Attraction - a fraudulent marriage

7. proposal

This is the rewritten version of Attraction

I woke up to the smell of aftermath rather than aftershave. Cans of beer piled up on the coffee table along with glasses smudged with fingerprints, and someone had forgotten to air the place last night. I wasn't about to complain, however. We'd had a fabulous time until I passed out—with grace, of course. People had danced and goofed around, making as much noise for the neighbors as possible. It had been easy to forget.

Rubbing my tired eyes, I stretched on the sofa and wondered if it was time to face the day. The silence spoke in favor of staying put if I didn't want to wake the others, but I was on edge and desperate to find release. Although, not that kind of release.

I sat up and eyed the Coke on the table. It was less than fizzy, no doubt, but anything would suffice to relieve my parched throat. I reached out and clasped my fingers around the plastic bottle. Taking two long gulps, I realized too late that someone might have spiked it last night. More alcohol would not help my situation, nor my throbbing head.

"You're up early." Chris sauntered in from the kitchen, carrying two steaming cups.

"Please tell me that's coffee? I'll worship you forever."

He chuckled, handed me the cup and sat beside me. "Not sure I want your undying devotion."

The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans wafted from the well of eternal life. I took a sip and leaned back. It tasted heavenly and soothed the strain behind my eyes within seconds. "You'll have it even if you don't want it. From this day, I shall be your constant source of nuisance."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Inching closer, I realized that Chris smelled like a million bucks. "But can I please have a shower? I promise I'll be the bestest of best friends."

He took pity on me, flicking my nose with his index finger. "Help me clean up and you can take a shower for as long as you'd like."

"Thank God. Yes. And can I look through your closet?"

"No, I'll bring you something to wear. I'm not letting you go through my stuff unsupervised."

I grinned. "It was worth a try."

One long, hot shower later, I emerged a new man. I'd also decided to steal Chris' body wash. The light scent reminded me of the ocean and suited me perfectly. Chris needed something a tad heavier, so I would get him a better match.

A pile of clothes lay outside the bathroom door, sliding across the floor as I opened. Chris offered a pair of sweats and a blue T-shirt, meeting my expectations on point. The guy definitely knew how to wear casual and get away with it, but I hadn't touched anything like these pants in years. I could have chosen to wear my dirty clothes, but the fumes of alcohol would ruin my day. Better a pair of sweats than jeans sprinkled with beer.

The full-length mirror seemed to taunt me, cackling out an evil laughter when I neared the door. With a snort, I almost told the damn thing that I didn't care. Sweats or no sweats, I could pull them off. Or someone else could if I found the right man for the job.

Dante and Chris had cleared most of the mess when I joined them in the living room.

"Chris, I need a blowjob," I said, stifling a smile as his jaw dropped.

"What?"

"Do you have a blow dryer?"

Dante tried to hold back a laugh, but it didn't work very well.

Chris groaned. "You're too fucking much."

Shrugging, I let him lead me back to the bathroom. He opened one of the cupboards and placed a sleek blow dryer in my hands. "It's Dante's. Don't get any ideas." He appeared truly worried that I would judge him, the poor soul.