Sloan put the finishing touches on her hair and make-up in her only mirror, a huge, heavy wooden antique she leaned against her wall. She smoothed the skirt of her backless black cocktail dress, her bare thighs showing under the fluffy full skirt.
"Whoa, mama," her roommate hooted as she stopped in the doorway. "You did a good job. Very much like Betty Page."
"Thanks, Jill. You sure you don't want to come with me?"
"I have class tomorrow, so I'm going to pass."
"Well, I'm going to be coming in pretty late, so I'll do my best to stay quiet for you."
"Oh don't bother. I'm going to give out candy for a little while, then I'm going to Sarah's to watch Becca. She and Martin want a Halloween to themselves."
"You're a good aunt. I'm off to the streetcar. Have a fun night with Becca and I'll catch you later." Sloan stuffed her ID, cash, house key, lip gloss, and cell phone in her bra, which was not incredibly full, but just enough to hold the essentials for a night in the French Quarter. While waiting for the streetcar at the stop, she spotted a few kids in costume walking with their parents as the sun was starting to set. Once the streetcar came and she climbed aboard, she and a few strangers in costume exchanged compliments and a few laughs on their way to the crowded heart of the Crescent City.
With each stop, the streetcar collected more and more passengers, and as Sloan was caught up telling the woman next to her about her favorite bakery, three guys dressed as gangsters with pinstripe pants, suspenders, and fedoras sat in the seats across from her, granting both sides a view of the other. Sloan wasn't looking across from her at these three men, but while his two friends had an argument about the plot of a cheesy horror movie, their third musketeer was staring at her from behind his sunglasses. He was slender, but somewhat built, as was evident by his muscular forearms, with dark brown hair to the nape of his neck. It wasn't until she got the feeling that someone was watching her did she even think to look in his direction. Seeing this guy so relaxed, leaning back in his seat, seeming to glare in at least her direction. She looked behind her and at the people to either side of her. He didn't move at all.
Getting just a little creeped out, she asked him, interrupting his friends' argument, "I'm sorry, but, are you staring at me?"
The dude just smiled. "A little bit, yeah." This took her back, just his pure honesty. But then again, he didn't have to gawk at her. "I apologize," he said taking off the glasses, showing his grey-green eyes. "I just haven't seen a Betty Page costume before. You did a good job."
"Well, thanks," she said, trying not to smile too widely. Didn't want to let him read too much into her gratitude for the compliment.
"What are your plans for Halloween?" At this point, his friends were watching in amazement. This guy wants to show off how much pussy he can get. Well he won't start here.
"Look, thanks for the compliment, but I don't know you, dude. So, have a good night, and enjoy your stay in New Orleans." She pulled the stop cord and started to get up.
"I'm not a tourist. I live uptown." the guy said, with just a little snark.
"I still don't know you. Bye."
As she walked away in the wake of other streetcar riders' sounds of embarrassment for the guy so publicly shot down, she did hear him say after her, "My name is Dorian."
"So long, Dorian!" she called back with a wave.
She was about four blocks farther from One-Eyed Jack's than she normally stopped, but a little walking in heels never hurt anyone, she thought. She greeted the bouncer, who recognized her immediately, got her orange wristband and went through the double doors and onto the vibrating dance floor. She flirted a little with a few people, and got a few free drinks out of it, but after about a half hour of conversation with each gave up again and again. They all either had the personality of a rock, or would not stop dropping painfully obvious sexual innuendo instead of actually conversing. After hopping from club to club with no further expectations of finding anyone to connect with, Sloan found she was actually having a much better time. She danced with a few guys, one of which was very skilled, but also very grabby. An elbow in the ribs was enough to get him to back off.
While all the costumes and craziness of Halloween in the French Quarter still seemed like a lot of fun, she was still by herself, and obviously wasn't having any luck finding a halfway decent person to talk to for the evening. And it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. Maybe I should just go home and watch some zombie movies, she thought to herself. Slamming back the rest of her drink, she walked outside and reapplied her lip gloss, only to drop it on the ground. As she bent to pick it up, she noticed two leather shoes in front of her. Looking up, she saw that same fedora and pair of shades.
"You again." she said, a little disdainfully. "I really hope you didn't follow me."
He giggled, "No, but I saw you as I was walking up to the door."