The Bucket List (12 page)

"Maybe she will fail, I don't know. But as her friend I'm going to stand by her while she tries," John said, finally giving up and throwing his phone onto his bed. "I'm not going to laugh at her if she gives in to temptation either. Maybe she'll end up in many beds before she finally finds what she's looking for. Maybe she'll realise she's better off as she is, I don't know. But I'm not going to make it any harder for her to find out."

Corey found a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, ignoring John's black look when he lit one. His friend was right, there was no harm in letting her try. She'd been searching for something for a while now and as her best friend he was supposed to help her. Maybe one day he'd also come to feel restless with his life and want to find something different. Rae was the only person who'd ever backed him up two hundred percent on everything he'd ever wanted to do. He had no doubt if he ever wanted something different, she'd back him up on that, too. Just because they'd made a deal when they where fucked out of their minds years ago, it didn't mean he had to hold her on it. If she wanted to settle down with someone other than him, it was her choice. It wasn't as if he was ready for it now, anyway.

"Where do you think she is? Still with
Nate?"

"I talked to him after the show. He hasn't seen her since earlier on, before the show. He seemed a bit worried about her?"

"Why? What happened?"

"You mean besides her best friend calling her a cheap whore? I don't know."

"I'm going to talk to him," Corey decided as he put his cigarette out and got up.

At the same time the door opened and
Alyssa and Rae all but fell in. They were giggling like idiots and trying their best to hold each other up while they whispered something that he couldn't make out.

"Rae, where've you been? You weren't answering your phone," John said as he came forward and put his arms around both the girls to hold them up. "You smell like a brewery!"

"We had an accident with the man..." Alyssa giggled.

"What man?"

"He had this pipe...," Rae slurred.

"Huh?" John frowned as he put the girls down on his bed.

"Yeah, but it was too big," Alyssa added.

"What are you two going on about?" John asked.

"The man, the one with the pipe," Alyssa offered. "But it didn't fit in the hole."

"But the other one had a big barrel, though,"
Mandy slurred.

"I ain't even going to ask what that means," John said.

The girls only giggled some more and continued whispering to each other while Rae tried to pull her boots off. She rolled of the bed with her effort and landed with a thud on the floor.

"I'll get her,"
Corey said when John made to help her.

He picked her up easily and placed her on his bed. She was still laughing, as was
Alyssa. How the hell had they ended up together? And where had they been? He knew Rae's brand of fun wasn't to Mandy's liking so he couldn't imagine what they'd been doing all night. Except getting pissed out of their minds.

"You!" Rae said when she finally noticed him.

She poked him in the chest with a finger.

"You are a very bad friend," she slurred.

"I know. We'll talk about it in the morning," Corey said as he took her boots off.

"We'll talk about it now. You are supposed to stand by me no matter what."

"I know. I'm sorry, Rae."

"So when I tell you I've found someone," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him, "you shouldn't laugh at him
.. at me... what?"

"What?"

"Exactly! Alyssa says we are all people... we should do what people do..."

"What?"

"Boy, you better take your ass out of your ears when I'm talking to you... your ears out of your ass."

Corey
chuckled as he started to unbutton the little dress she was wearing. Obviously his apology would have to wait until the morning.

"So
Alyssa says I'm a strong woman."

"I've never doubted that for a minute."

"Don't argue with me!"

"Babes, I'm not arguing,"
Corey chuckled as he found one of his t-shirts and helped her into it.

"You are useless, you're not listening to a word I'm saying," Rae said as she slapped his hand away and sat up on the bed. "
Alyssa. Tell him what you said, he doesn't believe you... me."

"She's a good person... everyone who doesn't think so can just suck..."

"Alyssa!" John cut in.

"A lemon,"
Alyssa finished.

"Suck a lemon?"
Corey chuckled. "I think it's time for bed."

"I ain't sleeping with you!"
Alyssa exclaimed.

"As much as I love taking advantage of drunk women, I think John would freak out,"
Corey said.

"
Corey!"

"What? She won't remember a thing in the morning. You might as well practice and tell her how you feel."

"I'm not doing that."

"Well, do something. Take her shoes off and make her comfortable. I don't think she'd appreciate it if we took her clothes off, though."

"Who's taking their clothes off? Let me see," Rae called out from behind him.

"You get back on the bed. Get some sleep, we have a flight to catch in the morning."

"Where are you going?" Alyssa asked.

Both
Corey and John laughed. They were only going to the same place she was going!

There was a knock at the door and
Corey got up to answer it. It was Nate.

"Hi," he said. "Is Rae here? I wanted to speak to her."

"You and I both! You'll have to wait for the morning, Nate. She's a bit drunk right now."

"Who is it?" Rae called out. "Have you ordered a pizza? I'm starving."

Rae slid off the bed and walked to the door, dressed in only Corey's t-shirt.

"You!" she said for the second time that night. "You are a bad, bad person."

"I know. I came to apologise," Nate said.

His eyes lingered a bit on her long, slender legs.

"You're just a big... pretender!"

Corey
raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"I'm sorry Rae, I shouldn't have..."

"You just walk around here and... pretend!" she slurred. "So you can just take your pizza and go."

"I didn't bring any pizza..."

"Oh, my God. Everyone just wants to argue with me," she snapped as she staggered back into the room and dropped herself onto the bed.

"What?"
Nate asked, a confused frown on his face.

"Like I said, it'll have to be the morning,"
Corey chuckled.

Nate
nodded and turned to leave.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened between you two?"

Nate turned back and gave him a little shrug.

"She reached out to me and I threw it back in her face. I shouldn't have."

"What do you mean? She came on to you?"

"No. She was looking for a friend."

"So she didn't flirt with you at all?"

"No. Tell her I'll see her tomorrow morning,"
Nate said, then turned to leave.

Corey
, still frowning, watched his retreating back. So Rae was really serious. From tomorrow, he'd make sure she understood that he'd stand by her. If she wanted to be with Nate, she'd have his blessing.

"If this pizza doesn't get here soon I'll... buy another one," Rae called out.

"We haven't ordered any pizza," Corey said as he closed the door.

***

Rae woke up with a splitting headache. She was thankful it wasn't from another attack because she didn't think she could have stood it.

"You awake baby?"

She smelt the coffee before she even opened her eyes. She knew straight away Corey was going to try some major sucking up.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"I made you some coffee. I know how you don't function properly till you've had at least ten of these," Corey teased.

Translated, he was hoping to have her in a better mood before his apology. She wasn't in the mood for it right now. She was still too upset with him. She knew she would eventually forgive him, sooner rather than later as she didn't have time to waste, but she wanted to hold on to her anger a bit longer. Friends didn't say shit like that to each
other, they didn't try to put each other down.

Rolling over and getting out of bed, she walked past him and his peace offering to go to the bathroom.

"Rae," Corey started.

"Not now,
Corey," she snapped as she shut the door behind her.

"I'm surprised she didn't throw the coffee at you,"
Alyssa said from her spot on John's bed.

It wasn't the first time she'd crashed with these guys after a night out. She knew she could trust them. Normally she took
Corey's bed while he had the couch but this morning she'd woke up in John's. After Corey's revelation the other night she'd got a bit self conscious around him, but John hadn't done or said anything to confirm this. She couldn't be sure if this was another of Corey's match-making tricks. Even now, while she lay in his bed, John was on the couch watching a film. He didn't even look like he was bothered that she was there.

"What did she tell you?"
Corey asked.

"That you're a dick,"
Alyssa answered. "Honestly, Corey, how could you even say those words to her? She's your best friend."

"I don't need this from you as well,
Mandy. I know I fucked up. I didn't mean what I said."

"Then why did you say it? Half the night she kept mumbling how she couldn't fucking believe you'd do that to her."
Alyssa said as she got off the bed.

"I'll talk to her when she's ready, I'll apologise."

"You better. I'm going to my room to shower and pack. Tell Rae I'll see her downstairs when you guys are ready to go. I'm catching a ride to the airport with you."

"John,
Alyssa is going," Corey called out.

John turned from his film and smiled.

"Later," he said.

When she was gone,
Corey walked up to him and smacked him up the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" John shouted as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Later? You had a hot chick on your bed all night and you just sat on that couch like a rock. She says she's going and all you can say is 'Later'?"

"What was I supposed to say?" John argued.

"Something! Don't bore the girl before you've even asked her out," Corey said. "Khali has more game than you!"

"I can't just go up to her and ask her out. What if she doesn't like me in that way? It'll just make things awkward when we hang out," John said.

"You won't know until you try. I tried it on with her and she's still my friend even though she shot me down. I wasn't even looking for a relationship, just one hot, sweaty night."

"When I'm ready,
Corey," John said firmly. "Anyway, you've got other things to worry about than my sex life. I don't think a cup of coffee and one of you little smiles will work this time."

Corey
looked at the closed door of the bathroom and sighed. He and Rae never really argued. When he upset her, or she upset him, they normally kissed and made up the next minute. The fact that she hadn't even wanted to talk to him told him he had a long way to go before she forgave him.

The door opened and Rae walked out wrapped in a little towel. She didn't even look at him.

"Alyssa gone already?" she asked John, blatantly ignoring him.

"She said she'll meet us downstairs when we're ready," John answered.

"Rae, talk to me," Corey said, sitting on his bed while she walked around it to get some fresh clothes out.

He had already packed for her. He'd thought it a good way to start on his apology.

"I'm sorry, Rae," he said when he got no response. "I was a dick last night. I was just..."

"I said not now," Rae cut in.

"Let me explain. Please. I can't stand you not talking to me."

"Listen. I said not now. Unless you want me to really go off and say some hurtful things of my own, just back off."

Corey bit his lip. This was obviously going to be a very long day.

His phone went off, preventing any further attempts at an apology.

"Nate, what's up?" he answered.

He noticed the way she tensed a bit at the mention of the caller's name and it got him curious. What had happened between them yesterday?

"I don't mean to bother you, but is Rae up yet? I really need to talk to her."