“I’m actually just having a little liquid courage before Igo upstairs to meet up with my … booty call.”
“And what’s up with this wank that he won’t even come down and meet you for a drink?”
“Well, he is kind of like, on this…” She lowers her voice, “Hit TV show, and he doesn’t really want to be seen so close to where he lives. They’re just about to close, so Iwas gonna have a quick one and head up there.”
I sigh internally because, shit, of course, the plan has to drop in my lap like this. It’s official, the unhinged, out of control Jett is the only one steering the god damn bus, and with this much Jack in my system, it’s going to be like this for the next six hours, at least.
“Please.” Itake her hand and squeeze. “Please tell me you’re not … planning to go up and fuck Rye Meadows?”
Her eyes stretch open wide, and Iswear her pupils dilate. “Wh-why, how would you know that?”
I point at myself and make a sweet, sad little smile to go with it. “Emo boy, yeah? Lots of friends that are birds, y’know. My best friend is a girl, and…” Idrop my voice to a whisper, “She thinks her boyfriend Rye might be cheating on her, that’s why she sent me to do recon. Are you—is that who your booty call is?”
Her jaw drops, and steam practically billows from her ears. “Rye has a girlfriend?”
The part of me that hates liars must be tied up and gagged in the boot of my brain right now. “Yeah, they’re pretty serious, or so she thought.”
“He told me he was single, he swore to me! Ugh! That asshole!”
“This is not your first time fucking him? So sorry, darling.”
“Was about to be the second time! Ugh!”
I pat her hand and order us shots. “Tell me how angry that makes you, go on.”
She thanks me, slugs down the shot, and Ipay while she rants, working herself up into an emotional, angry little tornado that is just right for some revenge. This is what Rye deserves, Itell myself and somehow believe it, for touching Mads in places Icannot.
“Amanda, Ithink you’re incredibly strong. Why don’t you go unleash the beast on him? Don’t hold back or take any excuses, and I’ll be outside with a car for us. Gotta call my friend and tell her the bad news. After you’re done giving him what for, find me. We can go from there, yeah?”
She hugs me, and the worst part is, Idon’t feel anything but pleased with myself, watching her storm out of the bar and up to the doorman. Poor Rye Meadows doesn’t know what’s about to hit him.
* * *
I slowly start to feel myself return to my body in the present. Like anytime Iunlock a blacked-out memory, my head is in my hands, and the rest of the world is filtered out. But the sizzling amber-spiced vanilla sugar scent invades my senses. The smell of her brings me right back to the current, dimly lit bar reality and out of the dimly lit one in the old memory.
Iopen my eyes to see my incredibly hot wife standing there in cut-off denim shorts and a tiny pink tank top, braless, with the mask from our hit slasher flick stretched across her perfect tits. Iremember how she was buzzing this morning, packing for next week when we go on location to film our sequel. Her ivory skin is now a work of art since she became her own boss, painted with Silas’ tattoos in every shade of black, white, and technicolor. One hand holding her phone at her hip, the other holding a Jameson on ice.
“You rang, darling?” Maddy asks with a cocked eyebrow.
“I … rang?” Ilook down to see that, apparently, in my daze, I’d pinged her my location. Ipull her onto my lap and kiss her neck.
“Wow, you are really out of it, baby.” She gives me a soft kiss and then sits next to me with a worried look on her face. “Where were you, Jett?”
She means where in my mind, and to make up for the absolute bullshit Ijust recalled from that place, Ineed to tell her everything. Now that I’m a married man who partiesless, this blackout recall happens often enough, once every other month or so.
“Fuck, nowhere good. Iam such a fucking wank!”
She strokes the back of my neck. “No one’s perfect, baby. Another blacked-out memory?”
I nod. “This time about the night we met.”
She grins in the most skeptical way possible, “We’ve literally role-played that night, more than once. You’re telling me there’s more you haven’t told me?”
“Uh…yeah. But like, Iswear Ijust remembered it myself. Those radio people were asking about that night, and the memory, like, ripped itself out of my subconscious. And it isn’t good. You’re gonna need to down that drink and then polish this beer off, and you’re still not gonna like me much.”
Of course, Ihalf expect her to say, 'Aww, baby, Iwill always like and love you, no matter what,’ but instead she shoots her whiskey back and sighs, “Well, out with it!”
“So…You know my quote, how Idon’t associate—”
