Elegantly Wasted | ✓

𝐈𝐗.

Demetrius sighed in a state of euphoria, as he leaned against the bar with his usual order. Although his back was slightly aching and his tie was tight against his throat, he was much happier than he had ever been.

About two months had slipped past since the last time he'd come to the bummy pub in Canary Wharf. After his job change, he'd been expected to prove himself a lot to be able to assert his reputation in the workplace. He was glad that his expertise were now being more appreciated than at his last firm.

Two month sobriety didn't mean that he was going to stick with it. He was looking to get absolutely wasted that Thursday evening; he would have to just handle the pulsations tomorrow morning. So, he sipped his second drink of strong Hennessy on the rocks, sighing comfortably and placing the glass back onto the branded napkin.

Basking in the exclusion that radiated from the bar, Demetrius couldn't help the fact that his mind floated back to thoughts of Vivian.

His plump lips quirked into a smile, as he periodically settled his eyes on the bar stool she used to sit on. He'd always liked how she'd still managed to sit upright on the backless seats—on the contrary, those were moments where she was mostly exhausted by her stress. It surely looked better than his Quasimodo-looking, hunchbacked posture.

He instinctively rolled his shoulders to straighten his back, just as his eyes fell back to the addressed piece of card on the table. Vivian had not fallen back on her promise to keep him updated every once in a while with postcards of the different landmarks she went to see in Singapore when she had the time. He was elated at the fact that he'd received another postcard, the morning of, from her.

He chuckled to himself at the sight of the picture on the back, customised with a photo of her with a glass of Hennessy on the rocks itself at an exotic bar at the heart of the city-state.

The pub she was sat in was a large upgrade from what she was accustomed to in London. The lights were surely blinding and the colours definitely brought the atmosphere to life, it certainly emitted that to Demetrius through the photograph.

She thought she'd finally try out what Demetrius was always hyping up so tremendously. It wasn't too bad, strong and with a kick, but it was good. It was the perfect reminder of him. She wasn't easily influenced so he was proud that he'd at least got her to drink a glass of it on her own accord.

Demetrius flipped the card over, grinning at the message that he'd read a few times already. He admired the way her cursive writing never held any mistakes; it emulated how perfect she liked everything.

Franklin wiped the table near him to get an excuse to lean closer. "What's that?"

"Viv. She's in Singapore." he answered, the grin on his lips was far from retractable. Franklin tilted his head.

"The lady you were always here with?" Demetrius nodded and returned to gazing at the photo. "Wow, I didn't know you cuffed her. I hope you remember that she dragged you through some real drunk arse times."

"Don't be moist." he tutted, Franklin laughed.

"What's she doing all the way over there?"

Demetrius announced proudly, "She's the leading manager of the company's branch," The design company had been booming since its launch a month prior. It had been a few months since Vivian had made her departure and it was obviously a good sign, if everything was going as expected.

Vivian was never one that liked to brag about her expertise, but she knew that it was a gift that excelled in landing the business with good ratings and multiple clients wanting her help with designs.

Franklin looked impressed, especially since the earliest memory he had of Vivian was when she seemed at her lowest, she would attend the bar almost everyday to drink that wine that nobody else would purchase. "That's your ting? Wow."

"Yeah." Demetrius seemed satisfied, it almost gave Franklin relief; it was better than seeing him beyond incoherent from the alcohol.

He leaned forward on the table, as Demetrius loosened his top button, "Well, you're happy, ain't you?"

"Yeah, man, maybe getting blackout wasted every once in a while is a good thing, or I would've never met her." Franklin scowled whilst Demetrius smirked.

"Warren isn't taking your arse home again, giving him a raise will eat into your tab next time, with your new job and all." Demetrius laughed, ironically trying not to make his gesture to a refill too obvious.

"I'm responsible, Frank, you know that,"

"I'm not sure if you know that you sure as hell aren't." he muttered as he walked off to serve another woman that had walked in. It took Demetrius a moment of staring to notice that she was being poured a tall glass of the same cheap-tasting wine that Vivian vouched by.

The woman peered over at him, as he caught him staring, she wasn't sure if he was trying to make advances or if he was just a little weird. "You could start moving to me by saying hi," she suggested.

He softly laughed, knocked out of his stare. "Sorry. I'm just a little shocked to see another person drinking that wine at this bar." Her eyebrow peaked.

She took a moment to look over Demetrius's appearance. She smiled, appreciating how he was easy on her eyes. He had recently shaved his head, letting his coily hair grow back in slowly. The beard that covered his jaw was now as thick as a lion's mane. "Really, who was the first?" she asked.

"My girl, she swore by it." he replied, he could tell that she was a little disheartened by his choice of words.

"Ah, does she think it's nice? I'm trying something new."

"I always told her it was shit, but it's pretty damn good." he commented. She lightly smiled at the way he talked about her. "Aye, Frank, get me what she's having, boss," he called.

The thought of the expensive-looking wine caused his craving. He gulped down the last of his Hennessy and decided that he might as well get wasted the right way, as elegantly as he'd witnessed when he first met Vivian.

fin.

Thank you a tonne for reading! I love the turnout of this lil short story and I'm honestly glad I finished it.
It was just a little sum' sum' that came to mind when seeing the title, nothing serious, but thank you for reading regardless.

~𝐠𝐥𝐝𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬.