Page 86 of The Other Room

“I miss you, Matt,” Nikki muttered, but I just rolled my eyes and kept on walking with her.

“No puking on me, got it?” Tony said to his girl as we started walking along the busy Sister Bay streets with a pack of drunken bobbleheads sandwiched between us.

Nikki’s glassy eyes blinked up at me before closing, her body going limper by the second.

Grumbling at the worsening situation, I lifted her up into my arms and held her tight against me while her head wobbled and settled onto my shoulder. At least now that she was passed out, she’d stop hitting on me, so there was that little morsel of joy in this shit situation. Even though it was a pain to carry her her, I hoped she’d stay passed out for the quick walk up the Sister Bay hill. The sooner I got them dropped off, the sooner I could haul ass back to the cabin to talk to Jo.

If she ever talks to me again.

I knew Jo better than anyone on this planet. She didn’t need much of an excuse to launch out the emergency exit of a relationship, and what she’d seen with Nikki would give her the tiny nudge she needed to bail. The scene at Stabbur played like a big flashing sign screaming, “Danger Ahead. Exit Immediately.” Aaron’s slip of the tongue had only cranked up the fluorescent lights on that sign. But I had to find a way to explain what had really happened.

And make her believe it. Because Jo would fight me every damn step of the way.

“I’m going to be sick,” Nikki said, opening her eyes for a moment.

“Do not puke on me. We’re almost there. Just hold it together a little longer.”

She closed her eyes, and deep breaths lifted her shoulders.

Typical Nikki. She loved getting wasted, and this wasn’t the first time I’d seen her this hammered, but I hoped it would be the last. I hoped this would be the last time I saw her period.

We marched the ladies up the hill past The Garage and The Alley Bar across the street. I saw enough familiar faces staring at me with wide eyes to know the rumor mill would already be churning.

I saw Matt with Nikki! Matt and Nikki are together! Matt’s banging Nikki! What an asshole!

I could almost hear the gossip starting as I passed by all the people I knew carrying the woman I’d betrayed my best friend with in my arms. It was like walking the streets with a scarlet “A” attached to my chest. Although this scarlet “A” was the red head in my arms. It brought back all the memories of the scornful stares I’d endured last year, and I knew Jake’s phone would be blowing up in a matter of minutes. I made a note to get ahold of him as soon as I could with the truth instead of hearsay. Knowing the way the rumor mill churned up here, people would be testifying they saw me having sex with her in the streets.

But first, I had to handle Jo. This time Jake would have to wait.

I groaned, pushing my way the last few yards to the driveway at The Village View Inn.

“We’re here,” I said. “Which room is it?”

“My hero,” she whispered in my ear as I lifted her down until her feet hit the pavement.

I kept a hand on her shoulder until she stopped wobbling. “You gotta quit doing this shit, Nikki. You’re almost thirty. It isn’t cute anymore.”

“Whatever, Matt. I’m on vacation. Rosé all day! Just having some fun.” Her crooked smile started, and she reached out and booped my nose. “You should try it. Stay for a while.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself toward my face. The rank mixture of vomit and alcohol wafted up into my nostrils and I cringed against it, turning my head away.

“I’m going to get you settled, and then I never want to see you again, Nikki. Go back to Chicago and stay there.”

“Whatever,” she huffed, and the smell of that breath almost dropped me to my knees.

I carried her up the steps to the room the other girls were filing into. Tony and Aaron were helping them get situated, and when one started taking off her dress, the two of them exchanged a shocked glance and then looked to me.

Tony lifted his hands and backed toward the door. “I need to get out of here. If my girlfriend knew I was in a hotel room filled with blondes and one of them was half naked, I’d be sleeping on the couch for all of eternity.”

“Dude,” Aaron said. “Normally this would be my dream come true, but it’s feeling a little pervy since I don’t think any of them even know their names right now. I’m right behind you.”

“Wait up.” I carried Nikki over to the bed and tried to lay her down. She clung to my neck, trying to drag my mouth to hers.

“Don’t go,” she whispered as I reached back and tried to unlock her death-grip from my neck.

“Nikki, let go.”

“Stay.” She leaned up again.