Chapter 3

Klara

When I woke up the next morning, I regretted everything.

Fuck!

My head hurt like hell before I was even fully awake. The pain was likely what woke me up, and it felt even worse when I moved to roll over.

"Ugh."

It wasn't just the headache, either. The inside of my mouth tasted like shit. I'd been waking up like this the past week, and every time I got over the hangover, I forgot just how bad it was. I had never been hung-over before in my life, at least before this trip. If I drank alcohol, it was single glass champagne that was never full, at family parties, and I didn't get to have that until I was nineteen.

Now that I knew how bad hangovers were, not to mention the bitter taste of beer, I wondered why people loved the stuff so much. Since I was going back home soon, I was done with it shortly.

Wait. I'm forgetting something, aren't I?

How did I get back to my room last night?

I opened my eyes, only to wince and squint. There was light coming in from a set of open curtains, and it felt like getting stabbed in both my eyes and my brain. With another groan, I brought the covers over my head and curled up, forgetting about whatever had me worried before.

Then, I must have fallen asleep, or just blanked out, for some time, because when I woke up again, I could hear sounds. Like, close to me. My head had calmed down a little, and I knew better than to try and move too quickly, so I slowly tugged down the covers so I could see, and my eyes went wide.

"Who are you?" I whispered, quietly starting to freak out in my head.

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had his legs crossed and was leaning an elbow on his knee. There was a mug in one hand, and he was holding his phone with the other.

When he turned around, and I saw his face, last night's events came back to me, the parts I'd forgotten, at least.

He smirked down at me. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten me, Klara. That breaks my heart, you know?"

I frowned at his mock hurt look because his eyes were laughing at me.

"No, I know who you are," I muttered.

At least he kept his voice quiet.

"Would you like some painkillers?" he offered. "And a glass of water? I figured you'd need them, lucky for you I packed some for this trip."

"Because you knew you'd get hung over?" I guessed.

He nodded, though his expression looked strange, and a little unhappy.

"Stay where you are. I'll get them for you."

He set his mug down on the nightstand. I stayed mostly under the covers as I watched him move around the room. He pulled a suitcase from the closet and fumbled inside the top pocket. Then he opened the second door into the room, leaving the door open. It was the bathroom, and from where I was lying, I could see him. He rinsed out a glass, then poured water into it, and brought both to me.

Probably did it that way so I would see he wasn't trying to drug me.

I decided it was time to get up, even though I wasn't sure if I was ready yet. I couldn't take the painkillers lying down. Still, when I moved, my head throbbed, but I made sure to move carefully. I noticed the light in the room wasn't as bright as before, too, and saw the curtains were partially closed. I managed to sit all the way up, before I realized it, my eyes widening.

Crap!

"Why don't I have clothes on?" I asked.

I'd raised my voice a little, and it had my head throbbing again, but I ignored it as best I could as I raised the sheets to cover my chest. I did note with some relief that I at least had my bra and panties still on, so I wasn't completely naked, but still.

He laughed. "Sure," he said dismissively. "Are you going to take these or not? Does your head feel okay? You did insist you weren't drunk last night..."

I scowled at him. It was a bit of a struggle to keep the sheets covering me and reach for the glass and meds at the same time. Too far, and the covers would slip, but he wasn't nice about this either, holding the stuff just out of reach. I gave him a particularly scathing glare, and he chuckled as he finally moved close enough for me to grab them.

The meds were still in their box, and it was ibuprofen. In the back of my head, I couldn't help hearing my mom's caution about too much of the drug being detrimental to your health. I was pretty familiar with them since they were what I used... during that time of the month.

I was wild, but still, I hesitated.

"Don't you have Tylenol? Or even an aspirin?"

His eyebrows jumped up. "Oh, if you plan on having hangovers regularly, or even occasionally, those are drugs you'd like to avoid. They might help a headache, but they'll give you other problems. Just take them."

I frowned.

Well, what am I hesitating for, anyway? So what if they mess something up inside me? I'm already messed up.

"Just take one," he said before I could open the packet. "You can take another later if this one is not enough."

I just arched an eyebrow at him, and took one pill, then swallowed it back with water. After all, I was familiar with the pills. Usually, I made sure to have some at hand every month, but I'd forgotten this month, with good reason.

Afterward, I set the glass back on the nightstand and brought the covers above my shoulders. I turned back to Jake with narrowed eyes.

"Now," I said. "You never did tell me how I found myself half-naked in your bed? I'm assuming this is your bed since this is your suite?"

He just grinned. "Right. I ordered breakfast already, but I was waiting for you. Hopefully, it's all still warm. Just come out when you feel like it." He turned to head for the door leading to the front room, only to stop and look at me over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't worry. Nothing happened."

I growled at his back as he closed the door behind him. He could have said that to begin with so I wouldn't worry. Then, I sighed and rolled my eyes at myself.

What the hell did I expect, anyway? A guy like that wouldn't need to trick a drunk woman to go back to his room with him. He probably would have found someone if I hadn't thrown myself at him.

Left alone, I took a minute to look around the room. I figured he'd paid way more than I did for his room. The room was bigger, more luxurious, and several floors above mine. The amount it would cost to stay in a suite like this for just one night was more than I could afford unless I borrowed cash from someone first, so either Jake liked spending money, or he had a lot of it to spare.

And he's waiting for me on the other side of that door.

There was some hesitation, of course. Jake hadn't done a thing to me, at least I didn't think he did, but in the end, what else could I do? I was in his room. I was sure he'd just let me go if I asked, but now that a headache was going down, I was starting to feel a little hungry.

At least, I knew to eat and drink a lot of water last night in between the drinks, or I'd be dealing with nausea this morning. After the previous times, I'd looked it up on the internet how to make hangovers easier, and aside from forgetting the painkillers, I must have gotten something right.

In the end, I didn't have much of choice. Besides, all my cash was gone. I'd have to make a cash withdrawal from my bank to get funds for the trip home since I had no more cash on me. That meant I couldn't afford breakfast for myself until I found an ATM, and here a guy was, offering me free food.

It couldn't hurt.

Feeling way better than when I woke up the first time, I slipped out of bed. I had to check out of my room. I wasn't sure what time, but likely before noon, or I'd have to pay an extra day.

Then, I had to go back home. To face my parents, and other things I'd rather not be facing.

I found my clothes folded at the foot of the bed. I picked up the skirt and eyed it critically. It was short, and I'd needed a lot of courage just to put it on. I'd told myself I would at least try wearing a short skirt once. I definitely wouldn't be doing it again after this.

Tossing the skirt back to the bed, I went to the bathroom to use the shower. Jake would have to excuse me. I hurried, and was back out in less than ten minutes, wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe. The room was still empty, and I hurried to get dressed. The bra I put back on, and I hesitated a lot, before deciding to put the panties away in my purse. I'd get back to my room and put another pair on; I'd have to worry about the short skirt.

That had probably been one bad idea I should never have tried.

I felt a bit drafty but even better, and I left the room to go get that free breakfast.