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Desi sighed in relief that the majority of people seemed to have bought Connor's explanation and looked around frantically for Jake. Spying him at the bar downing a large tumbler of amber liquid in one swallow and then reaching for another, she felt the burden of deep regret that he clearly had witnessed the debacle.
She hurried towards him, but Joel reached for her hand. "Desi, I need to talk to you."
"Not right now." She pulled away without even looking at him and continued towards Jake. He was her only concern right now. She had to make sure he was all right.
Joel grabbed hold of her arm to stop her, and the anger that had only been momentarily masked by concern erupted again. "What?" she demanded. "Can you not see what your bloody fiancée has done to your cousin? Or do you simply not care?" she ground out contemptuously.
Desi gestured to where Jake sat slumped at the bar, two empty glasses in front of him and a third in his hand. It looked like he was on the whisky, and they weren't small ones. "There is nothing you have to say that I want to hear right now, Joel, but I'll say this to you. You're the one who's so damn fond of control, so I suggest you use it and go and control your future wife before she does any more damage," Desi raged, glaring at him with nothing but disgust in her eyes.
"Jake is always there for me, picking up the pieces—usually the ones you've left me in," she spat. "And making sure I'm okay. Well, now, it's time for me to return the favour. Go and take care of your own responsibilities, Joel. I'm not one of them!" With that, she headed back towards Jake without bothering to check whether Joel had taken her advice or not.
When Desi reached Jake, he was slumped on a stool with both elbows on the bar and a glass to his lips.
"Jake?" she whispered tentatively, but he just ignored her. She tried again.
"Go away, Desi," he mumbled this time. "You wouldn't want to get too close to a pervert," he said bitterly. "Some of the dirt might rub off."
Desi wasn't easily deterred. Instead of leaving him to wallow in his own self-pity, she stepped up behind him and closed her arms around his chest, laying her cheek against his back.
After a couple of tense moments, he relaxed and covered her hands with one of his own.
"I think I should take you home," Desi murmured.
"Nope," Jake slurred. "Me and this here whisky have got a good thing going. It keeps me company, but it doesn't argue with me, doesn't accuse me of anything, doesn't give me any grief, but it does do this magic thing that makes me forget about all the shit for a while."
"It'll be giving you grief in the morning!" Desi mocked lightly.
"She's right about that!" a deep voice boomed, and Desi lifted her head to find Connor standing beside them.
"Come on, you two, I think we've had enough fun for one night. I'm not sure I can endure the spectacle of Jake making a fool of himself because he can't walk straight and is throwing up in one of the potted ferns, on top of everything else tonight."
Desi heartily agreed. It was definitely time to get out of here!
Reaching in one of Jake's jacket pockets, Desi dug around for his car keys. Not finding them in the first, she tried again in the other side.
"You wanna feel aroun' in me trouser pockets like that?" Jake suggested drunkenly as Desi fished out his keys and handed them to Connor.
"I don't mind if ya wanna feel me up, babe."
Desi rolled her eyes as Connor took the keys and hauled Jake to his feet. Desi slipped under one of his arms so that he could lean on her, but Connor took most of his weight. They managed to get him to the valet area and into the car without inviting too much attention.
"Let's take him to my place, please, Connor."
Connor nodded, not making any comment about the suggested location.
Getting Jake up the stairs when they finally reached her apartment was a little more of a challenge. In the end, Connor manhandled him up them, thanks to his sheer size, and Desi was eternally grateful that it had been Connor who accompanied them, or Jake might have had to sleep it off in the lobby. Thank goodness, it was late and there were no witnesses.
"Where to?" Connor huffed when they eventually got through the door.
"Here" Desi replied, leading the way down the hall and opening the door.
Connor raised an eyebrow. "Your bedroom?" Desi ignored his speculation.
"Well, we don't want him choking on his own vomit in the night now, do we?" she joked. "Besides," she added softly as Connor dropped him down on the bed and helped her get him out of the tux. "He's looked after me enough times."
Leaving Jake in just his boxers, Desi drew the sheet up over him and stroked his hair as he started to snore gently.
"I owe him," she whispered.
