Not many women ever came around. But even if there were a beautiful dozen sitting at the bar that night, she would of still stood out! Now, I was no suave sophisticated player with a smooth line. I was just a working stiff from the Sulpher mines up on Io. But when I glanced down the bar that night and saw her sitting there, well the liquid courage I'd been drinking kicked in just enough that I decided to go ahead and approach her.
She was sitting all hunched over, drinking something clear in a tall, thin glass. She wore a light long coat over short shorts that revealed long shapely legs that seemed to run on forever. Her page-boy purple hair was loose and frisky. I wandered over and sat, not right next to her, but one barstool away to prove, in my gentlemanly drunken way, I was honorable.
"I don't suppose you would allow me to buy you a drink?" I asked her. It was the only thing I could come up with, so sue me, okay?
She glanced my way to reveal the face of an angel! Her light porcelain skin glowed even under the dim bar lights. Her thin lips complemented her cute turned up nose, which in turn, served as a contrast to her large beautiful brown eyes that didn't as much look at you, but right through you into your soul!
Hey, maybe it was the whiskey that was talking but I had to agree with what that whiskey was seeing! Surprisingly, she didn't tell me to buzz off.
"You can, if you know that its only the drink that you're buyin," she said, in a soft voice that had a tone of cynicism way beyond her apparent age.
I motioned for the bartender to bring us another round of what we were drinking.
"So what brings you to a place like this?" I asked.
"You mean, what's a nice girl like me doing in a place like, blah, blah, blah?" she replied, as a slight smirk crossed her lips.
"Yeah, something like that," I answered, as the bartender delivered the drinks.
"I'm looking for someone," she replied, as she gulped down the rest of her drink and reached for the one I had just ordered for her.
"Tall, dark, and handsome?" I asked, rather stupidly.
I did get a smile out of her!
"More like ugly, sleazy, and wanted," she replied.
"Are you a cop?" I asked obviously.
She giggled a girlish giggle, "Don't insult me. I work the bounties!"
"A hunter, eh?" I smiled.
"A hunter!" she answered, as she gulped down the second drink.
"I hope its not me you're looking for?" I said.
She gave me the once over!
"If it were, honey," she sternly stated, "you'd already be cuffed and on your way to Europa!"
I laughed and shuddered at the same time! Because years ago, I had smuggled canary diamonds from the asteroid belt to a dealer on Mars. I had hoped the statue of limitations was up on that one!
"What's your name?' she asked, with a wide smile that revealed her pearly whites.
"Roger, and yours?"
"Faye," she softly said, offering me her hand, "Faye Valentine!"
We shook. Her hand was softer than velvet.
"Well, Rog," she said, "how about another drink? It looks like my bounty is not coming around tonight!"
I ordered another round.
I noticed she had glanced at her hand right after we shook but I thought nothing of it. Maybe she was checking to see if her hand was dirty after shaking mine. As I discovered later that night, she was checking on something more than just cleanliness!
Anyway, we talked awhile longer. She said she was a free-lance bounty hunter but was loosely affiliated with a couple other hunters on a ship called the Bebop! I asked her how a girl like her got into the bounty business. I mean, did she come from a hunter family? Did she always want to be a hunter from the time she was a kid?
She suddenly got a far away look in her eyes.
"I don't know," she answered quietly, almost as if she were talking to herself, "I don't remember. Maybe I never was a kid! Maybe I was always a hunter! Always was. Always is. Always will be!"
It was the only moment that evening where she seemed almost vulnerable. But just as quickly, she seemed to snap out of her philosophical trance and asked for another drink. I obliged.
Well, we talked awhile longer. This time it was more about me than her. And, as they say, one thing led to another, so we ended up in a cheap hotel a couple of blocks away!
I won't go into any of the details, after all, a gentleman like me respects the ladies enough not to gossip. But let me do tell you, she was great! And I don't mean in a cheap animalistic way! She was gentle and loving! I swear at one time she started to cry! It wasn't anything I said or did. It was like she suddenly remembered something of her past. Something nice that she sadly now missed! It turned out to be a beautiful night! Except for the morning!
When I awoke, I found myself handcuffed to the bedpost! No, its not what you're thinking!
Faye was now dressed and standing at the foot of the bed.
"What's going on?" I asked, but I inherently knew the answer.
"Sorry, sweetie," Faye replied, "but I had a clear plastic print saver on my hand last night! After we shook, I checked your prints and it revealed you still had a warrant out for some smuggling on Mars. There's not much of an award for you but since the big bounty I was after last night didn't show, you're the best I could come up with!"
What could I say? Nothing! So I didn't. Faye didn't say anything either, as she walked me to her cruiser and we made the short trip to the local authorities.
As they led me back into the detention room, I glanced back one more time.
I had to!
She was watching. She smiled and blew me a kiss. I smiled back!
Hey, I'm not mad at her! She was just doing her job, you know? As Faye would of said, "If you do the crime, you have to do the, blah, blah, blah!"
The End.