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Title: Red (title helpfully suggested by Amanda). She walked into my office mere moments after I opened up for the day --surprising enough considering that most of my clients prefer to slip in through the basement after dark. But I could see from the get go that she wasn't no ordinary client. She was the prettiest little thing -- hair like red silk, pale skin,and curves sweet enough to make my mouth water. I don't get much of her kind down here these days, most of the women worth looking at head on over to L.A. and that cherub guy's setup. Calls himself... Angel, is it? Hear the guy has a soul and a load of guilt that won't let up. This business takes more than a demon and a pretty face, though. And what kind of a name is Angel, anyway? But the women seem to love him,and bypass a tried and proven sort of investigator such as myself.Their loss, I say. This woman was something different, let me tell you. She had these eyes... deep and clear enough to drag a man right into their depths and drown you in there if you aren't careful. She had the look about her,the haunted, knowing glint of someone whose seen their fair share of shit. But unlike the rest of my clients -- the ones who come in reeking of death and whose experience comes from doling punishment out rather than receiving it -- this one still had life in her. "Are you... Percy?" she asks. Her voice was sweet enough to make my heart melt had I ever had one. She's cautious-like, but not all out scared. Her voice says that it's not me she's worried about, but that I'm just damned near her last chance to fix up whatever it is that she's lugging around with her. "That's me, doll," I tell her. Some of them, when they still came down this way, took offence to that term. This one took it with the tiniest tilt to lips that look made to be kissed. "What can I be doing for you?" She draws in a deep breath -- it does wonderful things in the vicinity of her chest - and speaks. "I want you to find someone for me," she says. "I need a bit more to work with than that -- and if you aren't minding me asking, what's the name?" Most clients these parts don't give up their names -- but even I get tired labelling 'em doll or buddy. "Red," she answered easily. Just the way she says the word, I can tell that it's a whole hell of a lot more than just a name. Her face takes on this faraway look to it. She shakes it off after a moment, but her eyes are still soft. "His name is Spike," Red tells me expectantly. She looks a bit surprised to see that recognition doesn't spring into my eyes at that name. This place is more than a one demon town -- I've lived here for a couple of decades already and haven't muddled my waythrough all of 'em. "He's a vampire," Red adds. "Went by William the Bloody, once. Sired by Angelus. Was a master vampire in Sunnydale for a few years, over the Hellmouth." Her voice lowers, and her nose wrinkles slightly. "Hung around with Drusilla." I remember that one. Easy on the eyes, but torture to follow in conversation. "Dark eyes, lugged around a doll, went around the bend afew times?" Red nods. "That's her. But she and Spike split ways a while ago." "Why do you want me to track him down for you?" I ask. Usually, I keep the questions to myself. Clients tend to get testy when you pester them for delicate information -- I've had a few think that my questions are nothing more than a request for a trip to the afterlife. But like I said, this one is something different and she roused my curiosity. She seems to crumple into the chair across from me. Looks like she's been waiting a long time to get this off her chest. "I can't ask any of my friends to help... they wouldn't understand," she sighs. "We had...known each other for a year but had never really been friends. And then, he hooked up with me and my friends for a while. During that time... we kind of... well, fell for each other," she ended softly. Red took another deep breath, quickly scrubbing her hand over her eyes. "But we had this really awful fight, and he left," she sniffled, but there was a whole lot of anger shinning in those beautiful eyes,too. I had a feeling that when I did hunt down the guy, he'd be in for one hell of a hard time before Red would let him snuggle up to her again. "He just _left_!" she said indignantly. "And since the bloody vampire hasn't come crawling back on his own, I want you to find him forme -- drag him back if you have to!" I just gotta make sure. "You aren't out to stake the guy, are you, doll?" I ask. I don't much care what these folks do to each other, but having a client turn murderer after I find someone for them makes one hell of a mess. She looks surprised. "No! I'm going to kick his undead ass," she growls, "and then, I'm going to drag him to bed and--" she cuts off suddenly, looks at me, and blushes. Sweet kid. Her guy is one lucky undead son of a bitch. "So can you find him?" she asks, real hopeful-like. "Sure I can, Red. You'll have him tied up in bed again before you even know it." She surprises the hell out of me then by leaning over the desk that separates us and giving me a hug. Like I said, the girl's an original. I think it'll be a real pleasure to get this Spike back to her. Next time, I may actually get a kiss for my troubles. Now wouldn't that be something? ~End~ |