The bar was bustling. Various colorful lights that blinked continuously were dazzling to the eyes. The loud music was deafening. Young people swayed and jumped to the fast music like madmen as if there was no tomorrow.
It became crowded with each passing minute. At the crowded counter, Declan gulped down the sixth glass of whiskey. He was so drunk that he could hardly balance himself on the stool. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled. His shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the top three buttons came undone.
"One more…" he said, holding up his hand.
"You should stop now," Francis urged.
Declan chuckled and shot him a sidelong glance, his vision blurry. He could see two Francises. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyesight.
"Today is my wedding day," he continued, his speech slurred. "I am not done partying yet."
"You are already drunk. Let me drive you home." Francis got to his feet and grabbed his arm to help him up.
"Hmm…" Declan pulled his hand back. "I won't go." He pouted. "I don't want to go home. Let me drink more."
"Please, boss. Stop being adamant. Come with me." Francis forcefully drew him up.
Declan couldn't keep his balance. Francis wrapped his arms around his waist to support him. He escorted him out of the bar and shoved him into the car.
"Francis… you moron," Declan muttered. "I will fire you."
"Yeah…" After fastening his seatbelt, Francis slammed the door to the passenger seat and walked over to the driver's seat. He was behind the wheel in no time, and the car was rolling down the road.
An hour later…
They finally arrived home. Francis pulled him out of the car and led him into the house.
"You are very bad, Francis," Declan muttered. "I will fire you."
"Alright. Watch your steps up the stairs." Francis cautioned him.
"I am your boss. You should obey me. Instead, you defy me. You brought me back home against my will. I am upset with you. I will fire you…" Declan continued to ramble as he walked up the stairs, his steps unsteady.
The commotion caught Yasmin's attention. She hurried out of the room and saw them approaching her. She took a frantic step backward, gaping at Declan. The smell of the alcohol assaulted her nostrils. Her hand instinctively flew to her nose.
In his unkempt appearance, Declan didn't look like a sophisticated man. He resembled a drunkard straying on the road. Yasmin looked at him from head to toe, wondering how he got drunk so much.
Declan paused and blinked for a few times as he looked at Yasmin. "Hey, Francis... do you see a woman in front of us?"
Francis wrinkled his nose, annoyed. He wanted to smash his head on something. "Today is your wedding day, remember?" he hissed, gritting his teeth.
"Uh… wedding… ghuh…" Declan cracked a grin. "Who is she?"
Francis rolled his eyes. "I think I should leave. Your wife will take care of you from here." He shoved him onto Yasmin.
When Declan landed on Yasmin, her entire body jerked backward. She could barely hold his weight.
"Wait…" she shouted as she saw Francis leaving. "He is too heavy for me. Please help me to take him to the bedroom."
Francis couldn't leave after hearing her plea. He helped her get Declan into the room and put him in the bed.
"I will fire you, Francis…" Declan continued murmuring.
"Good night, boss. Sleep well." Francis went out in a hurry.
Yasmin looked at him nervously. She chewed the tips of her fingers as she tried to figure out how to deal with him. She had never attended to a drunk man. On top of that, the acrid smell of alcohol made her dizzy. She wished she could flee from here.
"Hmm… It's hot. Why is not the air conditioning turned on?"
Yasmin's gaze shifted toward the air conditioning that was already on. She figured Declan was feeling hot due to the alcohol. She removed his shoes first. Then she clambered onto the bed. Her hands started shaking as she unbuttoned his shirt.
"Don't touch me," he hissed and swatted her hands away. "Hmm…" he grimaced, pinching his brow.
Yasmin scooted away, startled. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't. Looking at his uneasiness, she decided to remove his shirt. She inched towards him and mumbled, "You are sweating. Let me help you to take off your shirt." She reached out to unbutton his shirt.
Declan didn't oppose this time. He groaned from time to time but didn't push her back.
Yasmin had to lean closer to him to get his arms out of the sleeves. Declan wrapped his arms around her and drew her to his chest.
Yasmin's breathing hitched into her throat as her breasts pressed against his robust chest. She looked at him with wide eyes, her glasses slipping a little. She quickly pushed them up to her nose bridge.
"Why did you marry me?" he asked, his intoxicating eyes on her.
She locked her gaze on him, her heart pounding in her ears. From a close distance, his eyes appeared bluer. They reminded her of the deep blue sea. She couldn't look away from him, forgetting what he had just asked.
"I am sure you are not happy with the marriage," he continued. "Your parents forced you, didn't they? Tell me if you are not happy. I will set you free."
She felt a pang of pain in her heart. It was her wedding night, but her husband was considering breaking up with her. Even if she was not happy about the marriage, she wanted to give this relationship a chance.
"Yes, my parents forced me into this marriage," she murmured, her head bowed. "It is also true that I am unhappy. But I am willing to give this relationship a try. Will you?" She lifted her head to look at him and found him asleep. His arms were still around her.
Yasmin became engrossed in his attractive face once more. Her gaze gradually moved to his slightly parted lips. She gently pushed his chin up to close his mouth, but his jaw dropped when she drew her hand back.
She giggled.
In the meantime, she remembered how he kissed her when the priest asked him to kiss the bride. That was not a kiss. He just touched his lips to the corner of her lips for a brief moment.
She wanted to feel his lips on hers as she stared at his lips. She bit the corner of her bottom lip as her desire grew. She craned her neck to kiss him, her eyes getting shut.
As her lips brushed his lips, her entire body fell to the bed when Declan moved his weight to the side and put his heavy leg on her as if she was a side pillow to him.
Yasmin shot open her eyes and gaped at him. She forgot how to breathe. A few moments later, she came to her senses and moved to break free from his arms.
"Mm…" he groaned and hugged her tighter.
She stopped wriggling in an instant, not daring to move a muscle. She didn't even exhale deeply. Finally, she gave up the idea of breaking off his arms.
She slowly removed her specs and put them aside, making sure not to move much. As she kept looking at him, her eyelids grew heavier. It became increasingly difficult for her to keep her eyes open.
She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.