Destined by Chance

Chapter 14

Neil didn't know what to make of the girl who sat in the hot tub when it was snowing with an entire bottle of champagne and a flute glass in her hand. Top to it she was wearing a nightshirt. Who wore a nightshirt and sat in a hot tub? People usually wore swimsuits. She was in a different mood since the second she had opened the door of her room and walked out. She had been wearing the same nightshirt, a pale pink cotton half sleeves shirt that fell all the way to her knees. He hadn't even gotten a chance to say 'hi'. She had walked out with the bottle and the flute glass. Then walked all the way to the well-stocked bar, eyed the wine bottle he had opened but instead of picking it up she had picked up the bottle of vodka and then walked past him to the balcony. Switched on the jets and downed a glass of champagne in one clean sweep before going ahead and sitting in the tub. Her hair piled in a high bun at the top of her head. She looked angry. Grim. Even upset. And Neil couldn't come up with one reason why that was. He hadn't said anything. So what was wrong? Should he ask? He wasn't sure. It wouldn't be right. If she wanted to tell him she would. But they were friends. Sort of. After what they had shared so far, friendship was the safest term he could give their association. The way she was going with the liquors he was sure she was going to get drunk. One never mixed their drinks. And drinking when upset wasn't the right way to overcome the upset anyway.

He just stood in a lounging position by the door and watched her. He had refilled his glass of wine. What was he looking at? Except for watching her get drunk. Well, the fool could very well drown in that inebriated state. He was curious. He had deduced she was a really nice person, despite her often unconfident and nervous self, she was pretty smart. The speed at which she had picked up the art of skiing said a lot about her. And she had the spirit too. He had seen it. Admired it. But he had never thought of her in a state like this. The problem was he didn't like it. Women and drinks were strictly their business and he had never based an opinion over it. For the simple reason that each had a brain to think about the pros and cons and the fact about free choice. But for some weird reason he didn't like Simi going overboard with it. Why? He didn't know and it was irritating him.

She was a simple person. Her thoughts, her clothes, her manner of speaking everything highlighted that about her so why would a girl like her want to get drunk. There was no kick in getting high and then bearing a hangover the next day. Somehow he felt she wasn't this sort of person. Something was driving her to behave like this and she would be bloody ashamed of herself come morning. Damn. What could he do? He had told her he would keep to himself. And he held no right to interfere. But he couldn't...no, make that wouldn't, suffer a drunk girl on his hands. Friend or stranger. Period. He straightened and went to the washroom to get a robe for her. Hell, she had downed at least three shots of vodka already. He walked out on the balcony. It was freezing. She must not be feeling it. One because of the hot tub and two because of the liquor coursing through her blood.

"Okay, I guess that's enough already," he said a bit tightly, "get out of there," he ordered.

Neil narrowed his gaze when she just stared at him refusing to comply. He saw defiance. The emotion made her eyes glitter. That was a first. It hadn't occurred to him that a girl with her temperament could have a trait such as that in her DNA. Apparently she did. Or was it the alcohol. It didn't matter despite it being fascinating.

"Come on Simi," he said again.

"You are not my keeper," she said cheekily as she finished the contents of her glass. And Neil almost took the bottle away from her.

"I know, now come on, get out of there," he told her tersely.

"Aren't you taking the fake husband thing a bit seriously," Simi said as she looked at him, squinting her eyes as if trying to place him, "I am not done yet and I am not coming out either," she told him categorically.