AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fruit, berry, both healthy,” Silvia said.
Phoebe snapped and pointed at Silvia. “I like the way you think.”
“I’ll get you that bottle.”
“Thank you.” Phoebe smiled.
“Now.” Phoebe folded her hands on the table. “Where were we?”
I pulled into the Lodge’s parking lot and found a spot. Phoebe didn’t even budge. Her blonde hair fell over her face, so I leaned close and brushed it behind her ear. She was still so damn beautiful. Time had been kind to her. If only it had been as kind to her soul.
The last thing I wanted to do was carry her through the lobby, putting her drunkenness on display to all those that worked under her.
The kid from the front desk made his way across the parking lot, and I flagged him down. He pointed to his chest and turned around, looking for whoever else I could be motioning to. When he finally realized he was the only person around, he walked toward me.
“Is there a back entrance?” I asked.
“U-Uh. Y-Yes.”
“Good.” I pulled out my wallet and slipped him a twenty. “Can you show me where?”
He nodded.
I went to the car and bent to Phoebe, my suit jacket bunching around her shoulders. “Here we go.” I scooped her into my arms and turned toward the kid.
“Ms. Hodge?” he exclaimed, brown eyes wide.
“She’s a little under the weather. I didn’t want to carry her through the lobby.”
Phoebe opened her eyes and smacked my chest. “He means I’m drunk, Lewis.”
I bit back the laugh that rumbled in my throat. “I was trying to protect your dignity.”
“Screw dignity!” She clawed at my chest, pulling herself up, and glancing over at a shocked Lewis. “I ate chicken wings, and I drank wine. Lots of wine. Wine is yummy.”
“I wouldn’t k-know, ma’am. I-I’m only twenty.”
She poked me in the chest with a little too much vigor. “This one introduced me to wine at twenty.”
“And you were as drunk then as you are now.”
Her head flopped against my chest with a happy sigh. “Back then you didn’t hate me, though.”
The shock of her words had me hesitate for a second. “Why would you think that?” I tilted my head toward her, my lips grazing her forehead.
“Because if I were you, I’d hate me.” Her voice cracked, and I held her tighter.
“I don’t hate you, Phoebs. You could cut my heart out with a knife, and I still wouldn’t hate you.”
“Why?”
I stared after Lewis, who opened a back entrance door. “I don’t know. I just can’t.”
“You’ve always been too good to me.” She let out a sigh, and her head lolled to the side.
“She’s always s-so, so put together. Professional,” Lewis stuttered.
She wasn’t always. At one point in time, she was a hot mess. My hot mess.
