BAMBI

XXXVI

Once inside the house we made our way back to the kitchen, Prince filling his glass one more time. "Don't you think you've had enough?" I asked, picking up my wrinkled sun dress off of the tile floor, pulling it over my head so I wasn't completely nude.

"I'm just polishing it off. It's not even a full glass." He lifted the cup, showing me that it wasn't filled to the brim.

"Ok." I raised both hands in defeat, already knowing he was going to feel it in the morning. "Well get your pants on so we can go in the living room. I'll start a fire for us."

Prince mumbled something that sounded like a confirmation before I turned around and left the kitchen. The living room was just down the hallway from the kitchen, only steps away really, but it seemed like hours before Prince joined me.

"What happened? You get lost?"

"No, I had to take a piss and I couldn't find the bathroom." Trying to hide my amusement I pointed to the door next to where he was standing, the one leading into the adjoining bathroom. "Oh."

"Where'd you end up going?"

"Outside." The laughter I'd been trying to hold in spurted out when he confessed where he relieved himself.

"Oh sweetie, you're wasted." I chuckled, grabbing Prince by the shoulders and guiding him to the living room. "Come sit on the couch. I'll make you something to eat. That'll sober you up."

"I'm not hungry."

"I know, you're never hungry." Helping Prince onto the couch, I covered him with a throw that had been hanging off the back of the couch and turned to continue my walk into the kitchen.

"You're leaving me?"

"No, I'm just getting you something to eat. I'll be right back!"

He shook his head and motioned with his less than stable hand for me to join him in the living room, "Just sit with me for a little while."

As much as I wanted to make him something to eat to help sop up the alcohol flowing through his system I knew he wouldn't touch it. So I reluctantly made my way back to the couch.

Prince lifted his head so I could sit down before he laid back down. Sliding his hand under my thigh, he nuzzled his head into my lap like he was getting ready for a long winters nap. "Prince?"

"Hmm?"

"You wanna go lay down in bed? It might be more-"

"No, this is more comfortable." With my left hand resting on his arm, I began running my fingers through his hair with my right hand. "Mmm... that feels good." He said, closing his eyes.

A long silence filled the room and I wasn't sure if he had dosed off or was just resting his eyes. Either way I didn't want to disturb him. So I continued my massage on his scalp for a little while longer. But after I realized that I had completely ruined his once beautifully styled hair, I stopped. "Don't stop." He said, his eyelashes still hugging his cheeks.

"I'm fucking up your hair."

"I don't care." So my fingers started up again, making small circles while I moved my hand to different places around his scalp. Leaning back, I rested my head against the back of the couch. My eyes focused on the high, exposed beam ceiling. The weathered beams stretching from one side of the room to the other were filled with so much character and charm, something I thought for sure would be lost in a home so substantial. That was one of the reasons for choosing the home I bought. It was filled to the brim with character and warmth. And although I loved Prince dearly, his house always seemed so cold and untouchable. Everything from the ceiling to the floors to the decorations to the furniture, it all looked unreasonably expensive and ridiculously fragile. "What you thinking about?" Prince finally asked, breaking my train of thought.