Roxx's Role
She looked at her reflection in the mirror while she attached the clip-on tie at the collar of her white shirt. She knew she wasn't a pretty girl. Some would say plain others may go as far as calling her butch. She shrugged her shoulders, flexing the muscles hidden under the dinner jacket. Some days it bothered her that she wasn't the petite cute type of girl, other days she was glad of her size and strength. Topping out at six feet two inches with shoulders made wide from too many hours doing weights, boxing and jujitsu, she knew there wasn't an ounce of spare fat on her body, and she didn't have to starve herself to keep it that way.
Besides, working in one of the busiest LGBT clubs in Manchester as security it was useful to be big and strong. Not that there was a lot of trouble, the occasional drunkard, a small fight now and then. There had been that time a stag party caused a stir because they hadn't realised it was an LGBT or so they said... the place was called The Rainbow, and everything was decorated with different pride rainbow patterns. Fortunately, the security team were always sensible, and the group were quickly removed via one of the side exits.
As head of security, she was very proud that no one had ever received an injury worse than a cut lip and wounded pride whilst being escorted out. And the cut lip had been an unfortunate clash of heads.
She ran long strong fingers ran through the straight cut bleached white hair that covered the right side of her head, the left side being clipped down to a few millimetres of stubble. Most people thought the style was just how she wanted it, but in truth, it had all been the same length until she had experienced a mental breakdown following the sudden death of her parents six years previously. Having been an only child and had grown up very close to them, losing her mother to cancer, then her father to suicide a few weeks after, had left her at a total loss. Then trying to cope with the legalities of funerals and lack of wills logged with the solicitors had proven too much. She had got extremely drunk, shaved all her hair off then climbed into the bath with a razor blade in her hand and opened a cut on her arm. The saving grace had been that she was so drunk she had missed any major blood vessel and she awoke hours later hungover in a bath of cold bloody water.
The cut had required a hospital visit to be stitched and her hair began to regrow, although she kept one side clipped down, in memory of her parents and how vulnerable she had become with their passing. Of course, tonight was the anniversary of that night, and the memories were floating very close to the surface, she had originally planned to take the evening off, but her boss and closest friend Lucy Morgan had phoned in the middle of the afternoon and pleaded with her to come to work. She gave in fairly quickly, she hadn't wanted to be in company, but didn't really wanting to be on her own either.
The deep dark brown eyes that stared back at her from the mirror brimmed with tears. Hastily she wiped them away, it was going to be a busy night, there was a new girl working the bar to check on before they opened, and she needed to be focused.
She took a deep breath and let the mask of casual cheerfulness drop over her face.
"Game time Rox." She told the reflection and walked away from the mirror.
Roxanne left the staff bathroom and walked briskly down the short corridor to the manager's office. It was part of her routine that she chatted with Lucy before opening, more so that Lucy was not only her boss, but her closest friend and the two had made it a habit to sit and chat for a short time before business commenced. Roxie had lost count of the number of times they had supported each other through the years, they both had joked more than once they were closer than sisters.
Giving a polite rap on the door, Roxie stepped into Lucy's office. As normal Lucy was sat at her desk amidst a whirlpool of calm chaos, a steaming mug of some fragrant tea, probably homemade, clasped in one hand and a fist full of paperwork in the other. She looked up as Roxie entered the office, a warm grin gracing her face.
For a moment the fixed smile on Roxie's face became genuine, Lucy always brought out the best in her, and a few minutes conversation with her was a guaranteed mood lift.
"Hi babe." Lucy greeted. "Glad you decided to come in, honestly I have a crap ton of things to do, and we have the new girl starting tonight. Really didn't relish the idea of not having my right hand here."
The words leapt from Lucy's mouth like river, as always, her enthusiasm fuelling her conversation. So alike Roxie in so many ways, yet so different in many others she mused silently. Still her grin widened, it was impossible to be near Lucy and not be cheerful. She exuded energy from the long dark brown hair that dropped over her shoulders in tight waves, to the Dr Marten boots that Roxie had never seen her without.
"You know me babe, always on hand in a crisis." Roxie replied, her voice soft and calm.
"You're using your official voice Rox. You know the one you save for when you are controlling your emotions." Lucy commented a slight expression of concern replacing the humorous one. "Are you sure you're okay to work?"
Roxie breathed out slowly. holding back the ragged emotions inside her. It was impossible to hide her true feelings from Lucy.
"Been better hun." She replied. "But better to have something to do than be sat at home on my own."
Standing and moving around the desk, Lucy placed her arms around Roxie's waist, hugging the taller woman tightly, her head coming up to just under Roxie's chin.
"It does get easier with time babe. You've just got to look after yourself." She reassured.
Being a lot more awkward at personal contact Roxie tensed a little, then after a few moments, relaxed and returned the hug. Her eyes misting over slightly.
"If you weren't into guys and weren't with someone, I would marry you tomorrow." Roxie told her with a voice that deepened as she struggled to speak.
"You would hate me inside twenty-four hours."
"I could never hate you." Roxie replied automatically. This same scenario had been played out a hundred times with the same words. It was this type of conversation that bound them together, closer than friends, more understanding than siblings. Platonic soul mates.
A knock sounded at the door and the two women parted and turned as someone else entered the office, Lucy towards the door, Roxie away as she hastily wiped her eyes to clear the tears that had gathered there.
The newcomer smiled confidently. "Lucy Morgan?" A light voice with maybe a hint of a Scottish accent asked.
"Me." Lucy replied her exuberant demeanour returning immediately. "You must be Isla McKellar."
"Hello, yes. I was told to speak to you for the welcome tour." The girl's voice was smooth and even and definitely Scottish in origin.
Lucy, tactile as ever placed her arm around the younger girl's shoulder. "Great, Isla this is Roxanne Devon, our head of security. She will be showing you around."
Fixing her fake smile back in place, and silently cursing Lucy for lumbering her with showing the new girl around, Roxie turned around. Just for a moment she could have sworn something had removed all the air from the room.
