Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth (best ereader under 100 .TXT) 📗

Friday morning . . .

Laine could smell coffee and bacon. She opened her eyes and had no idea where she was. Her eyes focused on a glass container, where a small turtle slowly made his way over a rock. She watched him for a moment. The intent movement with such little progress made her feel sorry for the little guy. She looked down at the pink comforter beneath her and remembered. An overwhelming pity for Riley rose inside of her. The woman had aired her dirty laundry across a dance floor for anyone and everyone to hear, and yet she still felt sorry for what had happened last night.

She lifted herself from the bed, her black dress creased like an accordion now, and walked into Riley’s living room. Tamyra pulled orange juice out of the refrigerator while Winnie stood over the stove, flipping bacon. “Tamyra, if you eat one piece of that, I swear I’m going to my balcony and jumping.”

Tamyra opened the carton and poured juice into one of four glasses that sat on the counter. “Don’t worry. Your life is safe today.”

Laine pulled out a barstool and sat. Tamyra handed her the glass she had just poured, and Laine took a drink. “Is Sleeping Beauty still sleeping?”

“Haven’t heard a peep,” Winnie said as she laid a plate covered with bacon in front of Laine. She studied the grease-stained paper towel and wondered how that could be good for her.

“Why do I love that stuff?”

“Because it is so good,” Winnie offered.

The wind whistled through the invisible cracks of the sliding-glass door. Laine turned and looked out. Rain was blowing past the window in sheets.

Laine scooted her stool back. “Gracious, it’s getting fierce out there. Guess we missed our ticket out of here.”

“You think?” Tamyra retorted.

“Yes, smarty-pants. I think. Now, while this hurricane is blowing paradise away, I’m going to check on Miss ‘Tell All My Business’ in there and make sure she’s breathing.”

“Breakfast will be ready in just a few minutes,” Winnie said. “Just pull her out of there and bring her on in here.”

* * *

Riley could hear sounds coming from what seemed like a world away. A fog sat over her head and felt so heavy she didn’t even know if she could open her eyes. She rolled away from the windows and the sound of the wind that seemed to blow against them and felt the weight in her head blow to the left side of her brain. She reached her hands up in agony. There hadn’t been a morning in over two years that she had woken up feeling this way.

“Get up and face the world.” The voice boomed from behind her and felt like a pounding bass drum against her skull.

She stirred to try to get away from the pain.

The bed dipped beneath the weight of her guest. A hand rested on her shoulder and turned her over. “Get up, Riley. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Riley knew it was Laine. She tried hard to open her eyes. “What happened last night?”

“Well, from the looks of things, I’d say you got sloshed. Wasted. Trashed. Would you like me to go on?”

Her words tried to register with Riley’s brain. She forced her eyes open and tried to lift her body up. “There’s no way.”

“How else would you explain how you feel?”

She finally raised her body up and leaned against the padded headboard. She blinked hard to get her eyes to focus on Laine. “I don’t know. I don’t even remember last night.”

“Lucky you. I’m not surprised. And honestly, it’s for the best, and I’m hoping to forget most of it myself. Now come on and get up and let us get some food in you.”

Riley realized then how hungry she actually was. “That would be good. I’m starving.”

“You’re hungry?”

“Yes, I’m famished.” Riley scooted to the side of the bed and pushed her body out. “I don’t remember throwing up, either. And I used to throw up a lot when I got drunk.” Riley stood, and immediately her head began to swim. Everything she felt was reminiscent of a thousand hangovers. But she usually remembered drinking—at least once she was able to open her eyes. And she had no recollection of last night at all. She rubbed at the sides of her head. “My head feels like a freight train has just crashed through it. But if I had been drinking, I would remember,” she said, walking into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw Tamyra and Winnie there.

“What’s going on? Why are all of you here?”

Winnie turned the water off at the sink. “You mean, you don’t remember a thing about last night?”

Riley looked at them, dumbfounded. “I don’t remember a thing. And trust me, I’ve been drunk many times.” She lowered herself into a chair at the breakfast table. “And I may not remember everything about an evening, but I do remember some things. Usually the worst things . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Tamyra came over and set a glass of juice in front of her. “So you don’t remember telling the entire disco that Laine was an adulterer?”

Riley’s expression immediately registered horror.

Winnie set scrambled eggs on the table and pulled out a chair. She motioned for Laine to sit too. “And you don’t remember gyrating on that dance floor around Christian like a pole dancer, except he was your pole?”

Riley’s hands went to her mouth. Tears immediately flooded to the surface. “Oh no.”

Laine came over and sat beside her, reaching for her hand. “It’s okay. Listen. It’s okay.”

Riley dropped her hand and shook her head rapidly. “I said that about you?”

Laine shook her head again. “It’s okay, Riley.”

“No! No! It’s not okay. I’m so sorry!”

Winnie put her napkin on her plate. “I don’t think it’s Laine you should be worrying about.”

Tamyra patted her hand. “No, I think it’s Christian.”

Riley’s eyes widened further. “What did I do to Christian?” Her voice was weak and trembling.

Laine scrunched her nose. “It’s not important.”

“You acted like a hoochie mama,” Winnie said