Re: Ocean's Eleven: Neil & Meredith
Neil let out a long, long exhale. He worried, of course, about how all of this business with Sam and Micah was affecting her, but she did sound genuine in her reassurances. The last thing he wanted was his involvement to cost him Mere, but it was easier to believe that wouldn't happen when he was with her, in person, and he saw that she wasn't going anywhere. He smiled gratefully. "Right. And we can get through this, too." Six years had changed a lot of things. Now, stress didn't have him looking for solace in a bottle. Was the urge still there? Of course. It always would be. But he had actual methods to deal with it properly, now. He had AA. And he had Mere, too. He knew she would support him no matter what.
Already, he was finding it easy to relax. He laughed when her stomach rumbled, and listened as she described what she'd been doing the past few days while he was busy dealing with his ex and her psychopath stalker. "Making excuses for me?" He smiled, leaning over to grab a carton and chopsticks of his own before settling back as well. "I appreciate it." But her mention of a friend made him think of Loren, and he wondered, then, if that was who she was talking about. Even if it wasn't, though... "It is strange. The hotel likes to bring people together." He paused. "Speaking of friends. Do you know someone named Loren?"