Drama King by Penny Reid EPUB & PDF – eBook Details
- Author: Penny Reid
- Language: English
- Formats: PDF / EPUB
- Status: Available For Free Download
- Series: None
- Price: Free
- File Size: 1 MB
*BATHSHEBA*
“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and
say something clever.”
— ARISTOPHANES
~Late June~
m I . . . drunk?
Returning my half-drained glass to the table without taking another
sip, I removed my attention from the six-foot-four, two-sixty, brown-haired,
brown-eyed white man at the bar (conceal carrying beneath his ill-cut black
suit) and squinted at the bottle of wine sitting at my one o’clock.
The bottle drifted to the left without actually moving and the room gave a
slight spin.
“Ugh.” Dropping my gaze and blinking rapidly, I tried again with the
knife and spoon next to my empty dinner plate. They also drifted without
moving. I winced. Light chatter and the delicate clinking of utensils
connecting with dishes faded as I worked to correct my swimming vision.
No use. I’m drunk.
The bottle of wine was still two-thirds full. A waiter had uncorked it in
front of me approximately twenty-five minutes ago while offering assurances
that “my date” would be here within a half hour. The mystery man—known
to me only as Mr. Black—had apparently called the restaurant and sent the
bottle as an apology for his tardiness. I was told he hoped “his date” would
consider staying until he arrived.
Just so y’all know, I wasn’t Mr. Black’s date. I was a decoy date, doing a
favor for my good friend Ryaine O’Rourke and posing as her body double
one last time. I didn’t mind. She’d wasted enough of her life and nursed too
many broken hearts thanks to Hollywood stud duds. But given my sudden
and surprising state of inebriation at present, completing this evening’s
mission seemed doubtful.
I sighed, slurring to no one in particular, “Well, that’s just fine and
dandy.” I’d washed and fixed my hair for this, and the dress had been steam
pressed for the occasion. What a waste.
Originally, I hadn’t planned on drinking any of the apology wine, but
sitting in this here restaurant, in this here booth, on this here numb backside
of mine all by myself was just as exciting as a mashed potato sandwich with a
saltine salad. Before I’d touched the wine, I’d spent ten minutes staring at the
uncorked bottle. And that’s not to mention the hour I’d already waited for
Ryaine’s blind date. After all that waiting, I could see no harm in having a
glass.
To be clear, her date was not an hour and twenty-five minutes late. He
was only twenty-five minutes late. I’d been an hour early. I’m that person
who always arrives in advance everywhere and every time and for
everything. The more anxious I felt about a situation, the earlier I arrived. I
needed to scope out the exits, the layout of the furniture, the flow of foot
traffic, proximity to hospitals and fire stations, how close to maximum
occupancy the establishment operated, etc.
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