A Slip of the Hand

Chapter 6

Strange memories from the night before flash through my mind as I slowly slip into consciousness. I'm at Daniel's place? I'm not sure if I can even trust my memories; everything's so hazy and scattered. This large, modern room certainly isn't the motel, so if I'm not at Daniel's place, then I'm in even bigger trouble than I think.

Daylight peeks under floor-length black curtains that wrap around half of the room. I sit up and notice a dark wooden dresser with frosted glass drawers and—what are the odds—a clock on top. The large red numbers read 11:34.

"Fuck!"

Checkout is at noon, and I don't even know where I am! I throw back the jet black covers and almost scream: there's another pair of legs in bed with mine, and—to make things worse—I'm only wearing a large white t-shirt and undies.

I scramble to re-cover myself as Daniel stirs next to me and opens his eyes.

"Morning!" he says cheerfully.

Shit, shit, shit! I don't remember going to bed with him! "What happened last night?"

"How much do you remember?" he asks with a chuckle.

I really don't see what's so funny about this, and to top it all off, time is ticking away.

"I remember waking up and vomiting, but not really anything after that," I reply briskly. Then my cheeks burn as I consider what I'm going to ask next: "Did we...?"

"Oh, no way! No. Way. Don't worry!" he responds, and that phrase makes me want to worry even more.

"So then how did I end up nearly naked and in bed with you?"

His smile fades, and his eyes lock onto mine. "I was really worried about you. I even thought about taking you to the hospital. I wasn't going to leave you alone in case you started vomiting again."

I'm so embarrassed, but I feel like I could melt despite it all. I know he could be lying, but I want to believe him.

"I can't believe I got that drunk," I groan.

"You were pretty gone," Daniel says, and his face softens into a faint smile. "How do you feel?"

"Actually, pretty fine—just tired. I guess if you throw it all up, the hangover isn't as bad. So, where are my clothes?"

"Well, some things are hanging to dry, and the rest is in the guest room," Daniel replies.

"Oh god! Did you see me naked?"

"Only mostly..." he replies with a smirk.

My cheeks blaze. I wish I could punch that stupid look right off his stupid, perfect face!

I turn away from him, and the large red clock numbers remind me of my looming deadline. "Oh shit, I need to go! Do you know where my purse is?"

Daniel nods and climbs out of the enormous bed. "It's in the guest room. I'll go grab it."

I huddle in his silky bed covers and glance around the room while he's gone. It's dark in here, but I can still tell it's nice. His furniture looks curated and his room thoughtfully designed, which alone makes it fancier than all the guys' rooms I've seen before. But then again, I've only really known college boys.

Daniel makes a speedy return and tosses me my purse. Then, he sets my clothes on the bed, including my damp dress and my bra. Having a near stranger handle my bra is definitely an unfamiliar experience for me.

"I'm going to go make coffee," he says.

When I look at my phone, I'm shocked that I don't have any missed calls or messages from Ellie. In fact, it's alarming. I quickly call her, and my heart beats harder and faster with each unanswered ring. It goes to voicemail. Shit.