The Woman in Red

Funny how time can change a person. Funny how time can bring new people into your life friends and foes, saints and devils. Time. All this world seems to revolve on. Time crunching down on some limping by for others. Time. Time was currently still. My entire being hung in the balance and all I had at the moment was time. It was passing me like droplets from a leaky faucet.

The door knob turned and I sat up at the sound, leaning my weight upon my elbows. Floyd walked in closing the door behind him. Exhaustion aged him more than it should and dark circles lined his eyes as he kept his gaze downcast.

"How'd it go?" my voice sounding like a squeak of a mouse helpless and weak.

Floyd's eyes shot up seeming shocked to see me awake. The look on his face scared me more and more as the time ticked on. He sighed before walking past me and into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door open as he turned on the faucet. He splashed his face a few times before turning the water off and leaning his elbows on the marble.

"Willie didn't take the offer" he sighed casting his eyes down.

I sighed as an overwhelming weight weighed my body down as I fell back into the satin sheets. Eleven years had passed since Floyd had taken me in and in those years inevitably we had grown closer. Our relationship was rather complicated. Floyd protected me and looked out for me as a brother or father would but would show me the affection of a lover every once in a while. We were comfortable around each other. In those years I had never once had to fall back into the life of escorting. Floyd had offered me the position of "his girl" I accompanied him to dinners and parties with associates from both sides of the legal stand point and would help the meetings go smoothly. In a nutshell I was living peace treaty, though gangsters the men Floyd introduced me to would never lay a hand on a woman let alone pull a damn blood feud before me. As long as I was there things went smoothly and so did business. Until Willie came along. Willie Morrison has immediately been too comfortable with me from the time we met. He would touch me more than I and Floyd liked and soon would start demanding I be there for every meeting and business transaction. When Floyd refused seeing as some transactions weren't female friendly Willie was furious and so began our dispute.

"What do we do now?" I asked sitting back up the silk of my nightgown slipping against the satin of the sheets. Floyd sighed looking exasperated. "I'm not sure."

He came forward and sat down on the edge of the bed his back to me. I stood on my knees and crawled to him hugging his back.

"We'll figure it out"

Floyd's entire body was tense and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Theres only one thing I know to do."

Releasing his back I sat back and looked at him. He turned and looked at me sadly. "I gotta get you out of Chicago. Willie's numbers are building more men means more power. Some of mine have even gone to his side." Floyd confessed removing his vest before yelling "Loyalty doesn't mean shit to them anymore! Point is with Willie getting stronger I don't see how I can keep you safe, not here."

"Where would I go?"

"I have a contact in Virgina. Same good ole boys that give us that" he pointed to the trolley holding the newest shipment of Apple brandy and moonshine "Don't know them personally get my shipment from a middle man." he shrugged looking ultimately defeated. "Its a gamble."

"Ill go" I stated simply.

Floyd sighed and pulled me to him wrapping his arms around my waist and sighing deeply into my hair kissing the spot.

"Maybe its time you visited some place quiet."