A Night at Tears of Crimson

by Hughes, Michelle

  She dried off quickly and found her favorite rose scented lotion. She remembered vividly the day she found it in a little shop in New Orleans, only a few weeks after she arrived here. It was the same fragrance that her granny used to wear and it had made her eyes fill with tears just thinking of her. Refusing to let depression fill her heart, she dried her long chestnut hair, it hung down to her waist almost. Usually she kept it pulled up in a ponytail but tonight she decided to leave it hanging loose. Taking her time, she applied her make-up artfully, it was a trick she was taught by one of her girlfriends back in Alabama, who had always wanted to be a cosmetologist. She put on a light red gloss to her lips and a soft rose to her ivory cheeks. Maybe if she blushed tonight it wouldn't be so apparent, she thought to herself.

  Sliding on her favorite bra, the one that pushed up her full breasts and made them look like they were even larger, she thought it definitely couldn't hurt her chances on getting more tips. She even slid on her favorite silky underwear, knowing no one else would see that, it still made her feel pretty. Putting on her uniform, she stood back looking in the mirror. She didn't look too bad, she thought. The red really pulled out the highlights in her hair and the shirt definitely showed off her breasts to their best advantage. The skirt made her firm legs look longer than her normal 5'4 inch height.

  She thought about shoes for a few minutes before opting to wear her flat dress shoes. These were definitely comfortable enough to walk around all night and still looked good with the black mini skirt. Normally, she would have thrown on some heels to make her look taller, but comfort was going to be better for work. She still had a few hours before her shift, and decided to grab a bite to eat. There wasn't a fridge in her room so she had to eat out when hungry. Grabbing a small black purse and her keys, she headed to her SUV.

  She decided to visit her favorite shrimp house. The place reminded her of home and had quite a few references to one of her favorite movies about a guy from Alabama. Every time she walked in this place it made her smile. It really wasn't that she was missing her hometown, but it was interesting to be surrounded by things that seemed somewhat familiar.

  The waiter seated her and she listened as he went through the whole routine about how to get his attention. He handed her a menu and ran off to get the next people waiting to be seated. He came back a few minutes later and asked her what she wanted to drink. She ordered a coke and quickly told him she was having the shrimp and grits. It was her favorite dish here, and they did it with a skill that she knew she'd never be able to master.

  The waiter came back with order faster than she was expecting. She ate her food in leisure, enjoying every bite. This was how she would eat every night if she had the choice. Most nights it was crackers and a ham spread because eating out was just too expensive. She waved the waiter over, not wanting to be late for her first night of work. It was so exciting, she thought, and a little unnerving thinking about her new job.

  “So you work at that new vampire club?” He handed her the ticket enclosed in the little leather holder and waited for her answer. He's heard that the place was pretty wild.

  “Tonight is my first night,” she told him politely, “you should stop by later.”

  “A few of my friends have already decided to do that tonight,” he smiled thinking that he'd definitely like to get to know this sexy lady better.

  “Look forward to seeing you then,” she put the money inside the holder and told him to keep the change. With a smile she made her way outside and found her SUV.

  Tears of Crimson was about a twenty minute drive from the restaurant although it was only a few blocks away by foot. The streets were packed with tourists that pretty much made driving almost impossible.

  She pulled in to the back entrance, seeing a door on the building marked employees. Walking in, she found herself in a well decorated lounge. This was definitely nice for an employee area, she thought to herself as she looked around. There were two black leather sofas with matching recliners, a large screen television, a full fridge, stove and dining table with chairs. There were two ladies dressed similar to me sitting at the table and they glanced up with welcoming smiles.

  “You must be Cara?” the tallest woman of the two stood up, extending a perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Rachel," she glanced to the small blonde who stood up, "and this is Angela.”

  Cara accepted her hand and shook it gently while nodding with a quick smile. “Very nice to meet you both,” she told them. Rachel looked like she should be on the cover of Vogue with her exotic looks. Her hair was very short, chick and jet black. Her features were incredibly beautiful, she thought, especially the color of her deep green eyes and full red lips. Angela was extremely petite, with shoulder length golden hair and deep blue eyes and was also very beautiful.

  “So you’re going to be shadowing me tonight,” Rachel said with a smile, “I'll make sure by the end of the shift that you know everything.”

  Angela laughed robustly, “Which means she's going to work your ass off,” she translated lightly trying to control her humor and be serious, and failing miserably.

  Rachel rolled her eyes and Cara instantly liked her, “Just because you’re lazy as hell doesn't mean I work people to death,” she laughed warmly and it was easy to tell the two were longtime friends.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that”, Angela joked around. “So how long you been in the city, Cara?” Angela asked curiously.

  “Six months,” she said softly, “I tried singing in the square but that just wasn't really paying her bills, so I'm glad to have something full time.”

  “So you're a singer?” Angela questioned, seeming pretty impressed.

  Cara nodded her answer and Angela smiled warmly before speaking. “I always wished I had some talent like that.”

  “Jobs are scarce around here lately, “Rachel replied with her own smile. “I have a degree in psychology and work in a club,” she laughed derisively.

  Cara couldn't help the sympathy that found her eyes, because she was wished she could have landed a musical job herself.

  “Hey, I make more money waiting tables than I ever would with social services,” Rachel winked. “Stick with me you'll be making more money than you thought possible.”

  “That would be great, trying to get out of this crappy room I'm renting here,” she told her frankly.

  “Where are you staying at?” Angela questioned and Cara could tell right away she always asked or said what was on her mind. As she told her the name of the place Angela made a grim face. “Yeah you've definitely got to find something better,” her smile made the sting of her words less hurtful.

  “Alright, enough chatting ladies,” Rachel stated with a smile, “time to make the boss some cash.”

  Rachel led her out to the main bar area and showed her where to pick up the drinks and food. She was only given a brief introduction to the cook Dante, and Anthony again. Before long, Cara felt like she had enough information stored inside her brain that it would likely explode. It wasn't that this was a hard job, she thought to herself, but when you're new it's a little tough trying to remember exactly how to do things in the right protocol.

  “Remember to smile even when someone’s being an asshole, and that this is just a job,” Rachel told her after they had dealt with a real jerk of a customer.

  When that ‘asshole’ left that night he gave Rachel a hundred dollar tip. “You never know who you're good tipper is going to be, so I don’t take anything personally,” she informed Cara. “Now if someone puts their hands on you that you don't deal with. Rafe has very strong rules about that and you need to put the patron in their place immediately, understood?”

  She nodded in understanding and Rachel smiled back warmly. The customers here were very different than ones Cara had waited on at the other place she had worked. Mostly they were interested in the person they were with, but she could see appreciative glances here and there from those that weren't with a partner. The odd thing was
that the patrons were actually very respectful and even though they were drinking there were few if any lewd comments.

  There were a lot of things that weren't what she expected to see, like the people drinking each other’s blood or making out passionately in the booths. Those were the tough ones for her. Rachel waited until they were out of ear shot of the customers, and then explained. She told her that many of them had their fangs implanted because of their lifestyle. Rachel reminded Cara that even if she found it weird, to make sure she never showed that reaction on her face. After a few hours Cara felt she had trained herself to not show any shock at what she was seeing.

  It was easy for Cara to see that everything was very consensual, which she assumed it would have to be for Rafe to keep his doors open. There were several times during the night that she found herself wondering what it felt like to have someone bite you. Having never been interested in pain, she found it odd that her thoughts were heading in that direction. For reasons, she couldn't understand it felt like when she saw the people engaging in these acts it pulled her in, making her want to share in their experiences. The thought frightened her and she struggled to put it to the back of her mind. Determined to focus more on her job she continued to learn from Rachel.

  About two hours into the shift Rachel said she was ready to take on a few tables. Cara was really nervous but felt confident she could be on her own. She took the order pad and tray and Rachel stayed at the bar, in sight in case there was a problem. Taking a deep breath, she told herself mentally that she ready to do this.

  Her first table was a couple who seemed like they only had eyes for each other. She walked up to them and asked if they needed anything. The man looked away from his beautiful date and smiled warmly at her, and she could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest as she looked into his deep gray eyes.

  “Bring us a bottle of red wine, little one,” he said the words sensually and smiled, finding himself very interested in this new employee. Rafe had outdone himself this time, Phillipe thought. He held the girl's eyes for a moment, discovering everything he needed to know in that brief moment.

  She broke eye contact with him and all but ran back to the bar to get his order. The man definitely made her nervous, although she couldn't pin down what it was about the way he looked at her that caused such a reaction. She gave the order to Michael and he winked before he moved off to get it.

  “Grab two wine glasses from the back hon,” Rachel reminded her as Michael appeared with the opened bottle. She knew Phillipe enjoyed making women nervous, but Cara would have to learn to deal with his type eventually. He was just one of those men that made a woman instinctively aware, Rachel thought. Her first night serving him she had almost tripped and fell on her face in order to make sure he was a satisfied customer.

  The man had made Cara so nervous, that she had forgotten he would need wine glasses. Not wanting to disappoint Rachel, she hastily ran to the back to retrieve them. A part of her wanted to ask Rachel to serve the man, because there was just something about him that scared her. She knew it was just nerves though and she would have to deal with that on her own. The wine was on the bar and the cork already removed, so she placed the bottle and glasses on her tray carefully. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the table and placed them down without incident. She even managed to smile nervously while giving the man the total. All in all, she was pretty proud of herself.

  Phillipe turned his attention back the new waitress and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Keep the change,” he smiled sensing how uncomfortable the girl was with him. She had no idea what he was, and he forced himself to remember that he already had a partner for the evening. Turning his eyes back to his date, he made a mental note to come back alone the next visit he made here.

  Cara had just made a fifty dollar tip and she forgot about the way the man looked at her and focused on the money. The rest of the night was uneventful and even though she didn’t get another tip that big, she made over two hundred dollars. In her mind that was a ton of money.

  They wiped down the tables as the last of the customers left the bar. Rachel informed her that a cleaning crew would come in the morning to do the rest. So they sat at the bar and wound down over drinks. She had been disappointed that Rafe hadn't shown up tonight, but refused to make mention of it. She was introduced to a few more waitresses, Kayla and Tracy. They seemed like great girls both stunning in their beauty, she thought to herself.

  She discovered that Kayla was in college and worked here part time she was earning her degree in mass communication. Tracy was a single mother who worked here full time and she had this vibrant personality that made you just want to have fun. Kayla was a stunning leggy redhead and Tracy was a little taller than her with startling pale silver hair that fell in straight shimmers to her butt. Everyone seemed very friendly.

  Anthony had been with Rafe at another club in Italy before moving here, Cara found out. He told her that Rafe was at that club for the week, and she felt disappointed beyond belief at that information. Anthony, or Tony as he asked her to call him, was definitely not the idiot she had considered him to be last night when they met at the door. If anything, he was probably one of the most intelligent people she had ever met, albeit a little strange.

  She hoped she would remember all the names of the folks she worked with. Dante was the cook for Tears of Crimson. He brought out some roast beef sandwiches and joined the workers at the bar. He was a very handsome man with cocoa colored skin and a form that showed how much he enjoyed working out. She did find it strange that everyone that worked here seemed to look like they had just signed a modeling contract. She didn't consider herself unattractive by any means, but surrounded by these people it made her feel a little drab and boring.

  "So where did you call home, before finding N'awlins, bebe?" Dante smiled and thought this little lady was going to fit right in with the crew here.

  He was just one of those people that made you feel good just being around him and Cara smiled back. "I was raised in this little town called Rockford, it's in Alabama."

  "Can't say that Dante's ever heard of that city, what's close to it?" he prided himself on knowledge of geography and this area had him stumped.

  "It's about 45 minutes outside of Birmingham going South, you go through Clanton, then Verbena and turn off toward another town called Alexander City," she knew she was giving him the long version but most of the places weren't well known.

  "I was raised up in a place called Forest here in Louisiana bebe, not many know about it either. Those small towns give you lots of love though." He gave her a wink and walked back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

  They sat around the bar eating sandwiches and sipping on drinks. Cara was amazed at how much she was learning about these people in such a short time. For the first time in since she'd moved here it felt like she really belonged. She couldn't help but hope that this was going to be a new beginning for her.

  Rachel invited her to go shopping with her and Angela the next afternoon, and she agreed quickly. They decided to meet at the club at one, and then do lunch and shopping. These were the first people she had met that she thought could be friends since she'd arrived here.

  Tony announced that he was ready to close the place down for the night so everyone got their things together to leave. The guys walked all the ladies to their cars, which she thought was really nice. It had been a long night, and she was starting to feel exhausted, so it was nice to be headed home. She had to work four more shifts this week and hoped she would make enough money to start looking for another place to live.

  As she drove home there was a feeling of being at complete peace. After only one night, she felt that the new job was going to work out, and added to that she had met some people, so she wasn't feeling so lonely. She didn't really realize just how alone she truly was before meeting these people tonight.

  She pulled up to her house and hurried inside. The drive made her even more tired so she wa
lked to her room and decided to forgo the shower until morning. She was exhausted and since she didn’t really have to make anyone else happy, she felt falling into bed was pure heaven. Sleep found her quickly and it didn't take long for Rafe to find his way into her dreams.

  Her dreams were filled with Rafe. Turning over restlessly she found herself alone with him in a dark room. Candles surrounding her and she was lying back in a huge bed completely unclothed. Lifting her hands, she beckoned him to come closer. As he joined her in the bed, his lips met hers and his hands caressed her skin as if they had been lovers for years. She felt no shame in his arms as her body came to life under his touch.

  Then the dream turned dark. His fangs slid into her neck and the pain flooded every fiber of her being. She was screaming at him, pushing him away, but he was too strong. Terror filled her mind as she desperately sought her escape. Somehow in the dream, she broke free and ran. Her heart raced and the scenery changed, she was now in the forest and he was chasing her.

  She awoke unable to breathe, and a light sheen of sweat covered her skin as if she had been actually running in real life. Glancing around the room frantically, she feared that he was still here with her. It took long minutes for her to come back to reality and understand that it was just a nightmare. It had felt so real though, a shiver moved through her and she wrapped her arms around herself to stop the chill. Being logical, she knew it was probably just guilt over having romantic thoughts about her boss. Somehow though, it felt like more than just a night terror.

  Thinking that a shower might help wake her up and forget the dream, she walked into the bathroom. Sliding off her uniform, she turned on the water and stepped under the warm stream when it was finally hot enough. She allowed the water to trickle over her trembling body for several minutes before she bathed. Feeling much more in control, she stepped out and glanced at the clock and was shocked to see it was already noon. She knew last night had been exhausting, but she never slept that late unless she was getting sick. Drying off quickly, she found her clothes and dressed in the shorts and t-shirt not wanting to be late meeting the girls.