Lady (Rated M)

Trouble

      It was almost five a.m. Joe looked up at the clock for what seemed like the millionth time, glancing out the window. The sky was fading into orange,  pink seeping through the clouds as the sun started to rise. He ran a hand through his tangled hair, sighing in frustration.
 
  He waited another ten minutes before finally hearing her boots clicking against the pavement, keys jingling, confusedly hearing her giggle. The door opened and she stumbled in, her purse and keys being tossed hazardously to the side.   "Where have you been?"

     Stephanie looked up, a smile spreading across her face as she saw him. "Hi baby."

     "It's almost five a.m."

      "It's so early!" She giggled through her slurred speech, flopping down on the couch and tugging off her boots.  She reached into her pocket, pulling out a joint and searching for a lighter on the coffee table.

     Joe looked at her in disbelief. He stormed over, snatching the joint from her hands. He was about to put it out, before taking a second thought and puffing on it himself. "Where the hell have you been all night?"

    "I went out with some friends." She hiccuped.

     "You couldn't bother to call? I've been going out of my mind, I thought something happened to you!"

      She only laughed, her head falling to the side as she started to sing. He couldn't even recognize the song through her slurred speech and mumbled lyrics.

        "Steph I'm trying to be serious here!"

   She bit down on her bottom lip, moving to kneel on the couch as she curled her fingers into his boxer shorts, pressing her chest up against his. "Are you going to punish me 'daddy'?" She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck as she let her head fall back. She leaned against him, her eyes blinking heavily.

     "You're completely hammered."

     "And you're sexy." She giggled again, sighing as she laid her head on his shoulder.

    Joe felt her body slump, stumbling a bit as her entire weight unexpectedly dropped against him. He tried nudging her, sighing as he heard a soft snore coming from her.

     Bending down some, he wrapped an arm under her legs, heaving her up with ease as he carried her into the bedroom. He set her down on the bed, shaking his head as she didn't even stir. He tugged off he remaining boot, along with her skirt, pulling the covers up over her.

Joe sank down on to the foot of the bed, running his hands over his face as he glanced over his shoulder, listening to her light snores. He fell back against the comforter, finally letting himself fall asleep.

.........

      The pounding in her head was the only thing that dragged her out of bed, the idea of grabbing a glass of water and some aspirin then going straight back to sleep seemed like heaven, squinting her eyes at the light coming in through the blinds. She rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she stumbled her way into the kitchen, not noticing Joe sitting on the couch across the room.

   She stretched up on her tip toes, getting frustrated when she couldn't reach a glass.

    "Need some help?"

       Stephanie gasped, turning as she glared up at him. "You scared the shit out of me."

     He didn't say a word, reaching for the glass as he handed it to her. She recognized his tense mood, not wanting to deal with it as she turned on the tap. Turning around she saw his outstretched hand, two little blue pills in his palm.

    She took them quickly, pressing a hand to her forehead as she tried to will away the sharp pain pulsing through out it. "Thank you."

    "I waited up until five a.m. last night."

    "Not now Joe."

    "Well when? After you're done sleeping and you have to go straight to work? Or when you come home at sunrise?"

     "I'm not doing this right now."

      "Stevie the least you could have done is call."

       "I didn't think I'd be out so late, there's no reason to argue about this."

     "I thought you were hurt, dead even!"

      "Don't be so dramatic, how many times have I waited up for you, after a night out with your friends?"

      "Who were you with?"

       "My secret lover, who else?" She saw Joe's face start to redden, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I'm just fucking around with you! Some of the girls took me out after work, it was a long night."

      "Because that's even better!"

      "Excuse me?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean by that?"

     "I don't know...their strippers Stevie! Their not exactly the best kind of people to be hanging out with!"

      "Have you forgotten our situation? What I have to do every single night so we don't end up on the fucking streets! While you're at home sitting on your ass! I'm one of those 'people' Joe, is that what you think of me?"

     "Baby of course not, but those are...different women, I'm not comfortable with them."

     "You don't even know them! Nobody want's too prance around in their underwear, where everyone's leering at you and self-entitled assholes are grabbing your ass every second you turn around. Some of those 'women' are there to pay for college, to put food on their kid's plates, and you look at all of them like they're a bunch of whores."

     "I didn't say that!"

      "You might as well have."

    "You know what, I'm done with this conversation."

     Stephanie clicked her younger, shaking her head. "Now your done with the conversation?"

     "What is your problem lately? This is the third time this week you've come home past two, your nothing but moody, I'm tired of this bitchy attitude!"

     "Well I'm sorry, i didn't realize I was dating such an asshole!"

     "Oh fuck you!"

      "Are you sure? I wouldn't  want you to catch anything, considering I'm such a big whore."

     "I never said whore!" He threw his hands up in frustration.

     "Well you might as well had, I'm going back to bed."

     "I'm not done talking."

     "You just said you were! Now if you'll excuse me, someone in this house actually has to get up and work." She left him in the kitchen, leaving both of them in turmoil.