All night

Carson rolls his eyes at Jess and Peter, now used to their banter. He swivels his head to Velvet, ignoring her comment about snatching him up. "How do we put up with these two eh?"

Velvet giggles. "I have no idea. I think it's called fun."

The night proceeds as normal, and the hour gets later and later. Finally the foursome decides to break up for the night, with the usual promises of being back the next night.

Carson lets Velvet walk ahead of him to his car, letting her in the passenger door before sliding in behind the wheel. "Alright, where we headed?"

"Just pull out of here and take a right. Go straight until I tell you otherwise."

"Right." Carson does as directed and starts across town.

Twenty minutes later, he's pulling into the drive of a small apartment complex. Velvet sighs and unbuckles her seatbelt. "I don't think I'm tired enough to hit the hay," she muses with humor.

Carson chuckles. "Me either."

Velvet eyes him for a moment. "I, um...I've got a bottle of wine that I've been waiting to open. Seems as shame to waist it all on myself."

Carson quirks an eyebrow. Every part of his conscience screamed at him that red flags were everywhere, but he was so tired of always looking over his shoulder. Just because he might walk Velvet inside, it didn't mean there was anything else connected to it. "Red or white?"

"Red."

"Mm." Carson's grin remains as he thinks for a moment. Finally he takes the keys out of the ignition. "Just one glass - I still have to drive home."

Velvet laughs. "Deal."


...Carson's eyes open slowly, soft light from the window trying to wake his senses. His mind was foggy, his eyesight not yet cleared. But...this didn't seem like his bedroom...this...didn't feel like his bed. Moving his foot and feeling a warm body, suddenly everything comes back to him. And when it does, his mind is filled with such chaos that he can't even think straight. What...how... Oh, no...was it even worth asking himself those questions?

Just as quickly, something in his mind urges him to look at the time. Glancing to his watch, his eyes widen. It was almost ten o'clock. He should have been to work an hour ago.

Sitting up, he immediately starts to dress, now in a state of almost panic. His cell phone had died on him the day before and he wasn't about to call Herb from Velvet's phone and explain where he was. He would just have to get there late and...and... He stops dressing and rests his elbows on his knees, running his hands over his face. ...And think of some kind of excuse. He couldn't recall any logic he'd used the night before after three...or four glasses of wine, and this morning he couldn't feel lower. One name entered his mind. Misty. What had he done?

After persuading Velvet that he really did need to leave, he makes tracks to his car, racing the clock now. He felt like he was going to be sick. How could something he did feel so good one moment, and the next make him feel like the lowest being on the planet? He'd messed up once before with Misty...how could he have done it a second time? And...what would happen now?

Gritting his teeth, Carson opts to not even think about it right now. He didn't have the time or energy. Stopping only to fill his car with gas and grab a cup of coffee, he heads straight to work. If he took the time to go home, he would be at least a half an hour later. He knew he smelled like cigarette smoke and perfume, but an hour in the kitchen with grease and sweat, it would wear off quickly. He hadn't shaved, but that would have to wait. As far as his mood went...he still felt sick, a slight hangover gave him a headache, and he felt downright cruddy.

Getting to Mom and Pop's, he makes his way inside quickly, barely greeting Aerith and Mabel before heading straight to the kitchen. His baseball cap hiding half his face, he dons an apron quickly and looks to Herb. "Sorry I'm late, Herb. Long story." Glancing around to get his bearings he starts to pitch in. It doesn't go well. He can't concentrate on enough to do anything right it seems, and the more he gets wrong, the more his frustrations grow. And the more his frustrations grow, the more irritated he gets. And the more irritated he gets ,the more it becomes a form of hate towards himself and his actions. It had all happened so fast...but the consequences could last forever if not handled the right way. The thought didn't cross his mind that Misty had told him the day before that she'd come in to Mom and Pop's for lunch today.