Substitute for Lawson

13

The end of the working day crept up unnoticed. There was no news from Emily, and especially from her friend, who, if she found out about what had happened, would have already come to deal with the adequacy of Damian Lowsen.

As soon as he was about to leave, he decided to look into the legal department and grab Emily for one. But what was his surprise when one of the employees told him that both had left on assignment. They departed, then departed, but did not return. The workday is over. He tried to call her, but she did not answer and even dropped.

- Let's sit in this bar? - Alice suggested when both girls got out of the taxi after a grueling work meeting.

- Come on, - she agreed, but thoughts flashed through her mind that this was unusual for her. New friends rarely sat somewhere, especially in such places, and Amy herself never visited such places. The very atmosphere in this bar was unusual. The light was slightly dimmed, instrumental music was playing, however, it somehow resembled a movie. The girls sat down at a small table, to which the waiter quickly approached.

- Salad with seafood please, - Alice announced almost without looking. A young guy in a shirt and gray apron quickly wrote down, looking at Emily. She immediately hesitated, running her eyes over the pages and saw the familiar name:

- And I have a Caesar salad ...

The guy quickly wrote it down and was about to ask about drinks, but Alice interrupted:

- And two glasses of red semi-sweet wine, good, at your discretion.

- Okay, - the guy nodded and disappeared very quickly.

- Wine? - Emily hesitated. Her last attempts with alcohol ended in complete failure.

- Yes, it will help you digest food. - Alice nodded frivolously and took the phone out of her backpack and dialed something.

- So it is so ... But I am not very friendly with alcohol ...

“A glass of good wine has never hurt anyone,” she said, to which Emily had to agree. - And you need to somehow get you to talk! Kim added conspiratorially.

Emily pursed her lips. She wanted to share with Alice everything that had accumulated in her head and all that had happened.

- I want to tell you something ... or rather, a lot of things ... - the blue-eyed sighed, looking around. She really should have a drink.

“This is what I’m waiting for,” Alice agreed with satisfaction and noticing that a waiter was approaching them with two tall wine glasses half filled with dark scarlet liquid.

“There will be salads now, too,” he said politely, putting the glasses on the table.

- Could you bring that very bottle to us here, I think the glass will not be enough, - making sure of the quality of the wine brought, Alice took a small sip.

- Okay. - At this, the young man retired, leaving the clients alone.

Following Alice's example, Emily took a sip from her glass. The taste seemed to her unusual, but at the same time sweet and pleasant.

- In general, - Alice giggled, attracting the attention of a slightly pensive person. - I do not drink. I never really understood the taste of alcohol, and even now. Well, that's pretty good. I’m not particularly drunk, so I don’t get anyone's pleasure from the bitter liquid, and my dad never limited me to such a thing, did not forbid me, and therefore I think that I had no craving for adventure. But you and I should have sat like that for a long time. - supporting this idea, Emily nods in agreement.

Having tasted the taste and a little bolder even from a drop of alcohol, Fox was already taking the liquid inside without hesitation. Warmth spread down my throat, warming somewhere far away in my stomach, and my legs, as if by magic, began to feel heavy. To admit, she was not ready for any even weak alcohol. As soon as the girl had a little drink, and it could turn into something incomprehensible. She first tried alcohol at prom. She got drunk by her best friend. It all ended in a terrible state the next day and, he told stories of adventures that in the usual state were not typical. Then, as a student living in a dormitory, in addition to her eccentric neighbors, she also had to drink, although not much and not often, but after that she could find photos on someone's social networks or on the phone, where she kept up with the rest did something. She was terribly ashamed, but because of her quiet nature, she could not resist others, just sometimes because she was struggling to join this company and like the company.

- Alice ... - Fox breathed, drawing attention. His voice became more confident, and his cheeks were red. "And Damian ... what is he?"

- In terms of? - The girl on the contrary did not immediately understand. The glass froze against her lips, and her eyes followed closely as Emily took another sip. Following her example, Alice took a sip by driving the liquid in her mouth. - Character?

- Yes…

- Why are you suddenly asking? - Kim smiled, just like her husband assuming that everything is not so simple between the two. - What's the matter then? Do not darken, speak as it is!

- Well, I don't even know where to start ... - the relaxed girl sighs and draining the glass to the end, puts it sonorously on a wooden table.

Alice's eyes go to her forehead. Blinking often, she looks at the empty glass and at her own, in which there is not so much and decreased. She did not even immediately notice the approach of the waiter, until he placed a square, flat plate of salad in front of her. Startled, she has to watch his actions as he professionally poured wine into Emily's glass and, wishing him bon appetite, retired to the side of the bar.

- You're scaring me ... Come on already ... You haven't slept, have you? She asks hopefully as Fox takes a second glass and shakes her head. From the heart, it seems, as well as relieved, Alice exhales with relief and, seeing an appetizing shrimp in her salad, pricks it on a fork, puts it in her mouth.

- He invited me to marry. - Announces Fox without much hesitation, thanks to the red wine.

From this sudden news, Kim chokes on such a long-awaited and tasty shrimp and, starting to actively pound his fist on the chest, takes a sip of wine.

- What ?! - the girl exclaims a little hoarsely, just not believing her ears. - What did he suggest?

“Married…” Fox bites his lip. This was the kind of reaction she'd expected. - This is not what you thought! It's fictitious ... - she adds a little sadly.

- Fictitious? - the interlocutor asks incredulously, barely stopping the cough. - What for?

- He asked for help ... Alice, you know ... he's so good, he saved me from being r***d, do you think it's okay if I agree? - the girl whispered.

- Stop! What?! What other r**e? - it seems she will have to move away from shock for a long time

“Well… you know…” Emily sips the wine that helped her open up so well and completely forgets to jam. - It was this weekend ... - She is sad and scared to remember all this. Involuntarily sobs and alcohol seems to act so unpredictably. - I was almost r***d by the landlord, and Damian ... he is so ... he saved me ... And then, then ... he brought me to his place, and offered to become his fictitious wife for an experiment, I don't know what to do, he is so good and it seems I also fell under his spell, as this ... Sarah told me! Alisaaaa, how can I be ... Can I marry him? - merges everything into one heap and continues to whine helplessly. Propping his head with two palms, he lowers his gaze to his plate and examines the ingredients with a slightly blurred gaze.

The discouraged Alice, often blinking her eyes and trying to clean up the whole pile that the drunken friend had just piled up, made a lowing sound.

- Stop. - the wife of the general woke up, and trying to adequately perceive all this, tried to clarify. “So after you and Damian left the farm, you almost got r***d?” - the girl sitting opposite nodded. - And he saved you? - nod. - And then, he offered you to marry him, but fictitiously, and you want to agree because you like him as a man? - followed by another sluggish nod. - Why does he need a fictitious marriage?

"An experiment ..." Emily sighed, slightly closing her eyes. - He wants to stop being a womanizer ...

- With the help of you?

- Yes ... - nods in agreement. - I want to help him. But it won't be for real.

- Why you? - Alice is not at all happy with this news. The desire to call the culprit himself increases significantly. Interestingly, and the husband in the course?

“I don’t know…” the secretary babbles sadly. - Alisaa ... I'm so confused, tell me what to do? He told me to live with him ...

- Yeah ... - Kim grumbles gloomily and frowns about something. - So, fiction and no obligations?

- Yes ... - continues to agree and poking around with a fork in the salad, thinks to eat a little.

“It reminds me of something…” the interlocutor chuckles suspiciously and drains her glass in one gulp.

***

Darkness quickly overtook London. Damian had already returned home a long time ago, and in any way he was haunted by where his "neighbor" in the apartment could be. A couple of times he tried to call her, but deciding that it was useless, because for sure she is now with Alice.

- Where is it? The man muttered under his breath, sipping coffee from a large mug. Pacing up and down the living room, he stopped at the window, looking closely at the street parking lot and surroundings. The phone rang in the pocket of his gray sweatpants. Pulling it out quickly, he already thinks that Emily deigned to call back, but it was security.

- Yes? - answered Hooke in surprise. Maybe something with the car? In the parking lot?

- Mr. Lowsen? - I heard a serious voice. - Here it is ... - the voice sounded more restless. “The girl you talked about this morning.

- Where's she? - the deputy perked up.

- To be precise, at the driveway. The man cleared his throat. - Mr. Lowsen, could you come down? She does not want to enter, hugged the tree and speaks obscenely, addressing you ...

"Wha ... what is she doing?" - he blinked in confusion. - I'll go down now.

Emily stretched out her legs on the grass took a deep breath. Having stopped fighting with the imaginary boss, she was afraid to walk a couple of meters to get into the house, where she could meet the real one. The girl's mind was well clouded by alcohol, during these couple of hours at the bar she poured out her soul well to her friend and got pretty drunk.

- Well, what should I do? .. - This question was repeated many times during the evening. There was no answer.

- first you need to get up off the grass. - from surprise, the girl flinches and throws her head up. Damian stands in front of her. Crossing his arms over his chest, the man gave Emily a stern look. - So what is it?

“Oooh, Demin,” she giggled fearlessly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh ... no ... Mr. Lowsen?" Or Demushka? You are as straight as a husband! And although, we are getting married anyway, right? - naively blinking her eyes, she caught the guy's expression every five seconds changing.

- Are you drunk or what? - squatting down beside her, he caught the smell of alcohol and pinkish cheeks. - Let's go home.

- Not. I will sleep here. I don't have a home. - Fox exhales and struggling with the approaching sleep, falls body on the grass. Yawns and closes his eyes in peace. - Damian Lowsen ... - she barely mutters, smacking her lips slightly. - how can I be ... - with every word, her voice became more unintelligible, and eventually, she fell into a slumber.

- Hey Hey hey! - Damian came to his senses. - Are you going to sleep here? Hey! Emily! - shook her by the shoulders, but she just smiled without even bothering to open her eyes. - Climb!

Useless. The young lady fell asleep right on the grass. She felt better in her soul, although one question still stood squarely. And this question now, almost swearing obscenities, lifted her on his shoulder.

- Well, nothing, wake up, I'll arrange for you. - Threatened the man lightly slapping his palm on the female buttocks. Under the surprised looks of the guards, he entered the elevator with an almost unconscious body that mumbled something in his sleep.