Chapter 5

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“Fucking Fireball,” I groaned when I woke up the next morning. My head was pounding and my throat felt like I gave head to a cactus. No bueno.

Even worse? I wasn’t alone in bed. A mop of blonde hair was piled up on the pillow on the other side of the bed. Fuck. I did a quick check and found I had a pair of shorts on. Thank fuck. I liked her and she was fun to hang out with, but having sex with her was probably a really bad idea.

Godric was a fucking dick.

I rolled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom so I could piss and brush my teeth. My entire body felt like rusty metal. I shook a few ibuprofen onto my palm and tossed them in my mouth. I leaned down to drink out of the tap and then I moved to the toilet. Pale blue caught my eye and I looked to the right to see a bra and panties hanging off the towel bar.

Was Sookie naked?

Ugh.

I flushed the toilet and washed my hands before I brushed my teeth. My head was still pounding when I got back to bed. I flopped on it face down and I heard Sookie whimper.

“Shhh,” she shushed me quietly.

“I didn’t talk,” I whispered.

“Hmm,” she hummed and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

“You naked?” I couldn’t tell with all the blankets on her.

“No.”

Good.

“Me either,” I said. I definitely had a blank spot in my memory, but I know she saw me naked last night before we got in the pool.

“Good. I saw too much of you last night.”

“You liked it.” I pulled on the blankets, making Sookie whimper again.

“You’re fishing for compliments,” she said, tugging the blankets back.

I growled and shifted closer to her. If she wasn’t giving up the blankets, I was going to be a giant cat and curl up around her. She was all warm and snuggly.

“You’re making me hot,” she murmured.

“You stole all the blankets,” I reasoned. I kept the air conditioning cranked up for a reason.

“It’s cold without them,” she argued.

“I know. I set the thermostat.”

“Well, fuck,” she muttered. Sookie rolled over and nuzzled into my chest.

“Ibuprofen is in the bathroom if you need it,” I told her. I doubted she was getting up anytime soon.

“Mmkay.”

I adjusted the blankets a little bit and Sookie’s arm draped over my stomach. I didn’t mind it. We both felt like shit. My eyes closed and in no time I was asleep.

There wasn’t much time to think about the fact that we were barely dressed and cuddling before I conked out again. It was Sookie climbing over me that woke me the second time. She was wearing one of my shirts but that seemed to be it. I rolled onto my side and reclaimed my comforter until Sookie came back and manhandled it away from me.

“Bitch,” I muttered.

“I blame my headache on you,” she told me.

“Blame Godric.” I would have stuck with just beer.

“Asshole,” she muttered. “The hobbit, not you.”

“You’re a good snuggler,” I said, changing the subject.

“It’s because I’m fluffy,” she told me. “So are you.”

“I’m fluffy?” I wasn’t even sure how she was fluffy. Her hair, maybe? I didn’t know how that made her a good snuggler, though.

“No. You’re a good snuggler.”

“Thanks. It’s one of my favorite things,” I admitted.

“Me too.” She didn’t hesitate to snuggle into me again.

“I’m surprised you didn’t snuggle up with Godric,” I told her.

“His shirt didn’t fit me so I ended up in here. And he’s a bigger asshole than you.”

“That’s possible?” I didn’t realize it right away but I started playing with her hair.

“Apparently since he started the Fireball,” she murmured.

“Good point.” I yawned and my eyes closed again. I shouldn’t have been so comfortable cuddling with her. Then again, it wasn’t that big of a deal, was it?

“When I can move again I’ll make you guys breakfast,” she offered quietly.

“Good. We can’t really cook,” I admitted. We could barbeque, but that was about it.

“Figured as much,” she giggled softly. “I was raised by a southern grandmother. Ya’ll are in for a treat.”

“He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Then when you take me home I’ll cook for just you,” she suggested.

“Works for me.” I couldn’t see myself getting out of bed anytime soon.

“Fuck,” she groaned. “I need to get my car too.”

“I know. We’ll get it. After the sun goes away.”

“Good plan,” she yawned. “Hey, I got a number last night.”

“Drooly McGee?”

“He wasn’t drooly,” she giggled. “His name is Ben and he’s nice.”

“You gonna call him?”

“I think I am. It’s time to get out and start dating,” she replied.

“Good for you,” I told her.

“I think so. Also, I think I decided it’s time to get back into shape. I don’t feel good in my own skin.”

“So no more donut cart?” Bummer.

“I will donut cart with you. No more butter and pecan ones though. I can do extra laps. There’s a gym in my complex.” Sookie stretched, rubbing her body against mine.

“Fuck, now I want an orange glaze donut with cranberry filling,” I sighed. “It’s a good thing I quit basketball. I’m not in game shape anymore.”

“You’re in fine shape. Believe me, I saw it all last night,” she chuckled.

“That’s not game shape, believe me.” She could Google search for old pictures of me.

“I’ll Google game shape,” she said.

“Go for it. Try to control yourself when you do,” I teased.

“Believe me, I’m not worried about it,” she replied with a small snort.

“I saw the look on your face last night,” I taunted. “Those red cheeks betrayed you.”

“You stripped down to nothing, what did you expect? You kept telling me to take it off,” she told me.

“I like boobs.” She appeared to have good ones.

“Oh, I know. You tried to grab Betty and Wilma more than once.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Lying doesn’t become you,” she smiled.

“I’m not really sorry,” I shrugged.

“I know.”

“Besides, you put up a valiant defense.”

“Did you touch them? I honestly don’t remember,” she laughed.

“I don’t think so.”

“Good,” she replied.

“They looked really… buoyant.” Her tits were enormous and looked really good in the water. No matter what, I was a man; I was going to look.

“I’m pretty sure they’re the only reason I stay afloat,” she told me, leaning back to poke her boob.

“I don’t have awesome tits and I float.”

“That’s your ego,” she deadpanned.

“Oh hangovers make you a comedian, huh?”

“Possibly,” she smiled.

“Your routine needs work,” I chuckled. It made my head hurt.

“I’m sure it does. I’ll practice my stand up in my shower later.”

“Good idea.” I pulled the blanket up to block the light from my face.

Sookie rolled back over and buried her face in my pillow. It wasn’t like I suddenly had all these warm and fuzzy feelings for her; I just liked the snuggles. I liked that we didn’t feel weird doing it. Well, I didn’t. Drooly McGee probably wouldn’t approve. I wasn’t going to worry about him.

“Still want to go to Vegas with me?” I asked her.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“Drooly. Or because I’m an asshole. Did I snore too loud?”

“I was out like a light. I didn’t notice if you snored,” she told me. “And I like that you’re an asshole. It’s one of your better qualities. I also haven’t known Ben long enough, or at all, to change the Vegas plan. Even if I did know him better I’ve never let any man be the boss of me. Fuck him if he doesn’t want me to do things with my friends.”

“And I’m cuter,” I added.

“I don’t know, his dimples are pretty adorable,” she pointed out.

“Dimples, schmimples,” I said dismissively.

“Jealous that he might be cuter?” she teased.

“Hardly.” I wasn’t jealous.

“Okay.” I wasn’t sure she believed me.

“Would you be jealous if I got a girl’s number?”

“Why would I be? I don’t think you’re jealous about the number, but that he’s cuter.”

“I see. You’re wrong, but I see.”

“Good to know,” she chuckled.

“So why’d you move to Arizona?” I asked her a few minutes later.

“The ex was moving out here for work. We’d been together over two years and I thought he was the The One, so I followed him. When we split, I was just starting a new job so I decided to stay,” she told me.

“Fair enough.” I rolled onto my back and stretched.

“Where are you from originally?”

“Chicago. Well, just outside of it,” I replied. “Chicago was literally across the street from the house I grew up in.”

“That’s kinda funny,” she giggled quietly. “It’s weird moving to the extreme, dry heat coming from all the humidity back home.”

“Tell me about it. I constantly feel like I’m standing in front of an open oven door.”

“It’s gross,” she said. “I may have to come over here to swim more often.”

“I’m getting used to it. The pool helps.”

I liked crashing with Godric but I couldn’t stay forever. I was saving up the money for a down payment on a house and getting my credit rating back up. It had taken a dive for a while. I could admit the money got the better of me and I spent way more than I should on a lot of stupid shit. I was still recovering from the bad decisions. I hoped to be in my own place in the next few months.

“The pool at my place is too tiny so I stay in the AC instead.”

“There’s this lake nearby…”

“It would’ve had to feel comfortable and have asshole friends like you to force me to go,” she pointed out. “My self-confidence plummeted with the accident and weight gain. I’m trying to get better, though.”

“It’s a process. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?” I put my hands behind my head and crossed my ankles.

“So they say. Apparently God created all of earth in a week, though,” she giggled.

“That was just a planet. Cities are much more complicated, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Sookie rolled over and sat up. She adjusted the shirt she was wearing before she stood up so she didn’t flash me and headed to the bathroom.

I whistled at her anyway. She wasn’t really my type but I could admit she was a pretty girl. The ego boost couldn’t hurt, right?

“Yeah, yeah,” she said over her shoulder, waving her arm in the air.

“No fries with that shake?” I joked.

“I’m not a fry fan,” she giggled as she closed the door.

“You’re no fun!”

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and opened my text messages to text my sister.

Oh fuck…

There was a picture of Sookie and me in the pool. Both of us were topless, although Sookie’s arms were crossed over her chest. I had no recollection of it, but apparently I decided to tell Pam at three in the morning that Sookie was coming along with me. Great. I sighed and resolved to never drink Fireball again.

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