Bar part 3
A firm grip on my shoulder awakens me. It's the cabbie and I immediately apologize. “No problem.” She says. “There's always later tonight right?” I exit the cab and hand her a wad. The air is humid and stale. The hotel doors slide open before me. My gate is steady and I curse the fact my liver has become so tolerant. It's not daylight yet but the morning hotel crew is getting in place. “Fuck I'm beat.” I say to myself.
When the elevator doors open to my floor I notice my room is next to the ice machine. “How did I not notice that last night?” I think. My door opens and I'm steady enough to keep the do not disturb sign from falling to the floor and I strain to hear the door close behind me. One step and my coat hits the bed to my right. Second step and I hit the bed to my left.
Sometime later the first thing that comes to mind is that I have to piss. Then there's a pain in my head. “Fuck.”
I scratch my head and sit up but before my eyes can even focus I smell a familiar perfume.
Without looking around I reach behind to my right but there's nothing there.
“Relax sugar. You're safe.” Ooh I know that voice I think as I smile to myself.
Gaining my sight I see a long legged ebony goddess sitting before me on a 2 bit chair in this no name hotel. “Who'd a thunk.” I say.
With a smirk she waves my gun and winks.
“What do you want baby?” I ask
She smiles real big and lowers and shakes her Afro for a moment.
“Damn that's funny.” She says.
I know now this is not going to end well I think. Otherwise she would not be here.
Not like this anyway. She stands and I remember when I first touched her skin a year before. She was softer and much warmer than a woman should have been. It was all in the line of duty for both of us and we well knew it. Our lips met and our fire was too deep and too hot. Rote training and muscle memory. For a brief moment in time, nay a mere nan no second we were in love. Perhaps not in the most ethereal way but in a very deep way none the less. The sweeter tears flow quicker and deeper over what could have been over not what could never be.
Now I see and greet her dark brown eyes. As time slows her eyes meet mine and they widen at first with surprise, then with acceptance. She knew before I was even sure that it was she that let me win. Internally I shake my head with grief but in a moment it was over and she was dead in my arms. I thought to kiss those lips but I kissed her brow instead. My sweetness is all I could think.
We're all but fools. God damn puppets.
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