16
His departure clouded her enjoyment of the evening. His obvious intentions with that woman making her feel emotional; she returned to Abby and tried to ignore the horrid sick feeling in her stomach, tried to stop herself watching the door like a stalker, hoping he would return minus that wench and trying not to imagine what they were doing upstairs.’
Matt came and swooped her into another couple of dances and she managed to convince him she was sleeping in Abby’s room tonight, giving herself a respite from his verbal advances. Another couple of men in varying ages got her up to dance and always gentlemanly they kept their hands to themselves. The life had gone out of her party mood though; she drank more champagne and began to feel a little worse for wear as the night went on.
Abby dragged her to the bathroom an insane number of times to check her makeup and confess her undying love to her new dance mate. Rose played the part of an excited friend well, but her heart was now somewhere in the gutter along with her enthusiasm.
His name was Duncan. He was a local boy who helped run his family’s farm. Abby had known him for years at school and always had a little crush on the rugged, quiet boy, but never had the guts to talk to him without others around. He was very homely in a handsome, capable way; tall, muscular like a typical farm boy and something gentle about his face. He didn’t seem overly shy to Rose when she talked to him briefly, just quiet and mature. He could not take his eyes from Abby for one second though, and Rose had a gut feeling that tonight was not a one off. She would be seeing a lot more of this one around. Rob might not be too pleased to see him as often as Rose suspected was coming.
Somewhere through the chaos of the night and the ever-increasing crowds of rowdy drunken townsfolk, Rose lost Abby, and could not find her way to the ladies’ room. She had been meandering and trying to lift her spirits again, wandering tables and drinking way more alcohol than she had intended. She ended up leaving by another door from the hall and crammed into a smaller hall, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Pushing past them and realising just how drunk she actually was, she managed to find her way to a quiet empty side room. Tripping, cursing her drunkenness and staggering around aimlessly. The door was open, and chairs had been placed around as a makeshift time out room for people straying out of the ballroom; there was a side door to the garden outside, allowing air to keep it cool and clear from people having a cigarette and Rose headed straight towards the darkness.
The cold air hit her immediately, making her head swim and her legs begin to give way. She had not realised just how much she had drunk and suddenly it did not feel so good. Surrounded by the darkness, she felt alone and a tad vulnerable. Like she was trying to walk on top of a fairground ride, tipping from side to side and spinning.
A drunk man made some lewd comments as he passed her and walked into the house via the door she had exited. Her eyes followed him with suspicion and pushed forward further into the garden and quiet to put distance between them. She could see a garden bench under a willow tree off to the side in the darker part, away from the lights and fairy lights and attempted to head that way. Longing for the seat and solitude. Noise from somewhere behind nearby bushes floated her way, making her feel more in need of a quiet secluded place; somewhere to calm her spinning head and lurching stomach. So, she ventured beyond the bench, further into the cool night air, passing the tree and losing a shoe or two in the process, she stumbled further on. Oblivious to the fact she was now barefoot.
Hopelessly drunk and throwing caution to the wind, losing all care about what it would do to her dress, she climbed a small fence into a rose garden. Catching the hem on the fence it tugged her back and caused her to fall over the other side, a magnificent ripping noise, she rolled onto a damp lawn and burst into fits of giggles followed by insane sobs and the need to cry hopelessly. She was not having fun anymore. She did not want to be here.
Rose had never been a good drunk, she sucked at it hugely and now here she was like a little lost puppy, crying in thorny bushes. She did not even know why she was crying.
Well, partly she did; visions of Rob and his lady friend swimming into her mind’s eye. She was not enjoying the dizzy spinning that overtook her and made the world start moving around her. She did not like the seasick nausea coming up from her feet through her body.
Close your eyes, Rose, make it stop.
She started chanting to herself, unaware that anyone could or would hear her and tried to calm the spinning around her. Allowing the darkness to seep in and calm the turmoil of her body.
* * *
‘Rose? Rose? Wake up honey... Rose, can you hear me?’ Warmth was touching her face, stroking her like a puppy and pulling her out of the peaceful darkness. The silky smooth, deep voice was so familiar, so soothing and safe. Rose did not want to open her eyes, but she did want that voice to envelope her. To make her feel safe. She was a little cold and it sounded so warm and cosy. Reaching out towards the voice and wrapping her arms around it, feeling its strength, so close and so real. Reveling in the heat coming around her.
‘I’m going to lift you. Can you open your eyes for me? or say something?’
‘Hmmmmm...That would be lovely... Only Rob can...’ She was lost somewhere between drunken darkness, dreams and attempts at lucid consciousness.
‘It is Rob! Rose hold on.’ That sexy voice was like liquid honey over her, she could feel a warm breath on her cheek and smell a familiar desirable scent.
She felt warmth take her arms and wrap them around something equally hot and firm, enjoying the feeling, but immediately opening her eyes in fear as she was hoisted up.
No. Nope, not a good feeling!
A spinning out of control, the world flipping sideways kind of feeling. Stomach flipping and lurching kind of horrible upside-down reality. Her face was inches from Rob and he was holding her in his arms, her skirts piled in front of her and her feet poking out, pointing at the air; her toes feeling the breeze as they were completely free from shoes.
‘Where am I?... What the...? ... Oooowww I feel... I’m going to be sick!’ She panicked and gripped him tighter with wide eyes and a lot of disorientation. Rob immediately returned her to her feet, supporting her upper body and aiming her towards the nearby rose bushes as she was violently sick. A lot of alcohol gladly exiting her small frame.
‘Jesus Rose, I thought you were dead when I found you.’ He was still holding her as she fell back against him, resting her spinning head against his chest. His hand coming up to support her skull and one around her waist that was doing a wonderful job of holding her up. His voice was strange; not his normal soothing deep tones, but higher, full of panic or emotion. She did not know. Right now, all she wanted to do was lay back down. Leaning heavily against him, aware that she had little control of her limbs anymore.
He was wearing only his shirt and trousers. No bow tie or jacket.
Had he been undressed by his serpent? Bitch!
Rose tried not to break into fresh tears with that little thought and pushed it out of her head.
The darkness around her when she had come here had lifted a little.
The sky was beginning to lighten as dawn approached.
How long had she been out here?
Her head began to ache as the spinning returned and now the shivering had begun as she realised she was icy cold.
‘How did you...? Where am...? I don’t feel good’ She was still very drunk, confusion and foggy headedness still raining supreme and now she just wanted to go back to sleep. Nausea was rising again.
‘I have been looking for you for hours. Abby found your bag in the hall; your mobile phone going straight to answer machine. I checked your cottage and even all the rooms of this god damn house.’ He sounded husky and alarmed, his tone betraying genuine emotion. ‘I only found you by following your shoes and part of your dress stuck to the fence out here, passed out in the flowers and literally looked so pale and cold.... I thought...Well, I’m here now and you’re okay...Well, you will be when I get you inside and warm and dry, the damp grass has your dress sodden.’ He was turning her towards him, a protective arm encircling her shoulders as she laid her face against the smooth white shirt; his heartbeat strong as she allowed herself to slide back into disorientated semi consciousness. He really was like a safe harbour that had a pretty firm hold around her. She sighed against him.
‘Rob! I was having a little break... I needed some peace and...’ She slurred.
‘Shhh now.’ He scooped her back up into his arms, lifting her bare feet from the dewy grass and nestled her in against him. Pulling her in tight and high enough so that she rested her face against his neck. She automatically reached an arm up around him, savouring the security of being held and feeding her cold bones from his body heat, prime spot to inhale that yummy smell of his without it being obvious.
‘You gave me such a fright, I’ve never been so scared to touch someone in my life!’ Once again with the strange tone in his voice that sounded a lot like genuine anxiety. ‘When I saw your chest move and knew you were breathing... Jesus Rose!’ He trailed off as though the memory was upsetting and just tucked her head under his chin a little more firmly. She could feel movement through his body as he obviously had begun walking them back to the house.
Her eyes had drifted closed again, still too drunk to function as she felt the motion and movement around her. Pulling her into sleep like a gentle rocking of a crib and trying to keep the nausea down. It was best if she let the darkness move back in, keep the nausea and spinning at bay.
’Penelope... That’s my name!’ she laughed softly to no one in particular, back in the midst of lucid dreaming. Drunkenness finding amusement at random.
’Only when you piss me off sweetheart. Rose the rest of the time.’ That deep familiar voice.
‘That’s what Rob calls me, you know? ... I was looking for Rob but I never found him... Probably with his sexy fairy...’ The lure of sleep was making her incoherent once again.
Rose passed out, not hearing the confused response or the journey back to the house into Rob’s ground floor bedroom, past his office.
