Warriors ⎜ John Wick

Octo

The metal of the coin was cold as Jessica pressed it into her sweating palm. Her heart was beating erratically and she had lost any previous control over her breathing. She was enclosed in and old fashioned elevator John had pointed out earlier that would eventually deliver her to the basement where she'd be able to find the lounge. 

After John left their room, Jessica had taken her time in getting ready. Nearly an hour later she was finally done shaving, curling, and prepping herself.

Finally the elevator came to a stop and Jessica yanked the door open. Her nerves skyrocketed at the appearance of the basement. The elevator opened into a narrow, dimly lit hallway. The walls may have been white at one point, but they had since collected layers of dust and dirt, transforming into a grimy cream color. The paint was chipping in places along pipes that ran along the ceiling and others that spanned the entire height of the walls.

The echoing of her own heels and the groaning of the pipes was all Jessica could hear as she passed through a number of different rooms. Some held washers and dryers while others were so well stocked with hardware that they could give the local Home Depot a run for its money. Eventually she rounded a corner to find a heavy metal door. It had an opening at the top that was covered with a sheet of metal, dotted with holes. Behind this was another sheet that fit to cover the holes. Above the door handle was a coin slot.

Jessica looked down at the token in her hand. Suddenly it seemed to carry far more weight than it truly did. For the second time that day, the gravity of what she was getting involved with slammed into her like a freight train. Behind this door would be the most elite of an already selective group. This would be her unveiling - in a sense - to them and that she was not to be touched. For a moment she wondered if this was the best plan of action. Her presence may show that John has a vulnerability and that she could be used against him.

Jessica quickly shook that thought from her mind. Yes she saved his life, but he had done the same for her. They were even. They didn't owe each other anything and could go their separate ways if it weren't for the fact that she was already in danger. And this was John's world. He knew how to play the game better than she ever could. If she wanted to survive these next few days then she would have to trust him.

Taking a deep breath, Jessica squared her shoulders and steadied her heart rate in fear that her new peers would be able to hear it and smell her fear. Before she could back down she slipped her coin into the slot and waited.

Almost immediately the window was snapped open. The holes of each sheet aligned to reveal a greying man on the other side of the door. He narrowed his eyes at her and seemed to decide that she wasn't a threat. The man disappeared and the door opened.

Jessica stepped into another world. She gazed up at the vaulted ceiling, supported by marble columns. The sweet tunes of jazz drifted up to meet her as did the sounds of casual chatter and animated laughter. Smartly dressed men and scantily clad - but elegant - women surrounded her. Men sat at the lavish bar, watching the few single women on the small dance floor while couples and small groups sat at tables and at booths, sipping on drinks and nibbling on crackers and nuts. Jessica felt as if eyes were burning into her back. When she turned she met John's deep, mocha eyes, as well as those of an older man sitting across from him. The corner of her mouth twitched up slightly in greeting. She tried to ignore the way John was looking at her and convinced herself that his pupils were only dilated because of the chemistry of basic physical attraction. She used this same excuse to rationalize how his hand tightened around its glass ever so slightly and the most subtle touch of pink that had sprung up beneath his beard and that the hooded look of his eyes was only due to the low lighting.

However, this didn't stop her from swaying her hips slightly more than necessary as she turned and approached the bar.

Meanwhile, John was still in a daze that even Winston noticed.

"You picked a dangerous one, Jonathon." Winston readjusted his glasses and returned to his paper. John shook himself back into reality, but not without one last glance in Jessica's direction. She had chosen to change into a nude dress that hugged her curves almost too well. The neckline plunged nearly all of the way down to her navel and the back was cut just as low. The only things that seemed to be holding the dress up and supporting everything were the small cap sleeves and its extremely tight fit. Her hair was curled into radiant waves that bounced  and flowed around her whenever she walked. She had kept her make up minimalistic again, save for the scarlet she had painted onto her lips. 

John was acutely aware of all the male attention that she had suddenly brought on herself and an unexpected wave of possessiveness washed over him. John went stiff at the realization of what these feelings were.

"I can't," he all but growled out. Winston didn't need to ask what he was talking about as he was still fixated on the redhead that had just stunned the room. "It's too soon."

Winston slid his glasses off. "She may be just what you need."

John's jaw clenched. He didn't want to feel this. He wasn't ready to feel this. But he was and he couldn't change it.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds to compose himself. Jessica was halfway towards the two men by the time John opened them. He stood to pull out the chair next to him. She nodded her thanks to him and sat across from Winston.

"Jessica, I'd like to introduce you to Winston." The older man raised the glass of his martini in greeting. "He is the manager of the Continental... and a friend. This is Jessica Powell."

Winston's eyes widened almost imperceptibly and darted to John for an instant. He collected himself in seconds, however, and was just as composed as before.

Jessica decided to ignore the blip for now, and instead granted him a demure smile. She felt horribly exposed in this dress but knew that she had to radiate confidence and, more importantly, power. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Winston smiled back at her. "I'm sure the pleasure is all mine."

John, who had remained standing, spoke up. "While I would love to stay, I have... business to attend to."

Jessica nearly shuddered at the thought of what his "business" entailed.

"Good luck, Jonathon." He nodded to his friend and turned to leave.

As he moved away from behind Jessica, he allowed one of his hands to graze against her bare back. This time she actually did shiver which did not go unnoticed by her present company.

"So, Ms. Powell," Winston slid off his glasses and laid his newspaper on the shining wood table. "Dare I ask how the two of you met?"

She smiled genuinely at him. "Just the usual. Pulling him from a totaled vehicle and saving him from whatever assailants he has now gone to deal with."

Winston gave her a closed-lip smile and appraised her. He was the first person since they had arrived here to not look at her as if she was a potential threat. Instead he just examined her, taking in her appearance. Not in a lustful way, but rather as if he were curious as to why she was with John. 

"You aren't from our world." It wasn't a question.

She looked down at her hands in her lap, almost as if she were ashamed that she was found out. But John seemed to trust Winston, considering he just left her alone with him.

"No, I'm not." Winston nodded and moved to return to his paper. "But I think I might know someone who was." This caught his interest immediately.

"My father passed away when I was still a teenager, but he left me a fair amount of the coins that you accept. I thought they must have been from another country since he had traveled frequently for work, but then I saw John using them and, well I didn't think it was a coincidence." She had Winston's full attention by now. "His name was Marcus Powell. Did you know him?"

Winston leaned forward onto his elbows. "Oh, yes, yes. I knew him very well."