by nature {james p. march}

Chapter 3

I threw my bags and suitcase down and jumped onto my bed. My mind had completely forgotten about Greg. My mind was racing with questions about this place. All of a sudden my phone rang. It was my boss. "Hello, Harper?" He asked. "Hey, sir, how are you?" I replied. He ignored my question. "Where are you? We have been trying to reach you for the last day!" He shouted. "Are you in the country or did you just disappear if the face of the earth?" "I'm in Los Angeles, it's a long story" I said, twirling my hair. "What?! Why?! Who with?!" He screamed down the phone. "I don't want to get into detail but I'm by myself and I had no choice. Sir, I'm sorry" I explained. "We are going to have to let you go, Langdon. Sorry" he shouted, I could really tell when he was furious. "What! Sir please, I can come back!" I cried. "I can do whatever time if you want to meet to discuss this!" I said begging him. I don't beg for things but this was the only good thing for me right there and then, my job. I was a model. I know, nothing too glamorous but it paid the bills. I was even a prostitute at one stage, I was in debt. I needed the money. "Goodbye Miss Langdon" he said, being stubborn. The phone dial went and he had hung up on me. Great! I was homeless, jobless and what's next? I had nothing to live for. I lay on my bed, face down, crying. My sobs and others having sex was all to be heard.

"Why the tears, Darling?" A voice spoke. I immediately sat up. There was nobody there. "Hello? Who's there?" I said, my eyes searching the room. There was no reply. Was I going crazy? "I need a drink" I muttered to myself. I got up and went downstairs to the bar I saw when I came in. Before I left my room, I gave it a final scan.

I was sitting there. All alone. The bartender was a man dressed like a woman. She had no hair, bright, cute makeup and a long, blue, flower dress on. "Why the long face?" She asked me, drying a glass. "It's been a long day" I muttered. "You look like you need something, something strong. I got it" she said, grabbing a big bottle of liquid. She made a drink and passed it to me. "Bacardi and coke!" She said, smiling at me. "Shit! I've no cash" I said, putting my head into my hands. "It's on the house" she winked. I smiled. I can tell you, that was the first I smiled that day.

About 7 drinks later, I could barely spell my own name. "And then he told me to get out" I laughed. "Men can be dicks sometimes, I learn the hard way" she said, stiring her drink. "You and me both, sister" I said, clinking our drinks together. I noticed someone else had sat down at the end of the bar. "The usual, Liz" he said. I looked up from my drink and there he was.