Change My Mind

15 - Drunk call revelations

I was dancing to "Believe" by Cher, my hands waving over my head, while I sang along and had a blast. Stig and Josh were on the dance floor with me and we were surrounded by a huge crowd of people. I was laughing and really enjoying myself. It was easy, carefree and uncomplicated. No one was hitting on me, and I didn't have to think about what I did all the time. It was close to 1AM and I had had too much to drink. I wasn't off my face, falling over and embarrassing myself. I was just in a wonderful mood, feeling loosened up and free. 

"Water?" Stig shouted and both Josh and I nodded, while we fanned ourselves with our hands. It was hot in the crowd on the dance floor. Stig walked over to the bar and got three bottles of water, which he carried back to us in one hand. He was a huge guy, and I found myself thinking that he actually did look like a viking. A big, strong viking. 

I went to the gender neutral toilets and sat in a booth and peed for a while. After I had finished and washed my hands, I remembered my conversation with Harry, and fished my phone out of my bag and checked it. There was one unread message. 

'If you knew how I felt, you would let me fly over there.' 

I struggled to focus on the phone, which made answering his text very difficult. He was texting with a drunk version of me, and I figured he needed to know, because then he would probably dial down the flirting. I sat down on the toilet lid and crossed my legs. Then I pressed the phone icon and put the phone up to my ear and waited for a reply. It took a few signals before he picked up. 

"El?" He said surprised. "Are you calling me?" He sounded like he was walking away from somewhere with a lot of noise.

"I'm drunk," I said and giggled. "I just need you to know that I'm very drunk, so everything I say tonight is drunk talk, and it doesn't count." 

He chuckled on the other end. "Some people say that you only hear the truth from drunk people."

"Mmh, drunk people say that," I said and sighed. "You can't count on anything that comes out of our mouths. We're very unreliable." 

"Of all the things you could call yourself, I don't believe for a second that you're unreliable," he said and I could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Normally I'm not, no. But you make me unreliable." 

He was quiet for a moment, but then he sighed. "How do I make you unreliable?" 

"Because you tempt me, I become unreliable to Liv. She counts on me and expects me to be there for her through thick and thin. I'm not supposed to want to kiss her...whatever you are to her." I leaned forward and rested my elbow on my knee. 

"So you do want to kiss me?" The cheekiness was traceable. 

My stomach tickled as I remembered how kissing him had felt. "I do. A lot more than I should want to." 

"I would be on a private jet to New York within an hour if you asked me to," he said and caught me off guard. 

I took a deep breath and thought of how to tell him that I wanted exactly that, but that he under absolutely no circumstances was allowed to do it.

"Elowen?" he asked when I didn't respond.

"I really wish I hadn't..." I started, but was interrupted by a voice in the background on Harry's end.

"Who are you talking to?" Liv's voice made me gasp, ready to hang up, but before I knew what was going on, she was on the phone.

"El? Are you okay?" Liv sounded amused somehow. "Why are you calling Harry?"

"Umm... I'm out with Josh and Stig. I got a little drunk. Must have pressed the wrong name..." I lied, and winced at myself. I had always been a terrible liar and I was sure Liv knew I was lying.