I ignore her and begin scouting the club for a man.
This could be fun.
A little over four hours later, we’re both drunk and are sitting at a table with two guys of which I am trying my best to get Erin interested in one of them. He would be perfect for her. Tall, dark and wearing a suit, I’ve gotten out of him that he’s a lawyer and comes from a family of lawyers and has a judge for a father. He’s never been married, has no kids and is thirty-two. That’s a perfect match for Erin’s tastes, but she’s resisting him. Probably because I’m pushing so hard for it.
“I propose these two go out on a date at least, and see if they have anything in common,” his friend says.
I turn to him. “Yesh! Great idea.” I’m slurring my words all over the place. Directing my attention to Erin, I say, “I am sooo drunk . . . you jush need to say yes and then we can all go home and shleep.”
Erin throws her hands in the air. “Okay, yes, I will go on a date with you,” she says to the lawyer, “but you better be good in the sack ‘cause I’m sick of bad sex.”
I high five his friend. We’ve been working on them for hours. “Thank fuck,” I mutter and he laughs. I’m just about to say something else when my phone rings. Checking caller ID, my heart jumps when I see it’s Jett. “Hello, baby,” I answer the phone trying hard to get my slurring words under control and act sober for him.
He’s not fooled, though. “Are you drunk, sweetheart?”
I giggle like a bloody schoolgirl. I try not to but I can’t stop myself. Damn alcohol. “Jush a little, but it’s all good, ‘cause we finally got Erin to say yes, so it was all worth it.”
“Where are you?”
He sounds concerned so I do my best to put his mind at ease. “I’m at the club but I’m okay. We’re with two lawyers so they are safe.”
“What do you mean you’re with two lawyers? Fuck, Presley, you’re worrying me.” I can hear the worry in his voice but I can also hear his exhaustion and I feel bad that I’m causing more worry for him.
“I’m shorry, Jett, but you don’t have to worry about me. Erin and I are jush having a girl’s night out and I found a man for her. We’re going home soon. How was your flight?”
“Long.” His tone seems a little off to me but I figure it’s because my brain isn’t at full speed after drinking all that alcohol.
“You should go to bed and shleep,” I suggest.
“Baby, it’s the morning here, and we’ve got a day of interviews scheduled.” His voice still sounds off to me but I ignore it. “How are you getting home? Please don’t tell me the two lawyers are taking you home.”
My brain kicks into gear and I finally figure out what the off sounding tone of his voice is. “Jett, I’m not going home with them if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Fuck, Presley, I’m not worried about that. I’m just concerned for your safety. You’re off your fucking face, out with strangers, and I think I have every right to be worried about you. And on top of all that, I’m so fucking far away and feel helpless, so please do me a favour and go outside and find a taxi while I’m on the phone to you. I need to be focused today for these interviews and I know I won’t be if I don’t know you are home safe.”
Oh.
Shit.
I click my fingers in the air to get Erin’s attention. “We have to go. Now.” I stand and wait for her to follow. She must sense the urgency in my voice because she stands straight away and says goodbye to the lawyers, of which I have forgotten their names so I just wave and say, “Bye,” before stumbling towards the front door of the club.
“Presley, are you still there?” Jett says into the phone.
“Sorry, yes I’m still here and we’re leaving now so I’ll let you go. I’m shorry I made you worry.”
“Wait, no, don’t go yet. I want you to stay on the phone until you get home.”
My mind is an alcoholic mess and all I can think is that I have already held him up when he’s got much more important things to do than worry about me getting home so I say, “Jett, you should go so you can get ready for your insherviews. I’ll call you later.” And then I hang up so he can go and do his work. When he calls my phone back a second later, I silence it and slip it into my bag. I don’t want to waste anymore of his time. Better to let him go and deal with his interviews.
Erin slips her arm into mine as we walk out to the taxi. “Did you just hang up on Jett?”
“Yeah.”
She tsks me and says, “You do realise he’ll be in a mad panic right about now, don’t you?”
I frown. “No, he’s busy with interviews so he’ll be focusing on that now.”
“Good God, woman, you are fucking clueless when it comes to that man. He fucking worships you, and I bet you, he’ll be over there in LA running around like a madman trying to get in contact with you.”