Part 20: Somewhere Better

"You clearly have a hangover. Let me solve that for you." Dave said reaching over to smooth my head as I slumped on the stool.

"I feel like there was more going on last night than I remember." I moaned resting my head in my palms.

"You mean apart from laughing like crazy and clinging onto a strange hunk you don't even know while calling him a name that wasn't his?"

"You don't have to say it out loud." I told him glancing around to see if anyone heard him. Everyone was focusing on more interesting stuff so I turned back to Dave and groaned. "It sounds even worse than it did in my head."

"It wasn't bad. You actually laugh cute."

"Don't say that." I accepted the drink he offered me. It tasted minty and weird. "What's this?"

"My special hangover potion." He winked at me.

More alcohol, by the smile on his face. He was a real demon. "You're a love."

"That sounded grown up." He shook his head. "Not your style."

I rolled my eyes at him. Giving complements wasn't my style.

"Come on, I'm done."

I opened my eyes. "Was I asleep?"

Dave tilted his head. "Three whole hours in a noisy place. I'm starting to wonder if you're an oversized baby."

"Three hours?" I scratched the back of my head. "I don't even sleep for three hours at night."

"Let's go somewhere better." Dave led me out. "Didn't your brother go crazy after last night?"

"I don't know. I was out before he was up and he wasn't home when I returned." We reached his car and I smiled when he opened the door for me. "You're hot when you are being a gentleman."

Instead of closing the door, Dave brought his face closer, his hand resting half an inch away from my hip.

I felt my eyes widen. My breath caught. Inside my head, I was chanting the mantra 'Please dont kiss me please dont kiss me please dont kiss me' while my mind was eagerly waiting for the moment his lips would press against mine, his body firmly pushing me...

But his face went slightly past mine and his other hand proceeded to fix my seatbelt. Suddenly it was hot and I was feeling stupid. I was starting to believe everything seen in movies and read in novels was actually happening everyday all around the world.

I froze as warm, moist air caressed the skin surrounding my ear.

"I was hotter when we first met and you fought an orgasm."

He didn't move and neither did I. He was waiting for his words to take effect while I was waiting for his words to make sense. Then they did and I started chocking on my own breath. Bringing his head right in front of mine, Dave blew me a kiss and I turned away. I could hear him laugh all the way to the driver's seat.

"I was scared of being raped the entire ride back last night, but I guess I should thank the mysterious Ash." He reversed out the driveway and we were soon on the road. "Who's he by the way? Is he your boyfriend or ex or..."

"Dave," I turned to him with a forced smile on my face.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Yes ma'am." But he was delightedly laughing. I could tell he was having a really great time seeing me ablaze with discomfort.

"To be clear, I didn't ask for the bathroom because I was fighting an orgasm."

"I believe you, ma'am." He said but he was still having a silly smile on his face. I slowly let out my breath. Clearly there was no way I was going to change his mind.

'Because its true.' A little voice said at the back of my head and I squeezed my eyes shut. It was embarrassing how transparent I always was whenever it came to illegal situations.

The car came to a stop in front of a huge house which was only a little bit smaller than El's.

"Another party?" I asked when he parked the car.

"Only light alcohol for you tonight." He winked and grinned at me.

"Yesterday's actions were deliberate. Stop bringing it up." I followed him out of the car.

"You also kissed that strange guy you called Ash deliberately?" Dave asked looking at me from the corner of his eye.

"I kissed..." I stopped myself when I remembered the taste of unfamiliar lips still lingering on my lips. I had kissed him the night before.

'But you don't understand that you already got me.' 'I'm your boyfriend now.'

I turned to Dave wide eyed as another string of words crossed my mind. 'I know you'll eventually accept it.'

I thought back to Javier's place that morning.

"Just kidding, you didn't kiss him."

I blinked. "I didn't?" I asked remembering that when Ash had kissed me, Dave was absent. Perfect time to be absent.

"Fortunately, I was there to save you or how would you have faced him today?" Dave indicated with his head and my eyes followed his direction.

Up the building, at a window on the second floor, a silhouette looking down at me holding a cup in one hand while the other was tucked into a pocket was giving off all evidence of being Ash.

I quickly looked away and took hold of Dave's hand. "Did you know he was going to be here?"

Dave glanced at me and adjusted my hand so that I was holding onto his arm as we entered the massive, dark floored building. "Relax. Apart from calling him Ash and clinging onto him like your life depended on it, you didn't do anything to feel embarrassed about."

Although the party and the guests seemed more civilized than at El's, the place was equally crowded.

"His very existence embarrasses me." I told him and he laughed.

"Adey?"

I quickly grabbed my hand from Dave's arm before turning to the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing here?"