had beaten me due to the fact I hated dry salty crackers. I never knew how hard popcorn could feel against the inside of my cheeks after the crackers had taken every last drop of moisture out of my mouth either.
The drinking continued late into the night, as Jamie and Paddy kept us amused with stories from their various tours. At some point I fell asleep and I must have been carried to bed.
Chapter 14
My head pounded and stomach rolled in response to the strong smell of roast turkey when I woke the following morning.
My heart still managed a little flutter, despite my horrible hangover, when I glanced toward Jamie. He lay in the bed beside me, sheetless and naked as the day he was born, stretched out like a victim from a crime scene. I almost chuckled, but grimaced instead, when the effort of doing that triggered a wave of nausea.
Edging my way off of the bed, I padded into the bathroom, holding my head like if I hadn’t, it would likely have detached from my neck.
“Daisy?” Jamie croaked, then coughed like he was a twenty cigarettes day man while I was peeing on the toilet.
“Yeah,” I asked weakly. The sound of my own voice made me wince.
“Water, babe?” he rasped, and I closed my eyes while I sat on the toilet, wondering if I had enough strength to get up and take a glass to him.
“Oh, God, my head,” I muttered, unsure if I was praying for our lord’s attention or merely stating how bad I felt.
“Baby?” he prompted in a whiney tone a minute later when I still hadn’t moved, so I wiped, flushed and stood shakily in front of the sink. I washed my hands and splashed my face with water before I checked my tongue. White fur confirmed how dehydrated my body was. Grabbing my toothbrush, I brushed my teeth and the peppermint taste of the paste made my stomach roll again.
“I’m never drinking again,” I mumbled as I filled a glass with water and padded back toward Jamie. He’d moved into a fetal position by the time I’d returned, and looked as delicate as I felt.
“Got any aspirin?” I asked.
“Advil … or Tylenol … and orange juice … or another bottle of whiskey,” he muttered in a croaky voice before rolling over to look at me. “Catrina will have all that covered. How did we let ourselves get that bad?” he asked, attempting to straighten out before curling back up in a ball.
The aroma from the roast turkey smelled so potent, it had seemed as if the housekeeper had left it outside of our bedroom door.
Grabbing a sheet from the bed, I tied it around my naked body, walked over to the sliding doors, pulled open the drapes and slid the door back, letting the fresh air in. I inhaled deeply. Ryan and Nick were in the water on the far side of the pool.
“Fuck, it’s freezing,” Jamie mumbled, grabbed the comforter off the floor and dragged it over him. He tucked it up under his chin.
“Have you even opened your eyes yet?” I asked, seeing them squeezed tightly closed.
“No, I’m saving myself,” he muttered.
I chuckled and covered my nose over my hand from the smell again. “For what?”
“For when I feel brave enough to check that I didn’t drink myself blind.” I chuckled at how pathetic he looked. “What time is it?”
“Late enough that the smell of cooking turkey is making me want to vomit,” I replied, having no idea myself. Pulling the patio door half closed, I scrambled around for my cell and checked out how late it was.
“12:28 p.m.—”
“Afternoon. Who’s betting Uncle Jamie didn’t get that second Sex With A Bartender last night?” Ryan asked bursting through the patio door, dripping wet, and shocking the life out of me. Thankfully, I was decent.
“And Paddy called us the lightweights last night?” Nick agreed as they both made a collective puddle one the marble floor in our bedroom.
Jamie’s eyes shot open and he squinted before glaring at them. “That’s none of your business. Get the fuck out of the door and stop being so nosey.”
“I’d say that was a definite no, Nick. Hearing how grumpy he is, you’re right,” Ryan replied. They laughed and bumped fists, but neither were in a hurry to leave us be.
“How’s the head this morning? Actually— don’t answer that. I’m not interested in your welfare, except to say the housekeeper is setting lunch out for 1:00 p.m. Best