Drunken Dream Guy

: Allergic to Alcohol

3.

The next day, I opened my door with huge, dark circles under my eyes, and Zane Thorne, from across the hall, came out at the same time.

He glanced at me, his face expressionless.

'No doubt about it, this is the real Zane Thorne.'

I glanced back at him. The icy look on his face was the same as ever.

The thought of what happened last night made me wonder if it was even real.

We walked into the elevator together.

"Last night..."

I wanted to ask him what exactly had happened.

But before I could finish, he stared at me with that same indifferent gaze as always. "What about last night?"

My face was a picture of disbelief. 'You came to my place last night and offered yourself to me!'

'Don't you remember?!'

But how could I possibly say something like that out loud?

I watched him for a long time. As the elevator descended from the eighteenth floor to the first, I couldn't find any crack in his facade. It was as if... he'd really forgotten about last night?

'Fine.'

If he'd forgotten, it wasn't my place to bring it up.

The last thing I wanted was for him to know I'd taken advantage of him while he was drunk.

The elevator doors opened, and we walked out one after the other.

He slowly turned back, looking down at me. "What about last night?"

I coughed lightly, quickly hiding the blush on my face. "It's nothing. I just remembered last night that I have a bottle of red wine I brought back from Meridia. I don't really drink, so I was wondering if you wanted it?"

If I wasn't mistaken, his answer would definitely be: no.

"No."

He wouldn't accept anything from me. In fact, he wouldn't accept anything from anyone.

He was always cold and aloof; other people's kindness meant nothing to him.

I hadn't actually planned on giving him the wine.

"Why not?" I asked.

He left me with one sentence and walked away.

"I'm allergic to alcohol."

'Allergic to alcohol?'

'No wonder.'

'If he weren't allergic, how could a tiny bit of alcohol make him get so drunk he'd offer himself up to someone?'

I made a complete mess of my work today.

I either forgot to make coffee for my boss or forgot to sign off on reports.

Before the end of the day, a colleague asked me, "Joelle, why have you been so out of it all day?"

"I'm fine," I said calmly.

'Could I really tell people I've been thinking about a guy all day?'

'Drunk Zane Thorne is just too cute!'

'If there's a next time, I'm definitely recording it!'

The "next time" came very soon.

I had just bought groceries, plus a whole case of instant noodles, and when I got to my front door, yesterday's scene replayed itself.

Zane Thorne lifted his flushed face, sitting there obediently. Hearing me approach, he looked up, his eyes filled with surprised delight.

"You're back!"

From his tone... I felt like a husband coming home after a long, hard day of work to his doting little wife.

But I wasn't.

"Zane Thorne, have you been drinking again?"

As I got closer, I could again smell the faint scent of alcohol on him.

'I mean, seriously, even if you're drunk, you shouldn't keep showing up at other people's doors to act all tipsy, right?'

'Isn't this a nuisance?!'

'Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to control myself?!'

"I'm hungry."

Zane Thorne's eyes were wide as he stood up and leaned against my shoulder. "Hungry. I want to eat something."

'Fine.'

I opened the door and settled him in the living room.