It had been a long time since the last time Zed was kissed by someone. That Crusader puppet didn't count, she had only violence in her heart when she kissed him. Now, she felt the light and soft brush of Jim's lips in hers. It was almost unbelievable that this kind of sweetness could exist after all the horrors she had seen.
It was only a few seconds; that touch began a sparkle inside her head. Despite the news she had just told Jim, his feelings for her were gold and silver and all the bright colors. She felt warmed and melted and loved inside, she felt she was the anchor grabbed by a desperate man trying not to drown.
They separated; Jim reached for the drink beside him. Zed touched her lips with her fingertips, trying to hold the kiss there, trying to assure for herself that moment had been real. She was still shocked, but then a sword of agony crossing her brain interrupted her confused thoughts. She followed the line of pain across the bar. Zed expected to find a fight or a woman crying or lonely souls drinking to pass out. Instead, she found Constantine.
Their eyes met. He had that poker face of his she got used to. It was the blank expression he used so many times to hide his feelings. She didn't know he would meet them at the bar, last time they spoke he seemed too tired to walk, so he said he would just go to his hotel room and get some sleep.
Zed thought she couldn't be any more shocked, but when she realized the angry and painful and jealous feelings were coming from John and they had been trigged because he saw Jim kissing Zed, she knew she had a guilty face, which wasn't fair – they never dated. There was never anything romantic between them. Plus, John was always sleeping with other girls. That wasn't a reasonable play.
All he did was place a cigarette between his teeth and light it. Obviously. John had smoked three packs just today. It was more than usual. He probably isn't right, the thought crossed Zed's mind, I should check on him.
But before she could do anything else, he left the bar. Zed was more confuse than ever. Jim started talking, but she didn't pay attention. She knew she should enjoy all the moments she had left with Jim, but she couldn't drag her mind away from John. She was mad with him because of it; he couldn't just appear and mess her head like this. What he was expecting? That she was the only one who couldn't have fun? What about Anne-Marie and all the others?
But she knew this wasn't quite right. If he had been annoyed because she was having fun, she wouldn't feel all those desolate and miserable thoughts. That didn't make any sense.
What if…? No. That was impossible.
Zed laughed because of her own naïve deliberations. Jim smiled back to her. She had a nice guy right there, in front of her, and she wouldn't let him scape so soon.
Jim kissed her again, this time it took longer. She drank another glass of whisk to drown her guilty feelings inside her.
Zed woke up the next day with a headache, but for the first time it wasn't because of her visions, but because she was hangover. It was kind of funny, although she couldn't laugh or the pain would get worse. She was on her hotel room; Jim probably had left her there.
Zed took a shower, brushed her teeth, made herself presentable. Now she could almost feel human again, even though a huge part of her memories from last night were gone, especially the ones after the fourth glass of whisky.
She went to the lob to take breakfast. John was there, and he had company. A blonde girl sat so close to him she could almost be sitting on his lap. She was whispering something on his ear; he had that side devil-may-care smile.
Zed changed her path; she wouldn't be confortable sitting with them, even though she knew they wouldn't want her presence there too.
"Luv!", a voice shouted behind her. She hesitated. It was John's. But she didn't want to play this game. She remembered last night, his sorrow, her gut wrecking guilty.
She put her best smile on her face, trying to play cool. Last night didn't matter; John was just drunk and feeling alone. That was all.
"'Morning, guys", she approached their table.
"You must be Zed", said the blonde girl. Zed didn't feel angry or jealous, she felt sad and protective towards her. "I'm Emma."
"Hi, how are you?" Zed sat beside them. Her empty stomach and her headache weren't helping.
Emma opened her mouth to answer, but John interrupted her: "We're fine, but we were expecting to have a double date. Where's your boyfriend?" There was so much sarcasm on his line that Zed could've drowned.
"He has to work", responded Zed, simply. It was true, he had said it last night, but she didn't want to let the impression that he had left the hotel earlier.
"What a bummer", said John. More irony.
"Well, we have a fly to catch, if you have forgotten." A very uncomfortable one, thought Zed.
"Sure, sure." John turned to kiss Emma one last time.
Zed got up, ready to leave. She had given up on breakfast; no food would stay on her stomach for much longer anyway.
"Remember me to give you some vitamins B before we leave", whispered John on her ear, catching up with her.
From behind them, they heard a very manly voice shouting:
"For God's sake, just kiss already!"
They turned to find out that Manny had "possessed" Emma's body.
"Manny!", exclaimed Zed, heated.
"Is this your heavenly tip?" John put a cigarette between his lips and lit it. "Because, you know, heaven's never on our side."
"I feel you." A waitress had passed by and dropped the comment with a sad face. When she walked until the next table, Manny was gone and Emma was there, drinking an orange juice.
"Fucking angels." John rolled his eyes. Zed, for the first time, was forced to agree.