Head Over Heels by Crystal B. Bright

He held up his two middle fingers to Gideon. “Fuck you.” He turned and opened the gate that separated the backyard from the front area.
    He made it to the limousine where the driver stood smoking a cigarette. As soon as the driver spotted Thane, he stomped it out and made it over to the back door.
    “Ready to go, sir?” He attempted to hold Thane’s upper arm to help him into the car.
    “Been ready.” Thane tripped into the car and didn’t bother standing. He crawled inside and braced his back against a row of seats. “Take me back to my hotel, please.”
    “Yes, sir.” He closed the door.
    Thane rested his head on the seat. He couldn’t wait to get away from this place and get home. Right now, getting to his hotel would be fine.
    He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until the driver revived him. “Sir? Sir? Mr. Wells? We’re here.”
    Thane felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him with enough force that it roused him from his alcoholic stupor. Drinking so much had been a mistake. Even at twenty-two, he shouldn’t have knocked back as much as he had.
    He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. This time, he accepted help and gripped the driver’s hand to get out of the car.
    “You need assistance getting up to your room?” the driver asked as he straightened up Thane’s jacket.
    An empty bottle fell out of Thane’s pocket and rolled onto the sidewalk. “Fuck.” He looked down at the small bottle and started to bend over to get it.
    “No worries, sir. I’ll take care of it. You need help getting—”
    Thane shrugged out of the driver’s hold. “I’m fine.” He adjusted his tie. “Thanks for the ride.” He reached into his pocket to get money out for a tip.
    The driver held up his hand. “Mr. Wells has already taken care of that.”
    Thane felt his eyebrows draw together.
    “Sorry, your brother, Gunnar.”
    Thane’s stomach tightened and twisted again at hearing his brother’s name. “Of course.” He waved as he made his way up to the front door. “Have a good one.”
    A doorman opened the door for him and Thane continued through the lobby. He didn’t expect to see flashes of lights as he tried going to the elevator.
    “Thane! Thane! Are you coming from your mother’s funeral?” one person shouted.
    He turned to the jerk to give him a piece of his mind when another person started in on him.
    “Are you going back to training camp now?” a woman asked him.
    The voices came at him as fast as the flashing lights. Before he could answer, he felt and arm around his waist.
    “No questions. This is a rough time right now for Mr. Wells. Please give him and his family some privacy.” The woman guided Thane to an elevator and pressed the up button.
    It didn’t take long before the doors opened. The stranger pushed Thane inside and asked that no one else join them in the car. When the doors closed, he got his wits about him to gaze down. The woman he’d seen at the funeral stood next to him.
    “You?” he slurred.
    “I hit the top-floor button to give us some time. What floor is your room on?” Her voice sounded angelic if not commanding.
    “Lucky guess. I am at the top.” He pointed up. “Penthouse one.”
    The elevator stopped at the top floor. She helped him out of the car and propped him against the wall next to the bank of elevators.
    “Your room key?” she asked.
    Thane couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that this dream woman he’d seen at his mother’s funeral had now appeared in front of him. When he didn’t answer her, she started her own search. Her hunt began with his jacket pockets. When that yielded nothing, she went to his pants pockets. One errant exploration got him a satisfying stroke against his penis.
    Christ. Was this woman some paid escort? It wouldn’t be above his teammates or even his manager to do that for him, get him a woman to help him forget his pain.
    She pulled out his wallet and found the card inside. “Bingo.” She put her arm