“Yeah, I’ll be over about four,” Stacey slurred, she turned her attention to me. “Make sure you take my best friend home safely, you hear?” she asked, hugging me too. I could tell she was drunk by the way she swayed slightly.

Ellie rolled her eyes, “Paul, don’t let her drink anymore,” she said sternly.

“I’m not having anymore. I’m just finishing this one, then moving to orange juice,” Stacey slurred, hiccoughing.

“This one?” Ellie asked, pointing to the almost full cup in her hand. Stacey nodded and Ellie took it from her hand, downing the contents, wincing slightly and handed her back the empty cup. “There you’re all done. OJ from now on, yeah?” she said, looking at Paul warningly.

“Aww, Ellie Pearce, you’re no fun.” Stacey pouted.

“I know, so they tell me. See you tomorrow, Stace. Paul, you had better look after her,” Ellie warned, looking a little worried. He nodded but he looked like he wasn’t really paying attention. He wouldn’t be able to look after his girl if there was trouble.

“Maybe we should take them both home?” I suggested, bending close to Ellie’s ear.

She looked at me a little shocked, “Yeah? You don’t mind?” she asked, looking at me gratefully.

“It’s no problem.” I would rather take them home than leave them here in the state they were in.

Ellie smiled and looped her arm through Stacey’s. “Come on, Jamie’s going to take you two home,” she chirped happily, leading Stacey towards the door, with Paul stumbling behind her. He looked wasted, maybe not from drink either.

We dropped Paul home first, then drove to Stacey’s, “So Jamie, you gonna go make Ellie’s bed rock?” Stacey asked, giggling from the back seat, making me laugh. “Friends with extra’s, it’s a good idea, maybe I should do that with Paul. Then I could go out on dates with other people, and still get to use him for his hot body,” she slurred, looking like she was actually considering the thought.

Ellie laughed and rolled her eyes, “Yeah, but you love Paul, so for you two that wouldn’t really work out.”

“Yeah, but the feeling of first meeting someone…. the first kiss….. the first date, that’s incredible.

You two still get to do that with other people but have sex with each other whenever you want. Hmm……nice,” she said, closing her eyes and resting her head back, getting comfortable.

Ellie frowned and shifted in her seat quickly. “Hey! Don’t go to sleep, let’s play a game……err…first one to see five red cars, ok?” Ellie suggested, banging her hand on the side of her seat, making Stacey open her eyes.

“One!” Stacey shouted, giggling, pointing out of the window at a yellow cab. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, she was a funny drunk.

The game kept her awake until we pulled up outside her house. Ellie walked her in, gaining a disapproving look from Stacey’s Dad as he opened the door when Stacey struggled to get the key in the lock. I watched him give Ellie and Stacey a lecture, and I was glad I waited in the truck.

She climbed back in the truck, giggling, “Oops, she’s in deep shit.”

She showed me the way to her house. Her street was really nice, the houses were big and all the gardens were well kept, her family definitely had some money. It surprised me a little, because she didn’t seem to act like the spoilt little girl that I thought would live in one of these types of houses.

“Stop here,” she instructed, pointing to a big white house. I pulled up at the curb and jumped out, going round to her side to open her door, still trying to behave like a gentleman.

“Is this your house?” I asked, looking at it appreciatively.

She shook her head, “No, I live next door.” She took my hand and walked up the road a little, to an equally large house with a blue door.

“So, why did I park there?” I asked, confused.

“I don’t want my parents to see your car,” she said shrugging.

I stopped as we got to her door and leant in to kiss her. She kissed me back immediately, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pressed her against the door, savouring every last second so I could picture it until I saw her again.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, maybe we could meet up next week?” I asked hopefully.

She frowned, looking a little shocked. “You don’t want to come in?”

“Err…..you want me to?” I asked confused. She smiled and nodded, slipping her key in the door.

“Ellie, what about your parents? Won’t they be up?” I asked, wincing slightly as I imagined her Dad coming downstairs, and seeing me looking the way I do right now. That’s not really the type of first impression I would want him to have of me.

“They’ll be in bed, so will my sister Kelsey, it’s fine. I can sneak you in, then they leave every Saturday morning at ten, to go and visit my Nanna. You can just leave after they’ve gone,” she said, looking at me hopefully.

She wanted me to stay the night at her house? shit, I would love that. “Really? You sure?” I asked, hating the thought of getting her in trouble or anything.

“Yeah, but only if you want to….. I mean, you don’t have to…. I just thought that…” she started, but I cut her off by kissing her fiercely. She giggled against my lips and pulled back. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, turning and opening the door. She stepped into the hallway and looked into a room that was probably the lounge. There were no lights on, so I assume everyone was in bed. “All clear. You want a drink, or something to eat?” she whispered.