Chapter Two

I hate sunrises. They mean I worked way too long. I sat on my balcony sipping my coffee watching Raleigh come alive around me. By the time the last customer was safely in an Uber and the club was as clean as it was going to get until next shift came in, it was four thirty in the morning. After showering to get the smell of booze off me, it was close to five thirty. As much as I wanted to throw myself in bed, I just wasn't relaxed enough.

Russell's words still bothered me. Nothing to worry about right now. It was day light and the big bad vampires couldn't hurt me. I closed my eyes and cracked my neck side to side. I stretched my arms out, admiring the tattoos that lived there. The rose vine the wrapped around my left wrist and half way up my arm caught my attention this morning. The three roses looked back at me. Three memories. I picked my cup up and turned back into my apartment.

I could almost admit that my apartment looked nice in the first light of day. Almost. It was way too cheerful in the morning sun. For someone who was night owl it was rather annoying.

My walls were white as white could get and bare. No holes allowed. The carpet was a deep grey which wasn't all that bad. It was roomy for one bedroom. It has a nice view of the park across the street but I rarely see it in this light.

Blackout curtains.

I placed my cup in the sink and pulled the curtains closed. I turned on my IPod speakers on low to drown out my neighbors daily activities. Sleep sucked me under with the soft sound of the Lumineers. Thirty seconds later the phone rings.

Why hadn't I turned the damn thing off? Maybe I can ignore it. I peak at my clock. It was nine. I had slept three hours. The phone stopped ringing. I sighed and snuggled deeper into the covers.

It started ringing again.

Can I ignore it twice? Five rings later I gave in. Without picking my head up I felt along the dresser for my cell. I slid the green to answer without seeing who it was.

"Someone had better be dead or dying." So I was grumpy. Sue me.

"Loxy?" Charlene's voice came over the phone. She was one of the other regular bartenders at the club. She was as sweet as the cherry lip gloss she always wore. She was in her mid to late thirties and had a teen year old kid. She was a hard worker and didn't complain much. I liked her for it.

"Charlene?" She had never called me before but we all had each others numbers just in case.

"Yeah sweet pea." I could almost see her twisting her too dyed red hair around her fingers. "Look, I know it is supposed to be your Saturday off but Bradley broke his leg and I'm not sure when we will be leaving the hospital. Could you cover for me tonight?"

I knew what it took for her to call out. Being a single mom who took the bus, she could use all the money she could get. I just lay there for a minute thinking of saying no. It was supposed to be my fist Saturday off in two months.

I sighed. "Sure. I didn't have any plans anyway."

"Oh thank you! I sure do owe you one!"I heard a knock on her side of the phone. "Oh the doctor is coming in. Thanks again Loxley."

She hung up before I could say anything. I turned my cell off before snuggling deeper into my sheets. Damn it. Another night of watching strangers get housed. Maybe it if was lucky, someone would throw up on the bar. At least Saturday was a big tip night. And the day before Sunday. Everyone's day off. The Room Where You Sleep by Dead Man's Bones was playing as I drifted back off to sleep.

I had the strangest dreams after that. All of them were about Russell Collins' funeral.