A/N my guilty pleasure for this chapter was 'At my weaknesses by James Arthur, yes I am that cheesy.
Chapter 33) Late Night Lush
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It happened when he walked her home late that night.
She'd been late, that's what bothered him the moment Arthur started his toast. The Shepherd had been transformed into a beacon of class and excessive wealth. It was a complete overkill on everything the Blinders had to offer. Alcohol, money, cocaine and women. It was their private party, only Blinders and Lee's were allowed. Tommy had done his best to appear as impeccable as possible, which had taken him a long time, considering he still struggled to use his right hand. It had taken him ages to pull himself inside a three-piece suit, tie the laces of his cap toe Oxfords' and steady his trademark flat cap on top of his head. For the occasion he'd left the sling at home, waving the last bit of his sick days farewell.
The black performers paused their rhythmic Jazz as they'd been given a cue and a line of flapper dressed waitresses came out to serve all guests champagne.
Arthur's speech had been decent, succinct and didn't hold as many curses as Tommy expected. Zilpha seemed pleased about his brother's kind words towards her kin and tipped her glass Tommy's way as they all drank to celebrate their new cooperation and of course the return of the guest of honour. Arthur's smirk grew wider as he stood on stage, taking in all the attention. He chugged down his champagne at once and slammed the glass onto a silver tray one of the waitresses held.
That was the cue for the band to continue their performance and soon fast dancers filled the dance floor, moving to an upbeat rhythm. Once the champagne doused everyone's blood and the silver platters started to be used for lines of coke, the atmosphere gained a more openly sexual element to it.
"Happy to have you here Tom," Arthur confided theatrically, "you're my right hand, my main man, the bloody advisor! Without you I wouldn't be owning this place. A place with big tits!"
Tommy rolled his eyes at his brother's repeated phrase as they clinked their glasses together. Arthur had traded his second champagne for a snifter glass and poured down his whiskey.
"Where's that little speaker lass of yours by the way?" His brother asked, pulling a waitress' shoulder to dump his glass and wolf down some of the fancy appetizers.
Tommy had been wondering about that for a good half an hour now and started to feel more and more out of his element. Of course he'd packed his notebook; he learned to always keep a piece of paper in reach ever since Maria won them the Shepherd. But still, he didn't want to fall back into a second hand form of communication, definitely not during such an important night as this.
To prevent himself from indulging in the large amounts of cocaine and free drinks, he took out a cigarette and offered one to his brother. Smoking helped to take a little of the edge off, but it still pissed him off that his speaker was nowhere in sight.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Arthur spat abruptly and it took Tommy less than a second to notice what had triggered Arthur's mixture of shock and annoyance.
Ada waltzed through the main entrance with as much grandeur as she could muster. She'd taken the flapper girl theme all the way, wearing a dropped down waistline dress with a plunging neckline and back. The long emerald green shoulder length gloves matched the dress and apparently she'd plundered Polly's jewellery chest. A long pearl necklace bounced from her chest as she moved to the music. She'd been drinking; of course, his baby sister was highly intoxicated and swaying on the dance floor.
And she'd tagged his speaker along in her crimes.
Arthur shouted something to Ada about taming it down a little bit and didn't notice how Tommy froze.
Maria was being pulled onto the dance floor by Ada, wearing a similar outfit, being in a similar state. Drunk. The lashes of her sleeveless dress were provocatively swaying from her shoulders. She didn't look as tacky as she'd been during their first encounter in the Shepherd and had kept her make up to a minimal. As if on cue, she took out her lipstick from a tiny handbag to apply more, then nudged Ada's shoulder and handed it over, pointing at his sister's lips.
They were giggling, dancing and cheering when a waiter brought them a glass of gin.
A vein seemed to pop inside his head and Tommy rushed towards the two highly intoxicated girls.
What do you think you're doing? He signed to Maria with utter frustration. His speaker eyed him up and down, taking a sip from her drink and honestly didn't seem to understand where his anger came from.
"Having fun, Ada told me to have some fun, like all the preppy girls do so," she shrugged, allowing the straps of her dress to slide down further, "that's what we're doing, having fun."
Tommy stared at his speaker to his sister who suppressed a mischievous smile.
"She was so nervous getting to the party. So we made a little pit stop along the way, I bought her some drinks to drain the stress out!" Ada exclaimed, patting Maria on the shoulders. "Don't worry Tommy, she ain't the first good girl to go bad and she certainly won't be the last."
Maria didn't even notice Ada's words as she stumbled a little on her feet in heels to high and definitely not her size.
Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose, when that didn't give him any form of self-control he rubbed his eyes until he saw stars. Was it illegal to execute your own sister if she pushes you into insanity?
Tommy shook his head, giving the universe a big fuck you and then quickly snatched the glass from Maria's hand.
No more alcohol for you, he ordered her, downing her glass and being a complete hypocrite, take Ada to the ladies' room, freshen up and come back to me. You're my speaker, be presentable!
Maria's droopy eyes and complete lack of focus told him she wasn't going to be of any use this evening. He threw his hands up in the air and signed: Fuck it; you know what knock yourself out. You wanna be a preppy drunk bitch, then be one!
He yanked a waitress closer and gave Maria another glass which she hesitantly took. She seemed bothered by his outrage and close to tears. Luckily, Ada came to her rescue.
"C'mon Tom, let her have a night of fun, I'll take good care of her!" His sister pressed, clutching his arm.
He didn't respond and drew his arm back. Fine, if the two hissy fits wanted to get unbelievably drunk and make a complete fool out of themselves, let them have the night. They'd be hung over in the morning; it would be a good life lesson.
Tommy retreated from the dance floor and exchanged bothered gazes with Arthur.
Let them have this, we'll keep an eye on them, he wrote down in his notebook and showed his brother.
"No-one is mad enough to touch them anyway;" Arthur muttered back, "Ada sure as hell is taking after dad." Arthur added, eyeing how their kid sister was drunkenly shouting to one of the barmaids.
'Yeah and look who she's dragged along', Tommy thought to himself throwing a scowl to his speaker who happened to be having the time of her life, 'she's going to regret this in the morning.'
The evening passed excruciating slowly, Tommy had been forced to shake hands, toast glasses and did his best not to become caught up in an actual conversation. Luckily, the cocaine worked like a charm, the few lines made the evening more bearable.
John had been talking to him for a while, his precious Ai glued to his side. Tommy didn't recall much from the conversation and had been merely staring over his younger brother's shoulder to spy on his speaker.
She'd been asked to dance by a few Lee boy's which she neatly declined and kept glued to Ada's side, twirling on her feet. Every once in a while she'd tried to catch his gaze, which he stubbornly ignored. He was being a prick to her and he was fully aware of that fact. She honestly wasn't doing anything to hurt him, but still her behaviour stung. She was having fun on her own, opening herself up to other people and experiencing things that are normal for her and those her age.
It suddenly occurred to him that her Catholic mother wasn't going to like any of this. And that he, eyeing the state his speaker was in, should be the one to drop her off home. Of course he could ask any of their men, but that was asking the cat to guard the cream.
It was near midnight when he thought his speaker had enough fun and informed Arthur that he was walking her home. Arthur reminded him that he was the guest of honour but when he pointed at the swaying girl on the dance floor Arthur understood his point.
"I'll ask John to take Ada home in a few," Arthur promised, aware his little sister had been throwing up in one of the huge porcelain vases.
Tommy took the liberty to escort Maria off the dance floor by snatching her wrist, spinning her on her ridiculous heels and yanking her to the main exit. It was a weird re-enactment of their first night in the Shepherd, only this time she was drunk and her makeup was still intact.
Did you bring a jacket? Tommy asked her, nearing the lobby.
Maria looked puzzled, shrugged and reached for her tiny purse to see if it was still there.
You didn't bring a jacket or you don't know? Tommy pressed agitated.
"I don't know," Maria murmured, eyes drifting over the large amount of intoxicated people surrounding her, "is that man alright?"
Tommy looked over his shoulder to see one of the Lee boys slowly but steadily sink down on one of the marble pillars, snoring on his way to the floor. One of his mates was pissing against one of their exotic plants.
Ignoring the two lads, Tommy took an empty glass from one of the silver trays and shoved it into Maria's hand. He pointed to the door of the ladies room.
Go take a piss, drink a glass of water. Don't take anything anyone's offering you, he ordered her firmly and supported her until she reached the door.
'Fucking great', Tommy thought, this was exactly what he wanted to do on his first night out. Babysitting his smashed speaker.
While she was hopefully drinking something aside from alcohol, he made his way towards the lobby and got his jacket. On his way back Maria had to use the door handle of the ladies room to stay on her feet and caught a lot of prying eyes.
Once more Tommy made it very clear that she was with him and not to be touched. Like a true gentleman, he swung his jacket over her shoulders, giving all spectators a very meaningful glare and escorted the pair of them into the endless streets of Small Heath.
"I'm fine," she stated, though physically showing the complete opposite: drunk off her socks and nearly cross eyed, "I can walk myself home."
Of course you can, he signed to her, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder as she staggered along. She pouted like a small child not getting what they wanted and remained silent for a while.
Tommy couldn't help but smirk, he was never going to let her forget about this evening. Little holy Mary, wasted on her first night out.
Your mother is going to love this, he stated.
"She's asleep," Maria retorted, "fast asleep," she continued when he gave her a stern look, "I slipped her one of those sleeping pills you refused to take from when we were at the hospital. Doctor Rivers was right, they work miracles. It was Ada's idea," she explained when he raised his eyebrows.
He was going to have a serious conversation with his little sister in the morning. And with his speaker too, once was regained her senses.
He noticed something different about her when he took out a cigarette and she asked for one. Surprised, he watched her light the tip and inhale gracefully without getting caught in a coughing fit.
"Ada taught me how to smoke, like a proper lady," she explained with a smug grin forming around her cigarette as she caught his gaze. Retaining eye contact, she inhaled again and slowly allowed the smoke to escape through her nostrils.
Maybe it was the way she watched him, with a fresh flush on her cheeks, or how she hooked her arm around his. But there was something, tension? He wasn't sure what word to give the changing atmosphere.
Maybe it was simply the fact that mere minute ago they'd been in a club where sex and lust were for the taking. Or that he'd been horny ever since he snorted his second line of coke and had been craving for any kind of feminine physical attention for weeks.
He sighed, he needed to get laid. Once he got back to the Shepherd, he'd order up that brunette prostitute he'd had his eyes on the first night he'd been there. That would take the edge off.
The whole way home he firmly told himself she was just being drunk, clumsy and far too naive to purposely portray such flirtatious behaviour. It was the gin that made her whisper stupid little things in his ear; he could smell it on her breath. It also made the tiny hairs on his neck stand up and stir something inside his abdomen.
When they finally reached her apartment she pulled him in close and pressed her index finger on his lips.
"We have to be quiet, mum is out but April and May are light sleepers," she whispered to him, awkwardly trying to fiddle her keys into the lock. She failed miserably. Tommy sighed, snatched the keys from her and jammed them into the lock in one swift motion.
Maria clumsy hurried inside and he slowly followed her into the dark narrow hallway. Without sight, she found her way into her bedroom, miraculously not making a sound.
Tommy closed his eyes, not familiar with the surroundings and gave his sight a moment to adjust to the darkness.
Reopening them, he noticed her observing him from afar; she'd reached her bedroom and stood in the doorway.
Was she waiting for him?
There were some soft murmurs coming out from the other bedroom. It would be very inconvenient to have either April or May to find him at their doorstep and instinctively he withdrew into her bedroom. Closing the door, he turned around and she was just inches away.
For the record, he was horny and in the cramped up bedroom of a scarcely dressed young woman. It didn't matter that it was Maria; maybe it was even worse because it was Maria.
Being just a man, an inarticulate grunt came from the back of his throat. The way her hair caught in front of her eyes, challenging him to touch, wasn't helping. He needed space.
When he placed her firmly down onto the bed, she didn't make any attempt to take off her high heels. No, she flipped down on her back and rubbed her hands over her eyes, yawning followed with a drunken hiccup.
She wasn't helpful and clearly not in a state to do anything on her own.
Tommy needed to get going though, the party was reaching its peak and he was the guest of honour, he couldn't disappear for too long. It would offend Zilpha and her Lee boys.
That and he really needed to go, at least leave her bedroom. Because her flirtatious behaviour and clinginess along the way home were tearing him apart. She probably didn't mean anything by it and she clearly was drunk off her socks.
But he was just a man and he was craving any kind of physical attention, her attention to be specific. He didn't know when that feeling started, but he knew it sparked up right after his miserable appointment at the hospital. He'd been gutted to realise he wouldn't be able to speak and she'd been there, by his side. She told him things he really needed to hear and she didn't pity him. Her hands had been so soft and gentle, touching the side of his temple, completely aware that was the root of his heartache. Those scars didn't seem to matter to her, didn't evoke the loathing and disgust like they did to him.
In his head, that had been the start of a maybe.
He'd been pushing away that possibility because it would be a mistake, it wouldn't be right and it could never work. He was her employer, he had the complete upper hand and she was… well, holy Mary. He couldn't destroy the last bit of her purity, just for his sake.
So he'd forced himself to ignore those cravings, be civil and keep her at a distance.
Which was very hard now that he sat on his knees, beside her bed while she was making all those soft little noises.
She needed to ditch Ada's clothes, if her mum sees these it would be quite clear what she'd been doing.
Their eyes locked when he pulled her back into a sitting position. He did not like what he saw. Lust, wonder, but all because she was intoxicated and couldn't think clearly. She'd never in her right mind dropped any hints. And he'd been a master at reading women, so what he saw right now, was just the booze talking. And it pained him, because this was what he wanted right here and right now. But it was the wrong thing to do and would leave her damaged and heartbroken in the morning.
Change, he ordered her, handing her nightgown. She took it, giggling and tried to lift it over her head.
Tommy rolled his eyes, cursing Ada for getting her in this state and mind set. He ripped the fabric out of her hand and pointed at her chest.
Her eyes followed his motion and she giggled again when she realised she was still wearing the damn flapper dress.
Her fingers made a lousy attempt to unzip the back of her dress but she failed miserably. With pouty lips she intensely stared back at him.
It was clear what she wanted from him and right now he blamed her for making it impossible for him to think clearly. Blood was running to a place down south instead of his brain, so to speak.
The tension inside her tiny bedroom was thick, smothering and intoxicating. To allow himself to breath he jerked his tie loose and stared at her while he took hold of her ankle to take off her heel.
If she'd given him any form of protest, discomfort or distress he would have stopped. But she didn't and nudged the tip of her heel against his chest to make him continue.
Fuck, kneeling in front of her made it very easy for his eyes to roam over her body and in her current pose it was very easy to see everything. He was able to stare over her stockings and underneath her dress as she dropped her leg and kicked her first shoe underneath her bed.
"Hey, no peeking," she uttered softly and cheekily, pulling her other heel against his chest and playfully nudging his collarbone.
Oh, she shouldn't be doing this and he shouldn't be doing this.
In her current state she probably wouldn't remember anything in the morning, that thought crossed his mind when he rid her of her other heel.
He swallowed a lump, eyes lingering over her delicate features and he was very aware how tight his trousers had become.
The thing was, he would. He would remember everything and he'd be reminded of what an absolute bastard he'd been every time she looked at him. With her naive pretty eyes, beaming with trust. Because she trusted him, at some point cared for him and he couldn't simply take that away, all because he happened to be a horny dog.
She shifted on the bed, turning halfway to give him perfect access to her dress.
Fuck, didn't she know that this was foreplay; that it was turning him on?
He needed to swallow again, but the lump in his throat remained. With tense fingers he unzipped her dress, taking his time to let his fingertips wonder over the revealing skin.
She didn't seem to notice or didn't seem to mind. Her head was lulling from side to side and her eyes were half closed. She was going to be so hungover and sick in the morning.
Since the princess wasn't performing any task on her own he nudged her arms up and started to pull up her dress. Her hips jerked up to allow him to pull the dress over her head.
Allowing himself to ravage his eyes over her body, he took a moment to throw the dress underneath the bed and picked up her nightgown.
Tossing it into her lap, he made an attempt to get up from his knees and do the right thing, leave.
But instead of her doing the one fucking thing she needed to be doing, her fingertips twined themselves around the collar of his shirt.
"Don't go," her pouty lips muttered with a drunken haze.
Christ, he was just a man. In defeat, he looked at her puckered lips, red from the ridiculous amount of lipstick his little sister had provided. Her lips were slightly ajar and he noticed her tongue playing behind her pretty white teeth.
And then there was the complete lack of clothes. She wore a padded bralette with a matching white slip.
White, of course she wore white. He was very aware she watched him watch her and it wasn't right.
With his last bit of decency he pulled his collar loose from her fingers and planned to go back to the Shepherd and drink himself into oblivion because in the morning he'd be kicking himself for doing the right thing.
She kissed him and he froze.
His mind honestly took three seconds to register her lips touching his and then it finally clicked and all chivalry flew out of the window.
He grabbed her jaw and forced himself closer. He didn't care that he might be hurting her as he kissed back forcefully and dominating her. Screwing his eyes shut, he took her mouth with his and claimed her. She'd been doing things to him the entire night, unintentionally or intentionally. He didn't care anymore, he wanted this, needed this and everything she offered he was more than willing to take.
But he shouldn't. It pained him, plagued him because the soft sounds she was making, the squirming of her body against his, told him she wanted this too.
'She's drunk, she doesn't know what she really wants', he told himself and with pain in his heart, created distance, so he could breathe.
Without looking at her, he got up from the floor and picked her nightgown from the bed.
"Tommy?" Her voice was breaking, pleading and he watched her, stare up at him intently. Her lips were swollen and her lipstick was smudged, had he been that rough?
Quietly, he rubbed his own lips, the back of his hand stained with the same bright ruby red as her lips.
Get dressed, go to sleep, he ordered her, throwing her nightgown onto her lap for the second time tonight. He needed to go, because he didn't trust himself anymore.
Without giving her a second glance, he marched out of her bedroom and headed back to the party. He was the guest of honour, after all.
.-.-.
A/N: APPLAUSE! They kissed! TADA! I think this is my personal record for postponing anything remotely romantic in a slow-burn. Adding to that, I think I've only dug a very deep hole; by the way I made them kiss.
I'm very eager/dying to read what you, as the reader, think of this chapter. I haven't written many 'first drunken kisses in your bedroom with your mute handsome employer' yet, so share me your thoughts.
Xoxox Nukyster
