AGAINST HOPE

by:  PEBBLES

Part 2

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

Mark and Carol sat together at the table, watching the other couples dance.  Carol studied Luka and Kerry as they moved to the music.  She noticed that Kerry’s eyes were closed, her head resting against Luka’s chest.  And that Luka’s head was inclined towards hers, his chin almost touching her hair.  “Is there something going on between those two?”  She asked Mark.

“Nah, I don’t think so.”  He followed her gaze.  “Though Elizabeth has a notion that they’d be good for each other.  She’s been trying to match-make for weeks now.”  He grinned. “She figured that if she got them together at the wedding something might happen.”

“Uh-huh?  Well, I think it has.”  Carol felt a conflict of emotions.  Hopeful, that two people she cared about might find happiness together but also, still, a feeling of protectiveness – or was it possessiveness - about Luka.   She chided herself that she had no right to feel that way.

“Where’s Doug got to?”  Mark interrupted her thoughts.

“The bar, of course.”  Carol shrugged, as if resigned to the fact that Doug was on a mission to get drunk before the evening was even half through.

“Want me to go drag him out of there?”

“No, Mark, this is your wedding day.  Don’t let Doug spoil it.  He’s done that enough times in the past.”  Carol put her hand on his arm.  “He’ll come when he’s ready.”

Kerry, Luka, Carter and Elizabeth returned to the table.  Kerry was glad to sit down.  She hadn't danced for years and her leg was complaining like hell.  Carol was grinning at her like a Cheshire cat, which was a bit disconcerting.  Mark and Elizabeth were whispering together like a pair of newly weds!  Kerry smiled to herself - it was a heady atmosphere.

Luka sat down, having had a brief discussion with one of the waiters.  “Where’s Doug?” he asked Carol.

She grimaced.  “Propping up the bar.”

Luka frowned; it wasn’t a phrase he had come across before.  “Should I go and talk to him?”

 “No Luka, he’s best left alone, really!”  Carol was glad that the topic had to be dropped when a waiter appeared with a bottle of champagne on ice. 

“What’s this?”  Mark looked at Luka.

“Dom Perignon.”  Luka raised his glass, when the waiter had served them all.  “Elizabeth and Mark.  May the road always rise up to meet you.” 

After they had all drunk the couple’s health, Carol turned to Luka.  “How about a dance, for old times sake?”

“Uh, do you think that would be wise?”  Luka looked doubtful.

“Aw, come on Luka.  He’s not going to challenge you to a duel at dawn!”  Carol wished she felt so confident but she wanted the opportunity to talk to Luka alone.  She knew that Luka was too much of a gentleman to turn her down.  Sure enough, Luka excused them from the rest of the party and followed Carol to the dance floor.

“So, how have you been?”  Carol started the conversation, noticing that Luka was holding her at a respectful distance.

“Fine.  You know, better lately.  I told you that I was beginning to feel more like part of the family.”  Luka was not sure where this was leading.

“Uh-huh.  So, you beginning to feel closer to anyone in particular?”  Carol looked right into Luka’s eyes, making it hard for him to avoid the question.

“Maybe.”

“Aw, come on, Luka!  I was watching you dancing with Kerry.”  She gave him another meaningful stare.

Luka looked embarrassed.  When he said nothing, Carol persisted.  “So, is something going on there?  Or was I just imagining it?”  She cocked her head on one side, waiting for an answer.

“I… I don’t know.  I just kind of noticed how lovely she is.  I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”  He wasn’t sure why he was telling Carol this.  He hadn’t rationalised what he was feeling to himself yet.  “I think I’d like to find out what she feels first.  Don’t go saying anything, please?”  He gave her a pleading look that Carol could not possibly resist.

“Of course not.  But you hurry up and find out how she feels before the walls go up again. Promise?"

Luka pulled a tight smile.  “Okay.”

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

Doug was already beginning to wish that he had gone a bit easier on the Jack Daniel’s. You know your getting older when the hangover begins to kick in before you even experience the euphoria of being drunk.  “Hell, this is no fun”.  He spoke to himself - another telltale sign.  “Time to head back to the party.”

It took him a little while to find the table, but sure enough there they all were, except for Carol and that foreign doctor.  What did Mark say he was, Croatian?  Where the hell was Croatia anyway?  Doug slumped down in his chair.

“Doug, nice of you to join us.”  Only Mark could get away with a comment like that – and then, only on his wedding day.

“Yeah, shat’s me.  ‘Misser Nice Guy’!”   Doug was beginning to slur his words.  Seeing Luka and Carol on the dance floor, he heaved himself up again and weaved his way over to them.

“I’m cutting in here, if you don’t mind.  ” Doug put a hand on Luka’s arm.  The taller man stood back from Carol.

 “Of course.”  He bowed formally and thanked Carol before making his way back to the table.

“Doug, your drunk.”  Carol kept her tone light not wanting to make a scene.

“Yep, reckon I am.”  He pulled her in tight; hopefully she could help him stay upright.  “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are, sweetheart?” He breathed into her ear.

“Yes, Doug.  But I never tire of hearing it!”

They danced for a while in silence.  Carol began to relax.  It was going to be all right after all.  Doug buried his face in her hair, drinking in the perfume of her shampoo and her own special feminine scent.  It had been a long time since they danced together, too long.  Why had he been acting like an ass?  Was it the wedding?   Weddings always brought out the worst in him - as if he were being reminded of all the times he had backed away from commitment.  Carol still wore his ring.  Maybe it was time they set a date.  Maybe he should wait until he sobered up!

As he spun Carol around the floor, Doug’s head began to spin.  It would have been fine if his head and his body had been spinning at the same speed but suddenly the room accelerated away, leaving his legs faltering.  He clung on to Carol for support.  Damn it!

“Doug!” Carol tried to hold him up as his legs folded under him.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”  He looked up at her with those puppy dog eyes as he gradually sank to the floor.  Almost immediately, Carter and Luka were at their side, helping Doug back to the table.  Coffee was brought and the strong brew almost forced down Doug’s throat.  By the third cup, Doug was able to focus on the faces watching him with concern.

“Show’s over guys.  I’m fine, thank you.”  He managed, as usual to win the day with his natural charm.  Well, almost.

 “I think it’s time we got back to our hotel, Doug. ” Carol’s voice still sounded a long way away.  Sounded like a good idea though.  Only trouble was going to be getting his legs to go along with it.

“I think I should come and help you, Carol.”  That sounded like that foreign doctor.

“No, Luka, we’ll be fine.”  Carol didn’t sound that convinced.

“I insist.  We are all staying at the same hotel.  It is no trouble.”

Luka turned to Kerry.  “Carter can drive you back when you are ready.  Okay?”  Kerry just nodded.  “I’ll wait for you,” Luka continued, leaning over so that only Kerry could hear him. “Perhaps we could have a night cap?”  He noticed that Kerry’s eyes brightened at the suggestion.

 “I’d like that.” She murmured.

Doug was not at all pleased to be dragged off to the car by Carter and Luka. They were none too careful when they bundled him onto the back seat.  “Aw, mind by head!”  He complained, as Luka slammed the door shut.  Shortly afterwards, Luka and Carol were getting into the front.

Carol turned the key in the ignition and the engine fired up.  She grabbed hold of the gear stick and began to waggle it about.  “Damn it!  It won’t go into gear!”  She clenched her teeth as she tried to force it forwards into the slot.

“Don’t force it.”  Luka spoke calmly.  He put his hand over hers, applying pressure forwards and to the left.  “See, it just slides in.”  Carol made no reply but began to steer towards the gateway.  There was no traffic on the little country lane so she pulled out and drove towards the moor.

“You could move into second gear now.”  Luka suggested above the scream of the engine.

“I hate stick shift cars.  Why couldn’t you have got an automatic, Doug?”  She shouted into the back.  Doug just grunted in reply.

“Something bigger would have been nice.”  Grumbled Luka.  “Are all the hire cars in England this small?”  There was no reply as Carol struggled to find second gear.

“Here, look.”  Luka put his hand over hers again.  “You just pull back smoothly, see?”  Carol just shot an annoyed glance at him.  “Now, you could try third.  Forward and to the right.  No, not so far – that’s top gear.”  The engine coughed, almost stalling.  Luka pulled her hand back and helped her find third.

Carol slammed on the brake, almost catapulting Doug off the back seat.  “Why don’t you drive – seeing as you’re the expert!”  She spat.

“You know I can’t.  I’m not insured to drive it.”  Luka was beginning to feel irritated by her attitude.

“Yeah? Well how come knowing damn all about car mechanics didn’t stop you getting me to buy that heap of junk from Herb?”   Carol was getting louder and madder as the whole disastrous day caught up with her.

“That’s a bit unfair.  It wasn’t a heap of junk.”  Luka countered.

“Now, now, children.  No arguing in the front there.”  Doug was enjoying this bit of repartee.

Carol restarted the engine and progressed through the gears with only a little grinding. “See, you can do it.”   Luka tried to encourage her.

 “Don’t patronise me!”  Carol barked.  Luka was taken aback by her vehemence.

“Yeah, don’t patronise her!”  Doug was getting into this.

Luka turned round, his eyes flashing.  “You stay out of it!  You’re too drunk to drive.”

 Doug saw red at this.  Leaning forward he tried to grab hold of Luka round his neck. “What the…” Luka struggled to shake him off, his elbow glancing Carol’s ear.

“Cut it out!”  Carol shouted. But Doug was not letting go - he’d teach this guy not to patronise him.  Drunk or not, he could hold his own.

“Let go of me!”  Luka was getting really angry now.   Carol hit the brakes again.

“Get out!”  She screamed.  “Both of you!”  She was surprised when they both complied with her wishes.  Luka was out first, slamming the door behind him.  Doug struggled to find the handle and then almost fell headfirst out, when Luka yanked the door open.  Finding his feet, he squared up to the taller man.  Damn, he was tall and he looked well and truly pissed off.  He also noticed that Luka was clenching and unclenching his fists, although they still hung by his sides.

Before Doug could make a move the roar of the engine distracted him, as Carol drove off without them.  “What the fuck…” Doug cursed.

Luka’s anger left him immediately and he sat down on a granite boulder by the side of the road.  “ Great!”  He muttered despondently, holding his head in his hands.  “That’s all we need.”  He didn’t relish having to walk ten miles to the hotel, in the dark, with an abusive drunk.  Fog was rapidly closing in, making it hard to see more than ten yards up the road.

“I’m going to take a piss.”  Doug muttered, lurching away from the road and disappearing behind a rocky outcrop; the call of nature now much more urgent than picking a fight with the Croatian.

Luka continued to sit on the stone until its coldness began to chill him.  He stood up.  What was Carol thinking of?  Surely she would be back in a minute.  He paced up and down, swinging his arms to warm up a bit.  The fog had already got thicker.  Now he couldn’t see the path that Doug had taken.  A couple more minutes passed.

“Doug?”  Luka called out.  He was taking a mighty long time.  “Hey Doug! Where are you?” Damn the man.   He had probably fallen over a rock.  Luka tried to figure out which way he had gone, beating a path through the bracken which grew all over the moor.  Ten paces, twenty paces, he can’t have gone so far.  Luka stopped and listened.  “Doug!”  He shouted again.

Retracing his footsteps Luka was perplexed that he did not find himself back where he had started.  The fog had disorientated him.  He tried going left, but the ground began to slope away.  He turned back.  Then he heard a noise.  “Doug? Answer me!”  There was a feeling of panic in his gut.  He worked his way towards where he thought he had heard something.

Suddenly, Doug appeared out of the fog.  “Can’t a man take a piss in privacy!”  Doug was still combative.

 “What!”  Luka was exasperated by his attitude.

“Just get out of my way!”  Doug lurched forwards and Luka instinctively stepped back.  To Doug’s complete amazement, Luka disappeared in front of his eyes.  There was a muted cry and a crashing noise and then silence.  Doug sat down heavily on the ground.  Fuck, where had he gone?

End of Part 2

to part 3

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