The doorbell rang, and I answered it with anticipation. It was Brooke, a slim blonde with whom I'd had a few dates already, but this time, she was over for drinks and more serious talk.
"Hello," I said with a smile, as I opened the door. "Come on in."
Brooke returned the smile and entered my living room.
"Please have a seat." I said, as she stepped inside. "May I get you something to drink?"
Brooke nodded, as she sat down.
"I'd like one of those red things you make." she replied. "You've talked about them enough, I'd like to try one."
She was referring to a concoction I had created, using Everclear and cherry soda, and I was more than happy to oblige her request. I fixed one for each of us and returned.
"Thanks." Brooke said, as she took her drink and sipped it. "Hmm, a little strong, but not bad."
A little strong was a bit of an understatement. The flavor of the soda I used was rather concentrated, so it masked the bite of the alcohol well. Each drink was equal to three normal drinks, so they kicked in rather quickly.
Brooke finished hers surprisingly sooner than I expected and requested a refill. I was only too happy to fill her order, and returned with a second. By now, the alcohol had taken her guard down, and we were both speaking freely.
"You sure know how to fix a drink." Brooke purred. "A few more of these and I'll be helpless."
I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but I assumed it was the alcohol talking. I decided to ignore it for the moment, and we continued talking for the next hour or so. Little by little, Brooke snuggled closer and closer, until I put my arm around her. She sighed, and rested her head on my shoulder as we talked.
Eventually, Brooke stopped answering me, and I glanced at her. She was sound asleep and breathing deeply. I gently laid her onto the couch and watched her for several minutes.