Disclaimer: I own nothing. In fact, I'm watching the movie, with characters that I DON'T own, right now on the TV.
Title: Wasn't Meant to Be
A/N: I know what immediately popped into your head when you read the summary. But trust me, this isn't what you're expecting. AU. Sue me.
Mimi Marquez smirked seductively at a tall blonde man as she reached out and took a dollar bill from his fist. He whistled at her and she winked, then slunk back to where the other dancers were grinding up against one another. She slipped the bill into a fellow Catscratch dancer's skin-tight shirt, then walked slowly backstage, pausing every few steps to throw out a flirty wink and hair toss.
As she stepped behind the wall that separated her from the lust-crazed men in the club, her shoulders slumped in exhaustion and she sighed tiredly. She'd been working for the entire week straight with no nights off, and it was really taking its toll on her. She momentarily pondered the fact that she had done this before and never been so tired. Maybe there was something wrong. Maybe she was sick.
A hand rested gently on her shoulder and she turned her head sharply, startled. Her heart slowed and an easy smile slid onto her face as she looked into the face of her boyfriend. All thoughts of illness vanished from her mind as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him with a kiss.
"Hey baby," she purred, wrapping her own arms around his neck and kissing him again. He smiled at her.
"Hey Meems, what do you say we head back to your place for a little…fun," he whispered, winking at her. She giggled.
"Alright, just let me go get changed," she replied, starting to pull away. His arms tightened around her and he pulled her back into his chest.
"I think you look spectacular," he said, eyeing her outfit: a tight leather bra, and matching skirt, and fishnet leggings. She blushed.
"No, no, I want to change," she argued. "Baby, you know I hate this job."
He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But who says I can't enjoy it? Come on, grab your stuff and let's go. It's not going to be on for much longer, if you catch my drift." He winked again and she laughed.
"My God, you're insatiable," she teased, lacing her fingers with his. "I didn't bring much tonight, just my coat, so let me get that and I'll be back." She disappeared into a side room, which he knew to be her dressing room, and scurried back out seconds later with her long leopard jacket around her shoulders. She grinned at him and leaned into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Now let's get home before you die of anticipation."
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Three days later
Mimi curled up on her ratty, decrepit couch with a moth-eaten blanket and a tattered book in her hands. She finally had the night off work, and she planned on spending it on the couch all night, reading the book she started almost a year ago and never had time to finish. Sure, she would have rather spent it with her boyfriend, but he had other plans he was being very secretive about. She knew about his wife, so he never lied to her about that. So it had to be something else.
As she settled in and opened the book, her telephone rang. She rolled her eyes and snuggled more deeply into the couch. The machine would get it. It rang three times before the tell-tale BEEP and then his voice floated into the room.
"Mimi…" His voice broke, as if he had been crying. He paused, and she heard him take a breath. "Meems, if you're there, pick up." He paused again, waiting for her. She rolled her eyes. He was always being dramatic about something: fight with his old roommates, who she knew for a fact lived upstairs, or maybe a fight with his wife. She waited for him to continue.
"Mimi, I've just been to the…I've got some bad…God, Mimi, if you're there, pick up the phone, I'd rather tell you this than your machine…No? Fine, be like that. I'll tell you…." He stopped again for another deep, calming breath. "Baby, we got AIDs." There was a CLICK, and the line went dead.
Mimi stared at the machine in shock, a cold feeling washing over her body. AIDs? That meant that she…that was a death sentence! She was going to die! Suddenly, rage flooded over her, burying the shock as she stood up and snatched her coat from the back of a chair. How could he have done this to her? She was young, only eighteen! How in the hell was she supposed to die? How did he expect her to just accept it and move on? And to not even have the common courtesy to stop by and tell her to her face! She stormed down the street, heading towards his apartment, ready to give him a piece of her mind.
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"Mimi?" he asked in surprise and he opened the door. "I just called…" He trailed off as he saw the fury flashing in her eyes.
"Yeah, I know you just called," she snapped. "How could you do this to me?"
"Baby, I didn't know—"
"Don't you dare call me that after what you did. I'm eighteen, for God's sake! Eighteen! And now you just call me up and say, 'Oh, hey, sorry, forgot to mention that you're going to die'! How could you do this?"
"Mimi, please, calm down," he pleaded. "Allison's home, and she'll hear—"
"Oh, Allison will hear!" Mimi shouted. "Allison will hear how you have a disease that kills anything it touches! Allison will hear how you gave it to me! Do you hear that, Allison?" Mimi screamed into the apartment. "He's been cheating!"
"Mimi, what has gotten into you?" he demanded.
"How can you even ask me that?" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You know damn well what's gotten into me! Your disease has gotten into me, and now I'm gonna die!" She broke down into sobs.
"Shh, shh, baby, it's alright," he soothed, wrapping his arms around her. He was surprised when she pulled away.
"No. No, it's not alright," she said in a strangely calm voice. He cringed, finding that he missed the yelling. "It's over, that's what it is. It's over, Benny." She turned on her heel and marched down the hall, listening to him call her name and never looking back.
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"Hey, hey you," a silky voice floated from the alley, causing her to pause in her fuming and self-pity and turn her head towards the sound. "Come here."
She knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself. She walked slowly into the alley. A tall man stood leaning against the wall, smirking at her, his dark eyes burning with something she couldn't identify.
"You look like you could use a little pick-me-up," he said. "I think I can help…for a price."
"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously. His smile grew.
"Care for a little taste of liquid heaven?" he asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small bag. He placed his treasure into her hand. "My payment?"
She reached into her purse and handed him a twenty, her eyes never leaving her hand. He grinned in thanks and tucked the twenty into his shoe.
Mimi shoved the white powder and the needle into her jacket pocket and hurried home.