Devil's Details (Closed for CarnivalBarker)

[FireyIce]

Name: Jonah Miller
Age: Early 30’s
Description: http://www.himarkmartintailors.com/images/suit_model.jpg

Detroit. A city that has been a pendulum of the American dream. At times, it managed to show how much of a gleaming metropolis it could be, and at others; the opposite. Though the city was now on a small upward spiral, there were still parts that were still just as problematic as that individuals would rather acknowledge.

Jonah Miller was an individual who was thriving in a city that was still struggling to find itself. Though he had a name, it was just one of many that he had possessed over his long lifetime. He woke up remembering how he was called The Fallen Star, Beelzebub, the Serpent, Lucifer, and Satan. Though he didn’t have any issues with the names, he figured that if he was going to reside on Earth, than his name should be a bit more common than either of those.

He looked over at his phone and saw how early it was. As he started to wake up, he heard the person next to him let out a soft moan as there was additional movement on the bed. “Oh yeah, the hooker from last night,” he thought to himself. He looked over at her, placed his hand on her bare skin and gently began to wake her up. It had been a while before he managed to get some of his original power back while being on earth. Now that he had, he had learned how to influence and manipulate people better. As he heard her start to wake, he spoke to her. “You’ll leave your money here, get dressed, go to the middle of the Ambassador Bridge and jump off the middle while making the claim that you’re trying to fly.” He listened as she acknowledged what he wanted her to do. In a matter of moments, he was back to being alone on the bed as the hooker left.

After getting up, he got his shower in, cleaned up and got dressed for his job. As he left his apartment, he decided to take the mono-rail. Today was a good day and he wanted to see how much of a standstill a city could come to due to a simple person killing themselves in the middle of where Canada and the United States exists. Though he was becoming more powerful, he still wanted to hide in the shadows, even in plain sight until the time was right. For that, he decided to become a lawyer. It required him to have a high amount of charisma, energy and he did think that his good looks would add an additional touch. There was no doubt that working at a private firm would be more than lucrative, he found working for one of the top three auto makers kept him well enough hidden. And with his track record of settling claims and negotiating in favor of the company, that was more than enough with how well the company won lawsuits and litigations.

Once he was on his way to work, he did, in fact, see how much traffic had slowed down and halted. As he looked at his phone, he saw story after story of the apparent suicide and for a while, between the squeaking and turning of the mono-rail to the Renaissance Center, that was all he heard about.

As the day went by, he took a break from his work. It was still fairly early, though for some reason even he couldn’t explain, he felt that he had to leave early for lunch. As to what mischief he would end up causing, he wasn’t sure. As he made his way to a small diner, he noticed a young lady sitting by herself. He walked over just as the lunch rush was beginning to start. “Hi, I’m Jonah,” he said introducing himself. “Mind if I join you?” he inquired as he started to sit down across from her while signaling one of the servers. Though he had the opportunity to manipulate the response he would want, he was curious as to why this lady stood out to him. Once the server came over, he pulled out a $50 and handed it to her. “This is your extra tip, separate from your normal tip you’ll get,” he started out saying, “I’ll have two beers and the young lady, whose ID you did check, will let you know what she wants to drink.” As he finished saying that, he looked over at the girl, still waiting for an initial response. Even if she was old enough, there was no question that she would normally be carded.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bailey Bennett sat quietly, running her finger over the cup of coffee she was nursing as she waited for yet another day to run its course. She thought about what she had done wrong and continued to marinate on the punishment she had been served. For years she had been coming to this same diner, wondering the same thing, wondering when she would be out of the proverbial dog house. She sipped the black, thick drink, forcing it down as if a penance during a time when sugar or cream were simply not available for use. She looked out into the cloudy day that had rolled in, and she sensed the strain and howl of another lost soul, somewhere outside, out there, where she could not tell, until the television above flashed a brief story about yet one more suicide at the Ambassador Bridge. For years, the bridge had its share of bad publicity, drawing one person to jump from its heights every several months as long as she could remember. Each time it happened, she found it upsetting, and she wondered if the person suffered. Each time, she turned her attention to a deep suffering of her own. Typically, she would push forward, coming to the light and feeling better, going about her daily routine and getting through the fog of her mind, all while wondering if this was part of her punishment too. She constantly felt to be on a knife's edge between heaven and here, and each day she woke up simply here. Heaven was a long way off. She took another sip of the sludge in front of her before brushing away the waiter offering to take her order. She felt she didn't deserve to order, and for that alone, continued to sit alone, coffee in hand, prepared to ask for nothing else.

Years ago, she had failed to forgive herself. And the failure to forgive herself brought her to this hell, from which she could not escape. She had vivid memories of Detroit as a young girl, when both the city and she thrived, their promise before them. In recent years, however, as they aged, the shine wore off, the breakdowns began, and the cosmic sense that nothing better would come, seemed to prevail over her moods each day and each dark night. As she sat there, she sensed a presence. She saw a man, but felt something.......something else. She couldn't easily tell what she felt, but it was unmistakeable and uncomfortable. It felt cold and dark.

The feeling lifted as a man entered the room. She glanced at him briefly as he appeared to notice her, and she quickly turned away, before sipping her coffee once more and turning her eyes quickly toward him, then back, once more. He was handsome, somehow young and also ageless, dapper in a very distinguished way, but also a bit angular, sharp, and jaunty. His eyes appeared black from a distance, though it was possible simply that she could not get a clear look at them from across the room. As Bailey sipped the coffee alone, she suddenly felt a cold draft through the room, taking notice that the door had been left slightly ajar, a tiny breeze lifting the edge of the long vest that hung down from her shoulders, attributing the cold to the wind and the coming rain outside. When she turned back, the man who had entered seemed to have closed upon her so fast and so silent, as to cause her to start. She blushed, hoping he hadn't caught the tiny shiver she gave at the shock of seeing him so suddenly close.

“Hi, I’m Jonah,” the man said.

"I'm Bailey," she said, forcing a smile.

“Mind if I join you?” the man - Jonah - said. She simply nodded, wary. But she felt another chill when the man, now near to her, suggested the waitress serve her a drink, having checked an ID that did not exist and that would not reflect her accurate age if one did. She had not drank in a long time. She feared doing so now. Doing so could require her to start her journey once more, which she did not want to do. And yet, without thinking, almost without control of her own self, she ordered a glass of Cabernet, which arrived in short order.

"I, ah...." she said. "I shouldn't drink this," she said, considering the consequences. She was barely more than a kid. She had been barely more than a kid for a long time, though. She felt the chill again and looked over at the door once more. It was closed. She looked at the drink once more, then back at Jonah. "How do I know you?" She asked, the familiar feeling in the back of her mind and in her chest suggesting she had met him some other place, some other time. She couldn't place it, but then again, she had so many memories and had encountered so many things. Now, here, her senses were off. She hadn't gotten used to being here, being without her confidence, even still. She lifted the drink, against her better judgment, and took a sip as she awaited his answer.

http://www.leathercelebrities.com/images/uploads/Becky-G-attends-Varietys-Power-Of-Young.jpg

 

[FireyIce]

“It’s nice to meet you, Bailey,” Jonah said as he looked into her eyes. For being around as long as he had, he gave very little thought to the possibility that they may have ever met before. He spent a moment admiring her beauty as she ordered her drink, a bit surprised that she didn’t mention anything or protest to him paying the waitress an extra amount to break the rules.

“Nonsense, enjoy a drink, or two, or however many,” Jonah said as he sat back against the seat. A small moment passed before he heard her ask how she knew him. There was probably no doubt that this was not very common for her, to have a stranger just invade her space such as this, then he thought that most people would probably behave the same way, have a similar reaction. “You don’t,” he said plainly and with a slight grin. “However, Bailey, it is almost noon and most of these people in this area of town come in to some of these establishments with groups or others and hate when they see a single individual taking a whole table they wouldn’t mind having.” His logic made sense, there was no doubt, but he was hoping that Bailey wouldn’t mind as he took one of the cold beers, twisted open the top and started to take a small drink. “Besides, it’s fun meeting new people,” Jonah added before hearing the footsteps of the server come back with some menus.

“Thank you, dear,” he told the server as she walked off, giving him time to order. “Feel free to order what you want, my treat,” he added as he started to look at what would be appealing. “I am a bit curious, though, as to why someone as lovely as you is having lunch alone?” he said fairly bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush too much. His gaze shifted from food to looking up at her, spending most of the time on her face, though his gaze did move down some towards her chest. As cool as the weather had been today, there was some question in his head if her clothing being not as heavily layered as he would’ve thought would indicate the same occupation as his company this morning. He was a bit curious as to how well she would be in a more private setting. As far as Jonah was concerned, if things didn’t go as pleasantly as he hoped, he would try to influence her mind and leave to never see her again after a quick lunch. He had hoped that wouldn’t be the case in this situation.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bailey remained wary at all times. She had to be and could not afford not to, for she knew that her own demons were not the only ones that walked the world, though it had often been those in her life that had ruined her experiences across time. She listened to the stranger now speaking to her, perhaps hitting on her, and allowed the tiniest, most skeptical smirk of doubt crease her lips as he continued to chat her up. She noticed his penetrating gaze, his dark eyes seeming to peer into her soul and through her being. She took heart that he didn't seem to recognize her, though she could not place him either. However, the fact that she was unknown to him made her feel like a normal girl, which she very rarely did, for she was not. It was nice to meet him as well, but her guard remained up. She would not have more than the one drink.

“Thank you, dear,” the unknown man told the server handing him menus. Bailey appreciated his offer, but was not hungry. “I am a bit curious, though," Jonah continued, "as to why someone as lovely as you is having lunch alone?” She gave a bit of a grin. Older men always found her appealing. If they only knew.

"I'm always alone," she said, matter of factly, sipping the drink and looking straight ahead, careful to not lead him on with her factual answer. She did not tell him of her punishment as the reason for that truth. She didn't see his eyes devouring her appearance, her body. But she felt it in her core. She considered his intentions. She considered her own. She considered the temptation. She considered fleeing the scene. "I'm, uh.....not hungry," she nodded as she spoke to the waitress who had returned, then handed the menu back before the woman sought Jonah's order. She then turned only slightly, merely enough to continue speaking to the man. "My, ah....my father sent me here as part of his business a while ago. But it's kept me busy and I don't have many friends here," she paused. "Certainly no family." As she looked at Jonah again, she felt a flash of something dark and sinister, causing her to look around to see who else....what else....was in the room. She had learned over the years, the many years, that danger could come from anywhere, at any time. She also knew that the danger within herself had gotten her here, and her inability to recognize it and tame it had been something her father expected her to address. As Bailey looked around the room, it seemed like nobody but Jonah was looking at her. Nobody was noticing her. Her hand shook, an unnoticeable quiver, as she found herself in that place once more, where she didn't know if peace had come upon her situation or if a challenge had begun. At the same time, Jonah's presence here, next to her, made something about now feel...different. Her head spun a bit and she knew she would soon have a decision to make. She finally brought herself to speak once more.

"How about you?" She asked.

 

[FireyIce]

Once Jonah heard Bailey mention that she was always alone, he gave the expression that he was sad to hear that. Before he heard anything more, the server came back and he gave her an order of a burger and fries before handing over his menu. He watched as Bailey mentioned she wasn’t hungry and just handed the menu back. When he heard of the fact that she was here on business from her father, he was a bit more intrigued. “What kind of work do you do, if I may ask?” he inquired politely before watching her look around. He could tell that she seemed nervous. Jonah was wondering if it was him that was the source.

After moments of watching Bailey regain her composure, he was a bit surprised that she asked about him. “Me? I’m not originally from around here,” he said as he took a sip of his beer again. “I’m from here and there; I work for one of the auto companies just down the road. I live over in The Addison apartment complex, so it’s not too bad of a commute.” He continued to watch her, being more observant as it seemed that she was starting to be a bit more relaxed. “As far as why I’m here alone,” Jonah began to say, “Well, I got done with most of my work early and no one wanted to come with me.”

With him deciding not to use any sort of powers on her, he was a bit concerned with how she was acting. “You’re not in danger, are you?” he asked out of curiosity. “I’m not going to hurt you, Bailey. I just want to get to know more people and you seemed like someone who could use a friend,” he offered with his half-truth. It was true that he wasn’t going to hurt her, however, he was still on the fence if this was someone he wouldn’t mind getting to know more after being a bit suspicious of her behavior. He continued to make some small talk until his food arrived.

“Would you like some fries?” he asked, offering her some.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

“What kind of work do you do, if I may ask?” the man asked. Bailey's eyes widened a moment, caught off guard, as she had not been ready to answer any follow up to her cryptic message.

"Oh, ah....." she stumbled. "He did missionary work." Technically, she hadn't lied. "He's, uh......dead," she finished, tarnishing her soul, feeling the darkening of her very heart as she pushed herself farther away from the divinity she sought. She diverted herself as the man next to her mentioned that he was in auto sales. She didn't believe him. He seemed too clean, too pampered, too sharp and knowing to be simply in auto sales. She wondered why he was lying, though suspected he was simply a man telling a story to a cute girl, hoping not to get caught by his wife. At the same time, she saw no ring on his finger. Her theory fell apart and she simply wondered if anything he said was true because she trusted nobody after so many betrayals. She knew her burden in this regard was costing her time and hindering her efforts at redemption. Her faith in all things continued to fail. She thought she picked up an innuendo in his words and resisted the temptation to flirt, an occupation that she enjoyed, but which got her in trouble. The man was handsome...someone would want to come with him. She felt another dent in her soul at just the thought. She punished herself too much for pleasure. She even now punished herself at the hint of the idea of pleasure. She hated herself and god for the way her very own mind abused her now.

“You’re not in danger, are you?” the man asked, to which this time she didn't resist.

"I don't know," she said, sipping her drink. "Am I?"

“I’m not going to hurt you, Bailey," the man said. She had known men. She had known men who said just that when every time they would do just that. She didn't believe him again. She did not wonder this time why he lied about it. She knew he, and other men, stood to gain what they desired from her with such assurances. She let herself be indulged at the idea of the pain he might cause. She knew she might even deserve it. “Would you like some fries?” Jonah asked.

"No, I'm okay," she said. She took another sip. She was intrigued by him. "But I'm curious," she paused, turning slightly toward him. "Why did I look like I could use a friend?" She looked around the room. "Why not the elderly lady over there," she nodded to a booth in the corner. "Or that guy?" She nodded toward a man at the end of the diner counter. She smirked and took another drink, indicating she wasn't stupid. She crossed one firm thigh over the other, content to see what the man said. She entertained the simple, dirty thought of letting him pick her up, following him to his place, and letting him fuck her. "Why not?" the thought rang in the back of her mind. "I'm never leaving this hell anyway," she told herself before immediately chastising herself and groveling in her mind to her maker for forgiveness, the words however, having already been released for him to answer. She sensed a power in him that she had overlooked before. Again, she couldn't place him. She assumed him to be simply human, unsure if he was good or evil, but certainly sensing he was.....interested. She vowed he wouldn't have her. Not today. She reminded herself that the proper thought would have been 'not ever.' She recommitted here and now to getting back on her path. "Not ever," she mumbled, nearly a whisper, as if he wasn't there and as if she wasn't thinking. She caught what she had done, letting a subconscious thought slip into the verbal ether. She focused her eyes on her drink, then set it down. She grabbed the small clutch purse that was on the counter beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said, flustered by his response. "I.....I have to go."

 

[FireyIce]

Jonah listened to Bailey’s response to his question. He would’ve never guessed that her father was a missionary, let alone, one that had passed away. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he told her with a sense of sincerity. He knew that he didn’t have a reason to lie to her, though he wasn’t sure if she knew that, or would believe that to be the case. Though he was the devil, people had developed a huge misconception about him over the years. The devil wasn’t in the occupation of lying to others; rather his specialty was in punishing those that needed to be.

He listened to her ask if she was in trouble when it came to the question that he had asked. “I don’t mean any harm to anyone,” Jonah admitted. Jonah was surprised that she turned down some fries, though with how she was acting, very protective of herself, it wasn’t too much of a shock. He watched as Bailey took a few more drinks. For some reason, perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol; she started to become more assured of asking the question that she did, why did he think that she was alone rather than pointing out two examples.

Bailey must have adjusted herself a little bit as he saw her sit up a bit more; somewhat more confident after looking over the two prime examples she gave him. He was in the middle of eating and working on his second beer while she was waiting for her answer. As he was getting ready to form his answer he heard the words “not ever” quietly slip from Bailey’s young, sweet lips. He watched as she reached over to grab her clutch purse. There was no doubt that this lovely lady had already pegged him as someone who was probably more interested in hitting on her, possibly picking her up, which wasn’t completely untrue. Though with the words, he still maintained his poker face and acted as if the words didn’t exist.

“Before you go, Bailey,” he said as he watched her start to get up, “I’ve been in this diner with you for about twenty minutes. Since then, traffic has been fairly slow due to today’s incident on the bridge. That lady over there,” he said with a similar nod that Bailey gave just a few moments ago, “She is waiting on some family members. She was on the phone when I came in and hasn’t even ordered any food yet, her phone is still next to the menu. And the guy over at the bar of the diner,” he nodded over at in the same manner, “His wife is currently in the restroom. She left probably a few moments ago. If you leave, you’ll see a second plate next to his behind him. I have no reason to lie to you,” he assured her as he looked at her again, staring at her. “And if you call my office number,” he started to say as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his card, handing it to her, “You’ll see that I work for the labor and manufacturing disputes section.”

He took another drink of his beer as he allowed a moment to let what he said to sit into Bailey’s mind. In fact, there were several menus on the table and the plate would still be there. “But, when I came in,” he added, “You were already drinking something. No food, no phone out, not even a menu,” he pointed out. “Though it would be possible you could be waiting on food, you just had this look like you were not hungry.” He finished his drink and food as he was still waiting for a response from his observations. “But if you do leave, I hope you do call and that you have a good day,” he said with a genuine smile.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

“Before you go, Bailey,” the man, Jonah, said as Bailey rose from her seat. He proceeded to paint a picture of the room as it was and tell the underlying stories that others would not have ever noticed, but he, somehow, had. She felt a chill along her spine and goosebumps cover her entire body from a chill she could not describe. She wondered what else he had notice, or knew, about her, simply from being in the room. She didn't know why she feared him, but she did. She also felt something stir deep within, an interest and intrigue she could not fully explain. And that scared her too. "I have no reason to lie to you,” he continued, looking her direction and returning his attention squarely upon her and away from those about whom he had revealed their story. “And if you call my office number,” he said, handing her a card, "you’ll see that I work for the labor and manufacturing disputes section.” She took the card and looked at it, fingering the fine embossed design. She wasn't familiar with the labor and manufacturing disputes section. And his assurance using that link only raised more mystery. She nodded, saying nothing in reply.

“But, when I came in,” the man finally said, after a silent moment. “You were already drinking something. No food, no phone out, not even a menu,” he pointed out. She knew he wasn't wrong. “Though it would be possible you could be waiting on food, you just had this look like you were not hungry.” She hadn't been. He was right about her. Nothing he said eased the uncertainty she felt in his presence. She simply nodded in response once more. “But if you do leave, I hope you do call and that you have a good day.” She pulled her clutch closer, holding its strap over her shoulder.

"I will," she stammered, unsure even herself if she meant she'd call or have a good day. She quickly raced out of the diner and into the windy street outside, retreating quickly to the tenth story tenement in which she dwelled nearby.

Three days later, Bailey found herself drunk in a tipsy in a bar downtown near a hotel where people often stayed on short trips to and from the city for business. She had on a tiny blue dress with black accents. She presented as best she could, yet for hours attracted no attention. She had come here to hide, to get away from the feeling that she had fallen short again, from the reality that eternity would be spent here, and if not here in places like it. And now, even punishment wasn't being had. And to offer oneself with only rejection to be found, only made things worse. The next morning, having never gone home for the night, she found herself at a nearby coffee shop, a triple shot of sludge keeping her awake, but feeling no better about herself. She thought back to the last time she felt uncertain and fear and yet knew that the situation could provide what she now might seek. She reached into her clutch purse and pulled out a card with the name of Jonah Miller pressed on it. She picked up her phone, and dialed the number with an anxiety and trepidation she had not felt in ages, wondering if she should hang up before anyone answered.

 

[FireyIce]

Jonah was a bit surprised by Bailey. Even after telling her everything, pointing out everything in her little test and then more, she still left. It took a few moments of the silence to have it sink in. “A mere human rejected me,” he said quietly to himself. Aside from his name, he hadn’t lied to her, not even tried to manipulate her. Once the reality finished sinking in, he felt furious. His job was to punish those that needed it, deserved it, not to be shot down by anyone, a mere mortal at that.

After he finished eating, he got the check, paid the amount with the tip and headed out into the cold, windy day. “Perhaps,” he thought to himself, “My time on Earth has been to relaxing, too comforting.” He decided that today would be a good day to take out some of his rage. He remained focus, heading back to work and finishing his work day. Once it was done, he decided to get to the real work going.

Over the next two days, he started to promote more chaos, more anarchy. It only took a few moments for him to find a couple. He simply asked if they loved each other as they stopped them. It didn’t take long for one of them to admit that they didn’t. They even went so far to acknowledge that they had committed an infidelity in their relationship recently. He watched as they started to fight in the middle of the street, causing a scene.

The night only got worse from there. At one point he had convinced a stripper to screw someone on stage. Aside from the fight that broke out, the police showed up and the whole situation went sideways from there. Between that night and the following day crime rose drastically. Robberies and assaults were on the rise. Not only in the city, but also down in Toledo and over in the southern part of Chicago. There was a lot of hatred that had expanded towards every group.

On the third day, Jonah was at work fairly early. He was starting to read some files when he heard the phone ring. “Legal department, labor and manufacturing disputes, this is Jonah, and how may I help you?” he asked as he normally did. Though he wasn't expecting any phone calls, it wasn't too uncommon to get a call now and then so early.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

For two days something about Jonah had nagged at Bailey, and no sooner than she had an inkling of cold feet about calling him, did she hear his voice on the end of the line. She gasped silently, unbelieving that she had taken this pathetic, perhaps desperate step. She sputtered a greeting into the phone.

"Ah....Jonah?" She began. "Hello." She paused as if he would respond to hearing the voice of an old friend. "This is Bailey Bennett," she said, again letting the silence grow heavy around the lack of information she was providing. "You sat beside me at Callaghan's a couple days ago." She put her hand to her forehead, an exasperated motion in the frustration that she was acting like the stupid little girl she looked to be. She immediately continued, hoping to accomplish something, but what she could not even admit to herself. Reality was that she was here, trapped in the body of the girl she was, divine yet fallen, and still very much having needs. Her needs were earthly, but also beyond that. And the intentions she had for herself were both noble and nefarious. The absence of love in her life was the presence of indifference, and the indifference of her father, brothers, and sisters meant that she alone was now responsible for her care and discipline. And the need for discipline meant that she had to make wise choices to succeed and difficult ones when she did not. Since she had met Jonah, she had not stopped considering him. He was attractive, but also seemed dangerous, for why she could not say. And in that suggestion of danger, she felt the idea that perhaps he could fulfill her need for interaction that she was not getting, and also the need to punish herself, that she felt she was required to have. Perhaps this call was exploratory only. Perhaps it was a long dive off a cliff into the depths of darkness that were filled with the dim light of redemption at the end. And in the back of her mind, she contemplated for the briefest moment only that something about him was more than simply mortal, though she suspected that could not be. Had she read him wrong? Was he not merely a man, and an attractive one? She felt certain that if he was, the sense of uncertainty about him would be far more clear and far more strong. And it was her own demons that still outranked any that this man might bring to her world. She felt sure that her conviction in pressing forward would be okay. She wondered if her father would even know if anything were to happen. Deep within, she knew he would. And yet perhaps that was the point for, in weak moments, her desire for redemption was overridden by her desire for reckoning and the torture of her very own soul. And a man who could not ever know her story, the epic arc of her life, could serve perhaps either need.

"I wanted to have a drink with you," she blurted out, returning her hand to her forehead, embarrassed yet again. "I mean...can we meet for drinks? Tomorrow around nine. At the Maddox Hotel bar." The location surprised even her. She hadn't meant to be forward. But of a dozen places she might have suggested, the hotel bar not three blocks from her own apartment was one she had rarely been to, but which no doubt provided her with options to which she had not desired to quickly allude. Nevertheless, she had said it. She said nothing more, already turning red at her own embarrassment, waiting simply for his response.

 

[FireyIce]

Jonah listened on the other line, for a moment in silence before he heard her speak. One he heard Bailey say her name, he barely caught her last name since he was a bit surprised, or angered in his mind. He wasn’t expecting to hear from her given that she had spent the last two days not calling. There was a sense of curiosity as to why she would be calling now. He had spent some time in the last few days, when not causing havoc, wondering what he did wrong, where he went wrong. Though, even now, hearing the young woman’s voice was somewhat of a comfort. As he continued to wait for her to speak more, he was thinking if his small tirade should be stopped.

It took a moment for him to stop thinking about that as she mentioned that she wanted to meet for drinks. Though it wouldn’t be tonight, it would be tomorrow night. Still, the fact that she purposed the idea had leaded him to believe that she wasn’t a minor when it came to alcohol. “The Maddox?” he said in a semi-calm voice. Jonah was tempted to ask if she had a room booked there for that night also, but then remembered how quickly it seemed like she ran away from him the other day and decided against it. He reached for a piece of paper and clicked his pen. He wrote down the hotel and time. “That sounds like a good idea. No problem at all,” he added as he tore off the piece of paper and put it into his pocket.

Though he was glad to be meeting her again, he decided to ask a simple question. “Since I don’t have your number,” he started to point out, “How will I know where to find you at in the hotel? Any certain outfit you’re planning on wearing? Will you be sitting at the bar?” Jonah inquired, hoping to get an idea of what to expect. While he waited, he figured that his little tirade would stop tonight. The city would not be in chaos, at least anymore that he would’ve caused, due to this recent development. He was sure that there were going to be a lot of after effects from what the past few days had allowed to manifest though. Jonah pulled out his phone and started to enter the information into it as he waited to see what else Bailey had to say.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bailey paused abruptly to think about this situation when Jonah asked about her number and how to find her. Her response rolled slowly from her as she hesitated to proceed. But proceed she did. "It's a small bar," she said. "You can find me." She hung up the phone, saying nothing more. Wondering if she should have made the call at all.

The next day opened to a dark, cloudy, morning sky, the flash of lightning shocking the daylight and bringing loud claps of thunder to wake those who were still in bed. One of the enormous eruptions woke Bailey from her place, curled up on a small, full-size bed in a nice, but cramped loft apartment. She rose in silence and looked outside, seeing a world she did not love and one that did not ever seem to love her. It was not the divine place she had hoped to be. She wondered if she would ever make it back there. She made a single pot of coffee and waited for it to brew as she turned on the water in the shower. She peeled off the satin shorts she slept in, then discarded the matching white tee-shirt, sighing at the sight of her nude body in the bathroom mirror. By the standards of men, she was beautiful. And it was this curse that brought her the attention of men she did not want, the temptation she could not often or easily resist, and the scorn of her father, whose favor was all that mattered to her. She walked across her loft and poured a cup of coffee, taking it back to the restroom, sipping it before setting it on the counter and climbing into the shower, where she couldn't scrub herself clean enough. She thought of her plans the next day, and she knew she would struggle. She knew the challenge might be too much. She knew the effect the thought of Jonah, and most men like him - men who seemed dark and dangerous, men she could not easily pin down - had on her tiny body. Under the water of the warm shower, she felt herself grow moist at the thought alone.

An hour later, she found herself in some black high waisted shorts, and a white and blue, short-sleeved shirt, her black vest once again over her shoulders as an accent piece that nearly served as a signature for her look. She sat inside the sanctuary of the nearby cathedral, the one that cast its shadow nearly on her own building as it rose high over her bedroom window. Hail marys, the lord's prayer. The 23rd psalm. The valley of the shadow of death, the the I-shall-not-wants and the leading-me-through-green-pastures. Hours of them didn't help. They never helped. And yet she did not know what to do. The storm outside raged on, and the storm in her soul, in the core of need inside her body, also raged itself. After another night of sleep, and another afternoon of repentance, Bailey found herself in a short, flirty, royal blue dress, the same black vest flowing around it, her thick thighs bare and exposed, one drink in, as she sat at the Maddox bar. She looked at the clock behind the bus station and saw that it was 9:20. She ordered a second drink, thinking Jonah wasn't coming, and feeling that much worse about herself.

"I'm Bailey," she said to another man sitting nearby. He looked older. Distinguished, but also perpetually angry or dissatisfied. He forced a bit of a smile as he took note of the barely-legal looking girl sitting nearby, and he moved a seat closer to sit beside her.

"Steven," he said, turning to face her. "Are you waiting for someone?" He asked, feeling whether there was a chase he could cut to.

"I was," she said, taking a sip. "He's not here."

 

[FireyIce]

“Thanks. I’ll see you then,” he mentioned before he hung up the phone. Jonah spent the rest of the day at work, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Though, he still couldn’t help figure out why she called just out of the blue like that. Part of his day was spent out and about talking to a few girls who had all agreed that he was very good looking and wouldn’t mind sleeping with him.

The next day was just a normal day, minus the fact that the weather was less than cooperative. That was one of the few things that he couldn’t control. He got dressed and headed to work, wondering what the day would have in store for him. He figured he would have a late lunch and head back after work to get cleaned up and dressed before heading out to the Maddox.

As the day went by, he worked on his tasks, leaving most of humanity alone with being in a good mood. When he headed back home, he double checked the time and figured there was enough time to get cleaned up, hoping to look more dapper and hoping to make a better impression on Bailey. Jonah was wondering when the last time he had to put in so much effort, especially for someone who was a human. The idea seemed to stump him. After getting a nice three piece pinstripe suit on, he headed down to the parking area and got into his 1957 Cadillac Eldorado. As he made his way to the hotel, he went to the valet parking. There was a bit of a dispute between the person who was supposed to park it, that didn’t know how to drive a stick shift.

By the time he got a descent parking spot, he looked at his phone, noting that it was a little bit past 9:15. He was a bit mad; however, he was hoping that Bailey would understand. By the time he made his way to the bar, he noticed her in the royal blue dress that she was wearing. He looked in somewhat disbelief as she was talking to someone else. He walked over, sitting down behind Bailey, watching as she was talking to Steven. “He is now,” Jonah said as he tried to get a small surprise on her. “As for this guy,” he said as he looked over at Steven and noted, though he didn’t have a ring, he did see that the area was faded where one was usually worn, “He’s looking at getting lucky while cheating on his wife. I’m sure this wouldn’t be the first time for him,” Jonah pointed out. “All you need to do is look at his finger. Though he’s not wearing a ring, it’s still smooth and discolored,” he stated.

“You look very lovely tonight, Bailey,” he said as he was hoping the guy would take the hint and just leave. Though his day wasn’t going as calmly as he was hoping, he didn’t want to make it to where he would be inflicting pain, even if it wasn’t directly, on the poor sap. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” he mentioned as well.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

“He is now,” Bailey heard the voice behind her and turned quickly.

"Hey," she said, breaking into a smile. Jonah broke the guy at the bar down, observing every detail about him no sooner than he had arrived. She found this skill, which he had shown the first time they met, to be incredibly intriguing. She also found a bit of intrigue in the idea that she had almost become the man's mistress in the affair he might have had. Her conscience kicked in again, and she felt terrible.

“You look very lovely tonight, Bailey,” Jonah said, fixing her mood.

"Thank you," she brushed her hair behind her ear.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Jonah continued.

"I think she and I were talking," the married man suddenly interrupted, before she could respond.

"Oh, no....I," she wasn't able to finish her words before the man interjected once more.

"Oh, yes," he said. "I don't know who this guy is, but I was about to buy you a drink."

"Thank....thank you," she stammered. "But really, I was waiting on him." She looked nervously at the two men. Jonah seemed frozen in time, calm as could be, as placid as the dead sea on a night with no wind. Most men she had known could not have taken such interference with their ego and their urges. And she made no bones about the idea that Jonah had urges, and that it was those urges that prompted him to speak with her in the first damn place. Or was it something else, she wondered.

"This skinny prick?" The man, now clearly upset at his missed opportunity, said. He stood up, a bit taller and much heavier than Jonah. No sooner had the man worked himself up, he reached over, shot the rest of his drink, and turned simply to walk out of the bar and into the parking lot beyond.

"That....was strange," she thought to herself before looking at Jonah. "What just happened?" She asked. She felt uneasy all of a sudden. She sat back down where she had been and offered Jonah a seat. The weird interaction from before and the dark feeling surrounding her now raised the question in her mind again as to why he had singled her out the first time they had met. She wondered why he was here now. Was he simply a man interested in a date? She had never truly known such a thing to happen to her for being a woman was still new, despite feeling the knowledge of many lifetimes. As she wondered, she heard the screams of a thousand demons echoing across the dimension a mere vibration from their own. She sensed them swirling around her, more....far more, than usual, threatening to pierce the thin line between here and heaven or hell. The screams pierced her temples as if they were wailing directly into her brain, and suddenly, as she closed her eyes and hoped for a brief second to chase them away, it seemed she did just that, as the sounds went silent. "That was strange too," she thought silently. Were they closing in on her? Had she done something terrible in rejecting the man, through no fault of her own? Had her father sought to begin punishing her sanity?

Or was there something about Jonah to worry about, something to fear? She looked slowly at him, hoping not to reveal through her words or expression that she had felt something so fundamental, so elemental, so dark just now. Yet she didn't entirely know why she had called him, save for the idea of a tiny bit of companionship and a sense of intrigue. As the darkness surrounding her lightened as the silence grew more peaceful, she looked at Jonah once more, everything having happened in no more than a couple of seconds.

"How about some wine?" She asked.

 

[FireyIce]

Jonah watched as the man made his scene, finished his drink and walked away. Though there was an urge to just smash the guy’s face in, he knew it wouldn’t be worth the time. Once he heard Bailey mention what had just happened he chimed in saying, “Some people are stupid, but not too stupid to realize when they shouldn’t fight. That was probably the best decision he made today,” Jonah added as he sat next to Bailey.

Again, he took a moment to take in how lovely she looked in her royal blue dress that she was wearing. “Wine sounds good,” he added as he raised his hand, signaling for the bartender to come over.

“Yes, sir?” the bartender asked as he came over. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll have some imported red wine from Italy,” Jonah said as he didn’t even bother looking at the wine list. “And she will have some white wine. Imported as well,” he said as he looked over at the bartender adding, “Don’t worry, she’s old enough.”

A moment passed before the drinks were brought out to them. “What makes you special?” Jonah asked looking deep into her eyes. Though they didn’t change color, they did widen a little bit as he tried to influence her mind, get her to admit her true feelings. Between the man he just encountered and the bartender, he wasn’t in much of a mood for playing games. “Do you find me sexually appealing? Would you like me to fuck you? Is that why we’re at a hotel?” he asked while still waiting for her initial answer. There were only a small handful of times that he had met someone who wouldn’t be influenced by his power, yet he was hoping that wouldn’t be the case with Bailey.