Andrina sat in one of the corner booths of the hotel bar, her hand cupped around a glass of vodka and Diet Coke. Even though she'd promised herself she wouldn't, her eyes flitted back and forth between the cringe-worthy efforts of her ex-colleagues trying to prove their outrageousness on the dance floor, and the never changing display on her watch.
9:23 PM.
By her reckoning it would be at least another two and a half hours before she could sneak off to bed, and be done with the weekend as a whole.
She hoped her liver would survive it.
"Come on, Andrina, let's go, you aren't getting off that easy," one of the women shouted, while gulping down the remnants of her own drink.
Andrina used every bit of will power she possessed to swallow the sigh back into her throat.
A second later she was pulled up by the arm, and trailed back into the full blare of the monotonous music. She tried to smile, but it twitched between her stiffened jaws.
"You OK?"
Andrina looked around to see the youngest of the group, some cousin of the "lucky" bride to be or something, in her late 20s, frowning at her.
"Yeah, 'course I am," Andrina said.
"You look a bit run down." The girl did something with her eyes. It was too quick to see, but something was off, intentional or otherwise."
Andrina blinked a few times, and stared at her again.
"Maybe you should go up and have a lie down or something?"
It happened again. A split second wink? Perhaps.
"I think you might be right. I must have eaten too much. Or maybe the drink."
Andrina was off, and making her way up the stairs before the girl could finish her reply. She hadn't eaten anything the whole day, and at most she'd made her way through three drinks. Her stomach felt fine, apart from the solid lump of regret in the pit of it, for having ever turned up at the place.
And that was that.
A minute or so later she stood outside her hotel room, fumbling for her pass key. In the back of her mind she considered what music to listen to on her phone, once inside, and snuggled deep under the duvet.
"Excuse me."
The words snapped her out of her thoughts.
She swivelled around a little too fast, and almost lost an ankle in the process. Heels really weren't her thing.
A strong arm shot out just in time to stop her from taking a tumble. She rolled her eyes and caught her breath. "Sorry."
"No problem," he said. His smile turned into a chuckle.
She could feel her cheeks burn. Her eyes shot down. Or at least they started to.
She stepped back.
This stranger, who'd come out of nowhere, was standing in the hallway between the rooms in just a towel. His hair was soaking wet, and stuck to his head.
What the hell?
"I was in the shower. The water cut off." He was trying his best to make light of it, but stuttering his way through some of the words. "Came out to have a quick look for a member of staff, then the door closed behind me. Not my night."
Andrina took her turn to laugh. The three drinks gave her a little bit of an advantage. Just a touch of boldness. Certainly enough for her to flirt with the moment.
"I'd invite you into my room to call for someone, but I'm sure tongues would wag."
"I never wag my tongue on a first date." He laughed back.
Andrina turned her back to him, her face burning blazing hotter than ever. She opened the door to her room and, still chuckling, motioned him in behind her.
"Thanks," he said, glancing around with just a little awkwardness.
Andrina threw her bag down on the bed, and kicked off her shoes before they could do her an injury. She caught a glimpse of something moving in her peripheral. Picked it out. And almost swallowed her own tongue.
The hefty bulge in the front of his towel was still bouncing, while he stood still.
She raised her head to see him following her movements.
Well and truly busted.
There was nothing she could say. Her lips twitched as she tried to think of something. Anything. But the well was empty.
He shook his head. Smiled.
Andrina closed her eyes for just a second. Forced a breath.
