Going back and forth with drunk Kat was usually a halfway point between amusing and worrying. At least she knew her friend wasn't planning on drunkenly teleporting herself into a volcano. And Simon was with her. Though apparently, he was every bit as drunk. She'd keep an eye on the boards, probably, just to be safe. But she was pretty sure her friend was safe.
She'd been drinking, herself, but nothing like the amounts Kat was apparently consuming. A little whiskey and Coke over ice and she was content. Just something to take the edge off. Something to push back the memories of how she continued to let herself get hurt. She'd never believed in forever, or happily ever after, or any of that. She was a doctor, a scientific mind, and she'd just be happy with someone willing to put her first in their life. Someone willing to say they loved her. Every time she got close, something came up. Or someone. Not that Claire didn't love Audrey dearly, and she was grateful to the show's promos for showing her that her friend was still alive and well. But sometimes it really wasn't fair.
And then there was Mal. A man Claire had told herself from the very beginning she should keep her distance from. But he was attractive and charming and god, could he kiss. Eventually, she'd given in and allowed herself to feel for him. Too much, apparently. It wasn't like she'd wanted marriage or anything. Just some form of commitment might have been nice. Or a slightly classier way of saying he'd needed some space might have been nice.
The knock on the door was loud and jarring and surprised her. She pulled herself away from the laptop, excusing herself from her conversation. Making her way to the door, she opened it enough to see out the chain lock. When she saw who it was, a flood of emotions took over. She was excited, unfortunately, she couldn't shake that. And maybe a little hopeful. But mostly what she felt was annoyance. It was hard enough getting over him, the least he could do was leave her alone.
"Can I help you?" she asked simply, not fully unlocking the door but opening it as far as the chain would allow.