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The expression in her dark green eyes almost floors me. It twists my guts as if someone has stabbed me. I don’t know when I’ve seen anything so sad, and yet so fiery at the same time. I swallow hard. “So I noticed,” I say softly, suddenly afraid to scare her off. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”
“All right,” she says as her captivating eyes scan my face. She actually leans back a little and takes in the rest of my body as well. “Whatisyour intention then?” Snapping her mouth closed, she suddenly blushes and puts a hand to her cheek. “I’m—I’m sorry, I’m not myself tonight.”
I can believe it.
“Can I get you something?” I nod toward the bartender, catching his attention.
“Gimme two more of these.” She gestures to the shot glasses in front of her. I raise an eyebrow. This will be a walk in the fucking park. Whether I want to fuck her, or kill her. Or both.
“What will you have, sir?” asks the bartender. A tired man in his fifties who has long since stopped being curious of his guests. Suits me perfectly.
“Give me a beer. Ale.”
Our drinks arrive in no time and I raise my bottle. “What’s eating you, then? And cheers.”
She tilts her head, flips back a few strands of hair, empties the glass with an absolutely adorable grimace, and wipes her glistening wet, lush lips with the back of her hand. The sight alone makes me semi-hard in an instant. I exhale shakily and grin at her.
“It’s a thing at work. I can’t… It’s nothing. Or, it’s not nothing, it’s a lot. I shouldn’t think about it. I don’t know if I’m stupid or… But I’ve got this really strange feeling, and I feel so sorry for the boy. It crushes me. I want to die!”
I blink. I doubt she really wants to die. Sadly, she’s about to get her wish fulfilled. “That’s… You’ve got a lot in there.” I gesture to her chest. “Got someone to talk to?”
“M’got friends.”
I look around us without seeing anyone who seems the least attentive to this girl. “Where are your friends then? I don’t see anyone here.”
She waves in the direction of the dance floor. “They’re out there somewhere. I think I broke them.”
That makes me laugh. “What?”
“I can talk. A lot.”
“If you need a fresh set of ears…”
She downs the second glass and sways. I catch her by the elbow and steady her. She’s so light, like a little bird. Her skin is warm and damp. A scent of musk and flowers wafts up as she grabs my arm.
“Thank you,” she says on an exhale. She studies my face again and squints. “You’ve got such black eyes. They’re… They’re like voids. Have you hypnotized me?”
I’d say it’s the other way around, but I don’t tell her that. “You shouldn’t have more of those, sweetie. You need buckets of coffee and some fresh air.”
She shakes her head and looks like she’s trying to gauge the situation. I chew on my lip and wince. Did I lose her there? Too much too fast? I take a light hold of her chin and turn her head toward the street. Right across is a 24-hour cafe. “Not gonna kidnap you, love. Go tell your friends you’re leaving. I’ll be outside. Do as you like. It’s just…” I lean closer, cheek to cheek, reveling in the warmth that radiates from her skin. “It’s a lot easier to talk over there than it is here.” I hope by giving her the choice, and seeming nonchalant about it, will give her enough courage to follow through.
I have no interest in her friends seeing me, so I sneak out as she makes her way to the deeper recesses of the venue. Murderous thoughts race through my head as I glare at a kid with a smoke, standing on the sidewalk a few steps from me. Why am I quitting again? I can’t remember.
“Hey, you got—”
“Heeeeere.”
Her unmistakable light voice singsongs from behind me. Well, I’ll be damned. I forget the kid with the cigarette in an instant, offer her my arm and look left and right before pulling her with me across the street. This is almost too easy. She stumbles a little in her military-style high-heeled boots and leans heavier on my arm. A thrill runs through me. I don’t mind it. At all.
The cafe is brightly lit and the fluorescent light casts hard shadows on her face. She’s completelyau naturel. No makeup. Her long, naturally wavy hair hangs heavy over her shoulders. She pouts her lower lip and blows a stream of air up along her face. She is flushed and looks a bit unsure, cautious. She also looks very young. If I recall correctly, she’s twenty-six, but right now she looks like she’s not even out of high school yet. Suddenly, I feel old as fuck. I’m only thirty-seven, but I’ve seen things, done things, that make me feel like a hundred. With a twinge to my heart, I also feel oddly protective of her. Which is, of course, a conundrum. I’ve actually, in all my years, never before had a woman as a target. I’ve never even hung with anyone like her for any reason. The women I hook up with are hardened, hot for my body, and if they care about me at all, it’s because they’re intimidated and get off on it. This one is nothing like it. She reminds me a little bit of my sister when she was younger, before she got jaded.
“Two coffees, please,” I say to the kid waiting to take my order, a gangly teen with a few stray strands of dark hair on his chin. I drop some coins on the counter, grab the sturdy, white cups and turn to Kerry. Who, I have to remind myself, I don’t know the name of yet. She has fallen into a booth at the back and is leaning her head on her arms, taking up half the table. I slide into the booth across from her and sit on the green, worn-down plastic bench as I put down the cups.
“Coffee for the lady.”
She jerks up and stares at me, her eyes a little bit unfocused, the whites tinged red. “I think I fell asleep. Didn’t sleep much last night. What time is it even?”
I pull up the cuff of my shirtsleeve and glance at my watch. “It’s almost one in the morning.”
