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She felt the lingering effect of her last drink pounding inside her head. She gripped onto Ethan’s arm as she gathered her centre, then pulled herself out through the door of the taxi. It took all of her energy to stay balanced on the steep slope in her gray suede pumps. The air was sticky and humid, how it always was right before a thunderstorm. It was difficult to breathe. It was even harder to stand up straight in her sweaty heels. Along with the alcohol, the heat and moisture made her want to throw up. She would have precisely done so if it were not for what happened next. 
  She was still pointing at the departing taxi, wondering why it had left without Ethan in it, when he pulled her in and planted his lips onto hers. He had taken her completely by surprise. It wasn’t the usual friendly peck on side of her cheek - the kind that symbolized nothing more than their stable, mutual, platonic friendship for the past two decades. This kiss definitely fell into the suspicious category. There was no mistaking his intention. Knowing this, her body went limp. She couldn’t do anything but stay still; she had no idea how to react. Her mind pulled a blank. He took her stillness as an incentive and began to further the kiss. Against her reason, she lost herself in the moment and kissed him back. For a while, it seemed that they had both lost track of time. It look her a full minute to recover. Just as abruptly as he had began the kiss, she pulled back suddenly and struggled to free her arms from his grip. He was the one holding onto her now. He was not backing down this time. 
All she could do was stare at him.
What the fuck had just happened?
      It was the look on his face that caught her attention and that look sure as hell pissed her off more than anything. There he was - her best friend, the only person whom deep down she knew she trusted - standing there, all innocent and clueless, clearly taking advantage of her drunken state. What shocked her the most however was the silent determination she read in his eyes. He knows exactly what he is doing! He’s not drunk at all! She might have had one martini too many but it wasn’t nearly enough to make her forget this in the morning. Still, it look her several seconds before her groggy mind was able to semi-process the kiss and what her reaction should be. She didn’t have much of a choice. He was way stronger than she was. There was no way she could break free of him. In her twisted, inebriated logic, there was only one thing she could do. Without any warning, before he had realized that his advances were not completely welcomed, she raised her right fist and sucker punched the side of his face. 
"Shit, Andy! What was that for?" Ethan cried out in pain, finally letting go of her arms.
"To wipe the stupid smirk off your face! Ethan, what the hell was that?" Andrea demanded, as she staggered backwards. 
Ethan didn’t reply. He touched the side of his face and winced. The edge of her brass ring had sliced into his skin. Blood was seeping through the gash. Instinctively, she moved closer to him as she pulled out a tissue from her clutch and pressed it against his wound. She was furious at him yet she hated the sight of him in pain.