Chapter 681: A Messy Quiet
A literal blink of an eye. That’s how it felt like, or at least that’s what I thought it was...
One moment amidst the dazzling glow of lights and the mild buzz of drinks. I particularly recalled having a lovely, lively dance with Amanda. I remembered it ended, I remembered suggesting to go for an encore, then I blinked... and the silence was pretty much instantaneous, and all around me, the darkness was as much disorienting as it was blinding.
I couldn’t see anybody, I couldn’t hear anybody, but most importantly... my head was seriously fucking killing me.
And that’s when I knew I did more than just blink... lying there in the middle of somewhere, listening to the empty hum of the night filling my ears, trying to move heavy limbs that didn’t seem to wanna listen to me no more.
What happened, when was it, and just where did the party go? The only bright side I did manage to find in this infinite darkness was the fact that I knew exactly where I was.
Not in some foul-stinkin’ dingy basement with one of my kidneys missing, thank God... but home sweet home still, half my body sprawled warm and cozy on the couch while the other half was dangling halfway over the edge of it, and once again, it was totally dark, absolutely silent-but as claimed by gut feeling, not completely empty.
Once I regained some basic motor function, I turned myself right-side over and slowly stood up, groaning as I wandered the vastness of the living room feeling nothing but grime and condensation beneath my feet. The air smelled musty, the place felt dirty, and I was dreading the moment the sun rose in the morning to unveil the full extent of the aftermath.
.....
Then there it was again, that gut feeling-somebody watching me.
“Oh, you’re up. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to be awake until much, much later.”
I whirled around, immediately recognizing that frankness, that gentle firmness, throwing my gaze all the way over to the dining table, where that same huddle figure still sat alone in that corner.
“Irene...” I muttered, and I heard myself. Honestly, I didn’t sound as bad as I expected... no sweet honey definitely, but broken glass and sandpaper wasn’t too bad either. “You... hey... you’re still here...”
“Of course.”
“And...” I squinted at her fuzzy outline there. “....still... still awake?”
“Somebody has to be, don’t they?” She nonchalantly replied. “Especially since the host of the party was busy snoozing away in dreamland.”
At the slightest mention of dreaming and snoozing, my mouth stretched wide into a yawn. “What time is it even?”
“Four now, you blacked out some time at one,” I saw her reach over for something, and I heard the faint clink of glass as she tilted her back, sipping quietly. “And that’s when I determined that your little party here has run its course.”
“You booted everyone out?” I asked, beginning the slow, short, staggering shamble over towards her, kicking empty cans along the way.
“All I did was flash a badge once, the rest simply took care of itself. I made sure the drunks were in the back, the sobers behind the wheel. It took a while, but I got mostly everyone out of your driveway with any risk of DUIs.”
Hmm, sounds about right. If anybody could put a party that rowdy and wild to a complete stop, it’s Irene, alright.
“Uh,” I took a moment to repeat her words in my head. “Did you say mostly everyone?”
“You didn’t seriously think Amanda was just gonna leave you alone the way you were, did you?” Irene shifted her gaze, and I trailed along, spotting a curled-up figure slumbering and sinking a beanbag right next to my couch. “In case you haven’t noticed, she cares quite a lot about your well-being.”
Yeah, I can see that, alright. The position she’s in, the way she was slumbering, her spine’s gonna hate her first thing in the morning. Yet alas, it was the closest spot to me without outright just sleeping with me, and I daresay, she probably wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Your sister was also quite insistent on staying just so she could call you a hypocrite the moment you woke up.”
“Sammy’s up?” I asked.
“Well, she was,” Irene replied, gazing over far to the left. “She tried.”
And there perched atop the landing, Sammy laid fast asleep in a makeshift bed of couch cushions with Mr.Black contently snoozing away on top of her like a Jenga of makeshift mattresses.
“Augh, head’s killing me...” I muttered, feeling a hard pound rattling my bones, and I had to lean over the table just to keep steady. “What did I even do?”
“My professional opinion? I think you might have had fun,” Irene answered, who was now close enough that I could see the faint smile on her face, the swivel of red wine in a glass, towered over by a half-drunk bottle beside her. “And honestly, I’m glad you did. You needed that.”
“Needed what, a headache?” I said, slumping down in a chair right across from her. “Oh, I’m gonna puke.”
She snorted in amusement, sliding her glass over towards me. “A drink?”
“Yeah, thanks, I...” I paused, grabbing hold of the drink, tilting it back, and quickly my taste buds recognized the scent and taste. “Is this the wine I kept on the shelf?”
“You only had the one,” She blinked at me. “So it’s gotta be. Hope you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t, it’s just...” a strong aftertaste robbed me of my voice and I shuddered. “I thought you didn’t like wine.”
“True,” She nodded, taking the glass from my hand, and sipping away with satisfaction. “But, I don’t know...” She exhaled, musing away with a tenderness in her gaze. “I suppose things just taste better when I’m with you.”
This was a different Irene I was interacting with than the one from before. A few hours back, there wasn’t that silky smoothness in her voice, that soft marshmallow-ey look brimming in her eyes. Even the way she was sitting down... couldn’t find the stern and strict detective anywhere in sight.
“Have you really just been sitting here the whole time you’ve been here?” I asked. “Like no exceptions at all aside from putting your foot down about the party?
“And would it seriously surprise you if I have?” She questioned back. “It’s not like I’m not accustomed to sitting and doing nothing for long hours. Comes with the job.”
“Yeah, but you aren’t here on a job, you’re here to have fun,” I said, stifling a hiccup. “I want you to have fun.”
“Yes, that’s definitely what you were thinking when you were putting your charm on dancing with Amanda there... my enjoyment, indeed.”
I looked straight at her. “That was...”
“You win some, you lose some, didn’t you say?”
My jaw slackened. “You heard that?”
“It’s my job to hear what I’m not supposed to, isn’t it?” She cocked her head at me. “And I suppose that moment there was my loss...”
“Not gonna hold it against me, are you?”
“What? Having a fling with girls other than me? Oh no, no, wouldn’t even dare think of it. After all, loving you... comes with the job, doesn’t it?”
“That sounds like sarcasm...”
“Better sarcasm than outright jealousy,” She slanted the other way. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Yep, can’t argue with that logic.
“At any rate, never knew you were such a good dancer,” She leaned forward, revealing a lighthearted smile. “Will keep that noted going forward.”
For some reason, I got a conniving-Amanda vibe emanating from that smile.
“Anyway,” She withdrew back. “Now that your party is finally over, I suppose we can finally begin.”
“Begin,” I parroted, rubbing bleary eyes. “Begin what?”
Slowly, Irene slithered her hand forward, and I felt it land lightly on top of mine. Immediately, I felt the electricity, the spark, the rousing sensation radiating from her touch.
“What else?” She asked, as if the answer was just that obvious. “Our after party, of course.”
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