Opal, a swing jazz singer finds herself in a new town and is ready to continue her life finally free from the chains of her home life. What happens when her initial desire for freedom and happiness turns into something more sinister and dark when sh...
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It was close to 11 at night when I sat in my dressing room on a plush purple velvet couch. Brows furrowed with agitated eyes and a frown looking down at a renter's notice. My building rent was going up. Thanks to the stock crash, too many people couldn't put up rent. They ended up leaving and now Im one of very few who lives in my building. This wasn't a problem.
At least..not until I left for work this afternoon and found the notice taped to my door. Not enough tenants, not enough money, so what do they do, charge us more than what we could already barely afford! Haha..how vexing.
This is bad. I could barely afford my apartment and living expenses as is, especially with it being extremely harder the lower Antonio paid me each night. A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts, praying that it was just Valerie offering to take me home, that would be comforting right now. Alas, my prayers weren't heard as Ashton stepped through the door...alone.
I would never see Ashton without Antonio, so to find him approaching me, unannounced, alone, and with a smile that was anything but good, I start to panic. "Ashton, sir? Where is Antonio?" I ask frantically, standing from my seat on the couch to make way to my vanity in the furthest corner from him.
"Relax, gem. Antonio and some colleagues are simply grabbing a bite at the bar." He stopped just few feet from me, arms laced behind his back as he look down on my nervous figure. That stare. That feeling, the feeling of wanting to disappear into nothingness. Being under his gaze makes me feel unbearably weak.
When I said nothing else, he continued, "You know..out of both of us, I wonder why you seem most wary of me" His once tight lipped smile grew into one of sinister intent as he approached me.
Now realizing backing up into a corner was the worst thing to do, I find myself flushed up against my vanity. My hand gripping the edge of the wood, the other pushed up against Ashton's chest, as he was now far to close for comfort. "Stop fighting me and you might actually enjoy this, doll" he tightly gripped my wrist, snatching it from his chest and using it to pull me closer.
Im so close I can feel his breath on my face, hard liquor, and it was extremely strong. He must be wasted. No matter how hard I pulled away, his face drew in closer to mine, this is before a voice called out for me in the hall. The voice was approaching, leaving Ashton no choice but to release his harsh grip on my arm.
Antonio appeared in the doorway, Valerie soon coming into sight behind him. "We're shutting it down early tonight, somethin' came up" Antonio took a long drag from his cigarette before continuing, "Ashton, leave. Opal please get ready to go, Valerie will accompany you on your way home."
Ashton scoffed as he takes a final look at me. His cold glare is sickening. He leaves with Antonio and Valerie joins me by the vanity, helping me straighten up the knocked over bottles and cosmetics. "What did he do?"
