Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 80

Ella took a breath and made a decision. "Come on David, you can barely walk." She told him as if he didn't have a choice or an option. She all but told him this was what he was going to do. "You can leaned on me and I will drop you at your place."

As per normal, as a drunk, his behaviour changed again. From surly to happy. A few seconds ago, he was ranting about her not returning his calls. And now he was grinning at her.

"You will?" He asked with a drunken smile. "Very kind." He tipped his head to the side. "But are you sure?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Really!" He was definitely more than tipsy. It never occurred to her that David could be so undisciplined. Let alone, be a delinquent! He always seemed in control. Always 

David looked over at her and grinned. A charming grin."You could take advantage of me!" He told her. But Ella wasn't sure if he was offering or warning her!

She heaved a sigh and folded her arms. "I promise, I wouldn't take advantage of you. Not in your current state!" She said and wondered if that was the wrong answer. She needed to change the topic. "Anyway, I could check out your place to check my designs and my workers' skills." She'd worked with the decorators before and they always followed her instructions. So she was fairly sure that they would have done what she wanted. "Come on David, let's go."

He immediately draped an arm along her shoulder, and Ella nearly staggered under his weight.

"But I'm not carrying you to your home." She muttered loudly as she steadied.

He took some of his weight. She wondered just how drunk he was, and whether he was playing her. He seemed aware of his movements and her actions. Notexactly what you'd expect from a drunk.

In the car, David hummed all the way to his house, accompanying the singer on the radio. In between hums he told her she was beautiful. She ignored that. When they got to his house, he needed her help to get out of the car. She walked him to his door. Resigning herself to her good deed for the night she asked him for his keys. He took forever to find them as he searched his pockets.

She knew where his bedroom was and with his arm along her waist she half-carted him while he sang to her. She ignored that. She sat him down on the edge of the mattress, then bobbed down beside him and began to undo his shoelaces. She tugged off his shoes and removed his socks, all the while he told her she was beautiful, and kind, and she should have called him. She ignored his monologue. She tried to remove his jacket. "I think you're going to be sleeping in your clothes tonight." She muttered loudly. She coaxed his right arm out of his sleeve and had to reach across him to coax his other arm to follow suit. He placed his right arm on her waist.

"This is nice. I like your dress." He rubbed the silk sheath she wore. "I like you. You smell nice." He slurred as he breathed her in and then promptly smiled at her with a puppy dog expression. Ella smothered her smile and tugged the jacket off. He really was a charming drunk! He'd discarded the tie much earlier, and had loosened a couple of the shirt buttons. She undid his waistcoat and shrugged that off his shoulders, "Ok, shirt on or off?" She asked.

"Off. Off. Off." He told her happily. Then smiled. "You are nice! I like you."

"Great. Thanks. But you need to help." She began to undo the cufflinks, and once again had to coax him to move his arms, which appeared to have become dead weights. "Come on David, move your arm."

"Ok. Ok. Ok." He grinned and tried to shuck off his sleeve. "I like you." He said, forgetting the fact his arm was still in his shirt-sleeve.

Ella said in response. "I like you too." Then wished she hadn't said anything, as he looked up at her. So she repeated what she said earlier, "Come on David, move your arm." He focussed on that task and Ella helped. "Right, that's me done. You'll have to deal with the pants on your own, or sleep in them." She looked at him, as if she was trying to memorise him.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. This is your house, remember. I have to get home." She needed to leave before this situation escalated. "Ok, do want me to get you a water or anything, before I leave?"

He appeared to think about that question then he shook his head.

"Ok, well, goodnight David."

"Goodnight Gaby." His headed nodded. He smiled, with that lopsided smile, and drunkenly got to his feet to wave. She grinned at the nickname that he has used for her. That is what he called her ten years ago.

"Bye, David." Ella turned around and left the room.

She heard him say, "Bye."

She had made it as far as the end of the corridor when she heard an almighty thud and a muffled curse. She sprinted back to the room only to find him sprawled on the floor, one leg still in his pants.

"I fell." He told her grinning as he lay sprawled on the floor.

"So I see." She stood at the door. She couldn't help the smile. Typical, even as a drunk, spread-eagled on the floor, he was enchanting. Idiot, she warned herself.

"Up. Up. Up." He sat up, wobbled a bit and beamed at her, wiggling his finger at her, he said, "You're moving. Stop moving. Oh-oh. This is dizzying." He was sitting on the floor and he tried to get on to his feet, by rolling over to his knees. But he toppled.

She couldn't help the chuckle at his antics. "Do you want help?" She asked with a grin.

"Yes, please." He said, still sprawled on the floor. Ella considered her options. He swayed a bit, and eventually he sat up. Ella got behind him, locked her arms around his chest and heaved. Finally, together they got him to his feet, but with one leg in his pants, the momentum carried them forward and pitched them onto his bed.

She squealed. He chuckled.

She clipped his side as she fell. "Are you alright?" She asked as she rolled to her knees on his bed and faced his back.

"Nuh." Came the muffled reply from a face buried in his duvet. He wasn't sure if he could manage anything. So he remained there. His nose buried in his duvet.

"What does that mean?" She tugged on his shoulder and rolled him over.

"Nice." He told her looking down the front of her dress. The silk had ripped down the front, probably rent as she stepped on the hem when she fell. Her breasts were practically falling out of her bra.

Before she had a chance to move, he had reached with one arm, hooked it around her neck and pulled her down to kiss him. The tear lengthened as the material caught between her knees. They both heard it, but neither broke the whisky fumed kiss.