Aiden’s voice was even clearer. Could he barbeque with Bubba? You know it’s Bryant’s favorite meal. And he hasn’t seen you for a few days.
“Aiden,” Jonah interrupted. “I don’t know. I’ll try. I took Bry and Amalia swimming recently.”
She knew, but she was just saying. Bryant misses his favorite uncle.
The guilt trip worked wonderfully because Dani heard Jonah sigh, “I’ll come for dinner tomorrow night. Yes, I’ll barbeque.” He cleared his throat. “I have to go.”
He had never looked away from Dani. And he murmured now, tossing his phone onto her dresser, “I always fall for it. She dangles my niece and nephew, and I do whatever she wants.”
Dani heard him, but she wasn’t listening. She was paying attention to what her body was saying, what it wanted.
There was a pause that hung between them.
Jonah asked, “Do you want to go or…?”
She knew what would happen if they stayed, and drawing on strength that she didn’t know she had, she stood up. “Let’s go to Mae’s Grill.”
Two shots equaled…
No. That wasn’t right. She had more than two shots. How many? Her fingers would tell her. She knew it. They never lied. How many fingers did she have?
“There you are.”
When they got to Mae’s Grill, Kate declared it was Shot Night, and the title was self-explanatory. Shot after shot after…shot…after…Dani lost count. She hadn’t meant to take them, but they ended up down her throat. Somehow. And now the world was all fuzzy, but not Jonah. He bent down in front of her, and she could only smile at him. “You’re so pretty. Do you know that?”
He chuckled as he slid his arms underneath her, lifting her in the air. “Up you go. It’s time for bed.”
She touched his face. It was so smooth and so masculine. His jaw was one of those that made women melt. Strong. Square-like. Oh yes. He was very delicious. She understood why that woman rubbed herself against him, like a cat. She said, “You’re not hairy. Cats are hairy.”
“Yes. They sure are, and I’ll tell you what I am. I’m sober.” He carried her back to the parking lot, putting her in the front seat of his car. Then he pointed to the backseat where Kate was. “Unlike you and Kate. Come on. I’m driving you both home.”
Dani turned around. “Hey, Kate!” She frowned. “You’re not hairy either. That’s good.”
Kate groaned, her voice muffled against the carseat, “I love him. Why do I love him?”
“Who do you love?”
But Jonah answered, getting into the car, “Because Robbie is intelligent, good-looking, and he’s the yang to your ying. Right, Katie?”
“That’s right.” She sniffed against the seat.
Dani frowned. “What are you crying about?”
“I love Robbie, and he doesn’t love me back.”
“Robbie doesn’t want Lori,” Jonah clarified, pulling out of the parking lot. “He just thinks he does, but he doesn’t.”
“What do I do, Jonah? What do I do?”
“You flirt with him, and then you flirt with someone else. You go on a date with someone else.”
“I don’t want to go on a date with someone else. I want to go on a date with Robbie. I want to have sex with Robbie.” She giggled. “S.E.X.”
“Trust me. Date someone else and Robbie will wake up.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
Kate sighed. “I’m so glad you’re around lately. You’ve been around a lot more than usual. Nights like these you’d usually be off getting s.e.x.” She laughed, hiccupped, and groaned. “Not again.”
Dani laughed and then clamped her mouth shut. Vomit. Vomit was coming. She couldn’t speak, but she patted Jonah’s arm.
Jonah swerved to the side. “Shit!”
Dani shot through the door and emptied her stomach onto the county highway’s pavement.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Go to sleep.” Jonah moved around the car, kneeling beside Dani. His hand began to brush her hair back and he sank down until he was sitting. “Okay. That’s not good. Get it all out, Dani. You’ll feel better afterwards.”
She didn’t need to be told. She was already doing it, or her stomach was doing it. Over and over. And over. There was nothing left inside when she finally stopped, breathing raggedly. Her hair was a mess. She had puke breath, and she was sweaty all over.
“Fuck.” She moaned.
Jonah chuckled softly, rubbing her back. “You think you’re done?”
She shook her head, so weak. She knew there was more. Her stomach was already cramping. A groan came from her, and soon she was going once again. Jonah sat with his back to the car. He pulled Dani onto his lap with her head hanging off to the side, far enough to not splatter either of them.
After another round, she asked, spitting extras from her mouth, “What’s Kate doing?”
“She passed out.”
“That was fast.”
“The booze helped.” Jonah rubbed her shoulders and arms.
“I can’t feel my arms. I can’t feel my legs. I can’t feel my lips. Nothing.”
“But you can still feel him, can’t you?”
“Yes,” Dani relented. “God, yes.”
Oh yeah. That was how those shots got down her throat. She went to Mae’s Grill and saw that woman Boone had been with. He wasn’t there, but damage done. She didn’t wait for Kate to offer the first round of shots. A tray was brought to the table, and Dani grabbed one and threw it back.