Page 3 of Always Yours

He grabs the skunk by the neck and despite the continuous spray, the guy doesn’t ease up his grip. Dragging the skunk from the backseat of my car, he gently tosses the creature of the night into the grassy field that adjoins the parking lot.

I watch him thrust his clenched fist into the air and give a hearty shout of accomplishment. Enjoying the fact that this guy has finally freed my car of all its skunk-filled glory, I throw my arms around his neck in appreciation.

“Thank you so much,” I croon, pulling back so I’m now looking at him. “You’re my hero.”

We stand suspended in this moment of smelly skunk and vomit, our lips practically touching as he pulls back a little and says, “Do you want to come upstairs?”

His hand slides to my hip and a small smile crosses my lips, but it’s almost a smile of a shameful reminder as to how I got myself into this whole mess. Yet as I stand here contemplating my answer, I realize I smell horrible and eventually I have to get back in my car, so I just delay the inevitable.

“I don’t even know your name,” I shoot back at him, trying my hand at playing hard to get since clearly going home with someone I met at the bar went so well.

“It’s Will McIntyre and I swear I’m harmless despite my amazing skunk wrestling skills.”

I giggle a little at his joke and introduce myself, extending a hand.

“I’m Ellen Somerville and I’ve never been more grateful you came along when you did.”

“So is that yes then?” he asks, his tone filled with eagerness as he cocks his eyebrow slightly at his question.

“I guess it is, but only so I can clean up.”

“Only so you can clean up and I can make you breakfast,” he adds, a smirk on his chiseled face.

“I should be the one making you breakfast,” I reply, knowing I owe him even if my car is ruined.

We make our way toward his apartment, which is luckily not in the same building as the one I just vacated, when my phone chimes out.

“Your boyfriend?” Will asks, glancing back over his shoulder as he takes the stairs to his apartment.

“No, my sister,” I reply. “She’s back home dealing with the first boy she’s ever really had a crush on. It’s pretty brutal.”

“Where’s home?”

“California. Napa area. My parents own a winery and vineyard there.”

“And what’s the deal with your sister?” he asks, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door to an outdated but spotlessly clean apartment.

“Long story, but she’s found herself crushing on this boy who is visiting the vineyard from Australia. It’s that whole love/hate thing and she has no idea how to handle it.”

I speak like I’m an old pro at crushes and relationships, but in all honesty, I’ve had one boyfriend, who I did sleep with back in high school, but if I had to label myself now it would be “lip slut” since all I’ve done since going away to college is make out with boys in bars. Today was my first attempt at a one night stand that literally landed me in the stinker.

Will walks to the fridge leaving me standing in the entryway and appears a few seconds later holding a bottle of Bloody Mary mix.

“I don’t have any tomato juice. You think this will work?” He gives the bottle a hearty shake and we both laugh out loud.

He’s far more endearing and cute and funny than I would have expected, and I’m finding myself questioning if maybe this whole thing was meant to be.

2

Will

She’s hot. Seriously hot.

I mean, yeah, she looks like a total train wreck right now, with the smudged makeup all over her face, dried puke on her top and a stench coming from her like something rolled over and died. But she’s still hot.

She’s eyeing the Blood Mary mix I’m holding, as though she’s actually thinking about my suggestion of using it. I’m now wondering if she’s going to take those clothes off or leave them on if she does.

I’m hoping for off. I mean, of course I’m hoping for off.

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