A Safe Place to Fall (Places Book 1)

by Barbara Doyle

  “Like drugs?”

  I nodded.

  “And Nate’s involved?” she doubted.

  “Have you actually asked him?” Ashley asked.

  “That’s what I was just thinking about,” I explained. “I mean how am I supposed to ask something like that?”

  “Straight up,” Tara said.

  “That’s stupid,” Ashley disagreed. “Hint at it.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  She was silent.

  “Exactly,” I concluded, tipping my head back.

  “Hey Nate, I was just wondering if you were a drug dealer. Please don’t kill me if you are.”

  Yeah, that conversation would go over well.

  “Well how did the scenario go in your head?” Tara asked curiously, pushing her container of grapes my way.

  Not well.

  “Let’s just say I need to find a different way,” I informed them, shaking my head.

  Was I crazy for even thinking Nate was capable of something like this? Probably. Would I be crazier if I just let it slide without bringing it up? Hell yes! I was the type of person who needed to know something or else my mind would make situations worse than they really were.

  I mean Nate was an understandable guy. Unless he really was involved in some elaborate scheme against me. Then I had to accept I was living with a total stranger who was probably deranged. For now I just wanted to focus on getting done with today so I could go home and figure out what to say. Stressing about it would only cause me to mess up something here, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

  “So what are you going to do?” Tara pressed.

  I opened up my water bottle and took a sip. “I think I’ll do what I do best. I’ll wing it.”

  She laughed. “You always wind up in a better place when you’re spontaneous. Planning stuff ahead of time isn’t really your forte.”

  “Guilty,” I agreed.

  “What if he is a dealer?” Ashley questioned. “Are you going to turn him in or something?”

  She was going to make it hard to ignore for now…

  “Probably not,” I said with a heavy sigh. “Nate has always been important to me, so I would never tattle on him like a child. I’d just look at him differently.”

  “How does one look at a drug dealer?”

  I thought about it. “Sketchily,” I answered.

  “Is that even a word?” Tara laughed.

  “It is now,” I returned, smiling at her.

  “So Nate is now on our to-look-out for list?”

  “He’s always been on that list for me,” Ashley told us, winking.

  Tara and I both laughed.

  “You need to get laid,” Tara teased. “Like tonight.”

  Ashley looked like she was thinking about it.

  “She was joking,” I pointed out slowly.

  “What if she wasn’t though,” Ashley retorted. “It’s not a bad idea. I haven’t gotten any in a while, and all of this talk about Nate is getting me hot and bothered.”

  “Again,” Tara complained, “Gross.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m just saying that it could be fun. We should all go out tonight and try finding some action that isn’t tied down to illegal practices.”

  Tara nudged me. “The perverts got a point.”

  “Damn straight I do!”

  “Uh…no.”

  Tara gave me the puppy dog eyes. “Please, Blair! It’ll be so much fun. We’ll get you liquored up and find you the hottest guy.”

  “Or at least not the ugliest,” Ashley corrected. “Oh don’t give me that look, Tara! We don’t want to get her hopes up. I mean she’s living with Nate already.”

  “Don’t worry about my hopes, because I’m not going. It’s a really bad idea. Plus, I’m working at Walmart tonight. I don’t have time to have fun.”

  “You never have time,” they both said simultaneously.

  I groaned loudly. “I don’t know what you expect me to do about it. I need the hours, and I don’t want to miss work. I don’t need to get laid anyway. I’m perfectly fine being un-laid.”

  Ashley deadpanned. “Anybody who says they’re fine with being un-laid clearly needs to be laid ten times more than they’re getting. When was the last time you had sex?”

  I was so not answering that question.

  “The fact you’re not answering means that you need to hook up with somebody pronto,” she concluded, looking at Tara for backup.

  Tell her she’s crazy, I silently pleaded to Tara.

  “She may be right, B.”

  Traitor!

  “You’re both insane.”

  “That’s your sexual frustration talking,” Ashley argued. “Once we get you all slutty and drunk you’ll be thanking us.”

  “I’m more mature than that, guys.”

  “Mature than what? College girls? Drinking?”

  “All of the above.”

  “Well we’re college girls,” she continued, gesturing between herself and Tara. “And you would still be too if you didn’t drop out. Not that I’m judging or anything. So we have the opportunity to act immature and help you get to our level.”

  I was one hundred percent sure I didn’t want to get to their level. Whatever level they were on sounded dangerously close to contracting STDs at some dive bar in town. I wasn’t going to risk having my doctor tell me I had herpes.

  “It’s a no from me,” I decided firmly.

  “You have no choice,” Ashley challenged.

  “I have to work!”

  “Call in sick,” Tara intervened. “We’re only asking for one night of your life, B. Or maybe more if you find your future husband at the bar. If that’s the case then we should definitely be at the wedding.”

  I snorted. “Guys at bars aren’t exactly looking for anything more than a one night stand.”

  “Not in those cheesy romance novels you read,” Ash intervened.

  My inner book nerd instantly grew insulted.

  “We may not be able to be friends now,” I informed Ashley, drinking more of my water.

  “Well then have one last hoorah with us before you ditch our asses for better influences,” she returned completely unaffected.

  I sighed, because I knew they would never give in until I agreed. They started out being just my coworkers, but past their annoying gossiping about all things Kim Kardashian and Channing Tatum, they made really great friends. Working at the motel always went by faster when the three of us were on the schedule on the same days, and them forcing things like this onto me, although uncomfortable, made me love them for trying to push my barriers outward.

  “If I say yes will you leave me alone?”

  “Maybe,” Ashley said the same time Tara answered, “Yes.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You guys so owe me.”

  “Well hopefully a hot guy will be enough repayment tonight. Make sure you sound believable when you call in sick. You’re going to need a completely new makeover if you’re going to get any tonight, and that’ll take some time.”

  “Gee thanks,” I muttered.

  Ashley patted my hand. “Anytime, bitch.”

  6

  After an hour of ripping through her wardrobe, Ashley found the shortest skirt I think I’d ever seen in my life. It was the type of length that would give my father a heart attack if he were still alive, and combined with the brightly colored flowy crop-top she picked out, there was no doubt I’d be getting some looks tonight.

  Most of the looks would probably soon be followed with money offers in men’s cars. Even the prostitutes in Pretty Women looked classier than me. All that I was missing was a pair of hooker heels and I’d be all set to stand at the corner.

  “Do I have to wear this?” I complained, picking up the micro-mini material. The bright blue color was beautiful, but I wasn’t even sure it would cover my underwear.

  “Yes,” Ashley answered, picking up the shirt.

  “I’m going to look
like a whore.”

  “More like a slut, which was the plan.”

  “Why can’t I wear jeans and a cute top? I’d feel a lot more comfortable in that than whatever the hell this is. I’ll be equally adorable.”

  Tara walked out of the bathroom in just a towel. She looked at me as she brushed her long brown hair of knots. “Do you usually get guys attention when you’re in your normal clothes?”

  “Well…no.”

  “You can’t even get Nate,” Ashley pointed out. “I don’t mean to sound like a bitch, but he’s super easy. You need to get out of the friend zone and into a whole new universe. These clothes will help you do that, girl.”

  “These clothes will help me get herpes.”

  “Safe sex is the best sex,” Tara called out from the other side of the room.

  Ashley just nodded.

  When I agreed to go out tonight, I didn’t think dressing like a hooker was part of the deal. It was a good thing that I shaved this morning, or else that’d take another hour just to accomplish.

  “What kind of underwear are you wearing?” she asked next, throwing me off guard.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Underwear. What are you wearing?”

  “The cheap kind…”

  She pulled out a hot pink thong from her dresser.

  “Ew! I’m not wearing your underwear!”

  She rolled her eyes and threw it at me. “I just bought those yesterday, and I haven’t even worn them yet. They’re new, so just put them on. And make sure you shave. Guys like deforestation if you catch my drift.”

  I groaned. “Did you really just say that?”

  “Yup,” she said, pulling me off the bed. “Now go into the bathroom and shave. Razors are in the top drawer of the sink.”

  “I already did,” I informed her, crossing my arms on my chest. The prep I needed was a ridiculous amount of work. How much work did it really take to get a guy to look at me? All I really needed to do was say one word and they would at least shoot me a glance. Dressing like a slut would only make me look desperate.

  Oh God.

  What if somebody I knew was going to be there? They would get one good look at me and just assume that I was desperate. If they laughed at me, I would die right there at the bar.

  “I can’t do this,” I said, sitting on the bed. I covered my face with my hands and kept thinking of all the horrible possibilities of how tonight could end.

  Ashley sat down next to me. “Why not?”

  Through my hands, I said, “Because I’m not cut out to be a ho.”

  She laughed. “I’ll agree with that. But it’s just one night of fun. Let loose and have the best damn night of your life. What’s so bad about that?”

  I finally looked at her. “There could be people that we know at the bar. If they see me looking like this then what are they going to think about me?”

  “That you’re a piece of ass,” she offered, winking.

  “They’ll laugh.”

  She slapped my arm. “No they won’t! Seriously, Blair where is your confidence? You’re one of the prettiest girls I know and you can’t even see it. I’ll even name a few things I love about you. The first would be your ass. The fact that it’s naturally that round can make even Nicki Minaj envious. Then there’s your thighs. Those are baby-making thighs, although I advise you to hold off on the baby-making thing tonight. And what about your rack? Like, damn.”

  I stared at my boobs. “I’m a C cup.”

  “And I’m barely a B,” she countered. “You’ve got a lot going for you, so own it. I mean if I were a guy I’d try tapping you all of the time.”

  I laughed. “Thanks…I think.”

  Tara walked over to us in a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. “I’d go gay for you, Blair.”

  “Now that’s true friendship,” Ash said with a smile.

  “And you wanted to make new friends,” Tara teased, giving me a hug.

  “I’m still debating it because of the clothes.”

  “Well tough,” Ashley returned. “I have no time to go back through my closet and pick stuff out for you. I still have to do your makeup and pick out shoes before happy hour is over. We’re college students. We’re broke. We need happy hour.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Will my makeup at least look good?”

  “Well you won’t look like a clown, so…”

  “Is that supposed to win me over?” I doubted, trying to hold back my laughter. “I’m not so sure that I like that argument.”

  “You’ll be ten times more beautiful than you already are,” she promised, pinching my cheeks like she was my grandmother. “Now shut up, put those clothes on, including the thong, and get back in here ASAP.”

  I got up and jumped when she slapped my ass on my way to the bathroom. I looked over my shoulder at her to see her and Tara laughing over my reaction. I just shook my head and closed the door between the two rooms.

  I wasn’t ready for tonight at all, and it would probably be a bust anyway. The only time attractive guys are in a bar was in a novel, and unfortunately this was reality. I was going out like a hooker, and probably coming home as an empty shell of a woman.

  Let the fun begin.

  The bar was small and packed with just about every type of person you could see in Oneonta. The back corner had the only table left, and area still smelled like smoke from whoever was in here last. I was pretty sure that smoking inside wasn’t allowed, but what did I know?

  I sat in the corner facing the crowded room, watching mostly college students party with their friends. A group of girls were throwing back shots across the room, laughing like they were having the time of their lives. A group of guys were clearly ogling them from their table, and one of them made their way over to the girls just to get turned down.

  Why couldn’t I be that way? Instead, I was sitting by myself while Tara and Ashley got us drinks just watching everybody else have fun. If Ashley really got her way tonight, I would be out on the dance floor grinding against some stranger. Her goal was to make Miley Cyrus’s VMA performance with Robin Thicke look innocent.

  That was why my ass was glued to the seat. There was no way I was making a fool of myself. Dancing wasn’t really my thing, unless it was a slow song. Something told me that bars didn’t play slow songs.

  Tara came back with a tray of shots.

  “What’s the poison?”

  “Tequila,” she answered. “Is there any other?”

  My stomach dropped at the smell of it.

  I’m never drinking again, I remember saying.

  Why did that not cross my mind when I agreed to this? If I drank like last time I’d end up breaking my promise. Again. How many times would it take to stop breaking that promise?

  Tara pushed the glass to me. “Well? Down some liquid courage, girl! There’s more where that came from.”

  I stared at the glass. “Last time I got drunk it didn’t end well for me.”

  Ashley came over and sat down with a pitcher of beer. “What about being drunk?”

  “Apparently last time she got drunk it was bad.”

  “Like how bad?” Ash pressed curiously, throwing her shot back.

  “Like…trying to have sex with Nate.”

  They cheered loudly.

  “How is that bad?” Ashley asked. “Damn girl I didn’t think you had it in you. I’m proud. Our little girl has grown up, Tara!”

  “Tried,” I repeated. “As in it didn’t happen.”

  “So? At least you went for it.”

  “I made myself look like an idiot.”

  Tara shrugged. “Then it looks like you need to have some more to drink. Sounds like you’re a lot more fun when you’re drunk.”

  “I puked my brains out the next morning.”

  Ashley waved her hand like that was nothing. “That means that you had a hell of a good time the night before. You tried something new, and even if it didn’t work, we’re still proud.”

  Did they not underst
and? I tried sleeping with the one guy who slept with anything that moved…and got turned down. Ashley said it herself. Nate was easy, and he rejected me. That was embarrassing.

  Ashley picked up the glass and handed it to me. “If you don’t willingly down this, we will force it down.”

  “I promised that I wouldn’t drink again.”

  “Who did you promise that to?”

  “Me…and Nate.”

  “Well is Nate here?”

  “No,” I muttered.

  Ashley eyed me. “Then take the shot.”

  “This is peer pressure,” I told them.

  They both smiled.

  Tara replied, “Something tells us that you’re going to need some liquid courage if anybody is getting between those legs tonight.”

  My whole face heated up. The idea of sex suddenly sounded unappealing. If I needed to be drunk in order to hook up, what kind of girl did that make me?

  A stupid one.

  No wonder why Nate didn’t sleep with me.

  I got up, yanking on the hemline of my skirt. Both of them stared at me as I walked around the table and toward the bathroom. I was in the position to feel like I had to do something to impress somebody before, and I let the situation get out of hand. I wasn’t about to do something just to let loose and be somebody I’m not. My teenage years were spent pretending to be somebody that I would never be in a million years.

  Before I made it to the door, a hand wrapped around my arm and turned me around. Nate was staring at my outfit, and from the look in his eyes he disapproved.

  “What are you wearing?” he asked.

  “What are you doing here?”

  A blonde came over and wrapped her hands around his arm. “He’s with me. Who are you, his sister?”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  “I live with him. Consider me his roommate,” I told Blondie coolly. The way she was rubbing against him with her chest was making me physically sick to my stomach.

  Nate pulled his arm away from her, which made her frown at him.

  “Why are you wearing that ridiculous outfit?” he asked me over the music that was growing louder.

  I pulled my arm away. “What is it to you?”

  “You need to go and change,” he told me.

  I put my hands on my hips. “I don’t have to do anything, Nate. You have no right telling me what to do or what to wear.”