I shivered as I walked down the dark sidewalk away from my apartment. Cold wind whipped past my face and ripped through my clothing like I wasn't wearing anything at all.

Esh, it's frigid tonight.

I shook again as a particularly strong gust stung my cheeks and ears, undoubtedly turning them a tomato red. I cursed myself. Wrapping my hands around my front, I continued past nearby stores and buildings to make it to my destination.

Maybe driving was a better idea. I figured it'd be more responsible to walk here just in case, but damn, I'm definitely regretting it right now.

As I turned the corner of the dimly lit street, I spotted the familiar orangey glow pouring from the windows of Al's. Al's was the nearest bar to my apartment and has been the place where I've drowned many of my sorrows from past and present. Always in the early hours of the morning given my working conditions, it's continuously been a source of comfort that I can wander my way over to and down a couple before retiring home for another bland day.

Nearing the entrance, I spotted a gaggle of intoxicated friends stumbling their way out of the establishment and down the road, tripping over themselves and laughing hysterically. Some of them had their arms clutching partners' shoulders in an attempt to support themselves, and others were wobbling on their feet while sharing a drunken joke that had them snorting. With my face slowly taking on the yellowish shine of the lights of the bar, I felt a small pang of jealously. 

Hah, I'm pathetic. Envious of the luxury of a night out with friends? That's got to be a new low, even for me.

I paused before reaching the handle of the front door.

I don't have time for that stuff.. I can't. Connie and Steph have always told me that they're willing to help me out, but there's no way I could accept any amount of money from them. Always offering to pay at restaurants and getting me nice gifts on holidays- there was something about it that never sat right with me.

I shut my eyes.

Because I don't deserve it?

I opened my eyes and threw open the door in front of me. 

Dumbass brain going and thinking about dumb stuff without my permission.

I marched a diagonal across the dark floor with my head down as I navigated my way to the counter. When I sat down on my regular barstool and put my head in my hands, the bartender excused himself from a conversation he was having and made his way toward me.

"What's up, Ally? Bad day?" asked Amir.

I groaned.

He placed his arms down and leaned forward over the counter, "What is it? Just tired? A problem with your friends? A nightmare customer?"

When that didn't elicit more than grumble, he began spouting even more questions.

"Did you screw up your laundry again? Lose your keys? Get yelled at by your boss? An issue with-"

"No Amir, I just.. it's been a long day," I cut him off.

I cringed at my tone. As much as I loved the man, his unending levels of energy have the potential to eventually exhaust anyone. 

I met Amir at Al's when I moved here awhile back. We became fast friends within our first few meetings and have been inseparable since. All it takes to get trapped by him is asking a simple question, and he can loop you into a conversation for hours. He's always been the compassionate and comical guy, never hesitating to listen to me vent about my problems or complain about one of my jobs. I'm really grateful for him and all he's done for me.

Amir hails from a larger family in the southern part of our state, with three sisters, three brothers, and his parents. He's since moved away from his lineage, but his life up to this point wasn't without adversity. Unfortunately, he was quietly disowned when his father discovered he had a boyfriend around five years ago. When he was kicked out, his partner at the time tried their best to aid him, but things became tumultuous and they ended up breaking things off. The whole ordeal left Amir stranded and at a loss.

However, nothing seemed to be able to stop him once he found the strength to get back up. He went to a few places before he ended up here, but along the way he made countless friends, created timeless memories, and met his wonderful fiancé, Marcus. After deciding to settle down in this area, he started working at Al's, got engaged, and.. met me.

He's done a lot for himself, huh?

Amir's voice brought me back to reality.

"Alright, alright. I'll work on your drink, the regular, right?" Amir asked, smiling to himself as he turned away.

I moved my hand to my forehead and rested the other on the black granite beneath me. I then directed my voice toward the back of Amir.

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry for interrupting you like that. I can't seem to get it together today," I said apologetically.

"Oh c'mon now, everyone has those days," he said walking away, "don't sweat it, babe."

Dropping both of my hands onto the counter, I watched him nab a glass and make his way toward the assortment of shelved alcohol on display. He grabbed some Ice, a few bottles, and a metal shaker and began to prepare the drink that would hopefully make me forget about all my problems for the next few hours. He expertly mixed in ingredients and shook the concoction until he was satisfied with the result. Then he gracefully poured it into the glass he grabbed earlier as he crossed the small space behind the bar in my direction. Amir placed it in front of me with a wink and a grateful smile from myself before walking away to return to his previous conversation. After he left me though, I let my smile dissipate into an expression of exhaustion. I reached forward and pulled the drink toward me until I could look down into it and see my distorted reflection.

Bottoms up I guess.

And I took my first few gulps of the amber liquid.

I don't know exactly how much time had passed since I first stepped through the doors of the bar, but I knew it must have been at least two hours since a glance out the large windows warranted a much lighter sky than before. The chatter on either side of me also indicated that the pub had gotten much busier than I realized and left me feeling quite disoriented. 

Just then I felt a presence before me.

Amir?

"-lly. Ally. Ally, hello?" his voice seemed to fade in.

"Amirrr!" I confirmed verbally.

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry Ally," he said, "I can't believe I let you drink this much."

It took me a minute to process what he was talking about, but I did experience it pretty quickly. Now that I was awake, I could definitely feel a sensation of dizziness and lightness. It all made me kind of woozy. I did a once-over of my surroundings and noticed I was slumped over the counter with what I assumed was the glass that held my last drink clutched in my hand. I also glanced to my left and right to see the previously empty bar now teeming with people. Finally, I looked up and over the opaque granite to see Amir looking pretty defeated. 

Damn, I must've gotten blasted. Did I pass out?

Suddenly, it appeared as though he got an idea.

"Ally, I need you to stay right here, ok?" he pleaded over the noise, "I'm going to go get someone to take you home. Don't. move."

With that, he rushed off to his left. Obeying his command, I tilted my head down and fiddled with my fingers in my lap.

Hmm, I don't remember paying anyone for anything. I guess I should do that now since I'm leaving.

I fumbled for my wallet that was tucked deep into the front of my jeans. Once I was eventually able to tug it free, I began rifling through it. There wasn't much to push through besides some strands of hair, ten dollars cash, and an assortment of coins, so I quickly found the plastic object I was looking for. Withdrawing my credit card, I closed my wallet and waited.

It wasn't too long until Amir reappeared behind me with an unfamiliar man at his side. I swiveled around to face the pair.

"Phew, alright," Amir said, out of breath, "I found someone to take you home, is that ok, Ally?"

I cocked my head to the side to peek past Amir and looked the well-dressed guy up and down. His face was quite angular with pronounced cheekbones, trimmed eyebrows, and a sharp jawline. He was definitely a few inches taller than me and was clean-shaven with sandy blond hair and pale skin. He sported a very professional suit with a blue tie and a dark gray vest and slacks. With a quick look at his feet, I also noticed he was wearing blue loafers that paired well the rest of his outfit. There was just one thing that didn't match his outwardly tough persona: his eyes. They were a little larger and a deep chestnut brown. Almost doe-like in appearance, they elicited an overwhelming comfort that even a loving mother couldn't compare to.

"Sure," I responded.

"Oh thank goodness. Look, this is Turner and he's a good friend of mine," gesturing to the man a short distance behind him. "I trust him with my life, so you'll be one hundred percent safe, ok?" he said as he gently took both of my hands in his.

Realizing I was holding something, he stole a glimpse at our hands and let a sad smile creep onto his face.

Ah.

Noticing, Turner asked, "Hey, Ally, right?"

I nodded as Amir slowly pried my wallet and card from my fingers.

"Are you able to stand right now?"

"I think so."

"Then do you mind coming over to me so I can get you out of here?"

These two really know how to treat me like a child, no wonder they're friends. I'm not that young, y'know?

"Yeah, that's fine," I said as I confidently slid of the stool.

Uh oh.

I tripped over my left ankle and went flying forward into Turner's front.

Well if that wasn't jinxing things, then I don't know what is.

Turner laughed, "Enthusiastic, are we?"

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was actually tucked into his chest at the moment. I hurriedly pushed myself off of him. Unfortunately, this sent me backwards a little too fast for my intoxicated self to handle, and left Turner to leap forward and catch me before I fell flat on my back. If I wasn't already red from the alcohol, I was definitely flushed now. 

Amir began speaking beside me.

Was he there the whole time?

"Thank you so much for this, Turner," Amir said as he slid my wallet back into my front pocket.

"Anytime. I'm glad I was around to help you out today," Turner replied.

"Haha, I'm sure. No, but really, I owe you for this. It was my fault that Ally ended up this drunk and I really-"

"I'm not that drunk," I pouted.

Turner laughed again, "Absolutely. And it's ok, Amir. What are friends for, hey?"

"Alright, alright you win," he chuckled.

"Amir!" A woman's voice called across the bar.

Amir jumped.

"Whoops! I'm pretty sure that's my boss calling for me, probably been absent for a little too long," he said glancing behind him, "Thank you again Turner, and Ally, behave yourself."

I scowled, "Whatever you say mom."

Amir gave me a smirk and jogged away.

He's such a tease. Ugh, how embarrassing.

Turner directed his attention toward me.

"So, ready to go?"

"Please."