"Watch your step." Phryne groaned as Mac's firm grasp on her shoulders guided her unsteadily towards the front door of her St Kilda mansion. "Do you have your keys?" Phryne fumbled inside her clutch in search of the elusive keys, but the purse slipped from her fingers before she could find them. Carefully clinging on to Mac's jacket so she wouldn't topple over, she bent to retrieve it. Mac sighed and rapped on the door, hoping that Mr Butler was still awake.
"I honestly don't know why I let you talk me into this," Mac said.
"Because it's fun!" Phryne said. "Admit it, Mac. A night on the town has down wonders for that surly attitude of yours."
"I'd like to see you act this cheerful in the morning," Mac remarked dryly.
"I'm fairly certain it's already morning." Phryne triumphantly held up the shiny keys just as the door creaked open.
"Good evening, Miss. Doctor. I trust you had a pleasant night out?"
"Wonderful, Mr B!" Phryne embraced the man briefly as she tottered towards the stairs.
"You watch that one in the morning," Mac warned him. "She'll need a good strong coffee for sure."
"Yes, Doctor."
"And may I ask how it is you're not the slightest bit tipsy, Mac?" Phryne turned around on the second step with one hand on her hip and the other on the bannister to halt her swaying.
"Because some of us stick to our limits," Mac said pointedly.
"Fair enough." She spun around on the stair and felt the ground tipping beneath her as she floundered for something to hold on to. She felt strong arms wrap around her from behind and Mac's voice in her ear.
"Easy. Let's get you up to bed before you hurt yourself."
They stumbled up the stairs, Mac holding Phryne upright and Phryne protesting half-heartedly that she 'really wasn't quite drunk enough to require an escort, thank you very much'. Mac ignored her friend's objections and half-dragged her into the spacious bedroom. Phryne flopped backwards on the bed, closed her eyes and kicked off her high-heeled shoes.
Mac stood and watched her for a long moment, observing the graceful arch of her pale neck, the way her fair skin stood out in contrast of the daring red dress she wore, the swell of her…
She shook her head to clear away the thought. She had written off that possibility years ago. Phryne was a good friend, but god help her, she just wasn't into women in that way.
Mac cleared her throat to get her friend's attention. "You're not going to take a fall down the stairs now if I take my leave, are you?"
"What, your gallantry has its limits?"
"No, but I have a long shift at the hospital tomorrow and I'd like to get a little sleep before then."
"Don't let me keep you," Phryne's tired voice murmured. She lay sideways across the bed still, unmoving with her eyes closed.
Trying not to take her eyes off Phryne, Mac turned towards the door and immediately tripped over Phryne's shoe. With her balance impaired as it was, she landed heavily on the floor, causing Phryne to sit up to see what had happened.
"Mac, dear, I don't think you should be walking home by yourself in that state," she said. "What if you gave yourself concussion falling over like that again?"
"I'm a doctor, I can fix myself up," Mac asserted.
"I really think you should stay," Phryne insisted. "Mr Butler can set you up in a spare room. Unless, of course," she added sultrily, "you would prefer being in bed with a woman?"
Mac stared at her friend. Was Phryne really flirting with her? No, it was just the drink. They'd both had a little too much. "I think I'll be alright in the spare bedroom," she said.
Phryne stood up, with some slight effort, and sauntered over to her. "Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked in husky tones, wrapping her arms around Mac's neck.
"Phryne, you're drunk."
"Only slightly tipsy," Phryne protested.
"You're drunk, and you'd regret anything like that in the morning."
"Anything like what?" Phryne looked up with wide eyes and batted her eyelashes innocently. "Like this?"
Her red-stained lips came up to meet Mac's and her tongue darted playfully into her suddenly-dry mouth. The warm, slender body pressing against her was almost too much for Mac to bear. She pulled Phryne closer and kissed her deeply until she had to pull away for breath.
"Someday, Phryne Fisher, you might say that to me again when you're sober and know what you're doing," she unwrapped herself from Phryne's arms and straightened her waistcoat, "and if that happens, then I'll take you up on that." She left one lingering kiss on the other woman's cheek, before whispering beside her, "But not tonight." Then she left the bedroom and shut the door behind her.
She paused for a minute on the landing to catch her breath, not wanting Mr Butler to be able to take one look at her and know what had transpired. She had kissed many women before, but never had she felt so shy about it, nor so nervous. She had been more calm and controlled whilst performing dangerous surgery than she was right now.
But maybe, just maybe, there was a glimmer of hope after all. Perhaps she had been a little premature in discarding the possibility of anything deeper with Phryne after all. Time would tell, she supposed.
In the meantime, she needed somewhere to rest her aching, hungover head.