Gavin walked over and cleaned it up, and I was starting to think that maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. “It certainly is a romantic place. Speaking of place, I don’t think you should be driving back to yours tonight.”
As I slumped and hiccuped, I knew he was right. So far, I had been wrong about almost everything this evening. I knew I should go home before I made more of a fool out of myself, but I wanted to wait for Annie and Julianna to pop their balloons.
6
Gavin
Ireached down and attempted to pull Crystal to her feet, but all she could do was slump back against the couch. Even though River Valley was a small town, I didn’t expect to see her at the baby shower tonight. Maybe it was because she drove a beat-up Honda. I pegged her as being one of those free-spirited people who shopped at discount stores, not someone who would attend a baby shower for Annie and Julianna Truman. Somehow, though, I found that notion refreshing and was a bit ashamed of myself for having such a snooty thought.
Realizing that she needed a few minutes to compose herself, I sat back on the couch and offered Crystal a piece of the delicious cake. “This might help absorb some of that alcohol.”
Crystal shook her head at me, though. “I’m not hungry, Gavin, but since you decided to hit my car, how about you get me some more of that spiked punch? I want to see the gender reveal.”
Richard walked over and cocked his head at us. “I think you’ve had enough to drink, Crystal. How about a bottle of water?”
As she took a bottle from Richard’s hand, Annie came over and seemed just as alarmed as Richard. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m having a blast, even though Gavin here thinks he’s above the law.”
Richard shot me a surprised look. “What the hell is she talking about, man?”
“Gavin hit Annie’s car earlier today,” Annie said into his ear. “Instead of exchanging insurance information, he promised to buy her a new car.”
Richard and I exchanged a knowing smirk, and I trusted him enough not to bring up our previous conversation.
I knew he’d taunt me about it later, though. “That’s mighty kind of you, Gavin. It’s not every day that a guy offers to buy a stranger a new car. Wouldn’t a normal person just offer to pay for the damage?”
I could feel my face turning beet red and answered his question through gritted teeth, trying not to burst out laughing. “Yes, but I was running late to a business meeting.”
Richard suppressed his laughter by looking away for a few moments.
I turned my attention back to Crystal, who was trying to stand up despite being too drunk to do so.
Annie reached her hand out to steady Crystal’s balance. “I’m fine, Annie. I just need some fresh air,” Crystal told her.
Annie smiled, brushed a strand of hair out of her friend’s face, and said, “You need to get some rest, Crystal. I’m glad you had a good time, but you’re going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.”
All three of us watched as Crystal rummaged through her purse, and I realized that she thought she could drive.
“Are you insane? You can’t drive home! You can’t even walk without someone helping you,” Annie told her.
When Richard passed me a sly smile, I knew what he was about to suggest. “You wouldn’t mind driving Crystal home, right, Gavin? It’s the least you could do after hitting her car.”
“Oh, hell no,” Crystal said while steadying herself against the food table. “I’d rather walk home, seeing how Gavin’s so easily distracted while driving.” Then she looked up at me and snickered. “Or maybe I will, but I won’t let you drive down any street that has stores or cafes.”
The way she made fun of me made me laugh. Even in her drunken state, she found a way to mock my driving skills. “You’re not walking home, Crystal. Come on. I’ll take you home, alright?”
“Fine, you can take me home, but I better not see you take your eyes off of the road! Not even for a second.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and started for the door. But just as we reached the porch, Crystal struggled free and yelled, “Stop! What about the gender reveal?”
Thankfully, Annie heard her and rushed outside. “Hey, no worries, we are planning to video all the fun. You won’t miss a thing. I’ll text you later with the news.”
“You promise?” Crystal muttered.
“Pinky, swear!”
Finally, I walked her out to my BMW convertible, and helped her in, carefully fastening her seat belt. As we drove through the streets of River Valley with the top down, I looked over at her and realized that she was even prettier than I’d remembered. The way the wind was blowing her hair reminded me that Crystal definitely was a person with a free-spirit.
