The Housekeeper's Daughter [Elvis]

Chapter 9 - Heated Words

Something hammered the inside of my skull. I put my hand to my forehead and let out a moan in pain. My stomach bubbled and I held onto it. "Ow..."

I rolled over onto my back and looked around me. I was in my room, and that blue blanket was on me. What happened last night? I remembered coming home in a huff and going straight to the bar for a drink, something I never did. I sat there mulling over what happened with the Colonel and that poor fan girl. I want to find her and apologize. He didn't give me the chance to, even though I wanted to, right after it happened. He pulled me away.

What happened after I came home? I sat at the bar for a time, then... Megan. She came home and found me there. We talked about what happened, and the rest was fuzzy.

My stomach bubbled more and I held it. Something registered. I pulled the blanket off of me and saw that I was still wearing what I wore the day before. If I couldn't remember anything after my talk with Megan, then she probably dragged me up to my room when I was completely fall-over drunk.

I groaned in mortification and rubbed a hand down my face. Megan saw me at my worst. Well, my drunk worst. I didn't get that drunk often, hardly at all, even, and she witnessed it. I would have to apologize to her. What time was it? I looked over at the clock. 6:35. She would be up.

My stomach made a sharp pain and caused me to leap out of bed and run to the bathroom connected to my room. I opened the toilet and relieved my ailing stomach.

"Ahhhh man..." I whined into the toilet. "I don't wanna go anywhere today..."

But I had to, and I had to see the Colonel again. He would arrive around seven.

I flushed, stood up, then went to the sink to rinse my mouth out and brush my teeth. I took a look at myself in the mirror. I looked horrible. My face was ghost-pale, my eyes were watery, sweat beaded my brow, and my dark hair was seriously messed up.

After showering quickly, changing, and doing my hair, I made my way out into the hallway. I stopped and my heart jumped up to my throat. There stood Megan, checking the little heating and cooling meter attached to the wall. That was what she did first thing - check the heating and cooling systems throughout the house. Bernice checked the ones in Dad's house.

Megan looked over at me, and her eyes widened. I came up to her, standing maybe six feet away. "Good mornin', Megan."

"Good mornin'. Are you feelin' alright?"

"Yeah, I am, thank you. I..." I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling awkward, and maybe still a little queezy. "Listen, Megan, I wanna apologize for last night. I don't get like that that often. Or ever."

She nodded. "I know. You had a reason to drink."

"I told ya? I mean, I don't remember much of what happened. I just remember talkin' to ya, and... the rest is fuzzy."

Her cheeks suddenly flushed very pink and my pulse rose. Just what did I do that was making her blush like that?! A dozen scenarios, some heated, rushed through my noggin.

"Yes, you told me everythin' that happened between you, that fan girl and the Colonel, and you made it clear just how upset you were 'bout the whole thing. I would be upset, too."

I nodded. "You had to drag me up here, didn't chya?" She pursed her lips, and my heart fell. "Ah, man, I'm so sorry, Megan, that I put you through all that. Your body must be achin' all over the place."

She moved around both of her arms. "I'm alright. Momma has gotten like that in the past, so I've had experience haulin' 'round a dead-weight. At least you helped me out a little by walkin' on your own."