Scandal - Jay Mirano (read book txt) 📗

I woke up with a thumping head and a mouth like a cotton ball. A sliver of sunlight was streaming in through the parted curtains, hitting me right between the eyes. It felt like a hot scream of misery, and I burrowed down in my blankets to hide from the blinding light.

What had happened last night? I couldn't even remember getting home. I wriggled free of my coverlet cocoon and sent an arm out in search of my phone. What the hell? Where's my bedside table? I peeled open one eye to an unusual sight. My wardrobe wasn't usually there, was it? I sat up, realizing I had fallen asleep with my feet on my pillows and my head down the other end. I was still fully clothed, too. Jesus, I was a mess last night. My phone was laying on the floor, having spilled out of my purse when I chucked it there.

13:17?! How had I slept all day? I stumbled out of my bed, clutching my head as a burst of pain exploded behind my eyes. I started veering to the left, stars sparkling in my foggy vision. Wow, this was one beast of a hangover. I mean, I've had hangovers tons of times―most weekends since I started hanging out with Sahara―but this was one helluva mean surprise.

My phone started vibrating, going around in circles on the carpet as the sounds of my Parkway Drive ringtone filled the room. I picked it up, squinting at the screen in an effort to try and control the blurring that seemed to be taking over. 'The Bitch!' was flashing on the screen, accompanied by a picture of Sahara with her face screwed up. I answered it without hesitation.

"Earth to dorkface! I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning," Sahara sounded annoyed. But more than that, she sounded worried. Weird.

"Well, it's not really morning anymore," I sighed, sitting back down on the bed and squeezing the bridge of my nose with my fingers. If I'd known Sahara would be this shrill I might not have answered at all.

"We're all meeting at Big Bear's for lunch―well, I guess lunch is out of the question now, huh. You know how breakfast and lunch combined becomes brunch? What would lunch and dinner be?"

"Uhh... Linner? Dunch?"

She huffed. "Well whatever it is we're getting it at Big Bear's. You in? You know Tink's been going crazy about you all damn day. She thinks you and Evan hooked up."

I searched backwards through the fog. Had I hooked up with Evan? The last thing I remembered was being bundled into his truck, and how desperately I was trying not to puke in his car. Did he have his hand on my thigh? Dammit, I couldn't remember. My memory was like a wall I kept coming up against again and again. Ugh, figures! I fiinally get time alone with Evan and I can't even remember it. "We didn't, but sure. I could go for something big, greasy and artery-clogging."

"That's my girl. I'll be at yours in 15 and you better be ready."

I hit the end call button and threw my phone on my bed. It bounced once then settled between my pillows. Shielding my face from the sun, I fumbled my way to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. Great, I looked like hell. I felt like hell too, but looking like it was worse. I turned on the shower, the scream of the pipes sounding like claws down a chalkboard. I jumped in and scrubbed my hair and face as quickly as I could, feeling my skin turn red-raw beneath my loofah.

I wrapped myself in a towel and slathered my face with foundation, paying particular attention to the bruise-like blue smudges underneath my eyes. I gave my hair a quick blowdry, threw on a pair of jeans and a sloppy joe tee, and went outside to wait for Sahara.

In typical Sahara fashion, she was most definitely not on time. I wish she'd give me more accurate time estimates so I could actually spend more time getting ready rather than waiting outside in this stupid bright sun.

I was about to give up and go back inside when Sahara's jeep finally came around the corner. She screeched to a halt beside me, flashing me her best megawatt smile. "How much for an hour, sugar"

"Oh baby, if you gots to ask you can't afford it," I said, putting on an unconvincing Southern drawl. I tugged open the passenger door and slid into the seat beside her. She thrust a coffee in my direction, before flipping down the vanity mirror and reapplying her lip gloss.

"Drink up baby girl, you look like you need it," she gave me a scrutinizing look. "And it's your favorite; grande caramel macchiato, double caramel, hold the cream."

"Ah, what would I do without you?" I took a satisfying sip.

"Probably go insane and get locked up in a mental asylum?" She rammed the car into gear―force was necessary with her old jeep. "Where you'd no doubt spend your days drawing pictures of me and putting them all over your walls. Oh Tali, I never knew you felt that way about me!"

I bit back a laugh in favor for a half-smile, half-glare, and settled back into the passenger seat as the world flew by beside me. Sahara was humming along to some song on the radio, drumming her fingers to the beat on the steering wheel. How did she always look so great? I swear she drank more of that orange jet fuel than I did, and yet she seemed perfectly fine. Maybe I was just a lightweight. Okay, I was definitely a lightweight.

Big Bear's was only six blocks over, so it didn't take us long to get there (especially since Sahara was prone to driving like a racecar driver). We went in, finding Tink, Ty, Jesse and Peyton sitting in our favorite booth.

Peyton was the final member of our little quartet (Tyler didn't count, okay?). She rarely showed up at parties with us because her parents were crazy, Bible-bashing psychos. It's one thing being religious, it's entirely another to dedicate 90% of your time to praying and reciting Bible verses. And Peyton was never allowed out after dark (because folk would get the wrong idea, obviously!), so unless she managed to sneak out sometime between dinner and group prayer, she was usually locked up all night.

And yet, somehow, Peyton had turned out totally normal. Scratch that, Peyton was even worse than the rest of us sometimes. On the outside she had this girl-next-door vibe going on, but on the inside she was like a wild cat. Her face lit up when she saw Sahara and I, and she scooched over on the seat to make room for us.

"I heard you got up to some mischief last night," she said, giving Tink a knowing glance. "Spill everything or you die."

"Nothing happened," I sighed. "It probably would have if I weren't so drop dead drunk. And while we're on that subject, please don't give me that orange horse piss ever again, Sahara. I think there was enough vodka in that to actually kill a horse."

Sahara shrugged. "I felt fine. You just can't handle your liquor, baby."

Peyton laughed. "What an anti-climax! I was hoping you'd finally done the dirty and joined the club."

Yep. I was the only virgin of the group. It's not that I hadn't had opportunities, I just hadn't found the right guy. At least, that's what I told myself. "Sorry to disappoint you, sweets. Let's not forget we're talking about Evan, here. He only dates 10s and I'm only like a 6. At best."

"Bullshit," I jumped and spun around in my seat. "I thought I heard my ears burning," Evan lowered himself into the seat beside me, winding an arm around my waist and pulling me next to him. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Tali."

Oh Jesus, I was blushing again. I must have been as red as a beetroot, because Sahara was fighting the urge to crack up laughing, and just ended up snorting out loud. I glared at her as best as I could.

"What are you doing here, Evan?" I wiggled around to get a better look at him. "I didn't know you came to Big Bear's?"

"Sahara invited me," again, I gave her my best glare. "Plus I don't feel like I got enough time with you last night." 

Evan squeezed my waist again and I felt my stomach flip. "Yeah, sorry about that. I got a little bit... Wasted."

"Just so you know, you're definitely a 10," Evan whispered, his lips dangerously close to my neck. "When can I see you again, just you and me?"

"Jesus Christ, get a room," Sahara gave her famous eyeroll. I looked up to see her sitting cross-legged in Jesse's lap, her head leaning against his shoulder. I got a flashback of our 'stakeout' last night and gave her a questioning look.

"You can talk," I said. "Jesse was a sonofabitch last I heard."

Tink burst out laughing. "Yeah, Jesse got really high last night and passed out in the master bedroom before we even got there. Sahara thought he was in there was someone else and totally flipped her shit. It was like something you'd see on the Animal Channel."

"Damn, I can't believe I missed that," I said, acutely aware that Evan's hands were moving higher, slowly brushing over my ribs. "There's only a few times I've seen Sahara go full bitch and it wasn't pretty."

Peyton took a loud slurp of her soda. "Are you referring to the Taco Bell incident? Because I'm pretty sure I still have that video saved on my phone."

Before I could beg Peyton to let us see it again, Evan had his hand around my wrist and was pulling me to my feet. I gave the girls an apologetic look over my shoulder. "Uh, should I be concerned that you're abducting me?"

"Not abducting," he said, backing me into a corner and planting his hand above my shoulder. He smelled like Old Spice. "Getting some time alone. Your friends are great and all, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since last night."

He was leaning in close again, his hair brushing against my forehead. I noticed Eric the busboy flash me an odd look from behind Evan's shoulder, and I mouthed 'Go away' as silently as I could. 

Suddenly Evan's lips were on mine, soft but forceful. I gripped him by the ribs, digging my fingers into him as he moved his free hand down to my hips and angled me towards him. Wow, this was really happening? In Big Bear's of all places? Maybe I'm still drunk. No, maybe I'm still sleeping. No way is this happening.

Evan pulled away, his hand still on my hip, fingers hooked through my belt loops. "Give me your phone."

I obliged, hoping he didn't notice my hands were shaking. He punched his number in and then gave it back to me. He gave me his phone in return, and desperately trying to steady my fingers, I typed mine in as well.

"I'll give you a call sometime," he side, doing that adorable half-smile at me. "You free Friday?"

"Uh, yep. Friday! I am free on Friday!"

"Sweet," he planted another kiss on my cheekbone. "I'll see you around."

He walked away with his hand buried in his back pocket. He gave the girls a wave goodbye, before opening the door and walking out. The little bell above the doorway tinkled as he left.

I stumbled back over to our table in a daze. Peyton, Tink and Sahara all squealed, "What happened?!" in unison.

"I think..." I had to stop