Page 156 of Checkmate
“No!” Josh said immediately. “Christ, no. God, let’s just move on.”
“Let’s,” Marcus agreed. “You didn’t finish telling me about your run-in with Sophie.”
“There was nothing more to tell, really,” Erica said as she served them all a shot. “I told her about the meeting. She threw some bullshit my way, and I left her gawking in the street.” She held up her shot and smirked at them. “To our new show?”
“To you,” Marcus corrected. “You and your business acumen.”
“To raking in the cash,” Josh said, clinking their glasses and knocking back his shot. Marcus followed suit, shaking his head as the alcohol hit the back of his throat.
“So you two are about to get super busy,” Josh said, handing out another round of shots. “Are we still going to have time to hang out?”
“I have a feeling you’re talking to Marcus more than you are me,” Erica laughed, her eyes sparkling. Marcus winked at her, reaching for her hand.
“I mean both of you,” Josh confirmed. “Liv wants me to invite you for dinner.”
“We’d love to have dinner with you guys,” Marcus said, playing with Erica’s fingers. “Just name the date.”
“Noted.” Josh knocked back his second shot, shaking his head. “Now. Enough business talk. Let’s get shitfaced. We’ve got some celebrating to do.”
Marcus groaned as he pulled Erica closer to him, snuggling against her sleeping body. Every single drink from the previous night seemed to slosh inside him, making his stomach lurch uncomfortably.
“Don’t move,” Erica warned, sleepily. “I’m one wrong movement away from throwing up.”
“Don’t say the words throwing and up,” he replied, kissing her shoulder. “That last mixer was a mistake.”
“The shots were a mistake,” she grumbled. “Fucking Josh and his fucking shots.”
Marcus chuckled as flashes of the previous night replayed in his mind. “It was fun, though, wasn’t it?”
“So much fun,” she agreed.
Marcus kissed her again, laying still as he waited for the room to stop spinning. Erica’s body was warm against his, her skin silky soft. She smelled of cigarettes and vodka. Her hair was a disaster, and he was sure she had makeup smeared across her face. Still, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Marcus?” She said her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you… remember everything from last night?”
“Bits and pieces,” he murmured. “I remember alcohol.”
“There was a lot of alcohol,” she agreed. Turning in his arms to face him, she looked up into his eyes. “Do you remember anything else?”
Marcus wracked his brain, struggling to remember anything specific. “Did I do something dumb?”
It had been a while since he’d been so blind drunk, he’d made a fool of himself, but then again, it had been such a long time since he’d let his hair down like that.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe. Depends on if you meant it.”
“If I meant it?” He said, scrunching his nose in confusion. Meeting her gaze, he searched her eyes. The way she was looking at him triggered some sort of memory.
Dancing. Laughing. Her eyes gazed up at him.
He kissed her.
She kissed him back.
His hands on her butt, hers in his hair.
He whispered something.
His forehead pressed against hers.
