Norma Bates was too hot, self-conscious and drunk. The day had started so well, with her and Sarah sharing an afternoon of sisters-in-law-to-be bonding in a jacuzzi, and Norma had let herself be lulled into a false sense of security. The "bachelorette party" wasn't going to be the wild last-night-of-freedom she had feared it might be - It was going to be a classy evening to follow a classy day. Right?
She should have known something was wrong when Sarah demanded to see the rest of the clothes she had brought with her, sighing impatiently as she cast each of Norma's demure, floral or adorable dresses aside.
"Don't you have anything a little..." Sarah cast around, staring unhappily at the pile of pastel fabric on the bed. "Shorter?"
Norma crossed her arms, taking a deep breath, reminding herself that the bride was always right.
"Not really. What exactly is wrong with my clothes?"
Sarah breathed out a sudden laugh, rearranging her grumpy little scowl into an awkward look of horror at having offended Norma.
"Oh my god! No!" She crossed the room to stand in front of Norma, grasping her elbows lightly. "I'm so sorry! That's not what I- Oh my goodness! No! I LOVE your clothes!"
Norma found herself smiling reluctantly at the girl's enthusiasm over her dress sense.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." Sarah said, looking genuinely mortified. "Your little dresses are SO cute!"
Norma couldn't even feel patronised by her choice of words, raising one shoulder coyly, secretly flattered.
"It's just... you might look a little out of place... at the club."
"Club?" Norma picked up on the word immediately. "Club?" She repeated, incredulously. "Sarah, I am too old to go to a club."
"Well, not really. It's more of a bar." Sarah countered, turning back to Norma's case, avoiding eye contact. "Come on. Let's see if we can find you something in my closet..."
And that was how Norma found herself awkwardly leaning against a bar, in a place that definitely felt more like a club than a bar, tugging down the hemline of a much too short black dress. She glanced over to the group of girls on the dancefloor, keeping a motherly eyes on the increasingly drunk Sarah. Sarah's friends had been mostly lovely, though they all clearly knew each other and, despite their best efforts to include her, she had found herself on the peripherals of the group all night. Not that she minded all that much. She was quite content to sit back and watch the evening's frivolities unfold from a safe distance, occasionally waving off an invitation to "come dance with us!" or joining in on a round of tequila shots with the inebriated, shrieking mob. It was clearly that time again, as the swarm descended upon her again, crowding round her at the bar.
"You're missing all the fun!" A short brunette girl yelled loudly over the music.
"No, no. I'm having tons of fun." Norma said, her tone not deadpan enough for the girl to notice.
"Are you really?" Sarah slurred at her, appearing from between two blondes and linking her arm through Norma's. "Are you having fun? I'm worried you're not having fun."
"I am. I am." Norma assured her, casually taking the shot of tequila that had just been passed to Sarah out of her hand.
"I'm so glad. I like you alot!" Sarah said warmly, nuzzling her head against Norma's arm. "I'm not even mad you just took my shot off me." She slurred, grinning at her. "You have to drink it now though."
Norma hadn't had so much to drink that she felt drunk enough to stop drinking, but she had had enough that drinking Sarah's drinks seemed like a good idea. It was the most dangerous level of drunk to be. That was how Norma ended up leaning against the bar, her vision blurring, giving up completely on trying to keep her dress modest. Every time she pulled it down, the neckline slid down an inch too low, and every time she pulled it up, the hemline sprang up an inch too high. She couldn't win, so she eventually gave up. She had even danced, letting the enthusiastic brunette pull her onto the dancefloor, before quickly realising that it was a sweaty, groping claustrophobic hell and giving up, retreating back to the safety of the bar.
"Hey. Can I buy you a drink?" A tall, well-dressed man had appeared out of nowhere and was now leaning far too close to her, his gaze drifting down to her cleavage.
"No. No thank you. I already have one." She said politely, nodding down at her rum and coke. How many had she had now? God, she wanted nachos.
"Lemme get you another one lined up." He insisted, trying to get the bartender's attention.
"No, no really. I'm fine." She said. "Really."
"No, come on. One drink. Just one drink. What's the harm?"
"I'm just not interested. Sorry." Norma was sometimes polite to a fault, and as he leered at her, clearly thinking she was playing hard to get, she realised now was one of those times.
"Not interested, huh? Well, once you get to know me, I'm a pretty interesting guy-"
"I'm married. I have two children. My husband is a cop." The words tumbled out of her mouth, stringing together as one big slur and the man froze in place, after finally getting the bartender's attention. The bartender stood there expectantly, looking from Norma to the man in the suit, waiting for one of them to say anything.
"Er..." The man started, before Norma cut him off, glancing over her shoulder at where Sarah was shuffling in time to the music, her hair swinging wildly around her.
"Oh god." She muttered, noting that, as the night wore on, more and more of Sarah's friends had bowed out, leaving only a handful around the very inebriated bride.
"Hi. Can I get two waters?" Norma said sweetly. "And, do you sell nachos?" She blurted out.
The bartender laughed at her and shook his head, reaching for two bottles of water from the fridge. No nachos? This was definitely a club, not a bar. Once she had sobered up, she was going to have words with Sarah. She took the waters with a smile and jerked her head at the tall man who was still standing there awkwardly. "Thanks. He'll pay."
And with that, she turned and flounced away, pleased that she didn't stumble at the sudden movement. She reached Sarah after pushing her way through the thinning crowds on the dancefloor, immediately noticing something was wrong.
"Sarah?"
Sarah turned, looking up at her, her lashes wet with tears.
"What's wrong?" She started, as Sarah broke into a beaming smile at the sight of her, throwing her arms round her neck.
"Sarah? Honey?" She tried again, shouting in her ear over the terrible booming bass. "What's the matter?" She made eye contact with the last of Sarah's two friends, who shrugged at her helplessly.
She felt Sarah shake her head against her shoulder and mumble something she couldn't hear over the music.
"Ok." She hugged her back as best she could with the bottles of water still in her hand. "I'm gonna take her home." She shouted at the two girls, starting to pull Sarah away from the dancefloor, before turning back slightly. "Are you two gonna be ok?" Her mothering instincts kicked in, running an appraising eye over them both as they nodded at her.
She managed to manoeuvre Sarah over to a quieter corner and sat her down, crouching awkwardly in front of her as she tried to stop her dress from riding up too much.
"Sarah? Honey?" Sarah raised her head a little, her mascara running under her eyes, her head a blonde mass of curls in the humidity. "What's wrong?"
She gazed back at her, dazed.
"I just... I just love him so much." She said, sniffling, her bottom lip trembling.
"Ohh.." Norma breathed out. "Yeah. He's great, huh?" She smiled at her, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
She nodded, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.
"Yeah. He's so great. He's been so patient with me." She breathed out, with a little hiccup. "And he looks after me. He'd never let anything bad happen to me."
Norma didn't want to think too much about what that meant, or why Sarah suddenly looked so haunted, so she just brushed another wild tendril of hair behind her ear, slipping her phone out of her purse.
"And now you get to marry him. Isn't that great?" Norma said gently, watching as her face lit up.
"I wanna see him!" She announced, trying to stand but falling back down onto the booth seating.
"Ok. Just... stay." Norma commanded, ringing the only person she could think of to help.
"Alex?" She bit her lip, nervously. For all she knew, the boys had been back home for hours, maybe asleep, maybe staying up, worrying about her and Sarah.
There was a long pause, and she really did start to think he'd been asleep, before she realised she could hear music in the background.
"Er... yeah?" He sounded like he wasn't sure.
"It's Norma...?" She ventured, slightly distracted as Sarah chose that moment to slump back in the corner of the booth.
"Hi Norma." He said simply and she frowned as she leaned forward on her knees, to try and pull Sarah back up.
"Alex? I need you to come get us. Is Gabriel with you?"
"Gabriel?" He repeated slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, he's here. You wanna talk to him?"
"What? No. Just... we're at a club called Renegades or something? Can you come get us?"
"Er... yeah?" He said, slowly again and she sighed.
"Are you drunk?"
"Yeah." He muttered down the phone, without skipping a beat. "Are you?"
She glanced at Sarah, who was trying to curl her feet up under her on the seat, her eyes half closed, grabbing her foot to stop her. She wasn't as wasted as the crying blonde in front of her, but as she stumbled to her feet unsteadily, she recognised that she had still had way too much to drink.
"Er.. yes. Yes I am."
There was a sharp intake of breath and then she heard Gabriel's voice muttering something she couldn't quite hear.
"We'll be right there." And then he hung up, and she was left wondering if she'd made the right decision. She bent down to hand Sarah the bottle of water.
"Here. Drink this. You'll feel better." She murmured, pleased when Sarah opened her eyes and took the water without argument.
There was a movement behind her and she straightened up, her back bumping into someone's chest, someone who was standing way too close for comfort.
"Hey there, Mrs Cop." A voice in her ear said, and she sighed, stepping away from his proximity, turning to fix him with a glare.
"Hello again." She said coolly, staring at the tall man from the bar.
"How're those waters working out for you?" He said, grinning at her, letting his eyes drift down to her chest. She crossed her arms across herself, shuffling to stand protectively in front of her friend. She said nothing for a moment, hoping he'd get the message, rolling her eyes when he continued to smile at her idioticly.
"Look, I told you. I'm married. If you like, I will reimburse you for the bottles of water."
"No need." He held up his hand graciously, like he was doing her some big favour. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"What a gentleman." She deadpanned back at him, narrowing her eyes as he leaned to the side to glance at Sarah.
"Your friend doesn't look too good. She ok?"
"She's fine." She shot back immediately, hoping that Sarah as still conscious behind her.
"Hey, is she married too?"
Norma rolled her eyes, letting her disgust take over her face.
"Ok, ok. That's enough." She snapped, reaching forward to gently push the man out of her and Sarah's little corner booth, surprised when he went easily, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
She turned back to Sarah, relieved to find her still sitting up, calmly sipping on water, her hands shaking slightly.
"Who's your friend?" She asked, smiling up at Norma.
"Oh him? He's just a real swell guy I met at the bar. I'm thinking of leaving Alex for him." Norma joked back, licking her thumb and reaching out to rub at the mascara tracks underneath Sarah's eyes, the unconscious act of a mother. Sarah held her face up like a child, and let Norma clean her up as best she could, trying to make her a little more presentable and a little less dishevelled.
She was bending down again, finally finishing trying to smooth Sarah's hair into something resembling her usual perfect curls, when she felt a hand grasp at her hip and she straightened immediately, her hands balling into fists by her sides. This guy just didn't know when enough was enough. In a split second her elbow was poised, ready to strike right in the gut when she froze, recognising the cologne.
"Jesus, Norma." Alex's voice slurred right against her ear, one hand snaking across her stomach, pulling her back against him. "What are you wearing?" He mumbled, his other hand dropping to her thigh, pulling uselessly at the hemline, trying to tug it down. She would have objected to him pulling at her dress, had her drunken body not been so distracted by the feel of him against her back, his hand hot through the thin fabric of Sarah's dress.
"Where is my bride?" A dramatic voice boomed out from behind them, and Alex moved away suddenly, Norma already missing the contact, and she turned, stepping to the side to reveal where Sarah was sat. They reunited like lovers who had been kept apart for many months, not just for a few drunken hours, and he swept her up into his arms, ignoring her drunken cries of: "You're not supposed to see me before the wedding!"
"We're drunk! It doesn't count!" He mumbled back at her, wrapping an arm around her and supporting her as they made their way out of the club, apparently forgetting Norma and Alex were there.
"Hi." She said, suddenly shy, as she self-consciously pulled at her dress, crossing her arms in front of herself. His eyes raked up and down, his eyebrows lifting as he took her all in.
"Hi yourself." He smirked at her. "Good night?"
"Oh the best." She shot back, smiling at him. "You?"
"Oh it's been great." They smiled at each other, before he glanced around the club, which was rapidly emptying as the night drew on. "You ready?"
She nodded, gratefully to be leaving the "bar" and turned to leave, surprised when Alex reached out to take her hand, strolling out with her.
They caught up to Sarah and Gabe, who were now waiting by the curb, laughing hysterically with each other, and Norma could hardly believe that it was the same girl who'd been crying her eyes out ten minutes ago. Alex and Norma were a few feet away, when Gabe managed to flag down a taxi, clumsily folding Sarah into it, before falling in himself, her laughter a piercing giggle now.
They shared a moment of unspoken communication as they both halted in their tracks, letting the taxi drive away without them in it. As they saw a heeled foot spring up suddenly, accompanied by a loud shriek of laughter, then decided they'd made the right choice.
They suddenly felt very alone on the sidewalk, glancing shyly at each other as they watched the car drive away, both hoping the taxi driver didn't have CCTV in the back.
"We'll get the next one." Norma said brightly, feeling slightly more sober in the fresh night air. It was much cooler than the night before, some of the heat of the day actually burning off, leaving a slight chill now they were outside. She shivered.
"Are you cold?" He asked, slipping his jacket off before she could even answer. "Here." He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, pulling her so she turned to face him directly, his hands tugging the front of the jacket to pull her closer. She snuggled gratefully into the warmth gazing up at him, finally noticing the dazed expression on his face as he looked her up and down.
"How much have you had to drink?" She said suspiciously.
Alex panted out a short laugh, looking down at his feet guiltily.
"Too much." He admitted, his voice slurring a little.
"Same." She agreed, licking her lips and still tasting salt and lime on them. His eyes flicked down to watch as her tongue darted out.
"What are you wearing?" He asked the same question from earlier, his hands never letting go of the front of the jacket keeping it wrapped around her, keeping her pulled close against him.
"It's Sarah's." She admitted shyly, rolling her eyes. "She insisted."
He said nothing for a moment, so he batted his hands away from the front of the jacket, letting the sides fall open to he could get a better look at her. She batted her eyelashes up at him, biting her lip coyly as he hungrily looked her up and down.
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"No." He said immediately, and her face fell, immediately wrapping his leather jacket back around herself, turning away from him just as a taxi rolled down the street.
"Taxi!" She flagged it down, sliding in before he could say another word, turning her face haughtily to glare out of the window, her arms crossed across her chest. He told the driver the address, and then she heard him click off the intercom, so the driver couldn't hear them.
"You're mad." He stated simply and she said nothing, just let her foot tap against the floor.
"Because I don't like the dress." He said, and she wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement so she continued to say nothing.
She felt him shuffle closer to her, sliding across the seat to sit right next to her.
"I don't like it, because it's not you." He clarified, his words definitely slurring now. "I like how you usually dress." She softened slightly, though continued facing out of the window.
"But... you do look good." His hand came to rest on her knee and she jumped, not expecting it. His hand slid an inch higher, slowly, like he was testing the water. "I just don't like the idea of other men looking at you... Wanting you." She knew he was emboldened by the alcohol in his system, and that his newfound burst of honesty wouldn't last, but she still found her eyes drifting shut at his words. Possessiveness was usually such a turn off, but, as his hand drifted higher, sliding gently up her thigh, she couldn't help but find his jealousy hot. She almost wanted to tell him about the guy from the bar, just to see what he'd do, but she didn't.
She sucked in a deep breath as his hand reached the top of her thigh, his knuckles brushing against her underwear, making her unconsciously lick her lips. There were a million reasons not to do this. Their marriage was fake, he was cheating on their fake marriage with some redhead, she had made him think she had slept with him out of obligation just because he hurt her feelings, they were drunk, she had issues, they were in the back of a taxi, but, as his fingertips traced the edge of her panties, his chest hard against her shoulder, her thighs naturally dropping open for him, she couldn't find the will to stop.
Her head turned of it's own accord, kissing him aggressively before she could stop herself. It was sloppy and drunken and her hands came out to clutch at his shirt before wrenching herself away to make sure the taxi driver was keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't seem to have noticed anything, or if he had, he was keeping his eyes conspicuously on the road as he kissed her again, his fingers grazing lightly across her panties, making her gasp into his mouth.
"You taste like whiskey." She panted out. "And cigars." She tried to make her tone disapproving, pretending she didn't find it kinda hot. He tasted dangerous, and intoxicating and she licked his lip trying to get more.
"You taste like lime." He slurred back at her, and she grinned.
"We went to a strip club." He murmured against her jaw as he kissed her there, and she pulled back immediately, fixing him with a hard glare.
"I don't want to hear that." She snapped, using her grip on his shirt to give him a little shake.
"No, no..." He started, leaning forward to sloppily kiss her neck again, pleased when she grumpily let him. "I didn't like it."
She tutted at him. That wasn't really good enough.
"None of them were as beautiful as you." He stuttered against her throat, and despite herself, she smiled, not letting him see.
"I'm prettier than a stripper? Well, high praise indeed!" She joked, gasping as he growled, shifting to press her against the corner of the backseat, his arm curling around her back, holding her close to him.
"Take the compliment Norma." He muttered, his tongue darting out to lick at her collarbone, making her suck in a little hiss that had him smiling.
Feeling bold, she reached down, sliding his hand back up her thigh, letting her legs drop open again as his knuckled gently skimmed the outside of her underwear, shivering as he did so. His thumb suddenly flexed out, pressing down hard against her and she bucked, biting her lip to stop from crying out at the sudden pressure. She glanced uneasily at the front of the taxi, before pushing his hand away very suddenly, squirming to sit up properly in her seat. He sank back as she batted his hands away, not fighting it as she pushed him back to sit over on his side of the backseat.
Glancing over, she noticed him staring out of the window, a confused little frown pulling on his face, his hands flexing in his lap like they couldn't figure out what they'd done wrong.
She reached over to squeeze his thigh, realising he thought they were done, that she wanted him to stop.
"Not in the back of a taxi..." She whispered, flicking her gaze to the driver behind the plexiglass, then gazing back at him, her eyes dark with desire, biting her lip.
He nodded, a smile slowly spreading over his face, as they realised they were already pulling up Gabe and Sarah's drive.
She slipped out first, taking her heels off to sprint up the drive to wait by the door for him, while he paid the taxi driver. She was fumbling with the spare key they had been given and didn't hear him come up behind her until he wrapped an arm around her, one hand snaking under his jacket to rest just under her ribcage, the other pressing against the side of her thigh, the same position as when he'd found her in the club.
He pressed a line of soft kisses from her earlobe down the side of her neck and her head fell back, giving him better access, letting her eyes fall closed. One hand slid from her thigh to her hand, taking the now forgotten key out of her hand.
"Here. Let me." He whispered, suddenly pulling away from her, and stepping around her to open the door. He fumbled with the unfamiliar lock for a moment, giving Norma a chance to catch her breath. She chewed her lip thoughtfully.
This was happening. They were going to do this. And she wanted to this time. She really wanted to. So why, when he finally got the door open, and let it swing open triumphantly, did she feel a tiny pang of familiar dread course through her?
Stop it. She told herself. You're doing this. And you're going to like it.