“Alrighty, here we are.”

Alice finally reached the door to her apartment, having struggled to get there with an intoxicated Dana leaning against her the whole way up.

Surprisingly, she managed to open her apartment without difficulty and stepped inside, dragging her incoherent friend along.

“You, my friend, are going to the couch.” Alice plopped Dana down with a sigh of relief. Memories of Dana’s last drunken excursion prompted Alice to the kitchen in search of any receptacle device that might save her carpet from unforeseen vomiting.

At that instant, the still inebriated tennis player returned to consciousness, momentarily confused by her surroundings.

She plopped herself up on both elbows and looked around aimlessly. In an attempt to make sense of her location, Dana’s eyes zoned in on a large chart prominently displayed on the opposite wall. Even in her drunken state, she recognized the sprawling diagram of multiple lines connecting female names, and knew she could only be one place. Alice’s.

The blonde returned just then, large bowl in hand. Upon witnessing Alice’s entrance, Dana’s face contorted into a goofy grin, and she happily slurred, “It’s Allliiicccce.”

Alice couldn’t help but smile back at her drunk friend, shaking her head affectionately as she sat at Dana’s feet on the couch’s arm.

“You might have overdone it tonight, Dane.” Alice playfully chided.

Dana dropped her elbows and plopped her head back onto the pillows, huffing defiantly, “Oh piffle!”

Alice’s eyebrows burrowed in confusion. “Piffle?” Pausing in bewilderment, she continued, “Did Tonya teach you that word?”

Dana simply grunted in response.

“Whatever,” Alice muttered while kneeling beside the couch to rest the bowl in a strategic position on the floor.

She glanced up to find Dana now staring at her, an unreadable expression on her face. Alice couldn’t tell whether Dana was going to laugh, cry or puke.

After a few seconds, Dana inexplicably stated in mock seriousness, “Alice, we need to talk,” and to the blonde’s horror, began chuckling uncontrollably.

Alice’s amusement faded instantly at Dana’s weak attempt at a joke. She could not bear witness to Dana making light of their kiss, intoxicated or not. She had spent the last three days in agony, turning the kiss over and over in her head; regretting the decision one moment, relishing it the next. She had expected Dana to have experienced the same torture and confusion. But obviously, this was not the case.

Despite her heart secretly breaking over Dana’s callousness, she steadfastly resumed taking care of her inebriated guest.

“You kissed me Alice,” Dana daftly declared as Alice continued in her struggle to get her friend situated.

“Mmm hmm. I know Dana, I was there.” They were NOT going to have this conversation now.

Dana giggled playfully. “Alice Pieszecki KISSED me.”

Alice was all business. “Dana. See this bowl here. This is where you aim if you have to puke. Not here.” Alice pointed to the left side of the bowl at the floor. “Or here.” She pointed to the right side. “But here.” Alice tapped the bottom of the bowl for emphasis. “Let me go get you some water,” Alice said begrudgingly, needing to get away.

She rose from one knee but was diverted by a strong hand on her forearm. Forced to kneel beside the couch again, she looked at Dana’s firm grasp in surprise. Sighing in frustration, she shot Dana a look, fully intent on demanding release. Yet the intensity suddenly emblazened on the tennis player’s face permanently halted any such protest from Alice.

The playful demeanor from Dana had quickly disappeared, replaced by an impassioned gaze that locked Alice in place.

The blonde’s heart almost stopped.

Fiery blue eyes now roamed Alice’s in desperation.

“You kissed me,” Dana stated once more, this time in a fervent whisper, all traces of lightheartedness gone.

Alice froze. Entranced by the seriousness in Dana’s plea, Alice suddenly was at a loss for words. She barely mustered the strength to state meekly, “I know.”

Dana held tight to Alice’s arm, but her eyes softened. She tiredly leaned her head back against the sofa’s pillow, still maintaining eye contact with Alice. The two friends stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity.

Breaking the silence, Dana asked Alice in a desperate whisper, “What took you so long?”

And with that, Dana finally succumbed to her alcohol-induced exhaustion, and closed her eyes to sleep.

Stunned, Alice couldn’t move. Reeling from Dana’s hushed confession, she stayed on the floor, afraid that if she attempted to stand, her legs might buckle beneath her.

Unanswered questions feverishly ran through Alice’s brain. Did Dana mean what she just said? What exactly DID she say? And will she remember in the morning?

Confused now more than ever, Alice sighed in frustration, but newfound hope filled her heart.

She looked down at Dana’s now limp hand which still held a loose grip on her wrist. Alice gently lifted Dana’s tan arm, resting it against the sleeping brunette’s stomach. Using her own elbow as a prop, Alice leaned her head against the couch, quietly taking in her slumbering best friend.

With her left hand, she tenderly brushed curly locks from Dana’s closed eyes and carefully pinned them behind one ear.

A muffled laugh escaped her lips and she shook her head in disbelief, amazed that this goofy woman had mysteriously worked her way into her heart.

Her eyes rested on Dana once more, and Alice’s smile remained.

“You crazy jock,” she whispered. “What the ***** have you done to me?”

Taking a moment to gather herself, Alice quietly rose from Dana’s side, and headed to bed.

To be continued…..