The bar offered little comfort as she sat in the dimly lit corner. Her deep green eyes averted from every glance that might happen her way. Her hands that while delicate held a strength in them of someone who has had to take care of herself for quite some time now, straightened her dress. That dress, a short black number fit a bit too tight, secondhand store clothes never did fit right. It was quiet in the bar that evening, a few regulars coming and going but nothing extraordinary. She herself was not a regular but sitting in a strange bar sure beat sitting out on the streets.
The door would open and close flooding the small bar with light from the setting sun before closing once more to plunge the room back to dim shadows. Every time that door opened she would watch the new patron with mild interest, her thoughts wondering to what they did for a living or where they lived. The door opened again and when her eyes adjusted back to be able to see who entered again, her interest was more than mild. He was tall and very handsome, the epitome of the "tall-dark-and-handsome" type. His hair was long, just past his shoulders and was as black as midnight. He walked with an air of authority as he made his way to the bar.
If he turned just to his left he would see her blatantly staring at him so she did her best to sneak glances at him as he was handed a beer. It was obvious from the way he spoke to the barkeep that he was a regular around here. The handsome man and the bartender laughed back and fourth about something she couldn't quite hear. A few words would float over to her every now and then above the din of the jukebox that played endlessly.
"How's things at the precinct?" The barkeep asked. Oh dear lord he is a cop! She thought to herself. For some reason that made her nervous. Often as she moved from place to place in town she was stopped by the police and suspected to be a hooker. Dressed, as she was this evening, in a tight short black dress complete with thigh high stockings and high-heeled shoes, well she would have a tough time explaining how she wasn't a hooker. Her hopes were dashed of even meeting the tall-dark-and-handsome man, even though she wasn't really there to meet a guy.
Jenny felt that if she could dress up and sit in a place that she couldn't even afford a glass of beer at, that she was escaping her hopeless situation, if just for a little while. Her philosophy was that if she didn't look homeless... she wasn't, or at least she could pretend.
Slender fingers twirled a strand of wavy red hair between them as she turned to watch a couple dancing in front of the jukebox. They moved in rhythm with the music, their bodies close together, their lips meeting every now ant then. Jenny sighed wishing that someone wanted to dance with her like that.
Suddenly there was movement beside her and a tall curvy glass filled with a red frozen concoction was set before her. She was about to say she didn't order anything when she looked up at who had delivered the drink. Her heart just about stopped in her chest. The tall-dark-handsome- man stood there smiling down at her.
"Hi there. Thought you might like this. You look like a daiquiri girl to me." He smiled sending lightning bolts to her heart as her brain had a melt down.
"Oh ... uhh... thanks." She stammered sounding like a drink was the last thing she needed. Coming to her wits she managed a warm smile to him.
"You new around here? I don't remember seeing you here before."
His cop instincts taking over with the questioning until he realized what he was doing.
"Sorry, I'm Eric."
He blushed slightly adding to his charming look.
"Nice to meet you Erik. I'm Jenny. Yea, I'm... new around here." Jenny lied a bit. She wasn't new to the neighborhood but she was new to the bar so it was only a slight lie.
"Sorry to intrude. A pretty lady sitting by herself... well I just thought I'd say hello." He moved as if he was going to leave or something so Jenny jumped to her senses quickly. "Oh don't worry. Nothing to intrude upon. You can join me if you like?" She nodded to the empty chair beside her.
His smile would light up a room at her invitation. He thought she was distractingly beautiful with her heart shaped face, framed in red waves. Her eyes that were round and deep seemed to pull him in with every glance. Pulling out the chair he sat and began the habit of questioning again.
"You live around here? Got someone expecting you home?" OK so that wasn't such a subtle way of asking if she was attached but he thought it might work anyhow.
Jenny giggled slightly at him and that giggle sounded like soft wind chime in the breeze to his ears.
"No, no one at home." She smiled in a slight laugh as she spoke. She was tempted to add out of irony, no home either, but she didn't. She raised her drink to her lips and looked at him through thick dark lashes and over the rim of her glass. Her empty stomach protested the addition of alcohol but she ignored the sensations that found her fast.
He nodded with a smile as she sipped his beer he had brought along too.
"What about you? Family waiting at home for your return?" She ventured to throw his same line of questioning back at him.
He chuckled and shook his head, "Nope. Married only to my work as sad as that is. My cats might be waiting for me though." His smile genuine as his eyes connected with hers once more.
They chatted about this and that, nothing too deep but they both felt the spark between them.
"Say..." Erik paused for a moment as if not quite sure how she would respond. "What do you say to going to grab a bite to eat?" He looked hopeful to her.
Jenny began to smile at the invitation but hesitated. She wondered if he was going to pay because she didn't have a dime to her name at the moment. As if sensing her worry Erik spoke up, "How 'bout we go to my place? I can whip up a mean spaghetti and we can talk without the noise of a place." He hoped he didn't sound like he was desperate or was asking her to sleep with him though he had to admit the idea had crossed his mind, he was a man after all.
Jenny had really enjoyed the talk they had been having and she did want to continue it but going to his place sounded a bit risky. She reminded herself that he was a cop and that maybe it was ok. Soon she had convinced herself that it would actually be fun to have him cook for her and boy was she hungry.
" All right." She nodded and smiled to him.
"Great. Do you want to drive and follow me or ride with me?" He asked.
"Umm... I'll just ride with you." She didn't add that she had no car to follow him in. Smiling he stood and waited for her to stand also. Reaching behind her chair Jenny grabbed her ever present, scruffy backpack that was filled to the brim and followed Erik out the door. He showed her to his small Chevy pickup and opened the door for her.
Sliding into the truck in her short dress did little to hide the fact that she wore thigh high black stockings, a prize possession of Jenny's.
Jenny thought that she looked elegant in them and she couldn't help but notice Erik's reaction as he caught a glimpse of the lace tops of the stockings.
Closing her door she watched him as he slid into the drivers side. Sitting so close to him did little to settle the jumpy feeling in her stomach as he drove off to his apartment building. The drive was short to arrive at a moderately nice set of apartments. Leaving the truck in his spot Erik showed Jenny to his door and opened it allowing her to enter first.
As he flipped on the light she took in the noticeably bachelor apartment. A worn couch and matching chair, a bookcase filled with books and a small entertainment center were just about the only inhabitants of the room. Suddenly she felt something at her ankles, Looking down Jenny saw a beautiful calico cat.
"Oh aren't you a pretty kitty." She cooed as she bent down to scoop the kitty in her arms. Erik smiled and headed for the kitchen to begin cooking.
"Make yourself at home. Have a seat of turn on the tube if you want."
Jenny set the kitty down on the couch and went to the bookcase. Her fingers glided over various titles and she wondered at the erotic sounding titles of some of the volumes. She was too sleepy for reading and television wasn't interesting to her.
She heard his efforts in the kitchen and slowly moved to where she was leaning at the doorframe watching him. He was stirring the sauce when he caught her watching him. Bringing the large spoonful to his lips he tasted it then moved to hold it out for her to taste.
"Try it, tell me what you think."