Page 2 of Of Serpents and Ruins
Damn. Evera had such an easy charm that folks were just drawn to her. In this case, it got us free drinks, which was great because I wasn’t sure I had much money for alcohol. At least not if I wanted to eat something besides beans and rice out of my mini hotpot.
Still, it was worth it. Sometimes we all just needed to live a little beyond existence, and from the way Evera held herself, there was a lot more going on with her too.
"What’s going on?" I asked.
She remained silent for a couple breaths, her arms folded on the marble slab of a bar top. Her mouth pinched. "Honestly? I am working over sixteen hours a day consistently. I am making almost no money because rent has gone up, and my boss is an absolute creep…so lots going on, and none of it fun."
A sigh tore through me. That rawness in her voice…I got it.
"I’m sorry. That sounds horrible, and I definitely understand. Honestly, I’m out in some cheap motel until I figure out where to go next. I only headed out this way recently since it’s been warm here consistently."
Her eyes widened. "Shit, you should have called me. You absolutely could have stayed with me."
I took another sip of the champagne, savoring the fresh apple and lemon notes, and then shrugged with a smile. "You’re a great friend, but I didn’t want to be a burden. It sounds like we both have a ton of stuff going on. Besides, I'm trying to figure out what I'm really looking for, you know? Everything just feels…off. Maybe I'll head toward the ocean. Anyway, I’m just glad we were able to meet up."
She clapped her hand down on the bar. "You’re right. You’re completely right, and this bottle isnotgoing to finish itself. Drink up. We can absolutely ignore all of these problems until tomorrow."
Evera and I talked for what felt like hours, sipping champagne in a fancy bar in our strange costumes. Life hadn’t been easy for either of us, but rough times made for good stories with friends. We caught up on the highlights of what had happened in the past year, including the bugs and wrinkles.
I even admitted to her that I’d just left my own crappy job on instinct—as if something had called me out here. It was hard to explain, but Evera seemed to get it. At the very least, she didn’t judge me.
Time flew as we chatted. We moved on from champagne to frozen spicy strawberry margaritas. And then, as we both realized how late it was getting, we hugged each other close, promised to keep in touch, ordered a drink for the road, and went our separate ways. The alcohol had already started to hit me, but I could still walk straight. At least for now.
Carlos, bartender of the year and total sweetheart, put the frozen spicy strawberry margarita into a fancy to-go cup with a spiral straw. I hadn’t realized that a place this fancy would have that. I slipped him an extra tip on top of what Evera gave him. It wasn’t easy working in a place like this, but hopefully, tips on a night like Halloween would make it easier for him.
It really was a busy night. I wandered down a long lobby that connected with another casino, not really caring where I was going so long as I was moving. As I nursed the spicy margarita, I finally found and curled up on a leather-covered bench beneath a tree that might or might not be fake. So many people and I was completely content to disappear.
Oh…maybe not completely. Oh, no. This wasn’t good.
STELLA
Just a few feet away, a tall blond man with brown eyes flashed me a grin that should have set my stomach somersaulting, yet all I did was give him a polite nod back and hope he didn’t come over.
I had no idea why. It wasn’t that I didn’t like men in theory, but I always felt like I was looking for someone in particular and had never managed to spot him.
Just one more item on the list of reasons I didn’t belong here. The question was, where did I belong?
Certainly not here.
I drew my sneakered feet up under me, then remembered I was out in public. Dropping my feet back down, I sighed.
Life sucked. I was in my mid-twenties.
If life hadn't clicked by now, then things were never going to feel right.
Ihlkit!
That made me roll my eyes again. Who even talked like that? Other than me. I didn't even know what "ihlkit" meant. That and a few other phrases like "horns’ sake" and "abyssal damnation" just popped into my mind from time to time as if they were totally normal.
But they weren’t. I wasn't. None of this was.
The blond man sidled closer, smile broadening. His musky cologne wafted through the air, a potent combination of cloves, maple, and some earthy scent I couldn't place. There was nothing wrong with him. He was perfectly fine. Everything about him from his curly hair to his confident stance to his stylish clothes insisted he was at least a decent starting possibility, but instead of feeling drawn to him, I instinctively scooted away.
"Quite a crowd tonight, huh?" he asked, giving an even bigger smile as he tipped his head. Apparently, my unusual attire did nothing to dissuade him.
I gave a small shrug in response, not smiling but not scowling either. My head swam a little from the alcohol.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" He leaned in closer, invading my space.
