Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now

We were going to the bathroom. This wouldn’t take long. Not with the image I had locked away from the dirty dreams I’d been having of Amanda.
Amanda
    My feet hurt from these heels I’d been determined to wear. Jason was a great dancer, and he had made me forget other things and laugh. Willow and Marcus were cuddled up with each other at the corner of the dance floor, talking. I loved seeing them like that. I wouldn’t go interrupt them to tell them bye. I’d more than likely see Marcus tomorrow anyway.
    “This was so much fun,” Sadie said as she and Jax walked up to us. They had danced most of the night too. Someone came up and asked for Jax’s autograph, and I heard Jason sigh. It had eased up earlier, but I guess now that we looked like we were leaving, people were anxious to get close to him before he was gone.
    “Yeah, it was. I haven’t had this much fun dancing in a long time,” Jason agreed. I could feel his eyes on me, and I glanced up at him and returned his smile. I’d been really good about not worrying if Preston was asleep in my room or if he was back at the party. But now we were about to walk back through the condo, and I was concerned about what I might find.
    “We’ve got a day of packing tomorrow, or I’d say we should stay and close the place down,” Sadie said in a wistful tone. I knew she was excited about moving close to Jax.
    “I’m ready to get out of these heels anyway,” I assured her. I was more than ready to go home.
    “Let’s go,” Jax said as he handed the picture he had just signed back to the guest.
    Jason and I led the way down the candlelit path leading back to the condo from the beach. His hand held mine and it was nice.
    When we reached the doors to the condo, I took a deep breath, hoping I wouldn’t see Preston. Praying he was asleep.
    The party was still going strong inside the condo too. I spoke to several people as we passed by, and waved at those too far away. Just before we reached the front door, I saw in the corner of the room the shaggy blond hair that was impossible to miss. His back was to everyone else, and from the hands on his shoulders I could tell he had someone in front of him backed into that corner. My stomach twisted, and I tightened my hold on Jason’s hand, then picked up speed. Getting out of here was suddenly very important. I didn’t want that image in my head.
    Just as I was about to turn my head away, Preston glanced back over his shoulder and our eyes met. The glassy look in his eyes was one that I was all too familiar with. His attention shifted from me to Jason, and then he winked at me. What was he doing?
    I glared at him in return and opened the door, then stepped outside. He was such a jerk. A stupid, sexy, hard-to-get-over jerk.
    The ringing of the telephone woke me up. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled over and reached for the cordless phone beside my bed. Mom had to be gone somewhere. She rarely let the phone ring more than three times.
    “Hello.”
    “Hey, you still sleeping?” Marcus asked on the other end of the phone.
    “Yeah.”
    “Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s after ten.”
    “Mmm-hmm, whatya want?” My eyes were still heavy. I’d been up all night talking to Sadie. She’d left early this morning for LA. It would be months before I saw her again.
    “I need a favor. I hate to ask you, but I don’t know who else to call.”
    Sitting up, I covered my yawn. “Okay, I’m listening.”
    “I know you aren’t crazy about Preston after what he did at the party, but he’s my best friend, and I need your help.”
    My eyes snapped open wide, and I slung my legs over the side of the bed. I was instantly alert.
    “Yeah,” I replied, wanting him to get on with it.
    “He is passed out on my sofa. He showed up at our apartment late last night and said he was a bastard and a few other things, then walked over and curled up on the sofa and went to sleep. Anyway, Low is gone to get Larissa, and I’m at work. Can you go over there and get him up and gone? I don’t want Low to have to deal with him. She’ll have Larissa, and, well, you are probably going to have to throw water on him and help him get home. She can’t do all that and take care of Larissa, too. I tried waking him up before I left, but he wouldn’t budge and I was running late.”
    Explaining to my brother the reasons why I didn’t want to do this would be bad. That was a secret that he’d never know. I would do this for him one last time. That was it,