The BACHELORETTE Project (The Project: LESLEE Series) by Tami Anthony

purple, and red."
    "It looks like a mini disco ball," Eric replies and the guys all laugh. "Ironically just like the disco ball that she was hit with in the first place." I really hope that it's not that bad. But, if in fact it is, it might actually be a sign. I should’ve stayed in the house in the first place, not have gone out drinking like some irresponsible college girl. I needed to act my age. What in the world was I thinking?
    "You know what?" Mike asks with a devilish look on his face. "I think I'm gonna touch it." He pulls out a pair of latex gloves, put them on his hands, and begins to crack his knuckles. "This is gonna be so cool!" he says as Karen turns up her face.
    "I'm so not watching this," she says and turns the other way. The guys all stare at me and I'm scared as hell. I see Mike's finger slowly move toward my forehead. The closer he gets to the wound on my head, the more I squint my eyes until I can barely see.
    "DON'T TOUCH ME!" I scream at Mike and he pulls his hand away, his face turning ten shades of white. The room is completely quiet. All this time I'm sure I could've said something, but I’ve developed the worst case of cotton mouth ever.
    “She’s awakening from the dead,” Russ says quietly. “It’s an unspoken miracle.”
    "She's alive!" Karen yells and gives me a big hug, almost knocking over an I.V. stand. "How come you didn't say anything? I was worried that there really was something wrong with you!" I begin to squirm around in my hospital bed, despising the unfashionable hospital cloth that I'm wearing. I wonder who put this ugly thing on me. Someone in this hospital has seen me almost naked. I hope they didn’t pull anything funny.
    I grab Karen's shirt and pull her extra close. "In all honesty,” I whisper, "how drunk was I to night?" 
    She shakes her head side to side and simply replies, "You really don't want to know." I let her go and put my head down. Oh, it's all coming back to me now, and it's not pretty. I can literally see the disco ball flying toward my forehead. Why must I come back home and make a complete ass of myself? Why, oh, why?
    "Leslie, it happens to everyone," Eric reassures me, but it's never happened to him, at least what I'm aware of. God forbid he spills Yuengling on any of his Brooks Brothers shirts. He'd have a major bitch fit ... guy style.
    "The most important thing is that you're alive and you had fun," Karen says and I roll my eyes. Such bullshit.
    "Yeah, right," I reply glancing at Mike with his rubber gloves still on. I shoot him a dirty look and he instantly puts his hands behind his back.
    "Well, I envy you, Les," Russ says. "I mean, what other way can you say 'Hey Philadelphia, I'm home!' then to get stupid drunk, dance like an asshole in front of strangers, and get hit in the head by a disco ball? You truly came back to the city with a bang!" Russ smiles, and everyone, including myself, look at Russ as if he's crazy.              
    " Anyway ," Karen starts, "Eric's right. It happens to the best of us. You remember how I was in college. I'd get drunk and do some fucked up things. Who knew that running around campus butt naked in the middle of the night would be so offensive to some people? I never had any control over what I was doing. Alcohol can seriously alter your judgment.”
    "The important thing to remember is that you're OK," Eric says as I take a deep breath. "Your parents weren't too mad about what happened last night. A little worried, but not too mad."
    I can feel my face getting a little red hot and I begin to glare at Eric. "Why in the world would you tell my parents about this?!” I exclaim as I grab Eric by the top of his shirt, almost choking him.
    “Don’t hurt me!” he yells. “It was Karen who called them!” I let go of my death grip and stare at Karen in anger.
    "I'm sorry, Les! I didn't know what else to do! I was worried too!" she says trying to act like she's all innocent ... key word: act .
    "This is