Oops.
So, we have company drinks, organised by our catering department, full bar and food from the kitchen. Some partners go, senior lawyers go, which is me, and Ben, even if I don’t always go, lots of nonlegal staff go, but, generally, lots of younger lawyers attend. All the blemish-free grads and baby lawyers. (You know the ones who’d cum the moment you touched their cocks… oh, is it just me who thinks like that?) It is networking, it is work, but really it is socialising, a time to get to know each other better. You know, get up close and personal and find out what one another smells like.
Carl Klonk from our group always goes because Carl is a drunk, let’s not mince words. We call him Columbo because he let slip once that Columbo was his middle name and much like the TV character, Carl always looks somewhat dishevelled. Carl and I sometimes have a fag together downstairs when things are getting stressful workwise.
Ben didn’t go this night. I just felt like it, for no particular reason, you know sometimes you just do, mix, eat, get out, chat, hear what people have to say, find out what clients’ people have, find out the goss, drink a little, relax.
It is easy to get drunk with an open bar. Oh Jesus, how many times have I stumbled out, to turn right in Collins Street and, you know, kind of wobble, and think to myself, am I going to make it home? That is pretty quickly followed by, “Just put one foot in front of the other, Josh, that is all you have to do.” People’s faces come into focus and then fade away again. Everybody seems to be leering, everybody seems to be laughing, everybody seems to know you are rotten drunk.
It was a good night, catering out did themselves in the food department, waiters came around with trays of all sorts of things. I’d been chatting to lots of the guys. Felix was there, I saw him hitting the beer. And when that, what I call, wine-flush-head spins started, leaving me slightly unstable, with the too-much-confidence no filter, I said my goodbyes and headed off.
I went up to my office to get my satchel. I’d just picked it up and had just turned to leave to see Felix standing in the doorway.
“You heading home?” he slurred.
“Yeah, just off now.”
“Got any plans?”
“No, just going to head home.”
“So, calling it a night, then?”
I could see his face was flushed, and he was kind of smiley, a bit wild-eyed, and sweaty.
“Yeah. How about you?”
“No, no plans. At a loose end really,” he said. “If you know what I mean?”
“No, not really…” I said. I didn’t think. It dawned on me as I finished answering.
“You want to go for a drink?” he said. His voice was suddenly kind of low and husky. He held me in his gaze.
“Um.” I stumbled. The stumble was not good. “Er.” The er was even worse. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t act like I’d misunderstood, the um and the er confirmed that I didn’t. “Hey.” Oh, I tried not to cringe. “I think I’ve really had enough for one night,” I said.
All I could think was, ‘so Felix is up for it.’ I tried really hard not to undress him with my eyes.
“Oh.” His smile kind of slid away without me noticing it actually sliding. “Pity,” he said.
His shirt was coming undone, he had his hands down his trousers, I shook my head, he was fully dressed again. I couldn’t help but smile. “You have a good…” I pointed with my chin in place of words. “I’ll see you Monday.”
I headed to the lift. I pushed the button. Young Felix, I thought. Then I wondered if I’d actually said ‘young Felix’ loud. The lift bell sounded and the lift doors opened. I stepped in still thinking about Felix.
Carl Klonk from our group always goes because Carl is a drunk, let’s not mince words. We call him Columbo because he let slip once that Columbo was his middle name and much like the TV character, Carl always looks somewhat dishevelled. Carl and I sometimes have a fag together downstairs when things are getting stressful workwise.
Ben didn’t go this night. I just felt like it, for no particular reason, you know sometimes you just do, mix, eat, get out, chat, hear what people have to say, find out what clients’ people have, find out the goss, drink a little, relax.
It is easy to get drunk with an open bar. Oh Jesus, how many times have I stumbled out, to turn right in Collins Street and, you know, kind of wobble, and think to myself, am I going to make it home? That is pretty quickly followed by, “Just put one foot in front of the other, Josh, that is all you have to do.” People’s faces come into focus and then fade away again. Everybody seems to be leering, everybody seems to be laughing, everybody seems to know you are rotten drunk.
It was a good night, catering out did themselves in the food department, waiters came around with trays of all sorts of things. I’d been chatting to lots of the guys. Felix was there, I saw him hitting the beer. And when that, what I call, wine-flush-head spins started, leaving me slightly unstable, with the too-much-confidence no filter, I said my goodbyes and headed off.
I went up to my office to get my satchel. I’d just picked it up and had just turned to leave to see Felix standing in the doorway.
“You heading home?” he slurred.
“Yeah, just off now.”
“Got any plans?”
“No, just going to head home.”
“So, calling it a night, then?”
I could see his face was flushed, and he was kind of smiley, a bit wild-eyed, and sweaty.
“Yeah. How about you?”
“No, no plans. At a loose end really,” he said. “If you know what I mean?”
“No, not really…” I said. I didn’t think. It dawned on me as I finished answering.
“You want to go for a drink?” he said. His voice was suddenly kind of low and husky. He held me in his gaze.
“Um.” I stumbled. The stumble was not good. “Er.” The er was even worse. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t act like I’d misunderstood, the um and the er confirmed that I didn’t. “Hey.” Oh, I tried not to cringe. “I think I’ve really had enough for one night,” I said.
All I could think was, ‘so Felix is up for it.’ I tried really hard not to undress him with my eyes.
“Oh.” His smile kind of slid away without me noticing it actually sliding. “Pity,” he said.
His shirt was coming undone, he had his hands down his trousers, I shook my head, he was fully dressed again. I couldn’t help but smile. “You have a good…” I pointed with my chin in place of words. “I’ll see you Monday.”
I headed to the lift. I pushed the button. Young Felix, I thought. Then I wondered if I’d actually said ‘young Felix’ loud. The lift bell sounded and the lift doors opened. I stepped in still thinking about Felix.
Comments
Post a Comment