RP with livesonlipgloss | AA

[paramedically]

It wasn't a struggle for Andrew to go to this week's AA meeting like it had been with the couple he had been to in the previous weeks. The first two he had gone with accompanied by Ali had been at the old location near his old apartment. It was inconvenient and he had been wavering in his committment to them. The battle was far from over with him.

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[livesonlipgloss]

"Don't you just love these things?" Rachel asked the new face. Unlike him, she'd actually gotten up and spoken this time. It was pretty superficial given the rest of the people who had spoken, but her reason for wanting a drink hadn't lessened the urge.

She'd been a teenage drinker for years, and it had lasted into her early twenties. She'd started purely because of her lifestyle, and no reason like her parents had been alcoholic, or she'd suffered some horrible event.

Rachel hated the fact that seeing her ex at lunch with another woman had triggered her need for a drink, but she'd still had to admit. Same as when she'd fallen off the wagon after he'd left. She'd been six months clean since, and she wasn't giving up just because he was back. And just because he'd apparently found his next three-month fling.

"Always thought the cookies were the interesting part, but then they took those away in case we turned into fucking Diabetics Anonymous, or some crap. We're addicts. We need something. Just better it's cookies, and not alcohol."

[paramedically]

Andrew laughed softly and glanced at her. "I didn't even notice they were absent. The other group went that extra mile and offered Krispy Kreme donuts. The Upper East Side must be more health conscious than Manhattan. Admittedly, I don't usually stick around after for the refreshments. McDonalds apple pies on the way home were always a much better option," he added with a smirk.

He remembered what she had spoken about when she braved standing up earlier. Military guy shipped out and split with her after a quick romance. He felt sorry for her, thoughts immediately turning to Leila as he wouldn't help but wonder if Lei's soldier would be so harsh. He didn't think so. In fact, it was almost a mirror image to Rachel's story. Rob had proposed to Leila to promise her he would come back her. The other guy just never gave this girl the option. Andrew knew it never needed much to take to picking up a bottle again. He took his other hand from his pocket and held it out to her. "I'm Andrew."

[livesonlipgloss]

Rachel's smile morphed as her eyes filled with amusement. "Well, I'm still waiting for them to install a juice bar, or tofu stand. The Upper East side is insane for the healthy stuff. Personally, I do like the occasional giant cup of juice that lasts me the whole day, but after talking about alcohol all night I need something with more of a sugar kick. I like the idea of Krispy Kreme, and a McDonald's apple pie. I think you've just planted a craving."

She took his hand. "Rachel, but I guess you already knew that. Assuming I didn't send you to sleep, or the guy with the bad white man's afro."

[paramedically]

"Well, this time you tapped into my polite awareness. Kinda needed to keep focused for this one, but I'm sure you more than understand that. I haven't been to this one before, but it's a little closer to home and more convenient in general."

Andrew sipped his coffee, licking his lips as he swallowed. "Sorry to hear about your tough times. I guess I can sympathise on some very distance level. My cousin just married military, and he got shipped oversease right after. In seeing how she is some days, though, waiting wouldn't be easy on anyone. Not to make any attempt to make light of your pain. Not in any way. It's the aftermath of it that I probably understand better than the causes of it."

[livesonlipgloss]

"Lucky me," Rachel answered with a soft laugh. It was nice to actually be able to talk to someone after having to get up and bare her soul. AA was never easy, but she supposed it wasn't meant to be. It was about battling an addiction. "Absolutely. All about the focus... It's when we don't stay focused that we start to slip. Convenience is key to these things. I used to go to one located Downtown because I thought it would be better to go somewhere no one really knew me. Only when you're on the Upper East Side and seriously wanting to down an entire cocktail menu, it's better staying close to home."

"Thanks, but hey, it could be worse. Oh yeah? Congratulations to her. I hear the waiting's hard, but I didn't exactly get gives a chance. I can feel for her, too. I know if I had been given the chance... well, I would probably kinda be sucking at the waiting. She's lucky to have you. Oh yeah?"

[paramedically]

"Give in to temptation..." Andrew murmured, pressing his lips together wryly. "I used to go to the one in town. Months ago, mind. But I live in this neck of the woods now, so it's just easy. Walking distance from home, really, and it's a nice enough area for a walk to help clear the head. I've only just recently come back."

He cleared his throat with a nod. "It is hard. She just got word he's ill. Got poisoned. It was enough to make her want to go insane, and all the non-info, non-anything. I personally don't think I could handle having my partner away indefinitely, not knowing if they were in danger or not." He exhaled slowly and nodded again. "Yeah, I was, um... eighteen months sober, then fell off the wagon just... about a month ago or so."

[livesonlipgloss]

Rachel raised her eyebrows as she watched him before slowly nodded. "Taking a bite of the forbidden apple, and all that. Oh yeah? Must have been after I switched. I don't really remember seeing you. Come back to meetings?"

"Oh, no, that's awful. I'm so sorry." She frowned a little in concern. "Yeah, sometimes I'm not sure if I should be grateful, or not, that he took the choice away from me. But then I realise I've been waiting anyway. Only, I guess he's, ah, back now. Having lunch. With a blonde who isn't me." Rachel reached out to give his arm a brief squeeze. "I'm so sorry. It's hard. No one really gets how hard it is to get back on that wagon. I still can't believe I was three years sober, and fell off because I got dumped. It wasn't like I hadn't been dumped before, this one just... I guess it really hurt more than I expected. Did you want to talk about it?"

[paramedically]

"Or trying not to," Andrew added with a laugh and scratched the back of his head. "My biting of the forbidden apple is usually well chewed and swallowed before I realise what I've done. Yeah, back to meetings. I was in town originally, like I said, eighteen months ago and then I went to one overseas in London. I went to a couple in town this past couple of weeks, but it was stupid considering I only live a few blocks away from this one. I work closer to the other one, but that's not much help

[livesonlipgloss]

"And then you wake up with apple juice dripping down the side of your face and wonder what the fuck you did." Rachel gave him a sheepish look before she started to laugh again. "I think I try and make one at least once a month. Even if I don't talk. Just that constant reminder that I don't have to do it alone if I don't want. And needing to know that I'm not going to be the person I am while drunk. I like the sober me. You work too many hours

[paramedically]

"Apple juice," Andrew had to laugh, shaking his head. "Nice and innocent metaphor there. I might have to use it sometime." He gestured to the circle of chairs. "This is my third in three weeks. I wasn't going to come tonight, but I had the temptation waved in my face and I need to remind myself that it's just that. I don't know the person I am when I'm drunk. I very rarely remember it. I have a tendency to go straight for the hard stuff, the quick fix, so to speak. I used to work too many, now I've cut back a little. It's just, I want to keep this side of my life separate from work

[livesonlipgloss]

"Well, who'd have thought taking a bite of the apple was enough to get man kicked out of Eden, but... that's original sin for you." Rachel smirked a little as she nudged him with her elbow. "Go right ahead. I think I might even have to keep using it myself. I'm not sure I've ever been drawn to a particular type of booze. Which sounds stupid, I know. Just when you're a teenager and a binge drinker, you tend to just drink whatever's in front of you. At least you get that luxury. My work life pretty much is that life. It's where it all started. I think maybe I'm a glutton for punishment putting myself right into the path of temptation

[paramedically]

"Oddly enough, I'm usually too chicken shit to commit sins. I guess when I decide to, I go the whole distance. Black label, right to the root of the problem." Andrew shook his head with a small snort. "Two weeks ago, I slipped again and ended up pouring all the booze down the sink. I felt like I had been hit by an emotional bus by the time I was done with it. Recycling guy wouldn't have been impressed that day. Do you ever think about quitting your career to keep dry? It's never easy having the temptation right there in your face. It's pretty much why I keep turning my cousin down from arranging a bachelor party for me

[livesonlipgloss]

"Hey, if you're going to go... might as well go black. It's back in this season. None of this pink is the new black bullshit." Rachel could sympathise, even if she'd never really been the kind to stay at home and drink alone. If she was going to fall, she did it in front of an audience. "Who cares what he thinks? It's about what you think. And sometimes, but I love what I do. I don't do it for the parties, and the bullshit. I do it because I love make up. I'm a stylist. I work on a lot of fashion stuff, hence the temptation. I grew up around it all, too. He should throw it for you at a McDonald's, then alcohol wouldn't be a problem

[paramedically]

Andrew smirked. "It wasn't so black on the return trip all over my shirt and the bathroom floor. A couple of the very few details I do actually remember. I think that was proud and ashamed all at the same time, and that it's draining trying to feel two different opposite emotions at once. You always wonder why the fuck you did it after the fact, until the gnawing want is back in your gut again and then you can convince yourself that it isn't so bad if you just have one. Only, it's never just one anything. You would probably get along real well with my fiancee. She's fashion everything. Some sort of top designer wedding dress she picked. Osh Kosh De Sultana or something. I know she'll look gorgeous in anything. Her shoes cost more than my car," he had to laugh. "It all goes over my head. And he plans to use weed as a substitute to booze. He reckons he owes me for what I put him through at his. Which he probably does, I guess. We did put him through the ringer

[livesonlipgloss]

"Tell me about it. It's like a bad burrito. It tasted great on the way down, but coming back up, or exploding out... not so great. In fact, it sucks massive balls." Rachel shrugged, and gave a wave of her hand as if to say it was total gospel. "Oh, yeah? Hey, that's great. If I ever do get married, I'm going designer. Who wouldn't want to spend one day looking completely fucking fabulous?" She made a face. "Weed? That's not exactly a booze substitute. In fact, I get more fucked up on that than I do on booze. I just happen to not be able to stop drinking booze once I get started. So this is a payback thing?"

Rachel's eyebrows drew together with concern and she held up her hand. "Hey, I'm sorry. I never meant to... I'm sorry. It's a pretty damn good reason to start drinking."

[paramedically]

Andrew nodded wryly. "Yeah, payback thing. But I was joint Best Man for Luke's wedding with another guy. A Scot. He got married in a twin wedding. His wife and the other groom are twins, so they wanted to get married together. So, it was a joint bachelor party and the Scot is... extremely talented when it comes to devious behaviour. The other groom woke up the next day with his nipples pierced and no recollection of it. Luke just remembers being extremely drunk and some, uh, action with some strippers. He wants payback, well and truly," he said with an amused smirk. "I'm okay with pot. It gives me something, you know? Just trying to fuel a whole bachelor party on it? And expecting my mates to go teetotal too? It just seems fucked up and unfair. Ali is adamant she doesn't want the hens night, either