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I gave a half-smile. ‘Mmm, maybe I do.’
Seb waved over the waiter, and ‘one more drink’ turned into three, and,oh God, that is where it ended – my spinning head and churning stomach couldn’t take anymore.
Pretty soon after the final round of drinks, Seb, Deb, and I piled into the Jeep of our Uber driver, Billy. Throughout the entire drive home, I kept my head out the window, letting the breeze rush against my face, its violent hiss echoing through my ears. My sandpaper-like throat scolded me for not sticking to soda water.
‘Naomi, are you okay?’ Deb asked, doing her signature move by pinching my left cheek with her thumb and pointer finger.
‘I’m okay. Feel tipsy and need water.’ I pictured the fizz of soda water as a lime wedge splashed into the glass.
‘Boringgggg,’ Deb said. ‘It’s so fun when you drink. Let’s get rowdy, chick.’
I didn’t respond. The thought of the heat in the kitchen and my freshly brewed hangover was enough to make me chuck—
Aaaaand there it was, right down the side of the car.
‘Billy! Pull over. Naomi is sick,’ Deb called out.
‘Jesus-fuck! You couldn’t hold it in?’ Billy asked.
Unable to speak, I grimaced and watched as he indicated left to pull over into the row of empty car spaces along the Noosa River. Dim light drifted from the shop windows. We were stationed across from the newsagency and a flamboyant women’s boutique.
Billy hopped out of the car and then inspected the side of my door for damage. He was wearing a white Hawaiian-style shirt with sleeves folded just above his elbow. A tattoo of a palm tree was inked down his left forearm. He fit the category of a 1970s surfer boy perfectly.
‘Oh, it’s just a tiny bit of liquid. All good.’ He smiled at me. ‘Last time a friend did this to my car, it was chunks. Not pretty, that’s for sure, and definitely not fun to clean up.’
‘I’m so sorry. This vodka is having a bad effect on me. I’m not even that drunk.’
‘All good, Non. It’s legit just a splash.’ His reassuring eyes matched his tone.
‘Non?’ I squinted at him in confusion.
‘Yeah, Noni.’
‘My dad used to call me that.’ I took a deep breath and squeezed my thighs with my hands to steady my emotions.
Billy swallowed hard and looked down at the road. ‘It’s a good nickname.’ He nodded.
‘It is,’ I agreed.
Billy reached into his pocket and pinched a Winnie blue between his lips. He lit it and sucked in a long drag. Deb smelt the smoke and gave me a gentle push out of the Jeep.
‘Shove, love.’
Deb slipped out, and her enormous boobs jiggled as she landed on her feet. She had trouble hiding them. No matter whatshe wore, they would always come out to say ‘hello’. It didn’t help that she was wearing a low-cut, black T-shirt. Her shirt was paired with her usual black capri pants and ballet flats. She held her weight liable for her enormous boobs. Still, I begged to differ, considering I’d seen curvaceous women with mosquito bites.
She untwisted the clasp on her purse, pulled out a ciggie, and lit it with her sparkly midnight-blue zippo lighter. It was satisfying watching her put the flame out with the cap. I saw her give Billy the eye as she stood a few inches away from him. He remained casual and focused on sucking down his cigarette while she cried in laughter as she told him about the time she drunk-drove and hit a pole in her first car.
Seb stayed seated, his phone illuminating his face as he scrolled through Facebook. He seemed unfazed about my accident.
‘Non, you do realise there is cold water in the boot?’ Billy stubbed his cigarette out with one of his black Vans.
I let out an awkward laugh and hopped out, suddenly feeling very dizzy. ‘I hadn’t even thought to ask.’ The road swayed for a moment as Billy popped open the boot and passed me water from the esky.
Seb helped himself to a mint in the side compartment of his door, and Deb slid back into the car.
Billy shut the boot and walked back to his seat. ‘Noni, if you feel like you’re going to be sick, just yell out, and I’ll pull over.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ I said and hopped in.
