AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Holly tapped her fingers on the island counter impatiently as she waited for Eli to arrive back at the penthouse. He was an hour late for their early dinner meeting. Her stomach growled, and she swore under her breath before firing off an angry text.
I'm starving, Donnelley. If you aren't coming home, just say so.
She hopped down from the stool and strode angrily toward the fridge, yanking open the door to peer inside. It was filled with healthy fruits, eggs, and various cuts of meat.
Dammit, she could have made dinner instead of waiting for his overly late ass.
A key turning in the lock alerted her to Eli's arrival, and she bit down on her tongue to keep herself from lashing out. She wasn't just hungry, she washangry.
And a hangry Holly was an evil Holly.
Eli closed the door behind him and flashed her a sheepish grin. "Heyyyyy. Sorry, Wilkes. But look! I brought Chinese food." He held up three large bags. "We can eat here."
Holly took the bags from him, pausing to take in his disheveled appearance. His hair stood on end, his eyes were red and glassy, and his clothes were a wrinkled mess.
"Jeez-a-loo, did you roll out of a dirty laundry hamper?" She frowned, leaning in close enough to sniff him. "Eli, are youdrunk?"
He held his index finger and thumb together, then laughed as he followed her into the kitchen. "Uh, a little bit, yeah."
Holly set the bags down and crossed her arms. "Please tell me you didn't drive home like this."
His cheeks colored as he tossed his keys on the counter. "Of course not. I took an Uber. Left my car in the parking lot of... uh. Damn. Shit. I dunno. Somewhere."
"Wonderful. But drunk in the late afternoon? That's not like you.”
"I got drunk in the afternoon before I came up to your hotel room to apologize the other night," he pointed out. "After our fight."
"Yeah, but that's not a regular thing for you."
Eli shrugged. "I'm going to take a shower. Feel free to start eating without me."
He swayed on his feet, and she grabbed his arm. "You can't shower like this," she argued. "You'll crack open your skull."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You're wasted." Holly glanced back at the food, then took his hand. "Come on."
Eli took a few steps then staggered, and she caught him around the waist. "How the hell did you make it upstairs without help?"
"Dunno. Wilkes, you know if I fall, we're both going down, right? What are you, five feet tall? A hundred pounds? I'll crush you."
Holly glared at him. "I'm five-foot-four, and never mind what I weigh. Anyway, you won't be the first guy I've drunk-walked somewhere."
She kept him steady as they walked down the hall, then led him into his bathroom.
"Holy shit. This bathroom is huge. I thought the one in my room was big, but this..."
"I know,” he said, amused. “I live here."
The whole room gleamed with shiny fixtures, white marble sinks, and black and white tile. An oversized soaker tub sat in one corner, and across from it stood a gigantic glass shower stall with an electric panel on the wall.
"How many people can fit in that shower?"
"Holly, come on.”
“I’m curious. How many?"
Eli sighed. “Okay, before I realized I only wanted you, I had two people in there, tops. No wait, three."
