The door to the old farm house swung open with a piercing squeak. A shadow stretched out onto the rickety wooden floor covered by a well-worn black throw rug. Marlin stepped over the threshold and walked into the living room of the house. It was half past ten, he was finally feeling light headed from the drinks he had at the Blue bar a few hours ago. He was holding a sleeping Jill in his arms. She had also been drinking with him, but unlike Marlin, she didn't hold her drinks down very well. Marlin tossed the house keys he snatched from Jill's pocket onto the coffee table. He let out a small groan as he readjusted his arms to get a better grip on Jill. Once he walked his way through the kitchen he used his weight to push open the door to her bedroom and lowered her small frame onto the bed. He pulled the blankets over her and stood up straight. He felt a bit of contentment looking down at her peaceful face. He smiled to himself as he made his way towards the door. Suddenly, Jill stirred as she sat up and stared over at Marlin with a confused squint.
"Marlin?" She whispered.
His hand was already on the doorknob when he heard her voice. He slowly turned his head and looked back at her. "I walked you home from the bar. I'm heading home now," He whispered back.
It took a moment for her weary mind to register his words. Her eyes became saddened. "Are you going home to Celia?"
Marlin was taken aback by the question but not completely surprised since she was drunk. "Uh, no Jill, I'm going home to sleep. It's late and we both have work in the morning," He said coolly as he turned his back towards her.
"Stay with me?" Her tone was so sweet it was almost pathetic.
Marlin shook his head. "Jill, you're drunk. I'm pretty buzzed too. We should talk about this when we're sober in the morning alright?"
"Why? Do you think we'll end up having sex and you'll break Celia's heart?" She spat out with such disgust in her voice.
Marlin already had one foot out the bedroom door when he heard her sweet tone turn completely sour. Her words went right through him, she always knew how to hit a nerve with him. With a jerk reaction, he turned back to face the bed. "Celia has nothing to do with any of this! Stop bringing her up!"
"Then lay down with me!" She squealed and glared at him from across the room.
Her eyes were so intense, even when she was drunk Marlin found her appealing. It was her strong will he admired most about the girl. She kept him level-headed. Even when he didn't think it necessary at a word, he closed the door behind him and headed back towards the bed as he bit his tongue. He plopped down on the edge of the bed as he started untying his shoes.
"I don't think I'll be staying the night. But I will lay down with you for awhile," He grumbled loud enough for her to hear. Marlin wasn't opposed to intimate contact with Jill. Actually, it was quite the opposite. All the times when he did get a chance to hold her in his arms like a man and woman he enjoyed it. But the thought of going too far when both were under the influence wasn't his idea of romance. If he was going to show Jill affection he wanted to do it with a stable mind.
Jill leaned close to him from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and gave his neck a few kisses. "Maybe if I allow you to~" She cooed to him.
Marlin lifted a hand up and rubbed at her arm, he leaned forward and set his shoes by the nightstand before he laid down. Jill slipped away for him so he was able to get comfortable under the covers with her. She wiggled close to his side and rested her head on his chest. That feeling of contentment was swelling back into Marlin's chest. His eyes started to droop as they laid silent next to each other. He snuck an arm around her small waist.
"I wasn't heading home for Celia. You have to stop bringing her up," He said sternly.
Jill opened her eyes, staring up at him calmly. "Then why do you give me such a hard time when I just want to feel close to you?" She frowned as she started to rub at his chest.
"It's because when I'm with you I want to treat you with respect. Right now we're both drunk. Do you think we'd be wise decision makers Jill?" He squeezed onto her side.
Jill rolled her eyes, pushing away from him and turned on her side to face the wall. "Stop talking to me like a child," She curled up a bit.
Marlin gazed over her slender shoulders and her hair that was now loose from the ponytail she always wore. He reached over pulled the scrunchie off to free her hair, having it fall down to her back completely. "I'm not talking to you like a child. I'm telling you how it is," He placed it on top of the nightstand.
She touched the ends of her hair, looking over her shoulder. "Do you still yearn for Celia?"
Marlin gave a defeated look, rubbing at his face. "How many times are you going to make me repeat this to you, Jill?" He huffed.
"I wanna know Marlin!" She turned back to face, pushing at his chest playfully.
He quickly took a hold of her arm and pulled her into a hug. "I only desire you. You're really getting me mad. I'm tired of explaining that to you. Celia is a very sweet woman. And I'll admit, she is very pretty. Then there's you. Who also caught my eye. Not only with looks-but your mind. I love your lust for life. I want to improve myself. So we can make a better team," He could feel his head pulsing. Jill had caught him in another trap. She knew how to manipulate him into pouring out his true feelings. Though, she also knew the best time to strike was when alcohol was involved.
She squinted at him in content, perking her head up to give him a light kiss. "I didn't want you to stay for sex. I just wanted to feel close to you," She purred to him.
He rubbed at the middle of her back and kissed back, leaning his face closer to hers as he kissed her again a couple more times. "Oh, so you just wanted to taunt me into staying? Is that it?" He raised a brow to her.
She hesitated. "Well, not on purpose. It sort of just came out. I only get to see you at Vesta's the Blue Bar or on rainy days. Most of those instances involve drinking. I want to be with you without drinking. It's your hobby, not mine," She hid her face in his chest.
He rested his chin on her head as he closed his eyes. "I'll see what I can do. I don't want you to keep feeling second best to Celia."
She nodded, nuzzling her nose into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry for making those comments to yo-"
"It's okay," He cut her off quick. "No matter what I did with another woman. It would never have broken Celia's heart. Because her heart never belonged to me."