Betrayal - Fern Michaels [58]
“Alex,” she called, giving him a minute to pull himself back together.
He shouted back with forced cheerfulness, “Bring that drink, woman! I’m dying of thirst!”
“Well, so am I! I say we both get roaring drunk, have wild sex, and forget the world!” The falseness rang in her ears.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to forget the world. Now, where’s that booze?”
Kate poured them each a full glass of whiskey.
“Let’s make a toast,” Alex bellowed.
Kate held her glass high in the air, the liquid sloshing over the rim onto the white carpet. She’d pay to have the house remodeled if that’s what it took. Alex was happy right then, and she didn’t care how many messes he made.
“To . . . to Gertie! The best damn dog sitter in the word!”
Kate clinked her glass to Alex’s. “To Gertie!”
They finished, and Kate poured another round.
“Let’s toast . . . hell, let’s toast Gertie’s friends for letting us trash their beautiful home!” Alex was laughing, but it wasn’t his real laugh. It was the laughter of a man who was at the end of his rope. A maniacal laugh.
“To Gertie’s friends!” Kate shouted, and finished her drink. Her head was fuzzy, her words beginning to slur. She’d had more to drink than Alex, but by God she was going to match him drink for drink. If this took his mind away from the tragedy that their life had become, then Kate would drink till the sun came up.
Another bottle of whiskey later, Kate was passed out on the sofa, with Alex lying across the sofa table.
Six in the morning came bright and early. Kate woke with a neck so stiff, she could swear she’d spent the night in a vise. Alex wasn’t willing to move. He swore his skull had been crushed.
Though they’d both had too much to drink and were suffering hangovers from hell, they’d needed the respite. Now what they needed was coffee. And aspirin. And hot showers.
“I’ll make ya a bet,” Alex mumbled.
“Yeah? What?” Kate whispered. She was certain her head was surely about to explode.
“If you can make us a pot of coffee, I’ll turn the shower on.”
Kate smiled. “Ouch! That hurt.”
“What?”
“Everything. Okay. You do the shower. I’ll do the coffee.”
Alex continued to lie across the sofa table.
“Go, before I knock you over.”
“You’re not big enough!” Alex teased.
“Wanna bet?”
“No, I am not a betting man. Or a drinking man. Oh, hell. Why’d you have to turn the lights on?”
“So I could see to make the coffee, smart-ass. Now get to the shower. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Okay, but I don’t think I’m up for . . . for getting it up. Too smashed last night.”
“That makes two of us. Now get!”
Kate forced her way into the kitchen. Each step felt like a trombone was playing in her head. She poured water into the coffeemaker, scooped in the coffee, and pushed the Start button. She waited for the coffee to perk, then stuck her cup below the drip so she could have the first cup. She hated coffee. How people drank the stuff, she hadn’t a clue. But it was the one thing that could reduce the pounding in her brain to that of a soft flute. And aspirin. She couldn’t forget that. She sipped her coffee, then poured Alex a cup. She went to the bathroom, where Alex was lying on the floor in the shower. The water sprayed across his nude body. Thoughts of that wild sex they’d never managed to have last night came to mind. No, she couldn’t subject her body to the movement required just yet.
“Coffee’s on. Get up and sip this.”
Kate placed the cup inside the shower. She giggled. “Drink up, before it’s cold and full of soap.”
Alex gave a halfhearted salute before standing. He took the cup with him. Kate placed her cup next to the sink, then stood in the huge shower with Alex. “This is kinda nice, all these showerheads