The English Enchantment (Ralph Fiennes)

Chapter 5: "The Speech (Part 2)"

Chapter 5: "The Speech (Part 2)"

"So, what's in the fancy envelope, Ginny?" Danny continued to pester me after I'd already stomped out my cigarette.

He was a sweet boy. Truly, he was. But even the belated indulgence of tobacco hadn't managed to quite calm me down. Honestly, I was never a really 'snappy' person- others had constantly complimented me for being too polite. 'Innocent and timid, really.' they'd all say. But Danny... my goodness gracious, Danny... Kind-hearted and pure as he was, I began to lose all hold of my patience whenever he was around.

"I don't mean to be rude, Danny, but it's really none of your business."

"Oh." His eyes drooped deeply with sadness. "You're right. I'm sorry for asking."

Here it comes again... the guilt.

It's always the same cycle with him: Annoyance, Impatience, Guilt. Annoyance, Impatience, Guilt.

And so the process continues...

"No," I exhaled forcefully. "Don't be sorry, it's just that- well, what's in it isn't really all that important. It's a ton of boring personal stuff, take my word for it."

His expression changed and the despair in his glance slowly gleamed away. "I rather enjoy 'boring personal stuff'. But of course, I don't want to pester you about it."

Too late.

"It's just a silly ol' manuscript I wrote up. I'm supposed to hand it over to a publisher soon for more editing. It's nothing, really."

"Nothing?!" Danny's voice startled me as it echoed through the lot. "What do you mean 'nothing', that's extraordinary! What kind of book is it?! When is it coming out?! I'm going to be the first in line to buy it- opening day. That, I can promise you."

His enthusiasm made me blush. "The details are still pending... but, we'll see. Now that you bring it up, I should probably put this away in Ariel's car for safe keeping. I wouldn't want it to end up in the wrong hands tonight."

"Of course not. But, you know Ginny... Being that I'm going to be out here standing around for remainder of the night, I'd actually love to read a bit of it now. That is, if you don't mind."

"Well... I mean... It's not really finished yet. I, uh... I-I don't know. You might not even like it."

"Oh, I can't imagine that. Trust me, anything beats staring at the asphalt and twiddling my thumbs for the next 3 hours. Please, Ginny? I promise I'll keep it safe... It'll never leave my sight. And I can give it back to you before the end of evening."

Well... I suppose it would be alright.

"Sure." I smiled crookedly and handed the envelope over. "I trust you."

"Thank you, Ginny. I promise I won't let you down."

I'd went back inside shortly after that, and began to search high-and-low for the nearest, quietest bar; somewhere that I could avoid Paul, Ariel, and all other priorities for as long as humanly possible. When in doubt, revert to more alcohol, I suppose... At least that method seemed to work well for Ariel.

Alas!

"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" The bartender asked courteously as I carefully positioned myself onto the barstool.

Before my mind could fully process my internal thoughts, my unsubtle words spilled through my lips in a thoughtless rush. "Yes, I'll be needing multiple vodka sodas and 3 aspirin."

The bartender raised his brow and got right to work without question... all the while, an unfamiliar line of chuckled laughter crept from behind me.

"You know, most would advise against mixing drugs and alcohol... At least not in one sitting."

"Aw, who the fuck cares anyway," I laughed aloud, glaring downward at my black business woman heels. "The sooner I go, the better. Even hell is better than this shithole."

The sultry voice grew more apparent as a figure suddenly sat beside me. "Nice to see that this country still holds its genuinely optimistic charm."

Ah, we've got ourselves a real joker.

"Here you go." The bartender coughed abruptly as I heard the clink of my drinks and a bottle of aspirin hit the edge of the bar.

Still groggy, I lifted my aching head and reached out for the childproofed pill bottle. But before my hands could take hold, the stranger from beside me stole it away.

"Are you fucking serious, mister?" I glared up angrily, finishing my sentence, before entering into an utterly profane shock.

"I'm afraid so." He extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Ralph. It's a pleasure to meet you."