Jolene ground her back against the support bar of what passed for a chair
in an all-night diner of questionable reputation and even more questionable
food quality. It was a vain attempt to satiate the itch on her spine that
had been her constant companion for the past hour. Surrendering to the itch
and disgusted with her inability to take her eyes away from the swirling
vortex of cold coffee that occupied her filthy brown mug, she attempted to
reinitiate conversation with the dark figure sitting across from her.
"You probably think I'm crazy." She all but whispered to the head-shaped
shadow that coasted around the table's marble surface like a slow moving
cobra.
"Just a little bit." From his tone of voice, Jolene was certain that Eli
was smiling. "To be honest, I didn't even realize that my number is
listed." Had Jolene been listening a little more closely, she might have
detected a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I don't normally call strangers in the middle of the night, but."
"Your apartment is actually nowhere near here and you had no money and no
one to call for a ride."
Jolene tried to smile. "If you were anymore intuitive, I'd accuse you of
being psychic."
"Not psychic, ma'am. Just immortal." Eli's attempted humor caused the
smallest shred of comfort wash over Jolene, such that she forced herself to
look up into the man's face. She couldn't quite explain it, but there was a
strange sort of beauty to his chalk-white face. Almost angelic, she
thought. His eyes were still hidden behind oversized sunglasses, but Jolene
was willing to bet anything that they were a deep blue.
"I tried calling home, but my fian. roommate" Ex-fiancé "Either isn't home
or isn't picking up." Probably busy fucking the uterus out of The Bitch.
"You'll have to excuse my prying nature, but do I detect a hint of
bitterness there?" Eli asked, as if he hadn't interpreted the first half of
the word "fiancé".
"Now I know you're psychic." Jolene said dryly.
"Or else I can just see the huge scowl plastered across your face." Jolene
blushed, she sometimes forgot her face's tendency to broadcast her emotions
for all the world to see.
"He cheated on me a month ago." She whispered, loudly.
"Ouch."
"With my best friend."
"Double ouch."
"Now we're. on a break."
"But still living together?"
Jolene shrugged. "Separate rooms. He's supposed to move out by the end of.
last month. My mother told me never to date a man named 'Leslie.'"
Eli's wry tone was the only sign of amusement he showed. "Sounds like a
super guy."
Jolene sighed heavily, "That's what I used to think. I guess you can never
really know anything for sure."
Eli smiled, to Jolene it seemed that his mind was suddenly elsewhere,
somewhere sad; despite his expression. "You know something, Jolene? That's
just about the most intelligent thing I've heard all day." It wasn't
surprising, seeing as how the day had just begun.
Jolene smiled back, slowly dropping the corners of her mouth as her gaze
shifted down to Eli's mug, his knuckles white on the handle. Her smile was
gone completely when she followed the trail of veins on his pale skin back
to his wrist, where a clean white bandage was wrapped tightly around it
several times. The blood she saw dripping in the cab must have been
Jolene's imagination, it must have been!
"Can I ask what happened to your wrists?" She asked, cautiously.
With a flinch, Eli sobered up instantly. "You can ask."
There was a pause before Jolene realized that he actually meant for her to
ask, and she couldn't help but to chuckle softly at the subtle humor. "Ok.
what happened to your wrists?"
"Suicide." The flatness of Eli's voice efficiently killed off the faint air
of amusement Jolene had been feeding from.
"Oh." Jolene wasn't sure what to say other than that, but she didn't think
she could handle another awkward silence. "I guess it didn't work." Jolene
cringed on the inside, That's what I get for opening my stupid mouth
without thinking!
"Guess so." Eli stated, dry as ever. Jolene felt instantly worse, bowing
her head to hide the burning roses that were imprinting themselves on her
cheeks.
When it first rang, Jolene was grateful for the distraction of the bell
heralding new arrivals to the forsaken restaurant, but her heart sank down
the bottom of her left heel when both of the stone-faced men who entered
instantly met her eyes and walked rigidly to her table.
"Jolene Russell?" The older looking of the duo growled.
"Yes?" She replied, barely audible.
Her heart jumped clear out of her shoe and dug a ditch into the floor as
the man flourished a badge. "You're under arrest for the murder of Leslie
O'Hara. You have the right to remain silent."
As the officers guided Jolene from her chair and slipped cuffs onto her
wrists, she looked frantically at Eli. His face was unreadable, but his
lips were moving. As Jolene allowed herself to be dragged towards the door,
she was positive that she heard a muttered curse and the word "Satan."
in an all-night diner of questionable reputation and even more questionable
food quality. It was a vain attempt to satiate the itch on her spine that
had been her constant companion for the past hour. Surrendering to the itch
and disgusted with her inability to take her eyes away from the swirling
vortex of cold coffee that occupied her filthy brown mug, she attempted to
reinitiate conversation with the dark figure sitting across from her.
"You probably think I'm crazy." She all but whispered to the head-shaped
shadow that coasted around the table's marble surface like a slow moving
cobra.
"Just a little bit." From his tone of voice, Jolene was certain that Eli
was smiling. "To be honest, I didn't even realize that my number is
listed." Had Jolene been listening a little more closely, she might have
detected a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I don't normally call strangers in the middle of the night, but."
"Your apartment is actually nowhere near here and you had no money and no
one to call for a ride."
Jolene tried to smile. "If you were anymore intuitive, I'd accuse you of
being psychic."
"Not psychic, ma'am. Just immortal." Eli's attempted humor caused the
smallest shred of comfort wash over Jolene, such that she forced herself to
look up into the man's face. She couldn't quite explain it, but there was a
strange sort of beauty to his chalk-white face. Almost angelic, she
thought. His eyes were still hidden behind oversized sunglasses, but Jolene
was willing to bet anything that they were a deep blue.
"I tried calling home, but my fian. roommate" Ex-fiancé "Either isn't home
or isn't picking up." Probably busy fucking the uterus out of The Bitch.
"You'll have to excuse my prying nature, but do I detect a hint of
bitterness there?" Eli asked, as if he hadn't interpreted the first half of
the word "fiancé".
"Now I know you're psychic." Jolene said dryly.
"Or else I can just see the huge scowl plastered across your face." Jolene
blushed, she sometimes forgot her face's tendency to broadcast her emotions
for all the world to see.
"He cheated on me a month ago." She whispered, loudly.
"Ouch."
"With my best friend."
"Double ouch."
"Now we're. on a break."
"But still living together?"
Jolene shrugged. "Separate rooms. He's supposed to move out by the end of.
last month. My mother told me never to date a man named 'Leslie.'"
Eli's wry tone was the only sign of amusement he showed. "Sounds like a
super guy."
Jolene sighed heavily, "That's what I used to think. I guess you can never
really know anything for sure."
Eli smiled, to Jolene it seemed that his mind was suddenly elsewhere,
somewhere sad; despite his expression. "You know something, Jolene? That's
just about the most intelligent thing I've heard all day." It wasn't
surprising, seeing as how the day had just begun.
Jolene smiled back, slowly dropping the corners of her mouth as her gaze
shifted down to Eli's mug, his knuckles white on the handle. Her smile was
gone completely when she followed the trail of veins on his pale skin back
to his wrist, where a clean white bandage was wrapped tightly around it
several times. The blood she saw dripping in the cab must have been
Jolene's imagination, it must have been!
"Can I ask what happened to your wrists?" She asked, cautiously.
With a flinch, Eli sobered up instantly. "You can ask."
There was a pause before Jolene realized that he actually meant for her to
ask, and she couldn't help but to chuckle softly at the subtle humor. "Ok.
what happened to your wrists?"
"Suicide." The flatness of Eli's voice efficiently killed off the faint air
of amusement Jolene had been feeding from.
"Oh." Jolene wasn't sure what to say other than that, but she didn't think
she could handle another awkward silence. "I guess it didn't work." Jolene
cringed on the inside, That's what I get for opening my stupid mouth
without thinking!
"Guess so." Eli stated, dry as ever. Jolene felt instantly worse, bowing
her head to hide the burning roses that were imprinting themselves on her
cheeks.
When it first rang, Jolene was grateful for the distraction of the bell
heralding new arrivals to the forsaken restaurant, but her heart sank down
the bottom of her left heel when both of the stone-faced men who entered
instantly met her eyes and walked rigidly to her table.
"Jolene Russell?" The older looking of the duo growled.
"Yes?" She replied, barely audible.
Her heart jumped clear out of her shoe and dug a ditch into the floor as
the man flourished a badge. "You're under arrest for the murder of Leslie
O'Hara. You have the right to remain silent."
As the officers guided Jolene from her chair and slipped cuffs onto her
wrists, she looked frantically at Eli. His face was unreadable, but his
lips were moving. As Jolene allowed herself to be dragged towards the door,
she was positive that she heard a muttered curse and the word "Satan."