It's Complicated... (Open and looking)
A few years ago.
New York City.
It was 9 O'clock and Jackie Montoya was still at work. There was nothing pressing or urgent that she had to stay late but the workaholic in her just wouldn't let up. Not tonight, not when it would be so easy to fall back into those lazy patterns and end up regretting it all over. Even as Jackie finished up a few designs she been working on and approving several others from her subordinates, her mind was as far away from work as possible. Being the Art Director of Androgyne, an up and coming fashion design company (though the name sounded more like some creepy Big Pharma company from a sci-fi movie) meant that Jackie had to put in long hours almost every day, typically in some far flung part of the world. Traveling and seeing the world was nice, especially on the company dime but it also didn't leave much room for just about anything else in her life. This week she had ended up in New York City, laying claim to their brand new office there. It was part of her duties to see that everything went according to schedule. While she had the title of Art Director, Jackie was much more than that. She liked to refer to herself as the company 'Cleaner', taking care of other people's messes, making it appear as if nothing had happened at all and disposing of the evident, person and all. She had made a name for herself by quickly climbing up the ranks in the company, eagerly taking on any kind of job that was needed. Some people felt uncomfortable in disciplining their employees, especially when they worked in close quarters and came to think of them as friends. Jackie never had that problem; she all too easily separated her personal self from her professional self. People in the industry rightly feared her, if she showed up it typically meant the shit had hit the fan and she was there to clean it up. More than once she sent someone packing in a wretch state of tears and sobs. She told herself it didn't faze her, though that was pretty far from the truth. Jackie was just good at disconnecting herself when needed. It served her well in her career, though it was one of the unfortunate few things that bled out into her social and personal life. Friends were few and far between, Jackie could easily count on her fingers her closest friends. Family was non-existent, but lovers? That was an entirely different story.
That was just the reason that Jackie worked as hard as she did now, the one thing that could keep her thoughts focused and away from the emotional baggage she had left behind in Seattle. Or so she thought, it had always worked before but tonight, no dice. She kept looking at her phone, in short intervals of work and staring at the screen of her smart phone with the fluffy kitten as the background picture. It was the messages tab that kept drawing her attention, every time her heart beat a little faster until it dropped down into her stomach when she saw no numbers in the corner. No texts, no replies, nothing. She finally broke down and gave up on trying to focus on her work and snatched up the phone in both hands. Gingerly she leaned back in her leather office chair and tapped repeatedly on the screen. She pulled up the Messages tab and thumbed through her recent conversations. The top most ones were filled with names like Rae, Tess, and Kat, while at the bottom was one name that hadn't moved in weeks. Akia. The name made her bite her bottom lip as the churning sensation whirled up inside her gut, making her anxious, hopeful and angry all at the same time. She pulled the conversation up, past texts the two had traded. She stared more at the date than the actual words, it was coming up on week 3 and Jackie hadn't heard any response back. She stared long and hard at the screen, her green eyes lingering over the surface but not really seeing anything. So drawn into the conflict raging in her mind that Jackie jumped a foot into the air when her phone vibrated and chimed loudly in her hand. Her free hand fell to her chest as she took a sharp breath, half laughing half sighing as she tried to compose herself. On the screen flashed the name 'Rae S.' along with the picture of a girl with short black hair, light green eyes and wearing a sarcastic smirk upon her full lips. A certain sense of guilty disappointment resonated in her when she realized it was Rae and not a specific someone else. Jackie hesitated for only a moment or two before she pressed her thumb to the green phone icon and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hey,” Jackie said in her best causal voice, even if it quivered just a bit at the end. If the person on the other end of the line noticed, she didn't mention it. Instead there was a loud guffaw, followed by some muffled barking before the husky voice on the other end said, “Facetime me, bitch.”
Jackie sighed but didn't resist. She drew the phone away from her ear and pressed the button that brought up the screen, being instantly greeted by the very same face that was in the profile picture. Rae Savage stared back at Jackie with only a hint of that smirk and far less radiance and intensity in her green eyes than before. She looked tired but to Jackie seeing that face made her heart ten times lighter. The weariness also indicated something else that made Jack all too happy to see.
“Why did you want me to look at you when you look like a steaming hot pile of shit?” Jackie said as her smile grew her nose scrunching up as she made the playful face she always did when teasing Rae. The uncouth girl always brought out the worst in Jackie, foul language, copious amounts of drinking and most importantly sex that would blow your mind straight out the back of your head. Rae was an addicting drug in her own right, one that Jackie just couldn't resist.
“You know what?” Rae said as her brows furrowed in annoyance. “You can go fuck yerself yah stuck up cunt.”
“I miss you too. How's Tool and Doolie?” Jackie asked without flinching. She had grown a thick skin when it involved Rae's harsh words. It was when she wasn't cussing like a sailor that Jackie had to worry.
“Annoying as ever. Fuckhead ate my sock. Just one, the left one. Pretty sure he took it right off my foot too. It was there when I passed out,” Rae said all too seriously, the phone suddenly jostling as a furry head with pointy ears shoved itself into view. Rae grimaced but plopped a hand onto the head of the German shepherd and scritched soundly, much to the dog's delight.
“Oh I'm sure that he did...Heya baby!” Jackie's smile widened into a delighted grin at the sight of her beloved dog, Tool. The name came quickly when Jackie got him as a puppy, since most people said the phrase 'he's not the sharpest tool in the shed' a lot around him. Tool was rather dumb, but in an adorable way. He did have a wicked habit of chewing up most things left on the floor, something that Rae experienced firsthand. Tool sniffed at the phone loudly, only to let out a loud bark at the sound and sight of a diminutive Jackie head smiling broadly.
“Be a good boy for Rae, huh? If she doesn't take her boots off at the front door then you have my permission to piss in them,” Jackie said with a smug little look, which only made Rae glower even more. She shoved the dog aside, bringing the phone up and away from him as she pushed off the couch. A quick view of the stark white living room behind her spun into view briefly as Rae trekked through Jackie's apartment. She often watched her dogs and house sat while Jackie was away on business. It kept the dogs happy, even if Rae stated on multiple accounts she hated them both, Jackie knew she'd blow a gasket if she asked anyone else to watch them. And if was always nice to know that Rae was in a safe place. Jackie always worried about the rough and tumble girl, it was hard to count how many arguments they had over her lifestyle choices, the drug abuse, and the needless danger she constantly put herself in. Lately though Rae had started to turn herself around, though Jackie couldn't honestly claim that it was her doing. That thought brought back the pit in her stomach, though Rae was quick to distract her before her mind traveled too far down that rabbit hole.
“I'm gonna piss in her house slippers,” She shot back, only to flash the phone in the direction tiny brown and black Pomeranian that sat soundly asleep in her comfy doggy bed. Doolie was the almost the complete opposite of Tool, smart, quiet yet just as adorably and cuddly. “Fuckhead number two is being a lazy fuck. It took me ten minutes to get her on that god damn leash.”
“Did you give her a treat first?” Jackie asked knowingly. Rae just snorted and shrugged with a sigh. She didn't have to answer, Jackie already knew. Instead of waiting for Rae to make up an answer, or an insult (which was more likely) Jackie just pressed on with the conversation and kept it flowing.
“So what's up for tonight?” She asked, watching Rae idly jostle the phone as she fiddled with something just out of reach of the camera. Rae tried her best to still look offended, but Jackie knew her better than that.
“Not much,” Rae finally answered with a dramatic sigh, the camera shuddering and rolling as she promptly flopped onto her back on Jackie's white leather couch and held the phone up above her. “Tess is comin' over with a pizza. I think Liv and Kat or comin' too.” She finished it off with a noncommittal shrug which was par for the course for Rae. She was so evasive sometimes especially when things started to get personal. Rae had to keep up her bad ass biker girl doesn't give a fuck about anything or anyone image, of course, even though Jackie knew her far better than that rough and tumble portrait she painted herself as. By now Jackie knew better than to press Rae's buttons, which were big and glowed fucking red with the words 'press me' printed on them in bold and all in uppercase.
“Just don't spill anything on the couch or the carpet...and wash the sheets if you sleep in the bed. Or just take a shower before you lay down. That's not too hard is it?” Jackie steered it in another direction, which made Rae glower all the more.
“Yah know, I do shower. I just naturally look like a greaser,” She shot back with a tiny smirk. Jackie just laughed, a little lilting sound from the back of her throat before she shook her head and leaned back in the chair.
“You don't have to. If you'd just let me-” Jackie started in on Rae's appearance and wardrobe. To go along with her hardcore image Rae had to dress the part, Jackie just wished she'd learn to shower more than twice a week. The two were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to clothing, style and hygiene. Rae wasn't exactly a foul smelling grease ball, but if she just applied some effort to her appearance...
Jackie had her little tirade cut short as the door to her office opened. She heard the quick rapping of the knock but didn't have a chance to react to it before the door was open and she was face to face with Hannah. The tall brunette with stunning features and long wavy hair to die for was one of the fashion designers at Androgyne's office in New York. She was loud, demanding, condescending and damn good at her job. It wasn't surprising that the two of them saw eye to eye on a great many things, even if Hannah towered over her.
“Oh...Heya Hannah. What are you still doing here?” Jackie quickly pressed the pause button on her phone before Rae had a chance to react, she always did love spewing off something awkward, insulting or just plain weird when she knew Jackie's co-workers around. It was pretty childish, but that was Rae in a nutshell. She really was lucky under that coat of grease; grim and leather she was beautiful.
“I could say the same for you, Boss,” Hannah said the title with liberal amounts of sarcasm; it practically dribbled from the corners of her mouth when she talked. Most people might have found it offensive or perhaps annoying, but Jackie knew the woman well enough to know it was just how she was, much like with Rae she just let it roll over her.
“Just finishing up looking over some designs. I got a plan back to Seattle in the morning so I decided to get as much done as I could before then,” Jackie responded, though it didn't seem like Hannah was buying it. She visibly frowned at Jackie, her head slowly shaking as she openly disapproved of every word that she spoke.
“No. That's not gonna do. It's Friday night, Jackie. You're in New York City for fuck's sake. A few of us are going down to this new club in a few. You should tag along. It'll be fun, trust me. I even wrangled Wyatt of all people into coming. So you really have no excuse,” Hannah shot from the hip, blasting through any kind of rebuttal Jackie might have had to blow her off. She was left open and defenseless, that much was clearly painted upon her face.
“I...uh...heh...Wyatt, huh?” Jackie managed to get out, a gracious blush lightly kissing her cheeks. Wyatt was one of the IT guys in the office. He was a dork, but a cute one. The type that looked like a model wearing horn rimmed glasses pretending to be a dork. But Jackie had enough conversations with him to know he was one through and through. While she did tried to hide it, Jackie was a little bit (a lot actually) of a dork herself. She'd grown up reading fantasy novels and playing D&D in basements dwellings as dank as any dungeon. It was a part of her she hid at all costs, something she would vehemently deny but just one look at her ebook account would prove without a doubt she was. She had just a tiny little crush on Wyatt, which Hannah knew about and was presently using such forbidden knowledge to her own gain. What gain was that? Match making of course, everyone had one of those annoying friends that loved to hook everybody up. Add annoying to the list of Hannah's resplendent qualities.
“Mmmhmm. C'mon short stuff. First round is on me,” Hannah said with a smile, standing there at the threshold of Jackie's office without any hint of leaving anytime soon. Jack fidgeted in her chair, phone still in hand and Rae's face occasionally catching her attention.
“Heh. I really should get this stuff taken care of first,” Jackie started and watched as the frown once more creased Hannah's face. “But, I should be able to make it. Just text me the address and I'll catch up. Alright?”
Jackie offered what she thought was the best way to get out of it. As much as she'd like to catch Wyatt in a social situation, she actually liked the whole thing better as just a little fantasy in her head, one she could think about from time to time. It was always handy to have one of those, especially in a time like this.
“Hmph. Fine. But if you don't show up know this, Jacqueline Montoya. I will hunt you down and I will kill you,” Hannah said with no hint of playfulness, though Jackie still smiled up at her and nodded.
“Deal.” She said sweetly, waiting until Hannah finally left and her office door was closed tightly to bring Rae back from the unannounced intermission.
“Sorry,” Jackie instantly apologized. “A co-worker came barging in.”
“I see how it is. What did they want?” Rae asked with a yawn, switching arms to keep them from going numb. She was so quick to delve into Jackie's personal affairs, it was so hypocritical but Jackie knew better than to press that button. Such a big button.
“Oh, not much. Just seeing what I was doing tonight,” Jackie played it off with a shrug, but Rae had already sunk her claws in without Jackie even realizing it.
“And just what are you doin'? If you tell me it's readin' one of yer stupid retard books about fairies and elves I'm gonna rage vomit all over yer dogs,” Rae pushed up from the couch, her short black hair remaining splayed out in that lovely bedhead fashion. Jackie made a short lived face, though when she didn't instantly retort it set Rae off and there was no way of stopping her.
“Jack. I swear to Gebus, Jack! Yer in New Fucking York Fucking City!” Rae bellowed so loud Tool barked in the background.
“I think one fuck was enough to get your point across-” Jackie started, though her sarcasm was lost on the mid-rant Rae.
“You gotta get yer tight little ass out there and lap up as much Grade A New York poon as you can handle! It's fuckin' Friday night. C'mon, dude!” Rae's cheeks were flushed and Jackie saw the way the phone shook in her grasp, a slight tremble. Rae was living vicariously through Jackie at that moment, had it been a few months prior Jackie wouldn't have even been having this conversation. Rae would have been out for several hours now, slamming back the hard stuff, snorting line after line and doing things that Jackie would never dream of doing. She lived hard and partied hard, which made her dangerous and intriguing. Jackie had been drawn to that bad girl image all too easily, wrapped up in her and around her little finger. But Rae just didn't know when to quit, it took losing almost everything, including her life to get her to back down from the edge.
Now, a sober Rae was always looking for another fix, if she couldn't do those wild and crazy things herself she was always goading someone else into it. It wasn't always a negative thing; Rae had learned to focus that unspent energy into fitness, running, swimming, even learning how to properly fight. While Jackie liked the fitness part, the whole MMA thing was never her bag, but she would never tell Rae to back down from something that kept her focused and above all sober.
“I know. But...” Jackie said after a pause that was far too long for Rae's tastes. Rae huffed and looked like she was about to straggle the phone.
“Don't you dare use that as an excuse! None of us have heard from her in months. And you know what? Fuck her. If she gave one little shit about any of us she'd at least send a text or somethin'. Fuck her.” Rae violently expelled her rage in word form, the image of rage vomit crossing through Jackie's imagination the entire time. She knew what Rae was saying to be truth, even if Rae didn't know the whole story.
“Yeah, I know. But still,” Jackie pressed on even if her resolve was wavering.
“No but still. Who cares about one flighty cunt? You know how many drop dead gorgeous girls with low self esteem are gonna out tonight? You’ll practically be drownin' in pussy, dude. And besides...Yah gotta send me some selfies. Preferably with some tiddies or somethin'”
“...Wait. What?” Jackie blinked, suddenly through off the melancholy path her mind had been leading her down.
“You heard me. Though is that really a selfie? Do they got a word for sex selfies? Sexfies? Sextises?” Rae hummed lightly, pursing her lips as she gave the question a good hard think. Jackie just scoffed and then laughed. Her smile broke out over her face and for the moment she forgot about everything that was holding her back.
“Fuckin' A, yer so stupid,” Jackie said in a loving tone. Rae chortled as well and sprouted a gluttonous grin, enjoying it all too much when Jackie let down her pretentious walls.
“I might be but yer fuckin' stuck with me. Now piss off. I want at least a one sextise of some high quality bewbage. Real or fake, I'm not picky. And they can't be yers!” Rae added just as Jackie's lips were parting to insert the quip. She snapped her mouth closed sharply with a loud click of her teeth, a sweet smile drifting across her lips as she offered a light shrug.
“Not making any promises,” She added just as a loud knock was heard from Rae’s side.
“That’s my date. Lookit, just try to have fun? Take the stick out of yer ass for one night,” Rae said, adding the last bit hurriedly before she blew Jackie a kiss and tossed her phone down. Jackie didn’t have any time to respond, instead she watched as the phone tumbled onto the couch giving her a magnificent view of her ceiling fan. The commotion of footsteps, mumbling and a door swinging open soon followed, in her hurry Rae hadn’t bothered to end the call. Jackie just sighed lightly, her smile remaining though at a tremendously version.
“Right,” She said to herself, tapping the screen and ending the call. She sat staring at her phone for several more moments before she navigated to her texts and found one from Hannah. It had the address to the club along with a request. In no uncertain terms Hannah demanded that Jackie dress lowkey, preferably with leather. She couldn’t help but wonder just what she had gotten herself into.
Jackie returned to her hotel room to change clothes for the evening, taking in account Hannah’s words as she picked out just what to wear. The leather part was easy enough, she had a leather jacket that would do the trick, but as for the lowkey part, it had her stuck for far too long. She wanted to ask just what she considered lowkey, since Jackie considered her own still practical and tasteful with a decidedly tomboy lean to it. Slacks and button down shirts ruled her wardrobe. Ultimately Jackie decided upon black jeans, a v-neck black T-shirt and a pair of purple Chucks for some color. All in all it was a simple outfit, yet crisp and clean per Jackie’s tastes. She was fastidious with a captain F, bordering on obsessive compulsive. Jackie couldn’t stand dirt, grim, and especially wrinkles. Everything had to be perfect, appearances were everything after all. She took a few moments in front of the mirror preening, mostly making sure that her hair was stylishly tasseled and swept to the right in a tidily and haphazardly cascade of platinum blonde locks. Soon after she found herself in a cab heading into the heart of the club scene in the city. If only she knew what she would find, she’d probably turn right back around and finish her latest novel.
A half an hour later Jackie pulled up to the curb of the club with the look of a deer caught in the headlights. She stared blankly at the gaudy neon sign that flashed the name of the club, ‘The Chernobyl Tearoom’, complete with a teacup that looked like one of those giant smokestacks at a nuclear power plant. She couldn’t help but instantly think of Springfield at the sight, even as her brain was trying to register just where in the fuck she was. The people milling up and down the street looked a little rougher than she’d like. Since when did muttonchops come back into style? She stared so long that the driver actually asked if she was getting out, which startled her and snapped her out of her musing.
“Oh. Right. Sorry. Thanks,” Jackie was quick to apologize, quick to thank and even quicker with the cash. She handed the driver the fare and a sizable tip as well without even thinking. All too quickly her shoes were hitting the concrete and she was staring up at the sign like some dumbstruck tourist. It took her a few moments to recover, though she still had the knot in the pit of her stomach to contend with. At least that could be fixed with a bit (a lot) of alcohol.
“Gird yer loins,” She muttered to herself with a sigh as she set off towards the door of the establishment, projecting an air of confidence that masked the inner gnawing sense of doubt that twisted in her gut. Jackie was pretty good at that, her face an impassive mask of poise, her movements swift and graceful, which just made her look all the more fetching and cool.
It took longer than she anticipated to get in, the line was substantial but when she finally got to the front of the line and flashed her self-assured smile she got right in. As she passed the front entrance she saw the signs plastered all over the walls, ‘Ladies drink free’ and ‘2 for 1 Pitchers of beer’. There were also a few signs denoting that tonight was ‘Lemmy Kilmister tribute night’. She had no idea who Lemmy Kilmister was; the first thing that came to mind was the old video game Lemmings. She was pretty sure this Lemmy had nothing to do with that, but at least she got a smile out of remembering how she’d explode a few of those Lemming’s and watch the rest walk right through the gaping hole to their deaths. Good times.
Jackie’s first stop was to the bar, where she promptly ordered a rum and coke on the rocks. She insisted upon paying for her drink and thankfully the bartender didn’t put up much of a fight about. The last thing she wanted to start was a fight about just how god damn sexist that was in a crowd of people who looked like extras from a B-movie biker flick. After a few gulps and the familiar warming tingle in her stomach Jackie set out to find Hannah and the rest. She wasn’t short by any means, pretty average in height but it still felt like she was wading through a sea of giants in leather. It was loud, smoky and claustrophobic; Jackie was starting to doubt if this was worth the effort.
A few years ago.
New York City.
It was 9 O'clock and Jackie Montoya was still at work. There was nothing pressing or urgent that she had to stay late but the workaholic in her just wouldn't let up. Not tonight, not when it would be so easy to fall back into those lazy patterns and end up regretting it all over. Even as Jackie finished up a few designs she been working on and approving several others from her subordinates, her mind was as far away from work as possible. Being the Art Director of Androgyne, an up and coming fashion design company (though the name sounded more like some creepy Big Pharma company from a sci-fi movie) meant that Jackie had to put in long hours almost every day, typically in some far flung part of the world. Traveling and seeing the world was nice, especially on the company dime but it also didn't leave much room for just about anything else in her life. This week she had ended up in New York City, laying claim to their brand new office there. It was part of her duties to see that everything went according to schedule. While she had the title of Art Director, Jackie was much more than that. She liked to refer to herself as the company 'Cleaner', taking care of other people's messes, making it appear as if nothing had happened at all and disposing of the evident, person and all. She had made a name for herself by quickly climbing up the ranks in the company, eagerly taking on any kind of job that was needed. Some people felt uncomfortable in disciplining their employees, especially when they worked in close quarters and came to think of them as friends. Jackie never had that problem; she all too easily separated her personal self from her professional self. People in the industry rightly feared her, if she showed up it typically meant the shit had hit the fan and she was there to clean it up. More than once she sent someone packing in a wretch state of tears and sobs. She told herself it didn't faze her, though that was pretty far from the truth. Jackie was just good at disconnecting herself when needed. It served her well in her career, though it was one of the unfortunate few things that bled out into her social and personal life. Friends were few and far between, Jackie could easily count on her fingers her closest friends. Family was non-existent, but lovers? That was an entirely different story.
That was just the reason that Jackie worked as hard as she did now, the one thing that could keep her thoughts focused and away from the emotional baggage she had left behind in Seattle. Or so she thought, it had always worked before but tonight, no dice. She kept looking at her phone, in short intervals of work and staring at the screen of her smart phone with the fluffy kitten as the background picture. It was the messages tab that kept drawing her attention, every time her heart beat a little faster until it dropped down into her stomach when she saw no numbers in the corner. No texts, no replies, nothing. She finally broke down and gave up on trying to focus on her work and snatched up the phone in both hands. Gingerly she leaned back in her leather office chair and tapped repeatedly on the screen. She pulled up the Messages tab and thumbed through her recent conversations. The top most ones were filled with names like Rae, Tess, and Kat, while at the bottom was one name that hadn't moved in weeks. Akia. The name made her bite her bottom lip as the churning sensation whirled up inside her gut, making her anxious, hopeful and angry all at the same time. She pulled the conversation up, past texts the two had traded. She stared more at the date than the actual words, it was coming up on week 3 and Jackie hadn't heard any response back. She stared long and hard at the screen, her green eyes lingering over the surface but not really seeing anything. So drawn into the conflict raging in her mind that Jackie jumped a foot into the air when her phone vibrated and chimed loudly in her hand. Her free hand fell to her chest as she took a sharp breath, half laughing half sighing as she tried to compose herself. On the screen flashed the name 'Rae S.' along with the picture of a girl with short black hair, light green eyes and wearing a sarcastic smirk upon her full lips. A certain sense of guilty disappointment resonated in her when she realized it was Rae and not a specific someone else. Jackie hesitated for only a moment or two before she pressed her thumb to the green phone icon and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hey,” Jackie said in her best causal voice, even if it quivered just a bit at the end. If the person on the other end of the line noticed, she didn't mention it. Instead there was a loud guffaw, followed by some muffled barking before the husky voice on the other end said, “Facetime me, bitch.”
Jackie sighed but didn't resist. She drew the phone away from her ear and pressed the button that brought up the screen, being instantly greeted by the very same face that was in the profile picture. Rae Savage stared back at Jackie with only a hint of that smirk and far less radiance and intensity in her green eyes than before. She looked tired but to Jackie seeing that face made her heart ten times lighter. The weariness also indicated something else that made Jack all too happy to see.
“Why did you want me to look at you when you look like a steaming hot pile of shit?” Jackie said as her smile grew her nose scrunching up as she made the playful face she always did when teasing Rae. The uncouth girl always brought out the worst in Jackie, foul language, copious amounts of drinking and most importantly sex that would blow your mind straight out the back of your head. Rae was an addicting drug in her own right, one that Jackie just couldn't resist.
“You know what?” Rae said as her brows furrowed in annoyance. “You can go fuck yerself yah stuck up cunt.”
“I miss you too. How's Tool and Doolie?” Jackie asked without flinching. She had grown a thick skin when it involved Rae's harsh words. It was when she wasn't cussing like a sailor that Jackie had to worry.
“Annoying as ever. Fuckhead ate my sock. Just one, the left one. Pretty sure he took it right off my foot too. It was there when I passed out,” Rae said all too seriously, the phone suddenly jostling as a furry head with pointy ears shoved itself into view. Rae grimaced but plopped a hand onto the head of the German shepherd and scritched soundly, much to the dog's delight.
“Oh I'm sure that he did...Heya baby!” Jackie's smile widened into a delighted grin at the sight of her beloved dog, Tool. The name came quickly when Jackie got him as a puppy, since most people said the phrase 'he's not the sharpest tool in the shed' a lot around him. Tool was rather dumb, but in an adorable way. He did have a wicked habit of chewing up most things left on the floor, something that Rae experienced firsthand. Tool sniffed at the phone loudly, only to let out a loud bark at the sound and sight of a diminutive Jackie head smiling broadly.
“Be a good boy for Rae, huh? If she doesn't take her boots off at the front door then you have my permission to piss in them,” Jackie said with a smug little look, which only made Rae glower even more. She shoved the dog aside, bringing the phone up and away from him as she pushed off the couch. A quick view of the stark white living room behind her spun into view briefly as Rae trekked through Jackie's apartment. She often watched her dogs and house sat while Jackie was away on business. It kept the dogs happy, even if Rae stated on multiple accounts she hated them both, Jackie knew she'd blow a gasket if she asked anyone else to watch them. And if was always nice to know that Rae was in a safe place. Jackie always worried about the rough and tumble girl, it was hard to count how many arguments they had over her lifestyle choices, the drug abuse, and the needless danger she constantly put herself in. Lately though Rae had started to turn herself around, though Jackie couldn't honestly claim that it was her doing. That thought brought back the pit in her stomach, though Rae was quick to distract her before her mind traveled too far down that rabbit hole.
“I'm gonna piss in her house slippers,” She shot back, only to flash the phone in the direction tiny brown and black Pomeranian that sat soundly asleep in her comfy doggy bed. Doolie was the almost the complete opposite of Tool, smart, quiet yet just as adorably and cuddly. “Fuckhead number two is being a lazy fuck. It took me ten minutes to get her on that god damn leash.”
“Did you give her a treat first?” Jackie asked knowingly. Rae just snorted and shrugged with a sigh. She didn't have to answer, Jackie already knew. Instead of waiting for Rae to make up an answer, or an insult (which was more likely) Jackie just pressed on with the conversation and kept it flowing.
“So what's up for tonight?” She asked, watching Rae idly jostle the phone as she fiddled with something just out of reach of the camera. Rae tried her best to still look offended, but Jackie knew her better than that.
“Not much,” Rae finally answered with a dramatic sigh, the camera shuddering and rolling as she promptly flopped onto her back on Jackie's white leather couch and held the phone up above her. “Tess is comin' over with a pizza. I think Liv and Kat or comin' too.” She finished it off with a noncommittal shrug which was par for the course for Rae. She was so evasive sometimes especially when things started to get personal. Rae had to keep up her bad ass biker girl doesn't give a fuck about anything or anyone image, of course, even though Jackie knew her far better than that rough and tumble portrait she painted herself as. By now Jackie knew better than to press Rae's buttons, which were big and glowed fucking red with the words 'press me' printed on them in bold and all in uppercase.
“Just don't spill anything on the couch or the carpet...and wash the sheets if you sleep in the bed. Or just take a shower before you lay down. That's not too hard is it?” Jackie steered it in another direction, which made Rae glower all the more.
“Yah know, I do shower. I just naturally look like a greaser,” She shot back with a tiny smirk. Jackie just laughed, a little lilting sound from the back of her throat before she shook her head and leaned back in the chair.
“You don't have to. If you'd just let me-” Jackie started in on Rae's appearance and wardrobe. To go along with her hardcore image Rae had to dress the part, Jackie just wished she'd learn to shower more than twice a week. The two were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to clothing, style and hygiene. Rae wasn't exactly a foul smelling grease ball, but if she just applied some effort to her appearance...
Jackie had her little tirade cut short as the door to her office opened. She heard the quick rapping of the knock but didn't have a chance to react to it before the door was open and she was face to face with Hannah. The tall brunette with stunning features and long wavy hair to die for was one of the fashion designers at Androgyne's office in New York. She was loud, demanding, condescending and damn good at her job. It wasn't surprising that the two of them saw eye to eye on a great many things, even if Hannah towered over her.
“Oh...Heya Hannah. What are you still doing here?” Jackie quickly pressed the pause button on her phone before Rae had a chance to react, she always did love spewing off something awkward, insulting or just plain weird when she knew Jackie's co-workers around. It was pretty childish, but that was Rae in a nutshell. She really was lucky under that coat of grease; grim and leather she was beautiful.
“I could say the same for you, Boss,” Hannah said the title with liberal amounts of sarcasm; it practically dribbled from the corners of her mouth when she talked. Most people might have found it offensive or perhaps annoying, but Jackie knew the woman well enough to know it was just how she was, much like with Rae she just let it roll over her.
“Just finishing up looking over some designs. I got a plan back to Seattle in the morning so I decided to get as much done as I could before then,” Jackie responded, though it didn't seem like Hannah was buying it. She visibly frowned at Jackie, her head slowly shaking as she openly disapproved of every word that she spoke.
“No. That's not gonna do. It's Friday night, Jackie. You're in New York City for fuck's sake. A few of us are going down to this new club in a few. You should tag along. It'll be fun, trust me. I even wrangled Wyatt of all people into coming. So you really have no excuse,” Hannah shot from the hip, blasting through any kind of rebuttal Jackie might have had to blow her off. She was left open and defenseless, that much was clearly painted upon her face.
“I...uh...heh...Wyatt, huh?” Jackie managed to get out, a gracious blush lightly kissing her cheeks. Wyatt was one of the IT guys in the office. He was a dork, but a cute one. The type that looked like a model wearing horn rimmed glasses pretending to be a dork. But Jackie had enough conversations with him to know he was one through and through. While she did tried to hide it, Jackie was a little bit (a lot actually) of a dork herself. She'd grown up reading fantasy novels and playing D&D in basements dwellings as dank as any dungeon. It was a part of her she hid at all costs, something she would vehemently deny but just one look at her ebook account would prove without a doubt she was. She had just a tiny little crush on Wyatt, which Hannah knew about and was presently using such forbidden knowledge to her own gain. What gain was that? Match making of course, everyone had one of those annoying friends that loved to hook everybody up. Add annoying to the list of Hannah's resplendent qualities.
“Mmmhmm. C'mon short stuff. First round is on me,” Hannah said with a smile, standing there at the threshold of Jackie's office without any hint of leaving anytime soon. Jack fidgeted in her chair, phone still in hand and Rae's face occasionally catching her attention.
“Heh. I really should get this stuff taken care of first,” Jackie started and watched as the frown once more creased Hannah's face. “But, I should be able to make it. Just text me the address and I'll catch up. Alright?”
Jackie offered what she thought was the best way to get out of it. As much as she'd like to catch Wyatt in a social situation, she actually liked the whole thing better as just a little fantasy in her head, one she could think about from time to time. It was always handy to have one of those, especially in a time like this.
“Hmph. Fine. But if you don't show up know this, Jacqueline Montoya. I will hunt you down and I will kill you,” Hannah said with no hint of playfulness, though Jackie still smiled up at her and nodded.
“Deal.” She said sweetly, waiting until Hannah finally left and her office door was closed tightly to bring Rae back from the unannounced intermission.
“Sorry,” Jackie instantly apologized. “A co-worker came barging in.”
“I see how it is. What did they want?” Rae asked with a yawn, switching arms to keep them from going numb. She was so quick to delve into Jackie's personal affairs, it was so hypocritical but Jackie knew better than to press that button. Such a big button.
“Oh, not much. Just seeing what I was doing tonight,” Jackie played it off with a shrug, but Rae had already sunk her claws in without Jackie even realizing it.
“And just what are you doin'? If you tell me it's readin' one of yer stupid retard books about fairies and elves I'm gonna rage vomit all over yer dogs,” Rae pushed up from the couch, her short black hair remaining splayed out in that lovely bedhead fashion. Jackie made a short lived face, though when she didn't instantly retort it set Rae off and there was no way of stopping her.
“Jack. I swear to Gebus, Jack! Yer in New Fucking York Fucking City!” Rae bellowed so loud Tool barked in the background.
“I think one fuck was enough to get your point across-” Jackie started, though her sarcasm was lost on the mid-rant Rae.
“You gotta get yer tight little ass out there and lap up as much Grade A New York poon as you can handle! It's fuckin' Friday night. C'mon, dude!” Rae's cheeks were flushed and Jackie saw the way the phone shook in her grasp, a slight tremble. Rae was living vicariously through Jackie at that moment, had it been a few months prior Jackie wouldn't have even been having this conversation. Rae would have been out for several hours now, slamming back the hard stuff, snorting line after line and doing things that Jackie would never dream of doing. She lived hard and partied hard, which made her dangerous and intriguing. Jackie had been drawn to that bad girl image all too easily, wrapped up in her and around her little finger. But Rae just didn't know when to quit, it took losing almost everything, including her life to get her to back down from the edge.
Now, a sober Rae was always looking for another fix, if she couldn't do those wild and crazy things herself she was always goading someone else into it. It wasn't always a negative thing; Rae had learned to focus that unspent energy into fitness, running, swimming, even learning how to properly fight. While Jackie liked the fitness part, the whole MMA thing was never her bag, but she would never tell Rae to back down from something that kept her focused and above all sober.
“I know. But...” Jackie said after a pause that was far too long for Rae's tastes. Rae huffed and looked like she was about to straggle the phone.
“Don't you dare use that as an excuse! None of us have heard from her in months. And you know what? Fuck her. If she gave one little shit about any of us she'd at least send a text or somethin'. Fuck her.” Rae violently expelled her rage in word form, the image of rage vomit crossing through Jackie's imagination the entire time. She knew what Rae was saying to be truth, even if Rae didn't know the whole story.
“Yeah, I know. But still,” Jackie pressed on even if her resolve was wavering.
“No but still. Who cares about one flighty cunt? You know how many drop dead gorgeous girls with low self esteem are gonna out tonight? You’ll practically be drownin' in pussy, dude. And besides...Yah gotta send me some selfies. Preferably with some tiddies or somethin'”
“...Wait. What?” Jackie blinked, suddenly through off the melancholy path her mind had been leading her down.
“You heard me. Though is that really a selfie? Do they got a word for sex selfies? Sexfies? Sextises?” Rae hummed lightly, pursing her lips as she gave the question a good hard think. Jackie just scoffed and then laughed. Her smile broke out over her face and for the moment she forgot about everything that was holding her back.
“Fuckin' A, yer so stupid,” Jackie said in a loving tone. Rae chortled as well and sprouted a gluttonous grin, enjoying it all too much when Jackie let down her pretentious walls.
“I might be but yer fuckin' stuck with me. Now piss off. I want at least a one sextise of some high quality bewbage. Real or fake, I'm not picky. And they can't be yers!” Rae added just as Jackie's lips were parting to insert the quip. She snapped her mouth closed sharply with a loud click of her teeth, a sweet smile drifting across her lips as she offered a light shrug.
“Not making any promises,” She added just as a loud knock was heard from Rae’s side.
“That’s my date. Lookit, just try to have fun? Take the stick out of yer ass for one night,” Rae said, adding the last bit hurriedly before she blew Jackie a kiss and tossed her phone down. Jackie didn’t have any time to respond, instead she watched as the phone tumbled onto the couch giving her a magnificent view of her ceiling fan. The commotion of footsteps, mumbling and a door swinging open soon followed, in her hurry Rae hadn’t bothered to end the call. Jackie just sighed lightly, her smile remaining though at a tremendously version.
“Right,” She said to herself, tapping the screen and ending the call. She sat staring at her phone for several more moments before she navigated to her texts and found one from Hannah. It had the address to the club along with a request. In no uncertain terms Hannah demanded that Jackie dress lowkey, preferably with leather. She couldn’t help but wonder just what she had gotten herself into.
Jackie returned to her hotel room to change clothes for the evening, taking in account Hannah’s words as she picked out just what to wear. The leather part was easy enough, she had a leather jacket that would do the trick, but as for the lowkey part, it had her stuck for far too long. She wanted to ask just what she considered lowkey, since Jackie considered her own still practical and tasteful with a decidedly tomboy lean to it. Slacks and button down shirts ruled her wardrobe. Ultimately Jackie decided upon black jeans, a v-neck black T-shirt and a pair of purple Chucks for some color. All in all it was a simple outfit, yet crisp and clean per Jackie’s tastes. She was fastidious with a captain F, bordering on obsessive compulsive. Jackie couldn’t stand dirt, grim, and especially wrinkles. Everything had to be perfect, appearances were everything after all. She took a few moments in front of the mirror preening, mostly making sure that her hair was stylishly tasseled and swept to the right in a tidily and haphazardly cascade of platinum blonde locks. Soon after she found herself in a cab heading into the heart of the club scene in the city. If only she knew what she would find, she’d probably turn right back around and finish her latest novel.
A half an hour later Jackie pulled up to the curb of the club with the look of a deer caught in the headlights. She stared blankly at the gaudy neon sign that flashed the name of the club, ‘The Chernobyl Tearoom’, complete with a teacup that looked like one of those giant smokestacks at a nuclear power plant. She couldn’t help but instantly think of Springfield at the sight, even as her brain was trying to register just where in the fuck she was. The people milling up and down the street looked a little rougher than she’d like. Since when did muttonchops come back into style? She stared so long that the driver actually asked if she was getting out, which startled her and snapped her out of her musing.
“Oh. Right. Sorry. Thanks,” Jackie was quick to apologize, quick to thank and even quicker with the cash. She handed the driver the fare and a sizable tip as well without even thinking. All too quickly her shoes were hitting the concrete and she was staring up at the sign like some dumbstruck tourist. It took her a few moments to recover, though she still had the knot in the pit of her stomach to contend with. At least that could be fixed with a bit (a lot) of alcohol.
“Gird yer loins,” She muttered to herself with a sigh as she set off towards the door of the establishment, projecting an air of confidence that masked the inner gnawing sense of doubt that twisted in her gut. Jackie was pretty good at that, her face an impassive mask of poise, her movements swift and graceful, which just made her look all the more fetching and cool.
It took longer than she anticipated to get in, the line was substantial but when she finally got to the front of the line and flashed her self-assured smile she got right in. As she passed the front entrance she saw the signs plastered all over the walls, ‘Ladies drink free’ and ‘2 for 1 Pitchers of beer’. There were also a few signs denoting that tonight was ‘Lemmy Kilmister tribute night’. She had no idea who Lemmy Kilmister was; the first thing that came to mind was the old video game Lemmings. She was pretty sure this Lemmy had nothing to do with that, but at least she got a smile out of remembering how she’d explode a few of those Lemming’s and watch the rest walk right through the gaping hole to their deaths. Good times.
Jackie’s first stop was to the bar, where she promptly ordered a rum and coke on the rocks. She insisted upon paying for her drink and thankfully the bartender didn’t put up much of a fight about. The last thing she wanted to start was a fight about just how god damn sexist that was in a crowd of people who looked like extras from a B-movie biker flick. After a few gulps and the familiar warming tingle in her stomach Jackie set out to find Hannah and the rest. She wasn’t short by any means, pretty average in height but it still felt like she was wading through a sea of giants in leather. It was loud, smoky and claustrophobic; Jackie was starting to doubt if this was worth the effort.
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