Chapter 9
Bernie took Elinor's arm and smiled at her, she wasn't annoyed that Elinor was trying to dance around her still, but she thought it was best to go before they got even more intoxicated, before Elinor tried to do any more shots, 'I said one more dance and time to go. I need to make sure you get home ok...or Serena would have my guts for garters.' The music was still blaring out and the dance floor rammed. 'Ellie please.' Bernie begged, her own head was spinning a bit now from all the drink, 'We can share a taxi...come on.' She took her by the hand and started to lead her off the crowded dance space. Elinor pulled away, but grinned as she spoke.
'It's ok...want to leave anyway.' Elinor laughed, 'this 80s stuff is getting a bit much now.' after a few seconds wanting to make a point, it was her choice to leave not Bernie's so she wasn't going to move straight away, she succumbed to her own need to go home and she followed Bernie dutifully, swaying with every drunken step and then tripped into the same group from earlier, the lady who had spoken to Bernie, catching Elinor, stopped her from falling. The woman must have been her 30s and was giggling at Elinor stumbling about.
'You ok love?' Her voice laced with concern.
'Sorry, sorry didn't mean...' she tried to explain.
Bernie was a few steps ahead, turned to see Elinor, in this women's arms. She walked back to them both and took Elinor by the hand again. 'Everything alright?' Bernie questioned, 'sorry did she fall into you?' The women just nodded, before adding jokingly.
'It's alright, think your daughter is a bit worse for wear though.'
'It's alright...we're heading home now. Thanks for catching her.' Bernie grinned, and glanced at Elinor. 'Somehow I need to get you home...' Bernie rolled her eyes.
'I'm fine. Sorry again...' Elinor removed herself from the safety of the women's grip and she let Bernie guide her off the dance area.
'She said I was your daughter?' Elinor mumbled into Bernie's ear as they walked arm in arm over to the doorway, so they could leave and collect their belongings.
'Spoke to her earlier...she mustn't have heard me properly thought I said you were my daughter...not my partner's daughter.' Bernie explained, trying not to start any kind of argument, it had only been a few hours that she had even really known Elinor, she would have understood if it had annoyed Elinor somehow.
Elinor didn't answer her though and they carried on walking, Bernie pushed open the double door at the entrance and pulled her through it with her. She lead them over to the cloakroom desk and proceeded to try and gather up their jackets and bags, handing over the token to the young lady who was behind the desk. The redhead from earlier was still there and was too busy staring at Elinor at first, to notice Bernie handing over the token. Bernie coughed to grab her attention and finally, she glanced at her, taking the number. She turned and rustled through all the hangers, with coats and bags until she found the right one.
'Here love.' She handed over her jacket and Elinor accepted hers as well and thanked her. She swayed a bit as she tried to stand still to put the jacket on. The amount of drink she had consumed starting to catch up with her.
'Is there a taxi near here...or should we call one?' Elinor was now leaning on the desk, her head on her hands. Just staring up at the girl.
Bernie watched for a moment, still putting on her own coat. 'Is there? Or I can call for one?'
It snapped the girls out of their staring contest as Bernie spoke and the redhead girl, turned to her. 'Rank just down the road...turn right when you come out of here...can't miss it.'
'Thanks...come on...let's get home.' Bernie gestured towards the front door, where the bouncers were stood.
Elinor stood up again, nodded in agreement and took Bernie's hand to steady the pair of them, four feet were better than two right?
Walking down the street a few minutes later. Elinor started to sing out loud, the 80s music certainly stuck in her head, she couldn't stop herself.
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
'What are you doing?' Bernie giggles. 'You are just like your mother...' Bernie looks embarrassed as she notices a few people outside of the other bars looking over and laughing or trying to join in as they walk past.
Bernie hurries her up for a second, before she hears herself joining in, she can't help it. Her guard is down and she feels alive, for the first time in ages, she feels properly alive, who gives a damn she thinks for a moment, no one here knows me, I can sing if I want. Before she realised what happened, she was belting out ABBA hits walking down the road with Elinor Campbell, whatever would Serena say? As they got to the end of the chorus to Dancing Queen. Bernie feels a tug on her arm. Elinor had stopped moving forward, she then proceeded to nod her head in the direction of a line of black cab taxis. 'There's the taxi rank. Are we sharing?'
'Yes.'
'My place is quite far from here...' Elinor explains.
'You can stay at mine...You shouldn't be on your own this drunk anyway...' Bernie adds 'I can drop you back to your flat in the morning, saves the money on the taxi.'
'Says you...you can barely stand either.' She gasps with laughter.
They made their way over to the line of cars, surprised to see no queue forming yet, the older of the two stepped over to the first one in the rank, giving an address hastily to the driver as she tries to help Elinor into the back of the black cab.
'Is she alright love? She won't be sick?' The taxi driver has turned around to ask Bernie, as she stepped up into the back of the car.
'I won't be sick!' Elinor giggled. 'I'm fine.'
'She won't be...' She didn't want to promise, but there were no guarantees.
They started chatting and Bernie lost all sense of the journey they were taking, focusing on Elinor's words instead and joining in again when Elinor started singing loudly.
Eventually Elinor stops to take a breath, her sides hurt from all the laughter and singing. She had turned to Bernie now, trying to fake a serious face. 'That was an interesting night.' Elinor contemplated for a brief second, 'You are more of a parrrttty animal than I expected...' she patted Bernie on the knee patronisingly, a little smirk crept along her lips.
'I was in the bloody army, I can drink with the best of them...also very good at poker, if you want to try and beat me at that sometime as well?' Bernie quipped light heartily, she was teasing her a bit now, very aware of the little game that Elinor was originally was trying to play.
'I wasn't...beating you...ha you think the drinking was about that...' Elinor stopped herself from saying any more and she took a breath and was about to explain, but was cut off by the taxi driver.
'We're here love, that's £15.' Elinor sighed at being interrupted,
'Um...I used most of my money...'
'It's ok...I assumed....' Bernie grabbed her bag off the seat beside her and rifled around her handbag to find her purse and pulled out a crisp £20 note. She pushed the car door open and stepped out the back of the car backwards, she held out her hand for Elinor, who half tumbled and half tripped out the back. They slamed the door shut behind them and Bernie went to the side of the cab and handed the driver the £20 note. 'Keep the change.' Her right hand was still held onto Elinor's arm, holding her up as she used her left to pass the note through the open window.
'Thanks love.' The car pulled away as Bernie stepped back who was laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. She held Elinor up now with both hands.
'Stop fussing... look I can stand.' She stepped back out of her grasp and put her hands out making a 'T' shape with her body. 'Perfectly fineeee...'
They were busy chuckling about the fact they were drunk when Elinor suddenly stopped, concerning Bernie. 'You ok?'
Elinor turned to the house they were outside, standing in a drive way, outside a familiar house. 'Is this a joke?' she looked angry. 'Bern is this a joke?'
Bernie looked over to where she was staring and her face dropped. Her eyes darted all over the house and then a light clicked on in the top front bedroom her eyes widened even more. 'Oh SHIT!'
Elinor glanced at her sideways.
'I gave the wrong bloody address...quick if we leave now...'
'Her light is on...we've woken her up.' Elinor points out the obvious, glaring at the bedroom window. 'Do you live here now?'
'No...I...not really...'
Bernie glances at her wrist watch in a panic. It's very late, but she was meant to be doing the late shift. Why is she home? Bernie grabs for her phone and looks at the unread message symbol. 'Shit.'
'What's wrong?'
'Well apart from waking your mother? I missed her text...she wasn't working the late after all. Someone else was...she did stay late to do paperwork though. Bugger!' Bernie dropped her phone back in her bag.
'She might not realise it's us...I could call another cab?' Bernie tried to suggest.
'Are you joking? She's seen us now...' Elinor is stumbling towards the front door, kind of giggling, kind of looking angry.
'Wait...' Bernie caught up with her. 'I have a key...don't wake Jason too.' She grabbed Elinor's hand stopping her ringing the doorbell. Bernie seized her set of keys from her bag and fumbled with them as she tried to put them in the lock.
'Be quiet...' Elinor laughs, prodding Bernie in the side making it harder for her to work the lock.
'Ssshhh.' Bernie whispered. 'SSssshh...'
Bernie slowly and quietly opens the front door and they both stumble over the threshold, Bernie then carefully removed the key from the lock not wanting to make a sound, she turned pushing the door closed behind them. Her stomach flipped over worried about Serena upstairs and before tackling that one she decided it was best to try and follow Elinor who was really badly trying to sneak into the living room. Elinor hadn't even turned any lights on, so ended up tripling over the leg of the coffee table that is by the sofa and let out a burst of noise, yelping. She collapsed into the sofa behind her rubbing her lower leg.
'Ellie!' Bernie exclaimed quietly. She tiptoed into the living room behind her and shook her head annoyed. She flopped down beside Elinor on the sofa and let out a big sigh. They were sat in the dark for a few moments. Both drunk, both annoyed, both trying not to laugh.
'What have I done...Serena is going to go...'
'MAD!' Bernie had been so caught up in moving quietly over to the sofa and sitting down she hadn't noticed Serena who was now standing in the living room doorway, dressed in PJS and a dressing gown, leopard print of course. Serena flicked the light on. The blaring light after the darkness made both drunk women squint.
'Ssshhh Jason...' Bernie reasoned, then sat up on the sofa and turned to face her girlfriend.
'Jason isn't here...'
'Oh!...ssshh Neighbours!' Bernie smiled cheekily in an attempt to lighten the mood.
'Berenice Wolfe! Why are you in my house drunk...with my daughter?' Serena glared at them her arms now folded over her body, still stood firmly in the doorway.
'Hi Mum...Bernie is a real paaaarrtty animal.' She made sure to add in, wanting to wind her mother up, as she sat up and patted Bernie on the back.
'Not now Ellie.' Bernie growled softly.
'Serena love...I can explain...'