He handed me a glass with ice. “Fix it the way you like it. I have club soda too if you prefer that.”
“Cranberry works just fine.”
I poured what I thought was a shot of vodka then filled the rest of the glass with the juice. “We aren’t very good influences on each other, are we?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Why? Because we keep drinking?”
I nodded.
“It’s just the timing isn’t that great for either of us.”
I leaned back and crossed my legs to get comfortable before taking a drink. “No, I guess it’s not.”
He poured at least half a glass of the vodka and added just a splash of juice. Then he stood up and went over to the DVD player to put in the movie. Again, this was comfortable. It was easy to trust Eli.
The movie started, and we drank as we watched it. An hour into the movie, he stood up and went to get the ice cream. I still wasn’t hungry, but I ate it. Another drink appeared in my hand and with it came the smooth, easy feeling. I enjoyed it and let him refill me again.
“Lila?”
“Yes?”
“What happened for real last night?”
I thought for a moment then figured there was no reason not to be honest with him. “We had sex on the beach. You used a condom.”
He sat up straight and I let out a giggle. It was funny now. Or the vodka made me think it was.
“Was . . . was I any good?” he asked and that made me laugh harder. Of all the things for him to be worried about that wasn’t what I thought it would be.
“Yes. You do fine under intoxication. But then I don’t know what you’re like sober.”
His smile was dark and sexy. “We could find out.”
I shook my head. “No, we can’t.”
He sighed and leaned back against the sofa. “Damn.”
I fell asleep before the movie ended, but my night had been fun. The alcohol relaxed me, and I didn’t dream, I just slept.