Nel's alarm clock went off without any sight or scent of this Joseph Hendrall guy happening beforehand. Though Mike considered this a success, he knew a still-sobering Nellie would find this to be a fairly rude awakening if only because of the time. He remained in the living room, unsure of what to do. If she remembered last night, she'd remember him. If not…well, the knives were in the kitchen. So long as she didn't have a weapon, and it sounded like her only real one was in the hands of the ex, then he would be fine.
Should he call out to alert her that he was still there?
He glanced out the window once more, spotting a hint of the sun rising. He glanced into the apartment as the curtain closed, the ray of light flashing over a photo on the wall. What did she look like? Of course he was aware he hadn't been able to see her last night, but his attention was on other people. Now however…
He gently set the curtain apart and shifted the blinds ever so slightly to allow more light in. He winced, his eyes adjusting once more. He turned and went to the picture on the wall. It…was just a picture of some hiking trail. He rolled his eyes.
A sharper look around revealed that there were no pictures of her – or what he would assume to be her – or of any person at all. There was really nothing personal here, nothing identifying. He frowned. That was uncommon. Actually, he noted as he looked through the apartment with better lighting, that was suspicious.
While he didn't think himself in danger with this woman who had invited him in, put her weapon away, and fell into a drunken slumber – all without poisoning his coffee – he didn't like being kept in the dark. It was then that he paused and glanced towards the bedroom. He hadn't heard much movement since the alarm was cut off. He weighed his options.
"Nel." He called out, testing the waters. While the knives in the kitchen looked to be all in order and she claimed to be without a gun, he knew better than to test the theory. "Wake up. It's past six…I was told my duties as guard ended then." A hint to jog her memory of who he was, less likely to have a weapon lodged in his chest.
There was movement now behind the half-closed door. He kept an eye on it although it was mostly darkness. A curse was heard before a figure passed the door. "Anything happen?" A tired croak of a voice came out, suggesting that he had fully pulled her from sleep.
"Obviously not." Mike's dry voice carried into what he suspected was the closet, hearing the clinking of hangers. "Perhaps since you're more sober now, you can tell me in grand detail what happened."
"Perhaps you can stop by nosy and bite your tongue. It's too early to be talking about this shit." Clearly she wasn't a morning person.
Mike's jaw tensed briefly. He took a deep breath to control his irritation and tried again. "If we're going to discuss an ongoing professional relationship, I'll need more detail…in order to gauge if the price is worth it."
That seemed to catch her attention, a ceasing of hanger-clinking. There was a slow set of footfalls before the door opened. At the doorframe leaned a body, hair wild and curlier than before if even possible. The light from the living room window finally gave him some view of her. Her right arm raised and rested, stretching almost, against the doorframe. Her head tilted to the left, sizing the man up carefully as he did her.
The recollection of the part of the punches in her story came to his mind when he saw her face. She had a black eye and a gruesome bruise blossoming under her chin. Even in the dim light, the black and blue was vivid against her pale skin. The one eye he could see was a murky blue, focused on him. Her hair, he noted, was nearly as dark as ink.
All in all, Mike thought faintly, she was attractive.
"It's a long story not fit for so early." She finally spoke, stepping away from the doorframe. She made to the left to enter the bathroom. The door, however, didn't close. "I'm taking the day off from work, but I need to visit some people. If you'd be interested in earning…a hundred an hour," she reluctantly increased the price, "then you can join me. It'll be an all-day adventure."
He paused, hearing a sharp hiss leave her and suspected – hoped – that she was just changing wrappings. A hundred an hour though was better than the price before. A price that, judging by her surroundings, was difficult to believe she earned and saved up for years.
"How do you know the Vet?" He didn't give his answer just yet.
Nellie let out a frustrated snap of 'Fuck!' followed by a heavy sigh. It was enough to draw Mike's curiosity and pull him to the open door. Inside he saw that he had been right in his assumption. The cloth she had around her right arm last night was coated in dry blood and on the counter. The new cloth she was trying to wrap around it kept falling as she couldn't tie it with one hand.
Her one blue eye flickered in the mirror, catching his gaze. Her jaw set tense briefly before she relented with a sigh. "A little assistance?" They were both rather grand at avoiding each other's questions.
Mike stepped forward and took the cloth she offered. He was about to tie it when he paused, picking at the gauze that rested against what he assumed to be a cut. His assumption was right again. The cut was probably three inches total, not terribly deep, and clearly made from a knife. It was just above her elbow, suggesting that she had tried to hold her arm up in defense.
His natural frown deepened. "Have you cleaned it?" He inquired, knowing the answer.
When he looked up to her eyes – eye – she was giving him a dull stare. "For a bodyguard, you're awfully mouthy." Still, he didn't relent. She rolled her eye and sighed. "Not this morning, no. I've been dealing with a headache from sleep, alcohol, and a nosy old man."
Mike actually scoffed with a grin at this. He found a few cotton balls and a bottle that would suffice for the purpose. Dabbing some of it on there, he pointed out, "For someone offering such low pay, you keep insulting your only 'savior' rather freely." He referred to the sarcastic name she had given him last night.
When he pressed the cotton against the cut, she sucked in air from her clenched teeth. "Sadist." She grumbled, her muscles relaxing only when he tossed the cotton away. As he wrapped her arm in gauze and in cloth, she sighed softly. "Thanks." She mumbled as he finished tying the cloth. She sighed softly and glanced in the mirror, a displeased grimace on her face. "I look horrible."
Mike glanced at the mirror although he could see her blue part of her face easily enough. "You weren't kidding when you said he got a few good punches in." In the mirror on the other side of her face, he could see a hint of pink blossoming – a blush.
"Shut up." She mumbled. It took Mike a second to catch that she was embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed. "He won't get another chance ever again." Mike caught her gaze in the mirror. The blush that he had noticed before took over vividly. "We can freshen up before we get breakfast somewhere. I'll explain mostly everything there." Pause. "You can leave now, I need to pee."
It was 7:12 by the time the pair got to a restaurant. It was some place called Loyola's that Mike recommended. Given that it was nearly across town, Nel figured it was a safe enough location. It did, however, catch her attention when they sat down and a woman named Fran seemed familiar with her bodyguard.
After ordering black coffee and a classic breakfast plate, Nel raised a brow at the man. With much yanking and pulling of her hair, she managed to hide most of her black eye and sit against a wall to keep it hidden. The bruise on her chin was mostly hidden with makeup.
Mike shrugged slightly. "Good service." He commented.
Once their drinks were before them, he leaned back in his chair, glancing over the place. When Nellie started to slurp her coffee loudly, he sighed in annoyance. He was too tired for this shit. "Spill."
"What, the coffee? It'll burn your crotch if I do." She smirked over her cup as she set it down. "How can you mingle with Ms. Fran if I do that?"
Oh, she was starting to get under his skin. Rolling his eyes, he scoffed. "No, I meant your story." He didn't dignify the latter comment with a response.
Nellie only grinned before drinking more of her coffee. She gingerly let her cheek rest on her hand, her elbow on the table. She started to slowly drag her fingertip over the many packets of sugar and sweet'n'low. Her blue eye, however, remained on Mike despite the nervous tick. It was clear she was tempted to be a smart ass and avoid the question by the way her lips thinned, but she resisted.
"Joseph and I started our own little business of hacking into computers. Small things at first – girlfriend thought her boyfriend was cheating on her, employer thought employee was stealing stuff. Boring. Then Joseph found a client who was willing to pay big…for big work." She glanced away briefly, something Mike took note of. "It was our first and last big client – but not our last bit of work." She paused briefly, perhaps thinking or lost in her memories.
When she spoke once more, her gaze met Mike's. "Sometime between the start and finish of our side business, we let loose on our carnal desires. But of course, shortly after that, things went south." She quickly glossed over the romantic side of their previous relationship. "Client went to jail – unrelated charges. Something about building a bomb." She shrugged. "I figured it was best to step out of that business for a while. Joseph, however, didn't."
She paused as their food was placed before them. A grimace at her face suggested that she wasn't terribly hungry anymore. Still, she took a bite of the toast and leaned back into the chair, watching as Fran re-filled their coffees.
When she left, Nel glanced up at Mike, studying him. She didn't eat anymore, not yet, but instead seemed to be deciding whether or not to continue. It was either that or antagonize the man. Given her options, she sighed and leaned forward. "He blackmailed me, or tried to, by finding some of my own personal…files online. Other clients that I took up on the side of the side business. He was pretty pissed that I had done something without him – egotistical bastard." She shook her head, her hair jostled just enough to show the sliver of her black eye. "I made a deal with him involving bullets and money…and he left. He wasn't supposed to come back, but lo and behold, he's out of money and thought he might drain me again." She picked up her coffee. "Then you came into the picture. Welcome to Chapter Three." She smiled dryly before drinking.
Mike copied her actions as he let the words replay in his head, adding in the fight scene she had described last night. Something still didn't feel right. "And you know the Vet how?" Maybe that was the oddity.
"Hacking." She said in a chipper voice, a grin that didn't quite reach her eye.
No, there was definitely something that didn't sit right with him. Still, he let it go for the moment. Instead, he started to eat. Soon, Nel followed suit. The pair fell into a quiet moment, Mike's gaze occasionally roaming over the café from their angle.
By the time they finished, Nel sat back and drained her coffee in one gulp. "So, ready to mingle with some old contacts of mine?"