Chapter Two

Alice's P.O.V

"When I'm done would you like to have another drink maybe?" I asked,  I leaned against the wall beside the door.

"I think I should begin to head home, I have to do a few things," He explained with a sad smile.

"Oh okay, well you have my number so if you need, anything, do not hesitate to give me a call, okay?" I asked, fixing his jacket and smiling up at him.

"Will do, Miss Alice." He stood up straighter letting me do his jacket.

Jack's hand moved a loose strand of hair away from my face as he caressed my cheek lightly in the process.

I took another puff and he moved away with a kind smile.

"Stay safe and have a good night," he called out, bringing my unoccupied hand to his lips and kissing it gently while never breaking eye contact. He then let go gently and walked away to the abyss of the night the only part of him visible was the reflection on the moonlight off his leather jacket.

My cigarette burned to its but as I watched him leave, I dropped it onto the concrete and stepped on it in my heels and made my way inside.

Alex threw me my apron and I tied it around my waist and took out an elastic from underneath the bar, I put up my hair in a high ponytail.

"Phew, okay let's do this," I whispered to myself, I walked up to a couple that was maybe in their forties.

"Can I get you guys anything?" I asked, opening my notebook and pen from my apron pocket.

"Can I get another beer?" The man ordered; he smelled of alcohol and cigarettes and his unkempt mustache looked as if it would tickle his nose.

"Of course Sir, right away; and for the missus?" I acknowledged, smiling and turning in her direction.

She smiled at me and asked for a glass of wine, I wrote it down, gave each of them a smile and turned to go give the order, but she grabbed my hand.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yes things with me are fine dear but." she paused looking at her husband, I tilted my head, not understanding.

"But what?" I asked genuinely concerned.

"-But be careful with that man, he doesn't seem trustworthy," she whispered loud enough for me to hear over the music. 

I placed a hand over hers on my arm reassuringly.

"Not to worry, miss, I'm always careful," I reassured and got away from her grasp and walked towards my brother and the bar, passing on the order.

Jack's P.O.V

Finally making it home, I walked up the steps to the small house I'm renting out. 

It was more like a condo with a black door and golden numbers that read 609 in a fancy font.

I took out my keys from my jacket and the napkin fell out along with it.

Oh right, the number that Alice gave me, she seemed interesting enough with her black little dress and the way men watched her every move some were just salivating over her.

I picked up the napkin, placed it back in my pocket and unlocked the door.

 The lights were off and it seemed pretty quiet other than a ticking sound coming from a loose faucet somewhere in the house.

I turned on the hallway light and took off my jacket and shoes, and came in front of a mirror. My brown eyes looked tired against my tousled brown hair. I went towards the thermostat and it was freezing in here, I could freeze bodies and have it be cold enough not to decompose.

I could see my breath from how cold it had gotten on my time out of the house. I wondered if I had accidentally left a window open, so I turned up the heat and went on a search to look around the windows.

"Aha," I confirmed to myself out loud. 

The culprit was the open window in my bedroom. 

I quickly shivered in my maroon sweater and jeans and took a look at the bathroom, maybe I should take a hot shower to warm up.

I walked into the bathroom, turned on the light and began to undress, I placed a hand on my chest where Alice had touched prior. I still feel dirty, and also want to be touched more.

I shook the thought out of my head, no, she's just some dirty prostitute, It's not the thought of her hands on your body that makes you weak, It's the thought of her blood on my skin that makes my body weak.

I step in the hot water of the shower, as the thought of ripping her body to shreds what would match up to her, her beauty is like a beautiful red rose, her blood if It'snot tainted as pure and the colour of deep luscious crimson.

Maybe thorns from millions of roses would do the trick, but when she told me her name was Alice only one thing stayed on my mind, Alice In Wonderland, follows a rabbit down a hole meets a crazy mad hatter.

In this case, would I be the Mad Hatter? I started to laugh at how hilarious to think she might have fallen into the hole she might die in.

I washed as I proceeded to think of what would suffice for her death specifically.

After I finally got out and dried off I wrapped the towel around my waist and continued towards the sink.

I picked up my toothbrush, placed some toothpaste on it and brushed my teeth, placed it back into the cup, gargled some water, spat it out and opened the door letting all the steam out.

It was a lot cooler out in the open, I quickly made my way back to my jacket, hence I forgot my phone in the pocket as well as Alice's phone number. was colour

Maybe It's too early to text her yet, the time read 10:30 pm.

I carried my phone and the number to the living room and sat on the small, red velvet loveseat.

I turned on the T.V and put on Netflix, movies at my fingertips, how convenient.

Alice's P.O.V

My Shift finally came to an end and Alex and I counted all the money in the tip jar, it came up to three hundred dollars even.

"150.00 each," Alex calculated, passing me half of the cut.

"Awesome," I exclaimed enthusiastically, taking a pack of cigarettes out of my apron.

"How do you not get caught smoking here?" He wondered unbelievably.

 I just shrugged, placed one between my lips and took out a lighter and clicked it open revealing a flame and lit the tip of the cigarette with a red ember charcoal glow.

Inhaling deeply, I folded the money and put it in my bra, as I continued to puff on the cigarette.

"Are you going home to see mom tonight?" Alex asked hesitatingly, as he made sure not to make eye contact.

I looked at my brother holding my other occupied arm against the other resting on my waist as I gave him an 'are you kidding'' kind of look.

"Come on Alice, she's sick," he attempted to guilt trip me, it isn't working.

"She's been sick all our lives Alex, the trauma and years of therapy don't change though does it, stop making excuses for her, god you're such a mama's boy," I repressed my anger, blowing grey smoke between my lips.

"Someone has to do it," he trails off.

"Where the hell is dad?" I asked hypothetically. "Oh, that's right in jail for neglecting and abusing his wife and kids, and mom wasn't any better," I finished my rant, and took a glass and filled it a bit with water, flicking the ashes into it making a hissing sound.

"Alice, she barely remembers her name, can you please just come to see her before she passes away?" Alex just threw everything I said out the window, I rolled my eyes in annoyance and scoffed.

"It always ends in a fight are you sure you want me to go?" My voice went dull, and he nodded.

"Fine, I'll go with you to see mom, but I'm not staying long and if she starts any bullshit I'm leaving and never going back," I explained laying down the boundaries.

"You'll come?" he got excited with a big ol' grin on his face, his hands in excited balls of fists.

"Go get your jacket, you're driving tonight I drank too much," I told him, as I took one last puff on my cigarette and threw it in the glass.

 I then went to the back to grab my jacket; it was a long navy blue jacket that went just under my thigh.

 I picked up my scarf and lightly threw it around my neck.

"Alright, let's get out of here," I ordered while checking my phone to see the time, 12:45 PM.

"Okay." Alex jingled the keys and nodded towards the door.

I walked out into the cool fall air as the wind wrapped itself around my legs, forcing my hair into my face.

I pushed it out of my face, shivering. I ran towards my brother's car.

"Unlock the door," I hollered out to him, he was too busy locking up the bar to hear me, then finally I heard the beeps and a click indicating I can finally get in.

It was so much colder inside the car than it was outside; Alex hurried and got into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition as well as the heat.

"It's pretty cold out tonight," Alex made the observation, rubbing his hands together to try and warm them up.

"I'd say it feels like the north pole out there, the only difference is the only thing falling is the leaves," I agreed, bringing my hands to my lips and blowing hot air into them.

Finally, Alex stepped on the gas and we slowly protruded forwards, as he carefully watched the road.

"Is mom even going to be awake when we get there?  It's like almost 1 A.M." I brought it to Alex's attention.

He continued not to answer as the buildings of shops and houses flew by.

"Alex?" I repeated but he tried to revert his gaze to only the road ahead