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Doug was carrying Kate on his back, taking her to her hotel room. The many shots of tequila she'd drunk had finally knocked her down after giving her a high in the dance bar and now she could barely stand, so he'd done the gentlemanly thing, telling her to put her arms around his neck from behind and then lifting her onto his back by her thighs. The feeling of her warm body coiled around his own sent shivers down his spine and made his skin tingle with such a close contact.
Her tongue had loosened considerably together with her ever-present reserve, and she was chattering nonstop in a slur where words were hardly recognizable. He grinned indulgently, amused by that new side of her he'd never seen before. In the scarce occasions he'd watched her in Christmas parties or other social or family gatherings, she was more relaxed and even seemed to spend a good time, but she always kept her cool head, as if she was unable to let her guard down completely and simply go with the flow. The fact that she hadn't drunk alcohol ever in her life was evident, because Doug was sure that if she had, she'd have shown much less self-conciousness and restraint, like that night in the Chicago bar.
Her familiar weight and scent felt like home to him, and he was enjoying greatly that rare chance which who knew when would happen again. He was only half listening to her babbling, until something she was saying suddenly drew his full attention.
"Ya know, 'm not engaged 'nymore," she let drop next to his ear, as she was resting her face onto his shoulder.
"What?," he couldn't help but ask, surprised. Now he understood why Hale had left so unexpectedly the first day of their stay in Chicago.
"Hale 'nd I broke 'p yesterday. He realized I was jealous of that bitch Lorie 'nd told me that I was in love with ya." It was lucky that in that moment she'd just wrapped her arms tighter around Doug's neck, because he'd been about to drop her unintentionally in pure shock.
"He told you that? Really?," he asked like a parrot, with his voice hoarse. His heart was pounding in his chest and all the air had left his lungs.
"Yeah, he did. I told 'im 't was nonsense, 'cause ya 'nd I've never gotten along well 'nd are always fightin'. But he said it was foreplay, 'nd that it's like that for many people fallin' in love. Then he said that he 'nd I were lyin' to ourselves 'cause we've never felt for each other what I feel for ya. We broke 'p amicably 'nd he left for good. It didn't hurt 's much as I thought, 'cause he was right, 'f course," she replied, with the effects of alcohol still heavy in her organism. It had to be like that for her to be admitting so bluntly such earth-shaking news as if she were talking about the weather. But he felt that an actual earthquake wouldn't have rocked him so much. He'd inadvertently stopped in his tracks, completely stunned. A big lump had gotten stuck in his throat and he tried to clear it. But he'd been left speechless. Then, Kate's weight on his back turned slacker, and he realized that she was knocked out. He secured her better around himself, dead set on not letting her fall, and continued to walk, with the woman who'd turned all his world upside down since he'd first met her, the woman he loved, sleeping it off on his back, oblivious to the raging storm she'd triggered in his spirit.
She'd just confessed that she was in love with him! Drunk people tended to tell the truth, and to reveal things they wouldn't bring to light while being sober. Kate couldn't have lied about that or make it up. Moreover, it looked like Hale had noticed, and of course that was more than enough reason for their breakup.
A wild wave of joy and excitement rushed through him, because her admission confirmed that she returned his feelings. Here and there he'd caught hints of her own attraction for him (including her clinginess that same night in the bar), certain that he wasn't indifferent to her, that she felt much more than she gave away. It was true that he'd also been very careful not to show his growing passion for her. After all, she'd been Hale's girlfriend (and fiancée) until very recently and in addition, she had never given Doug the slightest chance or shown that she wanted more than a partnership or a hesitant friendship with him. It was only natural that he'd tried to protect his own heart by keeping his distance, like she'd kept hers.
But that fragile balance had shattered, because now he didn't have only vague evidences. She'd just blurted out the truth and the ball had been dropped in his court. The crucial question now was whether he was ready to take it and enter the game.
The moment to be completely honest with himself had finally come. He couldn't lie to himself anymore. Who was he trying to fool? He'd been nuts about her practically since the moment he'd seen her for the first time. Not even all their antagonism or constant clashing had succeeded in pushing away his fascination towards her.
Deep inside, in his most secret corners, he'd been waiting for a sign from her, and it looked like that sign had showed up at last.
But the problem was that she'd disclosed it while being drunk. What if the next morning she didn't remember having said it for him to hear? What if she closed up again and denied everything?
However, simply keeping his mouth shut and pretending that nothing had happened that night apart from them having a great time together in a dance bar and him carrying Kate to her room inconsequentially, wasn't an option either. The matter of their feelings for each other was too important to keep ignoring it, and besides, he was sure that he'd end up regretting his cowardice, because one day it all would blow up in his face if he didn't grow a pair.
He would have to tackle the topic as soon as possible, when she'd rested and recovered her sobriety.
He pushed past the entrance doors to the hotel and realized that, with Kate out like a lightbulb, he would have to rummage into her purse for the key to her room, and he'd hate to invade her privacy like that (not to mention that she'd become enraged as soon as she found out), so he headed for the reception desk to ask for a spare key, ignoring the inquisitive glance the receptionist shot at them. Afterwards, he went straight to the elevator, again not giving a damn about the stares from other hotel guests aimed at him with Kate fast asleep on his back. He didn't even feel her weight anymore, because he felt as if he was floating. She'd admitted what seemed impossible, and not even the twinge of fear in the pit of his stomach could overshadow his irrepressible happiness.
He was nothing if not tenacious and resourceful, and he would find his way through her walls. He'd somehow managed to sneak in, he knew. And if he'd already overcome the most difficult hurdle in the path, then the rest of it could only be smoother.
He reached her door, opened it, entered the room and gently placed Kate on the bed, dropping her purse on the nightstand, taking off her heels and coat and covering her with the blankets. He then stood there for some moments, staring at her asleep form, overwhelmed by a wave of love for her. He wished so much to take care of her, to make her happy. They'd find the way to be happy together. So much chemistry and such a deep connection between them couldn't be for nothing.
He switched off the light and walked into the hallway with a smile on his face.
A while later, when he was getting ready for bed, there were knocks on his door. Surprised, he asked aloud who it was. He'd just left Kate sleeping like a log, it couldn't be possible that it was her, could it?
"It's me, Lorie," replied a voice very different from the one that had been filling his mind.
Lorie? He felt an instinctive surge of recoil. He was perfectly aware why she was knocking on his door at such a late hour, but after what had happened between him and Kate and all his epiphany and decisions, any former thoughts of hooking up with Lorie had fled his mind.
He opened the door, and there stood the redhead. She was very attractive, but had quickly lost any appeal to him, as soon as Kate had raised his hopes. "Hi, Lorie. What do you want?," he asked coolly.
She seemed to catch his tone right away, as her flirty smile faltered for a milisecond. But she recovered quickly. Surely the acting community had missed a great actress. "Oh, I was wondering if you wanted some company tonight, to celebrate our success on the rink and maybe share some secrets."
"You're very kind, but I'll pass. Have a good night, Lorie. Thanks and congratulations." And with that, he shut the door on her face. The click of the lock was very satisfying.
Late the next morning, he woke up full of expectation and nerves tickling his stomach. That had to be the decisive day. After getting ready and having breakfast in his room, he stepped into the hallway. He had no idea if Kate was still in her room or if she'd already left it, but he had to find her.
He knocked on her door.
"Who is it?," she asked from within. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse, but it seemed that she'd survived the drunken night, he thought with a grin.
"It's me, Doug." He felt like a teenager again, though this time it wasn't a simple crush for a girl that he was after. It was the woman he loved.
"Oh. One moment, please." That reminded him of that time in Christmas when he gifted her Bobby Hull's jersey and she gave him Great Expectations.
Seconds later, the door opened and there she was, looking a bit the worse for wear but as beautiful as ever. "Morning, Doug. Please, come in," she offered, stepping aside. Embarrassment was evident on her face, together with discomfort. She obviously remembered at least part of last night's events.
"Morning, Kate. How do you feel today?," he inquired politely, crossing the doorway. She'd tidied up the place as best as she'd been capable of, to her credit. Doug had barely managed to drag himself out of the bed when having a hangover like the one she undoubtedly was through.
"Like shit. Remind me never to drink another drop of alcohol in my life," she said categorically, and he chuckled.
"Oh, c'mon, Kate. We had a great time, admit it. It was worth a bit of a hangover," he teased.
"A bit? I believe this is the queen of all hangovers," she complained, grunting and grabbing her temples.
"Then it's lucky that you haven't seen me in my good times," he quipped. "You want me to go get you some aspirin or something?," he offered, solicitous.
"I've already had some, thanks." She glanced at him shyly. "And also thanks for coming to check on me. I'm... I'm afraid that yesterday I went a little too far. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"Nonsense. We had a great time and we earned it. It was one of the best nights I've had in years, truly. And I enjoyed a lot seeing you so carefree and having so much fun," he assured with all his honesty.
She smiled hesitantly, but seemed to believe him. Then she averted her eyes. "Sorry for using you as a... bearer. That must have been uncomfortable."
"Not at all. It was my pleasure. Here's your personal bearer for whenever you need a ride," he quipped once more.
That earned a genuine smile from her. "Anyway, thanks. I... I needed that. Simply enjoy myself without thinking about anything else. And... It was also one of the best nights I've had in a long time," she admitted. She not only wasn't pushing him away, but they were talking, actually talking.
It was the moment of truth. His heart raced as he breathed in deeply. "Kate, do you remember everything you said while I was carrying you?" He stared intently into her pale face and widening eyes. She knows. She has to know.
"Oh. I'm... I'm not sure. I babbled a lot, didn't I?," she replied cautiously.
"I feel the same, Kate. About what you said when you told me why you broke up with Hale," he blurted before he lost his courage.
Her eyes widened impossibly. "You do?"
He took her hands gently. "I do. I love you too, Kate. I have for a long while. But I was afraid that you didn't feel the same, that you'd reject me. Last night you gave me all the hope I needed." Her big greenish eyes were mesmerizing. Their expression softened.
"This morning I wasn't sure if I had dreamed that part of all my blabber. I'm glad that I didn't. Doug, I... I've felt it for you for long too, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. You know, we're so different and are always fighting... I was scared. I still am."
He squeezed her hands. "Kate, baby, I'm certain that we're absolutely right for each other. We'll figure it all out together, okay? Please, trust me. I'm here for you completely, body and soul, if you'll have me. I love you and need you. Only you."
Her eyes had filled with tears that slid down her soft cheeks, and she was smiling widely. "I love you too, Doug."
He kissed her, and she kissed him back, and it was like heaven.
He'd never been happier before, and it was just the beginning.