# Chapter 6: Bower — When a Drunk Night Turns Into a Very Dangerous Morning After
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 6 of *Just for the Plot* — and oh boy, this is the chapter where the temperature rises, inhibitions drop, and two best friends find themselves sharing a bed while pretending absolutely nothing is happening. Sound familiar? Well, buckle up, because this chapter is equal parts adorable, steamy, hilarious, and quietly heartbreaking. Let's dive in.
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It all starts with a little too much alcohol and one very bad idea masquerading as a perfectly good one.
Bennett, with his hazy eyes and stupidly charming drunk grin, looks at Bower and asks, *"Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?"*
They're both wasted. The boys have a travel day tomorrow, so the bar got shut down early, and Nolan even came back at some point with one more round of shots. Bennett and Bower each took one, and that was it — their threshold hit. Bower admits she likes being drunk, but not the "unable-to-walk" kind. And honestly, she can't remember the last time she felt this light, this giggly, this free. Her best friend hasn't lived near her for two years. Her job devours her life. So this? This night of letting loose, laughing, and drinking with Bennett? It's long overdue.
She says she likes the couch. Bennett kicks off his shoes, and his drunk brain immediately decides this is unacceptable. He tells her the couch reminds him of when a couch was all Gabby and he had. And for a moment, Bower remembers just how far they've come. She never lived in poverty like they did. She'd forgotten.
So Bennett offers her his bed. She refuses. He offers again. She refuses again. And then he asks, with a slight slur and a hopeful smirk, *"You can always share the bed with me. You can have your side, and I can have my side."*
And here's the thing — Bower is drunk enough that the thought genuinely makes her happy. Thrilled, even. Excited. But wait. Sharing a bed with Bennett? That would be weird, right?
She says it's risky. He asks if she's scared of him. She scoffs — *"Not even the slightest."* He insists he's an excellent sleeper, that he's been complimented on his sleeping habits. She follows him to the threshold of his bedroom, and asks the dangerous question: *"And who has offered these compliments?"*
*"Women,"* he answers.
And then he takes off his hat. His unruly brown hair sticks up in every direction, and he runs a hand through it, making it cutely messy. Then he reaches behind his neck, grabs his shirt, and yanks it over his head.
Oh. My. God.
Bower's eyes become magnets to his rock-hard chest. Well-defined pecs. Broad, muscular shoulders. Arms to match. And then there's the six-pack. Stacked. Carved. And that V-shape in his hips — she's only read about that in books. There's no hair on his chest, just a trimmed patch below his belly button. His skin is smooth, sculpted, so lickable that she literally fears for her life. Because drunk, horny Bower plus a snack like Bennett? She's afraid this girl will have no self-control.
He catches her staring. Of course he does. She tries to play it off: *"Because you took your shirt off and shocked the hell out of me."*
He glances down at himself, then back at her, that smirk turning dangerous: *"See something you like?"*
She wants to scream. But instead, the words fall out: *"I'd be stupid if I said I didn't like a good set of abs. Nolan wasn't kidding."*
Bennett just winks — *"He wasn't kidding about a lot of things"* — and disappears into the bathroom, leaving Bower to spiral about all the things Nolan might have said about the "package."
When he calls out asking if she's going to get ready or stand there for another free show, she snaps out of it. She changes into shorts and a baggy T-shirt, skips underwear because she can't deal with that when she's sleeping, puts her hair up, and gets ready.
When she enters his bedroom, he's lying in bed with the covers up to his waist, looking suspiciously like he's naked underneath. Bower tells herself this girl needs sleep and fast.
She finishes washing her face, brushing her teeth, and then awkwardly announces she's ready for bed. Bennett pulls down the sheets on the other side. He's serious. He actually thinks she's going to join him.
She chuckles, shakes her head. *"Not a good idea."*
He raises that cute eyebrow. *"Why not? Afraid your hands will wander?"*
Uh, yeah. She is. Terrified, actually.
But Bennett keeps pushing. He rolls his eyes, tells her she's being ridiculous. And honestly? She agrees. This is Bennett. She's borrowed his clothes, his deodorant, even his toothbrush without him knowing. Why is this suddenly a big deal?
She relents. She walks to "her side" of the bed, slips under the covers, and immediately melts into the softness.
*"Oh my God, Bennett, this bedding is incredible."*
He turns off the light, and the moon casts a soft glow. She learns he spent way too long picking out the best bedding because he never had good bedding growing up. But look at him now — money, a home, a comfortable bed. She tells him he has it all.
*"I don't have it all,"* he says, his eyes intent on her. *"But I intend to have it all."*
*"And what does 'having it all' mean to you?"*
He looks at her like he might say something dangerous. Instead: *"The girl I want. The life I've dreamed of."*
They talk about kids — he wants at least two. She wants kids too, but she needs to make something of herself first. The conversation fades as the booze pulls her toward sleep. And then, without thinking, Bower moves closer to him. She rests her head in the crook of his arm and chest, wraps her leg around his, and finds so much comfort in his body.
He wraps his arm around her, holding her close.
And she drifts off to sleep.
---
Morning comes far too quickly.
The smell of coffee wakes her first. The sound of Bennett cursing to high heaven wakes her second.
She sits up, disoriented. White walls. Light gray curtains. Matching blankets. A comfortable-as-hell bed.
She's in Bennett's room.
Oh FUCK. She's in Bennett's bed.
She looks down. Fully clothed. T-shirt and shorts. Thank God. She scans the room for any evidence of misbehavior — no condom wrappers, no post-sex satisfaction. Nothing happened.
Relief floods through her. She gets up, hungover and fragile, and heads toward the kitchen, where she finds Bennett on the ground in nothing but gray sweatpants, holding his foot.
*"Uh... are you okay?"*
*"Stubbed my fucking toe on the fucking dining room fucking table."*
*"That's a lot of fuckings."*
*"That's how bad it hurt."*
He's fine, of course. He hops up, walks straight to the kitchen like he didn't drink his body weight in booze, and pours them both coffee. And as her eyes wander over his chest again, she realizes it with clarity: Bennett Brinkman is all grown up.
Not just grown up. Ripped. Zero body fat. Veins flexing in his forearms as he pours coffee. Pecs thicker than she remembers. Strong, powerful, the kind of man who could toss a woman around in bed for a good amount of time...
He ordered breakfast tacos. The kind with crispy bacon. Because he knows she likes that. He pays attention to shit, he says. Then he asks if she's hungover.
She absolutely is. And she begs him not to rub his youth in her face because she can't stomach it right now. So he mock-hobbles, hunched over, pretending to be hungover. *"Oh fuck, what the hell did we do last night? I'm so hungover."*
She stares at him. Blinks. *"It's a little dramatic."*
*"Just mimicking you."*
She flips him off. He laughs.
Then he asks if she slept okay. She tells him she did, but admits that for a second, waking up in his bed gave her a minor heart attack. She thought they might have done something stupid. You know... *fuck.*
Bennett pauses. The question hangs in the air.
She rolls her eyes. *"That would never happen, but for a second I thought it did, and I panicked until I realized that, in fact, we didn't do anything."*
*"No, we did not,"* he says, and it almost sounds like there's a hint of regret in his voice. Or maybe that's just her hangover.
Gabby would have a heart attack, Bower says. Probably disown her. Sleeping with her best friend's younger brother of eight years? That's grounds for divorce. Never mind that they're not actually married. Spiritually, they are. Two-person wedding. Bennett wasn't invited.
But at least they kept their clothes on. Yeah, good thing.
He says, *"But when I'm gone, feel free to sleep in my bed."*
And the temptation is real. She hasn't slept that well in a long time. She wants to believe it's the mattress-sheet combination. Not the man she slept on. Definitely not the man.
But her place should be ready soon. Although... one more night won't kill her.
*"I might take you up on that."*
He smirks.
Then he brings up the book club. Was she serious? She's more than serious. She wants a reading buddy, and she'd love for it to be him.
He nods, then reveals a thought he had — an idea to help with his zoo business. Wait, what? He came up with an idea this early, after nearly drinking the night away? Is he made of metal?
*"Built differently,"* he says.
And then he explains the PR situation. San Francisco has three major teams: the Foghorns (football), the Rogue (hockey), and the Bombers (baseball). The Foghorns haven't seen a playoff game in ten years, losing their fan base. The Rogue is a new expansion team filled with unlikable players — except for OC, who's the only decent one. And the Bombers have their famous cheating scandal. So the owners hired a PR team led by a woman named Gretchen to help them all get positive public attention.
The zoo was part of that plan. It's worked for Graydon, who's been doing a whole social media thing with his zookeeper — and who, apparently, is totally into her but hasn't figured it out yet. But Bennett feels like the zoo hasn't had any impact on him. So he has an idea: what if he used books? A romance book club. To show that reading romance isn't just for women.
Bower thinks it's brilliant. But she warns him — he might need to actually read a romance first. Because what if he goes all in on a book club and realizes he doesn't like romance? He concedes the point. Asks what book he should start with.
*"I have a baseball series that's right up your alley. We'll start there."*
He winks. Her stomach lightly flutters.
And by lightly, she means *lightly.* Which means only one thing: she needs to start dating. And she needs to start dating now.
---
Later, Bower is walking around Adalade's stunning Victorian house, directing unpackers, managing the chaos of her new home. She calls Gabby, and the subject turns, inevitably, to the sorry state of her love life.
*"Gabby, why is it so hard to find someone compatible?"*
Gabby has a few ideas. Has she tried the app? Yes. Three days on, not a single match she can see herself with. Maybe she's being picky. But she's twenty-nine — no, Gabby corrects her, she's thirty-two. Bower tries to make Gabby indulge her delusion. Gabby says no.
The guys on the app are either her type but with zero in common, or they have things in common but still live with their mother. Bower is not going to be a mother lover — and then she groans as Gabby points out the phrasing. You know what she means.
Gabby suggests Abel. But Abel lives in Almond Bay. Long-distance isn't Bower's thing. Plus, both Gabby and Ryland have said Abel couldn't handle her. Bower needs someone who understands her, isn't scared of her idiosyncrasies, and can foster her insanity.
*"Pretty big shoes to fill."*
*"Yes, and let's hope his feet are just as big as the shoes."*
Gabby calls her standards impossible. Blames her books. But Bower won't have it. Her books have shown her exactly what she wants. Not all of us can just bounce on a monstrous dick and fall in love. We are not all lucky like Gabby.
Gabby, who is very lucky. Ryland, extremely hot in that father-figure scruffy way. A good uncle and dad. Phenomenal in bed, from what Bower's been told. Bower wants to find that. How does she find that?
Gabby points out that Bower has flounced around, never really serious with anyone.
*"I know, but this is a new chapter. Maybe things are different?"*
Gabby suggests she's trying too hard. Maybe she needs to just let it happen. That's how it went with Ryland. She wasn't looking for it.
Bower admits she asked Bennett if any of his guy friends were available — mainly Nolan Hart. But apparently not.
*"Yeah, you don't want to date a baseball player,"* Gabby says.
Why not? They're hot, fit, and probably full of adrenaline after a game. Perfect human to consume her love.
Until Gabby points out the schedule. Six to seven months out of the year, they're gone. Bennett's schedule is brutal, and Bower is needy. Very needy.
But football players? Mostly home. Only gone a day or two a week for away games. Bower's interest piques. *"You know, Bennett might be able to help me out with that."*
*"As if he's not helping you out enough."*
Hey, when Bennett gets back into town, she plans on doing something nice for him. What, Gabby wants to know. Bower doesn't know the direction yet, but she'll come up with something.
Then Gabby asks the question she always asks: *"Is he... is he doing okay?"*
Bower reassures her. She'd tell her if he wasn't. And then she can't help it — she mentions the book club. The fact that she and Bennett are reading romance together. Gabby is stunned. Then protective. *"Bower, I swear if you become better friends with my brother, I will scream. You're mine, not his. Remember that."*
Bower laughs. As if anyone could take Gabby's place. They've been through too much together. Gabby is her person. She would never do anything, or let anyone, take that away from her.
*"He will never be able to take your place, but if you're looking to join a book club, we'd be willing to take on a third."*
*"I will not be pressured into a book club just out of fear that my brother is taking my place as your best friend."*
*"Please, that would never happen. Bennett is cool and all, but you know far too much about my life that I'd never tell him."*
And Gabby's final words hang in the air like a warning wrapped in love:
*"It would be in your best interest if you remember that."*
---
What a chapter. What a dangerous, delicious, terrifying chapter.
The chemistry between Bower and Bennett is absolutely electric. He strips off his shirt and she's a goner. She crawls into his bed and he wraps his arm around her like it's the most natural thing in the world. And yet neither of them has the courage to say what this is. They keep clinging to the labels: old friend, sister's best friend, spiritual divorce attorney alliance.
But the book club? The way he remembers her taco order? The way she admits his bed is the best sleep she's had in ages? The way he says*"the girl I want"* while staring straight at her?
There's something growing here. And it's only a matter of time before it erupts.
Bower is delightful as ever — dramatic, hungry, self-aware but also hilariously delusional. And Bennett? He's no longer the annoying little brother. He's a man. A very, very fit man who pays attention to shit.
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**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
Honestly, this chapter gave me butterflies. It's such a perfect slow-burn setup: the drunken confession built into casual conversation, the physical attraction that neither of them will name, the softly intimate moment of sleeping in each other's arms. And then the morning after — so tender, so domestic, so filled with unspoken tension. Add in the texting conversation with Gabby and you have a chapter that balances romance, comedy, and plot setup flawlessly. Watching Bower *almost* realize what's happening while also completely missing it is equal parts frustrating and thrilling. I loved every second of it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars
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**Next Chapter Prediction:**
The slow-burn is heating up. Now that Bennett is officially in a romance book club with Bower, the next chapter will almost certainly involve actual reading — and probably some steamy reactions to the material. I predict Bennett will start texting Bower about the book and the conversation will get suspiciously flirtatious. Also, Bower mentioned doing something nice for Bennett when he's back in town — that idea has to materialize soon. And with the PR situation looming, Bennett may need to justify this book club to Gretchen, which means he might start spending even more time with Bower. Meanwhile, that future date with a football player Gabby planted in Bower's head? That could be a major complication. The tension is building, and I have a feeling the next chapter is going to push them dangerously close to crossing a line they can't uncross.
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