Page 52 of Cheap Heat | AllFreeNovel

Ewen and Vince headed through the archway, but then they split up. Vince veered into the restroom, while Ewen pulled a pack of smokes out of his pocket and pushed open the door to the outdoor seating area.

I took another unsteady step in that direction and told no one in particular, “Actually, I might get some fresh air.”

Chapter Fourteen

Cute Little Kitten Who is Very Drunk

Dan

“Hey. You.”

I’d just lit my cigarette and taken my first drag when a familiar voice came from over by the door.

At first, I assumed it would be Gabe or Biff, seeing as I’d just spotted them making out furiously by the restroom doors, so I blinked in surprise when I saw Rafe weaving unsteadily toward me. He’d seemed determined to ignore me all night, so I’d left him alone once we got to the bar, but now he had, it appeared, sought me out.

And he was definitely three sheets to the wind.

And wearing a cap with a pair of tits on it.

My lips twitched around my cigarette. “Hey.”

The covered seating area outside was empty save for us, but the music from the bar thudded faintly through the wall. String lights hung from the wooden beams above, casting a warm glow that slid over Rafe’s pale skin, highlighting how sunken and tired his eyes looked.

And definitely well past the tipsy stage.

I couldn’t blame him for letting loose. It’d been a long weekend for him, and I could see how exhausted he was. I’d been glad when he’d agreed to come out with us—he’d kind of been isolating himself at work—but now I was wondering if it would’ve been better if he’d just gone straight home to sleep.

I stayed where I was, leaning against the wall and smoking my cigarette as I watched him approach. He seemed to misjudge the distance, because he didn’t stop, stumbling forward until he crashed into my front. I reflexively looped an arm around his waist to steady him, his hands landing on my shoulders for balance.

“You okay there?” I asked, smirking as I glanced at the tits on his head. “Nice hat.”

“Huh?” He blinked up at me, his eyes slightly out of sync.

I chuckled, taking a drag of my cigarette and angling my head away from him to exhale the stream of smoke. “Having fun?”

I’d been watching him in there, loosening up with Lark before inserting himself into the group of Chris’ buddies. Hadn’t overly liked seeing him dancing with that big centaur guy for some reason I didn’t want to think too deeply about, but at least he was enjoying himself.

Rafe seemed to make an effort not to enjoy himself a lot of the time. Didn’t understand it myself. I loved enjoying life—all parts of it, especially the pleasurable parts.