Author: xlivvielockex
Title: Gloria, How's It Gonna Go Down?
Character and designation:(or Challenge:) Good Willy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Backstory for Willy the Snitch when he was just Willy the Guy In Love
If you would have told me that she was a demon when I first saw her, never would have believed you. Or maybe thought you meant demon in the sack. Which she is, don't get me wrong. But I never would have bought an honest to god living and breathing demon. Though I learned real fast that a lot of demons, they don't need to breathe.
She had to breathe though. One look at the way those babies moved up and down under that tight halter top. Oh yeah, she was breathing, alright. And making me pant just looking at her.
When she turned around, that was a sight to be seen. She had the sort of legs that seemed to go on forever, and I could just imagine how soft and smooth they had to be. Those hips, I am telling you, the masters couldn't have created such perfect beauty. The small of her back too. Just perfect. I could imagine myself placing kisses from that spot all the way up the small of her back. Getting lost in her hair.
Her hair. She had this strawberry blonde hair that was more strawberry than it was blonde. Reminded me of this cake ma used to make in the summer. Day old angel food soaked in strawberries so it didn't go down like a brick. She smelled like strawberries too. The girl, not my ma. All sweet and ripe, just waiting for Willy to come along to pluck her.
'Course, didn't know then that the sweet smell was really just to attract the bugs she ate. Always admired a girl that could eat. Too many girls today, all worried about their figures, end up looking like skeletons. Give me a little meat on those bones any day.
I could have bought her a drink that night. It was a bar after all. Place where all the swingers were going. Good music on the stage, cheap beers, and all the peanuts you could eat. Hazy layer of smoke was enough to get in your eyes, tear them up just enough that even the 5s were looking like 10s.
Like I said, I would have bought her a drink. But damned if she didn't come right up to me, ask me what I was drinking, and order me another. Threw me off my feet there for a minute. All I am all for the feminist broads but I do like to hold open the door, pay for dinner, and buy the lady a drink.
"What's your name?" She had the most beautiful cherry lips I had ever seen. I could hang on her lower lip all day.
"Willy. You?" I'd had plenty of pretty girls hitting on me in the past, so I knew how to be smooth and calm.
"Gloria." When she smiled though, all those perfect white teeth. She could have powered the entire city of Brooklyn with that smile.
Let me tell you, at that moment, old Willy was head over heels in love. It was like Deano always said, that's amore.
"Can I buy you a drink, Gloria?"
"Well, Willy, I was hoping maybe you would want to buy me dinner and a ticket to a movie later this week." My whole attention was on her now. The way she reached into that tiny little purse, pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Her hand moving across that paper as she gave up the sacred digits. Couldn't take my eyes off as she slipped it into my hand.
Then she was gone. Just like that. I was thinking I must have dreamed it but nope, right there, in my hand was that slip of paper. Her hand writing was like the curvy loop de loops of the old coaster on Coney Island. Made my heart race just like that old coaster.
I tell you, that date couldn't come fast enough. Outside of that dive, she was even prettier. Didn't think that was possible but she was radiant. Like this beam of sun that came down to dance just for me.
The night was perfect too. Dinner at this nice little Italian place. She could eat, give her that. Though she told me later she didn't much like the human food. That was after I found out what she was. But that comes later. I can't even remember what movie we saw neither. I spent the whole flick just holding her hand. It was so soft, like I was holding some satin purse.
We had plenty more dates like that. Dinner, movie, and then me walking her home. I respected this girl, so I didn't put any of the Willy moves on her. She wasn't some cheap dime a dance floozy. Not Gloria.
Course, I can remember the exact minute that she told me she wasn't human. We were sitting in her apartment but only because my place was really no where to be taking a lady like Gloria.
"I have something I want to tell you."
"You aren't breaking up with me, are you? If you are, I can change. I promise. I can be a whole new man. Won't even recognize me."
She laughed. God, that laugh. I could have spent my whole life just listening to that laugh. It brought a smile to even my face, and I knew it would warm the coldest heart.
"No, you are great." My heart skipped a beat when she took my hand. My rough hands, blistered and broken after years of working odd jobs for some member of my family, she held them in those incredibly soft ones of hers.
"So what is it? You know you can tell me anything, baby." Then again, I didn't know that this is what she was going to be telling me, you know?
"I have a secret. A big one." She took a deep breath and gave my hand a squeeze. "I am not human, Willy. I am actually a demon. Name isn't important but I am a good one, well, as good as anyone out there. I don't eat babies or work for Satan or any of that. I actually live off roaches. New York, best place for them next to Hollywood." She did one of those nervous chuckle things. Making jokes at a time like this, she was the perfect girl for me.
"You told that speech a lot, huh?" I could tell. Sounded all rehearsed and she answered all my questions before I said them. She could have been psychic then. I didn't know.
"Not too much. I haven't felt this way about a guy in a long time." She looked down at our hands. I was still holding her hand.
Me, I was quiet after that. I had a lot to think about. I find out that my Gloria goddess was really some bug eating demon, which weighs heavy on a man's mind. She looked human, damn good looking human. That made the choice even harder. We had fun together. She laughed at my jokes. She could cook too. My ma always told me to marry a girl that was good in the kitchen.
"Guess I only got one choice then…"
I could tell she was worried I was going to go storming out of there. I felt bad when I looked into her eyes, but a man has to have his moment. "What choice is that?"
"Guess I gotta marry you, don't I?" I grinned at her, and she rewarded me with a smile I would carry in my heart until the day I died.
I could sit here and lie, tell you that we had the perfect marriage. Oh sure, we had our good times but we had our bad times too. The fights were the worse. She'd throw pots at me and I would end up sleeping on the couch. Nothing was worse than those nights being away from her. Felt like part of my soul was being ripped out. She might have been right in the next room but the distance between us was like from here to Jersey.
We always fought the most about the stupid stuff. Like if I forgot to put the trash in the chute one week, we'd have a go about it for hours. Or if she left the TV on and went out. We never fought about the important stuff. Maybe we should have.
I was smart, I never once said nothing about her being a demon and she didn't begrudge me none for being a human. There are lines these young kids don't understand, and you just don't cross them. We all got buttons and if you don't want yours pushed, don't push other people's.
I made a good living but I was always looking for something better. Johnny "Rat Eyes" tried to get me into the business, you know THE business, but I was just some mug without a rep. I couldn't be more than just a hired thug. And I didn't like the violence. So stripping cars was next. It was something, and Gloria never asked me where I was going or what I was doing.
I had to do it. I made good money. It was all for Gloria. Bought her nice dresses and jewelry, made sure she had fine things in the house. Never forget when we got that new couch and I could sit on it without a plastic cover cause I knew if we spilled something, I could get her another one. I would have done anything just to see her smile.
Guess that is why I ended up here, doing what I am doing.
It started one night when she didn't come home. Sometimes she worked late. She had a normal job, not like some strange demon one. She worked as a receptionist for a big ad agency. She was the prettiest damn receptionist on the upper west side that's for damn sure.
And sometimes, she went out with the girls from work. She always called. She'd say to me, "Hey, Willy, the girls are going to that new bar in Chelsea. I'm going with." or "Me and the girls are grabbing a bite, there is a TV dinner in the freezer." She was always looking out for me, my Gloria.
I should have known when the phone finally rang a little before midnight. I just thought she forgot to call. She might not have ever forgotten before, but there is a first for everything, right? Wasn't her though. Now whenever I hear a ringing phone close to midnight makes my heart jump into my throat and then sink down to my feet.
I picked the phone up, all ready to hear that voice I had fallen in love with the moment she opened those gorgeous lips. Wasn't expecting the rough, bristly voice of the local donut chomper, that is for sure.
Now, I know English pretty good. I been speaking it since the day my mom shot me out, but some words that cop were saying were totally foreign to me. Like "assault" and "critical condition" and "unidentified weapon." I got the jist of it though and I wasn't liking what I was hearing.
Never been a violent man, but in that moment, I wanted to find the punks who hurt Gloria and make them hurt even more. Maybe even kill them. I knew how to get a gun, how to use it, and those savages were goin' pay if it wasn't for the fact that I could see Gloria, laying there in that hospital, waking up alone. I couldn't do that to my best girl.
It took her three days before she was stable enough to wake up. Another two days before she could open her eyes and almost a week later before she could tell me what happened to her.
It was like this, her and some of her friends were going to this new bar in town. Was supposed to be a real hopping joint so they were happy. While the girls were snacking on appetizers, she slipped out in the alley to see if she could find some dinner for herself. Couple of humans came along, saw a gorgeous woman eating roaches, and well, they weren't stupid. They knew what she was. And to them, you seen one demon, you seen them all. They thought they were some kind vigilantes. They must have not been very good if they left her alive. Damn shame when a girl can't even get a drink in this town without getting beaten for being different.
One good thing about doing cars was getting to know all the people. Wasn't too hard to find them since they were bragging all about town about how they iced some demon. Willy had to cover that up real fast, tell the bosses that they were a bunch of crackheads. Didn't know what they were talking about, all high on goofballs, they thought they saw a demon. Never found out what happened to them, never bother to ask, never bothered to care. All I cared about was Gloria.
Month, took a month before I could get her out of that hospital and even then, she didn't walk so well. Wouldn't be walking the way she used to, with that shimmy to her hips, an invite to come up and see her that was spoken without words. She was a lot quieter then too. Didn't have that same kind of radiance. Broke my heart.
Don't ask me where I came up with that cuckoo idea. Think it was sometime between her first month at home and reading about another attack in the paper. Sure, paper said it was human but I knew better. Anyone who met the guy could tell he was a demon. He wasn't too good at hiding the gills on the sides of his neck.
He was just getting a beer, minding his own business, when a couple more of these vigilante types took him outside. Demons got their own justice, they don't need no humans putting their rules on them too. I learned that real quick with Gloria. Doesn't look good for a demon to kill another demon cause you become an outcast. Sure, demons fight,but most of them, they are just trying to make a living.
So I guess that is how I got the idea. Money was no problem. The bosses were happy to lend me a couple of bucks, okay, couple of thousands of bucks. Maybe they just wanted to get me out of town. Always told me that I had a face only a mother could love. And stripping cars wasn't my passion, I'm a people person.
Now, I was always one to keep my ear to the ground. Best way to find out about new Caddy shipments or if the cops were hot on us. Couldn't sell those stolen parts if you didn't know that someone was asking around for them. So it wasn't that hard to switch from listening in the human world to the demon world. I knew we had to relocate, someplace with more clientele who could appreciate an idea like mine.
In the end, the decision was up to Gloria. I had to do something to cheer her up. She quit her job and most days, she just stayed in front of the television. She was starting to get a little fat, you know. Not that I said nothing, cause Willy knows better but still. Change of scenery might do her good.
"Gloria?"
I didn't get any answer.
"Baby…" I sat down next to her on the couch. I reached for the remote, turning the TV off. "Remember that idea I was telling you about? The one for a place for demons to come, have a drink, not worry about the humans or their rules?"
I still didn't get a response from her.
"Well, I got the money to open it up from the bosses. And I've been talking to some other demons, trying to figure out the best place. I got two options. We got Cleveland, Ohio or Sunnydale, California."
She was still silent, staring at the black box of the turned off TV.
"Now Cleveland, lots of run down buildings there, plenty of food. But Sunnydale, well that is California. Nice beaches and sunny."
"I like the sound of Sunnydale." She finally spoke. Her voice was soft and sounded tired. But it still brought a smile to my face.
I squeezed her hand. "Sunnydale it is, Gloria. And whatever it takes, I'll do whatever it takes. Lie, cheat, steal, I'll give you that life you always wanted, dreamed of."
I brought her hand up to my lips, kissing it softly. I saw the first bit of that sparkle returning to her eyes. That was all I needed. I'd do anything for her, anything for my Gloria.