True to You

Back Against the Wall

Val laughed and gave Elliot an incredulous look. "That sure as fuck isn't going to work."

"Sure it is." Elliot was determined. She and Val were strolling down the hall on their way back from what Elliot had discovered was the club lounge. At first glance it had been just the same as any number of hotel club lounges that she'd experienced in her travels. A quiet place to work or hold a meeting, hot and cold snacks, and even, if you hit it at the right time of day, alcoholic beverages. But of course this being the weird Hotel California version of the afterlife in which she'd found herself, at times the club was a club. It seemed to depend on who the first person in the room was. Sometimes you'd find a peaceful room filled with the sound of rustling newspapers and the gentle tinkle of ice in drinks and at others you'd find strobing lights, raucous rock music and people dancing on tables. The version that Elliot and Val had left behind was more like a busy café.

"Leaving a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich on a plate in a corner attached to a sensor that is also attached to one of your cameras is not going to secure you an Elvis sighting. We don't even know if he's here," Val pointed out.

"Sure he is, plenty of people have seen him here. Jimmy swears that someone at drummer's night saw Elvis in the club lounge one night," Elliot grinned at her.

"Yeah well plenty of people still think they've seen him back on the other side as well. He's like fucking Bigfoot. A creature of myth and rumour." Val smirked back at her.

"Shit Val. That sounded really fucking profound." Elliot shot Val and admiring glance.

"Yeah? I've been practicing," Val replied proudly.

They both burst into laughter. The more Elliot settled in the more fun she'd been having. She was glad that she'd had friends waiting for her, it meant that she wasn't obsessively watching the friends and family she'd left behind. It had to have been hard for Jimmy although she had no doubt that even if hadn't known anyone when he'd arrived he'd have made friends quickly. It was obvious though that he had spent a lot of time watching his screen to check in with those on the other side and it was a hard habit for him to break.

"Hey," Ryan called out as he approached them down the hall.

"Hey King," Val responded and the smile she gave him had Elliot wondering if there was maybe something more than friendship developing between the two of them. After all they'd both been young when they passed and as far as she knew Ryan hadn't left any special girl behind and while Matt had been the love of Val's life he'd found a new love. Elliot knew Val was happy for him and she had to assume that if Val could find some measure of happiness without him she would take it and that if it was possible for Matt to know he'd be glad of it.

"Hi Ryan," Elliot said. If she hadn't been watching for it she might have missed the warmth in his eyes when he looked at Val but she was watching and she did see it. As she wondered how to promote the attraction between them it occurred to her that she'd never have imagined that one day she'd be plotting to help her dead friends hook up.

"Ladies, you might want to come down to Jimmy's room and check out what he's watching." Ryan's gaze was serious.

"Yeah?" Elliot raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Ryan's concern was obvious.

"Okay, lead the way." Elliot gave Val a 'what the fuck' look as they followed Ryan down a couple of doors.

Jimmy sat on the floor his legs stretched out in front of him on a silk shagpile rug as his back rested against a plush velvet sofa. It was the shag palace, he must have known that at the very least Val was on her way.