The Sun (An Adam Levine FanFic) ~Book 1~

~The Sun~{1}Shot Glass

I reached for the cold glass in front of me and downed another shot of tequila. The familiar burning sensation ran down my throat and coursed through my veins, this was the strong stuff, just what I needed. The pounding in my ears came from the speakers behind me and I was blinded by the strobe lights flashing above my head. All of my surroundings helped me forget. It felt good to forget, it was like starting over in a way, even if I would only forget it for tonight. Those feelings would be gone and I would be free. I could feel the base drum thumping in my chest and the iridescent glow of lights shined down on the bar in front of me. Another shot glass was sliding down the counter top towards me and I grabbed it with one hand and it splashed on my palm. I didn't care that I would smell of putrid alcohol, I didn't care that I would wake with a pounding headache, and I definitely didn't care that I was here by myself. The sweating bodies packed the dance floor, throwing themselves at each other like animals. Voices were screaming, singing, slurring, trying their best to communicate with the drunks while the sobers were seen lugging weighted bodies through exits and bathrooms. Another shot down and the music was sounding a bit louder. The lights and moving people blurred into one single fuzzy cloud. Rough memories were slipping away slowly, pushing the thought to drink until I forgot that I had even come here to forget. The perfect amount of alcohol had snaked its way to my legs and standing here in four inch heels didn't hurt so much anymore. I had walked from work, which, conveniently, was just two blocks away except now I had to find the parking garage in my tipsy state. I turned my empty shot glass upside down on the bar and paid the bartender who had been distributing me drinks for the last hour. Careful not to trip and fall, I stepped down the ledge the bar was built on and stumbled out the front door.

The humid St. Louis air seemingly consumed me, making me sick to my stomach. I grabbed at the stomach of my blouse and tried to hold it down, usually it never worked, but this time was different. The heat settled low in the pit of my stomach and I continued stumbling down the city sidewalks. Numerous cars zipped past me, some getting a bit too close to the curb as the tires squealed with the engines.

"I'm not doing this with you right now," a man in a suit screamed into his cell phone.

He was fiddling with his keys on the driver side door of a sleek black convertible, parked on the right side of the street. The side that was closest to me. I kept walking, not wanting to eavesdrop on a conversation I knew nothing about. Although, before I passed his car, we made eye contact. It was so fast it felt like it didn't actually happen, but those green eyes would forever be burned in my memory.

The man got in his car and took off up the street. My eyes followed the bright taillights to a street corner two blocks ahead of me, where he parked the car again. I kept moving closer, making my way down the sidewalk intending to reach him. I don't know why I felt so drawn to him, I didn't even know his name. Something about him looked familiar, a good kind of familiar but frightening at the same time. He got out of the car and locked it, stepping onto the hot pavement. In a swift glance, we locked eyes again. I was a mere block away from him.

He disappeared through a wall of revolving doors underneath an awning of a grand Hotel. It's like he was telling me to follow him, but then again, that could have been the alcohol. The stuffiness of the air wasn't doing anything to help my head. What would one night at a hotel hurt? Tomorrow was Saturday which meant I was off for the weekend. There was no where for me to be in the morning, and with that, I entered the hotel and checked in with the concierge at the front desk.

With two key cards in hand, I stepped through the open elevator doors that would take me to the 29th floor. Just before I had time to think to select the button that would take me up, the man with green eyes stepped in beside me. I pressed button 29 and turned my head towards this perfect stranger.

"Floor?" I slurred, looking up at his eyes one more time before I had to turn around and try my hardest not to look back until I had locked myself in my suite. The elevator doors slid shut.

"Same as yours," he replied slowly in a beautifully rough tone.

The green-eyed man narrowed his field of vision and closed his eyes, only to flick them back open revealing a deep shade of blood-red. I quickly stepped back towards the buttons and in doing so, lost my balance. Reaching for the handrail beside me, the man caught my wrist, pulling me back up before I hit the floor.

"Okay, someone's had a little too much to drink tonight," he said while wrapping one arm around my waist to keep me steady. "Lets get you back to your room." He grabbed both keys out of my hand and I glanced back at his eyes once more, the original shade of green poured over the red, diminishing the crimson color completely.

The dizzy feeling was back and everything faded to black. My body went limp in his arms.

~~~~~

I awoke with only one memory, green eyes. I don't know who the green eyes belong to, I don't know where I am, and I don't remember how I got here. Rolling out of the large bed, I recognized my surroundings as a hotel suite. I know I had gone to the bar after work but everything after that was a blur.

My head was pounding. Grabbing my heels that had been tossed on the floor, I left the hotel room, not caring to put them on. The elevator was at the end of the hall where a love seat and small coffee table with fake flowers sat. I pressed the down arrow, signaling the doors to open and I stepped inside. After pressing yet another button, Lobby, the doors began to close. A hand stopped the doors just before it was completely closed and a man in a dark suit stepped in.

"Sorry, I didn't see you coming," I apologized without making eye contact with the man who had dark hair.

"It's fine, I still made it anyways," he laughed.

I brought a hand to my forehead in an effort to ease the magnificent headache I had.

"So what were you doing last night? Out with friends?" The man asked.

"To be honest with you, I don't even remember coming here last night. All I remember is having a few drinks after work, which, I guess, turned into more than a few."

I turned to look at him and was more than surprised to see the green eyes I had remembered. They were sharp, like a knife, but they were kind.

"Well, if it helps, we were riding up in the elevator together and you passed out. And, if we're being honest like you said, I'm not quite sure how you made it past the front desk alone," he laughed.

I blushed, not knowing how drunk I really had been. "How did I get to my room then?"

"I wasn't just planning on leaving you in the elevator!" He laughed. "I carried you to your room, you had the key cards in your hand."

"Ohh, see that makes more sense now," I laughed with him. "I'm sorry I took up so much of your time, you probably had somewhere to be?" I said in more of a questioning tone than a statement, wondering if he really had somewhere to be.

"Nah, it's okay. I'm Adam by the way."

"I'm Kara."

"It's nice to meet you, Kara," he smiled, holding his hand out.

We shook hands, he was strong. His hand was cold, but I refrained from saying anything about the matter.

"It's nice to meet you too, Adam."

When I let go of his hand, he closed his eyes and quickly turned his head away. I swear I heard him mumble something under his breath. Something along the lines of, "you have no idea.."

Just then, the elevator stopped but the doors never slid open to allow for more passengers. I glanced to see what floor we were on.

"Only the 17th floor? Why aren't the doors opening?" I asked him.

"Looks like we're stuck," he mumbled again, his head still turned away from me.