Текст книги "On the Record"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

Chapter 12

TWENTY-FIRST

Liz placed another bobby pin in her uncooperative honey-blond hair. She had been putting her hair up and pulling it down for the last thirty minutes, trying to make it look good enough to go out for her twenty-first birthday. Victoria had told her that a ton of people were meeting them. Liz was already tipsy from the Jell-O shots Victoria had made to pregame with, and she was kind of worried about her liver making it through the night.

The weekend with Hayden had gone by so fast, despite the mess-ups. It was as if every time he did something good and cute and wonderful . . . it reminded her of Brady. And then there was Calleigh. Still, Hayden had tried to end their time in Charlotte as best he could. He had taken them to a little Italian restaurant called Villa Antonio’s that had spectacular food and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Then they had retreated back to the hotel for another night of fun.

What Liz couldn’t understand was how Hayden wasn’t upset at all that she hadn’t told him that she loved him. She just couldn’t seem to get the words out. And as with everything else, he hadn’t pressured her or made her feel bad. He had just smiled and kissed her.

She wondered how long that would be good enough.

With Hayden she just didn’t know. He always surprised her with the depth of his understanding.

At least for now he wasn’t pushing her. In fact, he was playing the designated driver for her and Victoria for the night. He had been planning to go out with them, but Victoria had put her foot down.

“You stole her all weekend!” Victoria said, shaking her head. “I didn’t even get a shot with her at midnight.”

Hayden shrugged and kissed Liz’s forehead. “She’s my girlfriend. I can’t help that I want to spoil her.”

“Spoil her. Steal her. Same thing,” Victoria said. “I’m going to spoil her tonight. And by spoil her . . . I mean steal her.”

Hayden raised his eyebrows. “You’re saying I can’t be with my girlfriend on her birthday?”

Liz rolled her eyes. Oh brother . . . this was going to go downhill quickly.

“I’m saying that you already spent time with you girlfriend for three whole days. I want to spend time with my best friend, and I don’t need some uptight guy cramping my style. This is about Liz and needing some quality girl time. With me! Don’t worry, Lane,” Victoria said, patting his shoulder. “I’ll take real good care of your girl. I’m super responsible.”

“Oh dear Lord, you’re going to end up in jail!”

Liz laughed and shook her head. “Ye of little faith! Vickie doesn’t get caught.”

“Stop calling me that!” she snapped.

They laughed then, but Hayden had eventually agreed to sit this one out. As much as they bantered, Liz didn’t think Hayden actually wanted Victoria to dislike him.

“Are you ready, bitch?” Victoria called from the end of the hall. Liz blew her hair out of her face and shrugged. It wasn’t getting any better than this.

“I love when you dress like a slut,” Liz said when she walked out to see Victoria in a red dress that sheathed her voluptuous frame and mile-high spiked heels. She was busting out of her top and her already thick makeup was darkened and heavy, with bright red lipstick to match.

“What? This is like every day,” Victoria said with a wink.

“Uh-huh.”

“At least you look fabulous on your birthday.”

“Is that a compliment?” Liz asked, glancing down at her outfit. She had chosen a short lace dress in white with skinny straps that cut down into an eye-catching square neck courtesy of her balconet bra. She knew she had a nice rack, but she didn’t normally show it off. Tonight was not one of those nights. Vibrant blue heels gave her an additional four and a half inches on her frame and accentuated her already toned legs.

“Don’t get used to it.”

Liz laughed just as they heard a knock on the front door. Hayden walked in without waiting for someone to answer, and Liz smiled brighter when she caught a glimpse of him. Clay had told her Hayden loved her over New Year’s, but it was different hearing him say it and knowing that he meant it. Whatever she was feeling . . . while it might not be love . . . it was definitely something strong.

“Ready to go, gorgeous?” he asked, pulling her into his arms and kissing her on the lips.

“All ready.”

“I’m not sure I should let you go out like this alone. You’re going to have people fighting for your attention.”

“You’re ridiculous. No one is going to be fighting for anything except Victoria and the shots she’s going to be buying,” Liz said with a bemused look in Victoria’s direction.

“Yeah, shots. Let’s go so we can have some,” Victoria said, shouldering past Hayden. “And I already told you, Lane. She’ll be fine in my capable hands.”

Hayden glanced over at Liz as Victoria sauntered out the door. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to let me stay?”

“You don’t have to convince me. You have to convince her,” Liz said, pointing at Victoria’s retreating back.

He groaned and nodded. “Come on. There’s no hope for her.”

They all piled into Hayden’s Audi and he drove them the short distance to Franklin Street. They lived only about three streets from where the bar was, but in heels it wasn’t a super fun walk.

Victoria jumped out of the car as soon as Hayden pulled over to let them out. Liz leaned over and kissed Hayden softly on the lips.

“Have a fun time,” he said.

“We will.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

“I’ll come pick you up at bar close, all right?” Hayden said, his voice earnest. She could see the worry line forming between his eyebrows; the war going on in his head was written all over his face: he was clearly not comfortable letting her go off with Victoria, but he trusted Liz.

“Sure. Try not to worry,” she whispered, dropping a hand on his sleeve. “We’ll be fine.”

Hayden grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for one last kiss. “I know you will, but I’ll be here in case you aren’t.”

“Thanks,” she said softly, before popping her door open and moving to leave. “I’ll see you later.”

“About time,” Victoria said, tapping her foot. “Let’s get drunk.”

Liz laughed and followed her friend into the first bar. She couldn’t even remember the last time it had just been the two of them out. Hayden was usually with them, and she didn’t usually drink much when he was around. Before she had started dating Hayden she hadn’t gone out at all. She just hadn’t been into it. The last time might have been when Victoria came back from London last summer. Brady had picked her up that night and they had met his best friend, Chris. That felt so long ago.

It was so long ago.

Victoria strutted straight up to the bar. “Kyle! It’s my best friend’s twenty-first birthday and she needs to get so fucked up that she doesn’t remember anything!” she announced to the bartender loudly enough for anyone else to hear.

Liz groaned. This was going to be a long night.

Kyle looked up at Liz, who took a place next to Victoria. His eyes lowered to her chest and then back up to her face. Liz felt the color rushing to her cheeks, but he just smiled and winked at her. “Shots coming right up.”

That was the beginning of the end.

Liz wasn’t exactly a lightweight. But by the time Massey showed up at the bar, Liz had had enough drinks in that short time frame that whatever concoction she was drinking tasted like fruit punch.

Victoria just laughed at her. “It’s not Kool-Aid, I swear.”

“What is she even drinking?” Massey asked with a giggle as she fluttered her fingers in Kyle’s direction.

“I don’t know.” Victoria shrugged. “Kyle, what is she drinking?”

“Kool-Aid,” Liz answered immediately.

“It’s a 3AM and vodka mixture with cranberry,” he called back to Victoria.

“See, not Kool-Aid.”

Liz thought she shrugged, but her eyes felt heavy and she wasn’t sure what her body actually did. “What’s 3AM?”

“Oh my God, who let you drink this much?” Massey said, covering her mouth and almost shaking with laughter.

“3AM is caffeinated vodka,” Victoria explained.

“Yeah, it’s what the bartenders drink to stay awake,” Massey followed up.

“It tastes like Kool-Aid.”

“No it doesn’t! It tastes like shit!” Massey cried.

“Here, try it. It’s so good,” Liz said, shoving it into Massey’s hand.

“Um no . . . I’m more of a Maker’s Mark kind of girl. You should probably slow down if you want to be coherent. Where is Lane? Shouldn’t he be taking care of you?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I’m totally fine,” she slurred, and hugged the glass back to her chest.

“And the point is that she shouldn’t be coherent on her twenty-first,” Victoria corrected her.

“You know he would freak if he found you like this.”

“He’ll get over it. I’m barely even drunk,” Liz said.

Massey snorted and laughed. “Yeah. Okayyy.”

Liz moved forward and put her drink on the bar. “I’m going to the bathroom. Watch that.”

“One, don’t put your drink down. Someone could roofie it. Two, you shouldn’t go anywhere alone. Hello, have you heard of rape?” Massey asked, rolling her eyes. “I’ll come with.”

“Oh my God, you baby her,” Victoria said, rolling her eyes.

“I’m fine, Massey. Just stay here and keep someone from fucking Victoria!”

Victoria burst out laughing. “Why are we keeping someone from doing that?”

“Because you’re drunk,” Liz said as she started laughing for no reason at all.

“What the fuck have I gotten myself into?” Victoria groaned.

“Come on. Bathroom,” Massey said, directing Liz in the opposite direction. “Watch her drink!”

“Fine!” Victoria said.

Liz stumbled to the back of the bar with Massey assisting her. The more she walked the sicker she felt. She really needed to sit down. Maybe she was a little drunk.

“Please do not throw up,” Massey grumbled when they walked into the bathroom.

“I’m not going to!” Liz replied defensively.

Well . . . she wasn’t going to now.

She fumbled with the door and walked into the bathroom stall. Once she locked the door, she pulled out her cell phone. She had three texts from Hayden.

Liz shrugged and scrolled through them. Be safe. Blah, blah, blah. Same stuff. She would answer him later. Maybe.

That made her giggle.

She clicked over to Facebook and scrolled through her newsfeed, commenting randomly on different statuses. Not anyone she really wanted to talk to. No. The person she wanted to talk to probably didn’t even have a Facebook. Or at least, he probably only had an official page.

That made Liz laugh again. She had never checked whether Brady had an official page. She had always gone to his website instead. But he had to have one. Only made sense.

She typed his name incorrectly three times into the box before getting it right. There it was. Yep. Nothing interesting. Same as his website. It’s not like he was going to be posting pictures of him and his girlfriend. She rolled her eyes.

Whatever. Girlfriend.

Stupid word.

She could probably still get ahold of him if she wanted. Girlfriend be damned.

Liz searched her phone for the various numbers programmed into it. She didn’t know if the line he had used on campaign for his office was still active, and he changed his work number frequently enough because of people tapping into his line that there was no way that one still worked. Plus, he didn’t take work calls this late.

That left his personal number. The one he reserved strictly for family.

It was amazing that even through her addled mind the details of his personal schedule from the summer came back to her clear as day. She didn’t think she would ever forget that time of her life. Even if it only hit her in moments now.

Liz bit her lip and clicked the number. She started typing out a message before she even had a chance to think about it.

It’s my birthday and I want to cash in my congressional favor.

She giggled and placed her phone back into her purse. After relieving herself she hurried out of the stall.

“Jesus, what took you so long?” Massey asked, typing away on her own phone.

“I think I’m drunk,” Liz said while washing her hands.

“Um . . . yeah.”

The girls walked out of the restroom and back to Victoria, who was standing and talking to Savannah.

“Savannah!” Liz cried, giving her a big hug.

Savannah raised her eyebrows at her. “Um . . . hey. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s do shots and then head to a bar we can dance in,” Victoria announced.

Kyle poured five shots full of something that smelled like lemons. He passed them across the bar and kept one for himself.

“Just close me out.”

“Anything for you, V.”

Victoria pushed one over to Savannah, who shook her head. “Oh no, sorry. I’m not drinking.”

“Um . . . I just bought you a shot. So you’re drinking.”

“Come on!” Liz called. “It’s my birthday.”

“Um . . . maybe just one. But nothing after this.”

“Don’t be so uptight, Maxwell,” Massey said, nudging her in the ribs. “It’s okay to have a good time in college. You’ll still get into Congress even if you drank underage once.”

Savannah’s cheeks heated as she took the glass in her hand.

Liz reached out and shoved Massey. “Don’t be a bitch. She doesn’t even want to go into politics. Don’t you know your newspaper staff?” Liz asked through her drunken haze. She didn’t like anyone messing with her friends, especially after Savannah trusted her. All the alcohol kept her inhibitions down. “Don’t be rude!”

Massey’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “Feisty much, Liz?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have to be if you weren’t being an asshole.”

“Whoa!” Victoria said, raising her glass up to silence them. “Drunk Liz wants to get into a fight.”

Massey shrugged. “I was only joking,” she said to Savannah.

“It’s fine,” she said tightly. “Let’s just do the shot.”

“Agreed,” Victoria said.

Liz felt her phone vibrate in her purse and butterflies flew around her stomach. Had Brady actually responded? What had she even said to him? It hadn’t been that long ago, had it? God, she didn’t even remember.

“Happy Birthday, Liz,” Victoria called.

Everyone raised their shot glasses and cheered her. Liz realized what was happening and held her shot glass up too. She tipped the glass back and let the liquid slide down her throat.

Whoa! That was strong.

They set the glasses back down on the bar and as they waited for Victoria to close her tab, Liz pulled her phone back out to check her messages.

One new message.

Carmichael Personal read on the screen.

Brady. Her stomach flipped. He had responded. She couldn’t believe it.

And what favor could a congressman offer to a girl on her birthday?

Liz’s heart stopped. Was he . . . teasing her? Shit! What had she said to get Brady to tease her? Liz reread her other messages and then Brady’s once more. Yeah . . . he was totally teasing her. She jotted back another drunken message immediately.

I can think of a few things.

I can think of more than a few. Perhaps you could be more specific.

“Are you drunk texting Lane?” Massey asked, coming up next to her as they walked in the street.

“What? Oh no,” she said quickly.

“Oh my God, you so are. What is he saying?”

“Nothing!”

“Is he sexting you? Because you are totally blushing.”

Liz’s face colored deeper at the accusation. “You think Hayden sexts?”

Massey wrinkled her nose. “No. You’re right. He probably doesn’t.”

“Are y’all talking about Hayden?” Savannah asked, listening in on the conversation. “Because that’s gross.”

“He’s not gross!” Liz defended him.

“No, he’s not! I didn’t mean it like that,” Savannah said automatically. “I just don’t see him like that. To me he’s like the boss.”

“Liz is fucking the boss,” Massey said giggling.

Liz rolled her eyes and hid her phone as she responded to Brady.

Things your sister wouldn’t approve of me discussing with you right now.

I bet she wouldn’t be the only one.

She bit her lip at the message. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, something was telling her to stop talking and not continue on this conversation. There was a reason that she shouldn’t be saying these things. Both of them shouldn’t. It wasn’t a good idea, and it wasn’t going anywhere. But she’d had too much alcohol to care at the moment. So she jotted out a text.

Please tell me you’re in Raleigh without the uppity nuisance.

She giggled to herself about her jab on Erin as Victoria directed them into a bar on the corner. Liz followed at the back of the pack, waiting for Brady’s response to her jab about Erin.

Uppity nuisance, huh? I’m in D.C. Don’t make me fly down there and remind you why he’s just a boring fill-in. I do believe we own his desk, after all.

Oh shit! She gasped loud enough that Savannah turned around and looked at her. Liz stuffed her phone back into her purse and tried not to look scandalized at the thought of she and Brady sleeping together on Hayden’s desk. Then she quickly pulled it out again and typed out a reply.

You wouldn’t.

Baby, are you asking me to prove it?

“Who are you texting anyway?” Savannah asked as they walked into the club Victoria and Massey had selected. Savannah looked concerned, but Liz couldn’t figure out why. Did she look that drunk?

“No one,” Liz said.

“We’re going to go dance,” Victoria called back to them as she and Massey threaded through the crowd.

“Someone should take your phone away from you,” Savannah said. “You can’t be forming coherent sentences with anyone at your level of inebriation.”

Liz glared at her. She didn’t want anyone to take her phone from her. Brady was talking to her. But as drunk as she was, she still didn’t say anything about that.

“I’m so totally fine.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “Why don’t we just go dance with Victoria and Massey? It might do you some good to sweat out some of that alcohol.”

“Seriously, Savannah. I’m fine,” Liz said as she stumbled forward and nearly tripped over her own feet.

Savannah grabbed her arm. “I know it’s your twenty-first, and I mean this with love, Liz, but please don’t do anything stupid. I really, really don’t want to have to call Hayden for you.”

“Um . . . yeah. No.”

“I mean, he can probably already tell how drunk you are from your texts.”

“Probs,” Liz said with a shrug as she pushed forward to the center of the dance floor to find Victoria. She didn’t want to continue that conversation. The alcohol felt as if it was sloshing around inside her head, and everything was getting jumbled.

Liz sent another quick message as she was walking.

So what if I am?

“Put that thing away,” Victoria cried over the music.

“Fine,” Liz snapped, shoving it back into her purse. “You guys are no fun.”

“The reason we left Lane at home is so that you’ll have fun with us. You can’t have fun with us while you’re messaging him,” Victoria told her.

The girls spent the next couple hours loading Liz up with more booze and dancing the night away with each other and any available hot guys. As much as Liz was dying to check her phone, she had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn’t get away with it again.

And as the night grew longer, her head got heavier and heavier. She felt pretty sick, but the dancing seemed to be helping. Maybe there was something to Savannah’s comment about sweating out the booze.

Savannah dipped out first. She claimed that she had a test to study for tomorrow and she would call to check on Liz after. She didn’t suspect Liz would be awake before then. Massey left about an hour before bar close. She found a hot fraternity guy that she knew and they disappeared with a hasty good-bye.

Liz and Victoria danced until Liz felt as if her feet were going to fall off. And that was saying something through her buzz.

“Let’s get out of here,” Liz yelled over the music.

Victoria nodded and gestured to exit the dance floor. She was wobbling on her heels too. If they had drunk enough for Victoria to be unsteady, then Liz knew she was well past drunk. Luckily the sick feeling had passed and she just wanted to walk off the rest of the haze in her mind.

“Close out?” Liz asked.

“Yeah,” Victoria agreed. “Call Lane and tell him to come get us.”

Liz shrugged and fished her phone back out of her purse. She hadn’t checked it in hours. There had been no room on the dance floor. Her fingers fumbled on the keys as she tried to figure out what the hell she was doing. What was she supposed to be doing anyway?

Two new messages.

As good a place to start as anywhere.

Okay.

Okay what? Liz scrolled up through the conversation. She had told him to prove it and he had said okay. Fuck. What was the next text?

See you soon.

Liz panicked. Fire alarms were going off in her head. God, she wanted to see him. She really, really wanted to see him. But seeing him was a bad idea. Hayden. She was supposed to be calling Hayden. She couldn’t call Hayden if Brady was coming to see her.

She did the first thing that came to mind. She clicked the number to dial Brady’s phone and prayed that he wasn’t already on a plane . . . or maybe that he already was. She didn’t know how she felt in that moment.

Drunk. She felt drunk. And sick. The sickness was coming back.

She started walking. Out of the bar and onto the sidewalk.

The phone rang twice before the line picked up. She held her breath. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but all along she hadn’t thought he would answer.

“Hey,” he said, his voice as sexy as she remembered it.

“Hey.”

“You called me on my personal line.”

“You were texting me,” she said, finding a bench and plopping down.

“I’ve been drinking.”

Oh.

“How much?” she slurred.

He laughed, and it was one of the best sounds she had ever heard. “Not as many as you, apparently.”

“More than one, though.”

“Many more than one,” he agreed.

“I’m drunk.”

“I can tell.”

Victoria’s voice rang out behind her. “Liz, where the fuck did you go?”

“Hold on,” she told Brady. She stood and waved at Victoria. “Over here.”

“Jesus! Don’t do that!” Victoria said. “Are you talking to Lane? Is he picking us up?”

“Let’s just walk home. I want to walk off all this booze,” she crooned, and started walking away without waiting to hear what Victoria had to say. “So . . . what was I saying? Oh, you can’t come visit.”

“I can’t or you don’t want me to?” That was the first line where she actually heard the alcohol in his voice.

“Liz, are you kidding me right now?” Victoria yelled. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

“Who is that?” Brady asked.

“My roommate. She doesn’t want me to walk home.”

“You shouldn’t walk home. I’ll come get you.”

“You’re not here,” she said, drawing out the E dramatically as she wandered aimlessly down Franklin Street.

Victoria grabbed her shoulder and halted her in place. “Who are you talking to? Give me the phone. We’re not fucking walking home!”

“Chill out, Vickie,” Liz said, swatting her hand away.

Victoria dodged her easily and nimbly grabbed her phone. Liz stumbled as she tried to reach for it. She couldn’t let Victoria talk to Brady!

“Hey, who is this? You know what—it doesn’t matter. Liz is really drunk and she has to go now. She’ll call you back some other time,” Victoria said into the phone and then ended the call. Liz’s heart sank. She had just hung up on Brady in the middle of their call.

“I’m calling Lane,” Victoria said, finding his number and dialing.

Liz plopped back down on the bench and tried to keep her head from spinning. It wouldn’t stop. And she felt so out of control. All the booze seemed to be hitting her at one time and she thought that she might be sick.

There was a trash can to the side of the bench, and Liz just made it as she unloaded the contents of her stomach into the bin. She retched repeatedly until it felt as if she had nothing left in her entire body. She felt the tears spring to her eyes and she tried to swipe them away, but it made her stomach clench. She hadn’t thought that she had anything left in her, but she doubled over and puked again.

“Fuck!” she heard Victoria cry behind her.

Her friend was at her side in an instant, holding her hair back, cleaning her up the best she could, and sitting her back down on the bench. Hayden arrived not long after that and drove them back to her house. Liz had enough sense to grab her phone back from Victoria before crawling into bed. But lying down was a bad move, and soon she had her face buried in the toilet.

Hayden stayed up half the night with her as she got sick over and over until she passed out into a delirious, dehydrated, exhausted slumber.