Before 8

Chapter 1

The bar was getting really crowded. People shouldered their way to the bar, where Debbie was sitting, trying to get the bartender's attention. She had been waiting for her brother for almost an hour and still, no news from him. Starting to get really annoyed, she checked on her phone again. Her last message was already read and that jerk didn't even have the decency to reply. So typical of him, she sighed. Probably was too busy on his ever-important, amazing jobs. She snorted while stirring her glass of whiskey absently. It wasn't that she loved her brother, but sometimes he acted like everything and everyone was less important than his grand plans. The fact that her parents always doted on him, saying that he was the smartest in the family, just because he succeeded to pull off his latest heist, also didn't help with the bitterness. 

Just when Debbie decided to leave, a guy claimed the seat beside her and tried to get her attention. He wore a navy suit, which fitted his athletic build really fine. Smiling confidently at her, he offered to buy her a drink. Not really up for it, Debbie politely shook her head while getting up her seat.

"Hey, where are you going, sweetheart?" He grabbed her arm, holding her to her seat. "Come on, just have this one drink with me."

"Thanks, but no, thanks," Debbie said calmly, trying to wrestle her arm free from his grip.

"Come on," he grinned, not letting her go. "Just one drink. I promise."

Debbie was considering to twist this jerk's arm and slam him onto the floor when another stranger slid their arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, babe," a low, female whisper came really close to her ear. Then a peck on her cheek. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Uh," the jerk looked at the newcomer dumbfoundedly, clearly not expecting this.

"Well, neither am I," Debbie thought.

Whoever this woman was, she was clearly trying to save her from this a-hole. I'll take it, she gave a mental shrug. She turned to her left, facing the savior. A woman, probably around her age, in a black leather jacket and loose black shirt, standing tall beside her. She still had her arm possessively around Debbie's shoulder, smirking her challenge at the jerk. She was kind of attractive, in a rugged, rebellious way. Not bad, Debbie noted. 

"Honey," Debbie leaned against the woman. "I have been waiting for an hour, you know."

The woman gave a winning smile. "I'm sorry, babe. How about I take you somewhere nicer than here?"

The guy was watching them back and forth like he was watching a tennis match. 

"Okay, baby," Debbie smiled, taking the stranger's offered hand.

They left the dumbfounded guy and walking out of the bar hand-in-hand. The stranger took the lead, parting the crowd for her. She walked with such confidence, turning heads toward her. It wasn't lost on Debbie, how she felt unusually comfortable with a stranger leading her like this. They didn't even have to keep holding hands anymore, now the jerk was left far behind them. But they did and Debbie had to admit that she liked the way women and men around them threw jealous looks at them. It felt kind of good, even though it was just a pretend.

The stranger held the door open for Debbie, with the everpresent smirk on her face. Debbie smiled her thanks. They stood awkwardly on the curb. Well, Debbie did. The stranger looked at her with an unreadable expression, like she was waiting for her to say something. Debbie knew that she should have said thank you to the stranger for saving her, but she took the pause to get a better look at the stranger. She was very tall, even taller than her. Debbie was usually taller than every woman around her, so this was a fresh change for her. She has a short, messy blond hair that somehow still looked stylish and edgy on her. The woman had cheekbones that could cut through glass, Debbie mused.

"So," the stranger drawled while reaching into her leather pants pocket. 

She pulled out a pack of cigarette and put one in between her lips. She lit it up and took a deep drag. Debbie couldn't help cringing at it, which only made the stranger chuckled. She took a step back and exhaled the smoke away from her, which was a nice gesture. 

"Thank you for the save in there," Debbie finally spoke up. "Really appreciate it."

"No problem, babe." The stranger winked. "Guess I'll see you around then. Take care."

The stranger gave a little wave as she turned around to walk the other way. Debbie knew that this was just one of those passing moments, but she felt like it was ending too quickly for her taste. 

"Hey," Debbie shouted at the stranger's back.

The stranger turned to face her, walking backward. "What?"

"I haven't got your name."

"It's Lou." Another wink.

"I'm Debbie," she shouted again.

"Nice to meet you, Debbie."

And just like that, Lou turned around again and continued her walk home. Debbie watched Lou until she was disappeared in the corner. She realized that she was still smiling. There was something about this stranger that fascinated her. Shaking her head, she also turned around toward her apartment block. It was a little far from the bar and she usually used a cab, but she felt like the moment called for a night walk. It was a good night anyway. The night sky was clear for once, the breeze felt nice and there weren't too many people on the street. 

"That bar wasn't that bad," Debbie muttered to herself. "Maybe sometimes I could check it out again. Possibly bumping into one certain stranger."

***

Lou slammed the door behind her, shrugging out of her leather jacket and carelessly throw it onto the sofa. She eased out of her boots and let out a relieved sigh. It was good to be barefoot again. If the boots didn't look so damn good on her, she wouldn't bother torturing herself like this. She put out her cigarette stub on the ashtray as she walked toward the bedroom. 

"You are unusually late."

Lou glanced to the right and found her roommate, Sara, leaning against the door frame. She looked like she was just got up from bed. Maybe she did. It was way past midnight, judging from the clock on the TV cabinet. Lou just shrugged at the question.

"I got held up at work," Lou answered, which made her roommate chuckled.

"Usually when you," she made an air-quote, "got held up, you wouldn't be coming home alone or at all. You struck out, didn't you?"

"Geez, it wasn't like that, mom." 

Lou rolled her eyes, though her inquisitive roommate didn't bother her at all. She already had gotten used to it and she knew that she meant well. Every time Lou accidentally woke Sara up after her shift at the bar, Sara liked to have a little chat before she resumed her sleep. It was just one of her thing.

"Oh, yeah? Then what was it?" Sara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, getting more interested in the conversation.

Lou sighed at that. She knew that she had to spill something now, or Sara would keep going at it until she got what she wanted. She would keep badgering her relentlessly for days. Lou had tested this theory and the longest she ever successfully kept her lips sealed before she finally gave up was a week. One full week of those same questions, again and again and again. It was a wonder, really, how they could keep being friends for five years long and still counting. She was usually a very private person, but Sara could get her talking with her persistent terrors.

"Well, it was nothing. There was this creepy guy at the bar, bothering this lady and I stepped in."

"Oohh," Sara whistled playfully. "So the outlaw became a knight in shining armor. Bet she was pretty."

"Totally irrelevant, but yes, she was rather attractive."

"Of course she was," Sara gave a little smirk. "So did you get her number?"

"Nope."  Deciding that she had enough, Lou went into her room and closed the door. 

"But why?" Sara whined faintly from behind the door.

"Just because. Good night, Sara."