Why don't you take me home...

"Why don't I take you home?"
"Why don't you take me home?" Beth giggled as she and Derek spoke at the same time. "Jinx!"
"We didn't say the same thing, it's not a jinx." Derek laughed.
"Lawyer..." Beth scoffed.
Derek poured Beth into his car, and started the engine, while she laid her head against the door frame.
"Thanksh for dinner... sorry I ruined it."
"You didn't ruin anything..." he rubbed her knee comfortingly. Beth found that she quite liked the feeling of his hand on her knee, and didn't make any complaints when he kept it there. In her wine soaked haze, Beth paid little attention to the passing scenery, mostly enjoying the cool night air.
"...should think about going to law school yourself..." Derek's voice drifted in and out of understanding.
"It's so expensive. Right now...need all the money we can make..." she mumbled. "Wedding..."
"...should support you..."
"What?"
"I said..." Derek raised his voice. "A good man should support you in your career."
"He's good..." she looked over at Derek, "besides...it's not my career. I've never even thought about it."
"You'd be a natural. I've seen you work. You know the law better than half the lawyers at the firm." "I don't know..." it was a neat idea, and Beth couldn't say it hadn't crossed her mind. She didn't want to be a clerk forever. Brian wouldn't... Brian... she couldn't keep that train of thought running.

A few minutes later the car stopped, and Derek was helping her towards the door of a building. An unfamiliar building. "Hey... where are we?" She mumbled in confusion. This condominium building was much nicer than her apartment complex.
"This is my home." Derek was quite nonchalant, and she eyed him sideways.
"Derek…I said take me home..."
"Hey, if I drop you off at your place, for all I know you'll go inside, pass out and **** on your own vomit and I'm not having that. This way, you can dry out and I can make sure you don't hurt yourself, and then I can take you back to get your car when you sober up." A perfectly plausible explanation. The sun was still above the treetops, and Beth vaguely recalled the clock in the car reading 7:48 pm. Brian won't be home until at least 10:30. Haven't you always wondered what Derek's place looked like? He makes bank.
Derek's condo was four sprawling rooms across a single floor with an expansive balcony looking out over an inner courtyard. His furniture was not flashy, but everything was well made and comfortable. Beth sank luxuriantly into the couch while Derek brought her ice water. Her stomach was settled, if full, but her head was still swimming. His condo smelled nice, with a soft undertone of incense.
When he returned from the kitchen, he put on some soft jazz and took a seat across from her, leaving the sweating glass of water on the end table between them.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine...in fact... I'm great. I haven't felt this good in a while. I had a good time tonight." It felt a little guilty to say it; she realized how long it had been since she and Brian had had a great night out. She tried not to dwell on just how good she was feeling about it as she looked from Derek to his nice furnishings.