Chapter 4 JUST A SIP

"Let me order something nicer for you," Vine was smiling at the young lady.

"No thanks, I...I don't want to taste it anymore." Kiara wanted to spit but she controlled herself.

"Nonsense." Vine was already calling for Kevin, and he placed orders for more wines.

"Try this one," he lifted a glass. Kiara was hesitant, but she took a sip.

"It's...it's a bit better," she forced a smile.

"And this one? This one is good for beginners," Vine offered yet another glass, a different one.

"Umm, is it good to mix them up that much?" Kiara said, but all the same she drank the wine.

"We're trying to find something that you like," he smiled while ordering Kevin to pour some more glasses.

"I don't like this one." Kiara pushed the glass away.

"Here, taste this. Let me add something just to give it a kick." Vine offered.

One small sip after one small sip, Kiara was beginning to feel dizzy. She liked some of the drinks, and she started taking bigger gulps. Glass after glass, Kevin continued to bring them, and Vine continued to add something "to give it a kick."

"I...I don't want it anymore," The lady folded her arms and placed them on the table before plopping her head on top of them. In a short while, she was snoring.

"Kevin, prepare a room for the lady," Vine instructed Kevin.

Unsure of what to do, Kevin ran it past their manager, and she said if the young mater Vine said it, then it had to be done.

When Kiara was placed on the bed of the most luxurious room of the Two-Sons hotel, her phone rang.

Kevin showed the screen to Vine, and the latter instructed Kevin to answer it.

"Tell whoever is calling that Kiara is in the kitchen, she left her phone charging, and the event is going on until morning."

After ending the phone-call, Kevin watched as Vine made his way out.

"Please make sure she is safe." He instructed.

"I thought you were going to sleep here with her," Kevin sounded surprised that Vine was already leaving.

"I would have, but the poor girl is too drunk. If I do anything to her in this state, that sure would be rape." Vine walked towards the exit.

Just at that moment, Kiara rolled on the bed and stretched out her hand. "Help me up," she said in a mumbled voice.

Vine walked in and held her hand and helped her to sit up.

"Jeremy, Jeremy I don't feel well," Kiara started to talk.

"She's going to throw up!" Kevin warned just in time for Vine to move out of the way and Kiara threw up on the bed.

"Get someone to clean her up," Vine instructed.

In a short while, someone was cleaning up the mess.

"I can't possibly leave her like this. Do you know where she stays, so that we can take her home?" Vine asked Kevin.

"No, I don't know. But we can check her phone and find a contact," Kevin lifted the phone and since it requested a password, there was nothing else he could do. "I thought you wanted to...I mean, to have some quality time with her. Why then did you make her drunk?" he asked Vine.

"Well I would have loved to, but she doesn't take her alcohol too well. She's too drunk, I feel bad to touch her in such a state. I didn't think she would get this drunk. The drinks were not that strong." Vine explained.

"I think for a beginner they were bad enough," Kevin said.

"I can't believe she has never touched wine in her entire life. She is so wasted," Vine laughed.

Kevin was utterly surprised. From what people used to say about Vine, they made him appear like a very bad spoilt boy, yet he still had some sense in him. Kevin started to have much respect for the man standing next to him. He asked himself, how many men would let such a chance slip through their fingers, considering how beautiful Kiara is?

"I can call Lee-Anne, I'm sure she knows where Kiara stays!" Kevin smiled as he pulled out his phone and dialed Lee-Anne's number. The phone rang a lot of times but it was not answered.

"I'll make sure she's OK. You may leave," Vine ordered Kevin.

Left in the room, Kiara held Vine by the hand and said, "Jeremy please don't leave me. I have a headache."

Vine sat down and commented, "you really can't handle wine, can you? You sure did not drink that much." He laughed. It was his first time to see anyone getting that drunk so easily.

Vine's right hand man, Gareth, came in and advised that master and lady Pinkerton were downstairs waiting for Vine. Explaining his situation, Vine told him that he could not leave.

Gareth passed on the message, and a few minutes later he was back in the room with:

"Lady Pinkerton said if you have to take care of her, then you shall take her to a decent hotel. She said we only came here to sample this place because she is considering buying it, but it is not good enough for you to spend the night in."

And with that, Kiara was taken to a very beautiful hotel.

When Vine tried to let her sleep on the bed, Kiara held on to Vine and cried, "Don't go, Jeremy don't go please."

"Kiara, I am not Jeremy."

"No Jeremy, please do not go!" Kiara's voice was weak, and her eyes remained closed while she spoke.

Regretting why he had forced her to drink, Vine sat next to her and kicked off his shoes.

"What are you standing there for? Leave the room!" he shouted at Gareth, and the man obliged without a word.

Since he was very exhausted, Vine lay down and closed his eyes. Kiara, who was already sleeping on the bed, came closer and rested her head on Vine's chest.

"Jeremy, please hold me," she whimpered.

Vine was not too sure what to do. Initially when he invited Kiara to his table, he had just admired her beauty and wanted to spend some time with her. Ending up in bed with the lady was not part of the plan; not that he despised her, but because it was not in him to sleep with strangers. And even though he admitted in his heart that she was a rare beauty and he was tempted to make love to the lady, he still did not want her in the state that she was in. She was dead drunk and did not even know what she was talking about. Vine believed that if he was ever to make love to a woman, it should be as per her consent, for he told himself he was too big to drug a lady for sex, or to rape one. And when he offered the drinks to Kiara, he had not thought that she was going to get that drunk. For him, the drinks were just for the lady to loosen up, because she had been too tense.

"Kiara, listen..." he began to talk.

"No Jeremy, I don't want you to leave me," Kiara's voice sounded as if she was going to cry.

Vine took her in his arms and held her close to him.

"Jeremy, I'm cold."

Quietly, Vine pulled some bed linen over them both, and looked up at the ceiling. He had really wanted to take a shower, but with the woman in his arms, he thought it was best to get her to fall asleep first.

When she was finally asleep, Vine moved slowly, intending to leave the bed. Right at that moment, Kiara held on to Vine, and cried a little in her sleep.

"Jeremy please hold me," she pleaded.

Vine held her close and her hair covered his face. The hair smelt so good. Whatever shampoo the lady was using, it sure smelt great.

Vine was already asleep when his phone rang.

"Hallo?" he answered in a sleepy voice.

"Hallo young master Pinkerton. This is Kevin."

"Kevin? Kevin from where?" he frowned.

"The waiter, the one who you gave your name card at the dinner."

"Oh yes I remember you. What do you need?"

"I managed to get through to Lee-Anne, and I now have Kiara's home address."

Vine looked at Kiara who was fast asleep, and he said to Kevin, "she'll go in the morning."

He did not wait for Kevin's response but ended the call.

"Who was that? Who called?" Kiara whispered.

"Ah, you're awake?" Vine was rather surprised to hear Kiara talking.

"Hold me close to you, Jeremy. And this dress...this dress is too tight," The lady fumbled with the buttons of her short dress.

With a smile, Vine unbuttoned the dress and Kiara pulled it off, throwing it away at the foot of the huge bed.

Although Vine was getting really tempted to touch Kiara, he told himself that he needed some self control. He felt bad for her, considering that it was him who spoke her into drinking, even though she had clearly stated that she was not interested. She looked too done in to know what she was doing. Vine hated that. He could not bring himself to make love to a woman who was that drunk. It was not in him to do so.

Although Vine had seriously bad manners in most areas of his life, he became controlled when it came to women. Preferring his beer to anything else, he was almost always drunk, and had no extra time for anyone else.

However, Kiara kept clutching on to Vine, pulling him very close to her, and addressing him as Jeremy. Her hair smelt exceptionally great, and she had very fine, spotless skin. The kisses that she continued to plant on Vine's lips, neck and cheeks were warm and sweet. In the end he gave in, he failed to resist her. She was an exceptional beauty anyway, and he thought she really was one of the most beautiful ladies he had ever seen.