"Can I get another beer, honey?" the man seated at the bar asked, holding up his empty glass.
"The pale ale again?" Emily asked, grabbing a clean glass and trying not to cringe at being called honey by yet another drunken stranger.
"Actually...maybe something different this time," he mused. "Can you get me a Blowjob?" he asked with a wolfish grin.
She raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
"What? It's a drink..." he said in self-defence. "Although..."
Emily rolled her eyes. It was hardly the first time she'd been hit on like this, by now it just rolled right off her. "I'm sure you're quite charming, but..." She shrugged. "I'm afraid I'm seeing someone and I don't think she'd appreciate your drunken solicitousness."
He chuckled. "A girlfriend, hmm?" He looked her up and down. "Tell me about her."
"Why?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I'm bored. Got no one else to talk to. Came here to visit my sister, but she's hiding something, wouldn't let me stay at her house."
Emily raised a brow. "S-sister?" she repeated as the pieces started to fall into place. There was a definite resemblance between this drunken stranger and Alex that she couldn't ignore...
He nodded. "We're not that close. But I don't know why she's keeping secrets."
"I can think of a few reasons," she said under her breath. But she plastered on a smile anyway.
"Em?" Alex asked around a yawn when she answered the phone. "Aren't you at work?"
"Yeah. And you'll never guess who's here," she said wryly. She was trying to keep her voice quiet so Scott wouldn't overhear the conversation...not that he was paying all that much attention to anything other than his drink at the moment.
"What?" she mumbled, confused. Afterall, it was the middle of the night...
Emily sighed. "Your brother."
A beat.
"What?"
She groaned. "Scott Miller is sitting at my bar, drunk off his ass and asking me to give him a Blowjob."
"What?"
"It's a drink," she explained. "Anyway, he's drunk and needs someone to drive him home."
An exasperated sigh. Then, "I'll be right there."
When Alex arrived at the bar, Emily was attempting to pour coffee down Scott's throat in an effort to sober him up. Scott, however, was not in the mood to cooperate, as evidenced by his persistence at finding out more about Emily's 'mystery' girlfriend.
"Come on..." he wheedled, "Just tell me..."
Emily caught Alex's eye over his shoulder, relief washing across her face. "Oh, look," she said, "Here's your ride."
Scott looked up sharply, nearly falling off the barstool as he spun around. "Alex?" he slurred. "What... What are you doing here?"
"Apparently driving your drunk ass home," she said pointedly. "It's like high school all over again."
"Oh." He thought on that for a moment. "Or you could stay and have a drink with me."
She rolled her eyes. "I think more alcohol is the last thing you need."
He pouted. "Maybe you would loosen up, though, and tell me this big secret you're hiding."
Her eyes went wide. "What... What makes you think I'm hiding something?"
"Duh..." he scoffed. "I'm not blind."
She sighed, shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Obviously it's something," he insisted. "Or you wouldn't be so stressed about hiding it from me."
He was right...not that she was about to admit that to him.
"Come on," he persisted. "I know we've never been as close as you and Danny, but I'm still your brother. You can tell me anything."
She didn't seem so certain. For a long time, she said nothing. She caught Emily's gaze once again, sharing a silent conversation.
"Look, Scott, you have a tendency to be – shall we say – an asshole sometimes. Especially when I have a secret. Like when we were kids and I got this tiny scratch on Dad's car and you just told him, even though he never would have noticed if you didn't say anything. You totally screwed me – on more than one occasion... So, it's really fucking hard to trust you."
He nodded slowly, gaze unfocused. "I get that."
She raised a brow. "Do you?"
He nodded more insistently. "I want to do better, Al."
Alex chewed at her lip. She wanted to trust Scott, but she'd been burned before. "If I tell you something, you cannot under any circumstances tell Dad. Do you understand?"
"You can tell me," he said again.
A heavy sigh. "James and I are separated."
"Separated?" he repeated dumbly. "Wh-why?"
She sighed. "That's personal."
He shook his head. "No, I meant, why is it some big secret?"
"Because you and Dad practically worshipped the ground James walked on – I was like an afterthought when he was around," she exclaimed. "Somehow, I felt like I was the stranger in a room full of my own family."
Scott didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "Alex..." he said at length. "We never liked him more than you. I mean, you know, you're my sister..."
"Wow, what a warm heartfelt sentiment," she deadpanned.
He chuckled. "Well, I don't want you getting a swelled head," he joked.
A faint smile crossed her lips. It was the closest thing to a genuine conversation they'd had in years. "So..." she said slowly, "You won't tell anyone?"
"Tell them what?"
With a little laugh, she whispered, "Thanks."
"No, really... I'm pretty wasted right now."
Alex caught Emily's gaze again and Emily shot her a wink, trying to keep her laughter to herself.
"Let's get you home," Alex said to Scott. Without answering his question. "Get in the car."
Once he'd stumbled away, Emily turned to Alex and said, "So, I'm guessing that means I'm not coming over?"
She shrugged. "Unfortunately, I think I have to make sure my brother doesn't choke on his own vomit."
Emily laughed, leaned across the bar to steal a kiss, since last call had past and there was no one to see. "Have fun," she teased.
Alex winked. "I'd have more fun with you..."
