Derek rested his finger against his chin, looking with obvious interest at the skinny girl sitting at the bar with her back to him. Over the din he heard the skeptical voice of Joe the bartender. He listened closely,

'Straight tequila – really? You –' he added as he straightened up, a shot glass in his hand, '– are going to be sorry in the morning.' He couldn't see, but he sensed the girl smiling, and a hint of humour entered her warm tone.

'I'm always sorry in the morning,' she took to glass up in her hand, 'but tomorrow I start my first day at work, so keep them coming.' She ducked her head, her wavy brown hair falling over her shoulder. Then, she lifted her glass to toast Joe, who nodded back, and then put the drink to her lips.

'Double scotch, single malt, please?' She knocked the liquid back as he placed his order, and then glanced over sideways at him as he put his hand on the bar next to her elbow. Joe poured his drink and then Derek got up the courage to lightly ask,

'Is this a good place to hang out?' The girl looked sideways again to make sure that he was talking to her, and then cleared her throat. He smiled slightly at her.

'I wouldn't know,' she started, rolling her eyes slightly, 'Never been here before,' she added, shrugging the shoulder nearest to him. He noticed it was bare.

'Oh, you know what? I haven't either. First time here. I'm new in town. Never been to Seattle,' he added, as he took the bar stool next to her, 'But I have a job, so…' The girl let the hand holding the glass hover above the bar, and breathed a half-impatient sky, eyes focused in front.

'You're ignoring me.' Joe turned around, half a mocking smile on his lips.

'Um…trying to.' Derek smiled again.

'You shouldn't ignore me.'

'Because,' he squared his shoulders towards her, 'I'm someone you need to get to know to love.'

'Really?'

'Oh yes.' He nodded, and for the first time that night, the girl looked over at him properly and smiled.

'So if I know you I'll love you?'

'Oh yes.' Derek tilted his head to the side, forcibly stopping his eyes from wandering down the front of her singlet.

'You really like yourself, huh?' But there was a note of humour in her voice, and he shook his head.

'Just hiding my pain.' She laughed, a sweet, high sound, and after a beat, he joined her, shoulders shaking.

'So what's your story?' Derek asked, in a lower, mysterious tone. The girl looked at him again, flicking her hair over one shoulder.

'I don't have a story. I'm just a girl in a bar.' Derek picked up his drink and put it to his lips.

'I'm just a guy in a bar,' he told her, gesturing with the scotch, and then drinking more of it, keeping his eyes on her all the while. As he did so, the girl lifted her eyes, looking straight into his, and both of them held the gaze.

'So, who've you met in town?' she asked him, flirtatiousness in her voice.

'Nobody. You're my first.' The quip was laced with innuendo and the girl didn't fail to pick it up.

'Another,' she signalled at Joe, who obliged with two shot-glassed in front of her on the bar.

'I'll get them,' Derek offered. The girl just smiled at him and lifted one to her eye level. She gestured with her free hand for him to do that same.

'No.'

'C'mon, don't spoil the fun.'

'Do it.'

'I don't do tequila.'

'For me?' Derek couldn't resist. He picked up the shot.

'One … two … three!' Both of them knocked back the tequila in one go, and then slammed the glasses down onto the bar simultaneously. Then they looked at each other.

'So, what's your … name,' the girl managed, as clearly as she could now that combined effects of all her tequila shots were getting to her.

'Derek. What's yours?' She chose to ignore the question.

'I may not remember that in the morning.'

'In the morning? What makes you think I'm going to see you in the morning?'

The girl just laughed, hiccupped, and then laughed again, knocking back yet another shot that Joe had just put in front of her.

'What are you doing here?' she asked him.

'New job. Thought I'd come down, meet some people, and have fun on my last night where I'm not tied down.'

'Fun?' she raised an eyebrow at him, leaning closer as she laughed softly, 'What's your idea of fun?'

'Well,' Derek said, appearing to consider it, and leaning closer as if to whisper in her ear … And then his lips were touching her neck just below her ear. Joe looked over his shoulder at the two of them, shaking his head and unsuccessfully hiding a smile. But neither of them noticed.

Derek's lips kissed her neck and ran up her jaw, and then he kissed the corner of her mouth, before she dipped her head and found his lips. Derek opened his mouth, and she slipped her tongue inside, putting her hands out for balance as she nearly fell off her chair, and hitting the inside of Derek's thighs with her fingers. There was a sharp intake of breath, and then they were kissing again, lips and hands in hair, and then the girl pulled away, drunkenly, and took his hand and pulled him outside, towed him the lane where her car was parked.

'Maybe I should drive?' Derek suggested, putting his hand over hers and pulling it away from the door to the driver's side.

'Ok,' she giggled, and was still laughing to herself when Derek pulled away from the lane. Deciphering the girl's drunken directions, he eventually pulled up in front of a large house.She pushed her own door open, and then found her keys. After three unsuccessful attempts to open her own front door, Derek gently prised the keys out of her fingers and unlocked the door for her. The minute they were inside, she grabbed him by his tshirt and pulled him further into the lounge room. He kicked the door shut behind them, and then put her hands on his chest and pushed him backwards onto her couch.

Derek moaned as she climbed on top of him, knees of either side of his hips, hands grabbing at his buttons. She put her lips to his ear and her hands to his jeans. Clothes went everywhere, he rolled over her, hands grabbed, the girl moaned underneath him, hair was mussed and cushions flew from the coach.

'Oh – Derek!' the girl groaned, over and over.

--

Derek awoke to a whispered oath and a sudden wind as a blanket was dragged off him. Then he was hit by a cushion.

And you know the rest…