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Great. No peace before I had to face the guy with better sarcasm than me. I plopped down in the chair and nodded at the waitress, who hurried over. "I'll have…two shots of tequila and a jack and Coke."
She looked at me strangely for a second and then hurried off. I set my bag on the chair next to me and took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
"Do you normally get through your day with that much liquor?"
I opened my eyes and glared at him. "Do you normally wear suspenders like you're seventy-three years old?"
I guess taking it easy on him had flown right out the window. In reality, he looked really hot. His shirt collar was unbuttoned, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his five o'clock shadow defined his strong jawline. I hadn't even noticed before just how muscular he was.
The tequila was set down in front of me, and I picked up the first one. "To marriage, the institution of forced love."
He lifted his brow as I threw the tequila back.
Screw it. My life had just been completely thrown off track. I didn't care about a bachelor party at that moment. I just needed to stop the panic. Tequila away.
Chapter Five
Ryder
Being a bit tipsy myself, Amber's actions weren't as much of a red flag to me at first as they should have been. I was slightly amused as she threw back tequila, becoming increasingly belligerent as the moments passed. However, her comments brought me back to the sober side, and I couldn't quite figure out why she was lashing out at me. Of course, I was never known for being the most personable guy, and my mockery may have had something to do with it.
"So, is this normal?"
"What?" she asked, her head resting on her hand.
"You come to a meeting and getting plastered drunk in the first thirty minutes? Because if you are successfully running a company like that, I need the secret. I am not having nearly enough fun at work."
She sat up and narrowed her eyes at me. "You know what your problem is?"
"There are a lot of answers to that one," I chuckled.
"You sit on your golden throne, which came to you overnight, drive your metal deathtrap around, with this stone cold persona. Well, I see through it. I think behind that fake frown, there's a guy in there crying for attention. But you are too weak to solve your problems, and instead, take them out on other people. And they just deal with it because they always have."
"Man, you have me pegged," I said, shaking my head. "How did you get so insightful? I mean, you worked so hard to what? Be handed your daddy's company?"'
She sneered. "You have no idea what I'm going to have to do to keep that company."
I lifted both brows. "Buy kneepads?"
She stopped, her mouth dropping open. I realized then maybe that was a bit too far. But before I could apologize, she took her glass and tossed the contents in my face. I pressed my lips together and grabbed a napkin, wiping the alcohol from my eyes. "Okay, I deserved that. I'm sorry. Look, it's obvious whatever you have going on right now is not doing well with alcohol. I'll call Sicily and have her come get you."
I reached for my phone, but she grabbed my arm. I looked up, expecting to see anger, but instead, I saw something else. She shook her head, lowering her voice. "Please don't. Sicily has enough going on right now. She's getting married, and she's scared with all this going on with the killer…I don't want to put any more stress on her."
I saw something I hadn't seen before in Amber. She truly cared about Sicily's feelings and emotions. I looked into her big beautiful eyes and put my phone down, nodding my head. I looked around for the waiter and motioned for the check. "Okay, but I think I need to get you out of here. Let me pay the check, and I'll drop you off at your house."
The waiter brought the check over, and I paid in cash. "Thanks. Sorry about the mess."
He nodded to me, glancing over at Amber, who was digging through her bag before walking away. Amber sighed. "Shit. I left my keys at the office. They're going to be closed. I'm going to have to get a security guard…ugh."
I shook my head, knowing full well I couldn't show up at her work with her looking that way. "Come on. I'll take you to my place, and you can sober up, then you can get your keys."
I helped her up, and she poked me in the chest. "Fine. But don't you try anything."
With a smirk, I nodded. "I tend not to try to have sex with women who are wasted."
She shrugged. "You'd be one in a million then."
That comment was disconcerting, but she wasn't in any shape for me to ask why she would say that. It didn't matter anyway. I wasn't there to get her life story. I was doing Daniel a favor by not telling his soon-to-be wife about the craziness ensuing.
