It All Started When...

Drunken Bliss

"Liam?" I knocked before I pushed the door open.

That's the last thing I would want to do. Catch Liam just as he's coming out of the shower. Well actually, a voice in my head says, that's the third or four-"

Shut up!

I closed my eyes and pushed the door open. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the shower running. Liam's clothes were piled on the floor by the bathroom door, so I grabbed them and headed back out into the hallway.

I'd just rounded the first corner when I almost ran into somebody.

"Sorry!" I stumbled back. It was the beautiful receptionist from earlier.

She looked at me. I blushed and tried unsuccessfully to tug the towel lower. I watched her eyes as they slid over my frame. It was almost like she was assessing me. It was uncomfortable. She glared at the clothes in my hand.

I laughed nervously. "Just doing some laundry."

"I can see that." She looked back up at my face. "Honestly, why....?"

"I'm sorry, w-what?" I smiled at her. I felt like I should be bowing or something.

"Why you?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

I felt my polite mask collapse. "Why me what?"

"Girl," she put a hand on her hips and gestured to my body. "he shouldn't want to sleep with you."

"O-oh." My mind went blank. A blush worked its way down my throat and to my ears.

"You've got no curves. You could hold a chess tournament with just your body." Her lip curled up in disgust. "Your acne would make a dermatologist scream. Your teeth would make a homeless man puke."

"O-oh." I repeated stupidly. No funny jokes came to save me this time. I felt something burning behind my eyes.

"Goodnight." I said, then rushed past. Hot tears streamed down my face as I ducked into the laundry room, slamming the door and locking it. I threw Liam's clothes into the washer. They mixed with the already murky water.

   I heaved a shaky sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I looked up at the ceiling. I begged the tears to stop. They didn't. They only hurried faster as I thought more and more about what that girl said.

   Its true. I thought acidly, you've got nothing. You're flatter than a pancake.

    My eyes burned as I tried to scrub them dry, to no avail of course. I didn't cry often, but when I did, it was a sight you did not want to see.

   Someone knocked on the door. I jumped, then hurried to unlock it.

   "S-sorry." I mumbled to the grumpy tenant. He was a middle aged man that looked depressed.

   "Just move." He sighed. "Honestly? crying in the washroom?"

   I hurried past him, trying to hide my face. My ears burned in shame as I tried to tug the towel lower. My mind continuously beat me up with replays and snide comments.

   "Liam?" I stepped into our room, quickly shutting the door behind me. I couldn't hear the shower running.

   "Why are you crying?" He was lying on one of the beds.

   I immediately froze. Shocked.

   He had his hands behind his head, lying back with a bare chest. I could see the lean planes of his body clearly. A towel was wrapped hazardously around his waist.