Uncovering my face, I look around the living room. I remember Cece heading upstairs last night while I was cleaning up the kitchen. I don’t remember choosing to sleep on the couch instead of going upstairs to my bed. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t attempt to make it up the stairs, considering the fact that I don’t even recall passing out on the couch. I slowly get up and shuffle to the kitchen, where the smell of bacon is strong enough to make me want to gag.
“Morning.” Cece beams, and my eyes narrow on hers. I don’t know how she can be so chirpy when I know for a fact that she drank just as much as I did last night.
“Morning.” I lead my girls past her to the back door and let them out.
“Coffee?” she asks when I reach the island, and I nod once and settle my ass on the stool, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep for at least twenty-four hours.
“Thanks for last night. I needed that,” she tells me, setting a cup of coffee right between my hands.
I take a sip, eyeing her over the rim of the cup and wondering how it’s possible she looks like she had the best sleep of her life, when I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck then ran over by a line of cars following it. “I’m glad you feel better,” I mumble, setting my cup on the counter, too tired to hold it any longer.
“I do.” She smiles, but then the expression falls away as she tips her head to the side. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little green.”
I feel green. The sip of coffee I took is currently swirling in my stomach and fighting to get back up my throat. Closing my eyes, I wonder if I’m still drunk or just hung over.
“Maybe you should go lie down. I’ll take the girls to school. I was planning on doing that anyway.”
“I have work,” I tell her, resting my head in my hands and pushing my hair away from my face, not admitting I’m pretty sure I’m still drunk and wouldn’t have taken the girls anyway. The only reason work is still possible is because I don’t have to be there for a few hours.
“I think you should call out and go back to bed,” she says sympathetically. “It would also be smart to eat something and take some Tylenol.” At the mention of food, my mouth floods with saliva, not because I’m hungry, but because the idea of eating makes me want to hurl.
“Okay, so no food.” She reads my expression. “Not yet anyway, but you do need to hydrate and sleep.” She pulls one of the biggest cups from the cupboard and fills it with water from the fridge. Then she assists me upstairs and into the shower, promising it will help. When I get out, she’s gone, but I hear her across the hall, attempting to keep the girls quiet before I listen to her usher them downstairs. I don’t bother getting dressed; I put on my robe and fall into bed, and within seconds of my head hitting the pillow, I pass out.
“Mimi.” I open one eye as my shoulder is being shaken aggressively and find Ruby with her face an inch from mine. “Mimi, wake up.”
“I’m awake. Is everything okay?” I ask her, sitting up, relieved the pain in my head is gone along with the constant turning in my stomach that I was feeling earlier.
She steps back, looking at me with wide eyes and an awkward smile curving her cute little mouth. “A boy is here for you.”
“What?” I look for my cell phone to check the time, but it’s not on the bedside table where I normally keep it. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Almost dinner time.”
My eyes widen, and panic lands in the pit of my stomach. “Dinner?” She nods, and I groan. I slept all day and then some, and I never called work to let them know I wouldn’t be in. Shit, I’m so going to get fired.
“Come on.” She tugs my hand. “Mom said to come get you.”
With a shake of my head, I follow her out of the room and down the stairs, wondering if Ken came to check on me when I didn’t show up for work. We hit the bottom landing, and Mercury and Retro circle my feet. Normally, I would stop to give them some attention, but the man sitting at the island in the kitchen in jeans and a long-sleeved dark-blue tee that is stretched across his broad chest has stopped me in my tracks. I want to turn and run right back upstairs, but he turns and looks at me over his shoulder then spins his stool around to face me, pinning me in place with his beautiful blue eyes.
“Hey, babe.” My toes curl and stomach dips at his soft tone and warm expression.
“Hey.” I lick my lips then ask the question on the tip of my tongue. “What are you doing here?”
“I stopped by the dealership to see you. They said your sister called to say you were sick. I tried calling you a few times, but you didn’t answer. I was worried, so I came to check on you.”
“Oh.” I shake my head then blurt, “How did you find out where I live?”
“I asked that girl at the front desk.” He shrugs.
“She just gave you my address when you asked her for it?” I mean, I believe him because Mandy doesn’t seem to be that bright, but I’m pretty sure that’s against the law, and if it’s not, it should be.
“If it makes you feel better, after she gave it to me, I told her she could get fired for giving out employee information to clients,” he grins.
I hear my sister laugh, and look around his broad shoulder, narrowing my eyes on her and watching her shrug. I roll my eyes at her when she points to him while his back is turned and fans her face in a silent he’s hot. I know he’s hot. The entire female population of the world and probably the galaxies surrounding ours know he’s hot.
“So, Talon, do you like spaghetti?” she asks him, and my stomach drops, because I know what’s coming next.
“I do,” he answers, turning toward her.
“Well, I always make enough to feed an army, so please feel free to join us for dinner,” she invites.
“I’m sorry. I can’t tonight.”
Closing my eyes, I say a silent thank Goodness.
“Mimi.” Ruby tugs on my hand to get my attention. I open my eyes and tip my head down toward her. “Your boob is out.” She pokes said boob, and I look down, seeing one breast spilling out of the gap in my robe.
I gasp, grasping my robe across my chest. “Umm… I’m go-going to g-get dressed. I’ll be back,” I stutter out right before I spin on my heel and rush upstairs with my girls following behind me.
When I reach the bathroom, I look at my reflection in the mirror. I look like I feel—exhausted and still slightly hung over. Even with the headache and nausea gone, I feel out of it, like I slept too long but still need to sleep longer. I quickly turn on the tap and splash some cold water on my face, brush my teeth, then rip a brush through my hair before giving up and tying it up in a messy bun. I don’t even bother trying to find something decent to wear. I pull on a pair of bicycle shorts and a baggie long-sleeved tie dye shirt with the logo for Def Leppard printed across the chest then look at Mercury when she whines.
“Sorry I’ve been neglecting you, girls.” I get down and give her some love then do the same to Retro when she pushes her sister out of the way. Not feeling great but knowing I can’t leave my sister and Talon alone too long, I whisper, “Come on.”