Justice Eternal

03 - Miss Hero

Somewhere a phone rang.

Justice rolled over and put a pillow on her head. She waited for Baulder to answer the call, and as time dragged on and the incessant ringing continued, she realised he wasn't in the suite. She felt along their bond for his location and sensed that he was somewhere downstairs. Not helpful.

She groaned, reached out and blindly slapped at the bedside table until her hand collided with the phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"Miss Hero!"

Justice blinked and struggled to place the voice.

"It's Anton, from last night. Or this morning."

This morning? She checked her watch and saw that it was now four in the afternoon. They'd slept all day.

"Oh. Hi." She smiled. Seeing his roughish face in her mind ignited a thrill inside her.

"I hope you don't mind me calling? I remembered your room number from when we dropped you off. Just wanted to check that you got patched up alright?"

Her hand automatically went to her stomach and felt across where the gaping wound had been. The memory of how it had happened sent a wash of embarrassment through her.

"Yes," she said trying to forget.

"Yes? Yes, you don't mind, or yes, you're all better?"

"Yes to both?" Maybe.

"You don't sound certain," he said playfully.

"I'm fine. All patched up."

"Brilliant." Anton didn't miss a beat. He gave no hint of a question, but took her reply in his stride, as if returning from the brink of death was something that anyone could do. "You can join me for coffee. Breakfast. Or whatever you want to call it." His confidence didn't frame it as a question, but he paused. "Do you eat food?" He stumbled over that last bit.

"Yes, I eat food," she laughed.

"Okay, good. Sorry, that was a bit awkward. 'Don't ask, don't tell,' right?"

She could hear the smile in his voice, and she chuckled again. "It's fine. Do you eat food?"

"Mmm, yes. Okay. Coffee. Meet me at the little cafe next to the hotel, in like, an hour?"

"Sounds good." Justice had a goofy grin as she hung up the phone, and she didn't see the flying pillow until it hit the side of her head.

"Who was that?" asked Wynn from the other side of the room.

"Hmm?"

"On the phone?"

"Oh. Anton." She threw the pillow back. "The guy from last night."

Wynn caught it and raised an eyebrow. She might be small and delicate, but that arched eyebrow was formidable. Something in Justice bridled against it, and a resolve began to develop.

"Don't give me that look. I'm here to forget everything and enjoy myself. Anton's a cute guy; it's Ibiza, it's summer. I'm gonna see where this goes. I want to have a good time, no strings attached."

Wynn dropped the eyebrow and returned a grin.

"Go get 'em, girl."

_

Justice stepped out of the cool hotel into the delicious warmth of the afternoon. She'd slipped into a little dress that barely covered her bum, and she wore a long necklace that jingled with each step.