That's How it Happens

13. Purple Haze

She leaned against the elevator with that hazy tiredness that always follows liquor when you drank far too much than you intended. The bartender had made a fantastic – well, now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember its name – but it was wonderful and dangerous. It didn't hit her until she stood up, which didn't happen until it was time to call a taxi. The drinks had seemed like a good idea following Peter's departure, especially after the bomb he had dropped. However, it had been a terrible one - one that she would pay for tomorrow.

It had done precisely what it intended: left her in a state of aftershock, the bomb, that is – maybe spending an evening with Peter, too. Not only was this the deal of a lifetime - what was she thinking? - it was the biggest deal of her lifetime. But - there was always a but in her viscous mind - there was Leo. How would she explain to him that she was considering leaving the company? Peter had to have the wrong information anyway; Leo would never keep something like that from her, even if it meant losing her to the enemy. Even with all of his quirks and overprotectiveness, he'd always given her freedom when it came to her ambitions with the job, unless it came to April. That always came down to compromises, but taking away opportunities to better herself? Never.

After the second drink, not only did she reprimand herself for sitting there discussing the situation with herself like some loon, but her decision was firm: not only would she turn Peter down, graciously, Leo couldn't do that to her; he wouldn't. Besides, she loved her job - loved the company. Leo had taken a chance on her, and although she had, she still felt she could never repay him enough. Why would she ever hesitate?

Worth every minute of a hangover, she thought, yawning. Smacking her lips, she frowned before quickly rummaging through her bag, looking for a stick of gum, wondering if the bad taste left in her mouth was from the booze or the fact she knew she was going to break their silent treatment first. She knew she couldn't speak to Leo about Gold but had to talk to him. It was just second nature to her now. He was always her reason when her mind was messy, even if that thought hurt her pride a little. Her fingers brushed across a familiar shape, and she grabbed it, rolling her eyes as she pulled up the empty gum box with a keycard to the top-floor condo inside.

"Leo," she muttered softly to the empty box.

She thought about it - going up there, that is - for the tiniest of seconds. Maybe he would let her crash on his couch so she wouldn't have to bunk with Aunt Kate. She couldn't be the only one who wasn't fond of sharing a bed with her racy aunt, right? She could always sneak up there, but the idea of walking in on something she didn't want to see made her shudder, and that only led to her body flushing ten degrees. She told herself she needed to talk to him as she fanned her face.

He was only trying to help, her drunk mind coaxed.

She knew that. It's just what he did. He had a knack for it, so much so that he offered to spend Christmas with her instead of his own family, which only made her feel guilty. Why hadn't she thought of that before now?

This argument is your fault. You're acting like a spoiled brat.

She knew that, too, and it was one of the reasons why she hadn't attempted to fix it. For once, she acted like Liv when she didn't get her way, and the taste of that was so much worse. She sighed.

He just didn't understand the Drake family dynamic. Since her father passed, there was no one to hold them together anymore and force them to be a family. They were nothing like his loving family. She and her mother just existed no different than her mother and Aunt Kate did. Sure, they loved one another, but given the option, she was positive that her mother would have nothing to do with her sister. Aunt Kate just didn't care what she thought. Ainsley sighed a little guiltily. Aunt Kate was trying to be the glue.