Oreos for Breakfast: Chapter 28

Oreos For Breakfast: Chapter 31
By the Paperbag Princess and Pumpkin Coach

Clockwatching
Lately we're running out of time, aren't we?

"I wanna go home," Nick whined, collapsing into the seat next to me. I exchanged a smile with Anna when he put his head down on the table.

"Tired, bunny?" I asked, leaning down so that he could hear me.

He tried to prop his head on his hand to look at me, but he missed. Anna burst out laughing, but I managed to bite my tongue when he pouted at me. "What time is it?" he wondered.

"Late. 1:30?" We'd been at this bar for a long time now. It was a dive down the street from the Carter compound, but tonight it was full of the powerboat crowd. Nick knew the house band, and he and Anna and I had taken over for a short set.

It was too bad that Anna played bass. James would kill me if I brought another bassist into the band, but Anna kicked ass. I'd caught Vinnie mooning at her a couple of times when we were playing. Even he thought she was hot.

"I think I've had way too much to drink, Rache," Nick said, looking contrite. I pushed his hair off his sweaty face. He got very red when he drank. He also got rambly and silly and sweet. I liked drunk Nick.

"That's okay. We'll go home and you'll drink lots of water, and I'll make a big breakfast tomorrow to soak up the rest of it."

"I hate hangovers."

"You learn your limit as you get older," I teased, and he grinned at me.

"The wisdom of age," he said.

"Better to be young and stupid," Vinnie said, sitting next to us. What, was he standing there eavesdropping?

"And hungover? You're such an idiot, Vinnie," Anna told him, getting up. "Come on. We're leaving."

"The party's just getting started!"

Tony looked around the bar, which was only about half-full now. "What party?"

Vinnie ignored him. "Come on, Nick. Where's the party animal?"

Nick stood up from his seat, taking me with him for balance. "This party animal is going home."

I held up the keys. "Designated driver is out of here. Let's go."

"I'm staying," Vinnie informed us. "Right, Tony? We'll find a way back. There's some girls here who would love to drop us off at the Carter compound."

I was about to argue with him, but I stopped myself. Everyone here knew where the Carters lived. They owned about half of Marathon. It wasn't a secret.

"Fine, then," Nick said. "See ya."

He managed to make it out of the bar with Anna and I guiding him, and we threw him into the front seat of the car. "You guys rock," he said, when I got into the driver's seat beside him.

"We kicked ass on stage," Anna agreed, shutting her door. It took her two tries. She'd had plenty to drink, too.

"You two should start a band. That would be hot. An all-girl band. Awesome."

"We are not the Bangles, Nicky," Anna said, and he shook his head, sliding down lower in his seat. I didn't bother making him fasten the seatbelt. If we crashed, he was relaxed enough to just bounce out of it.

"No… way cooler than that. Although that one was hot… Suzy."

"Susanna," Anna corrected.

"Anyway. You two would be way cooler than that. You know, I used to be scared of you two being friends."

I caught Anna's eyes in the rear view mirror. "Really?" I asked Nick.

"You're a lot alike. Either you were going to hate each other or be best friends and know all my secrets and I'd never get a word in edgewise."

"Your secrets aren't that interesting, babe," Anna said, and he made a weak attempt to reach behind his seat to whack her. He missed.

"You let me talk, though. That's cool. That's what both of you do. You listen to me. No one else listens to me. Just you two."

"Lots of people listen to you, sweetie," I said, driving past the house. This conversation was too interesting to end it quite yet.

"They don't hear me. They just want me to do stuff for them. Vinnie just wants me to be girl bait. Aaron wants me to act like I'm 12. Mom wants to know why I'm wasting my time on a solo album. Dad wants more stuff for the boat. But you two get me. Anna, will you play on my album? Rachel won't do it, but will you?"

This idea excited him enough to attempt to sit up. He ended up hanging his head in between the seats. "You gotta! I want you to play on something."

"What?"

"Something. Dunno. Whatever. Ooh! When I tour, you should be my bass player!"

I loved that idea. That was the best drunk idea I'd ever heard. Anna was good for him. If she was on tour with him, he wouldn't get stupid with Vinnie.

"Yes," Anna said, and I grinned.

"She said yes! Rachel, you're sober. In the morning, you have to remember that she said she'd come on tour with me."

"Don't worry, bunny. I'll hold her to it. Someone's got to keep an eye on you."

He turned around in his seat, waving me away. "No! No eyes! I don't need eyes! I'm not going to do anything stupid again. Promise."

I grabbed one of his hands before he hit the steering wheel. "I know."

"Nothing stupid, ever? Is he getting a brain transplant?"

"Hey!" he whined, flailing around to whack her, and I took his hand again.

"No sudden movements, okay, honey? Let's get you safe in bed."

"Shouldn't we be home by now? Did you get lost? There's only one road in this stupid town! You pass the Pizza Hut, you're past my house. Pizza! Are they open?"

"It's two in the morning. No."

He scowled at the Pizza Hut when I turned around in their empty parking lot, and I had to laugh at him. "There are snacks back at the house." We'd stocked the kitchen yesterday, since the guys were coming. If it weren't for me, they'd be foraging at the main house.

"Will you make waffles tomorrow?"

"Do you have a waffle maker?"

"No. Anna, Rachel makes the best waffles ever."

"Better than Waffle House?"

"Way better. Hers have blueberries."

Tomorrow would be soon enough to break it to him that without a waffle maker, I couldn't make waffles.

"Rachel makes the best everything," Nick said, and I looked over to find him smiling at me. "She is the coolest girl in the world."

"What is she doing with you, then?"

"I have no idea. Especially because I keep fucking it up."

I reached over, touching his face. "You're good most of the time. Like right now."

He just looked at me for a minute. "Right now?"

I smiled at him, pulling into his driveway. "You are adorable right now, bunny."

"This is why I love her, Anna. Because she even likes me when I'm drunk and stupid."

"You're pretty cute when you're drunk and stupid, Nick."

"Am I?"

I turned off the car and reached over, opening his door. "That doesn't mean you should make a habit of it. Let's get you into bed."

"Where am I sleeping?" Anna asked, as Nick stumbled out of the car.

"There's a guest room in Nick's place. He's way too drunk to be any use to me tonight, so you're not interrupting anything."

"Good. Because I don't think I could make it to the big house."

Where would Vinnie and Tony go when they came back? Would they go to the big house and wake everyone up?

Not my problem.

An hour later, it was my problem. I couldn't sleep. Nick was sprawled out next to me, snoring, but I was wondering where Vinnie and Tony were. Did they get a ride home with someone as drunk as they were? What if none of the girls were interested and they had to walk back?

Grumbling to myself, I drove back to the bar. Fuck it if I was in my pajamas. The bar was nearly empty, and Vinnie and Tony were in a corner, finishing their beers. "Taxi's here, guys."

Tony grinned at me. "Our savior!"

"We can get home by ourselves," Vinnie said, and I sighed.

"I know you hate me and all, but I can get you to a bed. Since you didn't have any luck tonight, I think I'm your best bet."

"It's all your fault I didn't have any luck tonight."

"Oh really?"

Tony stood up and we started out of the bar. Vinnie followed us, if only to tell me how I'd ruined his day. At least I think that's what he was saying. He wasn't speaking really clearly. Tony sat with me up front, and Vinnie fell into the backseat, still railing against me.

"Ignore him," Tony whispered, and I nodded.

"Anna mentioned that this morning. I can't really understand a word he's saying, anyway."

"It's best that way."

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