Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“Where did you two meet?” I ask her, partly out of conversation, partly out of curiosity.
They grin at each other. “Well,” Alan says, his chest practically puffed out, “I met her at a conference. Doctor Ron Teethington was in town doing a lecture. If you don’t know, he’s one of the leading health experts on gum disease and how it manifests itself into long-term illness. He’s one of the reasons why we’re fighting to include dental work into BC’s health care plan.”
Blake snorts. “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” he says, waving his hands. “He’s an expert on teeth and his name is Ron Teethington?”
Alan frowns, exchanging a wary glance with Georgia. “I’m not sure what the problem is,” he says.
Yup. That’s the Alan I remember.
“Are you shitting me?” Blake exclaims, laughing now. “Teethington!”
“Easy, Sterling Archer,” I warn Blake, elbowing him in the side.
“Doctor Teethington is the leading expert in his field,” Georgia tries to explain, not appreciating our lack of reverence for her beloved dentist.
Blake looks at me as if to say, you were with this guy for four years?
I paste another smile on my face, aiming it at them as I grab Blake’s arm. “Well, it’s been really nice to see you.”
“Did you know that Georgia is in med school?” Alan adds quickly. “She’s going to be a genetic scientist. She’s going to cure the world of all diseases. How about that for a career?”
We’re not even together anymore and yet he still has to take a shot at my writing.
“Wow,” Blake says drawing out the word and widening his eyes in mock shock as he looks at Alan. “That must mean your dick is a lot bigger than mine. Congratulations.”
I have to clamp my lips shut to keep from laughing as I haul Blake toward the bar and away from their confused faces.
“Oh my god!” I exclaim as we get to the bar, swatting him across the chest. “Now he’s not going to get the joke and he’s going to think he has a larger penis than you.” I look over at them across the room, yelling, “Which is so not true!”
“Two beers,” Blake says to the bartender before turning to me. “I cannot believe you were with that guy for four years. Oh my god. How did you not go bloody insane?”
I shrug sheepishly. “I settled. I was flattered and then I settled.”
“Don’t you ever fucking settle for me, you promise?” he asks, holding out his pinky finger.
I roll my eyes but shake on it. “I’m not settling for you. I’m practically pining for you.”
“Oh really?” he asks, folding his arms and raising his chin. “And this is you pining?”
“I’ve been showing my pining through blow jobs.”
“Hmmm. I guess I approve.”
The bartender slides us our drinks but Blake motions to him. “And a shot of Jameson for the lady and me. Make it two.” He winks at me. “Open bar.”
“You’re driving,” I hiss at him.
“We can cab it if we have to,” he says. “Something tells me we’re going to need a lot of booze to survive this cock up.”
“What happened to just going home?”
“Eh, now that I’m here I want to get my money’s worth.” He takes the shots from the bartender and hands me mine. He holds his up. “Here’s to open bars.”
“To open bars,” I say.
“And to us.”
And even though that perpetual smirk is on his lips, I can see the depth in his eyes, the warmth, the need, the want. The fact that he absolutely has my back through all of this.
“To us.”
We slam back the shots—both of them—and then the beers. And then rinse, repeat.
It’s not long before I’m completely wasted. I should have eaten something beforehand, but I was just too nervous and Ana’s dinner of cold beet soup and rye bread wasn’t exactly appetizing.
Blake seems to have my back though. He’s with me nearly every step of the way, even indulging me with a drunken dance, until Sarah sequesters me by myself, introducing me to her fiancé David, whom I think seems nice but looks like the type of guy who would wear an ascot (if those even exist anymore) and get weekly manicures.
While Sarah blabbers on and on about David, in front of his face, I get more and more drunk.
One of the last things I remember is seeing Blake across the room talking to Georgia and Alan of all people. He seemed to be passionately explaining something and then all their heads swiveled my way.
I think I smiled and waved.
I’m not really sure.
Then all the world went black.
“It’s okay,” Blake says soothingly.
It’s not okay.
It’s never been less okay.
I’m on my knees in his bathroom, hunched over the toilet, vomiting my guts out.
At least it didn’t happen last night but I can’t be sure of that.
Meanwhile, Blake is holding my hair back for me, even though I’ve tried to push him away a few times.