Butterflies

Chapter 13

It seemed as though Elise's landline rang every five minutes. She'd had enough of everyone she didn't want to hear from calling her and the one person she did want to hear from not calling, she finally just threw the cordless device across the living room, watching it shatter on impact.

Elise restless and was fed up with sitting at home. She held up her end of all the bargains everyone in her life struck with her in order to keep her at home and she was done with it. After making sure Toby had everything he needed she made her way out to her truck. She had gone through every drop of alcohol she had in the house and the local store refused to deliver anymore to her. She imagined Shelly had a lot to do with that, so now in one of her rare moments of sobriety she was headed to 'Suds.'

Once inside she sat at the bar, "Hey Randy! Can I get a Jim Beam?"

Randy slung a bar towel over his shoulder before pouring two fingers worth of the requested bourbon into a tumbler. He looked her over for a minute before he slid the drink to her.

"Thanks." Elise said before downing the brown liquid. She slid the glass back across the bar then nodded her head to indicate she wanted more.

Randy refilled the glass and slid it back to her. He set the bottle down and turned to help a customer at the end of the bar. Elise grabbed the bottle to refill her own once again empty glass then she made her way across the room to sit in a booth in the corner, taking the bottle with her.

A couple of locals stopped by her table to congratulate her on rescuing Sammy while a few others had bought her a few drinks. After about an hour and half her bottle was empty and all of her free drinks were gone. She got up to make her way back to the bar to request more to drink.

"You've had enough Elise." Randy said as he set a cup of coffee and a bottle of water in front of her.

"I decide when I've had enough." She slurred. She tried to sit down on the bar stool but missed. Luckily catching herself before she could fall to the floor.

"Not tonight you don't."

"Your not my father Randy, it's none of your business how much I've had to drink."

Randy contemplated the young woman in front of him. He loved her as though she was his daughter so it hurt to hear her say such a thing to him even though he knew it was the alcohol talking. "I may not be your father but this is my bar. So it is up to me to decide when you've had enough and you've had enough."

"Give me another drink Randy." Elise demanded.

"No." Randy answered sternly. "Stop acting like a spoiled child and go home."

"Go to hell." Elise replied then threw the empty glass she held at the mirror behind Randy, shattering it. She then stumbled her way out the door where she slid down the wall next to it.

"Hey Elise." Greg said as he and Charlie approached the bar entrance.

"Greg! I'm so glad to see you! Will you get me a drink?"

Greg chuckled, "It sounds like you've had plenty to drink already."

"I've barely gotten started."

"Okay, how about I sit here with you while Charlie goes in to get us all a drink?"

She turned to look at Greg, smiling she replied, "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Randy followed Charlie back out and shook his head no when he met Greg's gaze. Greg had suspected that Elise had been cut off judging by her current state and the fact that she was outside.

"Hey Elise, I've got beer in my truck. Why don't I take you home and you can have a beer there."

"I can make it home, I have my truck."

Greg pulled her up from the ground and managed to get her slung over his shoulder. Charlie ran ahead to open Elise's passenger door so that Greg could deposit the drunk woman inside.

"Meet me at her house Charlie." Greg said as he tossed the younger man the keys to his truck.

Greg had to give her a beer in order to get her to cooperate with him to get her in the house. Once inside, he lowered her to the couch. Charlie moved an empty pizza box and a few empty beer bottles off the couch so that they could get her to lay down. Once she was asleep Greg took the beer from her, pulled her shoes off of her then covered her with a blanket.

"Are we just going to leave her like this?" Charlie asked.

"She's out for the night. I'll call Jimmy in the morning and let him know what happened so he can come check on her."

Greg made sure Toby was taken care of before locking the door behind him as he and Charlie left.