Rubbing my eyes before opening them to the muted light in the room, I turn my head, and on the pillow next to me is a mass of long brown hair with a face hidden beneath.
Where the hell am I?
Definitely not a hotel room. There are a selection of bras and panties hanging on the radiator, drying.
Clearly, I got wasted and ended up back at this chick’s place.
So much for only one shot. Fucking Cooper.
I need to get out of here and get back to my apartment to get ready to face Morgan.
I slide out of bed, careful not to wake my bed partner up. I can’t deal with the morning-after conversation.
I locate my clothes and shoes in a heap on the floor. I pick up my pants and feel my wallet and cell in the pocket.
I pull my cell out and light up the screen.
It’s eight thirty.
Shit.
And I have five missed calls from Chrissy and three from my mom, which is odd. But then again, I am usually in the office by now, and they’re probably wondering where I am. Especially with Morgan coming in this morning.
I need to get in the office ASAP. I don’t have time to go home and change. I’ll call Chrissy on the way and ask her to get my clothes ready. I keep a few spare shirts and suits at the office.
I grab my shirt and pull it on, not bothering to button it up, and I slip my sockless feet into my shoes. Fuck knows where my socks are, but I don’t have time to look for them. I creep out of her bedroom, through the apartment, and quietly let myself out into the hall.
I look up and down the hallway. I have no fucking clue where the hell I am. The only recollection I have of last night is doing body shots off some chick—I’m assuming the one I just left in bed.
I swear, I’m never drinking again.
Ignoring the pounding in my skull, I jog down the hallway and find the stairwell at the end. I’m on the third floor. I run down the stairs, my shirt flapping as I go.
Then, I’m in the empty lobby, and I go out onto the street. Stopping on the sidewalk, I look around.
Where the hell am I? Nothing looks familiar to me right now.
I spy a cab approaching, so I put my hand out to flag it down.
The cab slows at the curbside, and I climb in the back.
“Where to, buddy?”
“Stupid question, but where am I?” I ask the driver.
He chuckles and turns in his seat to look at me. “Rough night?”
“You could say that.”
“Well, it must’ve been a good one if you don’t know where you are. You’re in Arlington Heights.” He taps a finger on the sign on his dash. It reads Arlington Cabs. “Where do you need to be?”
“I’m in Arlington Heights? Jesus Christ,” I groan.
That’s about a forty-five minute drive out of Chicago.
How the hell did I get here?
I drag my hands down my face. “Look, man, I really need to be in downtown Chicago—like, about an hour ago.”
He gives me an apologetic look. “Sorry, buddy, but I don’t take fares out of Arlington.”
I lean forward in my seat. “I’ll pay you a thousand bucks to take me to Chicago and get me there in the fastest time.”
“It’s rush hour, man. The quickest I could get you to downtown Chicago would be an hour and a half, and that’s if we’re lucky. You’re looking at more like two hours.”
Two hours!
Fuck. My. Life.
“Fine. You get me there in an hour and thirty, and a thousand bucks is yours.”
His eyes light up with dollar signs. “You’ve got yourself a deal,” he tells me.
He puts the car in drive, doing a U-turn in the road.
I dial Chrissy. Tucking my cell between my ear and shoulder, I start buttoning up my shirt.
It rings once before she answers.
“Where are you?” she whisper-hisses.
“I’m in a cab, on the way to the office.”
“Please tell me you’re five minutes away.”
“I wish. More like ninety minutes.” If I’m lucky.
“Ninety minutes!” she screeches.
I wince.
“Where in the world are you?”
“Arlington Heights.”
“Arlington Heights! Jesus, Wilder. What are you doing there? Actually, I don’t want to know. But your mom is not happy at all. I’ve been running interference with her. She told me that she called you already, and you didn’t answer. Morgan arrived ten minutes ago.”
“Shit. She’s early.” Kiss-ass.
“Yeah, well, your mom’s not happy because she wanted you to meet with her before the staff meeting, which is happening in an hour.”
“An hour!” I slam my hand down on the seat beside me. “The meeting was supposed to be at ten.”
“It was brought forward. You got an email about it late last night.”
Last night—when I was in a bar, getting trashed and doing body shots off a chick, like I had done back in college.
I’m such a prick.
“Shit.” Taking my phone in hand, I lay my head back on the seat and rub my aching forehead. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just try to delay the meeting until I get there.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I hang up my cell.
I can’t fucking believe this. I need to be in Chicago in an hour to make that meeting.
Because, if I don’t, I’ll never hear the end of it from my mom.
I lean forward in my seat. “Looks like I need to be in Chicago in an hour. I’ll add another five hundred to your fare if you get me there.”
His eyes meet mine in his rearview mirror. “I’ll do my best.”
His foot presses down on the gas as I lie back on the seat and pray for a traffic miracle.
The cab gets me to the office in an hour and twenty. I pay the driver and jump out of the cab like my ass is on fire. I race my way into the building and straight into a waiting elevator.
I jab at the button to my floor, impatiently watching the door close. Then, finally, it starts to ascend.
I tuck my shirt into my pants, and staring at my blurred reflection on the shiny metal walls of the elevator, I run my hands through my hair, trying to straighten it.
The elevator reaches my floor. The door opens, and Chrissy is waiting there with a coffee in hand.
“You look like shit.”
“Thanks.” I take the coffee from her, and we start walking side by side in the direction of my office. “Has the meeting started yet?”
“No. Your parents pushed it back.”
“My mom pissed?”
Chrissy slides me a look. “What do you think?”
I think I’m dead.
“They’re waiting for you in your office with Morgan.”
“Okay.” I take a gulp of coffee.
“And your parents think that a pipe burst at your apartment and that you had to get the plumbers in, so that’s why you’re late.”
“You’re the best,” I tell her.
“Oh, I know.” She smirks.
My stomach growls loudly. I realize I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. No wonder I got so hammered last night.
“You hungry?”
“Apparently so.”
“I think there are some muffins and brownies in the conference room, but I’ll put an order in for waffles at your usual place.”
Waffles. Best pick-me-up food ever.
“Thanks, Chrissy. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d crash and burn. But, luckily for you, that will never happen ’cause I’m here to stay.”
“You’re due a pay raise soon, right?”
“Yep.” She grins.
We reach my office door. I take another drink of my coffee and hand it off to Chrissy.
She gives me an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this.”
I take a deep breath and pull my shoulders back. Then, I push open my door and walk in my office.
I hear Chrissy make a noise behind me, like a gasp, but I ignore her and stride confidently into my office.
“Mom, Dad.” I smile at them. “So sorry I’m late.”
My mom returns my smile, but I can see she’s pissed at me. The tightening around her mouth gives it away. I’ve seen that mouth tighten a lot over the years.