I labored all over downtown Los Angeles until the sun withdrew from the sky, letting the shadows of the clouds and moon prelude the evening.
I tried my best to avoid all major roads, train stations, civic halls, checkpoints, and any other places the police might be present at. I could be identified easily if I didn't thread carefully.
I found a resting place within a cool neighborhood, and as I leaned my head against the wall, memories of me and Brody at the Alleyway before the madness resurfaced. And I slept with pity, and guilt, Brody would have been with me. I really missed him, never thought I would. But he had become a brother to me, and I just lost him that day. We were driven because of 25 grand, I cursed and spit on money, and swore to get it by force, no matter what it might take.
****
The next day saw me going back to where I met Crane's. I walked up to south spring street located on the north of west Rancho Dominguez, which ran through some of the west Rancho Dominguez neighborhoods, including and not limited to South LA, and downtown LA, as I was.
I sighed heavily as I approched the entrance of Crane's, hoping everything would go fine. If I get a job, then I would be able to get a job at Dundell Group, I had a piercing vision of what life would be with a job at Dundell Group.
I opened the door and climbed to the scanty bar. I saw the bartender at the bar cleaning and wiping the mugs with napkins, and cleaning the bar top.
Only about six people were present, curing their stomachs with early morning drinks.
"Hey blonde" I smiled at her wholeheartedly. Some kind of connection had to be established first!
She wasn't so surprised to see me again, she was always focused on whatever she was doing at that moment, as if her life depended on it.
"Hey hun, how was your night?"
"Nothing to write home about" wasn't ironic though, I didn't even have a home to go to.
She looked at me for a while "I mean, your night…" she moved her eyes and head left and right with a line of smirk.
"Oh, wasn't it weeks or months ago?" I was slow, but not too slow to grab what she meant, it was that night I hooked up with a newly married man.
"Whatever… what's even with him lately?" She asked with a concerned face.
I folded my face and raised my eyebrow to confusion "Hmm I don't think I know what you are talking about…"
She shook her head "Oh you don't know, shame"
I chuckled "Don't be ridiculous, it was only a one night hit, how do you expect me to know if anything is wrong with him"
She looked at me like seriously? " You didn't take his number? Or even care to visit him or something?"
"Even if I took his number, I wasn't going to call him, besides who does that? …" I didn't want to let her know that the guy kicked me out of his house. If he didn't, maybe we would had hooked up more.
She brought out a tulip shaped wine tumbler and a bottle of half drunk Resposado Tequila, and poured to fill the tumbler, gold amber in color.
"Boys, all the same…" I looked at the drink before me "As long as I don't pay for it" she smiled "I know you don't have money" I grinned, "Oh nice…" I held the tumbler "And I'm a grown ass lady" she giggled "All the same" and I was going to prove to her that I wasn't just a girl by drinking all the alcohol at once, and resisting the yucky taste to me.
Eyes closed, I took up the tumbler and emptied the tequila inside my mouth, letting it slide through my throat. Then my eyes opened, in admiration to the taste, and I had just made a big mistake of drinking it all at once.
It had a smooth flavor and notes of oak, vanilla and caramel.
I looked at the bottle, loving it "Can I have more?" I asked shamelessly.
She smiled, oh her one-off smiles, always, she would make a good colleague; I thought.
She poured to fill the tumbler again and I started drinking, adoring each sip "I know you would love it"
I nodded my head "mm haven't tasted it before"
"Resposado… it has the mixture of aged añejo tequila and the delicious flavor of young blanco tequila." She brought another bottle from the shelf, it was clear "Tequila… distilled liquor. Made from the juice of the Mexican agave plant" she slid it to me, I looked around the bottle, getting every details, I was loving the job already. "50% alcohol… not my type"
She took the bottle back "You never know" I shrugged, raised the tumbler to my mouth for another sip, but had nothing drop into my mouth, I looked at it, "Oops" i had finished it all already without even realizing it.
I looked at the bartender, and she stared back with an expressionless face, and shook her head. Ah unfortunately, blonde ain't giving me some more.
I turned around, stopping my gaze at the television, showing some boring news. I turned back to her "What's your name again?"
"Why?"
"The fuck does people use names for?" I snarled softly.
She rolled her eyes "Lorie"
"Nice name" and she looked at me like I was trying to toast her.
"So you came here to say Hi or what?"
I guessed, it was time to mean business. People were coming and people were leaving, but it was getting pretty occupied, and she would be pretty busy too. So I had to go straight to the point "Sort of… I'm looking for a job, any position, just need to make some decent cash"
She stopped what she was doing, and clicked her tongue "Well, Miss…"
"Arianne, Arianne Hobbs" even though the name wasn't mine to bear anymore, I wouldn't throw it away like that.
"Arianne, we aren't really looking for workers…" I got deeply disappointed "but… if you're serious—"
"Yes I am!" I pleaded. "Your pay will be $10 per hour, I believe you do not have a bartending license, so, that's a good deal"
I was delighted to hear that I was hired, no matter how small, I just needed to get enough money to buy nice corporate wear.
She stretched her hand "Welcome Arianne" we shook hands. Her hand was soft, and appealing.
"One more thing…"
"Yeah, all ears"
I rubbed my shame stricken face, even though I shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed. I was just starting life, and I had to accept it as it was.
"I was thinking if I could sleep here" I raised up shoulders, built my mind instantly in high hopes, but still looked forward to the worst
"I really do not have a place to stay… I'm homeless" I said the last two words in a whisper.
She drove in the lane of consideration for a while, then sighed "fine. See the VIP over there" she pointed at the VIP section inside a corner, I nodded my head "You can sleep on a couch there."
I was so happy! Finally I had gotten a good place to stay since getting out of New York months ago, almost a year! And a job too.
I thanked God at that moment. At least, a new life had begun.
"One more thing…"
I looked at her, drawing back my excitement for a while "You will wake up early enough before opening and clean the whole place"
I smiled, "Of course, that is not a problem at all."