18 - In Vino Veritas
"Um, guys, it's almost closing time," Marty said, the oddness of seeing his girlfriend and the girl he had wanted so badly in college hanging out like this wasn't lost on him. It was a little surreal, actually. I wonder what they've been talking about all this time?
"Just a second, I'm almost done my story," Rory said with a slight slur, holding a finger up to Marty before switching her attention back to her audience, who consisted of Andrea, Lexie and Lorne, their bartender. "So there I am, trying to wake him up with my end of...that tie thingie of my robe, and all he does is wiggle his nose, groans, shifts a little and goes back to sleep."
"Then what happened?" Lexie asked with a knowing smirk while glancing sidelong at Marty, confusing him for a moment. What?
"I nudged his knee with my slipper, and FINALLY he woke up, looking completely lost," Rory laughed. "After I told my mom this, she refers to him as 'the Naked Guy' whenever he comes up in conversation!"
"Uh, okay, that's enough story time, Rory," a moritfied Marty declared, feeling a bit dense for not recognizing the subject right away.
"I'm not sure if I liked that story," Andy frowned at her boyfriend from her stool, tilting her head to the side as if in consideration. "The knowledge that Rory has seen my boyfriend naked before I did kind of disturbs me. Is there anything else I should know about you two?"
"Oh, I sense some drama," cried Lexie in a sing-song voice.
"As per usual, you sense wrong, dumb-ass," Andy stated, her usual soft Southern accent more pronounced in her current inebriated state. She looked over at her boyfriend just then and winked lazily, letting Marty know that her question earlier wasn't at all serious.
"You're always so mean to me," her band manager whined with a pout.
"Oh, come on, Lex," Andy cried, hugging her best friend so hard they almost both fell off their stools. "You know that I love you!"
"Get off me, you freak!" Lexie chortled, pushing the curly haired blonde away.
"You guys need a cab or two?" Lorne offered after everybody finished laughing at the pair of best friends and their antics.
"That'd be great, Lorne, thanks," Marty replied, then glanced around the now nearly empty club. "Hey, did anybody notice what happened to Dan?"
"Probably found some random chick with low self-esteem to hook up with," Lexie sniped, letting her hostile feelings toward the older Harrison brother be known.
"You know how your brother is," Andy chimed in.
"Sounds like somebody I used to know," Rory remarked, sounding either nostalgic or regretful. Maybe both.
"Anyway, I have a great idea," Andy announced, sliding off her stool to stand on slightly wobbly legs. Marty moved to help steady her, but the blonde waved him off. "Why don't we all head back to the house and continue this birthday party there?"
"I don't know," Marty began, only to be interupted by the blue eyed birthday girl to his left.
"Well, I'm up for it," Rory cried, following the blonde's example of standing up on unsteady feet. "Oh!"
"Whoa, easy there, Rory," Marty stepped forward, instinctively coming to her aid. Unlike his girlfriend though, Rory accepted his assistance and gifted him with a smile when their gazes met. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, thanks," the blue eyed journalist nodded, affectionately squeezing his wrist before backing away. "I'm going to use the washroom. Don't leave me behind, okay?"
"Okay," Marty agreed, returning the nod in kind. As Rory walked away towards the washrooms, he took a moment to enjoy the lingering sensation of Rory's touch. Marty immediately chided himself for doing so, reminding himself that his girlfriend (and possibly soon-to-be fiance, if she said yes to his coming proposal) was standing not even five feet away. He glanced over to see Andy, whose back was turned to him, talking to Lexie and Lorne about the group's arrangements for getting home, and his stomach tighten at the disgust he felt towards himself. God, I must have drinken a lot more alcohol than I thought if I'm letting Rory get to me like this again! And knowing her, she probably doesn't even real-
"You look troubled, little brother," Dan said, showing up out of nowhere to clap Marty on the shoulder. "What's the matter? Those tequila shots trying to escape?"
"Yeah, I think so," Marty lied, licking his lips. For the first time in a long time, Marty was actually relieved to see his older brother. He didn't like where his inebriated thoughts were going before the older Harrison brother re-appeared. "Hey, where'd you go? Everybody thought you ditched."
"I had to take care of something scatological in nature," Dan explained, hiking a thumb back towards the men's washroom.
"Okay, enough said," he replied with a shake of his head, immediately catching his brother's drift. I probably shouldn't have asked anyway!
"I think I need more fibre in my diet," his brother continued unabated.
"I really don't want to hear about your intestinal problems, so please be quiet," Marty begged.
"Alright, alright, sorry," Dan chuckled, lifting a hand up in fake apology. "Anyway, I just met that hot little friend of yours on the way back from the washrooms, Lil' Bro. Her name's Rory, right?"
"Don't," he stated in no uncertain terms.
Daniel apparently caught what he meant, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "And why not?"
"Because, like you said, she's my friend," Marty said, looking down on his shorter (albeit not by much) elder brother in what was meant to be an intimidating fashion. "And the last thing Rory needs is my ass of a brother making a pass at her, simply intent on adding her as just another notch on his belt."
"Well, this is certainly turning out to be an interesting visit," Dan noted aloud, shooting a knowingly smirk his younger brother's way.
Marty glared at his brother and began to move forward, his hands clentched into fists. "Back off, Dan, or-"
Just then, Rory showed up and stepped between the brothers, preventing an angry Marty from attacking a still smirking Daniel. "Is there a problem here, guys?"
"I don't know, Rory," Dan said, wrapping an arm around her before meeting his brother's scowling face. "Is there a problem here, Marty Bones?"
He glanced between their faces, then at the arm around Rory's shoulders. He frowned at his brother's arm, then at the young woman's face again. When Rory didn't tell Dan to remove it, Marty just shook his head.
"Marty?" Rory and Andrea asked at the same time, though their tones were different. Rory seemed apologetic, while Andy just sounded confused at the sudden tension she had walked in on.
"Whatever, do...whatever you want," he sighed in resignation, shaking his head before turning away. "Come on, Andy, let's go home."
"Wait? Is that a negative on the after party then?" Lexie could be heard asking as an annoyed Marty and a perplexed Andrea walked out of the Comet Club.
You know the drill. Thanks!