One Night Only

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"One more," she mumbled to the bartender who had been keeping her an eye for she was now totally wasted.

She has been drinking for hours now. She sat on the barstool and didn't leave it unless she had to use the toilet. And the bartender made sure that no one would take her seat on her trip to the restroom.

She just landed this morning from a fourteen-hour direct flight from LA and she just deposited her luggage to her hotel and came to this club.

She hasn't informed anyone of her whereabouts. None from her family nor her friends. She has no way to tell them what happened to her trip to LA.

"Hey, it's not my business since I'm just here to serve drinks, but you've been drinking non-stop for about three hours -- maybe it's a good time to stop? Or go dancing?" he cocked his head to the dance floor that is now littered with bodies.

The bartender was leaning on the counter and talking in a loud voice because the blaring techno music of the club made any form of conversation barely possible.

"Yes. It is not your business. So, please, give me more alcohol to drink. And, I understand that you are worried, so you can water down my drink."

"Miss, I have been watering down your drink for an hour now," he told her, shaking his head.

"Well, then just stick to your side," she pointed to the inside of the bar counter, "and mind your own business," she slurred.

The bartender nodded and kept his mouth shut.

Laurie just picked up the fresh drink that the bartender prepared for her. The cocktail had some citrusy flavor to it and she loved it.

She was still nursing her drinks when her phone rang.

If the call came in an hour ago, she might not have answered it, but right now, she was totally wasted and had been sitting alone long enough, that she felt like it would be nice to have someone to talk to.

She answered her phone without checking the number on the phone screen and got a surprise that it was from someone she never expected to still call her.

"Another!"

"I think you had enough."

She snapped her head and squinted her eyes to the familiar man that sat next to her. In her drunken mind, he smelled like the reason she was drowning herself in alcohol.

She grinned, "What are you doing here, nii-san?" she asked, waving her arm in the air, calling the bartender for another drink.

"You don't remember asking me to come here?" he chuckled lightly.

"Nope." she giggled. "I don't remember that," she leaned to her side and whispered, "I am hiding." she put her finger on her lips and went into another fit of giggles.

"And why are you hiding?" he grinned back at her.

"Because… men are assholes!" she slapped the bar counter and leaned forward to grab a bottle of gin.

Hideaki grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back down to her chair, "Laurie, I think you should stop drinking," he said, pushing another glass of green cocktail to her side.

"Nii-san you are the best," she grabbed his shoulder to give him a hug. "Thank you for coming." she laughed. "But I still don't remember asking you to come."

"I thought you were in LA. Why are you back so soon?"

"Shut up! Don't talk about LA and that jerk that was over there," she waved her arm that hit the other guy that was about to sit down on the stool to her right. "Opssie," she giggled when the guy gave her an annoyed look.

"Sorry," Hideaki apologized to the man.

"Dude, can't you see your girl is already dead drunk? Why don't you take her out?" he clicked his tongue at her as he turned around to leave.

"Yey!" Laurie yelled at the man. "This guy isn't my boyfriend."

When she turned around, she saw the bartender standing across, wiping glasses, she grinned and leaned inside the counter, "Hey," she whispered.

"Yes?" The bartender watched her bent over on the counter, but he did not tell her to get back into her chair like Hideaki had done. Probably because the bartender was busy ogling at her breast, which can be seen from her blouse's button that got unbuttoned.

"This guy," she pointed at Hideaki as she giggled, "...is not my boyfriend."

"But he must be a friend. Why don't you go home with him now?"

"You-- don't you…" she hiccuped, and swallowed her saliva that was pooling inside her mouth, "know that going home with a guy...that..that...isn't your boyfriend is a no-no." she shook her finger in front of her face.

"Laurie, please sit down," he pulled Laurie back down to her stool.

She grunted and dropped her head on the bar counter.

"Laurie, let's get out of here," he waved at the bartender, pulled his wallet, and took out his card. He was about to hand it to the bartender when he stopped him.

"Miss Crisostomo's tab had been paid," he informed him.

"Who paid for her drinks?", he asked out of curiosity since Laurie was too drunk and mumbling incoherently with her cheeks plastered on the bar counter.

The bartender didn't answer him and just stared at him.

"Laurie, let's go," he tugged her elbow as he stood up from his chair.

"Sir, we need your ID."

Hideaki gave the bartender a confused look. "Can I ask why you are asking for my ID?"

"Well, you are taking Miss Crisostomo out of our bar, we need your ID."

Hideaki was still eyeing the bartender who was asking for his ID when Laurie abruptly stood up from her chair and raised her hands in the air like she was grabbing something invisible, whilst bobbing her head to the music.

Seeing that Laurie was totally wasted, Hideaki pulled out his wallet again and handed the man his ID.

The bartender snapped a photo of his driver's license before he returned it.

Hideaki grabbed his ID and couldn't say thank you to the bartender because he has to run after Laurie who went to the middle of the dance floor, yelling and bobbing her head.

"Laurie, you need to go home," he yelled at her ear when he caught her. He didn't expect what she did next in the middle of the dance floor.

She grabbed his face with her hands and kissed him with tongue.

"Uhmph, Laurie -- wait..."

"Not my boyfriend," she mumbled before claiming his lips into another dizzying kiss.