Alexei And Grace

08 | Bad Guy

WHEN I WOKE UP, IT felt like MY head was being split open by a crowbar. The moment I became conscious I knew I had a thousand regrets to stew over before I'd even remembered any of them. Generally, that was how hangovers went for me; I nearly always spent the day in agony, recalling every single stupid mistake I'd made and wondering if it was possible to move across the world and change my identity with two hundred pounds in the bank.

          I was betting on the answer being no. Unfortunately.

          I sat up slowly but covered my eyes, trying to ensure that any head-spinning was kept to a minimum. Was it possible to still be drunk? And what was that smell?

          "Good morning."

          I opened one eye and saw Alexei, immediately groaned and closed it again. Now was not the time for dealing with mysterious killers. I flopped back down on to the suspiciously comfortable surface where I'd been laying and prayed that sleep would come.

          No such luck.

          "I take it you're feeling grotty," Alex said from across the room. I groaned. "I've some paracetamol, if you'd like."

          "Mmm."

          "Is that a yes?"

          "Mmm."

          There was a shuffling sound as Alexei probably attempted to locate the pain meds, followed by his footsteps tracking across the marble floor. "You're going to have to sit up."

I stayed still.

"You do realise you're laying in your own vomit, da?"

Now it was time to move. I shot up quickly from the velvet sofa and almost knocked into Alexei in the process. He gripped my shoulders to steady me and then looked me in the eyes, frowning. "Are you still drunk?"

"Are you still drunk?" I countered childishly. Alex's frown deepened. "Sorry."

He handed me a glass of water and two paracetamol.

"How do I know you're not poisoning me?" I scowled.

"If I wanted rid of you, Grace, you'd be dead."

"And this could be your way of doing it!" I held one of the white tablets up to the light. "It could be poison."

"I'm not a coward," he scoffed, "I'd shoot you if I felt like it."

"Nice to know."

I threw the tablets into my mouth and gulped them down with glorious sips of ice cold water. My whole mouth currently felt drier than the Sahara desert; I lost all dignity while practically choking on the liquid trying to consume it as quickly as I could.

"Better?"

"Marginally." I handed him back the glass and took a moment to get my bearings. I was in the same marble room I'd walked into last night, except now it was tidy and empty aside from Alexei and I. "Where did everyone go?"

"The party ended six hours ago, Grace," Alexei informed me, taking my empty glass and putting it back on his desk that sat at the top of the room. He slid back into his leather chair, and for a moment I marvelled at his ability to still look good with no sleep and no fresh clothes. Then I realised he was wearing fresh clothes - a new crisp suit had replaced his old one.