The Sidewalk Incident

16. The BDE Incident

I spend my morning dry heaving over the toilet pot while James politely holds my hair and rubs my back.

"Better out than in, I always say," he says in his best Shrek voice.

"Fuck off. I hate you."

"So you keep reminding me, Charlotte. Drink." He makes sure I drink the complimentary bottle of water from the hotel room's minibar, along with two Advils, before ordering me the greasiest breakfast, opting for room service.

"You need to eat." James attempts to reason with me, drawing the curtains and making me wince in pain.

"It burns!" I groan, curled up under the duvet like a hungover vampire.

"You'll feel better after you've had something to eat. And a shower." He teases and dodges the pillow I've hurled at him.

"Urgh do I smell??" I do an armpit check and I'm surprisingly decent.

"No, but you do look like a baby raccoon pornstar."

"Fuck away from me, Li!" I groan. "I'm sick as a dog. I can't go anywhere. Especially not to Jarryd's stupid fundraiser show off thing. Just say I've had a seizure or something."

James throws his arms up in defeat and marches out, muttering something about a gym workout and a haircut.

I duly eat and duly pass out, waking up only when I hear the pitter patter of the shower signaling James's return. The ear splitting headache has thankfully dissipated with only a painful throb behind my left eye remaining, which feels somewhat of a win.

Rolling over I find a freshly made double espresso and some paracetamol. James really can be boyfriend material when he wants to be.

I sip on it slowly, feeling better physically, but my anxiety creeps up as I realise the fundraiser is a few hours away, that I'll be seeing Jarryd and having my fake boyfriend as my plus one for a work function I need to attend otherwise I might lose my job... and my woozy starts feeling woozy.

"You look slightly better." I startle as James waltzes is, clad in nothing but a towel. "Emphasis on slightly."

He annoys me when he's like this. Comfortable and happy as a hippo, walking around with his wet, toned torso, towel drying his freshly cut hair nonchalantly. He looks like a wet dream. 

James laughs. "A wet dream, huh?" The air exits my body, as I look at him with wide, crazy eyes. "Affirmative. You're still drunk and intoxicated."

"True. I shouldn't interact with humans in this state. We'd both lose our jobs. Oooh!! I know! Tell them I got roofied at the club last night. You'll look like the knight in shining armour and everyone would see me as the damsel in distress." I fake faint in bed.

"Nice try. Hit the showers, Princess Fiona." He instructs. "Sasha dropped off the dress Grace said she'd bring over for you."

"Sasha saw me like this??"

"Truth be told I think it was better than what Grace sounded like." He snickers.

"Yeah, well she gets white girl wasted... I'm only half-white so, technically—" I get another bout of nausea and make a beeline for the bathroom, managing to somehow avoid a concussion and aiming my vomit surprisingly well at the porcelain pot.

"Fuck, Charlotte."

"I got white girl wasted!" I cry.

"Indeed." James huffs.

"I'll be fine." I croak, hugging the toilet like it's my bestie.

James pinches the bridge if his nose in annoyance. And I can see the vein across his forehead pulsing in sync with his anger.