Sleep State

Chapter 5

- Christian - 

"Hit me." Ana slammed the glass down on the bar and slid it toward him.

What number drink was this? He had lost count as he continuously tipped the bottle and watched it empty its contents into their cups. The warm, bitter liquid had altered the atmosphere quickly letting them slip into the warm, fuzzy bliss of intoxication.

Her pale complexion welcomed a shade of pink with each sip and gulp flushing the color across her cheeks. The way she puckered her lips together after the initial sensation of the alcohol slipping down her throat had faded. Ana tipped her head back and smiled. She smacked her lips together and savored the taste. It was impossible not to be fascinated, nor did he want to stray his stare away anywhere else. Her beauty and ability to adapt was just the distraction he needed. Silence would only consume him with the unknown, something he was too terrified to admit scared the shit out of him.

Christian blinked fast feeling himself wander back to reality and knocked back his drink quickly. Peering over his glass he watched her casually flip her hair behind her shoulder. Her chest heaved up and down as she sighed and he took notice. His jawline froze and he found his eyes falling dangerously on a part of her that sparked a flame inside him.

"What about you mister tall, dark, and mysterious?" Ana asked. Her serious tone cracked as she laughed and covered her mouth.

He huffed forcing the flame to burn out and tapped his fingers against the top of the bar. "Who are you?" She leaned forward leaning her chin on her hand.

After successfully downing enough liquor to make her courageous and inspire her creativity, Ana had expressed who she was or who she wanted to be. Not detouring far from the obvious, she had explained that she was in medicine, but wanted to be much more than just a nurse that tended to the sick and injured. Passion flared in her eyes and tone as she spoke of how she wanted to save lives, find a cure, make a difference. Her kind heart bled with generosity and love, something she didn't have to say out loud to know about her. It was not hard to believe that beyond this universe that maybe she really was as compassionate as she said she was.

Ana bowed her head and laughed finding humor in her thought that had just occurred. He waited patiently as she realized he was waiting for her to share. "I also drive a really nice car, not that clunker that I woke up in." She smiled. "Like a really nice car. I mean my profession obviously allows me to have such a luxury item after all."

Continuing on about the finer things in life that she could own with her hefty made up salary, he admired her excitement over the materialistic things. Whether she had experience such amenities before or not, he could tell she was just babbling. Ana was losing herself in the pretend past that she was creating for herself.

"But none of that stuff really matters though." Her smile faded. "Honestly," she whispered. "No matter who I was or am, I just want to be happy. I want to make others happy."

The light hearted girl that once shined before him was drifting away. She raised the glass to her lips and he knew the conversation would soon shift toward him.

"What you see is what you get." Christian shrugged finally answering her. "I'm not a complex man."

"Oh, I find that hard to believe." Ana replied.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"And you think you know me?" He halted his fingers that tapped the bar.

"No." Ana shyly responded. "I just think there's more to you than you think there is."

He really didn't want to talk about himself or make some shit up. What he wanted was to listen to her talk freely about everything and anything. At last the sound of her voice would fill the void of silence that lingered around them. But he knew she wouldn't let him off that easy, and so he humored her and made some shit up.