* X x * x * x * Chapter 26 * x * x * x X*
Buzzed
Zach flinched and held her head down. She closed her eyes trying to suppress the buzz.
Kaye's breath hitched and blinked twice. She didn't expect what had transpired. The raven-haired girl's profile was too close for comfort, but she dared not complain. She could easily close the distance and give her a peck on the cheek but she resisted doing so.
"A-are you okay?" Kaye stuttered.
Zach turned her head to answer but soon realized that their faces are a few inches apart. Time seemed to have stopped just like the buzz in her head. Her gaze went down her lips and long blinked a few times.
"I-it's my head, sorry." She straightened her back. "Head rush or maybe the tequila doing its job." She points to her head.
"So?" Zach asked them again.
"My boyfriend will be picking me up," Felicity answered abruptly. "I don't know about her."
Kaye giggled, "The one your 'boyfriend' will be picking up is me. We're just dropping you off somewhere." She quoted the boyfriend part.
"How about I take you home, instead?" Z asked her with concern in her eyes. She didn't like the sound of someone else's boyfriend picking her up when she can just take her home and not to mention she had no plans of backing down.
"Oh, you're taking me home? But I-I'm not ready yet~" Kaye grinned at Zach, she wondered where the courage is coming from. It must be the drink. She's been tipsy for a while now before they started having tequila and was just fighting the drunken off.
She cleared her throat and answered once more, "I'm good. Her boyfriend is my—,"
Felicity covered her mouth and cut her off, "Actually boss, we have somewhere we need to be if you know what I mean." She wrinkled her nose to hint at something. "It'd be wonderful if I can leave her to you. I mean, pretty please?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." She shrugged and then looked at Kaye.
Kaye shook her head off of Felicity's hold on her, "No! I'm going with them, I don't want to trouble you."
Zach sighed, "No, you won't, we go the same way, remember?"
Kaye tries to protest once again and Felicity grabs her arm.
"I have somewhere to go with my boyfriend. Don't. be. a. freaking. third wheel." Felicity glared at her trying to give her signals to go with Zach.
"Just! Let me take you home, okay? The driver will be here in a few."
Her phone rang. "Nevermind, I think he's here."
"David? Yes, it's parked outside. We'll meet you there…Thanks."
"Arty, you stayin'?" He asked Arthur as she picked J by the arms. "God no, I love free rides. I'm coming with y'all."
J threads his walk while Z guides him.
"Let's go?" She told Kaye and she just nodded.
"I hate to leave you here but is your boyfriend on his way?" Zach turned to Felicity.
"No need to worry, he'll be here. Look." She showed her his recent message. [OllieBaby: I'll be there in 10 mins.]
"If you say so." She grabbed the attention of her team's heaviest drinker. "Arevalo! You don't leave until not after everyone here leaves, you hear me?"
"Copy that, boss!" He salutes and clanks his drink to another person from Jeremy's team.
"Shall we?" She asked Kaye and Arthur. "Felicity, send me a message once you're on your way. Thanks."
J spoke, "Everyone, take care of everyone. Thanks for today. Your heartthrob is signing off!" and dropped his head yet again.
The faces of people at the table contorted and pretended to gag making Zach shake her head in amusement.
They meet David outside. Pleasantries were exchanged since Arthur also knows the man and Zach introduced Kaye.
She handed Jeremy's car keys then she threw him into the back seat. Was about to take the passenger's seat but Arthur beat her to it. "Oof, I call dibs on the front seat."
She rolled her eyes at him and was about to let Kaye first but since J is inside drunk, she let her sit by the window and let herself be sandwiched instead.
"Let me sit in the middle. J can be a real pain in the ass when he's drunk." She smiled and kicked J's foot further to the side. "Move your big ass foot."
She finally settled down then Kaye followed her inside.
Zach couldn't help feeling all giddy inside when their shoulders met. Her side against Kaye's. There was an odd feeling yet it was quite comforting.
She then realized why Arthur held the front seat. She smiled inwardly. "Silly."
She tapped David's shoulder and said, "Let's drop Arthur first then Kaye. She lives near my place."
David hesitated for a moment and replied, "But Mrs. Scott told me to bring you back home to them. She wants you to drop by and spend the weekend there…and she won't accept otherwise."
Seeing the old man almost made her chuckle.
Without thinking much of a reason she told him, "I have someone here with me, and going there is gonna be a long ride. Just tell her I said that."
"I'm sorry, Z. She told me to—" He couldn't finish his sentence when David's phone rang. "It's the madam."
Zach nodded for him to answer.
"Yes, Ma'am. I picked them up just now we're in the car…Jeremy's so drunk but Zach, she uh, I'm going to bring them to her place and she won't be there tonight since she has to take her friend home."
She couldn't hear the other line. He faced Z and said, "The madam wants me to put her on speaker, is that okay?"
"Sure." He tapped her phone and the phone went to speaker mode. "Mija?"
"I'm listening, tía Amy?"
"Why aren't you coming here?
"I have to take a friend home."
"Who, Arthur? Just leave him somewhere and come here." Z chortled at that.
"Aunt Amy! I'm here, I can hear you!" Arthur exclaimed.
"Why do you think I asked to be on loudspeaker, hun? Bring them here or I'll have them leave you somewhere else." Ameliá told Z.
"No, tía. It's another friend, it's Kaye." Z yawned.
Ameliá thought for a second then, "Kaye? The pretty girl you—
"Tía! She's here beside me." Z cried as she got flustered.
"I'm just kidding, honey." Ameliá laughed softly. "Kaye, dear. Can I speak with you?"
Kaye flinched when she called her out but leaned a little to answer, "Good evening, ma'am. This is Kaye, speaking."
"Yes, dear, good evening. I know it's already late but would you mind if you dropped by for a bit? That place is just a few minutes from there." They hear Ameli
"No, not at all." Kaye agreed immediately thinking she can stay with Zach a little longer.
"You heard that, Mija?" Amelia.
Zach could picture her smirking from the other line.
"Yes, ma'am." Z sighed weakly.
Jeremy opened his eyes but failed. "Oh, mom! Hey! I love you!" then went back to sleep.
"Oh my, you better bring that boy here."
"Aunt Amy, I'm coming over too!" Arthur joked but was answered with rejecting.
"David, drive Arthur home first. I want a peaceful evening." Ameliá said bluntly.
"Ah, my heart!" Arthur faked a heartache.
"Oh, I'm just kidding, you can come over too."
"Thanks but I humbly decline your offer. I need my beauty to rest. I was just kidding too."
The two laughed together and Z just facepalmed. "Alright. We'll be there in no time, tía."
"That makes my day. Love you!" Ameliá said excitedly.
"I love you too." She replied before Ameliá hung up.
She looked at Kaye apologetically but was caught off guard by a sweet smile flashing on the strawberry blonde's lips. "I-I'm sorry about that, Kaye."
"It's fine. You seem like you have a wonderful relationship with J's parents." She said as she searched for Zach's eyes.
"You could say that. Are you sure, though?" A smile played on Zach's lips as well.
"Yeah, totally." In fact, she didn't want to go home yet. Kaye smiled sweetly, reassuring her.
"Let's go, David. But please drive slowly. You have 4 drunk people inside. Zach laughed and rested her back, trying her best to ignore the heat coming from her right side.