Double Shot by Christine D'Abo Page A

down.”
    Sadie nodded, not feeling even a little better. Josh slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Do you need me to get you home?”
    “No. But I will need some help with my corset.”
    Leaning across the floor, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over her head. “Take mine. It will be sufficient to get you where you need to be.”
    “What about Paul?” Slipping her arms though the holes, the worry lessening by a degree. “Should I call him?”
    “Nope. Make the bastard suffer.”
    Sadie couldn’t help but giggle. “Not the answer I was expecting.”
    “I’ve known him for more years than I can count. He’ll realize he was being an asshole right around the time he gets home. Then he’ll show up here too late to find you to apologize and try to punch me instead.”
    “I thought you said you’ve never done this together before?”
    “Not this. Let’s say we have fall-back behaviors we rely on. I’ll tell him he has three days to suck it up and apologize to you. It will probably take two for him to man up.”
    “And you think he will?” Sadie hated the insecurity. It wasn’t like her. While she wasn’t loud, she’d never considered herself weak.
    “Do you need to ask?” Josh smiled. “I’ll get you a cab. I don’t want you walking around looking like you’ve had fantastic sex.”
    “Okay.”
    Josh helped her to her feet, but before he could move away, she pulled him into a hug.
    “Thanks.”
    “For?”
    “Everything.”
    Now she had to sit and wait for Paul to come back to her.

Chapter Eight
     
    “Sadie, I need a low-fat cappuccino,” Ian called out from the counter. “Sadie?”
    She shook her head, trying to clear it. She’d been having difficulty focusing all morning. “Got it.”
    Josh’s prediction of Paul showing up in two days’ time was wrong. He didn’t show up on day three or four either. And now, on day six, Sadie had moved from fear and concern to jump feet-first into depression. Josh’s plan had backfired and she was the one paying the price.
    “One low-fat cappuccino.” She handed the mug to Ian and shrugged at his raised eyebrow. She hadn’t been her normal, perky self the past few days, and it was only a matter of time before one of her siblings called her on it.
    Ian frowned but turned back to the customer, leaving her in peace. It was more than a little unusual for Ian to not give her the third degree. Then again, it wasn’t like her to mope around.
    Ian spun around and pointed a finger at her the second the customer left. “Okay, spill it. What the hell is going on with you? I don’t remember seeing you this down since Mike Johnson dumped you in grade ten.”
    Sadie snorted. It was only a matter of time. “I’m fine. It’s just been a long week.”
    “Bull. You haven’t been yourself since the Mavericks event. Did something happen to you while you were there? Do I need to call someone out?” Ian shuffled closer. “This isn’t like you.”
    “It’s nothing.” She ran her hand along the back of her neck, trying to force away some of the tension. “If I thought there was something you could do to help, believe me, I’d let you know.” At this point, having Ian punch Paul wouldn’t do either of them much good.
    Ian crossed his arms. “I have ways of making you talk.”
    “Like?”
    “I found this new recipe for banana bread—”
    “If you go near my kitchen with the intent to bake, I’ll kill you.” Sadie tried to hide a smile, knowing full well Ian was only teasing, but couldn’t.
    He laughed and pointed. “There it is. For a moment there I thought someone traded my sister for an alien. I get worried when you’re not happy. You’re always Miss Sunshine.”
    Sadie would normally go to one of her friends when it came to her love life. Not that she didn’t trust her siblings’ perspectives in that department, but she couldn’t stand the constant stream of follow-up questions.
    “Let’s start again. Are you okay?”