“I haven’t seen her for a while. I think they are still out of town. Do you think Corm is still out tonight? He’s the only safe choice to get her home in this state.”
Cormac was Parker’s cousin and a cab driver. If Parker needed someone to drive a slightly inebriated single woman home, Cormac was the only one he would trust.
They watched as Astrid slowly slid over until she lay on the seat. Andrea shook her gently, calling out her name.
“She’s passed out,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Parker. I should have kept a better eye on her.”
“Not your fault. I should have sent her home earlier.” With a sigh, Parker stood. He pulled Astrid out of the booth. Throwing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, he turned back to the waitress. “I’ll go lay her down upstairs. Be right back.”
Normally when a patron got this drunk, he called the cops to haul them downtown. He didn’t want to see Astrid get in trouble for one evening of questionable decisions. This wasn’t the first time she had done this. But she had always had her friends with her before.
Parker stomped to the back stairs and climbed up to his apartment. His brothers had been asleep for a while, so he tried to ease through the rooms without waking them.
He stood considering the couch for a moment. She would be better off in his room. Pulling the covers back on his bed, he laid her down. She moaned. He covered her up and moved a trash can near her head just in case.
He watched her for a minute making sure she was breathing fine before turning to finish his shift. Shaking his head, he headed down the stairs. He didn’t envy her the headache she would have in the morning. He would simply sleep on the couch tonight.
ChapterTwo
Astrid woke upwith what could only be described as a brass band sitting on her brain. Her mouth felt like a litter of kittens were living in it and her stomach was doing its best imitation of an Olympic gymnast.
Cracking one eye open, she took in her surroundings. She had no idea where she had wound up. She did know she was wearing nothing but a huge T-shirt, her underwear, and her socks. Good Lord, what did she get herself into last night?
She lay very still, and tried to remember anything about what had happened. Nope, not a thing. Rolling to her side, she saw she was in a bedroom. Nothing indicated whose it was. She could hear soft talking coming from somewhere outside the partially open door.
She slowly sat up. She had to wait for her stomach to stop moving before she stood. Her clothes were nowhere to be found. The T-shirt reached down to her thighs, so she stuck her head out of the door looking for an escape route.
“Good morning, sunshine. Have a good time last night?” a voice said from the direction of the kitchen. Turning her head, she spotted the one man that made her stomach do a flip every time.
That’s right, she had gone to Donnelly’s to get good and drunk after attending her first class of the summer. Well, that mission must have been accomplished.
Taking two steps out into the living area, she was met by not only the bartender from last night but two young men that looked just alike. They were boys really, just starting to turn into men. They looked similar to Parker, minus the tattoos. She assumed they were related to him.
“Umm,” she started blushing. “D-do you know where my pants are?”
“Yeah, Parker, whereareher pants?” one of the boys said with a smirk.
“Shut up, Liam,” Parker growled. “They’re in the dryer, but you’re welcome to a pair of sweatpants in the bottom drawer of the dresser. Sorry, I should have set a pair out.”
Without another word, she slipped back into his room. When she returned in a few moments, she had on a pair of his sweats rolled up at her waist.
“Come have some breakfast. It’ll help with the headache. You can take something for it once there’s something in your stomach.” Parker turned back to the stove as she slowly made her way to the kitchen table. She carefully eased into a seat as the two young men grinned at her.
“Liam,” said the one, extending his hand to her.
“Ronan,” said his twin, also shaking her hand.
“These are my brothers. You’ll have to excuse Liam. He was dropped on his head too many times as a baby,” Parker said as he set a plate of pancakes on the table, followed by a bowl of oatmeal, a bowl of fruit, and a jug of orange juice.
“What is this, Parker? There’s no meat,” Liam complained, looking up. “We’re men, men need breakfast meat.”
“Astrid doesn’t eat meat,” Parker said, dropping into the seat opposite her.
“What do you mean Astrid doesn’t eat meat?” Liam asked in shock.
“That’s nuts. Everybody likes breakfast meat,” Ronan added, staring at the table in mock horror.
“Astrid doesn’t,” Parker answered.
