Double Booked

Part 2

I take a little sip of my 'Monkey Shoulder' and watch as Jill attempts to swallow about half of the mini bottle in one go. It doesn't go well.

About half of her mouthful gets spewed on the carpet as she begins choking and violently coughing. I take the bottle from her hand as she uses the other to grasp her throat.

Placing both bottles of booze on the side table, I retrieve a towel from the bathroom and offer it to her.

She attempts to nod in appreciation as she presses her coughing and gagging face into it.

A few minutes later, she finally calms and lies back on the bed. I take another little sip of my whiskey.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say you're not much of a drinker," I say with a grin.

She makes a hoarse gurgling sound and curls up in a little ball.

"I can't even drink right!" she says in a raspy voice.

I smile to myself. I've been at places like this in my life too. Relationships end and reckless abandon begins. Poor girl.

"Little sips, Jill, little sips," I say and gently tip the edge of the bottle to my lips again.

"I'm more of a Mojito girl, actually," she says as she slides her legs over the opposite side of the bed and sits facing away from me.

I watch as she wraps her arms around herself.

I stand and walk to the washroom again. This time, I return with a robe which I gently hang around her shoulders.

"Thank you" she whispers without looking up at me.

I decide to give her a little time to herself and step out onto the balcony with my half empty tiny Whiskey. The weather is still above freezing, but it's cooled off quite a bit since my ride from the airport. The streets are full of happy, excited people busily preparing themselves for the night's activities.

Five minutes is all I can manage before I have to retreat back to the warmth of my shared hotel room. Jill lies on the bed facing me, the robe wrapped tightly around her.

"Is it cold?" she asks.

"A little bit."

I return to my chair, and silence invites itself into the room. Jill's jeans show off the lovely taper of her legs. She really is a lovely woman.

"So..." she says softly. "Where are you from, Jack?"

We spend the next twenty minutes or so with the usual small talk that people that are forced to spend time together are apt to engage in. Jill, as it turns out, is from New Hampshire, works as a project manager for a small media company, likes cats, likes to jog, drinks occasionally, has one younger brother that's currently serving in the military overseas, and loves movies like Beaches and Pride & Prejudice.

Not very similar to my New York upbringing, with my no siblings, pets, or jogging background. We do both like to window shop, however. I purposely don't ask about the ex. - whatever it was that went down earlier today, it was enough to drive her to try strong drink.

"What time is it?" she asks and sits up a little.

I check my phone and raise my eyebrows.

"It's getting close to ten."

"If I was a smart woman..." Jill says as she slides off the bed, "I would try and get some sleep since our wakeup call is at five."

She stands and looks at my empty whiskey bottle, then back at me as I sit in my chair.