“No, I wasn’t,” Blair mumbled.
The employee’s eyes widened, and Garrett mouthed run.
The woman took off, and Garrett helped Blair back onto her stool. The bartender returned with Blair’s drink, but Garrett pushed it away before she could see it. “Can you bring a couple of waters and a couple of cheeseburgers, one with extra pickles?”
Blair laid her head down on the bar. “I like pickles.”
“I know.” He was glad she was too drunk to hear the sorrow in his voice.
Her head jerked up, and her eyes widened. “I have to find somewhere to stay tonight.”
“Blair, I’ve already figured it out. Let’s eat, and then we’ll talk about it.”
She laid her head down on her arm. “Okay.”
He watched her for several seconds, wondering what had made her so upset. He’d only seen her this drunk once before—the night she’d learned that her mother was moving from Kansas City to Des Moines. He had been her anchor then.
Now she was a mess, and she literally had nowhere to go. He wasn’t about to leave her here. He could spend the rest of his life beating himself up over something that was already done, or he could try to make things right. And other than Blair, Garrett wasn’t a man to live in the past and dwell on mistakes. Now was the time to act.
He asked the bartender to have the food sent to his room, and then he helped Blair off her stool. “Come on, Blazer. They found you a room.”
She lifted her head slightly. “They did?”
“Yeah, your attorney skills must be top notch. All that talk about suing convinced them to find you one.” He reached for her. “Let me help you find it.”
She sat up and fumbled as she batted his hands away. “I don’t need any help. Especially not from you.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Of course you don’t. But they asked me to escort you. So there’s no further lawsuit-worthy issues.”
Her nose scrunched. She was clearly confused, but drunk enough to believe him. She slid off the stool and reached for her overnight bag, nearly tripping when she tugged it off the ground.
He grabbed the bag and slung her purse over his shoulder too.
She shook her head and nearly fell over. “I don’t think that bag goes with your outfit.”
He grabbed her elbow to steady her. The bag was made of off-white, uber-shiny patent leather with a shiny gold clasp. It had probably cost a fortune. When he compared it to his jeans and pale blue button-up shirt covered in red stains from the Bloody Mary the passenger next to him had spilled during the turbulence, he flashed her a cocky grin. “Really? I thought jeans went with everything.”
She looked up into his face, her eyes searching his. “Why do you still have to be funny? And cute?” She slapped his chest, then left her hand there. “Why aren’t you fat and bald?”
“Because, Blair Myers, as you and I both know, there’s really no such thing as justice in this world.” He kept his tone light and teasing, although perhaps this chance meeting proved there was justice in the world. He deserved every bit of pain it brought him. That seemed like justice to him.
She lifted her chin. “I’m not sleeping with you.”
“I never asked.”
She jerked out of his hold and put her hands on her hips. “I’m not good enough for the high and mighty Garrett Lowry?”
“You know me, Blazer. Never go to the same pasture twice.” She’d accused him of that once, right before they left law school. It had stung deeper than he’d let on.
“I’m the best lay you ever had, Lowry.”
“It’s been too long and too many pastures ago to say, Blazer, but I’m sure you make the top five.” He knew she was beyond drunk when she had no reply. “Come on, the hotel staff asked me to show you to your room.”
He reached for her arm again, grateful when she didn’t shrug him off. He led her to the elevator, slightly worried the hotel staff would think he was taking advantage of her inebriation. But Blair’s drunken threats seemed to have staved off any such worries. Once they got on the elevator, his thankfulness turned to anger. Anyone could have taken advantage of her. But he knew that wasn’t true. Blair Myers was nobody’s fool, drunk or not. The fact that she trusted him now told him that she still cared about him. At least on some level.
When they reached his room, he pulled out his key and opened the door, leading her inside.
“There’s already a suitcase in here,” she said as she wobbled across the room. She kicked off her heels mid-stride.
“It’s mine,” he said, watching her. “They brought it up here when they asked me to show you to your room.” It was utter nonsense, but she was drunk enough to buy it. If he let on that the room had originally been his, there was no way she would stay in it, drunk or not.
“Oh.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m still not sleeping with you.” She waved her left hand, the diamonds in her ring catching the light. “I’m not a cheater.”
He leaned his ass against the dresser. “I never cheated on you, Blair.”
She tilted her head to look at him. “No, I’ll give you that. I guess you’d left me before you slept with her.” He knew who she was talking about, of course. He hadn’t slept with her, but this wasn’t the time for an explanation. Blair glanced at his suitcase, then back at him. “You don’t live in Phoenix?”