"Ugh." Zoe awoke, she looked around her bedroom, the curtains had been closed, she was in bed, albeit wearing the same clothes she'd had on yesterday. She dragged herself out of bed and down the hall to the kitchen. As she approached the kitchen she was startled when she saw a figure already making coffee.
"Morning." The voice said.
"Morning, why are you here Max? What happened?" Zoe asked.
"You don't remember do you?" Max asked.
Zoe shook her head. This was not going to be good.
"So the short version, you got drunk, tried to kiss me, threw up on my new trainers, Laura witnessed the whole thing so she's not talking to me, I got you a taxi home and stayed on the sofa as I'd ran out of money to get home." Max explained, an unimpressed look on his face.
"Oh Max, I'm so sorry!" Zoe cried, "wait, who's Laura?"
"My girlfriend?" Max replied.
"Oh...oh. The crazy one?" Zoe asked.
"Crazy? Who said that?" Max asked.
"No one, I'm getting confused with someone else. Here.." Zoe found her handbag and pulled out her purse, "money for the taxi and some new trainers."
"Look Zoe, I don't want your money, I just wanted to make sure you were ok, I'd never have forgiven myself if I'd left you and something had happened." Max told her.
"That's sweet, thank you. What happened to Laura?" Zoe asked.
"She ran off, when I rang her she said she was going to her mums and she didn't want to speak to me. I need to see her and explain."
"Explain that your boss is a crazy drunk who can't control herself?" Zoe asked with an ashamed expression.
"Hey, Zoe it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm flattered honestly." Max assured her.
"It's nothing like to Max honestly, I'd just had a bit too much to drink, I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Zoe explained.
"Ok, I'd better go, I need to find Laura before work, hopefully she will understand." Max said.
"Thank you Max, for taking care of me I mean. Wait, did anyone else see the state of me?" Zoe panicked.
"No don't worry, I told them you'd had enough and had got a taxi home." Max said.
Max left Zoe's apartment, she banged her head against the wall. What was she playing at? She needed to sort her life out, she was getting drunk most nights, chasing young men, this was not her. What was she going to do?
Across town, Max had entered the flat he shared with Laura. She was sat on the sofa, she got up as Max walked through the door. Walking over to him she greeted him with a slap across the face.
"For gods sake Laura!" Max shouted.
"What was that for?"
"You know what that was for, kissing other women Max? I'm supposed to be the only one you're kissing or had you forgotten that? You go out after work without telling me and then I find you kissing her! I mean come on Max, she's a bit old for you isn't she?! I have to hand it to you though, you've only been there a day!" Laura cried.
"Laura, it's not what you think. Zoe was drunk, she didn't mean it. I didn't kiss her back." Max told her.
"Oh it has a name does it?" Laura laughed.
"Laura, please. I love you, I told her that, it won't happen again." Max tried to reason with her.
Laura walked round in circles for five minutes, Max sat in silence.
"I'm not happy about you working together." Laura told him eventually.
"I know but I need this job, we can't pay the rent without it can we?" Max asked.
"Ok, but if I ever catch you doing anything like that again, it'll be worse than a slap, do you understand?" Laura told him harshly.
"I didn't do anything." Max said quietly.
"What was that Max?" Laura asked.
"I said, I didn't do anything." He replied bluntly.
Laura walked up to him and raised her hand, Max grabbed it.
"Oh no you don't." He told her.
Laura burst into tears.
"Max I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. You're mine, I don't want you near anyone else, I can't lose you!"
"Hey." Max pulled her towards him.
"You're not going to lose me, you need to trust me though."
"I do trust you, it's her I don't trust." Laura sniffled.
Max sighed. How did he end up in this situation?