August Skye

Part 3

Sixteen hours earlier...

The night was young and the bar was bustling with energy. I was perched on a bar stool, my mind fuzzy from the alcohol, my laughter echoing through the loud music as I shared a joke with Luke and his potential love interest for the night. It was in this moment of uncontrolled merriment that I almost lost my balance, and as I steadied myself, my gaze landed on a familiar figure seated alone at the far end of the bar.

It was August Skye. Her presence was like a beacon in the crowd, her grace impossible to ignore, her distinctive scent cutting through the heavy aroma of alcohol and sweat. Despite the blonde wig that sparkled under the dim lights, the oversized hoodie that swallowed her petite frame, and the dark glasses that hid her captivating eyes, I recognized her. She was a sight to behold, even in disguise.

I found myself gravitating towards her, claiming the vacant bar stool beside her. My hand wrapped around another cocktail glass, the count of which I had lost after the fifth. "Hello, stranger. Mind if I join you?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the loud music.

She turned to face me, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Not at all. It's good to see you again. How have you been?"

"Living life as it comes. And you? I can't shake off the feeling that you're not supposed to be here," I said, my eyes scanning her disguise.

She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Oh? And how did you figure that out?"

"Well, aside from the sparkly blonde wig, oversized hoodie, and dark glasses? Spider senses," I replied, my words drawing a laugh from her.

"It's my birthday and I don't want to celebrate it so I'm hiding in Sin City."

"It's your birthday?"

"Hmm."

"That means... so, wait... it was your birthday last year too then. Because it's the same day."

"Hmm," she confirmed. "So, is this a coincidence or are you stalking me?"

"I think life is trying to tell us something."

"What would that be?"

"You need me on your birthdays."

She smiled at that. "I was expecting something more along the lines of 'we belong together.'"

"Or that," I watched as her shoulders relaxed, her guard coming down. "You're way too comfortable around me."

"Am I?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Hmmm."

She simply smiled. "You're just a breath of fresh air, that's all."

"So, you're not threatened at all by me?"

"Nope."

Her response made my brow cocked. "What if I were to, let's say, slip something into your drink? Something lethal?" I asked, my tone teasing.

She paused, her hand frozen mid-air as she was about to take a sip from her drink. Her hidden eyes locked onto mine. "You wouldn't be the first...or the last," she replied nonchalantly then she finished the cocktail. "Besides, my bodyguard is lurking around here somewhere. If you had slipped something into my drink, he would have made sure you were dead before you knew it."

I scanned the room, but couldn't spot anyone who looked like a bodyguard. "Then perhaps, we'd die together. Like Bonnie and Clyde. Or was it Cleopatra and Caesar?" I asked, turning back to her.

She laughed heartily at my confusion. "Your history is a bit off," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

I shrugged, my gaze falling back to her drink. Her words echoed in my mind. 'You wouldn't be the first...nor the last.' "People have tried to poison you before?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.