Red Balloon: A Sequel to The Cost of Falling

Chapter 14

A shower cleared away the last of my funk from the shots. I was content to wait for another twenty years before giving hard liquor another chance. I pulled on my pajamas and one of Sammy's sweatshirts before heading down the hall to see what the boys were doing. From the edge of the hallway, I could hear them talking and, despite feeling deceptive, I paused to listen.

"I have reservations at a steakhouse in Times Square. It has great reviews," Conner explained.

"Oh," Sammy's voice was distant.

"What?" Conner's tone dripped with thinly veiled annoyance.

"Nothing, man, it's just..." Sammy's voice drifted off.

"What? Sarah thought it was a great plan. It's one of the highest-rated restaurants in the city. I want it to be special."

"Yeah, yeah; I get it. It's just, do you think that would be special for Em? I mean, her favorite way to enjoy a steak is ground up on a bun." Sammy paused before continuing, "look, man, I'm not like the king of the ladies, and I couldn't afford to take a girl to someplace like that even if I was, so I have no idea what I'm talking about."

There was another long pause before Conner added, "yeah, well; thanks for your thoughts."

"Of course. Good luck, man. Emma deserves to be happy, and so do you."

There was a sincerity to Sammy's voice that pooled at the back of my eyes. I turned and headed back to my room to collect myself. When I returned a few minutes later, they were watching baseball in silence.

"Hey," Conner shifted over on the couch, "you want to watch some of the game with us?"

"I'm exhausted. I shouldn't do shots ever again. I think I'm going to go to bed." I gave them both a weak smile.

"You sure you're okay?" Conner asked, but his eyes were already flickering back to the game.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled back before shifting to Sammy's gaze.

His eyes were wide with concern, but he remained quiet.

I laid in bed, curled into Sammy's sweatshirt. The thought of a steakhouse in Times Square filled me with dread for Monday night. I hoped we'd be able to reconnect. Instead, the noise of a popular restaurant would barely let us talk, let alone connect. I didn't even like steak. I breathed in and out heavily, trying to push out the negative thoughts.

"Are you still feeling nauseous?" Sammy's voice was so close that it made me jump.

I opened my eyes to see him placing a cup of tea on my nightstand. The bed sagged as he sat down on the edge beside me.

"Yeah, but not because of the shots," I admitted.

"Something you want to talk about?" His face was so open to me that I wanted to reach up and cup it with my hands.

"A steakhouse in Times Square," I threw myself back into the pillows in frustration.

"Oh, so you heard that?" Sammy let out a wince.

"How are we supposed to reconnect in some loud, overpriced restaurant in the most annoying part of the city? I've had a long and successful run of avoiding Times Square; it's the worst." I groaned again in frustration before meeting Sammy's gaze, "I don't even like steak!"

"That's not true. You like steak. You just like it ground-up on a bun with cheese and extra pickles." He gave me a crooked smile that was so endearing.

"Seriously, you know that. How does Conner not know that? He's supposed to be my best friend."

"Em, he's trying. He wants the night to be special. So give him a chance. Maybe he'll surprise you."