Tap-tap, tap. Tap-tap, tap.
Holly glanced up from her laptop, her fingers stilling on the keyboard as she narrowed her eyes. Darcy had been thumping out a rhythm with the end of her pen for the past couple of minutes, and it was starting to grate on her. While she did not often regret sharing the office that they had, it did make things a bit more...confining. Which was highlighted when one or the other was impatient or bored. Given that they were nearing the weekend, she surmised that was likely what had her fellow social media manager on edge. On Fridays, they were allowed to leave an hour earlier than the rest of the week, and it seemed to make the time stretch all the more. Blowing out a breath, Darcy absently flung the pen away, turning to her computer and connecting to her online music library. With the tapping extinguished, Holly let out a slow breath, intent on returning to her current (mind-numbing) project.
That, however, was not meant to last, either.
"What are your plans for the weekend, Holly?" she asked after awhile, turning her chair to face her. The other young woman had taken up a post at one end of the couch, her legs stretched out before her and a few papers settled on the floor beside her.
"Oh, well...um..." she trailed off, ducking her head slightly. She already had her answer, but she had the sense that Darcy wasn't going to like it much. After a few seconds, she just exhaled and spit it out. "Laundry."
She was correct; her coworker did not look pleased with that at all. "You have to be kidding me. You are not spending another weekend in at home."
The other woman opened her mouth to object, though she knew whatever she had would be weak, indeed.
"Darce, I—"
"Ah, ah!" she cut her off, wagging a finger in the air. Pointing it at her, she continued, "No arguments. You and I will be going out. All work and no play, et cetera, et cetera."
Holly brow furrowed, her amusement dimming. "I am not dull. I've just been busy."
"Busy sitting at home," Darcy retorted, rolling her eyes. Shutting her laptop, she gestured toward the single window of their office, the sight of the street and the building on the opposite side highlighted. "C'mon, we'll go out, get some drinks, act like the twenty-somethings we actually are and not the old ladies some of us are pretending to be."
The other brunette gave her a faux withering look, but the glimmer in her dark eyes belied it.
"Nice," she grunted, scratching at the curve of her jaw and falling quiet. Her coworker and new friend did have a point, though. In the last few months of being in the city, she really hadn't taken advantage of the nightlife. With first weeks of scrabbling to find her place at work and home, she hadn't given the matter much thought. And when she did have a free moment, it was mostly to do things during the day on her weekends, like going to the park or the library. Or hanging around the apartments, with Steve and Jamie, and occasionally Sam, too. Those were fun times, but she had to admit that she hadn't really gotten out much beyond her neighborhood.
It wouldn't hurt to have one night out.
Inclining her head, she announced, "Okay, fine. Let's do it!"
"Awesome," Darcy intoned, satisfaction on her face and a smug, proud smile on her lips at a job well done. Flicking her fingers in the air, she pronounced, "We'll do prep at your place; mine is such a disaster zone at the moment."
"How do you know mine isn't?" the other young woman asked, eyebrows rising slightly. She could no more than shrug, unapologetic in the least for her answer.
"I don't, but to be honest, I kinda wanna do some creeping on your place. See what it's like over there."
Holly snickered, canting her head. "Sure."
With the plan set in place, Holly had endeavored to get back to work on updating the contact lists for the separate departments in the company. Darcy hummed happily as she started toying with literature layouts for future pamphlets and cards that could be distributed around the city, occasionally cranking up a song or two when they played on her music library. With Darcy pleased and occupied, the remainder of the work day seemed to float by. Clocking out, she gave her friend her address, with the intention of meeting up within the next couple of hours. With her arriving at an earlier hour at home, she hadn't seen her mailbox pals, which was she had expected. The slight disappointment inside was pushed down, and she climbed the stairs two at a time to the second floor, powering to her apartment swiftly and scrambling to get things tidied before the intercom buzzed.
Clothes were shoved into drawers and the closet, the dishes were hastily placed in the dishwasher, and she had just shoved her empty cereal box into the trash just as the electronic rattle coursed through the air, and she let out a fast sigh before activating the lock on her end. Darcy appeared at the door, a duffel bag on her shoulder and a take-and-bake pizza in hand.
Getting ready was almost more fun than the idea of actually going out, and had always been in Holly's experience. Music pumped and a couple of glasses of wine had been poured, and she felt herself relaxing and getting into the idea of going out as Darcy chattered about the couple of places she had in mind, about the bartender of one that she'd had her eye on for awhile and wanting Holly to see his 'deliciousness' for herself. She'd shrugged at that, gnawing on the last slice of pizza before they bundled the last slices into the fridge. Helping her new friend into the dress she'd picked out and brought over, she let out a low whistle. It was blood red with a lacy overlay, and Darcy owned it. Pulling on her choice, Holly could only hope she could do her ensemble justice.
A few loud knocks broke through the most recent song on the playlist, and Holly flapped a hand at Darcy's quirked eyebrow. She had a very good idea who was at the door, and she quickly crossed the room to the front door. Leaning and looking through the peephole, she nodded once to herself, her supposition proven correct.
"Hey, Steve," she breathed, opening the door and revealing her neighbor. It appeared that he hadn't changed out of his work clothes just yet, though the checked blue shirt he wore had the top two buttons popped. He'd been half-turned, looking at something behind him as he clutched a book in one hand. At the sound of her voice, he pivoted to face her again.
"Hey, I just wanted—" Suddenly, the words in his mouth dried up, his blue eyes widening as he took in the sight of Holly. Blinking rapidly, he couldn't help the crooked smile that sprouted on his lips. "Woah. You look...really great."
Holly glanced down at herself, a bright smile playing on her lips and her ears burning as he looked at her. She supposed she shouldn't have doubted the purple halter dress or her black wedge boots. A surge of pleasure and confidence ripped through her then, and she met his eye-line squarely (which was easier to do when the boots had brought her nearer to his height).
"Thank you," she murmured, turning her beam onto him then. He dipped his chin, tucking his hand into his pocket before meeting her dark gaze again.
"Yo, still waiting on an intro here," crowed a voice, and Holly nearly jumped at the sound. Mentally cursing herself for gawking, she stepped back a bit and gestured for Steve to come in.
"Right. Steve, this is my coworker, Darcy," she introduced them, "Darcy, this is Steve."
Darcy let her eyebrows rise the barest fraction, the curve of her mouth taking on a new air as she examined the new arrival.
"Oh, that Steve, huh?" she replied, sending Holly a significant look. The other brunette shot her back a look of her own, crossing her arms over her chest as her friends exchanged waves in greeting. "Nice to meet you. Heard a bit about you."
Oh, Darcy Lewis had heard about this Steve guy. Neighbor Steve, who had come to her rescue upon moving in. Neighbor Steve, who was genuinely kind and a little shy, but was a sarcastic smartass on occasion. Neighbor Steve, who was giving Holly a less-than-neighborly once-over when she wasn't looking. And she was doing the same, as well.
She also heard the tremors of denial in her friend's voice when she ventured a theory or two of her own, but she wasn't about to mention that, then.
He glanced at Holly out the corner of his eye, but his grin stayed in place.
"Hopefully the bits you heard weren't too bad."
Holly smirked, daring to wink at him. "Not at all, Jungle Gym Monster."
Steve snorted at that, scratching his neck with his free hand and chuckling.
"Of course. And I was a dragon, thank you," he corrected her playfully. Darting his gaze between the two women, he wondered, "You ladies doing something special tonight?"
Darcy patted at the peekaboo part in her hair, raising her chin with a sly smile. "Just going to a couple of clubs or bars, or whatever. Girls' night out."
The glitter in his eyes increased at that news. "Oh, well, definitely have fun with that."
"What about you?" Holly asked, looking up at him. He canted his head to the left, tapping his foot lightly.
"Disney and chicken fingers appear to be on the docket for my evening."
Darcy shook her head, undeterred by the answer. "Not a bad one, either. Disney movies are the shi—"
"Daddy," came a high-pitched voice, and Holly had to smother a laugh when a small, blond head peeped out from behind the bigger man. Jamie had been hiding behind Steve the whole time, waiting for him to see her and complete the task he'd set out for himself. The little boy tugged at the side of his dad's khaki pants, asking, "Can we go watch Nemo, please?"
At the realization that the blond man was not alone, that his child had actually come with him, the bespectacled brunette's eyes widened marginally, her hands clamping over her mouth as she cut off her curse.
"Oh, God. Didn't realize..." she trailed off, her words muffled by her fingers. Shooting a glare at Holly, the other young woman merely shrugged a shoulder, biting back a grin of her own. Clearing her throat, Darcy removed her hands and apologized, "My bad."
"No worries," Holly said, smoothing over the minor error and ruffling Jamie's hair. "You caught yourself in time."
Steve scoffed audibly, dipping his chin at that.
"Believe me, he's heard worse from his uncles." He looked down at the little boy, an eyebrow spiking at him and a smirk pulling at his lips. "But you know better than to say what they do, right?"
"Yep!" he replied brightly, nodding exuberantly. After he'd introduced himself to Darcy, the boy turned to look at Holly. Squinting up at her, he wondered, "Holly, why do you got paint on your face?"
She chuckled at that, making relief bloom in Steve's chest when he realized she hadn't felt insulted. Her fingers tapped lightly at the curve of her jaw, unwilling to press further.
"It's make-up, sweetie," she explained, crouching down a bit to let him examine it a bit closer. A long with the dress and hair, she'd allowed Darcy to help her with the make-up. The girl had a way with the brushes and tools that she herself didn't think she could ever learn. Big brown eyes took in the red lipstick, the blended eyeshadow and the winged liner, and she shrugged a shoulder. "It's a girl thing."
"Not always," came a mutter from the other woman, to which the blond man shot her a warning look. Now would definitely not be the time to explain why that was. The little boy was a bit preoccupied, but at his father's admonition, he was being careful.
"Oh," he eventually muttered. Blinking at her, the child screwed up his brow again. "But why?"
"Why am I wearing it?" she inquired, looking for clarification. Off Jamie's nod, she told him, "Because I want to look nice when I go out with my friend, Darcy."
The boy dropped his hands, tilting his head and continuing to stare. "You look kinda like Auntie Nat with that on. She's gotta wear it, too."
The corner of Holly's mouth curved, though confusion was written all over her face. She hadn't heard of her before. Seeing the question in her eyes, Steve gave her a lopsided smile, shrugging a shoulder.
"Old friend," he stated simply, maintaining eye contact with her. Tipping his head to the left, he continued, "And it's a compliment. Although you're..."
His gaze shifted down to her crouched form, a red flush crawling up his neck when he realized his vantage point from above allowed him a direct more direct view of her body. She crossed her arms, the hint of cleavage that was showing pulling his focus, and he abruptly looked up. His gaze locked onto Darcy, who had been watching him and was smirking at his obvious lack of composure. For her part, Holly was smiling at Jamie, keeping her attention on him.
"Well, thanks, bud. I appreciate that," she said, tucking back some of the loose strands around her face, the earrings in her ears glinting then.
"Welcome," the little boy said. Stepping back, he grabbed his dad's free hand, tugging until he looked down. To Steve, he asked, "You think Auntie Nat might wear that stuff next time we see her?"
"Maybe," Steve answered absently, his gaze lingering on the pretty young woman in his peripherals, the swish and sway of the purple dress around her hips as she stood straight making him swallow hard.
"You think she might—" Jamie began, but Darcy strode forward then, her phone in hand and her fingers tapping fast at the screen.
"Well, not to rush you boys out, but we are all dressed and have somewhere to go," she reminded them all, and Holly winced a bit at her pronouncement. Even though they did have plans, she didn't have to be so blunt about the Rogers fellows leaving. Steve merely nodded, taking one step backward.
"Right, right," he responded, just then remembering why he'd come over in the first place. The book he'd been holding onto was held out, the spine up and revealing the title of the fantasy series that was very popular those days. "Just wanted to return the book I borrowed."
Taking the book from him, Holly ruffled the page. "Finished already?"
"I read fast," he said, flicking his fingers through the air. She wondered if he'd developed that skill out of necessity, to consume stories and not be too distracted to watch over his son. He cast a glance to her bookshelves by the television, spying the gap on one of the upper shelves. "Let me know when you're done with the sequel, yeah?"
She scoffed at that. "I'm not the library, Steven."
"But you are so much closer, and nicer to be around," he retorted, another flush flooding up her neck then. The pink in his cheeks remained as he stepped back and took Jamie's hand in his. Waving, he led the boy out the door, calling out to the young ladies, "Have fun tonight. Be careful."
"We will," she promised him, waggling her fingers at Jamie as he cried out his farewells, too. "Bye!"
Last smiles were exchanged as she shut the door behind them, and she whirled on her heel, about to tell Darcy that she should've employed a bit of tact. However, she hadn't expected her new friend to be sporting a grin akin to a cat that got the cream.
"So that's Neighbor Steve, huh?" she said, brushing down the skirt of her dress with her free hand, one hip jutting out. "Looks like he could give my roommate Jane's boyfriend a run for his money in the cut department. Maybe."
Holly turned her head away, but there was no hiding the pleased set of her face. "Yeah."
Her friend nodded, her thumb rapping along the edge of her phone as she tilted her head and considered something.
"Any new developments there?" she inquired, receiving a shake of the head in response before Holly could register the question. When a narrowed gaze was turned onto her, she went on, "Mind if I have a slice of that beef cake?"
"Darcy," Holly barked then, her jaw dropping at her words.
"Just kidding," she replied, giving her an exaggerated wink before striding to the door. Arching an eyebrow at her pointedly, Darcy murmured, "Looks like someone else got a bite before me; not gonna mess with that."
The natural blush under Holly's make-up darkened as she grumbled and grabbed her clutch. Darcy giggled a little as her coworker muttered about getting moving, and said no more as they locked up and left.
xXxXxXx
Steve sighed low as he tapped the end of his stylus against the table. After getting dinner and the movie in, Jamie had finally tired himself out enough for his father to take him into bed. With the little boy tucked in and away in Dreamland, he had a few moments to catch up on some clean-up around the house. A few toys were shunted into the boxes under the window, blankets were folded up, and he set the soaking dishes in the dishwasher, the load finally ready and chugging away. Content with that, he wandered back to the dining room, fetching up his work bag. He had been assigned a project for the owner's other business, a revamping of their logos after five years of the current models. Having taken samples of the ones previously used, he thought to add a sort of retro flair to the new designs.
His focus had been on that for a good portion of the last couple of hours. Well, that, and other things.
Propping his chin in his hand, he fetched up his cell phone, which had remained quiet for the last several minutes. Idly, he tapped at the screen, opening to the last text messaging thread he'd answered to. Unbeknownst to him, a tired grin stretched his lips as he paged up to the beginning of the night's messages. Holly had been texting him every so often while she was out with her work friend, about the bars they'd been to and asking if he'd ever been to them, himself. One, he hadn't, but the second and current one she was at was tended by a guy he went to college with. It had been a long time since he'd been out to see the guy, but from what he heard from Sam and others, he was doing alright for himself.
Slowly, he scrolled a little further, the smile broadening and a chuckle rumbling in his chest as he did so. The picture she'd sent him, of her and Darcy with the overloaded Bloody Marys they had purchased, had proven her accusation rather well. The amount of garnishes and skewered goods in the drinks were enough to make them full meals, but his concentration was not on their glasses. Instead, his focus was drawn to the brunette without glasses, the waves of her dark hair framing her face and the dramatic adornment outlining her features drawing him in.
Holly looked so...pretty, and lively, and...
Something in his chest tightened, the conflict inside pulling in opposite directions as he looked down at her picture again. His thumb rubbed at his fourth finger briefly, and he shook his head, going down to the remaining messages they'd shared.
Looks like you're having fun, he'd told her in response to the picture. When he'd noted the glasses littering their table, he'd also fired off, Don't get too crazy, huh?
A part of him regretted sending the message as soon as it was gone, chiding himself for not turning off the 'dad' part of his brain. However, she'd seemed to take it in stride, sending him another message and a winking emoji swiftly after that.
No promises. Darcy's on a mission, and by God, she will find a man to fulfill it.
He'd laughed at that, too. Darcy definitely gave off the impression that she would not back down from getting what she wanted.
I salute her. No mission of your own?
The last question had been difficult to type out, his stomach twisting even as he read it back to himself. If that was her aim as well, to make a connection while out enjoying herself, well, he wouldn't blame her for it. It was her life, and her choice, if that was the case. Still, the thought of some strange man crowding her, putting the moves on her, discomforted him. A thread of relief flooded his veins when she'd answered him back.
Just to survive the night, and get home in one piece, she'd told him, sending him a thumbs-up emoticon then. He let himself smirk at that, though his concern remained even as he responded.
You'll make it, soldier. You'll make it. Like I said earlier, you can call me if you need to.
The conversation bubble on her end blipped on and off for a few minutes, and he found himself distracted by it. Wondering if perhaps he'd overstepped his bounds, he was about to type out a reply to smooth over his previous word when she finally finished hers.
I will if I need to. Promise, she'd said, the lack of additional pictures or emojis lending to the sincerity behind her words.
After that, she'd been silent. Steve had to suppose Holly was out, having fun and taking a moment to be carefree. Which he didn't begrudge her in the least; after all, she wasn't in the same place in life as he was, and could afford to do so. He just hoped she would get home safe, and soon. It was getting rather late, and—
A thump and a cry came from Jamie's room then, and Steve was on his feet immediately. He tucked his phone into his pocket, his thoughts rapidly churning over what could have happened and leaving the others on the back burner, for the moment.
xXxXxXx
Holly glanced at her phone, noting the new notification lighting up the screen. Taking in the time as well, she blew out a fast breath before pushing her way to the bar. Closing time was still a couple of hours away, but at that point in her life, she wasn't built to do late nights often anymore, and she was ready to get home and in bed. Threading her way through the people surrounding her, she craned her neck, her dark gaze darted around the dimly lit space. The bar they'd gone to was a decent enough place, the exposed brick of the walls complemented by the dark-grained woods of the bar and shelving units behind it. A small stage had been erected in the back, the evening live band in the midst of a slow song and couples took to the small bit of parquet floor that was open. Everyone else was milling around or taking coveted seats at the bar itself. She'd stepped into the relative peace of the bathroom to call out for a ride, and she finally received word that it was there.
All she had to do was locate Darcy and bring her away.
Thankfully, it hadn't taken long, since the other brunette girl had not moved from her perch. She had remained at the bar, her focus not wavering despite her intoxication. The shift of black and red caught Holly's eye, and she swiftly made a beeline for Darcy, one hand cupping around her elbow.
"C'mon, we gotta meet the Lyft," she crooned in her friend's ear, blinking against the tiredness and the fuzziness in her head. After a few moans and groans from Darcy, she finally persuaded her off her perch, leaning over the bar one more time to say something to the bartender. He smiled back at her as she said her good-byes, his eyes piercing and a hand combing down his hair—auburn, but with silver threading it liberally. Pointing to her phone and arching an eyebrow, the guy murmured something that Holly couldn't hear, and Darcy nodded enthusiastically. Finally, she tripped away from the bar, looping her arm with Holly's as the other brunette guided them out of the space.
The sound of the bar were muffled by the closing door, and Holly breathed a sigh of relief. Her ears were thankful for the relative quiet outside; cars driving by and the people wandering between bars were tamer in comparison to the live band. Dropping her jaw in an effort to clear up the fuzz in her head, she squinted in the streetlights. Though she hadn't had as much to drink as Darcy, she'd definitely had enough to make her tipsy. That also meant she was not totally observant, and so it took her a few tries to find the car she'd hired. Luckily, the vehicle was parked down the block, and soon enough, the two young women were clipping down the sidewalk to it.
"I, I totally got Pietro's number," Darcy cheered happily, waving her device and her clutch in celebration as they walked. Shrugging a shoulder and swaying a bit, she crowed, "Called me princessa or somethin'...but I got it, finally!"
Holly grinned at that. She'd told Steve about the bar they'd gone to, and he'd mentioned knowing the tender, Pietro, personally. She reckoned that would make for an interesting connection story in the future, once her friend sobered up and eventually tried out the number he'd given her.
"Well done, Darce, well done," she congratulated her, a hello spared for the driver of the Lyft car as they both piled into the back.
"God, D.C., helluva town," her friend mumbled, shuffling to the far seat and laying her head against the window. Climbing in after her, Holly shut the door and smirked.
"If you say so."
All things considered, the night had been fun. Initially, Holly had feared that she might end being dragged to clubs were the music was even louder than what she'd already experienced that night, places were the drinks were far too pricey and the people took every opportunity to creep on the others or grind on them. Inwardly, she later chastised herself for not having more faith in Darcy's choices. It appeared that her preferences ran towards bars, though they tended to be a few steps up from the dive bars she personally visited in college.
"What happened to that Peter guy who was talking to you?" Darcy piped up, reasserting herself among the living. Holly huffed out a chuckle under her breath, tucking a piece of stray hair back behind her ear.
Peter had been at a table near theirs when they'd first arrived at the second bar, sipping from a low-ball glass and leaning back in his chair. His efforts to look nonchalant were upset when the two young women sat nearby, with him jerking forward in his chair and sporting a goofy grin when Holly had chanced to look over at him. He sported a goatee with additional scruff on his chin, his hair parted messily and his eyes bright with more exuberance than alcohol. Sensing an opportunity, Darcy tipped her head to him, gesturing for him to join them. As soon as introductions were made, she'd quietly slid out of her seat, heading to the bar for a refill. Nervous as she was to be left alone with a virtual stranger, Holly eventually relaxed as Peter spoke. It turned out he was a commercial pilot, in town for a short stay before his next flight out. He was nice enough, a bit dorky, but still a decent fellow.
However, it remained that there were one or two obstacles in her path that prevented her from strengthening the connection.
"Pointed him in the direction of the green-haired girl he kept ogling." That had been the most immediate roadblock: he had more of a taste for the oddly striking woman on the other side of the bar, who in turn was glancing over at him, too. Given that they'd just met, she wasn't terribly offended, and sent him on his merry way after he'd ingested the last of his Dutch courage. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Hate to say it, but your matchmaking skills drop below par after the second bar and the third drink."
Still, she did give her friend a few points for the effort made. And Darcy racked them mentally as well. She tipped her head back against the rest, and she shrugged.
"Wasn't really tryin'. Doesn't matter anyway, not when you've got Steve," she said, her smile growing as she caught Holly ducking her head bashfully. Reaching over and poking her arm, she teased, "Mm, you got a DILF, girl. Better get on that soon. Meant that literally, by the way."
Holly could feel her cheeks burning, and was thankful for the darkness of the cab. The driver upfront was kind enough not to say anything, but she did hear the snort he suppressed, and she felt herself shrink a little into the seat.
"Thank God we are almost home."
Luckily, little else was said as the driver took them back into Georgetown, the swatch of her building cutting into the muted haziness of night and the street lamps nearby. Thanking the fellow for the ride, and tipping him accordingly on the app as they exited, Holly steered Darcy and herself to the side entrance, her key and FOB employed to get them in quickly. Darcy clung to the railing as they took the stairs, raising her chin at the second floor landing.
"You should stop by his place, see if he's—"
She was cut off by the deadpan look her friend shot at her, the marked lack of amusement stilling her tongue.
"He's a father, with a four-year-old boy," Holly stated, shutting down the idea at once. Taking her friend's elbow, she grunted, "I am not waking them up in the middle of the night to indulge your weirdness."
Rounding the corner and heading into the hall, Darcy faced forward, her eyes attempting to narrow in on something further down the way.
"Oh, yeah? Then what about that?" she asked, jabbing a finger at it. Following its path, Holly stopped short and gaped for a moment or two. Down the hall, pacing it slowly and methodically, was the blond fellow she couldn't quite get out of her head all night. His work attire had been swapped, evidently, with dark blue sweats and a white t-shirt, his socked feet taking measure steps. A smaller blond head rested on his shoulder, little arms hanging down loosely.
"Steve," she said softy, his head turning at the sound of his name. He paused in his pacing, grinning wanly at the two women as they approached. Holly braced a hand along the wall as she went, Darcy following her example. Nodding to the little boy in his arms, she remarked obviously, "You're up."
"Yeah," he intoned, deep exhaustion lining his features. His brow was creased, and light purple smudges were beginning to show under his eyes. Adjusting his hold on his son, he murmured lowly, "He had a bad nightmare, been walking him around to get him settled."
Holly frowned in sympathy, her instinct obeyed as she stepped closer. Jamie was asleep once more, his small brow quirking as he rested against his dad. His pajamas, sporting images of Buzz Lightyear and the little green aliens from Toy Story, peeked through the bands of Steve's arms as he held him.
"Poor lil' guy," Darcy crooned quietly behind her. Giving her a slight push, she whispered, "Should help out, Holl."
"That's okay," Steve dissuaded her gently, overriding Darcy's suggestion and preventing her from responding herself. A corner of his mouth curved, and he tipped his head at her friend. "Looks like you've got your own to get to bed."
"Hey now," the other brunette woman grumbled, the comparison not as amusing in her eyes. Holly barely held back a snicker, gesturing to her friend to keep moving.
"Come on, he's right," she told her, letting her precede her down the hall. Hooking a thumbs up at her friend, she canted her head back to the man at her side. "Good night, Steve."
"Night," he said. About to turn away, she heard him inhale sharply, and she looked up at him again. Lifting his chin, he nearly whispered, "I, I'm glad you made it home okay."
A slow smile dawned on her lips, and she nodded once more before stepping away, feeling his blue gaze on her until she'd unlocked her door and guided Darcy inside.
xXxXxXx
Darcy Lewis groaned into her pillow as she felt the sun's rays slant into the room. After arriving back at Holly's place, she remembered little other than shucking off her heels and dress, her pajamas thrown on haphazardly and her speculating about getting gyros delivered at three in the morning. Somehow, she'd made it to the couch, a blanket half-fallen to the floor and the single pillow under her head held in a death grip. Her glasses, she'd discovered, were safe on the nearby coffee table, her fingers having gone on a quest while her eyes remained firmly shut. She also felt the presence of a bucket on the floor beside her. How thoughtful of her friend, she mused dully, lamenting the liquor she'd had and cursing the knives stabbing into her temples.
"Good morning, sunshine," crowed a happy voice then, and she growled into her pillow. After blindly flipping up a particular finger, she heard the laughter that followed. "Ah, yes. Enjoying the hangover?"
How freakin' thoughtful of Holly, she groused inwardly. Rolling onto her side, she watched as her friend set two mugs on the table, steam rising from them and the fragrance of coffee perfuming the air. Her cell phone was there as well, making her briefly panic about the location of her own. Now noticing the scratch of sequins and a zipper under her foot, Darcy relaxed a bit; her clutch with her cards, ID, and phone were safe.
Sitting up fully (and squinting against the light of the room), Darcy grumbled, "How are you not?"
Holly, wrapped in her blue sweater and sleep shorts, winced at her sharp tone and sat on the carpet.
"I drank less than you, remember," she noted mildly. To be fair, she too had circles under her eyes, but Darcy could practically feel hers sagging down her face, and knew that Holly's weren't near that level. The other brunette set down her coffee cup to adjust her ponytail, blinking and closing her eyes as well. "My head aches, but it doesn't feel like I want it to collapse in on itself."
Darcy groaned again, the mug of coffee beckoning to her loudly. Picking it up, she fumbled through her memories of the previous evening and that morning, and her brain lit upon something she couldn't figure out.
"I think I heard something creeping and clattering outside your door earlier. And a thump," she reported, taking a long sip of the caffeine drink. "Are all your neighbors morning people?"
"Not entirely," Holly retorted. The neighbor on her left was an actress, and prone to sleeping in late, and the apartment to the right was open at the moment. Getting up, she strode to the door, peering through the peephole and lifting a shoulder. "Well, I don't see anything out there..."
Opening the door, she was startled by the rustle of plastic grinding against the handle as she did so. Gingerly grabbing up the plastic bag that had been hooked around the outer handle, she looked down into the bag. A large bottle of aspirin sat inside, joined by a couple of Hershey chocolate bars. A folded scrap of notebook paper was within as well, and she drew it out. Flipping it open, the corners of her mouth curved up as she read the short sentence scrawled upon the page.
Just in case you need it.—S.
Maintaining her grin, she set the paper on the table and brought the bag over to Darcy. "The Hangover Fairy came with a special delivery."
Taking a peek inside the bag once she'd put it down, Darcy raised a palm to the sky. "God bless the Hangover Fairy."
As she spied the flap of paper there as well, Holly felt the tips of her ears burn. She became thoroughly engrossed in taking a long sip of her coffee as Darcy turned it over in her hand.
"And what's this?"
As she became preoccupied with the note, Holly put down her mug and grabbed up her phone from the coffee table, unlocking it and opening up the messaging app. Her fingers flew and finished her message just as Darcy arched an eyebrow and glanced at her.
Darcy says thank you for the pills. So do I. :)
Shaking her head, Darcy extended her forefinger at her friend. "Girl, I meant what I said last night: you better get on that fast."
Snatching up the pill bottle, she struggled to work off the cap as Holly shook her head and retreated to the kitchen. Taking up some bagels she had sitting out on the counter for breakfast, her phone vibrated in her hand. Looking at the screen, she let out a slow breath.
You're welcome. :-D You made it, soldier.
"Hmm," she hummed to herself, Steve's message receiving a thumbs-up emoticon and another grin as she left the kitchen, a sway in her step that could not be attributed to the night out she'd had.
A/N: Told ya it would be a little more night-on-the-town in flavor for this chapter. It was fun to write something a little more lighthearted than the previous chapter.
Slowly but surely, Holly and Steve are circling each other a little more tightly than before. I'm excited to go on from here.
Next chapter, we may hear from Auntie Nat, as well as learn a few things...hang tight, it'll come.
I own nothing from the MCU, nor do I own any other pop culture references made in the text (Marvel comics, Disney, Lyft, etc.).
Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll see you all for the next one!