I should warn you that this chapter is a bit suggestive...
The staff were crowded in one corner of the pub. Everyone except for Rachel and Eddie. Eddie was at the bar ordering drinks as Rachel was running late. Tom was sat with his arm around Davina's shoulder as he held a pint in his other hand, Steph sat right in the corner a gin and tonic with her as Jasmine sat next to Davina ,Matt opposite them as Grantly sat on a chair a bit further away from the rest a glass of whiskey in his hands, occasionally sipping it.
"Find out any gossip, Steph?" Davina asked as Tom rolled his eyes.
"What's up with women and gossip?" He asked receiving a glare from the women,
"It's interesting now shush!" Davina exclaimed putting a finger to her lips. Tom simply sipped his larger and pretended not to be present in the current conversation.
"Just that they don't get on," Steph said rather disappointed with her findings.
"She even pestered her to see if they had a one night stand and that being the reason they don't get on, "Jasmine informed as Grantly rolled his eyes.
"You think they don't get on because they might have slept with each other? Not everything revolves around sex. No wonder that's all the teenagers can think about if you're influencing them," Grantly complained as the rest of the staff simply ignored him.
"Who's slept with each other?" Eddie asked popping back with his larger as everyone looked like they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't have done. Which was true but you know what they don't know can't hurt them.
"Davina and Tom," Matt stupidly covered up as he took a sip of his drink.
"Well...duh!" Eddie exclaimed as he sat down taking a bigger sip of his drink, "what's so interesting about their sex lives?" Eddie asked as the staff giggled slightly and Tom and Davina turned bright red. It's funny how conversations can change dramatically. Of course he knew that they weren't talking about Tom and Davina he wasn't stupid...most of the time.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Steph said as she raised her eyebrows ,waggling them at Eddie.
"That's why I asked," Eddie countered as he watched Davina and Tom blush deep crimson and squirm under his teasing. Not that they thought it was teasing.
"Anyway," Matt coughed awkwardly feeling sorry for his friends, "what's up with you and..." Matt was interrupted by Rachel herself turning up clad in work clothes.
"Where have you been?" Tom asked as he pointed at a cut to her right hand, it bleeding badly, her hair looked as if it had been through a bush and Eddie instantly guessed that she had been on an assignment and the adrenaline had carried her here without noticing the cut. There were probably a few more bruises hidden by the clothes as well but Eddie didn't want to think about that.
"Shit," she exclaimed as she picked up a napkin and sat down next to Eddie, "I need vodka a sterile needle and thread," she exclaimed as she noticed for the first time how deep the cut actually was.
"Don't just stand there do as she says!" Eddie panicked slightly as he took over the napkin holding for Rachel, holding her hand gently, as Steph rushed over to the bar tender who luckily had the supplies they needed and Jasmine ran to the bathroom to get some more tissues. Rachel ran her spare hand through her hair as she pulled out a twig and threw it on the table.
"Can someone get me a large glass of red please?" She asked the group, everyone shocked at how calm she was being. It was her first day and they were already obeying her orders.
"I'll get you the bottle," Tom said laughing nervously as his seat now occupied Steph. Davina had gone to throw up at the sight of blood. Steph handed the first aid kit and vodka in a mini bar bottle to Rachel as Rachel ripped open the vodka bottle with her teeth pouring it over the tissues and then replacing the napkin with the tissues as she hissed. Matt meanwhile had put the string into the sterile needle and had handed it to Eddie. Rachel grabbed her glass of wine and took a gulp before grabbing the needle off of Eddie.
Eddie removed the tissues and winced at the sight of the gash, it was pretty deep. How the hell had she managed that without noticing? Adrenaline or no adrenaline. Rachel held the needle between her teeth as she laid her hand flat on the table. Grabbing the needle with her right hand, not the best assuming she was left handed and started to stitch her skin back up, everyone wincing at the sight of her doing it. The only one who wasn't wincing was Rachel who was in deep concentration as she used her hand and Eddie to finish stitching it up. Sighing as she did the last knot she held her hand out to inspect her handiwork before wrapping it up with a bandage.
Everyone eyes were wide as they watched Rachel take another swig of her wine before brushing through her long sandy blonde hair with both her hands, "what?" She asked as she looked at the staff in front of her. All except Grantly who had passed out on his chair before Rachel had even arrived.
"How the hell did you get that gash?" Tom asked.
"How the hell did you know how to fix your hand?" Jasmine questioned.
"Without numbing stuff?" Steph asked.
"And why use vodka and not antiseptic wipes?" Davina asked.
"Right," Rachel sighed in realisation as she looked at her bandaged left hand once again,"the gash I have no idea to be honest. First aid training. Used to it. Best antiseptic you can get," Rachel answered all of their questions quickly and in order as everyone nodded their heads dismissing it. It all sounded way too complicated and they really didn't want to get into it.
Rachel then went into her handbag and pulled out a twenty, "I'll get the next round." Rachel got up from her seat, taking her handbag with her as she went over to the bar.
"Thanks for the needle. I don't think you'd want it back," Rachel laughed slightly at the bar tender who waved his hand dismissively.
"No worries, love. What can I get you?" He said leaning on one of the taps. He was tall, slim but well built and short spiked brown hair with piercing blue eyes. Looking back over at the group she looked at each of the drinks.
"Two larger's, gin and tonic, three white wines, whiskey and a red, please. I'm Rachel by the way," she said as the bartender raised his eyebrows.
"John, nice to meet you. Getting pissed tonight?" He laughed as Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Might," she said shrugging as she felt a presence of a man beside her.
"Need help?" It was Eddie's voice. That shocked her a bit, she was excepting Steph to be next to her for some gossip but looking at her heels she wondered how she was even able to stand up in them without her feet killing her.
"Are we trying to be friends again?" Rachel asked as she glanced down at her hands on the bar, her right hand toying with her bandage on her left. The bartender gave her a small smile as she smiled back and he left them to talk for a few minutes.
"Right, sorry," Eddie said as he puffed out a breath of air.
"Yeah," Rachel sighed as she glanced up to his face which was facing hers, "I...I need to give you this." Rachel handed him a small earpiece with a mini microphone.
"Why?" Eddie asked he placed it in his ear and attached the microphone to his chest.
"Because...we need to keep in contact and we can't be on the phone all day during school," Rachel exclaimed as the bartender returned with the rest of the drinks and smiled at Rachel.
"Thank you," she said as she took the tray and headed back over to the rest of the staff, handing out the drinks before settling back into her seat, before placing the number John had given her secretly into her bag.
"I think the bartender took a shine to you, Rachel," Matt teased as the girls giggled.
"Yeah," Rachel shrugged before taking a sip of her wine, ignoring the jealous look on Eddie's face, "anyway what were we talking about before I came in with a gash?" She asked changing the subject not wanting to talk about her frankly pathetic love life.
"Tom and Davina's sex life," everyone said at once including Tom and Davina as Rachel looked slightly taken aback.
Eddie awoke the next morning to the stream of light coming through the gap in his bedroom curtain. Opening his eyes slightly he closed them straight back up again and screwed them tightly shut. His head was pounding and his throat was dry. He tried getting up again and again until he realised that a force was keeping him pinned to the mattress. Looking down at his chest he went wide eyed as his eyes bore into the top of a head. A head with sandy blonde hair that belonged to Rachel. Not again.
Running his free hand over his face he looked back down again and sighed slightly before letting a small smile grace his lips. He tightened his grip around her bare waist, kissing the top of her head before she woke up, savouring the moment he had with her. They were going to talk sensibly before shouting and screaming at each other. They couldn't go on like they had been. He couldn't go on like this; he needed Rachel more than he would let on, more than he would let himself know. He smiled as he saw her left hand on his chest still wrapped in the bandage. He would have to ask her about that. That's if she doesn't flip out at him. They should have learned not to drink alcohol around each other.
Rachel awoke with a start immediately sitting up and wrapping a sheet around her tightly. She looked around her room that obviously wasn't hers when her gaze stopped on Eddie who was still lying back bare chested and looking directly at her. Sighing she flopped back and turned her gaze to face him, "are you going to shout and yell at me this time?"
Eddie winced. She was obviously still upset and hurt by the last time. Turning to meet her gaze he shook his head and smiled shyly at her, "no I'm not going to shout at you." He started as Rachel begun to get out of bed only to be pulled back down and into the embrace of Eddie who wrapped his arms back around her waist.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked obviously confused at his actions.
"I'm not letting you go. I was stupid last time because I was scared," he started as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Scared of what?" Rachel whispered at him as she looked into his eyes. They were naked in bed and she hadn't been kicked out yet. Completely different from last time.
"Scared of loving you because if I fall in love I'm doing the one thing I told myself I wouldn't. What I didn't realise back then is that it was already too late because Rachel Mason I fell in love with you long ago," he whispered before wiping the tears that were falling down Rachel's cheeks, "seven yeas ago I was stupid and idiotic and frankly being myself. I should have never let you go then and I'm not letting you go again. I don't hate you, Rach. It's just an act because you hate me."
"I only hate you, Eddie because you broke my heart," Rachel sighed as Eddie felt tears begin to fall down his cheek, "but I do...I do love you, Eddie. I've missed you so much," she whispered back scared at the thought of saying it out loud just in case it would break the spell. A smile spread across Eddie's face as he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose as she scrunched it up.
"It's a bit weird going from not being friends to being more than friends," Rachel giggled as Eddie nuzzled his nose in her hair before placing the tip of his nose exactly next to hers.
"We were always friends, Rachel. No matter how much of an arse I was being," he chuckled as Rachel nodded her head in agreement," and anyway...that's all in the past and we look forward to the future."
"I love you," Rachel whispered as his lips were a mere millimetres from hers.
"I love you, too," Eddie finished as he kissed her soundly on the lips for the first time. The first time sober anyway. Pulling away Rachel giggled as Eddie brought her left hand up to his lips and kissing the bandage them still lying on their sides face to face.
"Seriously, Rach how did you do this?" Eddie asked in concern as he kissed her hand again before resting it in his near his chest.
"Assignment. A fight with a knife it's all done and dusted now though," she reassured him as she kissed his lips again briefly before pulling back and smiling at him,"I'm glad we've sorted it out but you've still got to make it up to me."
"I'll do anything and I know but we've got plenty of time, right?" Eddie asked.
"All the time in the world," Rachel giggled as Eddie's grin became wider.
"What do we tell the staff? I mean we can't go from hating each other to in love," Eddie said as Rachel nodded her agreement, although technically that's what they had just done but with the extra of having loved each other to hating and back to loving. All a long story.
"We carry on hating each other in front of them then. At least until everything is done," Rachel suggested. It was the easiest and least stressful way and if hating each other was the way forward then so be it.
"Sounds like a plan Mason."