Page 85 of Everything That Kills Me
“I’ve had more alcohol tonight than I’ve ever had but the world isn’t spinning. Well, it is spinning, but you know what I mean. What about you?”
“I’ve been drunk once. Thomas wanted to show me what it was like. Shot after shot of vodka. I thought I was okay. I didn’t feel I’d had too much, but he got me to do some cognitive tests and I thought I’d aced them. I was shocked at how badly I did. It was a useful lesson.”
Zeph brushed his fingers against Jack’s again, wishing he dare take his hand.
“I need to undo my bowtie,” Jack said. “Give me a hand with my top button, would you?”
Zeph unfastened the tie, then pushed the button free. He stroked Jack’s jaw, then his lips and when he looked into his eyes, Jack was staring at him intently.
“Now yours.”
Zeph undid his own and opened the top button. “So that’s why I couldn’t breathe?”
Jack chuckled. He pulled Zeph into an alley, pushed him up against a wooden door, and kissed him, then kept on kissing him. Zeph melted, his bones dissolving. Jack moved from kissing his mouth to teasing his ears, then nuzzling his neck, holding him so close, it was as if they were welded together. The kissing didn’t stop until they both ran out of breath. When Jack finally dropped his head to Zeph’s shoulder, his breathing was all over the place.
“You drive me crazy,” Jack panted.
“What have I done?”
Jack chuckled and dragged his hand over the bulge in Zeph’s trousers.
“Do that, and I’m going to come,” Zeph whispered.
“That’s the plan.”
“But not here!” Zeph almost squeaked. “Not in my tux. How would I explain that to the drycleaner? I’d lie obviously, but I’m so prone to blurting out the truth.”
“I won’t let it get messed up. Is there a darker alley near here?”
Something about the way Jack looked at him made Zeph tremble.He really wants to do this? Now?
Oh God.Zeph gulped.Fuck! Not here.
Before Jack could start kissing him again, Zeph caught his hand and pulled him to the street. “Too many people around. Too big a risk. The police are looking for idiots. Walk fast.”
They passed more drunken revellers as they crossed Parker’s Piece. One of them was throwing up. Where was the fun in being so drunk? Then again, maybe you reached that point without realising what was going to happen.
“I suspect most people don’t intend to drink too much,” Jack said. “But they think if they keep on drinking, they’ll maintain their high. They won’t.”
“Like drugs.”
“Just like drugs.”
“I’ve never taken drugs. Never smoked.”
“I’ve not taken drugs either. Thomas would have killed me. But I have smoked the occasional cigarette.”
Zeph looked at him. “Don’t smoke.Thatmight kill you.”
Jack shrugged. “Okay.”
“Really? You won’t smoke because I asked you not to?”
Jack smiled. “I did sayoccasionalcigarette.”
“I sort of wish I’d asked for something more significant now.”
“What’s more significant than me not dying?”
