New: Couldn't wait to upload the next chapter because this story has to go on. Have fun and please R+R.
Thanks: to Isi.
Henriette: This is not the thing you wish to read but it's important for the upcoming chapters.
Disclaimer: Not mine
7. Lost Nights
She had totally forgotten or maybe she had just wanted to forget the evening 3 months ago, when Alex came to Drover's with his home-brewed beer.
3 months earlier:
Claire woke up with a terrible headache. She hardly remembered anything from last night. "That home-brewed stuff was good." She remembered that. Slowly her dizziness went away when she noticed she was only wearing her panties. Claire wondered how that happened and tried to sit up to clear her mind. When she finally managed that and looked around she saw Alex lying on the other end of her bed only in his boxers. "Oh my god, that didn't happen. Did it? I have to put some clothes on." Claire thought, got out of her bed and put a shirt on. While she did that she found her bra lying beside the bed.
She glanced at Alex. "Ryan, what did we do?" She asked herself once again and watched him sleeping. She knew him for a long time now but never thought of him as a guy. He was just a friend to her, a handsome friend though. "Handsome even when he's asleep." slurred out of her mouth.
"Hm?" muttered Alex.
"Damn!" Claire thought and managed to talk again "Morning"
"Claire?" Alex asked sleepy but got completely awake when he realized where he was. "What am I doing in your bed?" He asked her when he noticed what he was wearing or not wearing "In my boxers?"
"That's what I wanna ask you Ryan. I can't remember anything from last night."
"Me neither, Claire. Just remember lots of beer."
"Do you really remember nothing?"
"Yeah. You don't believe me?"
"Sure I do but when I woke up shortly before you, you lay there in your boxers." She told him pointing at his nonpresent clothes. "I have no idea what happened. You can tell me anything right now."
"Yeah, but you know me well and for a long time. I wouldn't lie to you about this. Why should I even lie to you about this? Jeez, we drank together. Don't blame me for far too many beers."
"You're a man and men are pigs."
"Thanks a lot Claire McLeod. I thought we were friends but you accuse me to lie." Alex said louder than before and in a more serious way than he wanted to.
"Shut up, Alex. Tess doesn't have to know about this. Grab your stuff and get out of my room. Get off my property." She answered angrily.
Alex was confused. Although he was awake now and his mind as clear as possible after a night with his home-brewed, he didn't understand Claire's strange reaction towards him. It's not that he never slept at Drover's before and he often had been on the road with Claire sleeping outside. Usually he didn't sleep in Claire's room and usually he was dressed properly but they were friends. "What's the problem?" He could see anger in Claire's face so Alex didn't try to talk to her and left the house without another word.
Claire stood still in her room at the same spot she stood during her talk with Alex when she heard Alex' ute drive away.
Tess in the room next to Claire's heard the same ute drive off and before she had heard bits of the argument between Claire and Alex. Arguments between them weren't unusual. Two stubborn heads in one room could be dangerous sometimes. But this one was different. Alex slept at Drover's what had happend before but this time he slept in Claire's room. She wasn't sure what Claire wanted her to do or not to do. She assumed Claire wouldn't tell her anything because she didn't want to spread the news about Alex and her. So Tess decided to get to bed again. It should look like she had heard nothing at all.
To be continued