Not me!” Katie
objected.
“ Oh, yes, you are. Finals
are over and you promised to let me show you how it’s done.” Maggie
grinned.
When the song finished, they were back
at the table, shot glass in hand. “Okay, what are we drinking?”
Branson asked.
“ China White’s. Bailey’s,
Crème de cocoa, and a dash of cinnamon.” Mike answered.
On Maggie’s count, they all drank and
slammed the small glasses onto the table. Maggie looked at Katie
and laughed. “It was good though, right?”
Katie grimaced, and then smiled. “Mmm
hmm, reminds me of Christmas and hell all at the same
time.”
Maggie ordered a round of Snake Bites,
Branson chose Kamikazis, and Katie attempted to order a drink that
she created on the spot. “Bring us something pretty. I like blue.
Do you make blue shots?” Katie’s words were slurred as she held
onto her chair, trying not to slide out of it onto the
floor.
“ Okay, I think we’re done
here. We’d like to settle up the tab now.” Branson handed the
bartender his credit card.
Katie leaned on Branson as they walked
to the car and nudged him when she saw Mike and Maggie holding
hands. She tried to whisper as she wrapped her arms around
Branson’s neck, “Maybe she’ll go to his place so you . . .” Katie
pressed her finger into his chest, “and I . . . can be alone. Or we
could go to your place. Is your roommate home?
“ As much as I want to be
alone with you, it won’t be when you’re drunk. I want all of your
senses on board.”
“ I’m not drunk, I’m just
relaxed.” Katie pouted.
“ Mmm hmm, I’m sure.”
Branson kissed the top of Katie’s head and helped her into the
car.
They arrived safely at her dorm, where
he made her drink a glass of water and take two Ibuprofen tablets
before putting her to bed. After tucking her in and kissing her
forehead, he slipped out and shut the door behind him.
***
“ Please . . . ungh . . .”
Maggie flipped on her bedside lamp and rushed to Katie’s side of
the room. She held her shoulders, trying to soothe her shaking
roommate.
“ Katie, wake
up.”
Disoriented, Katie tried to focus on
the person looming over her. “Maggie? Shit! Again? I’m sorry. Go
back to sleep. I’m okay.”
“ You sure?”
Katie nodded and wiped the tears from
her face with the back of her hand. “I’m sure. It
Branson nodded to the DJ as if they
had some secret bond and the song instantly changed to “Teardrop”
by Mezzanine. Katie laid her head on Branson’s chest as she enjoyed
the way his arms felt around her. He was strong enough to protect
her, yet gentle enough to hold her and make her feel like she was
the only woman in the world. She felt tears sting her eyes when the
reality of her emotion hit her. She felt alive when she was with
Branson, and when she wasn’t she thought about him constantly. His
eyes disarmed her, his dimples made her giggle, and his body sent
an electric current from her toes to the top of her head whenever
she came in contact with it.
Her breath hitched in her throat,
causing Branson to pull back and look at her. His eyes roamed her
face. “What’s wrong?”
Katie blinked back the tears that
threatened to spill over. She gazed into his eyes for what seemed
an eternity before replying. “I—I’ve fallen in love with you,
Branson.”
Branson responded with a deep kiss
that left Katie balancing on unsteady legs. He felt her wobble and
wondered if she had too much to drink already. “Are you all
right?”
Katie flashed a crooked smile. “You
make my world spin when you kiss me like that.”
“ You have no idea how much
I like making your world spin,” he whispered into her ear and
kissed her neck.
“ Hi, guys!” Maggie and
Mike were on the dance floor, interrupting the moment before things
got out of hand.
“ Hi. Having a good time?”
Katie asked.
Maggie grinned and nodded her head.
“As soon as this song is over, we’re doing a round of
shots.”
“ Not me!” Katie
objected.
“ Oh, yes, you are. Finals
are over and you promised to let me show you how it’s done.” Maggie
grinned.
When the song finished, they were back
at the table, shot glass in hand. “Okay, what are we drinking?”
Branson asked.
“ China White’s. Bailey’s,
Crème de cocoa, and a dash of cinnamon.” Mike answered.
On Maggie’s count, they all drank and
slammed the small glasses onto the table. Maggie looked at Katie
and laughed. “It was good though, right?”
Katie grimaced, and then smiled. “Mmm
hmm, reminds me of Christmas and hell all at the same
time.”
Maggie ordered a round of Snake Bites,
Branson chose Kamikazis, and Katie attempted to order a drink that
she created on the spot. “Bring us something pretty. I like blue.
Do you make blue shots?” Katie’s words were slurred as she held
onto her chair, trying not to slide out of it onto the
floor.
“ Okay, I think we’re done
here. We’d like to settle up the tab now.” Branson handed the
bartender his credit card.
Katie leaned on Branson as they walked
to the car and nudged him when she saw Mike and Maggie holding
hands. She tried to whisper as she wrapped her arms around
Branson’s neck, “Maybe she’ll go to his place so you . . .” Katie
pressed her finger into his chest, “and I . . . can be alone. Or we
could go to your place. Is your roommate home?
“ As much as I want to be
alone with you, it won’t be when you’re drunk. I want all of your
senses on board.”
“ I’m not drunk, I’m just
relaxed.” Katie pouted.
“ Mmm hmm, I’m sure.”
Branson kissed the top of Katie’s head and helped her into the
car.
They arrived safely at her dorm, where
he made her drink a glass of water and take two Ibuprofen tablets
before putting her to bed. After tucking her in and kissing her
forehead, he slipped out and shut the door behind him.
***
“ Please . . . ungh . . .”
Maggie flipped on her bedside lamp and rushed to Katie’s side of
the room. She held her shoulders, trying to soothe her shaking
roommate.
“ Katie, wake
up.”
Disoriented, Katie tried to focus on
the person looming over her. “Maggie? Shit! Again? I’m sorry. Go
back to sleep. I’m okay.”
“ You sure?”
Katie nodded and wiped the tears from
her face with the back of her hand. “I’m sure. It
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