25 years old
Marie rolled over and stared at me with her bright inquisitive eyes. "So. Do you miss her?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Irene." She asked.
I took a moment to get over the shock. "You know she's missing?"
"Sherlock, honey, you've looked so lost these past few months I think it's easy to see. Plus, I haven't seen her trademark floating around in a while." Marie smiled. "So where do you think she's gone?"
"Could be anywhere. She once told me that she always wanted to meet the King of Bulgaria."
"Why would she want to meet the king of Bulgaria?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
"You know everything."
"No, not everything," I argued.
"True."
"What?"
"I think you're right."
"You just abandon your argument?" I asked incredulously. "Why?"
She sighed and rolled onto her back staring up at the moving stars of the planetarium. Her face shone with the dazzling of a million lights spread across her pale complexion. I sat up, leaning on my left arm, staring at this beauty. "Doesn't matter." She replied.
"If it matters with you then it matters with me." I said. "Money troubles again?"
"That, and…" her voice trailed off. Her pretty blue eyes stared up at me. She blinked looking away.
"Marie? You alright?" I asked.
"Fine." She said.
"I know someone who can get you a job." I said.
"For the one thousandth time. I am not becoming a stripper."
"You sure? There's good money in it."
"Positive." She said. "Besides, what would I even call myself?"
"Huh?" I asked, picking at the dirt under my nails.
"Well, strippers have stage names, but I've never had a nickname in my life."
"What about Candy… But with a "k" instead of a "C"." I suggested.
"Boring."
"Miss Vodka Shots?" I suggested.
She gave me a look which said "NO". I sat up a little straighter. "Alright, alright… What about…" My voice trailed off. "Well what do you think?"
"Sherlock, I am not becoming a stripper." She said flatly.
"Like I said, you'd get good money for it." I shrugged. "What about that name people used to call you when you were little?"
"Sabrina?" She asked.
"Yeah, that." I said.
"I dunno Sherlock," She said. "I don't want to taint a childhood thing with something so impure. Wait, what am I talking about? I am not becoming a stripper."
"Really 'cause you've got the body."
"Cheers." She said sarcastically.
"Why do you do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" She asked in turn.
"Put yourself down like that?" I said. "You never seem to be able to accept yourself for who you are,"
She lay there silent for a moment. Then when Jupiter rose onto the stars she began to speak. "Because the one guy that I've fallen for seems to be completely ignorant of the fact that I love him."
"And that equals you not good enough?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. Seeing how he seems to be in love with this woman who is let's just say a minx." Marie shrugged.
Then it hit me. "Oh." I said.
She looked up. "Yeah. Sorry."
"Oh," I stood up, unable to think. She stood up too.
"Sherlock-"
"Well, I can't say that I'm not flattered-"
"Sherlock-"
"- But I only ever thought of you as a friend-"
"Sherlock-"
"-I mean, I consider my work to be my world-"
This stopped her talking. She stared at me. "Work?" She asked. "What work? All you seem to do is get thrown out of most universities and depending on your brother to get by. Last time I looked you were detoxing from drugs and alcohol. You have never held down a 9-to-5 job for more than a week, unlike some people who can work their arses of their entire life and seem to go nowhere."
"Oh," I said.
She took my hands. "Sherlock, I don't want this fact to change who we are as friends. This is a crush, nothing else. It'll pass."
"How long has it been just a crush?" I asked.
Marie sighed. " Truthfully, just a year or so."
"That doesn't sound like a small thing," I said.
"Sherlock, please." She said, putting her fingers through mine. "I don't want to jeopardise something we know is good. Our friendship means more to me than… Working, the drugs, your brother – honestly does he wear a suit to bed?- Irene, money and even working in a strip club." She sighed. "I wish I had never said it."
"It's cool." I said. "Don't worry too much about it."
"Easy for you." She said. "You have girls falling onto their knees to get to you. I however have loved two men. Phil and you."
"You love...?"
"Shit." She muttered. "Forget it." She said. "Listen, what's the number for the guy at the club?"
I laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "You're amazing, you know that?" I said.
"Thanks." She said rolling her eyes. I sighed and wrapped my arms around her waist. She stretched and hugged me back. "Thank you for being you," She said.
I smiled. "Sure."