Paying the Price (RP)

Persephone frowns at Circe's admonition, realizing that she is indeed soaking wet and should not be sitting on the furniture. So she nods and they continue to chat as she takes a shower.

She does her best not to reveal too much, however. After all, there was a strange scar now on her chest -- a burn mark of a sigil of infernal design, marking her as the property of her patron. And then there are the bruises from sparring, too hard at times, at the local gym, not to mention those she got from taking a tumble after drinking too much a few nights prior. Her drinking, and partying, and casual liaisons, have all increased exponentially in frequency, but she wants nothing more than not to think about her situation, not to feel her remorse at what she is doing to people. Innocent people. People just like her. If she lets it, the pain will swallow her up. So she does what she can to avoid it.

So instead, Persephone talks about how her boss, Wentworth, is a stuffy jerk, and how she has been enjoying exploring London again, and how much she's been getting into her Kickboxing class at the local gym, and studiously avoiding any actual description of what she does for work.

Persephone sighs audibly as she reaches out of the shower for her towel and then steps out with it already wrapped around her body, hiding her mark and the worst of her bruises. Mostly, she just wants to put off her sister's probing questions and go to bed.

"Sure hon, I can show you the place. I'm not sure I'll be free to go any time soon, but maybe. But for now, I need to get some sleep, ok? And I don't have an early meeting, so feel free to go out and grab breakfast or whatever when you wake up tomorrow. I'll probably sleep in and, well, there's no food in the house right now. Sorry." Her voice is tired and perhaps a little patronizing, but final. She kisses her sister on the cheek and says goodnight and heads to her bedroom, which she locks, and tries to sleep. Instead, she tosses and turns, seeing Howard's eyes in her head pleading with her all night.

The problem with turning her life into a novel was that she had no idea how the story was supposed to end, and no clear sense of which parts to include. Should she write about Sarah? Arundel? Miriam? David? There was no way to know which of the threads will end up being the most significant, and she didn't want to go back at a later point of time and document something when it was no longer fresh in her mind. She ended up deciding to write about everything, even if it consumed a little bit more of her time.

Sitting by the window in the coffee shop, the sound of her fingers tapping on the keyboard was drowned out by the drumming of rain against the glass.

The never-ending thunderstorm showed the most promise of becoming a pivotal plot point. The only issue was that she had no idea what was causing it, except that it was undeniably supernatural in nature. Maybe ‘Emma’ should get herself involved in that investigation?

She sipped her coffee, savoring the warmth for a moment before she set the cup back down. Yes. She needed to find a way to get involved. There had to be plenty of people investigating that mystery already, surely they (or at least, some of them), wouldn’t mind a tag-along?

But first, she needed to finish the chapter about her encounter with Miriam.

Her fingers resumed their tapping, and with her eyes on the screen, she was completely oblivious to the flow of people coming and going in the coffee shop around her...

The next morning, Persephone awoke late. She had finally fallen asleep near dawn and had slept until late morning. Circe had grown tired of waiting, apparently, because she was gone, leaving a note that read, "Went exploring! Might do the British Museum. Be back for dinner."

Thank goodness, Pers thinks. She sits in her living room on her sofa, legs crossed, drinking her coffee and she realizes, Well, I guess I can't avoid it. My sister is here now. I might as well... And with that, she gets dressed for the day and heads out.

An hour or two later, Persephone walks into a coffee shop, knowing whom she is likely to see there. She'd spied Emma working there before, in her writing headspace, and totally unaware Persephone was there. And today she was there again, visible through the window from outside, just as Persephone had hoped, or at least half-hoped.

Persephone was wearing what she called corporate comfortable -- a warm, soft midi skirt of navy and brown checked wool, a soft cream blouse under a slim and flattering gray cashmere cardigan, sensible but stylish leather boots, and a navy rain slicker with hood. She hadn't replaced her umbrella yet, unfortunately, so she took off her soaking wet coat and shook it in the entryway before coming into the coffee shop.

She approached Emma, took a deep breath, and said, "Ohmigod is that you, Emma?! Hi! It's been so long! How are you!?"

"Pers?" Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t seen her old friend in ages, and the sight of her brought a wave of warmth. Persephone looked great, just like she remembered her. The fashionable outfit she was wearing looked so effortlessly chic, and she pulled off the look with such confidence that Emma momentarily wished she could afford to dress like that.

She herself was dressed much more casually, no different than what she would be wearing at her own home. An oversized gray sweater that she borrowed from David, and that still carried a hint of his scent, and a pair of jeans. Her own raincoat was hung over the back of her chair; she didn’t feel like she needed it anymore, in the warmth of the cozy coffee shop.

"I can’t believe it!!! How have you been?" she said once she recovered from her shock.
Quickly pushing her laptop aside, she jumped up, arms wide for a warm hug.

Persephone smiled warmly and hugged Emma, sincerely happy to see her old friend. She said, "Oh I want to hear what you've been up to! And what you're working on now. And how married life is! And so much. But lemme grab my coffee..." Pers quickly ordered her coffee -- a quad ristretto espresso -- and rejoined Emma, sitting across the table from her.

She sipped her espresso and said, "OK! Tell me everything."

While Persephone went to order her coffee, Emma stood up and gathered her things. She moved from the window bar, to one of the larger tables, so they could sit comfortably and look at each other while they talked. Pers! She hadn’t seen her in years, but she was still excited about seeing her old friend, and couldn’t wait to hear what she’s been up to.

Her eyes light up when she returned with her espresso, and the first thing she told her was what brought the most joy to her life:

"Well, yes, I’m married now" she held up her hand to show her the simple gold ring adorning her finger "David is wonderful. We’re really happy together" she distracted herself by picking up her own coffee to keep herself from gushing over her husband. "What about you? How long have you been in town?"

Persephone smiles to hear that her friend is so happy in her marriage. "Oh that’s so wonderful!! I’m so happy for you, Emma."

Persephone looks away, uncomfortable — or is it shame? — and adds, "I’m sorry I couldn’t make the wedding… It was… it was a bad time for me."

Then she shrugs and says, "and now? Ah, just work. I was recently assigned to the London office, but I’m not sure for how long I’ll be here. Just boring … uh, HR type stuff."

Changing the subject again, she happily declares, "I read your book! It was hot!"

And then she asks a follow up: "So! What are you working on now? Tell me all about it!"

"Oh, don’t worry about the wedding. It was really small. We didn't even have a reception or anything. Just the ceremony at the church" It wasn't an attempt to make Pers feel better over missing her wedding. She and David couldn’t afford a big wedding anyway, and she didn’t want to reveal just how tight money was for them "You should have seen me in that dress though" she said with a playful grin, and quickly turned her phone toward Persephone to show her the screensaver - a picture of herself in the stunning white dress, standing in front of the church. Her face did lit up once Pers mentioned her book, and she couldn’t hide her excitement. "You read it?" she leaned forward just a bit, and pulled back the oversized sweater, which had slipped down one shoulder yet again "It's awesome, isn't it? It actually sells! I'm already working on my next novel, but there still lots of work to do" now she sounded not only excited, but a bit exhausted as well. She had lots of really good parts, but still no plan on what would be the main narrative.

"Enough about me" she changed the subject "Where are you staying while you’re here? I really hope you’re here for a while. It’s been too long since we’ve had time to hang out"

Persephone leant over and looked at Emma's phone. Her mouth opened and turned into a wide smile. "OH EMMA!! You look so beautiful! You are positively glowing. Radiant! I am sorry I wasn't there. I should have been. But I am still so happy for you."

"And of course I read your book! When my dear friend writes a best seller, you'd better believe I'll read it! Besides, I kind of love steamy romance books. And with monsters? Even more so! So I was totally your target demographic. But even if it had been about something else, I would have read it, because it was yours!"

When the conversation turned back to her, however, Persephone became less animated. She said, "Yeah, they have me staying at a company condo in Mayfair, on the Soho side. It's nice, but a little... I don't know... austere? Very corporate chic. Oh! And my sister is visiting too! So you know, maybe we can have a big reunion or something. So yeah, I got in town not too long ago and I've been settling into the dreary monotony of work -- very corporate stuff. Contract management, HR, etc."

Then she turned the subject back to Emma again. "So! What does David do? I know you had told me at one point, but -- sorry! -- I can't remember."

Emma’s eyes lit up when Persephone mentioned reading her book. "I’m so glad you liked it! I know it’s not highbrow entertainment or anything. It was meant to get people’s hearts racing, you know? A roller coaster of emotion; fear, arousal - that sort of thing" yes, some critics did pan it for being trashy, but who cares? The book was selling, and that was the important part. "You'll like the next one, too. It's going to be...a bit darker, if you can imagine that. More like a Stephen King novel, but with more, emmm. 'romance'"

Her jaw almost dropped when she mentioned staying in Mayfair "No way!" she sat up iin her chair, practically glowing with joy "I live just a minute away, on Bridle Street. We're practically neighbors" That would mean they could see each other much more often now, but she didn't want to assume anything. Pers still had a day job, and judging by the way she was dressed, a high-paying, demanding one. Maybe she wouldn't have that much free time for Emma in her life after all.

"You must come over tonight then! I’m having a few friends over, and I’d love for you to join us. It’s been way too long, and it would be so good to catch up. You'll get so see David too - he works at the Environmental Health Department at London’s City Hall these days" she couldn't help but smile when talking about her husband, and it took effort for her to stop "You know what he's like. Very idealistic. Always wanting to make a difference" she realized she was doing it again, and turned her attention back to Pers:

"How’s your sister doing? Is she enjoying London?"

Persephone looked visibly excited at the prospect of reading Emma's second book. "Ooh I can't wait to read it! If you need anyone to read drafts, let me know! It'd be just like when we were back in school, doing homework together!"

She smiled softly with the nostalgic memory, but then a dark cloud passed over her face, as she realized that halcyon time has long past.

Pers smiled and nodded in agreement at the realization that they live so close, but the smile does not quite reach her eyes. I'll have to be careful not to let her find out... I can't let anyone know... she thought, feeling deep shame over her new line of work.

She perked up at the invitation to a get together. That, at least, was something she knew how to do. "Oh that sounds fun! I'd love to. Do you mind if I bring my sister along? She's just arrived and is excited to spend time with me and see London. She is also looking for a job and thinks I can get her one, but..." Persephone trailed off and shook her head, indicating she thought the idea unlikely.

"Here, this is my local number. What's your address?" Persephone shared the number to the cell phone she got for herself when she arrived -- she always got one whenever she would stay in another country for a time, so that her friends or non-work contacts didn't have to dial internationally. She also had a "work phone" given to her by Wentworth, but she understood that the work phone was not to be used for personal calls. She did not share her own home address right away, however.

She smiled at Emma's description of David and commented, "Aw, that's sweet!" She then turned to an important matter, asking, "So, will this be a formal affair or casual? And who else will be there? And should I bring something?"

"Sure; I'll send you a draft once I get it in shape" She couldn't send Pers a series of half-baked, loosely-tied chapters. She wouldn't feel comfortable about other people reviewing her work until she could weave it all into one narrative.

"We're just chilling tonight with a few friends. Nothing special. Wine. Snacks. Some games. You don't need to bring anything - other than your sister" The more the merrier, as far as Emma was concerned, though she would now have to burrow a few chairs from Mr. Kalman to make sure everyone had a place to sit. She texted Pers the address after they exchanged numbers, then set her phone back on the table "But you got to invite me over to your place one time in return. I'm dying to see what you've done with the place" seeing how posh and stylish Pers was, she was sure it would be nothing short of amazing.

Persephone smiled and said, "Wonderful! We'll be there! Maybe I'll bring some wine. And of course, I'd be happy to have you and David over for dinner some time. I haven't had a chance to do anything with the condo yet -- it came furnished, and I don't know how long I'll be there, so..." She shrugged apologetically.

Emma and David's cozy apartment consisted of a single living room that doubled as a dining area, and an adjoining bedroom. The two had made the most of the tight space, carefully selecting only the essentials. Besides the large sofa facing a sleek flat-screen TV, and a smaller, single-person couch beside it, there wasn’t much in the way of furniture. Even the sitting corner, which held a compact table, was so small it really could only accommodate the two of them for a quiet coffee, a simple meal, or for typing on their laptops.

The big, wide windows in the living room were the defining feature, making the space feel a bit larger than it actually was. They opened up to the street outside, though these days you couldn’t see an inch past the windowpane due to the heavy rain.

A few carefully placed houseplants and a couple of abstract art posters on the walls, completed the room’s stylish vibe.


*********
"Hello and welcome!" Emma opened the door with a smile. She was dressed casually for an evening at home; a chunky knit teal sweater, black leggings, and a pair of flip-flops.

Persephone arrived with Circe in tow, holding a bottle of very expensive red wine she had found in a wine cabinet installed beneath the counter in her kitchen.
Persephone is wearing expensive somewhat dressy but casual and comfy clothes. Tonight her outfit is a taupe cashmere blazer over a tan ribbed turtleneck, with black tapered pants and low heels. Her sister Circe follows closely behind, wearing an oversized light brown cardigan sweater hanging loosely over a black silky knee length dress. Persephone smiled as the door opened. She began to say hello when Circe rushed past her to hug Emma. They had known each other when Circe would come visit Persephone in college and Circe absolutely adored Emma back then.

Circe babbled at Emma excitedly. "Ohmigod you look so amazing! And that outfit is so cute! And oh hey look what I am wearing! I found it in Pers' luggage! Do you believe she still hasn't unpacked yet? And apparently she has been in London for like a whole month already! Like, what? And hey I read your book like three times, once in my friends' smutty monster lovers' book club! Oh, wait, is that offensive to you? I mean it's a great book too, not just smut, but you know it is really good too. And Pers told me you're working on a new book? I can't wait..." etc etc

Persephone nodded, hoping this would happen. They could chat at each other and she could sip drinks and try to feel normal for an evening.

"You shouldn't have" she shook her head when she saw the bottle of red wine Pers had brought. She didn't know the first thing about wines, but she was sure it was an expensive one "You can hand it over to David. He's in the kitchen" she pointed at her husband, who was busy carefully arranging the appetizers on a tray.

There was one other young woman already there. Emma managed to convince Sarah to change from the oversized clothes to something that would complement her figure, but she didn't manage to pry her from her phone. She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked underneath her, lifting her eyes only for a brief second to look at the guests before returning to her scrolling

"This is Sarah" she gave a short introduction "She's staying with us for a while" she stopped short of adding 'until she can find her own place', not wanting to panic the young woman this evening.

"So, you liked my book, huh?" she beamed at Circe. She actually didn't mind it being called 'smutty'. It was a better fit than a 'romance'. "I don't have a problem with that at all" her lips curled into a sultry smile: "we could all do with a little 'smut' in our lives, don't you think?"