“Everything about that night.”
“Which one? The man’s here every other week.”
There goes those pistons again.
Seth’s lead 3-2
“Are you serious?”
“A serious as a drug cartel under my own roof.”
How did I not know about this.
I was begining to doubt whether I knew Seth at all.
Or maybe I just didn’t pay as much attention as a buddying PI should.
“He comes alone mostly which was why I was so surprised when he turned up with that woman.”
Woman, not girl, woman.
I had not idea why that bothered me but it did.
“What did she look like? Did you happen to catch her name?”
I told myself my line of questioning was what any PI would ask.
Though judging by the twist that was forming inside my internal organs I doubted my own intentions.
“Blonde hair storm like eyes. Had a temper on her if I had to go by the way she was was breathing down his neck the whole time. Her name was something flowery, lilly, petal. Not good with names ya see it’ll come to me eventually. They didn’t stay for long though. Seth’s phone rang and before I knew both had up and left. Half thier dinner still on the table.”
“Did you hear the conversation from the phone call?”
“Was behind the bar at the time so no. I’ll tell you what though whoever it was had him in a right state.”
“How so?”
“Him and his firey friend rushed outa here like the world was ending. Almost knocked over one of me tables in the process.”
“Do you know what time they left?”
“Was round 7pm I’d say. Only know that cause that’s when the uppers dragon goons showed up and me now ex husband’s chickened arse sprinted outa here like a roster under fire.”
The dragon legion were here?
“Took me months to rebuild after they came with thier fire breathers lighting up the place like it wouldn’t cost me a dime to fix what they broke. Not a care in the world for the innocent bystanders that had nothin to do with that layabouts goings on. All the same the lot of em.”
Redirecting her back to what I was really here for I asked, “did you see which direction Seth went that night.”
“Headed north.
Where he went from there I’ve got no idea.” Suddenly reaching an octive that I never thought she’d be capable of reach she blurted out with a, “That was it.
Rose.”
“Rose?”
“The blonde’s name was Rose. Rose Haverstien. I remember now. Seth made a point to introduce us sounding out each sylible like he knew I’d forget it two seconds later. Only reason I do remember is cause it’s not very often a dragon shifter comes to dine in the slums, not unless they destroying the place that is.”
A dragon shifter named Rose.
Well that narrows it down.
There can’t be many dragon shifters with a last name like that.
“Thank you for you time.”
“Pleasure’s all mine.”
I went to leave only to be hailed back by Gail’s shrill voice.
“When you see that boss of yours, tell him next he comes he’s ta bring ya along. Got a meal on the house for helping me clear out the place in the aftemath of those upper vermon.”
What the hell was going on.
When did he even have time to do that.
“I’ll let him know.”
Leaving the building my eyes fixed on the ground watching my feet carry me while a surreal aura surrounded my thoughts.
I was frantically sifting through what I’d learnt so far with increasing numbness.
It wasn’t just that Seth had gone on a date with a dragon shifter, although that was playing a huge part in the confusing swirl of, “why is that.” It was also that he had left the resturant at least an hour and a half before he came to rescue me.
So where did he go?
What was he doing in that time?
And who was on the phone that had him leaving in such a way?
Not to mention if he’d left the Meat Shack, did that class as the end of the date or did this mean I had to map out the whole night until the time he reached me?
My guess was the latter.
Even if I’d figured out the “date night.” Fisaco, meaning that the intrusion of an upper dragon squad raining down on the slums was the chicken reference solved it still didn’t explain why Seth had sworn of women since he left with miss blonde succubus with a firey tongue.
Plus there was the thing with water and booze that still needed adressing since he clearly didn’t spend enough time here to reach the end of his drink.
Try as I might though I couldn’t stop thinking about the only woman he trusted enough to let into his secret life with a side of what he hides from the world, meaning me.
I was quite content with our back and forth banter that boarded on the insanely close to needing boxing gloves when we, usualy me, pushed it too far.
The reality was that I was starting to hate that there was so much of Seth’s life that I didn’t know.
That I hadn’t even bothered to find out.
I’d taken for granted that he would always be there, that he cared about my problems, my insecurities, my life and my safety in it that I hadn’t stopped to think about his.
Who made sure he found answers to questions he had.
Who was there for him when he needed a helping hand.
What insecurities did he suffer that he never told me about.
Was it this woman?
Was she what Seth was to me?
His go to person that fixed whatever needed fixing?
Should I really be prying into a relationship like that?
It felt like interfering.
Intruding on something special that had nothing to do with me and everything to do with what Seth wanted.
The subject of my turmoil was in his office on the phone with a client when I returned much to my relief.
I was glad for the respite giving me time to decided if I wanted to keep persuing this or if it was best to just let it go and let things remain as they are.
Seth the PI.
I his desk clerk.
My computer chimed with an I.M that could only be one person.
*How’d it go?*
*Fine.*
*That’s it.
Just fine?*
What else could I say.
For the first time I was faced with my own selfish ignorance to the people around me.
The people I cared about. The source of this chapter is g.com.
How could I ever put what I was feeling into words that would explain how apoligetic I was for always making everything about me with no thought to anyone else.
*I’m not feeling well I’m going home early.
You don’t have to walk me.
I’ll be fine.*
Having already left the office disabling the door bells so that Seth didn’t hear me go.
The last message was sent on a sceduled timer that would give me ample space to be halfway down the street before he even realised I was gone.
I should of known it wouldn’t be that easy.
I heard his footsteps before I heard his voice.
“Rexy wait up!”
Sighing dejectedly I spin around to face him.
“Nice trick, we’ll make a PI out of you yet.”
My stare had all the elements of disgruntled house wife that’s at her wits end with the never ending feeling of holding up the sky like atlas the roman god of whatever it was.
“Ok bad joke. What’s going on Rexy. Talk to me.”
“Nothing’s going on, I’m just tired.”
I turned to leave.
On instinct Seth reached out to grab my arm in an attempt to stop me.
Jumping back to avoid his hand I managed to crack my elbow against the brick wall behind me drawing blood as it instantly started pooling out.
“Rexy! Are you alright?”
Holding my hand over the wound.
That being my first instinct to stop the tingling that was shooting up my arm like jolts of electricity from a stun gun backed up by a truck battery.
I gritted the words, “Fuck me, that hurts.” Between teeth jammed so hard together that given any more preasure and they’d shatter like tempered glass.
“Come back to the office so you can wrap it up before you bleed all over the place.”
“I’m fine Seth! Just leave it!”
Taken back by my agressive tone as a look of dispair crossed his features.
A feeling of guilt seeping into my heart knowing that he had no idea what was going on.
Which of course only made what I was already feeling kick up a gear or ten as I yelled.
“JUST LET ME GO SETH!”
The sadness I saw in him almost ripped through me tearing at pieces of myself I usualy hide behind a sarcastic wall of an uncaring selfish mix of, “I don’t give a fuck what people think of me.” To form a solid mass within my heart as I turned and ran towards my home leaving him standing there arms sagging to his sides like a defeated puppet with no strings left to wield his usualy dancing limbs.
What was wrong with me?
Why was I like this?
Why did I hurt everyone I get close to.
He did nothing wrong.
It was me that did the hurting.
Me that insisted on inserting myself where I didn’t belong.
He did nothing to deserve that.
Nothing at all.