Page 108 of June: Jess' Story

“Honey,” Sandy rubs my back. “When's the last time you took a break?” A break? What’s that?

“No clue.” I finally open my eyes when the sound of glasses scraping against the counter wakes me up.

“Drink all three, eat the potatoes,” Jim sets down a plate of eggs and home fries in front of me, “and then you and I are gonna have a chat,” Sandy says firmly. I look at the cup of coffee, glass of water, and the bloody mary and my stomach rolls.

I don’t protest, though. I just say, “Yes, ma’am.” It’s the only appropriate response to the queen. When I start lagging during the eating process, Sandy urges me.

“Damian is gonna be here to pick you up in an hour, so unless you start talking now…”

“Damian?” I ask, confused.

She laughs. “Oh honey, you really don’t remember?” Oh god.

“No?”

“You don’t remember him showing up and pulling you off the tables?”

“Oh gawd, that was Damian?”

“The devil himself.”Great.

Thanks to a quick shower, and the generosity of Sandy, I no longer smell like the booze sweats. I toss Rudolph into the trash can in the guest bathroom, but on second thought…I pick the sweater back up. This thing deserves to be burned.

After a torturous debriefing of the previous night's events, I couldn’t function without cleansing away some of my sins. Which included yelling at Rick for giving me shots of water, dancing on the bar, dancing on the tables(plural), dancing on the barstools, and losing my wallet and phone somewhere in the process. Oh, and I most likely made a pass at my friend.

The perfect end to the perfect day.

“Hey,” Damian knocks on the doorway to the guest suite.

“Hey,” I say back, then walk out of the bathroom and take a seat on the bed. He comes and sits next to me and my cheeks bloom with heat because I owe him one embarrassing apology.

“I’m sorry about last night.” I drop my head to his shoulder to hide my shame.

“What do you have to be sorry about?” he asks.

“Well, for making a drunken pass at you.” He chuckles.

“Was the highlight of my year,” he says softly, then takes my hand in his.

“Why am I at Sandy’s anyways?” I sort of sit up, asking the question that obviously should have happened sooner.

“Thought you could use a break from the circus.” Ahh yes, the dads were on Eden duty last night.

“We’re messes again, aren’t we?” I ask him and he nods.

“Yup.”

“I think I’m finally messier than you…”

“Well, not so fast here. I’m the one who got dumped by their fiancé a month before the wedding.”

“Oh yeah, well my fiancé married someone else.”

“He what?” Damian pulls away from me, shocked.

“Brit didn’t tell you?”

“No, I haven’t even seen her yet…I’m really sorry, Jess.”