The Billionaire And The Waitress (gxg)

55 - a burst

EVERYTHING had begun swaying, and Adrien was pretty sure it was not sea sickness from the boat. 

     She had no idea what she'd been thinking downing back so many shots. Maybe it was the security camera footage of the lobby that she'd had her private investigator hack into, showcasing Muse and Ryan's minute-long interaction. Or maybe it was the eight consecutive times she had replayed it, trying to figure out if Muse's body language indicated that she found Ryan attractive. Yeah, maybe that, she thought.

     Her tolerance for alcohol hadn't been so low in years. She was used to partying every weekend. But since she'd met Muse, there were only a handful of times she'd gotten drunk―one of which had been at her wedding almost two weeks ago.

      So much had changed since then. It felt like a lifetime had passed, each a day a decade.

      She'd replayed that night in her head, over and over. Wondering how she could have fixed it, wondering if there could have been any way to repair the damage. 

      She'd wanted to marry Muse because she loved her. So she'd lied. Maybe it could have been fixable. But the second Grey had interjected, she'd lost her chance at redemption.

      The only scenario she could see, in which she ended up with Muse in the end, was blackmailing her father and then immediately getting down on one knee―a real proposal―to ask for Muse's hand in marriage.

     But she'd been too much of a coward. She'd been too afraid to lose Muse. She was still too afraid of losing Muse. She had never wanted to agree to this stupid fucking deal of being friends. Fuck friends. Fuck friendship. Fuck besties for the resties. 

     "What?" said Muse, looking down at her. "Did you say something about resty?" 

     Adrien leaned back on the couch. "No. I just feel a little nauseous." 

     After realizing how drunk Adrien actually was, Muse had led her by the hand like a gentle mother to the captain's cabin on the boat. All she'd had to do was smile prettily at one of the employees and ask them for a quiet, secure place for Adrien to sober up a little. The employee had been practically eating off her hand. He'd led them to the top part of the boat, next to the captain's control centre, and unlocked the door to the cabin for them. 

      "Let me know if you need anything else for your friend," he'd said, his eyes on the neckline of Muse's sweetheart dress.

      Adrien had wanted to murder him in cold blood for looking at her like that. For looking at her at all.

      "My wife, actually," Muse had said, smiling winningly, and shut the door in his face.

      The inside of the captain's cabin was plush and warm. The boat didn't feel as unsteady up here, or maybe it was because there were no windows that revealed the rocking of the ocean waves.

       Adrien did not want to throw up in front of Muse. 

       "There's a bathroom right there if you need it," Muse said, as if sensing the direction of Adrien's thoughts. 

       "I don't," Adrien said immediately. Her stomach rolled. "Okay, maybe I do."

        Muse took her hand, again so fucking gentle, and led Adrien to the bathroom. Adrien collapsed on the cold marble tiles almost immediately and hugged the toilet bowl.

        "You should wait outside, Muse."

        She crossed her arms. "I'm not going anywhere, Adrien Vitale. Who's going to hold your hair back?"