…As dinner began to wind down, slowly my friends came back over to where I was sitting and said their goodbyes and then left the restaurant. Soon, the only people left at the table were Rachel, Chris, and myself and we were all becoming increasingly intoxicated by the minute. It was getting on close to ten o’clock, still early, but my mind and body felt as though it was already two in the morning.
“Why are we still here?” Rachel asked as the wait-staff lurked around the restaurant cleaning up and preparing to close up for the night.
“Because they have really good wine.” Chris responded.
“Well you have a point.” Rachel said quickly holding up her glass.
“It’s all about the wine for you classicists, isn’t?” I slurred as I emptied what was left of the wine into my glass.
“What is life without a good wine to great you after a long day of work in the fields?” Rachel toasted again.
“What fields? What long day of work?” I said emptying my glass in my mouth. “The hardest day either of you have ever known is when your graduate assistant turns you down for a roll in the hay.” I said speaking more of Rachel’s blind pursuit of most any good looking young man at G.W.
“Now wait one minute.” She said rising to her feet stumbling slightly as she braced herself on the table. “I’ve worked.”
“Now you know that sleeping with the dean as a graduate student does not count as work.” Chris chimed in.
“Sure it does, he was real ugly and hairy. That takes work.”
“So why are we still here?” Chris asked noticing we were the only ones left in the restaurant except for the staff who were now sharing a bottle of wine at a table near the front door.
“Because you haven’t told us where else to go.” Rachel answered.
“I don’t live here, I have no idea where else to go.”
“Well then lets go have coffee?”
“Wonderful, the only thing better then three drunks is three awake drunks. Lead the way!”
“Up you go Sam.” Rachel said putting on her jacket.
“I should be going.” I answered.
“Horse shit, birthday girl. Lets go, come on.”
“No really, I should be heading out. I’ve got a meeting in the morning.”
“You do not! Don’t fib Sam.”
“Fibbing is bad Sam.” Chris added.
“I’m not fibbing.”
“What meeting?” Rachel asked.
“Cindy needs me to review some stuff.”
“Cindy is a big girl. Call her and say you can’t.” Rachel pushed.
“I can’t!”
“You can! Lets go. Now!” Rachel insisted. When Rachel insists there is no other way…