Under the Influence by Karina May

Author:Karina May
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing

Louise was one for embracing the local culture—she wanted an authentic experience after all—but she’d really prefer a vodka soda right now. Not just for taste, but so she knew exactly how much she was drinking. Her alcohol ban was on a holiday hiatus, but she still planned on being careful. She didn’t need a guidebook to tell her that drinking at altitude was inadvisable.

Louise looked around to see how the rest of the group were enjoying their drinks. Given the number of empty glasses, it was apparent that pisco was an acquired taste that had unfortunately not been acquired by her.

A shame really, given they were at a museum dedicated to the national drink. Louise had watched Feather balk when their tour guide, Fernando, brought them here—after all, they weren’t here to learn! But Museo Del Pisco was the very definition of a hidden gem. Really, it was just a bar without the queues. Sure, there was an exhibition upstairs, but they’d set up in the tapas lounge with no plans of moving. Now, Feather was fussing over Fernando and shoving cocktails into his hands. Occasionally she’d interrupt the group’s chatter and request that they toast their ‘fearless leader’.

Louise had selected a seat in the corner, at the end of the table. It was cool and dark and smelled like the musty wet concrete that permeated the streets of Sydney. She politely answered questions that came her way about her life back home from her seat neighbour, Jaye, but her answers left no room for any proper conversation.

‘You’re Aussie too!’

‘Yes.’

‘Where do you live?’

‘Sydney.’

‘Oh, me too! Whereabouts?’

‘Rozelle.’

‘Ah, not too far from me. I’m East. In Elizabeth Bay.’

‘Nice.’

‘So, do you live alone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Same. I’ve tried flatmates but if you get the wrong one it can be hideous, don’t you think?’

‘Yes.’

Eventually Jaye tired of her dead-end responses and turned back to the girl on her other side.

As the alcohol made its way into her bloodstream Louise felt increasingly unsteady. She knew she needed to proceed with caution or risk setting off an avalanche of emotion, like the morning with the Maltesers.

Although she was sure her demeanour suggested otherwise, Louise preferred to be out with the group than in her room alone with her thoughts. Back at the guesthouse, a strong wi-fi connection was there to enable her. To taunt her. She could be tempted to log in to her work email from her phone. She was well aware of her default twitch. It was little wonder Rick constantly commented that she took on too much, despite him always being willing to take advantage of it.

‘Everything okay here, babe?’

Feather appeared next to Louise with a full glass of champagne in hand. She was so short that she was barely a head above a seated Louise. She appeared to wear little to no make-up in her Instagram videos, but up close—even in the darkness of the bar—Louise could tell she was wearing much more than a slick of mascara. Although you could still see her freckles through the coating of foundation.

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