I'll Track You Down

Gradient of Flavors

Adding a little more makeup to my face and changing into a tight red dress, I stare at myself in the mirror, it's been a little while since I dressed up for something. I carefully place a pistol into my purse, and laugh at how I don't even need it.

My skills have been unmatched ever since I can remember, judo, karate, and taekwondo have come naturally to me.

Never beaten, never lost a battle, and never one to back down from a challenge. But just in case strapping a knife to a thigh never hurt anyone.

That's a lie, I tell myself. Staring at my reflection again I realize I'm doing this for myself, not for anyone else, and there is no shame in having a good time. I don't even have to talk to anyone if I don't wish it. With that, my nerves are settled, I call a car, and once I'm dropped off at the bar I don't feel any anxiety at all. 'Gradient of Flavors' is what the bar is named, as said by the blinding neon sign sitting atop the building. I take a deep breath, adjust my hair, and feel the knife on my thigh. "Everything is fine," I tell myself. "It's just a club, you've been to one of these hundreds of times." Yeah, for cases. I walk up the stone steps and swing open the door.

I'm immediately greeted by blasting music and flashing lights. People are dancing all around me, with their hands in the air, jumping, and singing. Most are wasted, but there's a few who are still hanging on. Taking a couple more steps, I walk up to the bar. The bartender greets me with a dip of his head. He's wiping a glass with a white rag and wearing a white collared shirt with a black vest overtop it, his black tie matches his pants and shoes and as he notices me staring he flashes a smile.

"You!" I say accusingly, pointing a finger. "It's you! I knew I'd recognized your smile."

"Shit, you've caught me." He laughs. "Why, did you remember my smile? I thought I didn't make that much of an impression." He teases.

"Oh, shut up!"

"So, what brings you here?"

"I felt like getting drunk again." I say clap back, I perch myself on one of the high raised seats, my heels dangling over the side.

"Bullshit, I bet you were throwing up your guts this morning." He says through a smile.

"I'll have you know it was only two times." I say crossing my arms and raising my chin away from him.

"Here, let me get you something, on the house."

"You don't have to-"

"But I want to." His blue eyes sparkle, just to think that only a couple hours ago I was convinced that I would never meet him again, I can't imagine what Nye's going to say when I tell her. She'll probably start rambling about fate and all that crap.

"Hmm let's see, you don't seem like a beer person, and you reeked of wine last time, but I want to give you something you haven't tried before." I feel my cheeks go red again, but I just shrug. "How about a margarita with pineapple infusion?"

"Hit me." I say back, daring him, I've never been that much of an alcohol person, but it does the job on stressful nights so I'm prepared to gulp down whatever he has me try.

"Whatever you say Kali." He turns around and starts mixing my drink. Kali? What is that? Did he just give me a nickname, not a very creative one, but it's nice. He places the glass down on top of a napkin, there's salt around the rim and it smells strong, not just from the tequila but from something else that I can't quite place. I raise the glass to my lips but stop.

"Hold on," I say, stopping. "I never got your name." He laughs again.

"Do you need it?" He counters, what kind of question is that? He has mine. It's only fair that he delivers, but I don't say the sentence forming in my brain and stick with something more approachable.

"I mean, it would help I guess."

"I'm Caspain." He says softly, "Caspian Ford." Why was he gatekeeping a name like that? I quickly search my head of my agency's criminals and unsolved cases, racking my brain for any similarities. When I don't find any, I let myself have the leisure of not caring what I say.

"I thought I was the only one with a pretty name." He just smiles again expectantly, right, the drink. I decide to smell it instead and that when I find it.

Poison