The Last JoyRide

Part 33

I managed to get the Mickey back into Alabaster's hands on the third round of drinks. He downed it during our conversation on acoustics and soundproofing. Too bad he was such a creepy fuck because he was intelligent and interesting. It took half an hour for the drink to take effect. By then, I was a little tipsy myself and frustrated. I had started to look at Joy again with not the purest of thoughts. This was beginning to have all the earmarks of a long weekend.

The bar was getting crowded and uncomfortable. I didn't drink anything that wasn't handed to me by Joy. We shuffled drinks back and forth until the time it was to make our move.

"Okay, boys, give mommy the keys. You two have had enough. I'm calling you a cab."

Saturday 6:40 PM

Alabaster was fading fast. Joy stood there in front of us, legs spread, one hand on her hip, the other outstretched to us. I followed along and gave her my keys. Joy asked the bartender for the number of a cab company they used. He gave her a card from under the bar, and she phoned while I tried my best to keep old Alli involved in the conversation. He still hadn't handed his keys over.

"Buddy, she's going to call us a cab. I'm pretty wasted myself and tired. I think she's gonna hang out a while. We can share a cab, right?"

I thought that would interest him a little, at least. He did, after all, try and spike my drink more than once. He nodded but still no keys.

"Okay, boys, finish up, the cab should be here in a few minutes, and I will wait with you to make sure you're okay," Joy said sternly.

I prodded Alli, and we both downed our drinks; mine tasted like straight ginger ale. I had passed so many drinks back and forth with my would-be date rapist I had no idea what he was drinking.

He heard Joy say she was ready to settle up and made a half-hearted effort to remove his wallet, which he dropped on the floor. Then nearly fell on the floor himself, chasing after it and pulling me with him.

He picked it up and stood, propping himself on my shoulder and on the bar stool. We looked like a drunken pair of frat boys. I leaned in and told him that Joy had taken care of it. It was at that point I think he caught on somewhat. Alli looked into my eyes and smiled. He fumbled around in his cargo shorts, came out with the keys, and held them in front of me in surrender.

"Joy, I called loudly.

Thank goodness she was at least half paying attention. She grabbed them quickly from Alli.

"Thanks, sport," she said, twirling them in the air.

"Couldn't have you two getting in an accident. You're both so precious," Joy said, hugging us both around our shoulders.

In a few more minutes, we were going to the door. The barkeep asked her if she needed any help getting us out, but she politely declined. Alli was not sure-footed at all. In fact, I had to let him use me as a crutch while Joy just walked behind us. This was getting worse by the moment, and in all honesty, I thought we were just going to dump him in the parking lot outback. I had no real idea what was going on at that point, only that we were finally getting the hell out of there.

I managed to get him through the door and outside, where we leaned against the front of the building. It wasn't but a few more minutes when the cab pulled up to the curb in front of us. Joy went to the cab and leaned in the passenger door as I struggled to get the ever collapsing Alabaster to his feet and across the wide sidewalk to the waiting taxi. That damn Joy didn't even open the door for me. I leaned Alli against the cab and got it myself. I went to help him in when he turned suddenly with the last bit of strength he had and managed to kiss me squarely on the mouth. I lost my cool and staggered backward as if I had been shot. I spit and cussed. Then movement out of the corner of my right eye caught my attention.