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“We’re almost at your girl’s place,” he told me. “Think you can last five minutes?”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” I muttered. “For the record, I’m nothin’ like a condor. Condors don’t get drunk and work for tips.”
He chuckled. “Okay.”
But I still liked the comparison. I’d been editing that footage today, with Roe’s rambling about the condors, and it’d stuck. I’d even read up on the bird on Wikipedia.
“Did you know they mate for life?” Shit, I heard the slurring in my voice. I needed to sober the fuck up. The world was spinning too quickly, and all the traffic lights blurred into a hazy mush of green and red.
“I did.”
I blinked, feeling dizzy, and glanced over at him. And I wanted to make something crystal clear here. Because this dude… He was a good guy. I liked him. He was passionate, and we should continue working together.
“We could go into business together,” I said. “If this pilot thing doesn’t work out, we could release it on our own. Everyone has their own YouTube show these days. I’ve seen it. I mean, some of them. Some shows. Not about condors but other shit.”
He grinned but said nothing at first, focused on maneuvering us through the late-night traffic. Or early morning. I didn’t fucking know. The club had closed at two, and we’d had work to do once the door closed.
“We can certainly discuss it when you’re sober,” he answered. “But it’s gonna work. We have a good idea. And YouTube won’t get me off the streets anytime soon.”
About that…
I squinted out the window, recognizing where we were. Nikki’s place was just around the block. “Crash on our couch,” I yawned. Oh fuck, that felt good. Yawning felt amazing. Did condors yawn? “I talked to Nikki about it earlier. She’s okay with it.”
Nikki was very understanding that way. She was a good egg. Generous and supportive. The fuck she was doing with me was unclear, but I’d pay her back. According to Roe, I was a condor, and I didn’t get by without a little help from my friends.
That was a song, wasn’t it? I was sure it was.
Either way, I’d never let Nikki forget how much she’d helped me.
Noticing that Roe hadn’t answered me, I looked over at him again.
He hesitated. “Are you sure?”
I frowned. Of-fucking-course I was sure. “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”
He exhaled and smiled uncertainly. “I’m in no position to turn down a couch and the option to shower in the morning—and it wouldn’t be for long. We’re working every night this week, so I’m thinking by Monday, I’ll be able to afford a motel.”
I waved a hand, dismissive. If that’s what he wanted to do, sure. He’d definitely made more money than me tonight, but I was still happy with my four hundred bucks. I was gonna give half of it to Nikki and save the other half for Colorado.
Did they have condors out there?
“Do they have condors in Colorado?” I wondered.
“Jesus Christ, man,” he laughed. “Let’s get you to bed.” By sheer luck, he found parking fairly close to Nikki’s building.
As soon as he’d killed the engine, I tumbled out and felt my stomach lurch and revolt. My God, I was never drinking again, for at least a week. I pressed a fist to my mouth and wondered if I should just throw up now or upstairs.
I might end up passed out on the bathroom floor.
Once Roe had grabbed some essentials, I aimed for the stairs to Nikki’s apartment on the second floor. It took Herculean strength, but I fucking got there. Then I was digging out my keys and slumping against the door because balance was a tricky thing.
Somewhere out on the street, a dog barked. I didn’t look because I was concentrating on getting the key into the lock, and it worked on the fourth or eleventh try.
“Thank you for your patience,” I said politely.
Roe found that funny.
I pushed the door open and steadied myself against it, and then I almost tripped over one of Nikki’s shoes. Her deathtrap heels were littered across the floor like part of an obstacle course.
I made a sweeping motion with my foot to clear a path before I kicked off my own shoes and let Roe in. The whole place was dark, and I assumed Nikki was asleep down the hall.
It was just a one-bedroom, so there wasn’t much to show Roe, and he had no issues finding the couch in the living room right in front of us.
He clapped me on my shoulder. “Get some rest, man. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I nodded. “Help yourself to anythin’ in the fridge—but I’d stay away from the juice. Nikki puts spinach in that shit.”
He chuckled quietly. “Duly noted. Thanks for letting me crash here.”
“No problem.” I yawned and wished him a good night, then made my way down the hall. I’d go to the bathroom soon, but I just needed to lie down for a minute first.
