Later that night, she sat in the quiet of the living room and looked around. She was alone now. Hayden and Joel had left for the bar later than usual, waiting until it was time for her to close the café. Saturday nights were their last night of the week before their weekend started, and the bar was closed for the following two days until reopening on Tuesday night.
They had left her with strict instructions not to leave or invite anyone over, though she scoffed at that last instruction. Just who the hell did she know in this town besides Herman and Blanche? But she agreed nonetheless.
They had watched her ascend the stairs to the second floor before locking the bottom stairwell door. She should have been offended at being locked up like a pet cat, but for some reason, she couldn't summon the energy behind the emotion. Sapphire couldn't deny the fact between their obvious reputation around this town and the fortress-like quality of the building, she did feel safe.
Safe, but alone.
Sapphire looked around the living room. "It's a little depressing in here," she muttered aloud.
Her eyes swept around the room, taking in all of its details that screamed bachelor life. It reminded her of a frat guy house she had seen on a show. Directly off the main hallway in the opening of the large room, a visitor was faced with a mismatching kitchen. Part cabinetry that looked original to the building and part gleaming silver restaurant-grade equipment serving as countertops and a sink. The fridge just looked like any plain old white two-door fridge. The oak, square dining table that served to separate the two sections of the room was surprisingly in decent condition.
It was the two mismatched couches that really stole the focus of the room. Somehow despite the large windows that wrapped from the front wall all the way to the far side wall, their splendor was dampened by the very worn and ugly couches lining the two walls. The hunter-green couch was pressed against the far wall while the ugly tan sectional covered the back wall. Both couches looked as if they had seen far better days. But their purpose was clear to anyone. Pointing directly toward the giant flat screen, the shabby sofas were a perfect nesting area for two worn-out bikers at the end of the day.
Turning away from the living room, she climbed the stairs to the third floor. Curiosity pulled her feet along the occasional creaking wood floors until she was standing near the wooden banister next to the stairs and across from her designated bathroom. This floor had two extra rooms instead of the open living area like the downstairs had.
The pervasive quiet that seemed to entomb the entire house once the guys left was particularly striking up here. Gloomy and dark, the narrow hall leading to the other doors was draped in shadowy darkness. Looking around, she found a light switch on the landing and tried flicking it.
The sconce between her bathroom and room door winked off, swallowing her in pitch black. Quickly, she turned it back on. Okay, so the other sconce must be out. No big deal, she would just use her phone light. Sliding the phone from her back pocket, she swiped on the app for the camera light.
Approaching the first door, Sapphire hesitantly opened it. Faded, barely-there light streamed in through the windows casting a grey-blue tint in the room. She expected to see cobwebs and maybe a few skeletons stowed away in secret corners. What she did not expect was the neat pile of plastic containers lined against the walls. Sure, it made the seemingly large room a little cramped, but it was orderly and not that off-putting. The last room was much the same, this one having a few cardboard boxes and pieces of random furniture scattered amongst the big plastic tubs.
She was about to close the door when she spotted a lonely lamp sitting off to the side. Taking the lamp and its shade, she carried it to her room and plugged it in by her bed. It was surprisingly pretty and not all that she expected to find in the forgotten rooms. With white and blue designs, the round vase had a Chinese mural. It showed a woman sitting on what looked to be a veranda or an ornate porch while three warriors seemingly trained in a beautiful courtyard surrounded by misty mountains and spiraling winds. It was beautiful, especially paired with the blush pink shade that she was positive didn't originally belong to it.
Turning on the lamp, she left her room and crossed the gloomy hallway again for her bathroom.
Showered and dressed for bed, Sapphire walked back downstairs, cutting off the lights in the living room. She paused by the windows. With the lights, it allowed her to see clearly out into the night. Little white flakes drifted here and there, slowly making their way to the ground, where they melted instantly.
She couldn't help but think of her friends in Houston. Last year when it snowed, they had just stepped out of the theater to the parking lot dusted in an inch of snow. She wondered what they were doing now?
She looked down at her feet against the faded wooden floorboards. Now here she was alone in the deep south with her world turned upside down in two strangers’ house.It certainly wasn't what I was expecting for my senior year.
Pulling out her phone, she typed out a quick text to Joel. Earlier she had found his and Hayden's number scribbled again onto a scrap of paper on the table along with a little note.Don't set the place on fire. Call if you need something.
Me:can I have the Wi-Fi password?
Reaching her room, she shut the door. She eyed the stack of boxes still sitting near the door from her makeshift barricade last night. Did she really still need them? She imagined Joel's playful smile and allowed herself to smirk. Despite his tall, good looks, the man reminded Sapphire of a carefree bird. His seemingly permanent distracted attention span and laid-back demeanor felt assuring. He wasn't looking at her, not like that. Not to warrant the barricade.
God, that was refreshing.
And Hayden—well, he certainly didn't look at her with any sort of desire. Maybe a desire to get rid of her, if anything. Disapproval and irritation were the feelings he was broadcasting, and that was fine by her. Actually, she found that relieving, too. Yeah, she wasn't sure what the hell his problem with her was, but as long as he wasn't trying to crawl into her bed at night or slap her on the ass every time she passed by, then she could live with that.
Joel: I'm sorry in advance…it's…IgiveoutHARDrides1
Sapphire stared at the password for a full minute before hesitantly typing it into the password box under the WIFI nameHouse of Heathens. It worked.
She shook her head as she typed back.
Me:…thanks.
Joel: I feel your judgment. Stop it.
Me: No can do.
Dropping the phone into the covers, Sapphire bit back a smile threatening at the corners of her mouth and sank deeper into the covers. What did those two do at the bar all night? Flirt, drink, talk motorcycles with other bikers, maybe? There were probably loads of women surrounding them. Yeah, that seemed very plausible. Two good looking guys like them—virile, covered in tattoos, with dangerous sex appeal, and single—in a town like this. Sapphire let out a snort. Of course, women would flock to them like a horde of starved zombies to a fresh fat lamb.
Well, they could have them, Sapphire thought. As long as nothing came between her plan of getting out of this hell-hole by next year, she didn't care what those two did.
Joel scooped a spoonful of cereal into his mouth and stared unseeingly at the TV in front of him. He was sitting at the far end of the couch where it jutted out from the wall allowing him to see the stairs.
