Page 13 of The Encounter
Before she knew it, she felt a bump from behind her and glanced back to see that Kayla and Robert had joined them on the dance floor. Somehow, this gave her the encouragement she needed to really dance with Jace.
One song turned into two, and two into three. Then they were back at the bar. All four of them this time with shots in hand. They made a toast to new and old friends and downed their shots before Haley poured them a third.
Maddie knew she was going to regret it tomorrow, but at the moment, she didn’t care.
5
Waking up in her own bed the next morning, Maddie rubbed at her forehead. The headache she figured would be present wasn’t hitting her yet. She squinted her eyes against the sun streaming in around her blinds and then looked at the clock. It was almost noon.
After sitting up, she looked at her nightstand where a glass of water and two aspirin sat. She didn’t remember putting those there. She took a long drink and popped the two aspirin into her mouth before stepping out of bed.
Then it hit her like a freight train. There it was. The headache. It pulsed, making her squint and squeeze her temples with her palms. When she stopped seeing stars, she walked out into the living room where Kayla and Robert sat on the couch watching a movie.
Maddie leaned against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut.
“You doing okay, sweetheart?” Kayla asked.
“I feel like death.”
“I’m sure you do with all those shots you put down.”
Maddie pried her eyes open and thought to the night before. She frowned as the last thing she could remember was taking her third shot with everyone and then... nothing.
“Oh God. Did I embarrass myself?”
“No. You were just wasted. Jace actually brought you back here and put you to bed. We came back a few hours later.”
Maddie stared at them in alarm. “You let a man whom I barely know bring me home and put me to bed. ALONE?”
“He’s a good guy. I wasn’t worried.”
Robert snorted. “She threatened to cut his balls off if anything happened to you.”
Kayla shrugged. “It was fine. The man didn’t violate you. He took good care of you and put a glass of water and aspirin by your bed. In fact, he was sitting on the couch watching TV when we got back.”
Maddie shook her head. Jace Locke brought her back home and tucked her into bed, and she doesn’t even remember it. “Oh God. I must have embarrassed myself.”
“Nah. I doubt it.”
Maddie continued to stare at them incredulously. “This is unbelievable. I mean, was I puking? If I blacked out, I must have been puking.” Then she looked down at her outfit. “And who changed me into pajamas?”
Before anyone could respond, a knock sounded on their front door. Since Maddie was already standing, she walked over and peeked through the peephole only to find Jace on the other side.
“It’s him!” She spun on her heel and walked the few steps back to the living room to face Kayla and Robert.
Kayla held a hand up as if to ask what her point was. “Okay... so answer it.”
Maddie stared wide-eyed at Kayla and then looked down at her attire. She was still wearing her pajamas, and she hadn’t even looked in the mirror yet, but she could imagine how awful she looked.
She looked back wildly at Kayla. “Wait a minute! Who dressed me in my pajamas?”
Kayla only gave her a look, and Maddie rolled her eyes.
Maddie smoothed her hair, hoping it wasn’t sticking up in several directions and opened the door.
Jace smiled back at her and held up a bag from a local bakery in one hand and a holder with four coffees in the other. “I come bearing gifts.”
The guilty look that passed over his face told her he had heard her through the door. Her face flamed.
