Chapter Five
I sat on the sofa completely sober. Mum and Simon were arguing over Christmas, Abi was on the phone to Lola and I was just sat there staring out of the window. My Nan was here too but she was pretty much doing the same as me but she was smoking. I'm glad Joey came round this morning, he helped in an odd kind of way. He didn't want to leave earlier but he had to work a shift at the club, he said I should pop in for a couple of drinks but I didn't think that was a good idea.
"Tanya stop worrying yourself over Christmas, it's one day and it will work itself out" Nan said.
"Right well I'm going to do the food shop, any volunteers?" Mum asked.
We all kind of looked away from high frustrated her to no end. "I'll come mum" I told her, there was no point in sitting here, thinking about everything.
"I thought you were meeting Joey at the club?" Abi asked.
"I'm not that bothered about going, Abi" I said.
"No it'll do you good to get out darling. Your Nan and I will do the shopping"
"Just marvellous" Nan mumbled making me and Abi laugh.
"Oo I'll help get you ready Lauren" Abi beamed.
I rolled my eyes and followed Abi up the stairs.
I picked what I was going to wear after much disagreement with Abi, if it was up to her, I would've gone out dressed up to the nines. I wore my black skinny jeans with my wedges, a white dressy vest top and my leather jacket. I left my hair down and straight and did my make up. I just about made it out of the front door as Abi choked me with perfume.
I made my way over to the club, it was busy tonight, there was people everywhere. I walked downstairs and into the bar, which was also busy so I ended up getting served by some guy I didn't recognise.
"Vodka, lime and lemonade please" I shouted over the crowd.
The guy went and got my drink returning seconds later. "You're Lauren? Joeys cousin right?" He asked me.
"Em yeah" I said, laughing.
"On the house" he smiled.
"Thanks" I smiled back.
I looked towards the other end of the bar, I could see Joey serving, I looked a bit further and he was serving Lucy and the others. I walked over to them.
"Hey Nance" I smiled widely.
"Lauren!" Nancy screamed, shocked. We hugged each other, watching our drinks. "I didn't know you were coming out tonight or I would've invited you with us" she said.
"Oh I know, it was a last minute thing, I was bored sat in the house and mum was doing my head in stressing about Christmas" I laughed.
"You're mum too? My mums turned into a crazy lady, she's being a nightmare" Nancy laughed.
"Lauren, hey" Whitney said hugging me.
"Hey, whit" I smiled. "Where's Lucy?" I asked them both.
Nancy nodded her head towards the bar. "She looks so desperate" Whitney said.
"Yeah and trashy" Nancy said pulling a face.
"Nance!" I snapped, in a playful way.
"What? Have you seen the way she's dressed?" Nancy laughed.
I looked over towards Lucy, she was dressed like she was desperate. I kept on looking , she was talking to Joey. My heart stopped, he looked at me and smiled.
"I thought they'd split up?" I asked.
"They have but Lucy can't seem to take no for an answer" Whitney said.
I downed my drink and we made our way over to Lucy and Joey.
"Hey girls, another drink?" Joey asked us.
"Can I have a vodka, lime and lemonade and two vodka and cokes" I asked.
Joey smiled at me and then whisked off to the bar getting our drinks.
"Hey Luce, you alright?" I asked.
"Yep" she laughed. "We getting drunk or what then?" She asked us all.
"Think you beat us to it" Nancy mumbled.
"Well that's what I came here for" she slurred.
Joey got back with our drinks, which I paid for, Lucy looked at us all probably noticing I hadn't got her one.
"Can I have another vodka and Coke please Joey"
It was kind of tense, the girls looking at Lucy as she struggled to keep a balance on her feet. I paid for the extra drink and gave it to Lucy.
"Ah where you getting your money from? You got a job now?" She asked me smugly.
"A simple thank you would've been fine Luce" I said stubbornly.
She rolled her eyes at me and headed for the dance floor. We all followed making sure she didn't do anything stupid.
We must've been on the dance floor for hours, Joey kept bringing is drinks over, and Lucy was beyond drunk now. Sue was flirting with every guy that paid her even a little bit of attention, her eyes on Joey at all times. She was trying to make him jealous although it was definitely not working.
Everything happened so fast, Lucy was flirting with some random guy and the next thing some girl had knocked her on the floor. I'm assuming this girl was the guys girlfriend. Me and Nancy managed to break up the argument before it turned into a fight whilst Whitney picked Lucy up off the floor.
"I'm going to take her home" Whitney said. "I'll help" Nancy added.
The club was dying down now anyway, so I stayed to get another drink and talk to Joey, seen as I did actually come here to hang out with him. I walked over to the bar and ended up being served by the guy that serves me earlier.
"Vodka, lime and lemonade?" He asked me.
"Yeah please" I smiled.
"So where's Joey?" I asked.
"It's Liam and he's probably out back cleaning" he told me.
"Right.." I gave him my money and took a sip of my drink.
"So how comes your here waiting for your cousin to finish work rather than out partying with your boyfriend?" Liam asked, very sly.
"Because I don't have a boyfriend and me and Joey get on very well" I told him.
"Pretty thing like you" he said leaning into the bar.
"I'm just not into that at the minute" I said, a bit sharper this time, also taking a step back from the bar.
"Hey, you okay?" Joey asked walking into the bar.
"Yeah, you gonna be long?" I asked.
Joey looked at Liam, then at me. "I'm done now, you can lock up can't you mate?" He said.
"Yeah sure" Liam answered.
I waited at the bar while Joey went out back again, giving me time to finish my drink. Liam kept his distance this time which was weird, probably busy now Joey was finishing.
"You want another drink or wanna head out?" Joey asked.
"Head out? Unless you want a drink" I said.
"Nah, we can go mine for a drink" he said.
I downed my drink and Joey passed me my coat. I'm glad it wasn't awkward between us now I had told him everything. I tried not to smile too much as Joey hooked his arm through mine as we walked to his flat. Once we were in there Joey was quick to get us drinks and we talked about how we should go travelling, laughing along with each other's plans as it was something we both wanted to do. Before I knew it we had drank more than half a bottle of vodka and my mum was ringing me. I put it on loudspeaker, trying not to laugh as Joey held his hand over his mouth, also trying not to laugh.
"Hello" I giggled.
"Lauren it's nearly two in the morning! Where are you?" She asked.
"I've been at the club with the girls and Joey" I told her.
"Yeah Lauren and the club shut an hour ago" she snapped.
I rolled my eyes at her and Joey chuckled at her. "I came back to Joey's for a drink, I didn't realise the time" I told her.
"Well it's Christmas Eve Lauren I was hoping you'd be helping me with dinner?" She asked .
"What at two in the morning?" Me and Joey both laughed.
"Very funny guys. Well the doors locked now Lauren so you can stay at joeys, make sure you're homeboy 12 to help me prepare for tomorrow" she snapped before putting the phone down.
"Mum!" I snapped, but she was already gone.
I laughed a long with Joey. "Well, someone is in a mood" I laughed.
"Looks like you're here for the night" he said, pouring more drinks.
"Thanks" I said for my drink, and then leaned my head against the sofa.
"You cannot handle your drink" Joey laughed.
"Yeah no more than you can handle you're" I smirked.
"Okay okay" Joey laughed getting up and he stumbled into the kitchen, confusing me.
He returned a few minutes later with a bottle of sambucca and some shot glasses.
I laughed at him as he fell onto the sofa. "What are you doing?"
"We are going to play a game Lauren, whoever has the most shots wins" he chuckled.
"Okay, but what do I win?" I asked him.
"A little too confident don't you think?" He laughed. "And for your prize, well we'll see won't we"
Joey placed the shot glasses on the coffee table and poured in the sambucca, he laid out five shots each.
"You first" I giggled. He downed his first three shots down quickly, grimacing at the fourth and almost choking on the fifth.
"Your turn" he smirked smugly.
I downed all five shots one after another. "Your a monster" he laughed as I placed the shots back out.
"What's five more to a man like you?" It was my turn to smirk this time.
I downed my five first, not loving the last one but not letting it show. Joey managed the first two with ease and the third didn't look so good.
"I'm done" he breathed out deeply holding his stomach.
"Yaaaay I won, I won" I laughed, throwing my hands up in the air.
Joey handed me his three re aiming shots. "Your prize" he winked at me.
"That's what I get? More shots?" I sighed.
"Can't handle it?" He said tilting his head, oozing with cockiness.
"Oh I can handle it, it's you that can't" I downed the three shots, regretting it straight away.
Joey watched on in surprise. "Okay stand up and spin around, let's see how good your balance is" he smirked. He clearly didn't know me very well.
I stood up, wobbling a little and I spun around three times. "See, I told - aghh" I began to brag until I swung into the coffee table and was flipped onto my back.
"Lauren!" was all I heard. "Fuck" I moaned as Joey laughed at me.
"Babe, are you alright?" He asked. I knew I was drunk, beyond drunk but he definitely called me babe and it definitely did things to me it wasn't supposed to.
"Yeah" I mumbled.
Joey picked me up and took me upstairs.
"Joey! You're drunk, you're gonna drop me down the stairs! Joey!" I snapped.
Next thing I know I'm on my feet in the bedroom. "Oh thanks" I said.
"I think we should sleep" he said. "I'll take the sofa" he added.
"I'm not kicking you out of bed I'll stay on the sofa" I told him.
"Lauren trust me, you don't want to stop on that sofa" he chuckled.
"Well we share the bed then" I told him.
"As long as you can keep your hands off of me that is" Joey said smugly.
It was in that moment I had no control over my body, I had never done this before and I don't know what came over me. I grabbed joeys arm and pulled him to me. My lips were straight on this.
"Lauren you don't want this... Stop"
"I lied, I want this" I told him, kissing him again. That was all the courage Joey needed to lift me onto the bed. I laid in the bed and he climbed onto of me, he kissed my neck before I got rid of my top and then he kissed my lips again, making a trail down to the top of my jeans. Soon enough we were both naked laid on the bed. Joey pulled the blanket over us and then it happened, the thing I'd been avoiding.