Chapter 2 1/2

Keeping Chardonnay upright whilst trying to fit the key into the lock on the door of her apartment was a mission and a half, a job that a lesser man would have failed miserably at, but finally Patrick succeeded. Swinging the door wide he picked her up and carried her in, dumping her carefully on the couch so as to lock the door again.

“You really could have let Leroy call a taxi for me that would so have been less embarrassing than this is going to be….” Char groaned as she pushed herself up carefully whilst the world spun round her ears.

“Believe me Sugar; you do not want to be left alone with that one,” muttered Patrick going over to the couch and lifting her feet up to remove her shoes.

It had been a while since he had had to put her to bed when she was like this, it only ever happened when she was fed up with dating or life in general or if she had a real bad fight with one of her girlfriends, all of which were rare as she was a positive thinker and getting completely besotted on alcohol a last resource. Though he had to admit to himself that he did get a thrill taking care of her in moments like this, he only wished the same could happen in the everyday picture.

There you go again, you fool, don’t go and do something you will regret for the rest of your life, his common sense spoke out to him.

Deciding that the safest place to be in a few moments would be the bathroom, Char lowered herself onto the floor and started crawling towards the general location of the bathroom.

“What are you doing, if I am be so bold as to ask?” inquired Patrick, “lost a contact lens perhaps?” as he observed Char´s interesting imitation of a baby tracking a pathway through the lounge on her knees.

“The door´s the same one you came in Patrick, if tonight´s partying kills me, I swear I’m coming back to haunt you for life,” was her comeback as she neared the bathroom door.

““I feel no sympathy for those who do it to themselves”, sound familiar? Oooo…it stings a little when you are the one on the receiving end of it, huh?” He had to admit that every so often he got a kick out of being able to quote from Char´s extensively insightful book of morals and situational statements that she used whenever she had to get him out of a pickle of a spot.

“Be quiet or go home you big oaf,” Char grumbled as she hauled herself up to the bowl of the toilet. She knew he was right but who in their right mind gives a care for that when they are feeling like hell. Right on time, she thought as her stomach started to kick start itself into heaving up most of its contents.

Surely there has to be an easier way to de-tox, thought Patrick as he rushed forward to grab up her hair as she started to bring up all and sundry. Kneeling down next to her he ran a soothing hand up and down her back as if to ease the process. Given it wasn’t the prettiest sight in the world but she had done the same thing for him on many an occasion.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand Chardonnay leaned over and rested her head on Patrick´s shoulder whilst waiting for her stomach to finally settle down. She closed her eyes for only a second to rest; she would be right as rain in a minute and would get to bed by her own accord. Yeah right, contradicted her brain as her mind got comfortable and went to sleep.

As soon as Patrick heard her breathing deepen and regulate, he knew that he had to get her off the floor so he could move from his half hunched over position. A man could only last so long with a deadweight leaning on him and he in a half sit half kneel spot. He picked her up and carried her through to her bed and placed her on it.

“That is going to wreck her dress,” he stated a matter-of-factly, “it doesn’t count if I only see her back whilst I put on her nightshirt.”

Going against his better judgment, he hunted through her closet till he came across her nightshirt; a bright blue man-sized t-shirt with “hot stuff” printed in white on the front. Typical he thought as he hoisted her up into a sitting position and started un-zipping her at the back. He nearly lost his nerve when he found that she wasn’t wearing a bra with her dress. Slipping the sleeves off her shoulders, he rammed her head through the neckline of the nightshirt and prayed she wouldn’t wake up or move a muscle as he was having a hard time holding her up without putting his arm around her as balance.

Deep breath, nearly there Mate, his Common Sense piped up. Amazing that it only shows up when you least need it and only to state the obvious. Laying her down, after pulling the shirt down till her hips, he tried to get her dress off by sliding the whole of it down her hips. No such luck. I really don´t like this dress right now, he thought as he struggled with it.

“Bloody marvelous! What doesn´t go down must come up,” he muttered as he started pulling the dress upwards whilst shoving the shirt down.

“Who the hell thought that this was a good idea?” he questioned. Finally the dress started cooperating and moving on upwards, only to leave a large expanse of uncovered leg for him to catch his breath on. “Deep breath, you can do this, how many times have you envisioned doing just this to her before?” he asked himself truthfully, but dreaming and actually doing were two very separate things.

Furious with himself, he gave the dress one final yank upwards and very nearly went flying himself. Who in their right mind wears something so tight? Okay, given that it did look stunning but that was not a good excuse. Opening up the covers Patrick rolled her over into the bed and tucked her in. Seeing a stray lock of hair covering her eye he stretched out his hand and smoothed it behind her ear without realizing what he was doing until it was done.

Giving her on last longing stare, he turned and walked out of her pulling the door closed until only a sliver of light would be visible from the other side of the door. Walking back to the lounge he caught sight of Sushi.

“Are you going to behave if I leave you in charge of her?” he questioned as he bent down and picked up the cat. Brushing a hand up and down Sushi´s spine the cat purred contently. “What would you say to sharing your couch with me for the night, huh Sushims?” Better to stay over than try to make his way home so early in the morning and Char and he did have an appointment marked to go and try and find a present for his younger sister, which probably would have to be rescheduled.

Putting Sushi on his pillow on the couch Patrick walked over to the cupboard where the extra sleeping stuff was kept. Getting out a duvet and a pillow he made his way back to the couch feeling every weary bone in his body like he had never felt before. Getting as comfortable as possible on a couch that was too small for him to stretch out fully out on, he started drifting through dreamland, in his opinion the best part of life sometimes where everything could and would happen. The last fleeting thought through his exhausted mind was of Chardonnay’s eyes…..