Categories > Original > Fantasy > 131 Night End
The tea shop was relatively empty, with a bearded man at the back behind a counter. Jim’s palm felt clammy in Kaylee’s grip, and he kept stumbling, as if he wasn’t used to his feet.
“We’re looking for the Second Star?” Kaylee asked the man behind the counter. Jim began pulling at his hand, trying to wrench it back to his own body instead of being held by hers, but Kaylee gave a hard yank and he cowered behind her.
“Aye. But yeh could get in a lot of trouble for asking such a thing, couldn’t yeh?” the man grumbled.
Kaylee froze. The notion of trouble had never occurred to her. Oh, goodness, she was so far out of her depth, it wasn’t even a joke. She felt Jim squeeze her hand.
“I need to speak to...to somebody there. I’m expected. Somebody there is expecting me?” Kaylee said, uncertainty making her voice raise like a question.
“Oh, you are? Well, why didn’t yeh say so?” the man grinned, showing a lack of front teeth. “I could’ve sooner told yeh No.”
Jim’s hand clenched so tightly and abruptly around Kaylee’s that her tendons cracked. Kaylee emitted a small scream and let go of him. Jim strode forwards, standing as straight as he possibly could - which wasn’t very straight at all.
“Luh-look. I need to find the location of the Second Star, and if yuh-you aren’t willing to help me or...my friend...here, I’ll...I will...” Jim trailed off, evidently not have planned this far.
“Or you’ll what?” asked the man, who was a great deal taller than Jim and certainly much more muscled.
Jim drew himself up and looked the man square in the eyes.
“I will strip the flesh off your bones.”
There was no notes of insincerity or uncertainty in Jim’s voice. Gone was his stammer and his passivity. He no longer looked the part of a shy pariah - now he looked closer to one who had been cast out for a very good reason.
The man took a step back, and mumbled something about someone he had to see, quickly vanishing to the back room of the tea shop.
Jim sank down, slouching once more, hair falling forwards. He looked exhausted.
“Are you feeling okay?” Kaylee asked, holding onto her hurt hand. Jim looked surprised to see that she was still there. “Oh. Oh, yes, yuh-yes, I’m fine. I’m juh-juh-juh-just a little exhausted, that’s all. I’ve been working so hard, ah-ah-and I need to relax.”
Kaylee gave a small smile. “I certainly think so.”
She did not suspect that there was anything wrong with Jim. He was a renowned scientist, and he was brilliant. Jim probably had a short fuse, that’s all.
The man came back and gestured for them to go to the back of the store. Kaylee went first, the beads on her dress clicking together in the silence between Jim’s heavy breathing. The back room was bare, except for a trapdoor that lead down into a well-lit and clean passageway. Normally, Kaylee would not descend a stairway that led somewhere she did not know, but she had a feeling this passageway would lead to answers, or at least, some form of answers, so she steeled herself, screwed her courage to the sticking place, and descended.
The Second Star was down the passage and behind an extremely thick door, guarded by an extremely thick ogre of a man who lacked the wit to be as rude as the first. However, the club itself made up for all the other shortcomings. The walls were painted a dark blue, with heavy black columns running floor to arched ceiling. Bright colored cloths were hung from the ceiling and tacked to walls, giving the joint a more exotic feeling. Bright electric lights shone from the walls and from the ceiling, illuminating the bolts of cloth and the dance floor below them. Liquor flowed, dresses flashed, and the music was loud.
“Wow!” Kaylee gasped. She had never seen so many fashionable shoes in one place before. Jim fidgeted next to her. “I duh-duh-don’t know how to dance. Care to get a drink with me?” he asked nervously, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
“Ab-so-pos-i-lute-ly! What’s your poison?” Kaylee squealed happily, and dragged him to the bar she asked. If she was going to go out and live this life, she might as well play the part fully. Besides, she’d never been drinking before. How on Earth could Connie pass this up? This was fun!
Jim let out a small laugh. “Um. Um. I don’t know?”
“Me neither!”
A bartender sidled over, giving Kaylee a generous once-over.
“What you drinking, baby vamp?” he asked, leering.
“What do you recommend?” Kaylee asked, unaware of where the man’s eyes were resting.
“Bright young thing like yourself? Mint Julep coming right up!”
The bartender grabbed a glass from under the bar, and started adding ice cubes, then gin. “Where you from, girl?” he asked, adding a second liquid to her glass.
“St. Blackwater!” Kaylee responded, mesmerized by her drink and unaware of how tight Jim’s hands were clenched and the vein throbbing in his forehead.
“Classy! Here you are, doll. One mint julep,” the bartender slid the green drink across the counter. “Cash or check?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Jim pushed past Kaylee, spots of color appearing on his uneven cheekbones.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it,” Jim said, and smiled, showing a mouth that seemed a bit too full of teeth. The bartender was not to be cowed so easily, and merely asked, “And for yourself?”
“Highball, if you please.”
Kaylee sipped her Mint Julep cautiously. It tasted like bitterness mixed with strong mint.
She quite liked it.
“What in heaven’s name has gotten into you?” she asked when the bartender had taken Jim’s money and left.
“Muh-me?” Jim asked, taking a swig of his drink and making a face.
“Yes, you! He was just being friendly!”
Jim stared at the wood grain of the bar. “I’m suh-sorry. I’ve been un...under stress. I nuh-nuh-nuh-need to relax,” he explained, and took a sip of his Highball. “I think I’ve made a grave mistake.”
Kaylee moved closer and put a hand on Jim’s back, in between his shoulder blades.
“I’m sure everything will come out sunny, Jim,” she soothed, moving her hand in a small circle. She could feel something underneath the back of his shirt, something ridged and strong and very big. Maybe it was a spinal deformity, and that was responsible for his bad posture. Kaylee decided to not say anything, lest she embarrass him.
“Thank you,” whispered Jim, raising his eyes to make contact with hers. “Will I ever be able to see you again?”
Kaylee smiled. “I don’t see why not.”
Reaching for an abandoned pen a few seats away, Kaylee wrote her address down on a napkin and let Jim do the same. Kaylee picked up her julep and prepared to take another sip when a hand landed heavily on her shoulder.
“Sorry to interrupt you, miss,” said a heavyset dark-skinned man with a mustache who did not sound sorry at all. “But the owner of this establishment wishes to speak with you.”
Kaylee shrugged off his hand and stood up, Jim preparing to follow suit.
“Not you,” the new man said. “Just her. He wants to speak to her. Alone.”
Kaylee kept Jim’s address clenched tightly in one hand, heart thumping in her throat. There was no reason to be afraid. She was brave enough to come this far, so she should be able to go a few more steps. It was only a few more steps. She could do it.
“Where is he, exactly?” asked Kaylee.
“Right this way, miss.”
The man trundled off, Kaylee trailing in his wake.
Jim watched her go, and raised his glass to her back. Catching his reflection in the glass, Jim paled and quickly gulped down the burning rum within.
“We’re looking for the Second Star?” Kaylee asked the man behind the counter. Jim began pulling at his hand, trying to wrench it back to his own body instead of being held by hers, but Kaylee gave a hard yank and he cowered behind her.
“Aye. But yeh could get in a lot of trouble for asking such a thing, couldn’t yeh?” the man grumbled.
Kaylee froze. The notion of trouble had never occurred to her. Oh, goodness, she was so far out of her depth, it wasn’t even a joke. She felt Jim squeeze her hand.
“I need to speak to...to somebody there. I’m expected. Somebody there is expecting me?” Kaylee said, uncertainty making her voice raise like a question.
“Oh, you are? Well, why didn’t yeh say so?” the man grinned, showing a lack of front teeth. “I could’ve sooner told yeh No.”
Jim’s hand clenched so tightly and abruptly around Kaylee’s that her tendons cracked. Kaylee emitted a small scream and let go of him. Jim strode forwards, standing as straight as he possibly could - which wasn’t very straight at all.
“Luh-look. I need to find the location of the Second Star, and if yuh-you aren’t willing to help me or...my friend...here, I’ll...I will...” Jim trailed off, evidently not have planned this far.
“Or you’ll what?” asked the man, who was a great deal taller than Jim and certainly much more muscled.
Jim drew himself up and looked the man square in the eyes.
“I will strip the flesh off your bones.”
There was no notes of insincerity or uncertainty in Jim’s voice. Gone was his stammer and his passivity. He no longer looked the part of a shy pariah - now he looked closer to one who had been cast out for a very good reason.
The man took a step back, and mumbled something about someone he had to see, quickly vanishing to the back room of the tea shop.
Jim sank down, slouching once more, hair falling forwards. He looked exhausted.
“Are you feeling okay?” Kaylee asked, holding onto her hurt hand. Jim looked surprised to see that she was still there. “Oh. Oh, yes, yuh-yes, I’m fine. I’m juh-juh-juh-just a little exhausted, that’s all. I’ve been working so hard, ah-ah-and I need to relax.”
Kaylee gave a small smile. “I certainly think so.”
She did not suspect that there was anything wrong with Jim. He was a renowned scientist, and he was brilliant. Jim probably had a short fuse, that’s all.
The man came back and gestured for them to go to the back of the store. Kaylee went first, the beads on her dress clicking together in the silence between Jim’s heavy breathing. The back room was bare, except for a trapdoor that lead down into a well-lit and clean passageway. Normally, Kaylee would not descend a stairway that led somewhere she did not know, but she had a feeling this passageway would lead to answers, or at least, some form of answers, so she steeled herself, screwed her courage to the sticking place, and descended.
The Second Star was down the passage and behind an extremely thick door, guarded by an extremely thick ogre of a man who lacked the wit to be as rude as the first. However, the club itself made up for all the other shortcomings. The walls were painted a dark blue, with heavy black columns running floor to arched ceiling. Bright colored cloths were hung from the ceiling and tacked to walls, giving the joint a more exotic feeling. Bright electric lights shone from the walls and from the ceiling, illuminating the bolts of cloth and the dance floor below them. Liquor flowed, dresses flashed, and the music was loud.
“Wow!” Kaylee gasped. She had never seen so many fashionable shoes in one place before. Jim fidgeted next to her. “I duh-duh-don’t know how to dance. Care to get a drink with me?” he asked nervously, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
“Ab-so-pos-i-lute-ly! What’s your poison?” Kaylee squealed happily, and dragged him to the bar she asked. If she was going to go out and live this life, she might as well play the part fully. Besides, she’d never been drinking before. How on Earth could Connie pass this up? This was fun!
Jim let out a small laugh. “Um. Um. I don’t know?”
“Me neither!”
A bartender sidled over, giving Kaylee a generous once-over.
“What you drinking, baby vamp?” he asked, leering.
“What do you recommend?” Kaylee asked, unaware of where the man’s eyes were resting.
“Bright young thing like yourself? Mint Julep coming right up!”
The bartender grabbed a glass from under the bar, and started adding ice cubes, then gin. “Where you from, girl?” he asked, adding a second liquid to her glass.
“St. Blackwater!” Kaylee responded, mesmerized by her drink and unaware of how tight Jim’s hands were clenched and the vein throbbing in his forehead.
“Classy! Here you are, doll. One mint julep,” the bartender slid the green drink across the counter. “Cash or check?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Jim pushed past Kaylee, spots of color appearing on his uneven cheekbones.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it,” Jim said, and smiled, showing a mouth that seemed a bit too full of teeth. The bartender was not to be cowed so easily, and merely asked, “And for yourself?”
“Highball, if you please.”
Kaylee sipped her Mint Julep cautiously. It tasted like bitterness mixed with strong mint.
She quite liked it.
“What in heaven’s name has gotten into you?” she asked when the bartender had taken Jim’s money and left.
“Muh-me?” Jim asked, taking a swig of his drink and making a face.
“Yes, you! He was just being friendly!”
Jim stared at the wood grain of the bar. “I’m suh-sorry. I’ve been un...under stress. I nuh-nuh-nuh-need to relax,” he explained, and took a sip of his Highball. “I think I’ve made a grave mistake.”
Kaylee moved closer and put a hand on Jim’s back, in between his shoulder blades.
“I’m sure everything will come out sunny, Jim,” she soothed, moving her hand in a small circle. She could feel something underneath the back of his shirt, something ridged and strong and very big. Maybe it was a spinal deformity, and that was responsible for his bad posture. Kaylee decided to not say anything, lest she embarrass him.
“Thank you,” whispered Jim, raising his eyes to make contact with hers. “Will I ever be able to see you again?”
Kaylee smiled. “I don’t see why not.”
Reaching for an abandoned pen a few seats away, Kaylee wrote her address down on a napkin and let Jim do the same. Kaylee picked up her julep and prepared to take another sip when a hand landed heavily on her shoulder.
“Sorry to interrupt you, miss,” said a heavyset dark-skinned man with a mustache who did not sound sorry at all. “But the owner of this establishment wishes to speak with you.”
Kaylee shrugged off his hand and stood up, Jim preparing to follow suit.
“Not you,” the new man said. “Just her. He wants to speak to her. Alone.”
Kaylee kept Jim’s address clenched tightly in one hand, heart thumping in her throat. There was no reason to be afraid. She was brave enough to come this far, so she should be able to go a few more steps. It was only a few more steps. She could do it.
“Where is he, exactly?” asked Kaylee.
“Right this way, miss.”
The man trundled off, Kaylee trailing in his wake.
Jim watched her go, and raised his glass to her back. Catching his reflection in the glass, Jim paled and quickly gulped down the burning rum within.
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