Reunion

Timothy let her use his office to change into the clothes she brought. When she came out, his jaw dropped.

“Holy motherfuckin' shit...”

“Thanks. You have the music set up?” Her voice was calm and cool, but on the inside, she was more nervous than she had ever been.

“I... Uh... Yeah. Yeah. It's all set up.”

“Good. How much longer do I have?”

He looked down at the worn Timex watch on his wrist.

“About a minute. You might wanna get a move on. I'll go introduce you. You remember the way to the back of the stage?”

She pointed to a ragged door across the narrow hallway.

“Yeah. You got it. Rock on.” He jogged off into the main room of the bar and climbed up on the stage.

There were only five patrons there when she came through, and she didn't expect many more to have wandered in since then. But it was supposed to be his big show tonight, so... All bets were off.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a little surprise for you tonight. A bit of an appetizer before the big show, and boy, is she appetizing...” The crowd laughed softly, only a little drunkenly.

Nichole opened the door and stepped backstage, finding it blessedly empty. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath. “I can do this.” She thought.

“Madam Autumn, everybody!” Timothy said, gesturing back to Nichole, reaching a hand out to her.

Game time.

She took his hand and sauntered onstage, the dress swishing about her ankles. Several wolf whistles and catcalls rang out from the audience and she smiled into the lights. She couldn't identify a soul in the audience, could hardly see any of them through the brightness glaring down at her from the shoddily hung lights.

Timothy left the stage and she took the microphone in her hands. The music began, canned and tinny sounding from the speakers, but it was better than nothing. Okay. Just like she rehearsed in the shower.

The drums rocked out steadily behind her, regulating the beat of her heart.

Then, she saw him.

Hope is not lost, it is patiently waiting for us,
So take off that black suit and we'll disappear,
Love is not kind, it's a dirty little trick of the mind,
My beautiful weakness, I'm happy you're here.

He looked amused. That faint smile lurked at the corner of his lips. He sat at the very foot of the stage, a cigarette in one hand and the stem of a martini glass in the other. The drink was untouched, but no one else would notice that.

She let the longing she had for him pour into her voice, the hunger. Her song was an offering, an invitation. It didn't beg. She wouldn't either.

Be my filthy habit, love
Be my danger and my drug,
We may find some sleep tonight,
If you'll be my filthy habit, love,

The next verse was going to be the hard part. Too many emotions bubbled up to the surface, and her knuckles grew white on the microphone as she continued.

Do as you please,
Baby, make an example of me
Go until broken, and hungry for more
Be what I need,
Baby, teach a machine how to bleed,
Dismantle me deadly,
Make me storm.

His expression didn't change a bit, but there was a spark in his eye that hadn't been there. Why? Was he remembering time they'd spent together in that dungeon of his? Was he laughing at her? Did he think she was being desperate?

Be my filthy habit, love
Be my danger and my drug,
We may find some sleep tonight,
If you'll be my filthy habit, love,

I'm howling at the moon for you,
It's so lonely, so lonely here

She wailed out the drawn out loneliness in those lines, seeking out his ever-amused eyes. Something violent twitched inside of her. She needed to get him alone. They needed to finish this. She'd danced around him for too long since she saw the flyer. This needed to end, one way or another.

Be my filthy habit, love
Be my danger and my drug,
We may find some sleep tonight,
If you'll be my filthy habit, love,

So take off that black suit,
And we'll disappear.

The music died slowly behind her. The crowd was silent, then roared to life with more power than it should have, considering the small number of drunken patrons. He stood, clapping and encouraging the rest of the patrons to join the standing ovation.

She knew her performance wasn't that good. There was a patronizing note in the act somehow.

He climbed lithely onto the stage and she handed him the microphone. He was briefly close enough to kiss, and the thought dizzied her. He offered her a hand to step down, back into the main part of the bar, and she took it. Their first physical contact since that night...

She sat in his vacated chair and watched him as he ran through his set. He seemed faintly distracted, but no one that hadn't known him as she had could notice.

The set ended too early and not early enough, and her heart fluttered as she walked down the short hall to meet him backstage.

This was it.

Her hand hovered above the doorknob, and then it turned. Her heart leapt into her throat as she looked into his eyes.