details thing.”
She shrugs. “I appreciate the effort, but you don't have to
pretend to care about my stupid problems.” She laughs lightly
at herself but there's an air of sadness behind it.
“ Hey.”
I say, nudging her with my shoulder. “We're friends now
remember? What good is having friends if you can't lay your problems
on them?”
“ You're
cute.” She says, staring at me with this silly smile stretched
across her face.
“ And
you're drunk.” I observe, laughing.
“ Not
drunk. Buzzed. But I will be.” She holds up her index finger
signaling for me to hang on and then turns, grabbing the attention of
the bartender once more. “He'll have another.” She says,
pointing to my near empty scotch. “And I will have two more.”
She scoots her empty glasses to the end of the bar.
“ Are
you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?” I
joke, the moment the bartender walks away to retrieve our order.
“ Don't
pretend like I would have to get you drunk for that. We both know you
would be more than willing.” She says, not an ounce of
uncertainty in her voice.
“ Is
that so?” I ask, wanting to see how far I can push her.
“ It
is. But that doesn't mean that it's going to happen.” She waves
her finger at me. “Here.” She grabs one of her shots off
of the bar and turns towards me, holding it up for me to take.
“ Oh
no. One of us should stay sober enough to ensure that we both get
home safely.” I say, shaking my head at her.
“ Fine.
Be a fuddy dud.” She quips, downing the shot without another
thought.
“ You're
going to feel that tomorrow.” I laugh, watching her take her
sixth shot.
“ Meh.”
She waves her hand through the air. “Better to be hungover
tomorrow.....”
“ Better
to be hungover tomorrow than what?” I ask, when she makes no
attempt to finish her sentence.
“ Then
to dwell on how shitty I feel tonight.” She says, her chin
quivering slightly. “And how alone.” She adds.
I don't know why but looking at her like this, so
vulnerable and clearly upset, makes me feel like someone has suddenly
punched me directly in the gut. All the air leaves my body and it
takes everything I have not to pull her into my arms.
“ What
am I, chopped liver?” I ask playfully, trying to pull her out
of her own mind and distract her.
“ No.
You are arguably the sexiest man I have ever seen and yet, I can't
have you. So, let's refer to my previous statement. Alone .”
She slurs over the word, reaching across the space between us to pick
up my full glass of scotch.
“ You
don't mind do you?” She smiles, clearly more than feeling the
effects of the shots. Without waiting for an answer, she takes a long
gulp of my scotch and then resurfaces from the glass sputtering and
choking. “How in the hell do you drink that?” She grabs a
napkin off of the bar and starts wiping it across her tongue.
I can't help the laughter that bursts from my throat.
Her eyes widen at the sound and then like a light switch, she
realizes what she's doing. Her cheeks heat crimson and she looks down
at the napkin and then back up to my face.
“ Pretend
you didn't see that.” She laughs, dropping the napkin on the
bar.
“ It
will be our little secret.” I lean forward, fighting against
every fiber that is begging me to close the distance between us and
pull her bottom lip into my mouth.
“ I
should go.” She says abruptly, swaying the moment her feet hit
the floor as she slides out of her stool. Fumbling through her purse,
I immediately stop her.
“ I
got this.” I say, dropping more than enough cash on the bar to
cover the tab before grabbing her coat from the back of her chair and
helping her into it. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I lead her
out of the bar, wishing it didn't feel so good to be so close to her
again.
“ Stop
being so nice to me.” She slurs, wrapping her arm around my
waist and securing her body to my side.
“ Why
would I do that?” I ask,
She shrugs. “I appreciate the effort, but you don't have to
pretend to care about my stupid problems.” She laughs lightly
at herself but there's an air of sadness behind it.
“ Hey.”
I say, nudging her with my shoulder. “We're friends now
remember? What good is having friends if you can't lay your problems
on them?”
“ You're
cute.” She says, staring at me with this silly smile stretched
across her face.
“ And
you're drunk.” I observe, laughing.
“ Not
drunk. Buzzed. But I will be.” She holds up her index finger
signaling for me to hang on and then turns, grabbing the attention of
the bartender once more. “He'll have another.” She says,
pointing to my near empty scotch. “And I will have two more.”
She scoots her empty glasses to the end of the bar.
“ Are
you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?” I
joke, the moment the bartender walks away to retrieve our order.
“ Don't
pretend like I would have to get you drunk for that. We both know you
would be more than willing.” She says, not an ounce of
uncertainty in her voice.
“ Is
that so?” I ask, wanting to see how far I can push her.
“ It
is. But that doesn't mean that it's going to happen.” She waves
her finger at me. “Here.” She grabs one of her shots off
of the bar and turns towards me, holding it up for me to take.
“ Oh
no. One of us should stay sober enough to ensure that we both get
home safely.” I say, shaking my head at her.
“ Fine.
Be a fuddy dud.” She quips, downing the shot without another
thought.
“ You're
going to feel that tomorrow.” I laugh, watching her take her
sixth shot.
“ Meh.”
She waves her hand through the air. “Better to be hungover
tomorrow.....”
“ Better
to be hungover tomorrow than what?” I ask, when she makes no
attempt to finish her sentence.
“ Then
to dwell on how shitty I feel tonight.” She says, her chin
quivering slightly. “And how alone.” She adds.
I don't know why but looking at her like this, so
vulnerable and clearly upset, makes me feel like someone has suddenly
punched me directly in the gut. All the air leaves my body and it
takes everything I have not to pull her into my arms.
“ What
am I, chopped liver?” I ask playfully, trying to pull her out
of her own mind and distract her.
“ No.
You are arguably the sexiest man I have ever seen and yet, I can't
have you. So, let's refer to my previous statement. Alone .”
She slurs over the word, reaching across the space between us to pick
up my full glass of scotch.
“ You
don't mind do you?” She smiles, clearly more than feeling the
effects of the shots. Without waiting for an answer, she takes a long
gulp of my scotch and then resurfaces from the glass sputtering and
choking. “How in the hell do you drink that?” She grabs a
napkin off of the bar and starts wiping it across her tongue.
I can't help the laughter that bursts from my throat.
Her eyes widen at the sound and then like a light switch, she
realizes what she's doing. Her cheeks heat crimson and she looks down
at the napkin and then back up to my face.
“ Pretend
you didn't see that.” She laughs, dropping the napkin on the
bar.
“ It
will be our little secret.” I lean forward, fighting against
every fiber that is begging me to close the distance between us and
pull her bottom lip into my mouth.
“ I
should go.” She says abruptly, swaying the moment her feet hit
the floor as she slides out of her stool. Fumbling through her purse,
I immediately stop her.
“ I
got this.” I say, dropping more than enough cash on the bar to
cover the tab before grabbing her coat from the back of her chair and
helping her into it. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I lead her
out of the bar, wishing it didn't feel so good to be so close to her
again.
“ Stop
being so nice to me.” She slurs, wrapping her arm around my
waist and securing her body to my side.
“ Why
would I do that?” I ask,
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