Still, things didn't get really terrible until after he drank the tequila.
He had been waiting for Foggy what felt like a long time, the beer that soaked his shirt drying slowly and stickily against his skin. Matt was just about to get up and look for him, taking his chances with the crowds, when he felt the leather cushion dip as someone sat down next to him. It was still hard to focus, but he caught the scent of sandalwood and vanilla perfume, the soft rasp of a leather jacket over her shoulders, the heavy click of her heels as they tapped against the hardwood floors.
“Hey, handsome,” a woman's voice purred. “Want a drink?”
“Ah- not really?” he said. “I- I think I've probably had enough for tonight.”
“Oh, c'mon, hun,” she said, scooting in closer. Matt tensed at the sudden invasion ofhis personal space. “Don't tell me a man as hot as you can't hold his liquor.” She trailed a hand reverently down his arm, then rested it on his thigh and squeezed.
“That- that's not, um,” he stammered. His tongue didn't seem to be working quite right anymore. “I mean, I- I just. Think I've had enough?”
“Hun, it's only an hour into the party. You really going to give up now? The fun's only just getting started,” she purred and leaned in closer, practically draping herself over him. He could smell the alcohol on her breath.
“I- I think maybe you've already had enough,” he said, trying to push her out of his lap. “R-really, I- I appreciate, the, um, the offer, but- but. No thanks.”
“Awww, c'mon,” she wheedled, and he could hear the pout in her voice. “It's my birthday. You don't want to disappoint a girl on her birthday, do you?”
“Sorry, I still don't-” but he was interrupted by a shout from behind him.
“Oooh, Rosa! Did you say it was your birthday?” It was a girl's voice, one that sounded vaguely familiar. Was she maybe in his Spanish classes? He didn't have time to think about it, however, as she was suddenly shouting over the surrounding din. “HEY EVERYBODY! ROSA HERE IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!”
“BIRTHDAY SHOTS!!” the crowd screamed back at her, and Matt winced at the noise.
There was a lot of clatter and motion after that; he could hear bottles being opened and a lot of glasses clinking, along with a bunch of excited shouting and chatter that all blurred into a single, roaring wave of sound. It drowned out everything else, and Matt found himself pressing back into the sofa as far as he could go in an instinctive attempt to get away from the overwhelming noise.
Eventually he heard the clinking glass noises coming closer, and a shot glass was pressed into his hand. There was another roar as the crowd shouted a disjointed “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”, drank, and cheered again. The noise seemed to drive a spike right through Matt's skull, and he found himself breathing faster. Out. He needed to get out of here, right now.
Before he could get up, though, Rosa was back in his ear. “C'mon, handsome,” she said. “You don't want to be the only one who won't toast my birthday, do you?”
Matt sighed. If he didn't drink now, he'd be stuck holding a full shot glass, as there didn't seem to be a table anywhere nearby to set it down. At least if it was empty he could leave the glass on the couch, even if the thought made him cringe. He'd need to get rid of it somehow, anyway, if he wanted to get out of here. And if he drank it, maybe this Rosa would finally leave him alone. Then maybe he could find somewhere quiet and recover enough to find Foggy and go home.
Besides, as bad as he was already feeling, how much worse could one shot make things?
Re: [FILL]: "Never Again" 5/7
He had been waiting for Foggy what felt like a long time, the beer that soaked his shirt drying slowly and stickily against his skin. Matt was just about to get up and look for him, taking his chances with the crowds, when he felt the leather cushion dip as someone sat down next to him. It was still hard to focus, but he caught the scent of sandalwood and vanilla perfume, the soft rasp of a leather jacket over her shoulders, the heavy click of her heels as they tapped against the hardwood floors.
“Hey, handsome,” a woman's voice purred. “Want a drink?”
“Ah- not really?” he said. “I- I think I've probably had enough for tonight.”
“Oh, c'mon, hun,” she said, scooting in closer. Matt tensed at the sudden invasion ofhis personal space. “Don't tell me a man as hot as you can't hold his liquor.” She trailed a hand reverently down his arm, then rested it on his thigh and squeezed.
“That- that's not, um,” he stammered. His tongue didn't seem to be working quite right anymore. “I mean, I- I just. Think I've had enough?”
“Hun, it's only an hour into the party. You really going to give up now? The fun's only just getting started,” she purred and leaned in closer, practically draping herself over him. He could smell the alcohol on her breath.
“I- I think maybe you've already had enough,” he said, trying to push her out of his lap. “R-really, I- I appreciate, the, um, the offer, but- but. No thanks.”
“Awww, c'mon,” she wheedled, and he could hear the pout in her voice. “It's my birthday. You don't want to disappoint a girl on her birthday, do you?”
“Sorry, I still don't-” but he was interrupted by a shout from behind him.
“Oooh, Rosa! Did you say it was your birthday?” It was a girl's voice, one that sounded vaguely familiar. Was she maybe in his Spanish classes? He didn't have time to think about it, however, as she was suddenly shouting over the surrounding din. “HEY EVERYBODY! ROSA HERE IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!”
“BIRTHDAY SHOTS!!” the crowd screamed back at her, and Matt winced at the noise.
There was a lot of clatter and motion after that; he could hear bottles being opened and a lot of glasses clinking, along with a bunch of excited shouting and chatter that all blurred into a single, roaring wave of sound. It drowned out everything else, and Matt found himself pressing back into the sofa as far as he could go in an instinctive attempt to get away from the overwhelming noise.
Eventually he heard the clinking glass noises coming closer, and a shot glass was pressed into his hand. There was another roar as the crowd shouted a disjointed “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”, drank, and cheered again. The noise seemed to drive a spike right through Matt's skull, and he found himself breathing faster. Out. He needed to get out of here, right now.
Before he could get up, though, Rosa was back in his ear. “C'mon, handsome,” she said. “You don't want to be the only one who won't toast my birthday, do you?”
Matt sighed. If he didn't drink now, he'd be stuck holding a full shot glass, as there didn't seem to be a table anywhere nearby to set it down. At least if it was empty he could leave the glass on the couch, even if the thought made him cringe. He'd need to get rid of it somehow, anyway, if he wanted to get out of here. And if he drank it, maybe this Rosa would finally leave him alone. Then maybe he could find somewhere quiet and recover enough to find Foggy and go home.
Besides, as bad as he was already feeling, how much worse could one shot make things?
Matt drank.