Julia - Drunk bonus pay

[moonshadows]

Friday night at the Gull, and I’m putting in a few extra hours bartending – mostly as an excuse to hang out with Duke and the Dysfunctional Duo, since being at the Herald all day means I only get to hear bits and pieces of whatever Trouble they’ve been dealing with. This one sounds like it was bad, and when Duke tells me to just keep ‘em coming, I know it was.

Nathan stands to leave first, then Audrey nods and follows his lead. He nods grimly at me as he passes, not saying a word but glancing back at Duke so briefly I almost miss it. Audrey pauses to lean in.

“Take care of him?” she asks quietly. The Gull’s nearly empty. I nod, and she flashes me a relieved smile before hurrying after her partner.

I take Duke another drink and pick up the empties, but he just stares into it like it’s the mirror for his thoughts, slouched down in his seat. It’s close to an hour before the last patrons finish up and stagger out, but when I’ve got the place ready to lock up he’s still only halfway through.

“You know the rules, Boss,” I joke, one hand on his shoulder. “We’re locking up. You don’t have to go home-” his lips twitch briefly at that, “-but I’d feel a lot better if you did.”

Duke tosses back the rest of the drink and sets the glass on the table. “Leave it,” he says before I can even reach for it. “I need your help getting back to the Cape.”

Yeah. It was bad.

The good thing about being a foot shorter than him is that he can lean on me pretty comfortably and it’s not really that awkward, walking him to the door. He leans against the wall as I lock it behind us, and then hip to hip we make our way casually home.

“Stop,” he says suddenly once we’re almost there, reaching for a railing. “I’m gonna throw up.” I wait, one hand on his hand, tucking a lock of hair back behind his ear, while he does. He looks contemplatively out into the night, makes a face, spits, and then nods. “Let’s go.”

It’s slightly more awkward navigating him to the master bedroom, but we manage, and I lead him to the bathroom so he can rinse his mouth out. He’s pretty out of it by now, unable to hold the glass without help, so I prop him against a wall and carefully strip him piece by piece. He goes for the bed once I’m done but almost falls; I catch him and enjoy the warm, taut feel of his skin as I guide him safely down.

“Thank you,” he breathes, half asleep, as I pull the covers up over him.

I lean over to kiss his temple. “That’s what you pay me for. G’night, Boss.”

Before I go to my own cabin, I leave two asprin and a glass of water within easy reach on the bedside table.

 

 

Nathan comes by early the next morning, while I’m out doing my morning workout.

“Morning, Julia.” He inclines his head politely in my direction. “Where’s Duke?”

“Probably still passed out. He was in rough shape last night.”

He looks like he wanted to say something else, but reluctantly decided against it. “Have him call me when he can, then,” he says curtly. At my nod he inclines his head in my direction again and leaves.

 

There’s a covered plate of scrambled eggs and toast on the table, next to another glass of water, when Duke stumbles in wearing low-slung jeans and nothing else. I’m still chopping up slices of melon, but I scoop a double handful of orange and green cubes into a smaller bowl and set it beside him, taking the cover with me as I cross back to the counter.

For a minute he stares at the eggs, then picks up a fork and prods them idly. “Eat,” I tell him.

He doesn’t. “Thanks for last night,” he says quietly.

“That’s what you pay me for,” I tease, smiling over my shoulder, but he grimaces.

“I don’t pay you enough for that.”

The rinds go in the compost bin. I rinse my hands and towel them off, leaning against the counter to watch him. “Sure you do. Falls under the ‘illness and infirmary’ bonus pay clause.”

He looks discomfited to have been out-maneuvered by his more clear-thinking past self. “Julia, you took my clothes off.”

“Which was its own reward.”

Duke chokes back a laugh at that, turning his head as if he could hide his amusement. “You are a wicked woman,” he accuses, pointing his fork in my direction.

“Yeah, you’ve told me.”

He looks at me, grinning despite himself at my cheerful tone and blatantly innocent expression, but he still hasn’t taken a single bite of his breakfast.

“Eat, Duke,” I chide, and he makes a face at me. “Don’t make me feed you by hand.”

“All right, all right.” He scoops up a forkful of eggs and shoves them in his mouth, mumbling around them. “Wench.”

“I’m going up to the Gull,” I tell him, detouring to kiss his temple on my way to the door. “Call Nathan when you’re done eating.”

 

Audrey calls while I’m still en route to the Gull.

“How’s Duke?” she starts without even returning my greeting.

I decide not to ask about the Trouble. “Hung over, but eating breakfast when I left him a few minutes ago.”

“Oh my god, you let him cook hung over?”

“Of course not; I had it ready when he woke up.”

She pauses. “You cooked him breakfast?”

“Usually do.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet! And very domestic of you.”

Nice try, but I’ve resisted better bait than that. “That’s what he pays me for,” I tell her cheerfully.

“Nooo…” I can’t tell if she’s disappointed or in disbelief.

“Yes, he really does.”

“He pays you to cook him breakfast? And take care of him when he’s drunk?” Now she’s either disillusioned or disgusted.

I grin and lean against the wall, now that I’ve reached the Gull. “It’s a very thorough employment contract.”

She can’t leave it alone. “So you’re saying there’s nothing between you two?”

Why? I want to ask. Did you lose a bet? “Of course there is! There’s friendship, trust…”

Audrey groans. I can almost see the hand pressed to her face.

“…and a very thorough employment contract.”

“Alright, I give up,” she sighs. “Just…have him call me when he’s done.”

“Nathan beat you to it,” I tell her. “I gotta go. Catch you later.”