Queen of L.A.

Red Blood On Pale Skin

Noah's POV-

I'd been driving for eight hours straight and although the sun was bright and shining in my eyes, I was beginning to struggle to keep them open. A few yards up and to the left I see a truck stop, a sign next to it says 'Coffee!' in bright neon letters, next to a cactus with a cowboy hat on it. I pull in and park, grabbing a spare shirt from the back of my truck. I change my shirt and look around before I look up and take my knife out from behind the driver side mirror, along with the gram left of weed I have stashed there. Bending down, I reach my arm under the seat, flailing as it searches blindly for my gun. Once I feel the cold metal handle I conceal it in my waistband and get out of the truck.

Now begins the search for willing customers, willing dumb customers, who won't recognize how much I'm over charging them. I approach the doors of the store with an extra little swing in my hips. The man leaning against the wall next to it looks at me hungrily, hook. I bat my eyes and give him a fake southern smile. He grins something awful and wolf whistles, line. "Hey sugar," I drawl, walking up to him slowly.

"Lookin' for a good time?" Sinker.

"Are you?" I glance down at his nametag, Robert, an employee on a smoke break. "Robbie?" I reach slowly into my pocket and pull out my last gram of weed, concealing it with my hand so no one except him can see. His eyes fixated on my crotch, he barely notices that I've even spoken, ugh men.

Slowly, he's released from his trance. "Whatcha' got there baby?"

"Only an ounce left, but I'm willing to share. If you're interested." I place my hand on his arm and rub it slowly, for only a moment, then remove it quickly. He ponders what I've said for a moment, glancing back and forth from the store and me, trying to choose. He'd choose me of course, they always did.

Finally he spoke, "Alright, I suppose I have a little time."

"Does $50 work for you?"

His eyes get real wide, he knows he's being overcharged. "I don't know about all that, honey, seems a bit much." I stare at him intensely with a false innocent adoration and he begins to speak again, "Well, now, I might be willing to pay that if you came with it?"

I internally roll my eyes, dude. Instead of kicking him in the minefield, I grab his hand and slowly place it right on my chest. He rubs his hand against my chest, caressing my muscles. He takes in a shaky breath as I rise to my tiptoes and lean over to whisper in his ear, "I'm a little busy today, Robbie. You know what they say, places to be, things to do but, I'm hoping you'll be so kind as to give me the money I no doubt deserve?" I give him a kiss on the cheek and lean back down. He coughs and stutters, eyes wide. He reaches into his back pocket, hands shaky, and pulls out a fifty.

"I- Uh- Yes, here, here you go, Sir." He shoves the money towards me and I take it. "Excuse me, goodbye." He waves me away without taking the weed, walking swiftly away from me. I smile, a real one now. Somedays you lose everything, and some days you win without sacrifice. All the same to me though, I put the weed back into my pocket and head into the store with my newly acquired green (the $50, I mean).

I buy myself a coffee and two burgers, and sit down at a table next to a window. I take a few sips of my coffee and start to unwrap my burger, pausing to yawn, and subsequently lay my head down for just a second.

Not just a second. When I open my eyes, the sun appears to be setting, spreading the last of its golden hues over the desert mountains.