If Only Love Were Fair
Prologue
"Camellia?"
"Hm?"
I turned around to see my boss entering the dressing room. "Yes?"
"You better be ready soon. These drunks want to see a woman, and you're the only one I got!" He took a drag of his cigar and looked me up and down. "Be sure to show more cleavage this time, it brings in more customers. But you should know that." He winked and closed the door behind him.
"Yes, boss." I whispered, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
This was my life. During the day, I was a waitress, tending to the bar and the customers. I'd sometimes have good days, and even meet some kind strangers. Once I met an older couple who have been married for over fifty years, traveling together to see the world. That was the purest thing I've ever seen in the bar. At night, I was the entertainment, so my boss called me. He has me put on a show for the late-night goers to keep them buying more alcohol. The only good thing about my job was that it kept me off the streets. Well, that, and I also loved to sing.
I could go into detail about why I needed this job, and why it kept me sheltered, but I'll save that for later.
"Where's the girl!?" A shout from an obnoxious alcohol abuser.
"Shit." I stopped zoning out and headed toward the clothing wrack. The crowd was undoubtedly hungry. I slipped off my coffee-colored shirtwaist dress and began looking for a suitable costume. I laid my eyes on a black slit dress. The back was cut out and it was strapless, so I decided it should be good enough. A pair of black heels completed the so-called "attire" I was going for. I sat back down to finish my makeup when my boss barged in.
"Sweetheart!" He stopped and whistled. "Well look at you! Turn around for me."
I did as he asked, slowly turning so he could "evaluate" my chosen costume for the night.
"I love it. Now put on your lipstick or whatever so we can start the show." He once again left the dressing room.
I could hear him announce that I was about to go on. I quickly added some bright red lipstick for some contrast and fluffed my chocolate curls.
"Okay…I can do this." I touched the mirror and looked back at my green embers. I knew that I was unhappy with the life I was given, but I was determined to make the best of it.
Exiting the room, I made my way to the curtain, center stage. Placing my hands on my hips, I pretended for a moment that I wasn't utterly disgusted with this bar and myself. The curtains rose, exposing the bright light shining on me, and the pigs below cheering for all the wrong reasons. My boss was at the piano and started playing a slow melody.
As my voice flowed with the music, the group of men whistled and cheered. I could hear some of their sickening comments about me. All I could do was just sing for them. I stepped toward the front of the stage for my finale, arms spread wide as my pitch rose. The crowd seemed excited, though at this point they would probably cheer for anything. Just as the song ended, I felt a large hand grab at my leg. With a swift jerk, I fell backwards and hit the floor.
"Ow…" I looked over at my boss, who seemed disinterested with my fall. The man in front of me was head-over-heels drunk, and his hand was still on my leg. It seemed he had some friends with him, too.
"Hey bitch, get back up and dance for me, will ya?"
I crawled away from his hand and gave another look to my boss, pleading for him to let me leave. He looked over to the crowd and back at me, and I could tell the answer was no. Sighing, I stood and brushed the dirt off my dress.
"One more time, boys." Faking a smile, I signaled for my boss to continue playing.
…
Rushing back to the dressing room after the performance, I closed the door and leaned against the wall for a moment. I turned toward the mirror and looked back at my reflection. I looked so defeated, but I knew deep down that this was for the best. I pushed myself up from the wall, took off my heels, and changed into a more comfortable slip dress.
"Knock, knock."
I could see my boss's reflection through the glass. "Are they settled down, now?"
"They're satisfied, that's for sure, sweetheart." He approached me in my chair and put his hand on my shoulder. "They seemed to enjoy that fall you had."
"Someone grabbed my leg and made me fall, boss. It wasn't an accident."
He snickered and waved his hand in the air. "Either way, it made them excited."
I rolled my eyes and started to take off my lipstick.
"Hey, watch the attitude. I'm allowing you to stay here for free, aren't I?" He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his dark eyes. "Now, apologize."
His fingers dug into my cheeks. "I'm sorry, boss."
His frown turned into a smile, and he let go of my chin. "Good, now get some rest. You're opening the bar tomorrow morning."
"Yes, boss."
He left me alone in the room. I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head, wishing things were different for me. I grabbed a wrap to cover myself and exited the bar, making my way to the docks.
The moon was absolutely stunning, cascading its glow onto the surface of the vast sea. The breeze that night kissed my hair, and the salty air refreshed my senses. The ocean always made me feel relaxed after a stressful day. Something about the waves crashing in the distance made me forget about my boss and the customers. Under the illuminated moon, I felt peace. I sat at the edge of the dock and stuck my feet into the water. It was cold against my toes as I splashed the water, feeling the liquid hit my ankles and the wind brush against my cheeks. In that moment, everything seemed perfect.
I heard a creak behind me. I froze, turning slowly to see what made the noise. A man stood with his arms crossed. He had a crooked smile plastered on his face.
"Well, who do we have here so late at night?" His eyes stayed focused on mine.
I pulled the wrap closer to my chest. "I was just leaving."
I stood with one arm holding the wrap and began to walk past the man, until he grabbed my arm. My heart dropped. I kept my eyes glued to the wood below me and held my breath.
"You know it's dangerous for a woman like you to be wandering around by yourself." He forced me closer to him and leaned in close to my ear. "Anyone could just…" He took my hand away from the wrap and let it fall to the floor of the dock. My shoulders were now exposed to the wind, causing goosebumps.
"If you let me go now, I'll give you free drinks at the bar down the road."
He laughed and roughly grabbed my other wrist. "I don't want drinks, sweetie."
Blinking, I looked up into his eyes. "Then, what do you want?"
He smirked. His eyes trailed to my lips, then my neck, and then my chest. Wide-eyed, I tried pulling my arms away from him, but he hardened his grasp, digging his nails into my skin. I started to scream and kicked at his stomach. His eyes turned fierce and his lips were hungry. He pushed me up against the railing and covered my mouth with his hand. I grasped at his arm and then to the railing, hoping to somehow gain some leverage. His other hand moved to my throat, gripping hard enough to silence me. Tears brimmed at the realization that his face could be the last I'd ever see.
My eyes started to roll and everything was blurry. He finally released my neck and I slid down the railing. I felt his hands pull at my arms as he lifted me over his shoulder. Blood continued to rush to my head until he threw me onto the ground. I looked up to see that I was no longer at the dock, but in an alley. I started to crawl away, but he grabbed my legs and pulled me to him. He was now on top of me, kissing at my neck, licking what was left of my innocence away. His hand pulled at my strap and broke it from my dress. He didn't care; all I knew was that I was dead, or about to be. I looked past his head and saw the moon above us, shining bright in the sky. It hurt to think that I'd never see it again.
I didn't want to die. I didn't want to give myself to him. I gathered all the strength I had left and socked him in the face. His head jerked to the side, but I'm afraid that's all my punch did. He was now furious and pinned my arms to the ground. I shook against his grip, quivering to be free of this pain. He leaned his head down and grasped at my other strap with his teeth, yanking it from my dress. I screamed once again, hoping somebody nearby would hear and save me from the clutches of this man. His hand left my wrist and struck my cheek repeatedly. I tried blocking with my free hand, but it was no use; his punches drained what was left of my energy. I was limp now, my chest heaving against the pounding of my heart. I felt his fingers tear at my dress, exposing my upper thigh. His hands grazed against my skin, reaching my underthings. Any longer, and he would have me.
When it seemed like the worst was coming, I heard the sound of chains in the distance. The man was grasping at my panties when he was suddenly pulled from me and thrown to the wall. I was frozen with fear and shock, wondering if this was now a dream, and that when I snapped he'd still be ripping at my dress. My thoughts were disrupted when a face entered my line of sight.
"Hey…are…okay…"
The person in front of me seemed like an angel, with the moon behind his head causing him to glow. I wondered for a moment if I was in heaven. His face then disappeared as my vision went black.
…
I could hear murmurs close by. Groaning, I turned on my side and opened my eyes, but everything was blurry, and I could hardly make out what was in front of me. After a few blinks, I realized that this was not the bar. The room I was in was small, with only a chair, the bed I was lying on and a wooden table next to it. There were also a few cabinets on the walls, along with a single painting of a wooded path. Turning my head, I noticed a round window. Forcing myself onto my knees and holding a white blanket to my chest, I peaked into the window, seeing only blue waters.
"W…what?" I fell back onto the bed.
My memory of the previous night was hazy. I pulled the blanket away and quickly realized that my slip barely covered anything. Hastily clutching the blanket, I stood to find some answers. As I made my first step, my legs gave and I fell onto the hard wood. A squeak escaped my lips as I braced for the fall.
The door in front of me burst open. Looking up, I saw two men with worried expressions gazing down at me. One was dark-skinned, wearing a light, long sleeved shirt. The other was also wearing a light shirt, with a bandana around his forehead.
"You need to lay down, miss." The dark-skinned man approached me.
I backed away as his hand extended toward me. "Don't."
He paused for a moment, and then retracted his arm. "I'm sorry, where are my manners." He stood and smiled softly. "My name is Christopher, and this here is Nathan. He's the one who found you."
I looked at Christopher, and then Nathan. "Found?"
Instantly, flashes of the night before hit me. Images of a man with the evilest eyes bombarded my memories, like I was reliving every torturing moment. Raising my fingertips to my cheek, I felt swollen skin and throbbing pain. I looked down at the floor, amazed and surprised that I was still here.
Looking back to the man named Nathan, I spoke. "You saved me?"
He nodded, placing his hands into his pockets. He didn't seem very open like Christopher.
"Well, miss, I need you to lay back on the bed. Your body is still recovering. I'll have Nathan prepare you something to eat." Christopher extended his hand to me as Nathan left the room.
Holding the blanket with one hand, I grabbed his with my other and carefully stood. Making my way back to the bed, I moved the blanket to lay across me.
"Can you tell me where I am, exactly?"
"You are currently on the Sirius." He placed a small cloth into a bowl of water.
"The Sirius?"
"Ever heard of us?" Leaning forward, Christopher covered my forehead with the wet cloth. The cold liquid stunned me for a moment before I got used to the sensation.
"No, I'm sorry."
He laughed. "Don't be. It's actually good that you haven't. We don't exactly have the best reputation."
"Then…why are you helping me?"
"Well," He opened a cabinet and pulled out a small bottle. "just because we're pirates doesn't mean we're evil."
Did he just say pirates?
Noticing my change of expression, he smiled. "Hey, we're good pirates, I swear. There's no need to be afraid of us."
He opened the bottle and poured out two small pills. I eyed them suspiciously.
"They're just pain medicine."
I bit my lip and looked into his eyes, which seemed extremely less terrifying than the eyes of the man from last night. I reluctantly took the pills from his hands. He handed me a glass of water.
"When you've eaten and rested a little more, you can meet the rest of the crew."
Oh god…
"Don't worry, they're very kind. Now rest, please." He smiled and made his way to the door.
"Christopher? Thank you."
He smirked and nodded, leaving me to my pills.
…
"Hey."
"Hm?" I rolled over to see Nathan standing above me with a plate in his hand.
"Salad with some chicken." He put the plate on the table next to the bed. "Don't waste any of it." He turned toward the door.
"Wait." I moved to sit up. "I didn't get to thank you for last night."
Nathan's face remained expressionless. "Don't mention it."
"I also need to ask, why am I here?"
He crossed his arms. "You seemed like you needed a doctor. Christopher was the closest."
"But why are we not at the docks?"
"Listen." He pulled up Christopher's chair and sat down. "You're clearly not in the best condition. It's going to take a while before you're healed, and we don't have time to sit at the docks for however long. The captain has a schedule that we need to stick to." His eyes moved to the blanket. "You might want to pull that up."
Embarrassed, I tightly grasped the blanket around myself.
"Finish the food so I can wash the plate." He stood, opened the door, and realized that in front of him was another man.
"Captain." Nathan moved out of the way.
"I thought I'd check on her myself." A tall, flashy man entered, wearing a large hat and a red jacket.
Oh god.
"Well hello." The Captain took my hand and brushed his lips against it. "I'm Morgan, the captain of this ship. It's a pleasure to see that you're doing better."
My cheeks burned. "Camellia."
His smile was bright and heartful. "Well, Camellia, seeing as you're awake and feeling better, I think it's time that we find you a roommate."
"What?" Nathan and I both exclaimed.
The captain laughed. "She has to stay somewhere; sleeping in this tiny room would make anyone go insane. Besides, there isn't any more room on the ship, and this is for doc's patients."
Nathan crossed his arms.
"Excuse me." I raised a finger. "Can't you just take me back to Winchester?"
He raised an eyebrow. "We can't turn the ship around; we have other places to be. But, we will stop at a port to get you something to wear. We have other business there as well."
I remained silent, trying to wrap my head around my predicament.
"Why don't you room with Nathan?"
I turned my head toward Nathan, who seemed displeased.
"But Captain- "
"Nathan. You brought her here, and she's already familiar with you." Morgan then placed his hands on his hips. "Camellia, you don't mind Nathan, right?"
"Um." I bit my lip. "I mean, he doesn't seem very fond of- "
"Nonsense. Nathan, why don't you show her your room?" The captain smiled and patted Nathan's shoulder.
Irritated, Nathan stared coldly into my eyes. "C'mon. And grab the plate."
At a loss for words, I stood with the blanket around me and followed him into the hallway.
"Attaboy!" Smirking, Morgan left in the opposite direction.
Following behind Nathan, I couldn't help but feel scared and nervous. He did not seem to like me very much, and the idea of sharing a room with him seemed to bother him. I clutched the blanket tighter and shook away my thoughts. I wanted to make the best of this situation, despite its shortcomings.
At least I'm not at the bar.