Kiss me goodnight

As the dinner wound down, Vespera barely touched her wine. She'd never been much of a drinker, especially with her health issues. Alaric, on the other hand, was knocking them back like there was no tomorrow. He kept going on about how happy he was, though God knows what about. Lately, he'd been grinning at Vespera like a lovesick puppy.

After the meal, Vespera started clearing the table. Alaric followed her around like a lost puppy, chattering away. When she went to the kitchen, he was right behind her. Same story in the living room. Finally, Vespera ducked into the bathroom and shut the door in his face with a satisfying thud.

Alaric rubbed his nose, still grinning like an idiot. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled this much.

Once everything was tidied up, it was time for Alaric to head home. But he was pretty buzzed, and Vespera didn't want him driving. She thought about calling an Uber, but they were in a dead zone. She tried reaching out to her family's driver, no luck.