Chapter three

Mia opened her eyes the next morning feeling like she'd been smacked about the room with her head, her hands brushed over her eyes glancing to the smudge of Mascara on her fingertips, and the white pillow with black and purple smudges. "Oh great impression, really good…" she muttered while getting up from the bed, her weight shifted from one foot to the other before grabbing the bedpost, it was hard to remember the events of that night, but she remembered the booze, singing home, to L.J's home, seeing his father in his boxers, her hand touched her mouth, that kiss no girl could ever forget, but she now felt her stomach churning rushing to the bathroom across the hall.

L.J listened to the sound of vomiting from his bedroom; he didn't know whether to laugh or not getting out of bed heading for the bathroom with a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He walked in seeing Mia curled near the toilet her eyes black from makeup smudge, her face was sickly pale, but she reached up slowly trying to get to the bathtub.

"What did you learn about booze?" L.J said while Mia started to stare at L.J she used her hand to pull herself up before L.J helped her, she wrapped her arms around him feeling dizzier.

"Booze, is yummy, makes me horny as hell…" she whispered while L.J laughed trying not to drop her, but she was holding tight.

"Mia, really…" he added while his eyes found hers, and she covered her mouth with her hand, "Ah barf breath…!" he laughed before helping Mia into the bathtub/shower, she pulled the curtain before passing her clothes to him, he couldn't see her through the dark material, but the sound of running water broke his attention from her silhouette.

"L.J can you get me a towel?" Mia asked, but L.J's eyes froze seeing Lincoln standing in the doorway, his eyes study his son's before glancing to the shower.

"She ok?" Lincoln asked looking to the hand now poking out of the shower, her fingers grabbing the air. The water had stopped, and Mia was tapping her foot.

"Yeah she's fine…" L.J quickly glanced back watching the hand quickly placing a towel into it. "She's just a little hung over…"

"L.J please tell me I feel into a bush, I have a huge scratch on my ass!" Mia called from the tub, and Lincoln raised a eyebrow watching L.J with a grin.

"Yeah, you feel over four times." he added while Lincoln chuckled walking away from the bathroom as Mia stepped out with the towel wrapped around her armpits, her eyes finding L.J.

"No more booze…" she held a hand up, "for another week…" she added with a smile glancing to L.J, "I think I may of shared too much, you keep looking at me funny…" she said slowly as L.J bit his lip, and then glanced back into the hallway.

"You might have said out loud about your, well why you ran away from home…" he said slowly as Mia covered her eyes, she looked to her feet feeling like a complete idiot. "Mia, I'm no gonna tell anyone, and my dad's cool, I mean his a cool guy, please don't be upset." his voice calming as Mia didn't speak. "Mia…" he added while she glanced up at him.

"Yeah, I'm just embarrassed…" she spoke slowly, but he eyes glanced to the open door. "I bet your dad thinks I'm a big slut now!"

"No he doesn't think you're a slut, just worried about you." L.J kept his face watching Mia, she picked up her clothes heading back to the spare room, didn't matter what L.J said, she remembered that kiss, it burned her lips still, making her heart beat hard.

Lincoln walked into the kitchen, Sofia stood at the counter, her eyes focused on buttering a piece of toast, Lincoln couldn't look at her, last night, over by the sofa another woman kissed him, she wrapped her arms around him and he felt real passion, but when ever he kissed Sofia, it wasn't the same, maybe he didn't really love her, it was easy to be with her, it was easy to be like this.

"L.J's friend, is she going to be staying here long?" Sofia asked while trying to keep her voice calm, it was obvious that there was a tone, but Lincoln chose to ignore it, bu L.J walked into the kitchen.

"Mia's gone back to the hotel, she is embarrassed, she thinks she's made a bad impression." he now reached over taking an orange from the fruit bowl, Lincoln couldn't stop the look of disappointment wash over his face, maybe he was making too much of this, but Sofia saw the look placing the rest of her toast in the bin.

"I have to go open the store…" her words harsh as a she now storm out of the room, it left an awkward silence hang in the air afterwards.

Mia walked into her apartment, it wasn't much, a small kitchen area, a shower room, but her bedroom was also her living room, she took off the clothes she was wearing, her hands moving down her waist, her eyes looking into a full length mirror, her eyes found herself, feeling sick with herself, she didn't want to tell anyone of her past, she ran away from home at fourteen, she remembered that year, the same year that the Fox River eight were all over the news, the year she jumped trains, she stole, she slept rough, but the time she was fifteen she was turning tricks, it was a matter of closing her eyes, just remembering it didn't mean anything, she needed the money.

Mia opened her eyes again, her eyes that said so much about her, she only come to Panama people to her, she could get work, they never ask too many question, but when Mia got her a year ago, she was still pulling tricks, just she didn't get arrested here. Mia found a clean pair of shorts and a vest placing them on before sitting on the balcony. Sitting on a sun bed, she looked to the view of the beach, she rested back before closing her eyes, alone like it was meant to be, Mia loved the silence, the fact she did get lucky with this job, but a part of her would always be ready, working all she could, saving money.

Mia opened her eyes hearing her phone vibrate on the table where she left it, quickly to her feet she answer before looking to the caller ID.

"Hello." her voice careful,

"This is Charlie from the Meow club, are you still interested in the job?" he asked with a smooth tone, Mia thought back to talking to L.J about it, he didn't know how serious she was.

"Yeah, I'm still interested…" she said while her eyes closed.

"Ok well you start tonight, bring your own stage outfits and music…" he said before hanging up, Mia placed the phone down before again looking to herself. She needed the money, all she could think about is the money.