"Party's over, buddy," Derek said, prodding Mark in the arm. Mark startled awake, blinking up at Derek.
"Wh-Wuhh? Wh-where's Lexie? What time izzit?!"
"Lexie left two hours ago. Drunk as punch like yourself," Derek sighed.
"She get home safe?!" Mark demanded.
"Relax. I had security escort her back to the staff quarters."
"Great. Well, I'd say I had a smashing night with her, only I don't remember jack," Mark slurred.
"Well, smashing night or not, it's time to clear out. I need to lock up."
Mark stared morosely at his empty glass of whiskey. "Guess that means I gotta get back to the wife."
Derek shook his head. "She's not your wife yet. You can still pull out on the wedding. Like I said, it's the honourable thing to do. Marrying a woman you don't love? Now, that's just sad."
"Say that one more time and I'll deck you," Mark grumbled.
"Doubt you're even able to stand, let alone deck me," Derek snorted.
"Smug bastard," Mark grumbled. "Tell you what, I think I'll just lay here till dawn. Have a little nap. Hold out on the nagging that will inevitably ensue, the second I set foot in my suite."
"Sloan, really. I mean it, you need to clear out," Derek insisted.
"Fine, fine, have it your way," Mark muttered, resting his forehead against the bar table.
Derek rolled his eyes, taking Mark by the arm. "Come on, up you get."
Mark stumbled onto his feet, leaning against Derek, as he walked unsteadily towards the exit. Mark palmed a thick wad of cash into Derek's hand. Derek let out a low whistle, "What is that for?"
Mark shrugged. "You've been good company, lad. Listened to me while I've bitched and moaned; kept my confidence about Lexie. I respect that. I respect you."
"Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, Sloan, but your affair with my sister-in-law isn't exactly a secret on board this Ship. You're anything but discreet," Derek smirked.
"Well alright, boy. Hush your mouth, unless you wish for me to change my mind about the tip," Mark snapped.
"Suit yourself," Derek shrugged, pocketing the cash. Derek hauled the drunken Mark to the grand white marble stairwell and nodded at a floppy-haired, doe-eyed bellboy in a crimson velvet uniform with gold trimmings.
"O'Malley, escort Sir Sloan back to his Penthouse," Derek said.
"No problem, Sir," George replied.
Derek hurried back to the Sea Lodge, relieved to have the entire bar to himself. He glanced at his pocket watch. 11.45 pm. 15 minutes till Meredith's party, and she'd left him in charge of bringing the booze. If you're familiar with Mer's parties, you'd know that booze is always the upmost important factor of her parties. And if you can get your hands on some tequila, well then, Mer would make you her Twisted Soul Sister forever more. Derek hurriedly got to work. He dragged a large ice cooler and began trawling through the bar's alcohol stash, taking pains to steal only bottles of alcohol that had already been opened and were likely to be discarded if not consumed in the next few days. Eventually Derek filled 3 coolers with heavy duty booze. He filled out a stock-take form, ordering replacements for the bar.
"This'll do fine, even by the standards of my dark and twisty wife," he smiled to himself. Bending over, he dragged the 3 coolers out into the foyer of the Ship.
"Um… what are you doing, Derek?" George asked nervously.
Derek waved George over. "Get over here, O'Malley, help me with these coolers!" he whispered loudly.
"I uh… can't. I'm on duty tonight, busy manning the stairwell," George said.
"C'mon, O'Malley, it'll only take a minute," Derek persuaded. George hurried over, grabbing a cooler. Derek opened the fire exit door, beckoning George forwards.
"Err… Why are we going into the fire exit?" George asked. "Why not the main stairwell?"
"And get caught stealing booze by passing clients? Excellent idea, O'Malley," Derek chuckled.
George's eyes widened with shock. "Stealing? Wait a minute, nobody told me anything about stealing!"
"Keep your voice down. Didn't you hear about my wife's party?"
George shook his head, staring morosely at his feet. "People tend not to invite me to things."
"If you help me get this booze to Meredith, consider yourself invited."
George's face lit up like an excited puppy. "Really?!"
"Sure, O'Malley," Derek smiled.
"Oh but… Stealing, I donno about stealing," George hesitated.
"I only took half-finished booze that would be thrown out anyway, if not consumed by us," Derek reassured. "Now come on, we can't stand in the fire exit all night. My wife will go postal if she has to host a dry party."
Callie sat on the mahogany double poster bed, scowling at her husband. He lay flat on his stomach, fast asleep, with drool sliding out of his mouth. His face was flushed with inebriation, and she could smell whiskey on his breath and women's perfume on his shirt. The rage and sheer hatred she felt towards him bubbled within her, like the foul contents of a witch's cauldron.
"Lexie… Lexie, please," Mark murmured in his sleep. That womanizing, cheating, drunken, two-faced, lying sack of shit… Not only do I have to smell her cheap hookers perfume, I have to hear him call out her name as well!
Callie impulsively grabbed a plump pillow, holding it ominously over Mark's head. If I just clamp this pillow over his nose and mouth, no one would ever know… It would be over in 5 minutes, and I would be free! Free from a marriage doomed to fail! Free… to be with Arizona…
Suddenly Callie heard knocks at the door. She cast the pillow aside, startled and unnerved by her behaviour. Was this what her engagement would come to? Murder? Mark grunted and snorted obliviously in his sleep. More knocks sounded at the door.
"Who is it?!" Callied called out tersely.
"Room service."
"Good heavens, I didn't order-"
"Ohh just open the door, woman," Izzie snorted.
"Excuse you! Where do you get off-"
"Open the freakin' door, princess. Seriously!" Meredith piped up.
"Why, I never! What manners," Callie huffed, marching to the door. She stared in surprise at the two people standing outside, in waitressing garbs and a push cart.
"Aren't you Arizona's friend?" Callie asked Meredith. She remembered that girl: skinny blonde waif, whispering in her ear about a party on the lower decks.
"For your husband's purposes, we're waitresses with room service. Unless you plan on getting Arizona thrown overboard by your husband," Meredith replied.
"Well, you can drop the act. He's out cold. Had a long night drinking himself stupid and fucking some low-rent two-bit whore," Callie said bitterly. Izzie clapped her hand over mouth, fighting back giggles. Meredith rolled her eyes sourly.
"Wh-what…? Did I say something wrong?" Callie asked worriedly.
"That low-rent two-bit whore is Meredith's sister," Izzie giggled.
Callie's face blanched. "Oh goodness, I'm terribly sorry… I shouldn't have said that, what was I thinking, letting my mouth run off like that?"
Meredith waved her off. "It's fine. As much as I love her, that probably isn't an inaccurate description of her."
"Still, I am terribly embarrassed, and terribly apologetic," Callie muttered.
"You can make it up to us by lending some of your fine dresses for tonight's party," Izzie piped up.
"Is this why you've come to see me? To wear my clothing?" Callie asked, amused.
"Consider it an entrance fee to my party," Meredith said dryly. Callie strolled into the penthouse, and Meredith and Izzie followed suit, ogling at the fancy million-dollar surroundings, their eyes fixed on the crystal chandelier above.
"Damn, this is hands down the best suite on the whole fucking ship. And I've cleaned a lot of rooms here, believe me," Izzie commented.
"Wait till you see the walk-in closet," Callie grinned, trotting into the bedroom.
Meredith stared at the drunk sleeping Mark, eyeing his disheveled hair, red face and crumpled two-piece suit. He reminded her of herself on a Saturday night. "Wow… this is a testament to the fact that the rich are no different from the rest of us."
Callie threw open the double doors of her walk-in closet dramatically. Izzie and Meredith's jaws dropped. It was massive, and lined with innumerable pairs of high heels and colourful silk dresses. There was enough silk in there to clothe an army.
"Your closet's as big as my mama's trailer-house," Izzie muttered. Callie scrutinised Izzie up and down.
"What?" Izzie frowned.
"I have the perfect gown for you," Callie said, disappearing into the closet. She pulled out a beautiful full-bodied mauve ball gown, holding it up against Izzie. "You will look stunning in this."
A Whole New World
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world
With You