Blink woke up around four thirty and looked at Starlight laying next to
him. She lay on her stomach, her right arm rest over his chest. He gently
placed her arm off him and sat up in the bed. She sighed slightly and
turned to face him. Blink stroke a strand of her hair off her eyes. His let
his hand run through her dark hair and kissed her. He looked at her, his
lips were inches away from hers and shook his head softly. He carried
sadness towards the sleeping girl.
He remembered the first night he saw her. Race had taken him to the Blue rose, where he had met Jenny the day before. He could remember what Star looked like, as if it would have been yesterday. He remembered how her black hair shone in the dim light, or how her dark green dress rustled with every step she made. But most of all, he remembered her eyes. Those dark blue eyes, filled with thousands of stars, that looked through him as if he wasn't there. He could tell from one look at her what she thought about guys that paid to sleep with her. And it took him several months to break through this wall around her, to become a friend to her. If you know who your friends are. Starlight only trusted Jenny and Rose and nobody else. He knew that if he ever tried to tell her how he felt about her, she would have called him crazy. Star didn't believe in love and she wouldn't give him the chance to show any affection towards her, that was for sure. So he just did the best he could in this situation; be with her as often as he could afford it. He just hoped Morris wouldn't come here during the week. This was something he wasn't sure he could afford.
Sure he had won but it didn't take much. With the money he gets from selling papes, he could make it to the Blue rose every weekend. Blink wouldn't let Morris have Star. Not a single night with Star. It was already hard enough to tolerate talking to Morris about Star on Wednesday.
He finally made his way out of bed and pulled his clothes on. He leaned over Star once more and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I hope you are dreaming about last night." He whispered in her ear. He went out of the room and headed downstairs.
"Hey Blink. I would have bet no one would see you before noon."
"Oh, morning Rose. Ah it's just habit to be up this early. Bye."
"Blink, wait a minute." Blink turned around and looked curiously at Rose. She smiled warmly at him.
"Don't give up. Maybe she'll find out one day."
"What are you talking about?" He looked confused and somewhat nervous.
"Starlight. And don't tell me you don't feel something for her! I'm way too old to not see this. It happens so often in this house. I feel it. And I see it when you look at her. The stars in your eyes are almost as strong then the ones in Star's." Blink blushed and looked upstairs.
"How many guys get girls from here?" he smiled, knowing he would never possess enough luck to have Starlight all to himself.
"She's been through a lot. She just needs time. Frank wasn't the best boss you can think of. And Raven and her had the worst time."
"What was about this guy? All I knew from Jenny is that he disappeared and never came back. So you ran the house since then?" Rose walked over to a red sofa and set down on it. Blink followed and took the seat next to her.
"Frank was here as long as I can think of it. You know, most of us are born here. Our mothers came here for one reason or another. Mine had to get money anyway or to die. So she came to the Blue rose. I was born here. I don't know who my father is. Just a few of the girls know who there father is. Well, my mom died from a fever when I was ten. One of the women, her name was Mary, took care of my since then. She was my mom's best friend." She stopped and smiled as she talked again.
"On my twelfth birthday we had to call the doc for Mary. She was pregnant. Six months later, she delivered a child. I was there, helping Marion, another woman, bring that baby into this world, while Frank was screaming outside the room, saying, we should do our work and leave Mary alone. He says if she died it was her problem. It was about eleven that night when we held the child in our arms. She was so small, and already had a head full of black hairs. And those DARK blue eyes. Well, Frank finally got the door opened and took Star away from Mary. He said she wouldn't be able to see her daughter unless she worked. It was hell. The baby always screamed for her mommy. Frank sent me in to keep her quiet. One day, when he was gone for some business, I took her to Mary. She held her in her arms and admired her with tear filled eyes. We all knew where Frank had gone to. He, like us, knew who the father was. Star was a child that was born out of love of her parents. And danger come by, so Mary and William, Star's father, ran away to start a new life. The next day the papes was full with the news of a brutal murder of a man.
Jenny's mom take Star under her wing, alongside Jenny, when Star's mom passed away the following year. When the girls got older, Frank determined if they were "good enough" for the job. He never liked black haired girls. He said they weren't useful, because nobody would want them. So Raven and Star had to start when they were eleven in order to get the job. 'When they aren't pretty enough, they have to have other advantages."
"Wait! You wanna tell me that there were men coming of all ages to sleep with eleven years old girls?!" Blink looked angry.
"That wasn't the biggest problem. Frank himself was. He gave them a 'special treatment,' in the worst way." Blink looked down on the floor, letting Rose's words sink into him.
"When did Frank go away?"
"Four years ago. And I hope he will never come back. Raven and Star are just starting to learn that there are some things in life worth living for. Did you notice the scars on her wrist?" Blink nodded slightly. He had noticed the first night but had never asked Starlight about it.
"She tried to kill herself when Frank had raped her one night, real bad. Jenny found her just in time. I just wanted you to know that she has damn good reasons for the way she acts." Blink nodded.
"What's Star's real name?" He asked suddenly still looking a hole in the floor.
"I mean, her mom didn't call her Starlight, did she?"
"No, her real name is Lilith. Her mom said it was the name of a Babylonian goddess, meaning 'the nightly'. It fits her well, with her black and dark blue eyes. Blink smiled at the good news. Rose was right, it fit Star. Lilith, he tried in his mind. Sounds perfect for her.
"See you tonight; I have to get the rest of the guys out of here." Rose said and walked upstairs while Blink walked back to the lodging house. Maybe one of the other guys was already awake. Maybe Race would be awake, or would be at the lodging house soon.
He remembered the first night he saw her. Race had taken him to the Blue rose, where he had met Jenny the day before. He could remember what Star looked like, as if it would have been yesterday. He remembered how her black hair shone in the dim light, or how her dark green dress rustled with every step she made. But most of all, he remembered her eyes. Those dark blue eyes, filled with thousands of stars, that looked through him as if he wasn't there. He could tell from one look at her what she thought about guys that paid to sleep with her. And it took him several months to break through this wall around her, to become a friend to her. If you know who your friends are. Starlight only trusted Jenny and Rose and nobody else. He knew that if he ever tried to tell her how he felt about her, she would have called him crazy. Star didn't believe in love and she wouldn't give him the chance to show any affection towards her, that was for sure. So he just did the best he could in this situation; be with her as often as he could afford it. He just hoped Morris wouldn't come here during the week. This was something he wasn't sure he could afford.
Sure he had won but it didn't take much. With the money he gets from selling papes, he could make it to the Blue rose every weekend. Blink wouldn't let Morris have Star. Not a single night with Star. It was already hard enough to tolerate talking to Morris about Star on Wednesday.
He finally made his way out of bed and pulled his clothes on. He leaned over Star once more and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I hope you are dreaming about last night." He whispered in her ear. He went out of the room and headed downstairs.
"Hey Blink. I would have bet no one would see you before noon."
"Oh, morning Rose. Ah it's just habit to be up this early. Bye."
"Blink, wait a minute." Blink turned around and looked curiously at Rose. She smiled warmly at him.
"Don't give up. Maybe she'll find out one day."
"What are you talking about?" He looked confused and somewhat nervous.
"Starlight. And don't tell me you don't feel something for her! I'm way too old to not see this. It happens so often in this house. I feel it. And I see it when you look at her. The stars in your eyes are almost as strong then the ones in Star's." Blink blushed and looked upstairs.
"How many guys get girls from here?" he smiled, knowing he would never possess enough luck to have Starlight all to himself.
"She's been through a lot. She just needs time. Frank wasn't the best boss you can think of. And Raven and her had the worst time."
"What was about this guy? All I knew from Jenny is that he disappeared and never came back. So you ran the house since then?" Rose walked over to a red sofa and set down on it. Blink followed and took the seat next to her.
"Frank was here as long as I can think of it. You know, most of us are born here. Our mothers came here for one reason or another. Mine had to get money anyway or to die. So she came to the Blue rose. I was born here. I don't know who my father is. Just a few of the girls know who there father is. Well, my mom died from a fever when I was ten. One of the women, her name was Mary, took care of my since then. She was my mom's best friend." She stopped and smiled as she talked again.
"On my twelfth birthday we had to call the doc for Mary. She was pregnant. Six months later, she delivered a child. I was there, helping Marion, another woman, bring that baby into this world, while Frank was screaming outside the room, saying, we should do our work and leave Mary alone. He says if she died it was her problem. It was about eleven that night when we held the child in our arms. She was so small, and already had a head full of black hairs. And those DARK blue eyes. Well, Frank finally got the door opened and took Star away from Mary. He said she wouldn't be able to see her daughter unless she worked. It was hell. The baby always screamed for her mommy. Frank sent me in to keep her quiet. One day, when he was gone for some business, I took her to Mary. She held her in her arms and admired her with tear filled eyes. We all knew where Frank had gone to. He, like us, knew who the father was. Star was a child that was born out of love of her parents. And danger come by, so Mary and William, Star's father, ran away to start a new life. The next day the papes was full with the news of a brutal murder of a man.
Jenny's mom take Star under her wing, alongside Jenny, when Star's mom passed away the following year. When the girls got older, Frank determined if they were "good enough" for the job. He never liked black haired girls. He said they weren't useful, because nobody would want them. So Raven and Star had to start when they were eleven in order to get the job. 'When they aren't pretty enough, they have to have other advantages."
"Wait! You wanna tell me that there were men coming of all ages to sleep with eleven years old girls?!" Blink looked angry.
"That wasn't the biggest problem. Frank himself was. He gave them a 'special treatment,' in the worst way." Blink looked down on the floor, letting Rose's words sink into him.
"When did Frank go away?"
"Four years ago. And I hope he will never come back. Raven and Star are just starting to learn that there are some things in life worth living for. Did you notice the scars on her wrist?" Blink nodded slightly. He had noticed the first night but had never asked Starlight about it.
"She tried to kill herself when Frank had raped her one night, real bad. Jenny found her just in time. I just wanted you to know that she has damn good reasons for the way she acts." Blink nodded.
"What's Star's real name?" He asked suddenly still looking a hole in the floor.
"I mean, her mom didn't call her Starlight, did she?"
"No, her real name is Lilith. Her mom said it was the name of a Babylonian goddess, meaning 'the nightly'. It fits her well, with her black and dark blue eyes. Blink smiled at the good news. Rose was right, it fit Star. Lilith, he tried in his mind. Sounds perfect for her.
"See you tonight; I have to get the rest of the guys out of here." Rose said and walked upstairs while Blink walked back to the lodging house. Maybe one of the other guys was already awake. Maybe Race would be awake, or would be at the lodging house soon.