Chapter 31: This Woman Is Crazy
"That won’t be necessary." Leah Sinclair took a deep breath and told the person pouring drinks on her side, "Let’s begin."
By the fifth shot, Leah Sinclair wanted to smack herself. ’What rotten luck,’ she thought. ’How could I lose five times in a row? Did I use up all my luck on pool earlier?’
Around the tenth shot, Leah Sinclair felt her luck turning. The other side started losing, one after another. By the time it was Ben Coleman’s turn, Leah had already downed seventeen or eighteen shots. Her head was starting to spin; it was all happening way too fast.
Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling watched her, dazed and groggy. Leah Sinclair asked Ethan Shaw for a cigarette. Ben Coleman lost four rounds in a row at first, giving her a moment’s reprieve, but then she immediately lost another five straight. It was all streaks—they would either win several in a row or lose several in a row. After a while, Leah could no longer keep track of how many shots she’d had.
Ben Coleman had lost track too. ’I should just give up,’ he thought. But he knew if he surrendered, Morgan Sterling would be furious. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.
Someone on the side was keeping a tally: Leah Sinclair was already at fifty-seven shots, and Ben Coleman was at thirty-eight. He nervously nudged Ethan Shaw. "Young Master Shaw, what should I do? Are we really going to keep drinking? Where’s Third Master Keating?!"
"Third... Third Master? I... I dunno either," Ethan Shaw slurred, his tongue thick. Riley Sterling was already passed out. Left with no choice, the person who had asked grabbed Ethan’s phone and called Asher Keating to come and save the day.
Asher Keating was in a room with Madeline Sterling. Madeline kept talking to him, but he ignored her, simply smoking and watching the clock. There was no way he would sleep with her, but he hadn’t refused when she’d begged him to stay a little longer.
He had texted Leah Sinclair, but she hadn’t replied. He was feeling extremely agitated.
When the call came through, he shot to his feet. Before opening the door, he said without looking back, "This is the last time."
Madeline Sterling opened her mouth as if to say something but didn’t dare stop him. Once he was gone, she quickly disheveled herself to look like they had just been intimate, took a deep breath, and followed him out.
As Leah Sinclair reached for her sixty-second shot, Asher Keating’s hand covered the glass, stopping her. She struggled to focus on the person in front of her. When she saw it was Asher, frowning down at her, her gaze drifted to the lipstick stain on his collar, and she let out a laugh.
"Third Master Keating is back. Took you long enough, eh?" Morgan Sterling chuckled.
"She forfeits. I’m taking her place. I’m challenging you," Asher Keating said, turning to face Morgan Sterling.
"I’m not forfeiting," Leah Sinclair gritted out, pushing his hand away.
"See? She’s not forfeiting. Looks like we’ll... have to wait our turn." Morgan Sterling sat up straighter, his expression full of amusement.
"Brother," Madeline Sterling said, sitting beside him.
"Mm." Morgan Sterling didn’t look at her, his eyes fixed on Asher Keating.
Leah Sinclair snatched her glass back. "Let’s continue."
Ben Coleman felt like crying. ’Why are we still going? Is this woman insane? I seriously can’t drink anymore. I’m so bloated.’ Leah, however, was thinking, ’At least I can drink Ben Coleman under the table for Asher. Best case scenario, I can even make Morgan Sterling take a few shots.’
"Forty... fifty..." Leah Sinclair shook her head, trying to clear it. She’d lost count.
"You’re at sixty-two," the scorekeeper piped up.
"Ben Coleman, are you giving up?" Leah Sinclair bit her lip hard, trying to clear her head.
"I... I—" Ben Coleman slapped a hand to his mouth before scrambling toward the bathroom to throw up.
"Absolutely useless," Morgan Sterling muttered, smoothing his shirt before sitting down across from Leah Sinclair.
"Heh. Finally your turn," Leah Sinclair said, her eyes locked on Morgan Sterling as a smile spread across her face.
"Leah, should I give you a head start?" Morgan Sterling asked, picking up a glass. Madeline came over and poured him a shot.
"Don’t need it." Leah Sinclair was swaying in her seat. Asher Keating sat down beside her, his hand going to her waist to keep her upright.
"Third Master, isn’t it a bit much to be cozying up to another woman right in front of my sister, so soon after you two... finished up?"
"Just drink," Asher Keating snapped. He felt the woman in his arms stiffen and another wave of irritation washed over him.
"Rock, paper, scissors."
"Rock, paper, scissors."
Morgan Sterling lost. They played again. Leah Sinclair lost. They kept going. By the time Leah had forced Morgan to take five shots, she couldn’t hang on any longer. Asher Keating had two of the girls from their group take her to the bathroom while he took her place against Morgan.
Leah Sinclair threw up until the world was spinning. One of the girls rubbed her back while the other handed her tissues. "Leah, I’m seriously impressed. Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Young Master Keating can handle his liquor."
"I... *BLECH*... just wanted him to drink less." The words were barely out before she was heaving again.
One girl quickly rubbed her back while the other ran out to get her a bottle of water to rinse her mouth. Only after she had thrown up everything she possibly could did the two girls help her out to wash her face. Her head started to clear a little.
When Asher Keating saw Leah Sinclair come out, he told the girls to take good care of her. They helped Leah to a nearby sofa. Leah leaned against one of them, her head still swimming.
But she could still clearly hear Asher Keating’s voice. ’I’m not actually drunk,’ she realized. ’I just drank too fast, and it all hit me at once.’
By the time Asher Keating was at forty shots, Morgan Sterling was already at fifty-three. Morgan’s expression darkened. ’A moment ago, it was Leah who kept losing five in a row. How did the tables turn on me?’
Asher Keating took off his glasses and tossed them onto the table. He lit a cigarette. "Again."
Madeline Sterling lit a cigarette for her brother. She gazed at Asher Keating. Without his glasses, his whole aura seemed different. Her heart began to pound.
’I like this man so much,’ she thought. She shot another glance at Leah, who was leaning against someone nearby, and a pang of jealousy hit her. ’Asher disdains these kinds of games. And yet, here he is, playing something so childish with Morgan... all for her.’
Morgan Sterling was on the verge of throwing up. He didn’t want to lose to Asher Keating, but Asher, despite having drunk just as much, was completely unfazed. Morgan fought to stay upright, but his body betrayed him, slumping to the side.
Madeline Sterling quickly propped him up. He knew he was at his breaking point; one more shot would probably do him in.
As luck would have it, Asher Keating lost the next seven rounds in a row, giving Morgan a chance to recover. Asher downed all seven shots without a word. "Again."
Morgan Sterling gritted his teeth and threw rock. Asher threw paper. In the end, Morgan conceded. As much as he hated to admit defeat, he hated the idea of vomiting in front of everyone even more.
Asher Keating smirked, putting his glasses back on. He instructed his people to take home anyone who’d had too much to drink. Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling were already fast asleep. He walked over and pulled Leah Sinclair into his arms. "What were the stakes?"
It took Leah Sinclair a moment to remember. "Two hundred thousand."
"Pathetic. You drank yourself sick for two hundred thousand?"
Asher Keating scoffed and scooped her up into his arms. He jutted his chin at Morgan Sterling. "Two hundred thousand. Make sure you transfer it to Leah’s account."
Then he walked away without a backward glance. The moment he left, his group dispersed. Some went to take the drunks home, while others moved to the next room to keep the party going.
Sean Yates opened the car door for him. Leah Sinclair was still dizzy. After they’d been driving for a while, Asher Keating started to feel the effects of the alcohol too. He looked down at the woman in his arms, let out a silent sigh, lit a cigarette, and cracked open a window to get some air.
By the time they got home, Leah Sinclair had sobered up considerably. The issue had been drinking too quickly; with some time, her head had cleared. Asher Keating set her down on the sofa and leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head away.
Asher Keating turned her face back to his. "What are you dodging?"