Three years later

It's an action I normally don't allow myself. But due to the newspaper clipping in front of me, I'm allowing myself to get drunk.

Frank and Nancy are getting married tomorrow. That's why I'm here sitting at a hotel bar on my third martini.

It's been three years since I broke up with Frank. I haven't really regretted that decision. It's only on nights like these when I'm feeling sorry for myself that I regret it.

Looking back at the clipping, you can see how much they love each other. Frank and I wouldn't have been able to make it that far. Goodness, I don't think we would have made it to the end of the year if I hadn't broken things off when I did.

The bartender's placed another drink in front of me. When I got in here and took out the picture, he understood. That's the unspoken agreement we have tonight. He'll keep the drinks coming as long as I don't disrupt the bar.

I sense movement next to me and an all too familiar voice saying, "I'll have what she's having." The bartender nods and fixes Frank a dirty martini. I take a gulp out of my drink and turn towards him.

Apparently he's noticed that I've had some drinks before this as he asks. "How many drinks have you had?" he asks, looking at my face and my too bright eyes.

"Counting this one?" I nod sloppily towards the drink. He nods. "Four." Frank's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Four? Don't you think that's more than enough?"

"Oh…shut up Frank. If I wanna get drunk, don't you think that's up to me?" With that I finish up the rest of my drink. Apparently he doesn't know what to say to this as he just nods.

"But why do you? Want to get drunk that is?" he asks. I weigh the pros and cons of telling him the truth, as well as my intoxicated brain can and decide to screw the consequences. I pick up the picture after fumbling around with it for a few seconds. I misjudge the distance between Frank and me and shove it in his face.

"It's because you're getting married. Tomorrow. To her." I slur the last two words.

Frank gently pushes my hand out of his face and you can't help but notice the flash of love and pride in his eyes.

"You're getting drunk because I'm getting married? As I recall, you were the one who broke up with me." At that, I steal his martini and drink half of it in one gulp.

"I think you've had enough," Frank says as he takes the glass out of my hand. I nod.

"I suppose you're right." I say slurring the sentence. The alcohol is starting to catch up with me. "Can I ask you a question?" I ask, standing up. He catches me by my elbows as I start to slide.

"Sure," Frank says as he nods towards the bartender. The bartender walks over to us and opens his mouth.

"Charge it to my room. 1581," I say. He nods and walks away. Frank grabs me around my waist.

"Let's go, Callie," He says and starts to guide me out of the bar.

"Well, I was the one to dump you. But you were the one who left me." With that sentence, Frank stops.

"I never left you," he says quietly.

"Oh, oh, oh, yes you did Mr. Frank Hardy." I tap my finger on his chest as I say his name for emphasis. "You were the one who fell for another girl."

"Granted," Frank says, starting up again and walking towards the elevator. "You said something that day that I've always wondered about. You said that you knew why I didn't tell you about the kiss in Cairo. What did you think was the reason?"

I glance back longingly in the direction of the bar. If I ever needed a drink, this would be it. Frank pushes the elevator button and the stupid elevator reaches the floor almost immediately. We walk in as I answer him.

"Because you knew that you had feelings for Nancy. You just didn't want to acknowledge them. Plus we had been going out for so long, you thought that neither one of us would know what to do if you did. And you didn't want half the female population at Bayport mad at you."

"That last reason isn't true," he states with a half laugh as the elevator reaches my floor.

"Suuurrrreee," I slur as we walk into the hallway.

"1581 your room?" he asks. I nod, trying to ignore the fact that I need to throw up. He makes me turn left.

"But you admit that everything else is true?" I ask him, bringing us back to the earlier discussion. Frank stops yet again and thinks. I don't think he has any idea how annoying that is.

"…Yes," He says this slowly. "Also I think that I didn't want to hurt you or Nancy."

"Is that also why you didn't tell me afterwards?"

"Yes."

"But you did hurt me," I say sadly then immediately brighten up. "But I'm long over that."

"I'm sorry about that," Frank says as we reach my room.

"It's finnneeeee. I forgave you a looooooooonnnnngggg time ago." Boy, the alcohol is really starting to mess me up.

"Where's your key?" Franks asks. I shove my purse at him.

"Somewhere in here," I say as I lean against the wall and slide down. Frank smirks at me as I let out a burp. He starts to search my purse.

Frank blushes as I hear a zipper in my purse being opened. He must have reached the tampon/condom pocket. I decide to explain it. This is of course showing that I am drunk.

"You never know when it's going to come in handy. Did you know that you're cute when you blush?" Frank stops searching and looks at me. He definitely can't believe that I just said that. Oh well, five martinis will do that to a girl. Especially to one who can't hold liquor that well. At this point, Frank finds my key and opens my door.

"Come on, Callie. Time to get you to bed," he says. Frank holds out his hands for me to grab onto. I must pull myself up too fast because I land my face into his chest.

"Oww…." I say.

"You okay?" he asks, removing my face from his chest.

"You have a hard body."

"I've been told that by many people." Neither one of us knows what to say after this. An uncomfortable silence ensues for him. As for me, I'm past that and am trying to decide whether or not I should invite the little green people into my room for the night.

As I decide to do that, Frank takes me into my room where I immediately fall onto my bed, forgetting I'm in a skirt. When Frank comes out of the bathroom with a plastic cup full of water, he gets beet red.

"Callie? You're in a skirt."

"Yeah, so?"

"I…can see. A bunch."

Partial understanding dawns on my face. "Ohh…my pajamas are in my suitcase." Frank shakes his head and walks to my suitcase. When he comes back, my nylons are currently in the vicinity of my ankles and I'm struggling with my heels.

"Need some help?" he asks, kneeling down.

"Stupid shoes. Stupid guy who invented them." I flop back on the bed, letting the nausea pass over me. Frank apparently takes that sentence as a yes as he unstraps them.

"Frank?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you doing this?" That question's been bugging me for the last ten minutes and my alcohol filled brain can't think of a reason.

"Because you looked like you needed a friend tonight."

"Oh." I decide not to go any further with that question. However, I do decide to ask another question. "Why are you in the hotel tonight?"

"Because I got kicked out of the house tonight. Bess convinced Nancy that I shouldn't be there. Something about bad luck."

"Cool," I say. Frank shakes his head at me. I finish my water and stand up for some reason. Frank follows my lead.

He evidently decides to ask me the same question. "Why are you here tonight?"

"Because...they have good martinis?" I offer up.

"That's not the reason why."

"No. It's not. The reason why I'm here is because I needed some place to drink. I know the manager and she managed to get me a room here. That way I could get drunk and have some place to stay."

"Oh."

Frank turns to leave. My alcohol induced brain struggles for words to say. I want to say something but it's not coming out. He's halfway to the door when I find what I'm looking for.

"Frank?" I venture. He turns around.

"Yes?"

"I would say this if I was sober. So take it that I mean it, okay?"

"All right."

"You and Nancy deserve the best of everything that comes your way. Tell her that if she doesn't take care of you, she and I'll have to have a little chat." I put quotation marks around the word chat. Frank smiles and laughs.

"I will do that."

I give him a sad smile. "Goodbye, Frank."

"Goodbye, Callie." Frank gives me a half wave and closes the door behind him. I fall back on the bed again and sigh.

That's one more chapter in my life closed.