It all started with Freshers.....

Part Three - Night Two, The Pub

The next day we lay in the hotel room and died. I lay with the duvet over my head until two then I miraculously recovered. The room reeked of vodka and the stale sweat from our clothes from the night before. Suddenly full of energy I bounced out of bed and opened the window to let a bit of air in.  I jumped into the shower and washed my hair and showered. I got out and brushed my hair and dried it.

I went off down the street and grabbed a snack for Stephen and I.  When I came back he was lay sprawled in the bed the exact same way I'd left him. I woke him up and he groaned at me, swatting me away with his hands.

I sat and did my makeup and curled the straggly sections of my hair. Then I got changed into my clothes for heading out. I'd brought four or five different outfits and three pairs of shoes because I wasn't sure how dressy I would need to be. I'd decided on a black bodycon dress and red heels.

"You know what they say about red shoes?" Stephen asked me.

I shook my head. "No."

"Red shoes, no knickers."

"Cheeky bugger!" I said before roaring with laughter.

He chuckled and lay back on the bed. "Still don't get why you put all that muck on your face. You're beautiful without it."

"Makes me feel a bit better about myself," I admitted as I looked over myself in the narrow mirror.

Stephen shrugged. He looked a little concerned by my reply but he didn't say anything in response so he'd obviously decided this battle wasn't worth fighting.

We went down to our pub grub dinner. Lining our stomachs for another night out.

That night turned out to be messier than the night before. I went out with my head absolutely spinning. Fuck being out of the room early. I'd nearly stay another night if it meant I got to die in peace.

I did shots until playing dares became the best idea possible. The game was light hearted at the start then quickly took a more interesting turn. The dares becoming increasingly outrageous and stranger each time.

Rebecca who was almost as far along as me had just completed a dare of downing four vodka shots in quick succession. She looked at me through bleary eyes and smiled a drunken smile.

"I dare you to kiss Stephen," she said pointing at me with a long pointed red fingernail. Her wrist was floppy and her gesture wilder than the statement called for. "Your penalty is a glass from the fishbowl."

Fuck. I didn't want a glass from the dirty looking liquid before me so I shook my head. What was in it? I'd poured some of my west coast cooler in, Stephen had poured in some of his pint. Rebecca had dumped in her vodka cranberry. Dylan had tossed in some of his whiskey. Laura some of her Coke. Adrian had poured in some of his Carlsberg. Kieran had tipped in a splash of his captain Morgan's. It was a dirty enough bowl I had to admit. How bad could it be? I glanced towards Stephen.

"You okay with this?" I asked him, my voice pitched a little higher from the alcohol and louder than it needed to be given we were still sat in a student pub.

Stephen nodded. "Sure. It's only a kiss."

He moved towards me and I moved in towards him. For a second I felt awkward. What to do? The build up was intense and I could feel everyone's eyes on us.

"Is it just a peck?" Laura asked Rebecca.

"Naw tongues." Rebecca was pushing it with this. She wanted us to kiss properly. She'd always thought we had secretly fancied each other a little.

I took a deep breath. We touched foreheads and I knew we could delay no longer. I wound my arms around his neck and I felt his hands rest on my waist. I gulped. I didn't want to be the one to close the distance. Stephen was a little more sober than I was but not much. About a shot or two away from my level of drunkenness.