Page 3 of One Drink

Chapter 2

Stephanie

The night before

I tossed back the shotin one swift movement and slammed the glass on the table.

“Again,” Jeremy yelled.

“Ugh, you guys are killing me.”

The table erupted in a roar of laughter.

Jeremy looked back and forth between Jake and me with eager eyes. Jeremy had only worked for the magazine a couple months, and I could tell he was both surprised and excited to see his new boss and the editor-in-chief relax outside the office. He was young and fresh out of college and hadn’t yet developed a jaded mindset to the business world. Jake was great with the younger staff, and I knew he would do everything he could to make sure young minds like Jeremy’s remained free of negative influence for as long as possible.

Jake’s relaxed, fun demeanor was one of the reasons I begged him to take the position of creative director when I took over as editor-in-chief of a failing magazine three years ago. He didn’t need the job, but he was perfect for it. I was grateful when he accepted.

We’d been friends since college, and at first, I was afraid my being his boss would impact our friendship, but that thought proved to be absurd. While we didn’t always agree at work, it never once carried over into our personal lives.

“Come on, Steph.” Jake flashed me a wicked grin. “Just one more for the team.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk, Jake?” Lord knows it wouldn’t be the first time. Poor Jake has had to carry my drunk ass home on more than one occasion.

“No, but this is a celebration.” He waved at the private bartender hired for the party to pour us another round.

“Fine, but this is it.” I laughed. “It’s past time to wrap this party up.” Truth was, this was the most fun I’d had in a long time. I still enjoyed a night out with my friends every now and then, but being here with my team was reminiscent of my fun college days.

When I stepped in and took over Fine Arts Photography as editor-in-chief, the magazine was barely hanging on. The market for a fine arts photography magazine was tight. The previous editor had no clue what she was doing or how to reach our prime demographic. In less than three years, I managed to turn the magazine around, and this quarter had been our best yet. My team worked hard, and with Jake’s help, we more than exceeded our quarterly goals.

So tonight was about them, and if they wanted to see the boss throw back a few shots, I’d be happy to do it.

The next round arrived, and my body swayed at the thought of tossing it back. I’d already had two shots on top of three glasses of wine. And let’s face it—at thirty-two, I couldn’t drink like this anymore. My only saving grace was the fact that we started this party four hours ago, and it was officially at its end.

Thank God it’s Friday.

“Here’s to another great quarter!” Jake held his shot glass up, and one by one, the rest of the team lifted their glasses and cheered. A smile crawled across my face. Damn, I’m proud of this team. I’d handpicked every person in this room, not just because of their skills, but for their hearts. I knew the minute I met each of them that they had the drive, desire, and passion to help me turn this magazine around. And I had been right.

After another ten minutes of congratulations and goodbyes, Jake and I stood alone in the private meeting room.

“Well,” Jake said, “I think it’s safe to say they all had fun.”

“Yeah, I think so.” I smiled and headed to the back of the room to collect my jacket and purse. When I turned back, Jake was watching me with a wide grin. His light gray eyes danced with a hint of mischief and his tasseled hair begged to be touched. The sudden urge to run my fingers through his hair sent a shudder through me. “What’s that look for?”

“It was great seeing you cut loose tonight. It’s been a long time.” He dropped his smile and slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. His suit jacket fell open to reveal his half unbutton shirt. I sucked in a breath. I’d caught a glimpse of the curves of his chest, and now I wanted to run my fingers over a different part of his body.

Wow, where did that come from?I’d never had thoughts like that about Jake before and I couldn’t believe the image that ran through my mind. It must be the alcohol. Right? I held my eyes on his for a moment too long and a tingling sensation ran down my body and into my toes. Jake was insanely attractive, and I’d be lying to myself if I said I never wondered what it would be like to be with him, but he was my best friend.

“Come on.” I swallowed back my desire to touch him and nodded in the direction of the door. Even though I knew I should go home, I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to Jake. “Let’s go get a drink.”

“Don’t you think we’ve had enough?” He chuckled.

“Probably.” I shrugged with a playful grin, and I could’ve sworn his eyes darkened with the same desire I felt burning inside me. I shouldn’t do this, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be close to him. “Considering I drank more tonight than I have in a really long time, I’m thankful I can still stand and walk without difficulty. But I’m not ready to go home. Have a drink with me. Please.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I carried your drunk ass home.”

He laughed, but something inside me stilled. Jake and I had been friends for over ten years, and he often finished my sentences. It shouldn’t have thrown me off that he just spoke the exact words I was thinking earlier this evening, but it did. Maybe it was the alcohol or the way his gray eyes shifted to a light blue when he laughed, but I suddenly found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

Where the fuck did that come from? And since when do I think about kissing Jake?

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