“Hey!” I said. “What do you think you’re doing?” After a moment, he stood and faced me, wobbling and squinting, trying to focus. “It’s finally catching up with you, isn’t it? You’re tossed, man.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I am. Shit.” He held the bar with his right hand, anchoring himself while he signed his receipt with his left. He was very obviously swaying now. “I’m going to use the restroom,” he slurred.
When he stumbled away, Han Solo said, “That guy is gonna die… seriously. You don’t understand how much he’s had to drink.”
“Maybe I should see if he wants me to call someone for him?”
“Yeah, like an ambulance,” he shot back.
“Listen, Han, you were the one who should have cut him off.” I scowled, but Han was watching something behind me. Before I could turn around, Lucian’s hand was on my shoulder. “Mmm.” I closed my eyes. Then I jerked up straight. “Oh my God, did I just do that?”
The bartender nodded, trying to stifle a laugh.
Lucian released his hand from my shoulder, so I swiveled around quickly to look at him. “Do you want me to call someone for you, Lucian? Like a friend or family member? You seem really drunk.”
He shook his head, closed his eyes, and swayed as though he was going to fall down. “I’m going to walk you home. You live close by.”
Peculiarly, I was touched by this mysterious and handsome drunk. “How do you know where I live? My house could be ten miles away. Maybe I took a cab here?”
“Because I noticed that you left earlier and came back. I just figured you lived close by. You look familiar, like I’ve seen you in the neighborhood.”
I knew I had never seen him. No woman could forget a face like his. “I don’t know if I need an escort, but thank you. I might stay and have another drink.”
“Not a good idea, Evey. You hate hangovers.”
“Do I?” I arched my eyebrows. He was so drunk he was acting as though we knew each other. It was comical and a little creepy.
“Well, everyone hates hangovers.”
“True, and you are going to have quite the hangover tomorrow, buddy. I don’t think you need to worry too much about me.”
He squinted and smiled faintly, like he had found some kind of ironic humor in my comment. We were staring at each other silently, with this unusual sense of knowing and attraction that I didn’t understand.
Chewbacca walked by and said in a non-Wookiee voice, “He’s harmless. Even if he had bad intentions, do you really think he could pull it off? Look at him.”
“Okay, well, listen for my screams. I only live a couple of blocks away.”
When I looked back at Lucian, his eyes were closed and he was swaying again. I should have been more scared of him, but I wasn’t. I got up to leave, and like a puppy dog, Lucian followed me without a word. Out on the street, he took my hand as though he needed me to guide him while he shuffled along a step behind me.
“I think I’m doing more of the ‘walking someone home’ than you are.” I could still feel the comforting warmth and strange magnetism in his hand.
“You see me, I’m always here,” was all he said.
“At that bar? No, I’ve never seen you there before, and I’ve been there at least ten times.”
“Right,” he agreed, closing his eyes again.
“Don’t pass out on me.” When we reached my building, I waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. “This is me. I gotta go. Do you know where you are?”
“Yeah, I’m at your building,” he slurred. He kept blinking, trying to focus. “I’m okay. You can go.” He nodded toward the door. “Go ahead.”
“Okay, bye… be safe,” I called back. While I unlocked the door from the street leading into our building, I turned and noticed he was still watching me.
“I’ll wait until you’re in,” he said.
At that point, it had already been the single most bizarre night of my life.
JUST GO IN,Evelyn. Quit looking back. Forget what I look like.
