Ygritte smiled at Sansa when she saw her walk towards her. She was in the VIP section of Night's Watch Club, sipping on rum and coke.
She had wanted an easygoing evening.
After hearing of Arya's safe return back home the previous night, Ygritte had accepted Sansa's offer to meet as soon as possible.
She even cancelled a flight to LA.
"Sansa, sit. What can Hizdahr get you?"
Sansa sat beside her and waved the bartender away. She was here on business, not for pleasure.
"Nothing, I'm here on business."
"What can I do you for, love?"
Sansa took a deep breath in. She was sure of this. She had to do this. After yesterday, this was the only thing that made sense to do.
She lowered her voice so only Ygritte could hear her. "I want to take up those side jobs. The-the wining and dining with the..."
"Oh, Sansa... A pretty girl like you shouldn't do things like that. I'll even do you a favour and forget that you even suggested the idea-"
"I want to it. I've slept with guys before..."
Ygritte sighed. "It's not about sleeping with guys and one night stands. I will not subject a friend of mine to work as a whore. You are more than that. Look at you, you're in university and are getting a fabulous degree... You don't need to-"
"I need the money. The sugar daddy thing isn't as scary as I'm thinking. I could do it. It's just lonely old men who need company, right?"
Sipping on her rum and coke, Ygritte resisted the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance and slight disappointment. But who was she to judge? She had done the same thing to get through university before not completing her Medicine degree. But she saw herself in Sansa. She just didn't have wonderful siblings to support her back then like Sansa had right now.
"I'll give you a name and a number. Introduce yourself, talk and see how it goes. I'd advise you to privatise your number, lets you have the upper hand so you can decide whether to continue or not."
She took her phone out of her purse and retrieved the tissue that came with her drink before getting a pen from her purse. She unlocked her phone and scrolled through her contacts before writing down a name and a number and slipping the tissue to Sansa.
"Think about it. Just remember that when it falls back on you, I warned you, love."
Sansa slipped the tissue into her pocket and took a sip of Ygritte's drink before wincing. Too strong. But she needed it.
She hadn't been able to speak with her sister as she locked herself in the bathroom whenever Sansa needed to do things in their room or in their bedroom whenever Sansa was tending to Bran. It was a lose-lose situation.
"I meant to ask," Ygritte started. "Does Jonny know about you being a model? I sensed tension after I left."
"He found me out. He's fine with it."
"Do you think that he will be fine with this? What you are doing as well?"
Sansa chuckled bitterly. "What is this? Why are you trying to convince me otherwise when my mind's made up? I thought you'd be proud that I'm following in your footsteps-"
Ygritte gripped onto Sansa's wrist tightly, making the younger woman gasp and wince in pain.
"Now, now. You do remember that you don't want to know what I do to people who do me wrong, right?"
"You're hurting me."
"I did what I had to do to survive. I had no one. You have a loving brother who will happily see to it that you're safe at home, not roaming the cold streets at night, looking for your next hookup to pay for food and rent. Watch your mouth, love."
Ygritte let Sansa go to allow her to rub the throbbing wrist.
"I care about your brother. A part of me always will so if that means protecting his loved ones, I will do so willingly because I am loyal once I know where my priorities lie."
Sansa's eyes watered but she refused to let her tears fall. Instead, she mumbled a goodbye and left the club, feeling relief as the cold air hit her face.
She could breathe again.
"Oi! Are you alright, Stone?"
Sansa daren't turn back. She nodded and lifted up a thumbs up to Sandor before heading towards the direction of the bus stop.
Sitting down on the red bench, she got her phone out and the tissue and quickly saved the number in her phone.
But she found herself carrying out the call. It rang four times.
"H-Hello?"
"Hello. Urm, I'm guessing you're one of the... I see that you're calling from a private number."
"Yes." She sounded stupid. He wasn't asking her a question.
"Ygritte Ó Brádaigh's?"
She wasn't sure of why he was questioning her. What was she meant to say? She tried not to take too long to answer.
"Yeah. I-I'm new."
"Ah. So, not a regular. Well, I'll let you know that I haven't exactly d-done this in a long time. I... I just need... My wife left me after I caught her sleeping with my father."
Oh.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. When are you free? I'll prefer nights."
Sansa hesitated. This was going to be a one-time thing. Right?
"Tomorrow." She sounded confident and she liked where this was going. Sounding weak would make her susceptible to abuse. She needed to play the 'upper hand'.
"I am free then. Is there anywhere that I can meet you or pick you up...?"
"Night's Watch Club. Further up the bus stop."
"Great. Uh, what is your name? Mine is Tyrion. We don't have to do surnames if you want."
Sansa smiled softly. "Alayne."
He sounded really nice. And nervous. But she had to remind herself that this was wrong but she was doing it for the right reasons. For her family's future. Or what was left of them.
"Beautiful. What does it mean?"
"I don't remember. Look, I have to go," she said as her bus pulled up. "But tomorrow night at nine, we will meet up and speak some more."
"Thank you, Alayne. Have a good night."
"You too, Tyrion."
She hung up and got onto the bus, slapping her Oyster card onto the reader. She was relieved when it turned green. She sat down in the seat behind the bus driver and took a deep sigh of relief.
Things were finally getting somewhere.
...
Jon smiled when Dany glanced up from her patient's files to smile at him.
Things had been strained between them lately with all the drama that had happened in his family lately so it was nice to get back into his routine.
Work was welcomed. Especially a busy day with patients coming and going, throwing up all over the place and blood and gore at every nook and cranny of the hospital. It was a far cry from yesterday morning when he had nearly drowned in an ice water river.
Gendry had saved his life and his sister's in turn. He owed him a pint and probably his sister's hand in marriage if she wanted that with the young man. But not now, she was still his baby sister and he wanted her to stay as innocent as the day she was born until he was ready to let go of her.
"How is Arya? Sansa called Gilly earlier on to say that she wasn't eating?" Sam asked as he joined Jon at the nurse's station.
"I don't know. She was asleep when I woke up this morning to get ready for work. I just kissed her head and left. Sansa hasn't updated me or called either. I'm hoping that she is getting somewhere with her though."
"If you guys need help or anything at all, just say the word and Gilly and I will be there for you. We'll even cart off Baby Sammy to my mother's if you need us to take care of Bran for a couple of days whilst you focus on Arya."
Jon smiled, patting his friend's back. "You're a great friend, Sam. I might just take you up on that offer."
They jumped when the Director of Nursing, Ms Ellaria Sand, slammed patients' notes in front of them.
"You better not be gossiping at my nurse's station, gentlemen."
"At your nurse's station, Ellaria? We dare not!" Jon chuckled, making the woman begrudgingly break out into a small smile.
She scoffed though. "You're lucky that you're handsome, Dr Snow. And you," she turned to Sam. "Are lucky that you are friends with Dr Handsome, Dr Tarly. Get back to work, ladies."
She left as Dany walked up to them with a confused smile playing on her lips.
"What did Sand want now?" She asked them.
"For us to stop gossiping at 'her' nurse's station. We weren't. Although, gossip about you and Jon are going around."
The two turned to Sam who only shrugged and walked off with a smile on his face. The cheek!
"Hey, do you want to head to Night's Watch Club after our shift ends in thirty minutes?" Daenerys asked Jon.
"Yeah. Why not?"
There was always tomorrow to get on Arya's case.
Tonight was about letting loose and being grateful for them still being alive.
"Awesome! Let's get insane, tonight." Dany grinned.
Insane... Yeah. For tonight only.