Get me high. [closed.]

Jane was in a light blue Jeep with two other women, Phoebe and Sarah. The highway’s air whipped her blonde curls across her face and neck. Jane had given up on reading her book that sat in her lap when the wind started to fray where her fingers tried to vainly keep the pages down. Just under the sound of the wind’s whistle Justin Timberlake could heard. The base thrummed at her back.

Beside her Phoebe stretched a long black band in her hand. Using her fingers to brush her back she tied her black hair back at the nape of her neck, letting the length of it spill over her shoulder. The woman’s bangs still flew around uselessly where it wasn’t long enough to be caught in the band’s hold. Gently Jane’s finger grazed where Phoebe’s silver halter didn’t cover her shoulder for her to look at her. Jane was the only casual one. Sarah, the driver, even wore a sundress that made Jane’s red cami and shorts look even more goodwill.

“Do you have another?”

“What?”

Jane cleared her throat, using her hand against her mouth to speak more clearly. “Do you have another?”

“What?”

Jane closed her eyes and smiled at the silliness. Her heart shaped lips lengthened over her teeth, making her cheeks dipole. Looking back at Phoebe she could see her expression of bemused confusion. Laughing, Jane shook her head left to right. Sarah’s, the woman driving, hand reached out toward the radio. Her manicured nails gripped the teeth of the volume button. Justin quickly faded into the background.

“What is going on back there?”

“I don’t know.” Phoebe said, honestly while rifling through her shopping bag. “Hey Sarah did they not give me my headband back at the shop?” Sarah just shrugged as she adjusted her sunglasses.

After ten more minutes of pop music, and Phoebe frantically looking for a high-priced headband, did Sarah pull up to the apartment complex Jane lived in. Popping the door open she gave her two friends a quick hug.

“Thanks for taking me out.” It had been forever since they had hung out, or that she even had a day off for that matter. Things with Kevin, her boyfriend and before that long time friend, had been going pretty downhill when he lost his scholarship for photography at the local university. Most of their money came from her working at Child Time daycare. The only thing that kept them from toppling over were the few jobs Kevin managed to land here and there.

“No problem girlie.” Sarah said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She had forgotten how close she used to be with the two. Every weekend they used to sleep over at each other’s house all the way up until graduation. Tucking her book under her arm Jane waved as the Jeep took off down the road leaving only the faint shock of Lady Gaga and bass in the background. When she turned to see her apartment she was greeted with large five story building made completely out of brick except for the thick wooden door. Inside something stirred her nerves. The man that usually manned the door, or more like sat there all day reading magazines and watching TV from the security monitors, was gone. She had never seen that chair empty in the six months she had been living there. It was plaid, go figure. Up the stairs, since there were no elevators, she climbed the fourth floor, her shopping bag and keys in hand, her book still clamped under her arm. She had a little money to spend, but Sarah insisted on getting her cocktail dress. It was simple with one shoulder, but it had been a sixty dollar investment she didn’t have. At the door to the fourth floor she opened the door to the hallway. At apartment 42 she stopped and set her bag down to open the lock using her right hand to keep from dropping her book. The door had four locks altogether, but only two did they ever use. The actual knob one and the deadbolt. She unlocked the knob one to have the door pop open from only her turning the key to get it back.

Did he forget to lock the door?

Jane’s slender fingers wrapped around the braided band of her shopping bad as she ambled in, closing the door with her sandaled foot.

“Baby?” she said as it banged closed. “Baby, I’m home.” She said as she pushed her sandals off her feet at the edge of the door. Down farther she heard the sound of movement. The mirror swung lightly on its rickety nail from him grazing it.

“Bab-“ he voice stopped mid way when she saw a reflection from the swinging mirror of at least two men coming toward the hallway. Just below that did she a pair of feet that bore Kevin’s favorite pair of shoes. Panic set in when their speed increased. Jane didn’t even think twice as her book fell from her grasp and landed on the carpet, smashing the pages of Pearl of China. It wasn’t until she had turned did they come within range of her.

“Hey!”

Jane took off, ripping the door open. It took two tries since it was summer, and the door expanded in the heat. Her first thought was she needed a phone; she needed to call the police. Having a cell phone before had always seemed like a money waste, but as she burst through the stairwells door she would have given up a lot to have it back. Her first thought was the Lobby but quickly her footsteps become accompanied by the men who pursued her.

Petyr was a second-generation citizen. His father had come over to engage in lucrative business opportunities, and had done well at it. Now, Petyr was following in his father's footsteps. His accent wasn't strong, but faintly eastern European. Dark short hair, piercing green eyes, and a strong jaw completed his tall frame. He was a powerful man, both in stature and status, the head of a drug-smuggling operation certainly had its advantages.

But he was facing a problem. A man had stolen from him, and Petyr hated when people stole from him. He stood now in the small living room in a meager apartment on the fourth floor of a red brick apartment building downtown. He gazed at a metal-framed picture on the desk while gloved fingers grazed it slowly. The man who had tried to go into business with him and since lost several hundred thousand dollars worth of product was the center of the photograph, in the arms of a stunning blonde. Pretty girl.

Petyr stepped over the drug-induced body on the floor, whose twisted face matched the one in the photograph. So sad that it had to end like this. Drug overdose, the police would call it, when the body was found. Evidence of self-injection was left conveniently in place, and Petyr surveyed the scene to make sure everything was in place before turning to his man, and nodding to make their exit.

A voice.

He looked up to see a shape in the mirror. The woman from the photo, blonde hair twirled as she ran out the door.

"Hey!" He yelled, but it was a useless gesture. He broke into a dead sprint, turning the corner with a gloved hand on the wall for support, and he was out the door, his subordinate hard on his heels. A hand reached out, so close to reaching her. But she reached the stairs before them. He finally caught her hair, dragging her to the floor with a hand over her mouth. His other hand covered her eyes quickly, and he glanced at his partner. The stout man pulled out a syringe and plunged it into the crook of her held arm.

As she went limp, they ran, hoping the drugs had been enough, that they would spread through her system before the cops were called, and there would be no more loose ends to this messy affair.

Jane’s heart pounded as she flew down the stairs, two at a time. The brick stairs hurt her bare feet but she didn’t dare let up. She could feel whoever it was that was following so close, to close. His mere presence driving her down farther.

Finally he had caught up with her. Her body lurched forward, still in motion when his hand grabbed a lock of her long curl tendrils. Jane whimpered, her fingers clawing the hand. It covered her mouth and eyes, but not before he could see a glimpse of the red rimmed sapphires. Her struggle was short lived as pain seared through the soft flesh of her arm. Her knees buckled under her own weight. On the ground she laid, her head on its side, leaving her vulnerable neck exposed.


It was hours before she awoke. Opening her eyes everything burned brightly and her eyes instantly watered and shut protectively. She rolled onto her stomach, regretting the decision instantly, her back ached in protest from the long hours it spent laying against hard brick stairs. She cried there, for what seemed like an eternity. Her tears pooled at the glue that held the bricks together, turning the creme color a dark grey. When she was able to crawl, she did. One stair at a time she crawled using her knees and palms to support her all the way until she was up the stairs, down the hallway, and by Kevin’s side.

“Kevin…” she whimpered, pressing her palm against his palid cheek. He wasn’t cold, not yet, but he had changed, there were no signs of color on his cheeks. Maybe only a few degrees but she felt against her skin. Her nerves knew he was dead before she trailed her down his neck.

“Baby…” she cried, tears running down her cheeks and the slop of her nose and onto his face. “Baby…please, Kevin..please god, fuck…” she bubbled through her tears. Bending down she kissed his lips, they were the same temperature. She didn’t care, she nibbled on his lower lip like she did in real life when they kissed. It was her style, and he loved it.

The next morning the cops came to Jane’s apartment.

He was cold by then, even her own body heat throughout the night couldn’t warm him when she slept next to him, her head on his shoulder. The police asked questions, poking her, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered to her other than this was going to be the last time she saw Kevin. She gave simple answers and cried until they took his body away leaving only the lingering scent behind. Despite knowing how pathetic it was, she laid where his body had been, hugging the carpet for as much of was left for him.

Petyr was seething. He sat alone in the VIP room of the club he'd bought several years ago, as a front for his business. Drug trafficking just brought too much attention to not have a valid source of at least some income. The club was perfect, and he had spared no expense on the design and decorations; it was now one of the most popular in the city. And even with the music thumping, the crowd bustling, he was in a foul mood.

The girl had survived. According to the reports, she was alive and well. Or at least, well enough, considering what she had been through. The drugs hadn't been enough to kill her, and Petyr was genuinely afraid for the first time in years. With that fear came rage. This was all that man's fault. Kevin, was his name. If he hadn't gone into business with an idiot, his product wouldn't have been lost, Petyr wouldn't have been forced to visit him, and the girl wouldn't be a problem now. Fucking idiot. And now, he had a woman who could attest that it was murder, rather than a simple overdose, and he only hoped that the girl wouldn't be able to identify him.

His alibi was set; he could be placed at the club doing paperwork by several "witnesses", should the need arise. But he would much rather the issue didn't come up at all. He sank into the plush red leather of the couch in the spacious room and sighed heavily before raising a drink to his lips.

According to the paper, the man's viewing and funeral would be within a few days. Maybe Petyr should attend, get close to this girl, and find out what she knows, if anything at all. Maybe he was over-thinking this whole thing. It was possible she never saw him, or that the drugs affected her memory of the event. He could only hope that one of these was the case. The only way to truly find out was to pay her a visit.

He stood slowly and stepped out of the room and to the metal railing of the upstairs balcony. He leaned against the steel, watching the main floor of the club below him, filled with bodies moving to the heavy bass. He would introduce himself as a business associate. That would be his in for this woman. And he would find out everything she knew, no matter what it took.

If needed, I won't hesitate to finish the job...

The morning of Kevin’s funeral the air was thick and muggy from rain the night before. There, well now that she awoke alone, her apartment’s air conditioning was broken. Half rolling onto her back, she slid of palm over her forehead. It was moist and clammy from the hot hair that had built up. When she willed herself out of her bed, and opened her windows to smell the sweet scent of dew. Stumbling into her morning routine she looked herself in the mirror. Three weeks since Kevin had died and it looked as though she had aged three years. Pressing the tip of her finger against the corner of her eye she could see it wasn’t just her face it had affected. Her fingers where bone thin and covered in chewed nail buds. Her arm seemed like a crocked branch sticking out of her white shirt. The worst were her cheeks. They were hollow. She smiled experimentally only to cringe at how awkward it looked. The only thing that seemed to carry any luster was her mane of white-gold curls. Pushing herself away from the mirror she continued on by starting the shower. It spit a few times before the pressure forced the water out steadily.

Under the hot water she watched the suds of her shampoo collect between her toes before she closed her eyes. This was the best feeling that cherished every morning. That, and coffee before she went to Child time. Today was going to be different though. Instead of her normal jeans and shirt, she slipped a black dress over her head. It was simple and a bit out of date since she had gotten from an older lady she worked with. With all the money it cost for the funeral arrangements, she had forgotten about things such as a dress, and the rent. This month she would be late paying it. She shook her head, hoping her thoughts would fly away with it.

In an attempt to pass the time, Jane heated up her old Conair strainer and took after the time consuming task of straightening her hair. It was so thick she had to part it into sections, but when it was done it was as straight as glass against her cheekbones.


Leaning against her car door, she could see where they had set up everything. A table with flowers stood on the side of where his tombstone would be placed after he was buried. The white lining blew softly in the wind. Her gaze only lingered there for moments before settling on the dark mahogany casket that held her boyfriend. She could wait any longer. Her heels dug into the soft ground as she passed through the iron gate and tombstones.

Her first glimpse of him made her think he was still alive. He looked alive, his cheeks pink and his lips. Only when she got closer could she see the soft strokes of makeup. The sight made her sapphire eyes water, and her hand ran across his cheek. He was cold.

It was half an hour before the service when more relatives and friends arrived. Kevin’s mother, Teresa, hugged her as she peeked at her son. They didn’t say anything to each other, but she didn’t mind. They have never liked each other, but now she realized all she cared about was Kevin. His sister was the first person to speak to her as more gathered in the chairs set out.

“Will you still come see me?” She asked with her hands up for Jane to pick her up. Hoisting Cara up on her hip she she could see her brother. They look alot alike, Kevin and Cara. They both had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes.

“I haven’t seen you at Child Time.” Jane said, unsure what else to say.

“I’m at a new daycare, but I miss being with you.”

Teresa, she thought. How can you be such a bitch? Your own fucking son is gone, and the woman he loved can’t even see his sister.

“I miss you too Cara. Go catch up with your mother, the service will be starting soon." she said as she lowered Cara. The little girl obeyed, and Jane watched Cara’s onxy shoes scamper off through the grass her eyes settled over a man she had never seen before.

When she came within a few feet of him she noticed green eyes that could almost be described as hot. Not hot as attractive, though they might have been if Jane had anything room in her mind, but hot as in potions in old witch movies. The kind that bubbled in a cup and spilled mist of the side.

“Hello.” She said, pulling her hair over her shoulder so to keep it from her face as she spoke.

“Did you know Kevin?”

I have never seen this man before, she thought but she couldn’t help the eerie feeling his presence brought on.

Petyr was settled in the air conditioned limo, waiting for more time to pass before he braved the humid air. He was dressed in a mix of elegance and conservative, his black suit, shoes, and tie only broken by the pure white shirt beneath. It was much too muggy to stand around waiting for the ceremony to begin, so he collected his thoughts as the engine ran and the air blew, keeping him calm and comfortable. The tinted windows hid him rather well, so he poured himself a simple scotch and took a sip.

Finally, his target was in view. She was hardly recognizable now, with sunken cheeks and puffy eyes, but her hair was just as beautiful as always, and for a moment, Petyr felt a pang of remorse. If only things had been different, and he'd been able to get to know this elegant creature when she wasn't grieving. A grief caused by his hands. He wondered if she would ever know, or if she would ever find out just how close she had come to death by him, as well. He downed the last of his drink quickly, and stepped out of the cool limo, silently cursing the humidity.

He watched from a distance as she overlooked the body of her boyfriend, then greeted a small girl with sandy blonde hair. The child looked remarkably like the deceased man, and he wondered how close the relation was. The woman stood as the girl scampered off, and her eyes met his green ones for the first time. She approached and began asking about him.

A polite smile offered as he held out his hand. "My condolences, my dear. I was a business associate of Kevin's. Petyr Roman. Was working on offering him a well-paid job at the club I own." He trailed off, then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are you alright? Financially, I mean? Kevin shared some of your problems as we were discussing possible employment, so I hope you don't mind me being forward now. I know how expensive these... processes can be."

He smiled and reached into his coat, pulling out a regular-sized envelope. "Please... I cannot stay for the service, but take this as a gift."

Inside was about two-thousand dollars in cash, legally obtained through his club. He figured a show of good faith would be appropriate to ensure continuance of a good relationship.

"Its not much," he continued. "But it should help keep the bills at bay for a bit, and give you opportunity to take some time for yourself. Come by the club, if you need to... After you've had time. I still have some openings, and I'm sure you can use the income." A card was pulled out and pushed into her hand, bearing his name, the club, and the address. Another small smile, and he turned away slowly.

Back in his car as it pulled away, he nursed another scotch and mused. Eyes flashed, as he realized it was perfect.

She doesn't suspect a thing...

"My condolences, my dear. I was a business associate of Kevin's. Petyr Roman. Was working on offering him a well-paid job at the club I own."

Jane kept her eyes from going wide. The name, Petyr Roman, she had heard that name before. Wasn’t he a mobster? Inside her head she could feel the connections buzzing inside her skull. Did he say business associate? Kevin?

She thought of the night, she hadn’t gotten a glimpse of the man in her apartment, but if this guy was really who he said he was, it added up. Kevin had been murdered, she knew that much and she was beginning to think she knew who was behind it also.

"Are you alright?’

Jane jolted to attention.

“Financially, I mean? Kevin shared some of your problems as we were discussing possible employment, so I hope you don't mind me being forward now. I know how expensive these... processes can be."

There is no way…

Petyr reached in his coat and she demanded that her own body stay still. There were to many people around, he wouldn't kill her. Out from his pocket he held an envelope and her heart rate decreased.

"Please... I cannot stay for the service, but take this as a gift."

With shaky hands Jane turned the envelope over. On its triangle a drop of water hit the paper. Quickly her hand flew to her cheek, she had kept herself calm enough not to cry but the rain was starting again. A few other people in the background jumped, feeling the small droplets of water hit their skin in various places. Teresa jumped up, running the coffin as if it had been set on fire. Quickly his mother closed the lid, sealing Kevin inside for forever. Jane opened the envelop with her nail as Petyr continued.

"Its not much, But it should help keep the bills at bay for a bit, and give you opportunity to take some time for yourself. Come by the club, if you need to... After you've had time. I still have some openings, and I'm sure you can use the income."

Inside was enough green paper to fill her fist, in her other hand she felt her hand be forcefully clasped around a card. She read the card, and already she planned on visiting him. Watching him walking away she wondered how much a small pistol and shells would cost. Than she remeber that it wouldn't be a problem, he had just personally handed her the money to buy a gun that would kill him.

He doesn’t suspect a thing…

Petyr was in his club, the same as he had been just about every night for the past two weeks now. It had been busy, running both the club and his side business, but in truth, he was mostly here every night in the hopes that she would show up. He wasn't a fool, though. Security had been informed to be on the lookout for the young blonde, just in case she had put two and two together somehow, and was looking for some kind of vengeance. So, he was here, dealing with every little problem that a dual business had to offer, earning the headaches that came with the territory. Even now, he was meeting with a middle man, one of the many that supplied the dealers of the city. Petyr was glaring at the squirming man, clearly unhappy with something.

"Tell me, my friend..." Petyr began, his accent a little heavier in his anger as he poured himself another whiskey. "Why is my product being sold at such low prices? How am I supposed to make money when my product is being sold for half of what it is worth?" He paused, and the man before him fidgeted nervously. A heavy sigh from Petyr, his green eyes piercing through as if staring into the poor man's soul. Finally, he rose and crossed the room, standing by the door. "You have forty-eight hours... It will be paid completely, or you will find another way to pay the difference."

As the man scrambled out of the room, Petyr relaxed once more in his chair. The meetings were over for now, and he closed his eyes while leaning back in his chair. Sometimes, he really just wanted to focus on one task or the other. The club was its own source of problems, but the distribution industry was a nightmare beyond belief. Nobody could be trusted these days, much less with product so valuable. It was tiresome, to say the least. Petyr often wished he had someone to run one or the other, but he just couldn't.

Well, at least there was hope. He was actually looking forward to Jane coming by, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was her hair, maybe her face... It might even be the dangerous nature of getting to know her. It had been a long time since he'd had any sort of distraction from the business side of his life, and it made it seem so much more risqué that he had killed her boyfriend and attempted to kill her. It just seemed so delicious.

He downed the last of his drink, wondering idly if and when the woman that had captivated his mind would be visiting the club.

For being late at night, Jane regretted not bringing a cover just for the ride. She mauled over her closet, because something told her a cardigan and jeans just wouldn’t do it. On the online site she viewed the gallery of the place, and picked out the closest looking style she had to woman in the pictures. It was a ebony dress with pleated detail through out, sweetheart bust, and slash front pockets that were hidden by the detail. The length was abnormal for her, since she was accustomed to jeans. On her way towards the door she reviewed her plan inside her head.

The man outside immediately recognized her, he had been everything the boss had described. Long and straightened white gold hair that brushed the underside of her wrists as she walked and long thin ivory legs. She had looked good in a way that didn't particularly appeal to him, she looked younger than the boss had said with childlike features.

“One minute ma’am.” He said.

Jane had been expecting to be stopped and she complied. “Oh.” She had suddenly forgot her well thought phrases of what to say when she was stopped. “Uhm…” Jane rummaged through her side pocket, careful not to the let object inside fall out as she pulled out his card. “Petyr invited me a few weeks ago, I just…” now it was coming back to her. “I just lost my boyfriend, and Petyr said they had been acquainted and wanted me to stop by when I was ready.”

There, that didn’t sound whorish, but believable right? It was true, but something made her feel almost as if she was lying.

“I know.” The man grunted. “I have orders to search you, put your hands up."

Jane gulped, raising her arms above her head. Another man appeared to take the bouncers place as he patted her sides first. Jane wasn’t paranoid enough to think he was perverse, but it didn make her uncomfortable to be touched by someone she barely knew. Inside she felt almost as if she could hear him analyzing her. Jane knew she wasn’t much to look at when it came to curves, she had always been petite in every sense of the word. Most women her age had hips and breasts, but she had always been behind. Her waist and chest where still small despite her age. Though she had chosen a helping bra beneath of her dress, but it did little justice.

When it came time for him to search there, his skimmed over it as if were nothing, landing on her pocket. The bouncer picked at the pleats trying to find the pocket but it was almost useless. Growing impatient his strung his hand around her waist and wrenched her the side before finding it.
He stuck his hand inside, grabbing the object before pulling it out.

"What's this?"

It glowed in his hand with one new message.

"My cellphone..?" she asked.

Putting her cell phone back he finished patting her down until he was satisfied that there was nothing harmful on her. She hadn’t even worn heels, just black slipper looking things, which made him happy he didn’t have a situation like that. It would have been a catch twenty two, let her keep them as potential weapons, or send her in a bar barefoot. Either could be possibly dangerous.

“You’re free to go in, it’s a big black door to your immediate right.”

“Thank you.” She mumbled politely as she passed him into the club. Upon entering she was blasted with music, so strong that it vibrated the floors. Panickingly she adjusted her foot until she comfortable.

Okay okay. She thought trying to calm herself. A man hit her shoulder as he passed her and she stumbled slightly. The impact made her face the door that held her boyfriend’s killer. Jane gave herself a moment of solace with closed eyes before she knocked on the door. It was incredibly thick and she doubted that anyone could hear it, especially over the music.

Opening the door slightly she peeked her head inside to see Petyr again. A flame burned inside her but she kept her face cool. He was drinking, which made her feel a little better, she hadn’t planned on an attack though. It would have been stupid and probably fatale to try something so soon. No doubt if she would have acted on rage and bought a gun and came, she would have been caught, and probably shot dead.

“Hey.” She said softly to capture his attention.

Petyr had been looking over various papers and bills for the club for the past half an hour, while almost constantly rubbing his temples and nursing another drink. The club was paying for itself, with some extra on top, which was what truly mattered. Some of the expenses just weren't adding up. He probably shouldn't be stressing over it as much as he was, given that the other side of his business more than made up for both sides in profit, but if there were an investigation, he wanted the appearance of the legitimate business to be fairly lucrative. On top of that, he hated the idea of anyone skimming money off the top of his profits, which was exactly what seemed to be going on.

But who?

His thoughts were interrupted by the small voice from his doorway, and his green eyes snapped up to be greeted by the pale woman with amazing legs and absolutely gorgeous hair. The kind of hair he just wanted to wrap a hand in and use to take his taste of her. A bright, welcoming smile was all he offered to her, though. He wasn't about to let his thoughts and desires be betrayed so quickly.

He rose quickly, pushing his plush chair back with strong hands on his desk. His jacket was hanging on the rack by the door, so now he was dressed in a blue silk button-up and black slacks. His shoes clicked across the hardwood floor as he came around the desk, arms open in a welcoming gesture. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home." He waved towards a red leather couch, one that went smartly with the rest of the decor, and moved off to the small bar in the corner. "Can I get you a drink?"

As his eyes casually rose up her frame from an odd angle, in hopes she wouldn't notice, he considered the loose pills in his pocket. It would be pretty easy to slip something calming into a complicated drink with more expected ingredients, but a simple drink would be more difficult, and he may be forced to wait. But did he really want to drug her right away? Well, he knew that he wanted to, for sure, but was it wise so soon?

It was certainly something he would have to consider carefully while waiting for her reply. Meanwhile, he was certainly enjoying the view, and her pleated dress hung on her form very well. Definitely no complaints from his end on that matter. It was mostly his desire to see that ebony material on the floor that fueled him even considering the drugs in her drink, but not only. There was also the need to get something on her, anything that he could use to his advantage. Something wasn't right in her demeanor, and he was starting to wonder if she hadn't suspected something of him after all.

At least he knew she wasn't armed for now...

"Come in, come in, make yourself at home."

The man named Petyr opened his arms, a gesture that made the back of her arms burn. Petyr looked nothing like Kevin, and in no way did she think that his killer should remind her of him, but it did. That simple gesture reminded of the rare days when she had pulled the late shift an Kevin didn’t. Through her eyes, the scene changed into her memory.

She had just opened the door, and it slid open easily. It was the winter months, and the door could be opened just by pushing it after it was unlocked. Jane took off her boots and set her purse beside them. Her bare feet free felt amazing. Next to come off of Jane’s body was her coat, which she hung on the back of the door. The coat was a faded moss green from years of use, but it was her favorite. It was the only thing she had ever paid more than fifty dollars for, when it came to clothes, and it had done her well. When Jane turned around, Kevin was in the same pose as Petyr had just made. His arms stretched out to her, calling to her “Welcome home baby.”

"Can I get you a drink?"

Jane blinked, pressing her foot down to keep her head clear. There was no way she could afford a mess up, especially with something as little as a memory. Though as small as it was, she felt herself wanting to be back home in their bed, replaying it every second so she wouldn’t forget.

Jane took a breath and cleared her thoughts, putting up a face of awe as her eyes rolled uselessly around as if it was the greatest office she had ever seen. It was impressive, but Jane had never been very materialistic except for things that contained memories. Photos were a bad habit of hers, the closet of her hallway was filled with boxes of all sorts of pictures, even duplicates. It didn’t matter to Jane whether they were duplicates or not, it just meant, to her, that it would be less likely to go missing.

When she stopped her awe-full, ha, eye rolling she stood. Her stance lingered a bit longer than normal, to give a good timing of a nonethreatening message.

“Yes please.” She stood beside him, but a good few feet away, with the glass and table in full view. Jane ran her fingers on the tip of her scalp gently with a small grimace.

“It’s been a long month.” She gritted her mind, but made her voice soft and sweet like a child who had just been forgiven for something very bad.

“It…” she started, but decided to keep her words less personal as he handed her the drink she watched him carefully make.

“I want to thank you, for the support. It was so unexpected, from a stranger, I did not know how to react. I thought that I should at least tell you in person, and even though I don’t have much to give…” With one hand, she sipped at the whiskey. It burned her throat, and she purposely let herself wince. “but I felt the need to offer anyways.” Her lashes fell downward on the glass, an expression of shyness as she peaked back up at him meekly.