Hot, damp breaths and three slobbery licks across the cheek were not Jonah's favorite way to wake up in the morning, but it was better than some of the other times he woke up in mysterious places after having drank himself to sleep the night before. He sat up and pushed the dog away gently. "Go on," he encouraged as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes and took a look around. After locating his phone, he read through the text message of the night before and followed the digital breadcrumbs of the evening to explain how he got to the large house he was in now. It took about ten seconds to locate his jacket and set over the slumberous bodies of his fellow party mates.
He remembered being at a bar the previous night. He remembered playing poker. Was he playing? He remembered leaving and going to do something. What did he leave to do? Jonah walked down the street to find a local coffee shop. He knew he would get scolded if he went to Roman's house hungover and so he was careful to also avoid her place of employment as well. He rubbed his head and tried not to think about how much he missed the warm weather of the south.
Oh! Maybe he was running from something. Or running to do something. He was with Andon, a guy he met a few days ago. No. Jonah wasn't playing poker. That was around the time he started taking shots. He was watching his friend play poker. They left in a hurry and his memory was all a blur after that. His pace slowed when he turned the corner and passed a pizza parlor, causing his stomach to lurch upward. He felt his cheeks grow warm as he power-walked passed the place and towards the coffee shop. He had received a call from his sister the night before and that had been the reason for his random drinking binge, in which he was already deeply regretting.