"I will," declared Danny, taking the bottle and pouring out three shots. "I am allergic to penicillin, or, I could have been a baseball pro."
"The penicillin one," said Lindsay, after taking a moment to study Danny.
Taylor scoffed. "A baseball pro. Everyone could have been a baseball pro. I agree with Lindsay."
"Are you kidding?" Flack asked the two women incredulously. "You two haven't spent enough time with him. The amount of times I've heard about how he was headed to the big leagues."
"Drink up ladies," said Danny, grabbing one of the glasses, followed quickly by a lime. The other two did the same, all of them pulling the a similar face afterwards.
"You were seriously set to go professional?" Taylor asked in disbelief.
"Until the scouts realised he had no aim," laughed Flack.
He was rewarded by a slice of lime in his face for sharing that piece of information. "How's that for no aim?"
"Alright, my go," said Lindsay, taking her turn to pour the shots. "Number one, I used to work as a cowgirl during the summer months when I was in high school, and college. Number two, I have a tattoo."
"Cowgirl," Danny, Flack and Taylor all agreed unanimously. The three of them looked expectantly at Lindsay.
She shrugged. "Way to pick the stereotype. Drink up," she laughed as the three of them pulled faces at the taste of the alcohol.
"My go," said Taylor, refilling the glasses. "When I was seven, I sneaked onto the USS Nimitz so I could spend time with my dad, they didn't find me until we had already left the port, and I had to be flown back to dry land, or I never learnt how to drive."
"I've never seen you drive," mused Lindsay. "I'm going to go with that one."
"That's a good point, Montana," agreed Danny. "I'll take option two, too."
Flack shrugged. "You always seem to be running around."
Taylor nodded, and then pushed the glasses away from her. "It was the first one."
"You managed to sneak onto a navy vessel?" asked Lindsay in disbelief.
"Yup," Taylor nodded proudly. "I hid in my dad's bunk. He found me when he went to bed, and by that time, we were a good thirty miles from shore. Mamma was furious when I eventually got back, and I was grounded for a month, but I didn't care, because I got to fly in a helicopter. Your go, detective," she said, pushing the bottle towards Flack.
He took the bottle of her and poured another round of shots. "My best friend when I was little, was my pet cat, Charlie, or, I acted in some cold flu medicine commercials when I was a kid." He looked at Taylor, waiting for her to guess first.
Taylor stared at him and frowned. "Cat."
Lindsay gave a small giggle. "The first case I worked on with you was at the zoo, in the tiger cage. All you did was sneeze. The second one."
Danny joined her in the sniggering. "I heard you tell Mac you had allergies." He laughed harder, "You were a model?"
"Unfair advantage," complained Taylor. "Can I change my guess?"
"Like hell you can," said Flack, sending a glass in her direction. "If I have to drink this stuff, then you damn well will to," he told her, drinking both shots before grabbing a lime.
Taylor took hers and downed it. She leaned back in the chair. "I think I am now drunk."
"Now drunk?" scoffed Danny. "You were drunk when I got here."
"Maybe so, but I carried on drinking," she retorted over Flack and Lindsay's laughter. "Let's play another game."
"I don't know if I can take more tequila," Lindsay moaned.
"Nah, no more tequila," agreed Danny.
"No, just Truth or Dare. One go each," she looked between them. "Who wants to go first?"
"Spin the bottle!" cried Lindsay, as she both knocked and placed a bottle onto its side.
"Works for me," Danny agreed.
"Who spins first?" asked Flack, rolling his eyes.
Taylor shrugged. "Who did the most shots?" The others looked at her obviously with no clue. "I guess we're all a bit drunk."
"I'll go first," said Flack, spinning the bottle. The top lay pointing at Danny. "Truth or Dare?" Flack asked him.
Danny thought about it for a minute. "Dare. Let's get this ball moving."
Flack grinned. "Alright, I dare you to walk up to a woman in this bar, and give her a kiss. A proper one, mind."
Danny glared at Flack then shrugged. He turned to Lindsay and planted his lips on hers.
"Danny, he said give her a kiss, not get a room," Taylor laughed a minute later when they were still kissing, after she had pulled out her phone and got an unnoticed picture of their activity.
Danny broke away, sat back in his seat and licked his lips, before reaching for his beer. "Couldn't be bothered getting up," he told them after he had had a drink, ignoring Lindsay, who was staring at him with a pink face.
"Danny, just spin the bottle," said Taylor, rolling her eyes at him.
Danny shot her a look and reached for the bottle, giving it a sharp twist. It spun around a dozen times before it came to a rest pointing at Lindsay. "Truth," she said, quickly.
"What did you think of the kiss?" he asked, taking another mouthful of beer, and continuing to look straight ahead, without looking the slightest bit phased.
"I, I, um, it was, um, I…"
"And," he interrupted. "What would you say to a possible repeat performance?"
Taylor glanced at the others. Flack was the only one who would look at her, the other two avoiding making any eye contact. He shrugged at her.
"PrettydamngoodandIsupposeare peatwouln'tbecompletetorture," she told him as quickly as possible.
"Huh?" asked Flack. Even Taylor barely caught that.
"I am not repeating myself," said Lindsay. Her face was now completely red.
"No need," smirked Danny. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Lindsay managed to do what Taylor thought was impossible and turned an even deeper red.
"Flack, let me spin the bottle and spare Lindsay," muttered Taylor in his ear. He nodded his response and Taylor spun the bottle. It landed on Danny. "Messer, give me a dare." She said, making him focus his attention back on the game.
"That's not how it works," Danny pointed out. "You ask me."
"I'm changing the rules," Taylor shrugged.
Danny held his hands up. "Fine. Go get us some more beers from the bar, without paying for them."
"Danny, that is the lamest excuse for a dare that I have ever heard." Taylor objected.
"Alright then, spin the bottle again. The next person it lands on you have to give a lap dance in the middle of the club. For a whole song," Danny said, his expression suggesting that she wouldn't do it.
"You know, I'm sure it would be more embarrassing for me to do it by myself," Taylor pointed out.
"Maybe," smirked Danny. "But it would be more entertaining for me, to watch you and one of these guys dancing around, than it would just you. Or are you chicken?"
"You're pretty confident it won't land on you."
"Well, if it does, I'll be entertained by you giving me a lap dance. Why you getting so worried about it? You gonna back out?"
Taylor smirked at him before spinning the bottle. It spun for ages before finally settling on someone; Lindsay. "Come on, my sexy lady," said Taylor, holding out her hand.
"The penicillin one," said Lindsay, after taking a moment to study Danny.
Taylor scoffed. "A baseball pro. Everyone could have been a baseball pro. I agree with Lindsay."
"Are you kidding?" Flack asked the two women incredulously. "You two haven't spent enough time with him. The amount of times I've heard about how he was headed to the big leagues."
"Drink up ladies," said Danny, grabbing one of the glasses, followed quickly by a lime. The other two did the same, all of them pulling the a similar face afterwards.
"You were seriously set to go professional?" Taylor asked in disbelief.
"Until the scouts realised he had no aim," laughed Flack.
He was rewarded by a slice of lime in his face for sharing that piece of information. "How's that for no aim?"
"Alright, my go," said Lindsay, taking her turn to pour the shots. "Number one, I used to work as a cowgirl during the summer months when I was in high school, and college. Number two, I have a tattoo."
"Cowgirl," Danny, Flack and Taylor all agreed unanimously. The three of them looked expectantly at Lindsay.
She shrugged. "Way to pick the stereotype. Drink up," she laughed as the three of them pulled faces at the taste of the alcohol.
"My go," said Taylor, refilling the glasses. "When I was seven, I sneaked onto the USS Nimitz so I could spend time with my dad, they didn't find me until we had already left the port, and I had to be flown back to dry land, or I never learnt how to drive."
"I've never seen you drive," mused Lindsay. "I'm going to go with that one."
"That's a good point, Montana," agreed Danny. "I'll take option two, too."
Flack shrugged. "You always seem to be running around."
Taylor nodded, and then pushed the glasses away from her. "It was the first one."
"You managed to sneak onto a navy vessel?" asked Lindsay in disbelief.
"Yup," Taylor nodded proudly. "I hid in my dad's bunk. He found me when he went to bed, and by that time, we were a good thirty miles from shore. Mamma was furious when I eventually got back, and I was grounded for a month, but I didn't care, because I got to fly in a helicopter. Your go, detective," she said, pushing the bottle towards Flack.
He took the bottle of her and poured another round of shots. "My best friend when I was little, was my pet cat, Charlie, or, I acted in some cold flu medicine commercials when I was a kid." He looked at Taylor, waiting for her to guess first.
Taylor stared at him and frowned. "Cat."
Lindsay gave a small giggle. "The first case I worked on with you was at the zoo, in the tiger cage. All you did was sneeze. The second one."
Danny joined her in the sniggering. "I heard you tell Mac you had allergies." He laughed harder, "You were a model?"
"Unfair advantage," complained Taylor. "Can I change my guess?"
"Like hell you can," said Flack, sending a glass in her direction. "If I have to drink this stuff, then you damn well will to," he told her, drinking both shots before grabbing a lime.
Taylor took hers and downed it. She leaned back in the chair. "I think I am now drunk."
"Now drunk?" scoffed Danny. "You were drunk when I got here."
"Maybe so, but I carried on drinking," she retorted over Flack and Lindsay's laughter. "Let's play another game."
"I don't know if I can take more tequila," Lindsay moaned.
"Nah, no more tequila," agreed Danny.
"No, just Truth or Dare. One go each," she looked between them. "Who wants to go first?"
"Spin the bottle!" cried Lindsay, as she both knocked and placed a bottle onto its side.
"Works for me," Danny agreed.
"Who spins first?" asked Flack, rolling his eyes.
Taylor shrugged. "Who did the most shots?" The others looked at her obviously with no clue. "I guess we're all a bit drunk."
"I'll go first," said Flack, spinning the bottle. The top lay pointing at Danny. "Truth or Dare?" Flack asked him.
Danny thought about it for a minute. "Dare. Let's get this ball moving."
Flack grinned. "Alright, I dare you to walk up to a woman in this bar, and give her a kiss. A proper one, mind."
Danny glared at Flack then shrugged. He turned to Lindsay and planted his lips on hers.
"Danny, he said give her a kiss, not get a room," Taylor laughed a minute later when they were still kissing, after she had pulled out her phone and got an unnoticed picture of their activity.
Danny broke away, sat back in his seat and licked his lips, before reaching for his beer. "Couldn't be bothered getting up," he told them after he had had a drink, ignoring Lindsay, who was staring at him with a pink face.
"Danny, just spin the bottle," said Taylor, rolling her eyes at him.
Danny shot her a look and reached for the bottle, giving it a sharp twist. It spun around a dozen times before it came to a rest pointing at Lindsay. "Truth," she said, quickly.
"What did you think of the kiss?" he asked, taking another mouthful of beer, and continuing to look straight ahead, without looking the slightest bit phased.
"I, I, um, it was, um, I…"
"And," he interrupted. "What would you say to a possible repeat performance?"
Taylor glanced at the others. Flack was the only one who would look at her, the other two avoiding making any eye contact. He shrugged at her.
"PrettydamngoodandIsupposeare peatwouln'tbecompletetorture," she told him as quickly as possible.
"Huh?" asked Flack. Even Taylor barely caught that.
"I am not repeating myself," said Lindsay. Her face was now completely red.
"No need," smirked Danny. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Lindsay managed to do what Taylor thought was impossible and turned an even deeper red.
"Flack, let me spin the bottle and spare Lindsay," muttered Taylor in his ear. He nodded his response and Taylor spun the bottle. It landed on Danny. "Messer, give me a dare." She said, making him focus his attention back on the game.
"That's not how it works," Danny pointed out. "You ask me."
"I'm changing the rules," Taylor shrugged.
Danny held his hands up. "Fine. Go get us some more beers from the bar, without paying for them."
"Danny, that is the lamest excuse for a dare that I have ever heard." Taylor objected.
"Alright then, spin the bottle again. The next person it lands on you have to give a lap dance in the middle of the club. For a whole song," Danny said, his expression suggesting that she wouldn't do it.
"You know, I'm sure it would be more embarrassing for me to do it by myself," Taylor pointed out.
"Maybe," smirked Danny. "But it would be more entertaining for me, to watch you and one of these guys dancing around, than it would just you. Or are you chicken?"
"You're pretty confident it won't land on you."
"Well, if it does, I'll be entertained by you giving me a lap dance. Why you getting so worried about it? You gonna back out?"
Taylor smirked at him before spinning the bottle. It spun for ages before finally settling on someone; Lindsay. "Come on, my sexy lady," said Taylor, holding out her hand.
* * *
Danny licked his lips – Taylor and Lindsay were putting on a really good show. The majority of the bar had stopped to watch.
“They seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much,” Flack muttered.
Danny shrugged. “Looks fine from where I’m sitting.”
“Where the hell did Taylor learn those moves?”
Danny raised an eyebrow at his friend, which Flack caught as he turned his head back to the table in front of him. “Give it a rest, Messer. You’re the one that kissed Lindsay.”
“Yup,” he agreed, smugly. “And I’d do it again too.”
“Just ask her out, Messer. Save the lab and let them finish the pool they’ve got going on you two.”
“There’s a pool?”
“Yeah, it’s up several hundred. Even Drew’s in on it.”
Danny nodded slowly. “Interesting. And nice going on the dare.”
“Well someone had to make you make a move,” Flack pointed out.
Danny shook his head. “I’m doing nothing serious when she’s drunk.”
Flack grinned. “She’s got you, hasn’t she?”
“Hook, line, and sinker. Tell anyone, and the next person you will be talking to will be Taylor, when you’re dead.”
Flack groaned. “Don’t tell me you believe her too?”
Danny grew serious. “I’m not sure if she actually sees the ghosts, but I’ve felt one, Don.”
Flack rolled his eyes, “Whatever."
“They seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much,” Flack muttered.
Danny shrugged. “Looks fine from where I’m sitting.”
“Where the hell did Taylor learn those moves?”
Danny raised an eyebrow at his friend, which Flack caught as he turned his head back to the table in front of him. “Give it a rest, Messer. You’re the one that kissed Lindsay.”
“Yup,” he agreed, smugly. “And I’d do it again too.”
“Just ask her out, Messer. Save the lab and let them finish the pool they’ve got going on you two.”
“There’s a pool?”
“Yeah, it’s up several hundred. Even Drew’s in on it.”
Danny nodded slowly. “Interesting. And nice going on the dare.”
“Well someone had to make you make a move,” Flack pointed out.
Danny shook his head. “I’m doing nothing serious when she’s drunk.”
Flack grinned. “She’s got you, hasn’t she?”
“Hook, line, and sinker. Tell anyone, and the next person you will be talking to will be Taylor, when you’re dead.”
Flack groaned. “Don’t tell me you believe her too?”
Danny grew serious. “I’m not sure if she actually sees the ghosts, but I’ve felt one, Don.”
Flack rolled his eyes, “Whatever."
* * *
“Nice moves you’ve got there, Drew.” After the lap dance, Lindsay and Taylor had stayed out on the dance floor for a couple of songs, and had only just returned to them.
“Gee, thanks, Messer.” Danny’s response was to smirk at her. As Taylor glared at him, he winked at her.
Then he finished his beer, stretched out his arms, and somewhat obviously, wrapped his arm around Lindsay. “Your go, Lindsay,” he declared, as though what he was doing was the most normal thing in the world.
Flushing, though not in any hurry to remove his arm, Lindsay reached out and quickly spun the bottle. It landed on Flack. “Truth.”
Lindsay glanced between Flack and Taylor. Although the drinking had calmed the atmosphere somewhat, there was still a bit of noticeable tension between the two. “So what’s the deal with you and Taylor? Why do you have issues?”
“I’m afraid you guys are going to have to hear the answer to that outside.” The four looked up to see one of the barmen standing next to the table. “The bar closed half an hour ago, and we need you to settle up the tequila bill, so we can go home.”
Taylor looked around. The place was empty apart from them. Even the tables were clean and any that had chairs next to them now had them stacked on top of them. They hadn’t even noticed the lights had come up, and the music had stopped. Taylor shrugged and poured one last round of shots, then looked at the bottle. There was a quarter left. Laughing, she grabbed her credit card and followed the barman to the bar to settle up, leaving him a hefty tip.
She went back to the table. “One last shot for the road,” she declared, pointing to the glasses. The four took the one last shot and pulled themselves out from the booth.
“Wait!” cried Danny, spotting one bottle that sat on the table, still with its drink in it. “There is a perfectly good bottle of Smirnoff Ice about to go to waste.”
“I can’t drink anymore,” mumbled Lindsay.
Taylor leaned across and grabbed it, before tipping her head back and downing it in a matter of seconds. She banged the bottle on the table, and then put her jacket on and heading towards the door. She turned around as she reached it, to witness Danny, who still had his arm around Lindsay, stumble into a table and send the two chairs on it flying.
The four of them stared at each other, before running out of the door. They got to the end of the block, stopped, and burst out laughing. “Come on Lindsay, let’s get you home,” declared Taylor, as she slowly stopped laughing. “See you bright and early tomorrow, guys.” She linked her arm through Lindsay’s, and the two started walking away, bumping into each other the way that only drunken people do.
“Hold up!” cried Danny, stumbling after them. “You ladies can’t walk home alone.”
“Danny, we are purfecterly capable of walking home by ourselves,” said Lindsay, firmly.
“Yes, we are strong, independent ladies who are capable of looking after ourselves,” Taylor confirmed as the two of them stumbled into a wall.
“Yeah, looks like it,” muttered Flack, as he joined them.
Lindsay leant against the wall. “I don’t think I can walk home.”
“Guess we’re getting a cab then,” Flack wandered over to the road and flagged down a passing yellow cab. He hopped in the back and scooted over.
Taylor and Danny helped Lindsay over, stumbling with her as they tried to support her between them. Taylor got in the car first, followed by Lindsay and then Danny. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed it. Lindsay leant over and gave the driver her address, before leaning over Danny and winding the window down. Finally, they reached Lindsay’s apartment. “Wait here,” said Danny, “I’ll get her upstairs and inside and then I’ll be back.” He got out of the car, and helped Lindsay.
Taylor moved over, shut the door and wound the window up. She leant back, and slipped on the leather, so she was lying down.
“Is she okay back there?” asked the driver, glaring at them in the mirror. “Because if she pukes you’re payin'.”
“I’m fine,” sang Taylor. “I don’t throw up on alcohol.”
Flack rolled his eyes, trying to look disapprovingly at her, whilst, at the same time, trying not to laugh at her. He decided to compromise by pulling her over to him and into a semi-sitting position. An interesting feat considering he was also very drunk.
“Nope, not ready for sitting yet,” she told him, and lay back down, using his legs as a pillow. Flack glanced out the window. When he looked back, she was fast asleep, or at least had passed out. He glanced back out of the other window and noticed Danny running over.
Danny opened the door. “You guys go.” Flack raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s puking her guts up. I’m gonna make sure she gets into bed without drowning in her own vomit. The last thing I want is to get called out here tomorrow morning and have a lecture off Mac. The head will be pounding already without that one.” He shut the door and ran back into the building.
Flack glanced down at his lap. “Hey, Taylor!” He prodded her. “Yo! Taylor! You alive?”
“Mt. Hope,” she mumbled.
“Mt. Hope?” Flack laughed. “You ain’t in California anymore.”
“Where you going pal?” the taxi driver asked impatiently.
Flack studied the woman sprawled across him. His place was closer, and he was certain that he, like Danny, shouldn’t leave her alone. “Mine, by the looks of things,” he told him, giving him his address.
Ten minutes later, they had pulled up outside his. He fished out a bunch of notes and handed them over to the driver, before grabbing Taylor’s purse, getting out of the car, then picking her up and carrying her. Not without banging his head on the car door first.
He carried her in the building and into the elevator, extremely grateful it was working for once, before managing to get her into his apartment. He stumbled into the bedroom, almost dropping her on the bed. He sat down next to her and rubbed his eyes. He looked over at the clock. It was just after two. Despite the fact he’d actually enjoyed himself, he was going to feel like crap tomorrow. And, with the amount of alcohol he’d had, he probably wouldn’t even remember it. Tequila always had that effect on him.
He pulled off his shoes and tie, then turned to Taylor and pulled of her boots. He had flung them on the floor, in the general direction of his, when Taylor’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled at him. “You never answered the question,” she told him, trying hard to stop him spinning.
“What question?” he asked her, confused.
“The one Lindsay asked. Why do you have issues with me? I mean, it’s not like I choose to see ghosts, and I know you think I’m crazy, but that’s no reason to be so mea-” Taylor’s eyes shot open as Flack’s lips pressed on hers.
Originally posted: 05/06/2006