Love Drunk

In the midst of blurry lights and carefree laughter, two souls held each other's hands as they danced in reckless abandon to Rihanna's song. "I've been let down but never been tainted so I stay thirsty for more No I won't hold back, no drop is wasted. I let love run its course" Their bodies moving in sync with the music, eyes focused on nothing but each other, with each touch, each caress, the two of them got closer and closer. "Take me away. I wear my heart on my sleeve, always let love take the lead I may be a little naïve, yeah You know I'm drunk on love, drunk on love nothing can sober me up You know I'm drunk on love, drunk on love nothing can sober me up It's all that I need…" The woman's arms anchored over the man's shoulder while the latter held her hips firmly against his, grinding against the seductive music. "You're so pretty…" he murmured, his voice sending pleasant signals down her spine. "I'm so intoxicated I love the way you taste on my lips, when we kiss You got me so addicted So much I can't resist. Falling into your arms Take me away…" "Let's get out of here," the man invited seductively, and in no time, the two of them were running outside, still holding each other's hands as they laughed like children. They didn't know where they went. They just walked and walked, tried out different establishments, met different interesting characters including Elvis Presley, and then ran out laughing together all through the night. Alas, near dawn, the kindred spirits came back together at the man's hotel room, tearing at each other's clothes as they hungrily kissed, their hands exploring each other's bodies with desperation. Both marked each other's bodies, as they held onto each other, riding along the tides of both pleasure and pain – healing each other's heartaches in the process. No, they didn't care about the world. No, they didn't care about the future. What they cared about was tonight, when nothing but being together felt right. Several hours later, the sunlight streamed from the window, making the people on the bed stir as they came slowly awake. Alex felt deliciously sore that she wanted to continue sleeping but the light hurt her eyes, and so she groggily sat up and started. The pain from her forbidden region shot up making her wince as she jerked, making the man on the bed sit up sleepily in annoyance. "What are you doing?" Jacques grumbled as he and Alex turned to each other – and stopped. Blue doe eyes which became alert instantly locked with the other's almond orbs, both staring at each other in shock as realization sank in. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" =========== 2 days earlier, Seoul, South Korea A lanky young man stared vacantly ahead at the far wall, lost in thought. His mouth hung partially open; his handsome face marred only by the telltale dark circles surrounding his eyes. His usually impeccably arranged brown hair now unkempt, his clothes— well, his pajamas were in disarray. Obviously, he had a restless night, and it didn't sit well with someone like him who needed more than eight hours of sleep a day to function. "What's up?" An overly cheerful inquiry broke his reverie, his eyes darting at the source, as his earlier blank expression crumpled into a full-blown frown. Another thing he hated aside from sleepless nights was cheerful people trying to wheedle him into conversations when he had those sleepless nights. "What do you think?" he countered, his voice dripping with his brand of sarcasm, hoping the other would take the hint and leave him the hell alone. Too bad. The person in front of him was his simple-minded cousin, Kim Cole, whose single butt cheek was bigger than her grey matter— or so the family thought. It was a longtime running joke within the family that Kim had a talisman which made sarcasm and irony bounce off her. She just didn't get them and dealt with them literally. Sometimes, too literally. In short, for someone who's a great intellectual like him, who used sniping remarks as his tool to get rid of unwanted people, Kim was his nemesis. "Well, I wouldn't ask you if I knew, right?" Kim's single-lidded eyes widened as they danced with amusement, her lips spreading into a wide smile as she joined him at the table. "No touching my food," he grumbled, but his warning was lost when the girl helped herself to his sandwich anyway. Really not in the mood to argue, the young man, Charles, rolled his eyes heavenwards as he sighed. "Don't eat everything," he said grumpily as his cousin started eating his breakfast. "So?" Kim prompted and she raised a brow. "So what?" he countered, and his cousin shrugged. "Well, you're not usually up at this hour. I'm wondering why you're here already. You're not a morning person," his cousin reminded while she chewed. "If you knew that, then what the heck are you doing at my house at this time of the day?" Charles glared at her, but as usual, Kim didn't comprehend his annoyance. "Well, you're already up, right?" she reasoned brazenly and Charles just had to give up to save energy. There's no point arguing with Kim Cole after all. "Why are you awake anyway?" Kim asked and Charles sighed as he rested his head on the table. "Big Bro Jacques called," he answered unenthusiastically. The mentioned person was their other older cousin. Their family, the Coles, was European originally, but their uncle who was a businessman built his empire in Korea and settled here. Their current matriarch, Jacques' mother's Korean, ergo, since their aunt took them in, they were raised like Asians— calling everyone in the family with their respective "titles". They called all members of their family aunties, big brothers, big sisters, and so on. Remembering the call, Charles' face soured. Jacques was totally like Kim, who didn't give a fig about the time of day. The only difference was their IQ. What Kim lacked, the other oozed with it— most times too much, that Charles couldn't win any argument. "Big Bro Jacques?" Hearing the name of her favorite cousin, Kim visibly perked up more. "Isn't he supposed to get married today— or is that tomorrow?" "The day after tomorrow," Charles answered grimly. Their cousin, whether he liked it or not, would have to marry in two days' time if he wanted to hold onto his inheritance. The problem was the said cousin was totally allergic to matrimony, that until now, he couldn't find anyone suitable enough to wed. "Has he prepared for his wedding then?" Kim asked again, this time with concern, as she too was aware of their cousin's circumstance, and Charles snorted. "Oh, he already has the requirements ready. There's only one thing missing," he answered in a mocking tone of voice. "He has no bride yet, the idiot." "But that can't be! He'll lose everything," Kim stated in alarm. "What did he tell you?" Charles thought for a while as he remembered his conversation with their big bro. "Actually, he just called to ask me something," he said thoughtfully, and when Kim looked at him curiously, he continued. "Big Bro asked me this: if you get married, have kids, mingle with your in-laws every week or every day, go shopping with your wife every weekend, spend your evenings with your noisy kids, what do you get?" "Well…" Kim looked contemplative for a while as if really pondering the question in her head. "A big happy family?" she answered, unsure, and Charles snapped his fingers as he sat up straight. "That's what I answered too," the latter said and the other beamed. "Am I right? Am I right?" Kim asked excitedly, thrilled that she gave a good answer for the first time, but her smile vanished when Charles shook his head. "No? Then what's the answer?" "Divorce." Charles smirked as he recalled their cousin's explanation. "Big Bro said: what i***t would get married when you'd be forced to show up to please people you don't like? Who would want to be your wife's gopher? What i***t would get married and spend a lot of money raising noisy brats?" "But…" Kim was speechless for a while as she imagined how their big bro treated them with such kindness and patience— most especially her. "I think he'd make a good husband and father," she stated, and Charles agreed. "Uncle thought so too. That's why he had that clause in the will made." Charles sighed again. Even if it was his nature to be complacent about things, he couldn't help but worry now. Jacques Henry Cole would have no choice but to tie the knot— soon. It's the bitter truth, however reluctant a groom his cousin would be. "Where is he now?" Kim asked and Charles answered with another sigh. "He's in LV," he replied. It was the reason he was sleepless. Jacques had no consideration of the time zone. His Big Bro expected him to answer his calls anytime. Charles wanted to complain, but aside from being his cousin, Jacques was also his boss, so he just had to deal with it. "LV?" Kim asked in confusion, and Charles could almost see screws and knots working overtime in her head so he stared at her. "What?" he asked suspiciously. He had this feeling that his cousin would say something ridiculous once more. She didn't disappoint. "LV? Louis Vuitton?" Kim inquired and Charles gaped.