Ripe and Lush

Story Submitted by Emil:

I worked in an office building through most of my 20s.  I first encountered Wendy in an elevator.  We were the only ones in it, and she gave me a glance and a smile that were both so affecting that I found it hard to think of anything else for a while afterward.

It wasn't until I bumped into her in a hallway, over a month later, that I had an opportunity to say a word to her.  In some bumbling, awkward, stupid way, I introduced myself and asked her if she ever wanted to go out for a drink.

She said, "I'm working late tonight.  Why don't you come by my office around seven?"

At seven, I met up with her at her office.  She was clearly in the middle of something, and I knocked on her open door.

I said, "If you're busy, I can see you some other time."

She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and a shot glass.  She poured herself a glass and threw it back like New Year's.

She then repeated the act.  She sat back in her chair and looked all around the room, and right past me, as if I was just another piece of furniture.

"It's been a long day," she said, and then again, "It's been a long day."

I asked her if she was okay, and then she closed her eyes and started crying.  At once, I went over to her and knelt next to her chair.

"Get out!" she yelled, "Get out!"

I did.

The next time I saw her was the following week.  She found me in my office and she asked me if we could go out that night.  Her treat, as a way to apologize for our last meeting.  I accepted the offer.

At dinner, she pounded back a few drinks and was barely able to walk out of the restaurant when we were done.  She asked me if I wanted to accompany her to her ex-boyfriend's apartment so that she could "show me off" to him.

I told her that I would rather see her home safely, but then she spun around, snorted, and sort of tripped/fell onto the hood of a nearby parked car.

It sounded like a mighty wallop, but she flipped herself over on the hood and laughed and snorted.  I pulled her off but she yanked back and tried to pull me down onto it with her.

I didn't go for it, and she slammed back into it, laughing, barely able to breathe.

I was tired of her behavior and pulled her off of the hood.  "What's your problem?" she asked, over and over as I helped her down the sidewalk and into my car.

I asked her where she lived, and all that she did was giggle.  I had no idea where to bring her, and so I brought her back to my place.

She had passed out by the time we arrived, and I set her up on a couch with a blanket.

The following morning, a Thursday, I woke her up before I left for work.  She had little to no memory of the night before, barely remembered who I was ("You're that kid from down the hall, right?"), and took her sweet time taking a shower and cleaning up before I brought her into work.

I barely saw her again after that, and that was just fine.