[Book 1] M. L. M. I. (My lover, My Idol)

CH22 - Welcome Home

The night did not end that soon for Ellie and the group.

After having a sumptuous meal, they decided to order two bottles of Vodka to drink instead of just having beers. They thought that since majority of them are women, and they are all eight persons in total, two whole bottles would be enough, but they thought wrong. 

With just the first one opened, Ruth, Maika and Kenneth are already starting to show signs of being tipsy with their second shots. Lea loves her liquor and wine, and with the reports she received from before, she knew that El and Prince are quite drinkers as well. As for Joy and Patrick, she just hope that they could also hold their own when it comes to alcohol. 

But in a little while, Lea regretted ordering two bottles since most of them are already at their limit with just the first one. Patrick and Kenneth became more hyper and talkative under the influence of the alcohol, whilst for Ruth and Maika, it was obvious that they are starting to feel drowsy. And so with that, Joy suggested to let the others go home early to make sure they can rest and come home safely, which the Broadway star agreed to.

El volunteered to send off the four and wait for the cabs to pick them up. As for Lea, Joy and Prince, they decided to stay and continue their conversation while opening up the second bottle for that night. 

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The four persons left at the restaurant were successful in finishing up another bottle of vodka, but with the expense of Prince.

Whilst Joy is already tipsy, Lea with her obvious reddened face, Prince is totally dead drunk. Literally. As for El, she's still sober even if she was the one who drank almost half of the bottle's contents.

It was almost ten o'clock in the evening.

"I think, this is the part where we can call it a day coach *hicc*." Joy suggested.

"Yeah. I totally agree. Oh boy, my head is already starting to spin. Let's bill out first."

"Uhm. It's already taken care of coach." Ellie interjected as her coach is about to get up from sitting.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lea asked with a questionable look.

"I've had it taken care of earlier when I sent off the others."

"Tsk. Tsk. Why'd you do that. It should've been on me."

El can't help but smile as her coach rolls her eyes over. She finds it cute when Lea shows this side of her.

"Well, I was the one who suggested this place so.. Let this be on me."

Joy finds herself smiling as she sees how good the chemistry between this coach and artist in front of her.

"Hay. As if we could do anything about what's done." Lea said.

As they prepare to leave the place, Joy tries to wake up the man beside her but to no avail. No matter how hard she shakes him up, Prince does not budge. He is totally dead drunk.

"So what are we going to do now? Do you have any contact with Prince's family?"

"None coach. But I have each artist's address in my phone. I think he lives in Bulacan but I'm not really familiar with the place."

They feel helpless. Why on earth did the only man with them, is the one who's out of commission that moment.

For El, she feels responsible for her colleague since she's the one who recommended the place they went to. She just thought of a solution that her coach find insane.

"Then if that's the case, let's just have Prince sleepover on my place. We don't want Joy go over to a place she's not familiar with. And it's best to make sure Prince will be able to rest safely as well, since he's totally out."

The two women with her just gave her shocked faces as a response. She knew that her solution seems inappropriate since Prince is a man but there were no safer choice.

"I have a spare room, so that won't be a problem.."

The look on Joy's face gives off a relieved expression as she agrees to what Ellie said. She herself doesn't want to travel up to Bulacan and she does not really feel safe commuting with a drunken man. But Coach Lea still looks unsatisfied and against with the young woman's idea. As a TVP staff member, it's also part of Joy's responsibility to make sure everyone gets home safely during their meetups or rehearsals. At the time, she knows that El's suggestion was the best idea to make sure Prince will be safe for the night and yet, she also needs to appease the Broadway star's mind. 

"How about this coach, just for Prince and El to be both safe, I'll go and stay with them together on her place?"

El smiled. In her mind, she'll feel more relaxed if someone else will be with them. After all, she lives alone and she rarely invites someone on her personal space. 

Lea seems to accept Joy's proposal, with this she could ensure not just Prince's welfare but Ellie's as well. But having somebody else invade El's personal privacy somehow makes her a bit jealous. It was El's place they're talking about. Everyone knows that she lives alone on her pad so it also makes her curious on how her home looks like. She doesn't want someone else beat her up to it. 

"But it's still going to be 2 women and A man." Lea deeply emphasized Prince being a man. She reasoned that maybe for now, the sleeping guy might be entirely out of commission but who'll know what he might do while he's on a drunken stupor. So she proposed something that made the two women with her shocked even more.

"I'll join in on this sleepover. In this way everyone will be out of harm's way. Can we three fit on your place El? Or, might as well we just book a room in a hotel?" 

El was a so surprised with Lea's proposal. She couldn't believe her coach is willing to stay in someone else's humble place. Everyone knows how rich and elite she is so she didn't think that she would want to spend a night in one of her artists' home. Booking a hotel room would actually be a good choice but if this gets wind of by the paparazzi, they might spread bad rumors about the Broadway star and Ellie wouldn't let that happen. 

"Yeah. It's just a simple place but we could all fit in comfortably."

"All right. That's all settled. I'll just start the car. You guys go help out that man so we can go to El's place." 

And with that, El's promising night is just about to begin.