Bloodsong Pt. 01

"I suggest you leave," The woman said to the men.

They were more than happy to comply, rushing to the exit without stopping to close their tab.

The woman slid into the booth, taking Frankie's seat. Her lips parted but before she could say anything, Paige interrupted her.

"Why the fuck did you do that!?"

She found herself on the receiving end the same withering look Frankie had received, but this time she held the woman's gaze.

"He spiked your drink," the woman said.

"Yeah, no shit. I had it under control." It wasn't entirely an exaggeration. She'd have figured something out. Twice now this woman had gotten between her and a real bed.

Apparently Paige had gotten under her skin, because the woman's tone grew condescending as she said, "Listen—"

"French fries."

"Excuse me?" the woman asked, incredulous.

"Buy me some fries. You've gotten in my way twice now. The least you can do is pay me back with some food."

The woman tilted her head, and the light reflecting off her lenses made it difficult to gauge her expression. Between the glasses, the tight ponytail and the bland pant suit, she reminded Paige of a librarian.

Eventually she shrugged and said, "Sure."

The librarian stood and made her way to the bar, dragging a nail along the surface of the table as she passed. The sound reminded Paige of a cat venting its frustration by clawing at the doorframe.

As consolation prizes went, Paige supposed she could do worse than French fries. That was something, at least. She settled into her seat and steeled herself for another night sleeping in an alley. Which was bad enough on its own, but a few more days without a shower would make this particular method of finding shelter difficult.

To make matters worse, it was almost winter and finding shelter would soon be a matter not just comfort, but survival. She knew there were places women like her could go, but she didn't want to risk staying in one location for too long. Not with Curtis on her heels.

Maybe she should just give up. Go back to him and hope for the best. She'd left without a plan, but she hadn't expected to be on the street after a week. Paige reached into her pocket and drifted her thumb across the cracks in her dead phone's screen.

"Happy?" The librarian glided back into her seat, and made a show of placing down a basket of fries, spreading her hands in a sarcastic presentation of her bounty. Her fingers were long and slender, capped by polished, dark red stilettos. All of them except for...

Oh. So that's how it was.

The woman had bought her food, what else could Paige get away with?

Paige flashed her brightest smile and tucked her hair behind her ear. The librarian tracked the motion closely. "Very," she said, locking eyes.

The woman's posture was stiff, and she radiated a stuffy sort of tension, but there was a chance this could work. It was subtle, but the woman's expression softened as their eyes met. Then she looked away.

Paige searched the room. "What happened to your date?" she asked.

"He was a bore." After a long moment, the librarian faced her with a sigh and said, "They always are." Her tension melted, and she relaxed into a casual slump.

Paige pointed a fry at the librarian. "You can do better," she said before bringing it to her mouth. God, it tasted so good. She tried not to moan aloud.

"Not tonight," the librarian said, resigned.

"Oh, come on," Paige mumbled between bites, "I'm a step up from that geezer aren't I?"

"You mean the geezer you were hitting on while I was in the restroom?" The librarian said flatly.

"That's—" The next word was lost as she choked and fell into a coughing fit. God dammit. It was hard to be seductive while shoveling down fries.

The librarian waited patiently, one corner of her mouth quirked upward. Paige cleared her throat and continued as if nothing had happened, "That's not why I was at your table."

"Oh?"

"I was there for you ," Paige said, coolly. Then she winked .

Like a complete dork.

Her cheeks burned. She had no idea how to hit on women.

The librarian smiled, and covered her mouth with a hand as she chuckled. It was the first she'd seen the woman look genuinely happy. Paige found herself nearly frozen by that smile, or at least the glimpse of it she'd seen. How could she have called this woman a hag?

"Natalie," the librarian offered. It took Paige a moment to realize it was an introduction.

"Paige." she said.

"Tell me your story, Paige."

Paige was a natural liar. The words flowed like water from a tap as she spun a tale about her cross-country hitchhiking adventure.

Unfortunately, she'd lost her wallet in the last car. Her mother would be wiring her money any day now, of course, but until then she was stuck with nothing but the clothes on her back. The last part, at least, was true.

She seasoned the story with characters she'd met on the road: A family returning from their Lake Michigan vacation, a fearsome trucker with a heart of gold, just looking for conversation; a lonely housewife that she'd seduced. Paige played up her prowess as she described the housewife pulling into a rest stop and giving in to her sapphic urges. Natalie liked that part.

In truth, Paige had little experience with women. Just the one time she'd made out with Jane Carson after prom. They'd drunkenly fondled each other in the back seat of a hatchback until they'd passed out.

The next morning Jane returned to her senses and implored Paige to never tell anyone about their mistake. It hadn't felt like a mistake to Paige, but she'd let it go. In a town like hers it was easier to just pretend to be straight.

Now here she was, in the big city seducing an older woman for food and shelter. If Jane could see her now, she thought sarcastically.

Paige finished her tale by explaining that she slept outside last night. It was obvious enough that there was no point lying, and it might garner sympathy. Natalie listened attentively, nodding along and asking questions. She was eating this up.

"So," Paige said once she'd finished, "Why don't we head back to your place, and you can tell me about yourself?"

Feeling bold, she reached across the table and laid her hand atop Natalie's. It was cool to the touch.

Natalie pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before saying, "I... don't think that's a good idea." She looked away and stared out into the bar. Tense and aloof once again.

Paige's heart sank. Somewhere along the way she'd begun to think this was a sealed deal. That tonight would include a hot shower, a warm bed, and —if she was being honest with herself— an adventurous night.

No, she decided, she wouldn't go down without a fight. "Good ideas are boring." she prompted, "Wouldn't it be more fun to give in to desire?"

"What is it you think I desire?" Natalie replied, still looking away. Her expression was disinterested, but she stroked a finger along Paige's palm. A wave of goosebumps crawled up her arm.

"Me." Paige declared.

Natalie intertwined her fingers with Paige's and squeezed before letting go. The air felt too warm against Paige's skin in its absence. Natalie smiled sadly, but Paige interrupted before she could speak the words.

"Please?" she begged. Desperation bled into her voice.

Natalie considered for a while then stood. Paige saw the answer written on her face. The numbness crawled over her as she began to drift. Fine. Another night in the street. She would endure.

Natalie reached into her purse and placed several neatly folded bills on the table and said, "Find yourself a nice hotel. Goodnight, Paige."

Paige's eyes never left the money as Natalie's heels clicked their way toward the exit. Four crisp, hundred-dollar bills.

Holy shit.

She came to her senses and snatched the money, shoving it into her pocket in a crumpled heap before anyone could see. She turned to thank Natalie, but the woman was already gone.

Paige stood, one hand still in her pocket. Squeezing the cash like it would disappear if she let it go. Everything she wanted. A hot shower, a comfortable bed, in the palm of her hand. So why did she feel... disappointed?

She groaned and rushed for the exit. The moment she stepped into the autumn cold, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"That was fast." Natalie leaned against the brick wall, holding a cigarette between two fingers.

"I wanted-" Paige hesitated. She wanted what, exactly? Natalie watched her patiently, taking a drag. The embers reflected in her glasses like burning eyes. Paige swallowed. "I wanted to thank you."

She stepped closer, and Natalie froze. Smoke meandered upward in an unbroken stream until a bracing gust of wind chased it away. Loose strands of dark hair fluttered across Natalie's face and danced across her lips. Before she could stop herself, Paige closed the distance and delivered a clumsy kiss.

Natalie remained still, one hand on her cigarette and the other tucked into a pocket, as Paige stepped back and said, "Thank you."

Tears welled up as her emotions threatened to come undone. A week, and this had been the first kindness paid to her. She tried to push her feelings away, to retreat into the numbness, but it wouldn't come. So instead she turned and left.

"Wait." Natalie called. Paige halted.

"I might have a place for you to stay, but it won't be free until tomorrow." Paige turned to see Natalie drop her cigarette and grind it into the pavement. "Meet me here tomorrow night if you're interested."