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“Yes, but he’d be the epitome of a bad decision.”

“Why would I want to end the night with a bad decision? Scratch that. A self-destructive decision does sound good right now.”

“You know he’d love a casual hook-up. I told you the girls in school loved him.”

That doesn’t surprise me. Hayden has an aura about him that you can’t help but be drawn to. I know I’m at a dangerous level of drunk when Kora’s idea starts to sound good. But there is no way I’d have the guts to ask him over.

Kora taps my leg. “Give me your phone.”

“I don’t trust you with it.” I look around, unsure where my phone even is.

“Un-fucking-believable.” She spots my phone on the coffee table before I do and lunges for it.

“Kora, whatever you’re about to do, don’t do it. I have to work with him for the next two months.” I wrestle her on the couch, trying to grab my phone out of her hand. Unfortunately, she knows my password and she’s already typing. When I get the upper hand, I straddle her on the couch, trying to pin her hands over her head so I can rescue my phone.

“Wow, you truly are horny for me. Look at you climbing me like a tree.” She giggles and tries to kick me off with her legs.

“Yes, I’m so horny for you.” I laugh as I finally pry the phone from her hands.

I stare at the screen and freeze. The call to Hayden already went through, and the screen shows he picked up ten seconds ago. I can hear his faint “hello” coming through the phone.

I shouldn’t have changed his contact info to his actual name.

I quickly hang up and stare at my friend.

Kora looks up at me apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to actually call him. I just⁠—”

But I can’t hold it in anymore. I burst out laughing and fall backwards onto the other end of the couch. The alcohol combined with the crying from earlier clearly loosened something inside of me.

Kora’s guilty expression turns into a grin, and we both can’t stop laughing. Tears start to stream down my face, but this time, they’re happy tears.

“Do you think he heard the horny part?” I hiccup after a few minutes.

Kora cackles at that. “Most definitely.”

A part of me knows I won’t find this funny in the morning, and I will be incredibly embarrassed, but I don’t care right now. I have my best friend next to me, and with her by my side, I can get through anything.

Chapter 10

Robin

I lied.

There is no way I can get through this day and not completely lose my mind. Although with my current hangover, I would love to lose my mind. I’d love to lose my whole head actually.

After the excessive drinking last night, I didn’t fall asleep until way past two in the morning. I woke up drenched in sweat with one of the worst headaches I’ve ever experienced. Even after taking multiple painkillers and drinking about a gallon of water, the pounding in my head still hasn’t stopped.

When I get my lazy ass out of bed, I notice my living room looks like a war zone, with empty bottles and food containers strewn about. Mortimer is asleep in an empty noodle container, but I can’t bring myself to care. There is no way in hell I can clean up quite yet.

I manage to take a shower and brush my teeth, and even though there is still an incessant pounding in my head, I feel a million times better. I search my kitchen for something to eat, but as someone who doesn’t usually eat breakfast, I don’t find anything exciting.

I pack my laptop in my tote bag and ignore the mess in the living room as I rush out of the house and sprint through the pouring rain to my car.

Fifteen minutes later, I push open the heavy doors to Bean Me Up, where I’m greeted by the comforting smell of roasted coffee and warm pastries. I wipe my feet on the doormat and scan the room. Kora waves at me from the register, and I immediately feel guilty. I was so caught up in my own problems last night that it hadn’t even occurred to me that she might have to work today.

I’m a terrible friend.

“Girl, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you had to work today.”