Gods & Monsters [mj]

IX

Jocelyn stumbled into her apartment, two bottles of vodka in hand, and went straight to her room before isolating herself with her only remedy of the moment.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Or however the saying went. Well maybe she wasn't as tough and thick skinned as she thought she was, the empty bottles decorating her room would say so too.

She dumped herself on the floor and downed the first and second bottles in quick succession.

She wasn't an easy drunk, it was more like a slow process, like a ticking time bomb before she would eventually explode and start spouting the most bullshit.

Her stomach was already beginning to get that strange sensation that usually came as a consequence of drinking excessive alcohol. The sad part was, no matter how much she drunk, she didn't feel any better. Perhaps she couldn't drown her sorrows after all.

The telephone rang, it was almost inaudible from the living room but she still heard it.

She dragged herself towards the shrilly sound and picked it up lazily.

''Hello?'' she slurred, on her l's slightly.

''Jocelyn.'' came the response. She knew that voice. It was Lance. ''How are you gorgeous?''

She made a face. Gorgeous? Since when was that a thing?

''I'm..'' annoyed. Angry. Upset. Angry. Annoyed. Upset. ''Good.''

''Just good?'' Lance tutted as if it were a bad thing. ''Do you know what would make you great? ''

She shrugged and then clocked on that he couldn't actually see her. ''What?''

''If you came round to mine. We haven't talked in a while. Maybe some dinner?''

Jocelyn frowned. How random. She barely knew the guy.''You tryna take me on a date?''

'''No. No.'' Lance laughed. There was another voice in the background before he returned to the line. ''You're an interesting person, that's all.''

Jocelyn sighed and glanced out of the window. Heavy rain. Grey clouds. England. ''Do you have alcohol?''

There was a pause down his end. ''I do, actually. Brandy good enough for you?''

''Brandy is great.'' She got her black coat on and stumbled back out. She was only going for the alcohol, after all.

The traffic was a nightmare on the damn slow bus and she swore she almost caught a cold from the biting weather but she got there within the hour.

His house looked so much more approachable without the hoards of people hanging outside of it. She rang the doorbell and waited. Lance welcomed her in with a wicked grin.

''Where's the Brandy?'' Jocelyn asked bluntly, forgetting her manners completely.

''Hello to you too.''

''Sorry.'' she apologised. ''Just in a rough patch.''

''Yeah.'' Lance said slowly. ''I'm sure the media have forgotten about..what happened.''

''It's not that.'' She sighed. It wasn't even the media. That wasn't the part she cared about. It was him. It was what he had said. How he had said it.

''Then wh-''

''I don't wanna talk about it.'' She cut him off, walking inside the corridor.

Lance sniffed. ''Have you been drinking?''

She frowned, nose wrinkling. ''Only a little.'' If a little consisted of loads and loads and loads.

''Now that's a damn lie.'' Lance gave her a look. ''Damn you're a mess.''