Live And Let Die

Part 4: It's So Easy

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"You sleep too much." Duff slyly smirked as he pushed around the fruit on his plate.

"I don't sleep enough, thank you!" I flicked a grape at him, it landed in his lap.
"Missy, do you know how rude it is to play with your food?" He looked at me shockingly then threw it back at me. "Don't be a child."

"I'm the child?" I pointed at his plate. "You literally made a smiley face."

"Literally get off my ass." He laughed. I smiled at kept string at him. For the past few weeks I've known him, I've noticed his smile. He had three different smiles. He was almost too readable. This smile though, it was a mixture of embarrassment and a little bit of something else. "What's up with you and William?"

"Hm, what?" I straightened my back against the booth. "I don't understand?" I leaned in closer.

"You can't tell?" Duff leaned in half way. "I'm a big boy, I can take it. What's up?" We were only a couple of inches away, I looked into his blue green eyes. He smirked again, I leaned back.

"He's a friend, I swear." I put my hands up.

"You swear." He mocked. "This is Will we are talking about here, There is no 'friends'." He slouched in the booth, and gently put his arm across the back.

"Maybe, I'm not interested in anything more. I'm not that kind of person." I looked down trying not to make eye contact. I bit my lip, thinking out my next words. "I'm not a groupie man." I gazed back up at him. He was still in the same position. "I'm a barista by morning, a bartender in the evening, and sometimes an entertainer at night. He found me, I never signed up for anything."

Duff reached across the table again. I was still leaning back against the booth, so he came even closer. "Nobody signs up, he only takes." I blushed and looked down again. "Run while you can kid." I pushed him back using my palm.

"I'm no runner champ." I leaned in towards him. "I like facing things head on." I winked.

"Are you sure?" He leaned in closer. He still smelt of cigarettes and yesterday's alcohol binge.

"Certain." I knew we weren't talking about William anymore.

We were only centimeters apart. He cooked his head to the left, I sat still. "Stevie I-"

This was the moment that got me the most. I was Stevie. They didn't really know me. To them I was Stevie, the bartender swept up by William that wouldn't give him what he wanted. I was a laid back chick that to them was possibly easy. This was my sign.

"Sofia," I whispered.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes.

"Sofia Zabala," I fluttered my eyes.

"Sofia, sexy." He leaned in close again. I slipped my way out of the booth. He stared at me peculiar of why I left.

"I need a ride home, Duffy." I giggled and walked out. He followed quickly behind.

The rest of the ride back was actually pretty quiet. I just held onto his waist and smelt the early fall air. October is the only month where you can just smell the air and know what month it is. The only trees that were in L.A. Were the sweet color of a brush fire. My curly ash brown hair flowed through the breeze. I let my arms out into a 'T' formation. Duff glanced at me and shook his head.

We arrived at 7:34 a.m., we departed ways with a simple peck on the cheek. I watched him as he rode off. I took another deep breathe then walked inside the complex. Sox floors later, I was at my door step. I jiggled my key a few time before it cracked. I whipped open the door to see Saul sparkles across my tattered couch holding a jug of some type of whiskey. I groaned, then loudly plopped my keys into a small bowl on a small stand. I pulled my purple scarf  and my orange cardigan off. I reluctantly, but gently, pried Saul's hands off of the bottle. I sat down onto his legs and took a swig. Saul sat up and gave his half drunk half asleep face.

"Hello gorgeous." He lit a cigarette that came from the back pocket of my jean's. I took another swig after his comment.

"Can I ask you something?"  Saul leaned back and tipped his hat over his eyes.

"Shoot,"

"Why are you in my apartment? How did you even get in?" I passed him back the bottle.

"I was tired." He sipped the whiskey, then called it in his arms.

"So you came here?"

"You have a couch."

"Should I ask again how you got in?" I patted his leg to wake him a little more.

"Nope!" He fell back to sleep.

"Good," I got up and lazily walked over to my bedroom. I opened the door to see Steven in there snuggling one of my pillows. I shut the door quickly. "There is a dead person in my room Saul." He just looked up at me though and smirked drunkly. I groaned, again. Saul scooted over on the couch and patted to an empty spot next to him. I joined in. He put his arm over me that had the whiskey in it.

"Where did you go with Duff?" He mumbled in my ear.

"Breakfast, what happened to Will?"

"Had a fit, can I have breakfast dear?" He pretended to kiss me and I just pushed him away playfully.

"I need some sleep, so shut up." We fell asleep like that, with a bottle of whiskey and a hangover. That's how it always was. We were okay with that. It wouldn't last long though. It would soon be March...

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"It's so easy, easy, when everybody's tryin' to please me baby." It's So Easy by Guns N' Roses