Witha quick wave, she disappeared down the short hall and up the stairs to her wailing son.
As I pushed myself up, mybody felt as if it weighed 300 pounds and it took me more time than I’d like to get to a standing position. Perhaps I should’ve moved more rather than sit as still as a statue and pour back those merry drinks. I shook my head, which was the wrong thing to do as the room started spinning, and I tossed my arms out the side.
“Whoa.” Jesse jumped beside me. “A little too much to drink?”
I stared at his handsome face. He had a lot of scruff, that sexy 5 o’clock kind, and I wanted to run my hand over it. However, according to everyone in the room, I was still a married woman, and it would’ve been highly inappropriate.
“Nope.” I popped thep. “I had just the right amount, thank you, and I’m feeling pretty good.” I tried to whisper.
Eric laughed. “Well, those were some highly tainted drinks.”
I thrust a thumbs up sign and smiled. At least I thought it was a smile. “Awesome. Just what I needed.”
Jesse had an arm wrapped around my waist.“Let’s get you back to my place.”
His gaze pulled me close, and along with drowning my sorrows, the alcohol smothered my inhibitions. “Okay,” I breathed out as a sly grin stretched across my lips. It was far too easy to stare into those dark brown eyes, the irises lined with a halo of amber.
“Need ahand?” Eric asked.
“Why? I can walk on my own two feet.” I stood straight just to prove my point and then tittered to the leftand caught myself against Jesse’s firm chest.
Jesse grippedmy waist tighter as he answered Eric. “I’m good, man. It’s a short walk.”
A short walk that somehow seemed to take the better part of ten minutes because I couldn’t get enough of the twinkling lights in his yard andneeded to stand and watch, mesmerized.
“They’re so pretty.”
“I’m glad you think so. C’mon.It’s getting cold out.”
Reluctantly, I let him lead me inside whereindeed it was nice and warm. There was a hint of redness on his cheeks, and a sparkle in his eyes that matched the lights outside.
“It’s been quite theday, hasn’t it?” Jesse shrugged out of his jacket and helped me out of mine.
“Yeah. I locked all my belongings into my new placebefore I headed here. I haven’t even unpacked. Movers dropped off the boxes, and without a thought of what to do with my life now, here I came.”
“A new placeis always nice.” Jesse pointed towards the stairwell. “Up we go.”
“Did you know I’ve never lived on my own?” I stepped on the first stair and contemplated the second. “Left home for college with roommates, and left college for Charlie, and now, I’m in my own place.”
I leaned against the wall after climbing four stairs. It required too much energy, and the little I had left Iwanted to save for the climb into bed. Waiting a minute wasn’t going to hurt anything. Besides, I needed to catch my breath. I started sliding down the wall to rest on the stair.
“Oh no. Only a few more to go.” Jesse reached for my hand and gave it a gentle tug. “C’mon. You’re almost there.”
The alcohol seemed to give a voice to the words I’d held back for so long, and a little misdirection from the sweet guy wasn’t going to stop me.
“It was over between us for so long. He’d already moved out but graciously offered to let me stay in the house until it sold. Wasn’t that nice of him?” The last three stairs were the hardest, but I gave it my best with Jesse’s tugs and stood at the top victorious. “Ta-da.” My arms flew out to the sides. “Isn’t Charlie the best?”
“I honestly wouldn’t know.” He walked me to the door of my temporary lodgings.“Are you okay to … you know… take care of getting ready for bed?”
“Oh yeah. I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.”I stepped into the room. “G’nite, Jesse.”
I slumped onto the bed and the room darkened.
# # #
I woke with a throbbing headache. What the hell had I done last night? And what was worse, what had I unloaded on Jesse? Faint memories tickled my thoughts and slowly, the realization of it came to fruition. I had confessed about my failed marriage. To a stranger. I hadn’t even told my own sister.
I sat up in bed, and after seeing it was after eight, listened. Aside from the faint rolling sound of waves crashing on the shore, there didn’t seem to be any other sound in the house. No movement, no shuffling of feet, not even a snore. After freshening up in a very neat and tidy bathroom, I inched my way downstairs and into the hall.