♛

2 unsuccessful hours later, Lia was questioning why she had even bothered leaving her dorm. Her first stop, a mattress shop called Cloud Nine, said that they had already hired someone the previous day and had forgotten to remove the ad. The owner of the second shop, a kabob stand, couldn't even speak English, and the third was a DVD store who explained that they kept the ad up so that they could occasionally get business and keep their doors open.

"A DVD store, seriously!", muttered Ophelia, kicking a crumpled napkin on the floor from the aforementioned kabob stand, "It's not 2008 anymore keep up with the times!"

"Hey!", called a voice from behind her. Ophelia guiltily looked up, worried someone had heard her tirade against the knockoff Blockbuster. It was one of the employees from DVD store, a plump ginger who looked like he sweat too much. Ready to start apologizing, Lia opened her mouth but the boy, who upon closer inspection was actually pretty close to her age, beat her to the punch.

"I know what it's like to be looking for a job in college," he started, "my friend Jonah owns a bar two blocks down and I know they're looking for a hostess right now. Just tell him Rhiannon sent you." Shoving a slightly damp business card into her hand, Rhiannon turned and ran back in the direction he came from before Ophelia could even muster a thank you. Must be fate, she thought, as she walked out of the mall. Behind her, stores were starting to close up and the sharp clacking noise of her boots highlighted how empty the place had gotten.

The streets of Seattle were busting with life as Lia began making her way to the bar. Loud laughter punctuated the night sky as young couples and college students meandered around, eager to leave all their worries behind for the next few hours. Glancing back down at the card, Ophelia had to squint to make out the name of the bar. The Fallen Angel? Looking down the street, she spotted the already busy establishment that had a long line winding out of it.

"What's a pretty, young thing like you doing all alone tonight? Do you need some company?", slurred a voice behind her. Whipping her head around, Lia's eyes settled on a short perv with gray hair.

"Ugh, beat it creep!" she shouted. Seriously, what was it with creepy guys and that terribly overused pickup line? Did they think it would actually work or something?

Realising the late hour, Ophelia ignored him and pushed her way to the front, ignoring the disgruntled mutters of everyone behind her.

"Welcome to The Fallen Angel, where all your worries are swept away! What can I do you for?" chirped the cheery, blonde hostess at the front.

"Uh I'm looking for a job and I heard there was one available?" stammered out Lia. But on the inside, her mind was racing. The Fallen Angel clearly already had a hostess, had Rhiannon set her up as a joke?

"We have no need for new recruits right now, as you can clearly see," the hostess said, gesturing her hand over the well-dressed crowd. Lia's heart fell. Pulling the crumpled business card out of her pocket, she showed it to the hostess.

"Please!", she cried. To return fruitless back to her dorm just wasn't a possibility. "A gentleman named Rhiannon told me to tell Jonah he sent me!" Well, gentleman was a stretch but Ophelia needed to milk her lead as well as she could.

"Rhiannon?" said the hostess. Lia nodded, relieved the hostess at least recognized the name. "You've found a real beauty this time haven't you?" Lia found the comment a little creepy but she wasn't daft. Bars and clubs with better looking employees tended to get more business and she had known the effect her chestnut colored skin and almond-shaped eyes could have on guys ever since she hit puberty a few years ago.

The hostess smiled at her again, but instead of being comforted, Ophelia was wary. She settled a comforting hand on her pepper spray as she walked with her into the dark, seductiveness of The Fallen Angel.