Chapter 10: Hat Tricks
Friday, Midnight Casino
12:30 am
Trill walks fast as she heads to the bar, taking a bus and a cab around the city. When she got there it was really late, but she was sure no one could follow her scent. She stops at the bar and grabs a beer from behind the counter, pressing it against her throbbing temple when she got through the door. The bartender smirks and Trill gives them a dirty look.
"You got something to say?"
They shrug and walk away.
Trill straightens and heads downstairs. She walks past a, now, deserted bar area and empty poker tables to the hall leading to her room.
No sign of Donnie... Maybe he decided against his own proposition.
Shrugging, she nurses her aching head. Trill unlocks the door and turns on the light, still holding the beer to her face. She goes to sit on her bed when she's startled by, a very naked, Donnie lying with cards scattered around him and his bowler hat sitting comfy right below his navel.
"Shit, Donnie! I almost hit you with my beer! You should never startle me like that," Trill states as she waves the bottle around in front of her.
"Wait... How did you get in here?"
"I... may have picked the lock," Donnie says with a shrug and a smile that said, "please don't kill me".
Trill scowls at him before walking over to the small table at the front of the room.
"You're lucky I'm in no mood to beat the shit out of you."
A light clatter and sliding sound echoes in the quiet room as the lid to her beer bounces over the wooden top when the bottle is opened on its edge. Trill takes a drink and sets it on the scuffed and scraped surface, kicks off her boots, and drops her leather jacket on the back of the beat-up chair. The shirt covering her torso is pulled over her head, as she walks toward Donnie, and discarded on the floor. Donnie looks on, unsure of what is happening. Trill unbuckles her belt, pulls it loose, and drops it at the foot of the bed. His eyes watch her fingers grip the button on the jeans clinging tightly to her hips and pops it free before climbing into the bed at his feet.
Trill slinks her body over Donnie's, moving his hat aside before straddling his hips. He stares at her body above his and the lace bra covering her breasts.
"What are you waiting for, Donnie?" she asks as a smile stretches over her face.
He smiles back and kisses her pouted lips. The bed creaks as he rolls Trill onto her back and pulls her legs from the black denim. Lips and teeth pull at Donnie's earlobe and neck. He groans softly against her neck and sucks the tender flesh above her clavicle making her gasp.
Friday, Midnight Casino
3:00 am
Trill wakes up tangled in sheets and Donnie's legs with his white button-up on. He's still asleep beside her as she slowly rises from the sheets, trying not to trip. The gentle patter of her feet can barely be heard through the room. She sits down at the small, scarred table and props her bare feet up on the edge of it. Her large eyes look at Donnie while he sleeps. He's quite handsome, she's always thought so. They've known each other for a few years now and her feelings for the tall man have only grown.
Why did it take so long for this to happen?
They never hid that they found each other attractive even when Trill played it off as if it were stupid. She has kept most people at a distance ever since Felix, knowing that one day he'll find her again. No more lives should be lost over her. That's the promise she made herself after her parents' deaths; never planning to have what she has with Donnie.
Trill notices Donnie's hat on the floor and smiles to herself. She picks it up and flips it onto her head, then sits back down at the table. Soft bubbling from her beer fills the room as she sips it noticing Donnie stirring. He squints, looking around the dark room until his eyes land on Trill and a lopsided smile grows over his lips.
"I always knew you'd look good in my hat," he says in a raspy voice that sends chills over Trill's body.
A breathy chuckle leaves her mouth and she finishes off the bottle.
"Is that so? Well, I knew you'd look good with me wrapped around you," she teases biting her lip as she struts over to the edge of the bed.
"Mm... Well, get over here then," he purrs and pulls her on top of him once more.
Friday, Midnight Casino
5:30 am
A sound in the bar startles Trill awake. She slides out of the bed again, but feels Donnie's slender fingers grip her wrist looking at her groggily.
"Where are you going now?" he protests, half asleep.
"Ssh... I heard something in the bar," she answers cautiously.
Trill slips on her jeans, tucking the edges of Donnie's shirt in the front of them. She unlocks the door and pokes her head out for a better listen. The hall is dark and only a small amount of light is coming from the casino. Her ears strain to hear, so she closes her eyes and concentrates. Footsteps and voices hit her eardrums from the bar above. There are people arguing; the bartender upstairs, Gill, and someone else.
Concentrating harder, Trill hears that oh-so-familiar voice, and her eyes fly open. Fear grips her in a constricting hold that tightens her chest. Panic sets in quickly and she starts hyperventilating.
How did he find me?
He shouldn't have been able to find her. She made sure she covered her tracks and scent using gasoline, smoke, and taxi cabs. She even managed to run into a few people on purpose to mix up the smell. Just like she was taught to by those she'd met along her journey... and Felix.
This realization makes her panic even more. He knew her tactics because she learned them from him. What was she supposed to do now? She suddenly felt lost and as if she were a child again. Her breath turns shaky and she finds it hard to remain standing.
"Oh no... Donnie," she whispers as a single tear rolls down her cheek and her lips tremble.