The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 24

Around two-thirty in the morning on Sunday, I fumbled with the lock on the door before taking off my shoes and tip-toeing inside my apartment. I didn't want to wake the tenants below me by stomping around. They'd banged on the ceiling once, which pissed me off until I learned they were an older couple. Now I did my best to be a conscientious neighbor, even in my inebriated condition.

The girls and I had gone out to celebrate Fallon's promotion to a full-time position at her boutique. She was going to be the assistant manager, which meant a significant raise. I couldn't remember the last time I partied quite this hard, and the only saving grace was that I didn't have to be at the bakery until noon.

One reason I'd gone overboard with the booze was that I regretted not being able to take Shawn up on his offer. Throughout the night I kept thinking about how I could be in Los Angeles with him if the timing had been right. When Summer of Love starting playing on the dance floor, I felt that it was some sort of sign, like the universe was trying to send me a message, though I wasn't sure what.

As I took off my clothes, the song was running through my mind. "It was the summer of love," I sang softly. "A delicate daydream." I continued to sing as I removed my makeup and brushed my teeth. When I crawled into bed, I thought it would be a good idea to text the singer directly to let him know his tune was stuck in my head.

Singing summer of love.

It's a good ear worm.

Was his concert over? I calculated the time difference and deduced that it had to be since it was close to midnight on the west coast.

How was your show?

I waited expectantly for him to reply, which was probably foolish. He told me that he usually crashed hard after a performance, and he'd just done two consecutive nights so he was bound to be extra tired.

My phone buzzed a few times, but it was just Briya and Fallon texting me in our group chat that they'd made it home. I replied that I had, too.

The bed was spinning a bit, so I got up for some Advil, since a headache was inevitable. It took me a minute to undo the child safety cap, and when I did, the pills spilled all over my counter. I picked them up and took three with a big glass of water before returning to my bed. Looking at my phone, I had no notifications. I closed my eyes, and right as I started to relax, I got a phone call.

It was him.

"Hi," I said as I sat upright against my headboard.

"You're up late," he observed.

"The girls and I went out. Did my texts wake you?"

"No, I'm with my friends, but I stepped outside on the patio to call you. Are you drunk, Lucy?"

"Guilty as charged. I blame tequila," I told him.

He chuckled. "What a funny coincidence. That's what I've been drinking, too."

"Are you drunk?"

"I'm twisted, actually."

"I haven't smoked in forever. It always made me paranoid," I said. Even in college, which was when marijuana was legalized in Canada, I wasn't that into it because of how it made me feel.

"That sucks. Maybe you need to try a different strain. I'm a big fan of anything in the indica family for relaxation."

"We should get high together. You can select something that might work for me." My mind started wandering to thoughts of what weed-enhanced sex with Shawn might be like. "Is it better when you're high?"

"Is what better?" he asked.

"Sex."

He laughed loudly. "Were we talking about sex?"

"No, but I was thinking about it. Sorry. I forgot you weren't in my head."

"You're thinking about sex right now?" I could hear his smile through the phone.

"Sort of. I was imagining high sex, but I've never actually done it after smoking so that's why I posed the question, which you never answered by the way."

"It's great. I recommend it," he said matter-of-factly.

"What makes it so good?"

"When you're high, your senses are enhanced, which is why food tastes amazing. It's the same with sex."

I giggled. "Sex tastes amazing?"

"It can."

My breath caught in my throat as I pictured what he was referring to. We hadn't experienced that intimate act yet, but I was now dying for him to go down on me. I needed to change the subject before I got too excited thinking about it. "How was the concert tonight?"

"Incredible! There were some empty seats in the top sections which always bums me out a little, but the people who were there got really into it."

"I wish I could have been there," I said quietly, "but I did dance to Summer of Love tonight. That's why it was in my head."

"I wish you could have been there, too. What's it going to take to get you to another one of my shows?"

"You really want me to come to one that badly?"

"Is that weird?" he asked.

"No weirder than inviting me to your birthday party after meeting me once."

"The Vegas show is going to be big for me because it's my first concert in that city. I sang In My Blood at the Billboard Awards when they were held there a few years ago, but that's not the same. It's exciting to go to a new venue, and I'd like you to share that with me."

"You want me to come to Las Vegas?"

"Yeah. I do. The show is in five days- no wait, four since it's technically Sunday now. What if I flew you and the girls to the concert?" he suggested. "I bet the three of you could have a lot of fun in Sin City."

"You're so generous, but that's a Thursday. We'd have to take two days off, which I might be able to swing, but Fallon is starting a new position soon."

"Can you at least ask them? And if they can't make it, can you come?"

My mind started racing with all the reasons I should and shouldn't go, and it was hard to focus on any of them in my current state.

"Lucy?" he said.

"I'm still here, and I'm considering the offer. I don't think I should agree to anything while I'm drunk. And who knows, you might wake up in the morning and regret asking me. Let's table this until tomorrow, okay?"

"That's probably smart, but I promise you that I thought about this before I smoked or drank. I want to see you and I don't want to wait until the end of October."

"You miss me?" I blurted out.

"You sound shocked." He laughed after he said this, which made me smile. I loved that he was giggly when he smoked.

"It's just that I miss you, and I didn't think you felt the same way."

"Why do you think I text and call you every day? And why did I invite you to LA? Isn't it obvious that you're on my mind?"

"Or maybe you just want to get laid." I said this as a joke but when he didn't reply, I knew he hadn't taken it as such. I started babbling, "That sounded funnier in my head. You can get laid whenever you want and obviously aren't dependent on me. Not that we've even had that much sex. It was one night. One great night, of course. Really great."

He let out a long sigh and I could clearly imagine the exasperated look on his face. "This isn't just about sex. I'm gonna get back to my friends. Text me your answer for Vegas tomorrow."

Then he ended the call.