Living In The Shallows (UK Crush #1)

Chapter Five

I woke up the next day to knocking on my door. I checked my watch and saw that it was nearly nine in the morning. I couldn't believe I'd slept so long. So much for jet lag. The knocking came again, soft, but urgent.

"Just a sec," I called in English. "Please wait a moment," I added in Japanese, just in case. I looked around for something to put on, then realized on second thought that the world wouldn't end if someone saw me in my Sesame Street tank top and shorts, so I just opened the door.

Matty and Gethin were standing there, looking as though they hadn't slept at all. They were in the clothes they'd gone out in, hair sticking up every which way, and they looked like they'd gone through a Mixmaster. Together.

I stepped back to let them in, asking, "What on earth happened to you two? Did you go out again after we came back?"

They both staggered to my bed and fell on it, groaning.

"You think we look bad, you should see the other two," Gethin moaned, rolling over into my pillow. "We were the only two who could stand. We're so sick, Tink. We're not used to saké, I guess. Ronan slept in Theo's room so they could take care of each other, but all they did was take turns using the toilet to be sick."

Matty took over the narrative, as apparently telling that much of the story had taken all of Gethin's strength. "We can't go down to the hotel shop in this condition," he explained. "There could be paps--paparazzi," he explained. "Japan's crawling with them, they wear disguises and all, they could be anywhere."

I looked at the two of them, unable to help the laughter that bubbled up inside.

Matthew suddenly decamped from his place on my bed, making his unsteady way to the bathroom, from which various uncomfortable sounds began to emanate.

"Ah, Tink, if you knew how we were suffering you wouldn't stand there and laugh at us," Geth complained. "Could you please, please go down there and get us something that'll work?"

The bathroom door opened and Matty emerged, sans shirt, looking ashen. "I got sick on it," he said by way of explanation. He returned to the bed and tumbled in.

"And you two are the better looking of the bunch, huh?" I smiled and looked at them.

"Relatively speaking, yes," said Matty in a small, humble voice.

"They can't even get out of bed," Gethin reiterated.

"Okay, give me a second to get dressed, and I'll run out to a real drug store and get you something that'll work super fast," I promised. "This is the country of the hangover; they have a whole industry dedicated to curing it."

"Why do you need to get dressed?" Gethin queried. "You look fine. Just go as you are, please. It's just that it'll take you so long to change."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, shocked. "I slept in this. I'm not even wearing a bra."

"I noticed," he said, eyes closed, grinning. "I'm just hungover, not blind, I'm still a man, after all."

"You're a boor," I countered, crossing my arms, trying not to blush. "And you're going to have to lock that shit down if you want me to be nice and go shopping for you." I rummaged around for some clothes in the dresser.

"I don't even know what that word means!" Gethin called after me as I went in the bathroom to change.

"I'll explain it to him," I heard Matty say with a laugh as I shut the door.

"Okay," I said, as I emerged from the bathroom. "You guys hang tight here. You need anything before I go? Water? No? Text the other two and tell them I'll be back in about twenty minutes with something to make you feel better, all right?" I stopped at the door and turned around. "Why didn't you guys just text me?"