Whiskey

My eyes rolled over the curves of her face and her extremely perky upper body as we waited patiently to hear the verdict of her first whiskey sour. The corner of the mouth curled up the slightest bit and I knew she liked it, and maybe, just maybe, I’d get lucky tonight. I couldn’t help but imagine her naked sitting next to me. Her nipples erect, sagging just the slightest bit from their weight. I always had eyes for smaller breasts, and then Madison came along. Going from pinching nipples to grabbing a hand full was like going from a Honda to a Mercedes. I was officially a boob man.

“Well?” Billy asked her, which caused me to bring my attention back to her face. I continued to watch her and she turned her attention to me.

“I can’t sleep with you anymore.”

Sleep with me. Can’t sleep with me. Wait. “WHAT?!”

“Oh, you meant the drink? It’s good actually, I’m shocked I like it.” She picked her glass back up and sipped on it like nothing happened. Did she, honest to God, just announce she could no longer sleep with me in front of Billy? In front of Bill ‘Fucking Loud Mouth, Can’t Keep A Secret Worth A Shit’ Guerin?!

“Wait. Wait! Wait! Wait! Did you just tell Addsy you can’t sleep with him anymore? Is this real life right now?” Billy asked as he laughed his ass off. I was still in disbelief. My jaw was still on the floor as I continued to look at her. She turned her head and looked at me. She had that fucking innocent look on her face. Like nothing just happened. Nothing at all.

“Look Craig, I was thinking and-“

“Can we talk about this later please? In private?” I asked not wanting her to elaborate more than she already has in front of my teammate. The waiter was tableside once again to take our dinner order, and I had to grab Madison’s hand from fixing my napkin. It was crooked I know, but she needed to learn self control around me, because she was driving me fucking crazy. Not in a good way either. She picked up her glass and finished off her drink, quickly setting it down before lunging for my napkin to straighten it. Billy continued to laugh from across us and I looked up at the waitor.

“Bar steaks, medium-rare, for the jackass and I, the lady will have . . . what do you want? To eat?” I asked Madison as she pointed to the happy hour menu, her finger landing on the cheeseburger. “The cheeseburger. Also another round of drinks, quickly please,” I pleaded and the young kid nodded his head before disappearing.

“So, Madison. As you were saying, you write books. What about your free time? Do anything fun in your free time? Besides Craig?” Billy asked trying his damn hardest to keep a straight face. I cursed to myself under my breath as I looked towards the bar to see our waiter waiting for the drinks the bartender was currently making.

“I see what you did there,” she laughed, but I continued to keep my eyes on the waiter, watching as he walked over with a tray of drinks. I snatched mine before he even set it down on the table, drinking half of it. “I like to garden, and smoke hookah. Most of my time is consumed writing though. Inspiration can hit you at any moment.”

“You must have a healthy educational background then,” Billy stated giving me a glance to warn me on my alcohol intake. This night had already gone to shit, Billy had me by the balls, how much more of a disaster could it become?

“Dropped out. Two years into Pitt. Not a proud moment in my life, but I’ve been fine ever since.”

“You know, Addsy here has a degree from Harvard,” Billy smiled and I looked down at my drink. I typically didn’t like bringing that subject up. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like throwing around that I had a degree, from Harvard of all places. Yes it was something to be proud of, but I didn’t want to be a pompous ass like most Harvard Alum is about it. If I wanted to be cocky and impress someone I would go with the whole playing in the NHL swagger. An NHL player is more likely to get ass from a hot chick than a Harvard graduate is. I experimented. I know this shit.

“Really?” She blurted out before throwing herself into a fit of giggles. This was another reason why I didn’t throw it out there. I was a jock. Who was going to believe a jock has a Harvard degree. “What’d you study?” She asked, but she was still laughing.

“I have a degree in history, with a concentration in south Asia. Fair Harvard we join in thy Jubilee throng, and with blessings surrender thee o’er by these festival rites, from the age that is past, to the age that is waiting before. Oh relic and type of our ancestors’ worth, that hast long kept their memory warm, first flow’r of their wilderness! Star of their night! Calm rising through change and through storm. Now if you can excuse me for a minute.” I pushed myself away from the booth and walked over to the bar, empty glass in hand. The alma mater was still implanted in my head, ten years after receiving my diploma. My blood was a strategic blend of Harvard crimson, Canadian and Bruneian; there was no doubting that.

I ordered another drink from the bartender, and could feel the anger creeping through my body. This night wasn’t going too smoothly, and I was pissed off at that fact. I wanted it to go good. I wanted to enjoy the sight of Madison’s body, even if it is hidden under those hideous clothes, and I wanted her to have fun with us. I wanted to have fun, now I was fucking pissed. Any other night, any other woman, I’d be able to just brush this all off and laugh along with them, but for some fucking reason, I couldn’t.

“I’m gonna eat your steak!” I heard Billy yell and I turned around to see the waiter setting our food down. I grabbed my fresh drink and headed back to the table. Madison looked at me with apologetic eyes. What was she silently apologizing for? A certain moment of the night? Or all of it? If I could have things my way, I’d make her apologize to me right now in the men’s bathroom . . . from her knees.

“Craig, maybe you should pace yourself buddy,” Billy suggested as he chewed on a piece of steak. I glared at him and set down my drink. I placed my napkin in my lap, where hopefully Madison will leave it. Maybe if we were too busy eating, conversation would halt and I could calm myself down. Who the fuck was I kidding though, I was here with Billy.

I waited, and waited. For someone to start talking, about anything. Now the silence was almost brutal. “Everyone’s food okay?” I asked just to create some noise.

“Not the best steak in town, but still decent,” Billy smiled before shoving another piece in his mouth.

“I’m sorry!” Madison suddenly shouted out. This was new for her. This whole blurting things out whenever she felt like it.

“Sorry for what part?” I asked wanting her to be more specific.

“For doubting your education. That’s something I don’t have, a degree . . . I was out of line to laugh.” I looked over at her and nodded my head, acknowledging her apology the best way I could.

“Aww, the first lover’s quarrel,” Billy sighed and I glared at him once again.

We finished off dinner in the most civilized way we could manage, but at the end of the night, I was drunk and so was Madison. She was a flirty drunk, her thigh rubbing hard against mine. Her hand occasionally landing on my knee, as she would laugh at some stupid ass line Billy would feed her.

Once we finally figured out how we were getting home, I handed over my truck keys to Billy, as he was sober as a stone cold corpse. Madison and I on the other hand continued arguing over how we would get home. She wanted to walk, while I wanted to just call a taxi. We were still standing there discussing our options as Billy drove by waving and laughing.

She finally reached forward and linked her fingers through mine, dragging me toward Carson street. Our hands stayed in contact as we waited for the green man to appear for us to walk across the main road. I wasn’t even paying attention when the light changed, I just allowed her to drag me across the street like a little kid. “Why can’t we just call a cab?” I groaned, but before I knew it, we were taking seats on the incline.

She leaned into me on the wood bench as the trolley began its climb up to Mount Washington. We didn’t say anything; we just watched the city grow the higher we went. At the top of the hill, she paid for our trip and we walked to the first lookout to admire the cityscape in silence.

“Craig,” she whispered turning toward me. I turned to face her, and she took a step forward, her breasts rubbing against my chest. My heart rate quickened, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. She sure as hell was confusing me though. “What I said before, about not sleeping with you anymore.”

I smiled at her. “You changed your mind?”

She leaned forward, her hands on my chest to keep her balance. “No, I really can’t sleep with you anymore, I was told you’re a bad influence, that you’re a bad boy. Besides, let’s not kid ourselves, we drive each other crazy, and not in the good way.”

I groaned inwardly and pressed my pelvis into her, hoping she’d change her mind. “If you can’t sleep with me anymore, than why are you sucking on my ear?”