Tequila & Birdcages

Made for me |s.m|

cw: angst, choking, drinking, possessiveness, mention of death

I stumble into an old brick building, the rain blinding and the wind enough to take down a tree. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating, but it was enough to make me shifty on my feet. I step into what looks like a lobby and put down my umbrella that has since flipped inside out. I knock it on the ground so it returns to the correct position and then close it, leaving it by the door. I pull my hood off and look around, the lights flickering from the storm.

It looks vintage and I assume it must be pretty old if the electricity is so finicky. I see an unoccupied desk that says check-in, letting me know this is in fact a hotel. I look up and read the name to myself, Hotel Cortez, it sounds pretty at least. I definitely admire the style as I see more of it, heading further in. I shiver and remember I still have on my jacket so I unzip it and shrug it off, wanting to lessen my chances of getting a cold. I look straight ahead and see a bar so I head to it.

I figure the alcohol might warm me up a bit and it's also just something to bide my time until the storm isn't so bad. A tv plays, saying the rain probably won't stop soon as a hurricane is apparently passing over the area. I sigh to myself, closing my eyes as I toss my jacket on the stool next to me. I should really start watching the news or at least check the weather app.

"Can I help you?"

I force my eyes open to find the source of the voice, a woman stands in front of me with a smile that makes me return it. She seems welcoming, though it could just be that she's the first person I've seen in this place.

"Could I just get a Blue Long Island? And actually a shot of tequila too"

She nods, turning around to fix it, and I look around some more. This place looks like it's seen a lot of history in my opinion. The carpets are dingy but still clean as if they're just permanently stained but something about that is comforting. I imagine how many people must've come through here to give it that effect. Maybe this was one of the hottest spots back in the day, like if you stayed here you must've been important.

"Here ya go"

"Thank you"

I take the shot and immediately follow with a sip of the drink, sliding the glass back over to her.

"Name's Liz. You having a rough day?"

I tell her my name, explaining that I'm just trying to keep out of the storm. We proceed to talk about it a bit, eventually gravitating towards random topics to pass the time. After a while, I feel a presence beside me and I look to my left to see a frizzy-haired blonde. Usually I'm not so forward but something about her just sent a spark through me and I can't be silent about that.

"Hi, I just wanted to say you're very beautiful and I love your coat"

The woman turns to me, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion for a second. She smirks at me, leaning an elbow on the counter as she reaches for her drink and takes a sip.

"Coming from you that's flattering... What's your name, pretty girl?"

I would be lying if I said she didn't have an effect on me. I could feel myself getting shy, a blush certainly rising on my cheeks as I answered her.

"I'm Sally. Nice to meet you, darling"

I smile widely, loving how classic and timeless her name is. She looks so... rough to have such a sweet name but the contrast makes her even more intriguing. She starts engaging with me and I just follow along, conversation flowing effortlessly. I don't even realize the time passing until I glance at the clock. I look back towards the door seeing that it's still coming down and I realize I probably won't be getting out of here tonight.