July 25 2015

"Arianna," Emily, the head bartender of the night, calls entering the office.

"Yes dear," I smile standing from the paperwork. My hands float to my temples rubbing small circles. I wasn't aware when I agreed to be Dad's fill in bar manager that it would give me such a headache.

"Last call and we got one drunk that refuses to leave. I think he's one of yours."

"What do you mean one of mine?"

"He looks like one of the dudes you're always coming in with."

"Great," I sigh making my way down the stairs and into the bar. "Does he have an open tab?"

"No. He's paid up."

"Dude," Jamie screams across the bar, stalking towards the man, "time to get out."

"I got him," I call making my way towards the lone figure in the corner. "Start counting your tills. Hey," I state knocking my knuckles on the table. "You with us?"

The figure raises their head. "Aria?"

"Fergal? I figured you would be out with half the roster. Did they leave you here or something?"

"No," he chuckles softly. "No, they didn' leave me. What are ya doing here?"

"You're in Ariel's."

"Ariel's?"

"Yes."

"Did they call ya to get me?"

"Something like that," I smirk. "I'm manager for the night and they can't get you out of here."

"Why?"

"It's closing time."

"It's not that late."

"Yeah it is," I smile holding out a hand to the man. "Come on. You can sleep it off on my couch."

"Nah. Too far to walk. I'll call a cab."

"Too far to walk," I giggle before really looking at the man. "You're serious."

"What?"

"How can you never notice that your friend lives over your favorite bar?"

"Wha?"

"My apartment is two floors up," I point at the ceiling.

"I've always came up the back."

I swallow back the chuckle at the double meaning in the phrase.

"Come on," I smile wrapping a hand around his and pulling him to his feet. He stumbles slightly grabbing my shoulders for balance.

"Come where," he whispers against my ear.

"To my apartment."

"Tat's not what I was talking about," he smiles before brushing his lips over mine.

My heart pounds at the small gesture and I find myself leaning forward to repeat the action.

"You're drunk," I sigh shaking my head, "and I need to get you to my apartment so the girls can close up for the night."

"What are ya going to do once I'm there?"

I swallow hard at the implication. "Take care of you."

"How ya planning on doing tat?"

"Let's get you upstairs and we'll figure it out from there," I sigh shoving him gently.

"Where's that gorgeous Irishman you disappeared with," Emily asks as I make my way back into the office.

Soft footsteps from above answer her.

"Why aren't you up there?"

"Because I must make sure you bar sluts are honest sluts," I grin taking the money bags from the woman.

"Hey, I am not a slut. I'm a hoe. Get it right woman," she smiles.

"Jaime calm down?"

"Tips sucked so no."

"She went home?"

"Yes."

"Not my problem anymore then," I laugh. "If you want to lock up you can head out."

"Deal," she smiles wrapping me in a half hug. "See you around?"

"Of course," I grin. "This is the only place I can drink for free. Hey Em?"

"Yeah?"

"Dad doesn't hear anything about…" I trail off pointing to the ceiling. "He's not fond of me having overnight male guests under his roof."

"Now who's the slut," she smirks disappearing from the office.

"Jaime," I call after her.

Entering my apartment, I find Fergal rummaging through my fridge across the short bar separating the living room and kitchen, my good whiskey opened on the kitchen table. The man having stripped down to just a pair of black briefs, my eyes roaming down his body. "Get a grip, Ari. That is basically what he wrestles in, you've seen him like that a million times. Plus, he's drunk. "Good luck," I call. "I haven't gone shopping in a while."

"I can tell," he smiles straightening, a can of spray whip in his hands.

"Should have checked the oven," I smirk joining him in the kitchen as he sprays whip cream into his mouth.

"Da oven?"

"The oven," I smile as the man moves to the oven.

"Cupcakes?"

"I had assumed that I wouldn't see you until tomorrow so I made them today for you. I was going to bring them to the Performance Center tomorrow. But since you're here now," I shrug as he makes his way across the room.

"Are these all for me?"

"And anyone else you would like to share them with," I state pulling myself up to sit on the counter.

"What if I want ta share 'em with ya?"

Reaching down I pluck the cupcake from his hand, licking the icing from the top.

"Mmmmmmm," he purrs. "What else can ya use tat tongue fer?"

"I see you found my whiskey," I state instead.

"It's rude to not answer a question."

"It's rude to make all these suggestive remarks to me."

"Why," he smiles up at me wrapping my legs around his torso. "Do ya not like them?"

"I like them a bit too much," I sigh. "I know you're too drunk to know what you're saying."

"I know exactly wha' I'm saying."

"Really?"

"Really," he smiles spraying whip cream on the hollow of my collarbone.

"You missed your mouth completely," I smirk reaching for a towel.

"I know," he chuckles lapping the cold cream from me with a pointed tongue. "I'm saying tat yer beautiful and I want ya in my bed."

"You wouldn't be in your bed tonight," I murmur as way to distract myself as his lips slide across my shoulder. "It would be my bed."

"Doesn' matter. I just want ya beneath me."

"Fergal," I breathe.

"Yeah?"

"I really don't think you know what you're doing."

"Do ya not want this?"

"I do," I sigh as his mouth moves across my collarbone again. "But I'm not going to take advantage of you."

"It's not takin' advantage when I'm askin' for it," he slurs.

"Your slurring is saying you don't know what you're asking for."

"Maybe da drink is giving me the courage ta say what I really feel."

"Ferg…"

"Please Aria," he whispers bringing his mouth to mine. "I'm just askin' fer one night."

"Then stumble your ass to my bedroom while I lock up," I breathe.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I smile.

Checking both the locks on the doors, I pause to check my reflection in the living room mirror before moving towards the bedroom. "Am I really going risk my friendship for a fantasy roll in the hay? Am I really going to take advantage of my drunk friend?"

"Aria," Fergal calls.

"Coming," I call back.

"Shouldn' be yet," he chuckles.

"Keep making bad jokes, Drunky. It's just going to make me take longer."

"Aria, please," he all but whines causing lust to cloud my mind.

My feet move on their own toward the bedroom. "Please what," I ask leaning against the doorframe.

"Come to me."

"Come to you or come for you?"

"Both," he grins spraying whip cream down his abs.

"Mmmmmm," I purr.

"Seein' somethin' ya like?"

I nod eyeing the cream.

"Then come an' get it," he grins reclining deeper into my pillows.

"Yes sir," I chuckle diving for him. My mouth crashes into his, our tongue tangle as we both try to deepen the kiss. I search his face as we part panting. "Still want this?"

"Of cou'se. Why wouldn'…"

He swallows the end of his sentence as I move down his body, my teeth scraping along his pec.

"Ari," he mumbles.

"Hmmm," I mumble as my tongue lashes over his nipple.

"I need to be inside ya."

"Patience. I haven't had my dessert yet."

"I can't wait."

"Sure, you can," I chuckle lapping up the top half of the cream off his abs.

"Ari," he whispers as I settle between his legs.

"Wait."

"Nah. Can't," he pants as I move lower.

"But I want to make your birthday good," I pout running my lip over his briefs and along the bulge straining there.

"Love, ya've already…Jesus Christ," he moans as my tongue follows my lip. His hand tangles into my hair.

"You were saying," I smirk, my fingers curling around the waistband of the briefs.

"Nothin'."

"Do you know how long," I start moving back up his body, "I've thought about tracing each and every one of these sexy muscles?"

I feel him chuckle as his free hand runs down my back. My tongue coming out to slide along his skin, the sweet taste from the whip cream residue mixing with his natural saltiness. "How long, Love?"

"For as long as I can remember," I murmur. "That first day I saw you in the ring… God, I've used that imagine so many lonely nights. And that accent of yours? It gets me so wet every time. I have to keep such a tight control on my hormones around you."

My small speech is met with soft snoring. Glancing up, I find Fergal asleep. Sighing deeply, I detangle myself from the man moving up to sit beside his head.

"I guess it's for the best," I whisper, pressing a kiss to his temple. "I just hope you don't remember any of this in the morning."