As I took my glass down and threw it back, I tried to chug as much of it as I could, eying Joel’s continuous pull from across the table as if I were challenging him. He seemed to take notice and was likewise watching me. Unfortunately, I felt a tickle in my throat first and had to drop my glass to the table with a sudden coughing fit. As if taunting me, he lowered his with a refreshed sigh “You done?” he asked.

I tried to laugh while I was still coughing “Fuck you.” Came out slowly between coughs.

“Your constitution isn’t what it used to be, Meryll.” Doc warned, reaching to push my drink toward the center of the table, but I refused to let go of the handle.

“I can take it. Not like I’m chugging whiskey.” I wiped the spittle from my coughs off of my mouth.

Joel held his hand up to a passing barrista “Hey. Whiskey.” He nodded to acknowledge he’d been heard and turned back to me “If it’s really so bad here outside your little bubble, let’s get you real wasted, huh?”

“Joel.” Aisling scolded with only his name.

“What? Not like she has to fly tomorrow.” He creased his brow and smiled at me. This was a challenge.

There was a part of me that knew this was a terrible idea; that he was just screwing with me again. He thought that he was so superior just because I was a corporate pawn my entire life. But over the past week, I’d been learning to throw caution to the wind and take bigger risks. If I wasn’t buzzed already, I might have been able to just walk away from it and keep my dignity. If it had been just a week ago when I was a more straight-laced business woman who weighed such choices heavily, I’d have scoffed and left him then and there. Instead, I saw the bottle hit the table and I smirked at him “You’re on.”

Doc and Aisling both rolled their eyes. “Don’t die.” Aisling laughed. Doc remained concerned, but silent.

“Mix mine with cola.” Mouse chimed in.

“You’ve had enough, child.” Ray said, pulling Mouse’s empty mug over toward her, eliciting angry grumbling from him.

Joel was already pouring a couple of drinks for us, sliding a nearly-full glass across the table to me. “To our corporate overlords.” He said sarcastically, getting an eyeroll from me.

“Yeah.” I said, raising my own glass “To being free of them.” I sipped at it and immediately began coughing again while he closed his eyes and took a long swig.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

—

An hour later, Joel was having a good time. He was chatting up the people around us like he knew them. It wasn’t that the booze wasn’t affecting him, he was undeniably drunk, he just held it better than I did. My second glass was half-empty and I was already leaning over onto Ray who’d taken the seat next to me after Doc left to carry the sleeping Mouse home.

She was soft. I hadn’t really thought about the advantage of fur being a good cushion until she was graciously allowing me to use her as one. I was done drinking, but I wasn’t going to admit. He seemed to have forgotten our rivalry in his revelry anyway. I felt a little bit lonely. I hadn’t had a chance for a one on one with Ray yet, so I leaned over her leg and looked up at her, admiring the view as I noted “You barely had anything. I bet you need to drink a ton to feel anything though.”

She looked down and chuckled “You would be correct. But every celebration needs a lookout. You don’t hold your liquor well.”

“Whaaaaaat? no.” I smiled up at her “I could run a marathon.”

“That would be interesting to watch.” She put her massive hand over my head and ruffled my hair “You’re a cute little thing, aren’t you?”

“And you’re hot.” I retorted, reaching up at her stomach “Like, really hot. Look at those abs… You could DESTROY me.” I laughed, the little bit of my sense that was left making me blush.

“And that’s where I cut her off.” Doc said, reaching over and pulling my glass away from my spot at the table.

Ray had a look of astonishment on her face, her face quickly growing red “Oh! Umm… th-thank… you?” she mumbled awkwardly down at me. She was definitely not accustomed to receiving that kind of a compliment from anyone, and she especially wasn’t used to anyone being that forward with her.

“Hey, you wanna get out of here? Maybe your place? I don’t think you’d fit in mine.” I whispered loud enough that the whole table could hear it “We could try though.” I giggled.

“Oooookay, I think it’s time we get you back to the ship.” Ray stammered out, standing up and lifting me in both arms as if I was a toy.

I got dizzy from the sudden movement and just stared forward at her, trying not to move myself too much. I still smiled at her as I declared in a hushed tone “I’mna throw up now.”

“Nooo…” she held me out at arm’s length and turned me away from her. She almost sounded like she was scolding a child “No, you do not puke on me, you can put it in the corner like everyone else!”

—

“Stopstopstop, please stop.” I blushed, my face buried in my hands “I did NOT say that!”

“Which part? The throwing up or the part where you were eye-fucking Ray, cause I was there and I can tell you they both happened.” Joel chuckled, clearly having a good time recounting the previous evening “And then you did blow chunks in the middle of Shelby’s, it was funny.”

“Uuugh, nooo, please tell me he’s lying.” I begged Doc.

“Nope,” was all he said, trying his best to stare at his tablet and not pay attention to the conversation at all.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry…” I wanted to cry from my embarrassment.

“I brought you home after that,” Ray spoke quietly, her own face just as red as mine.

“Where you had wild, raunchy, drunk sex all night long.” Joel declared.

“Joel.” Aisling scolded, just as she had in their recounted story of the evening.

“She fell asleep on the way home, Joel!” Ray stammered out defensively “Nothing happened! I brought her to the core room, tucked her in, left her some water, and then went to bed myself!”

“Guess we’ll never know for sure.” Joel chuckled before he was pegged in the head with Aisling’s empty bowl.