Metallic green heels were slipped over pedicured feet. They complemented the black skinny jeans and the large dark gray baggy shirt with it's one sleeve hanging from her shoulder. Cafe-du-late skin exposed for the most part with the way the shirt hung off her body. Jolene was reaching for her hotel key and the envelope that held a set of pictures. Money was stuffed in a back pocket with her ID and a slim cellphone.
Heading towards the door, a once over of the room she had at the Omni and then she was heading towards the elevator. A white thin cord hung from her fingers as she fixed the one ear piece in her left ear. Entering the metal box that would take her down o the lobby. Once it allowed to exit she crossed the wooden flooring of the old building. Heels making the deep tapping sound as the doors were reached and finally out into the busy New Orleans street.
Car sounds accompanied by the chatter of people that walked by. Long thick curly hair shifted in the heated wind. Hands traveled upwards to gather all those loose curls into a messy bun. Picking the direction that google maps had given her she headed towards The Hookah.
Etta James' voice filled Jolene's left ear with that mournful cry and emotion giving her a soundtrack for the journey. Full lips mouthed the words as she walked down the sidewalk. That woman could sing. Jolene walked in such a rushed pace. She wanted to do this here in New Orleans.
There was a rumor that she could possibly sing at The Hookah. Even so, she could at least try out. Maybe Silent knew someone that wanted a Jazz/Blues singer. Jolene didn't want to come out right at the woman saying she was Lyric in a new body. That wouldn't be right. She wanted to meet her without all that heaviness to drag them into something that either woman was unsure of.
Heels paused at the door. Emerald green eyes stared up at the sign with such nervousness. She had put this off in New York. Knowing that seeing Silent would change so much for her. Yet, she needed this. She wanted to be back in Ash and Silent's life. She wanted to see the pack again, paint Ash's nails with Cypress and be home. There was such a hole in her life without them, without that other part of herself.
Pushing the door opened she stepped through. The smells of tattoo flavors attacked her normal human nose. She could smell the under-layer of cooking food but nothing else. Pulling the earplug and tucking it in the pocket of her jeans. A smile instantly appeared on her lips as she headed towards the counter.
The hookah was slow...If not completely empty..For the most part. Which suited Sil just fine. She wasnt suppose to be here. She had sworn off work til things with the pack were settled. But this place and decay were hers. The only two things she had complete control...Well almost complete control of. Milo left Silent to her own devices when it came to the Hookah...And well the once master of New Orleans had all but vanished leaving Decay in Silent's complete control.
Which in their own ways left Silent with some level of stress. Especially when it came to Urban Decay. The three level club was booming between the inferno and heaven...But it was Eden that having issues. She needed to get a act worth a damn in there. Silent would lean back rubbing her temples pushing her laptop away as she leaned back in the bar stool.
Most of the pile from Nyx and Lori's maybies had shrunk while the garbage had grown. God this sucked. Silent was honestly considering getting a business partner..Or even a assitant to help with all things Decay. Nyx had the place cover and so did Lori. Silent's thoughts were shaken by the soft chime of the bells that hung off the door.
Those vibrate tri colored hues moved to the woman. Her brow arching some. She totally didnt look like the kind of person you found in this kind of place..Not saying that the hookah was a bad place...But it was just as known as Bliss was. If you wanted to rub elbows with a vampire...Bliss was the place..Or in Nolas case..the Aire. But the Hookah. That was the place where you went to rub elbows with Lycans. Which was why the one in Rome had been burnt to the ground.
But that all was beside the point. Even if the woman didnt look the part...She smelt every bit human...No faint scent of anything to her but some purfume. Nothing special...And yet Silent couldnt take her eyes off her. The way the woman moved...It was so ...Dark lashes would fall against freckled cheeks. Silent was almost ashamed of the thought. Over the last five year Silent had dream about Lyric. But didnt think much of her during the waking hours.
Shaking her head she would try and to shake the thoughts. With the appearence of everyone from the past and reclaiming her title as Lupa once more had Sil nestalgic. Thats all it was...Yet again Silent would glance at the woman. That smile...Wow.Had Silent not known Lyrics family...She would of been convinced that the woman would of been her sister. Pulling the ear buds from her ears she would set them on the lap top.
Her hips swayed in a way that said she wasn't doing it on purpose. She had that sexy walk that it seemed all black women did. The smile never wavered as Jolene came closer to the multi-colored haired woman. "I'm hoping so." Any trace of an accent was removed. Her voice could be from anywhere. It didn't hold a note of Lyric's old Boston slang. "I heard through the grapevine, that you were hiring people? Some talent?" Jolene extended a hand towards Silent. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Jolene-" She stopped thinking all this time she had been using Refern as a last name. "-Jones." It was common and it was Barbie's last name. Nothing that would rise any flags.
"I thought I could audition for you." Taking a seat, which was more like a slide of her lush bottom to the stool. "My style of singing is jazz, blues, soul and a little of R&B. I can play the piano and I'm learning the violin for pleasure." She said with a smile. Of course it was all well and good to say she could do these things. Saying and showing was completely different. Sliding out of the stool she headed towards the small stage area. Jolene grabbed the mic, even though it was not plugged in, she pulled the ear piece from her pocket. Removing the tiny mp3 player she searched for a good song to sing to. Clicking the center tab. The opening for I'd Rather go blind started to play. Jolene closed her eyes as she let those mournful notes slip from her lips.
"Something told me it was over. When I saw you and her talkin'. Something deep down in my soul said, 'Cry, girl'. When I saw you and that girl walkin' around...Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy. Then to see you walk away from me, child, no..."
Both her hands held the mic on the stand. She swayed her big hips with the beat only she could hear. What Silent needed to hear was her voice. It captured every emotion the song possessed with those beautiful written words.
"Whoo, so you see, I love you so much... That I don't wanna watch you leave me, baby... Most of all, I just don't, I just don't wanna be free, no.....!
Whoo, whoo, I was just, I was just, I was just.. Sittin here thinkin', of your kiss and your warm embrace, yeah.. When the reflection in the glass that I held to my lips now, baby... Revealed the tears that was on my face, yeah
Whoo and baby, baby, I'd rather, I'd rather be blind, boy... Then to see you walk away, see you walk away from me, yeah.... Whoo, baby, baby, baby, I'd rather be blind..."
Silent would look up. Goddess were you listening? Seemed like the woman came in just in time. There was just something about this woman. Something just made Silent want to relax. Closing the laptop so that she could give the woman her full attention. Trying her best to put on that boss face. It had been a long time since Silent had actually brought someone that wasnt pack or lycanthrope...Or hadnt been with the company for years..Actually the last "outsiders" hired had been Charro and Beauno. And Ash had handled the hiring back then.
" Yes Ms Jones were hiriring for Servers here..As for talent...I need some for other club in the Garden District."
The whole Jones part would of gone over Silent's head. Sure Milo was her best friend...But it was so rare that Silent actually thought about his last name so it wouldnt set off any flags. And since the devorice was finalized and Milo retained Barbie's half of the Hookah franchize.So no it was just another last name for Silent. Smiling she would nod.
"Please."
Sil motioned toward the small stage that was normally used when the belly dancers came in...But it was then when the woman opened her mouth. Was when Silent was taken to another place...Another time. Before the pain and saddiness..Before Rome. Before Hawaii. Back to Salem. In Silents mide she could hear the laughter..The pool splashes. Could see Memphis lounging by the pool margerita in one hand a cigar in the other. Vinny and Elena curled up whispering sweet nothings. Cypress in her dark beauty beside watching everyone in her silent ways.But most of all...She could see Lyric...Laughing...Singing.
The memories brought tears to her eyes. How many of the pack had come and gone? Each one of them had taken a part of Silent with them...But in its place were parts of them. Each pack member that both had died and those who moved on. Some of them she wished would show up on their door steps. Leni being the main one. Silent hated how they had drifted apart...It was still something that even in the best of times that ate at her. But Memphis was at the top of the list. God she missed him. Cause it never mattered how bad she fucked up. He had always supported her. If not as the Freki...But as a friend.
When the song ended Silent could just stare in wounder at the girl...No woman before her. Was amazing the sound of the two diva cooks in the kitchen claping broke the spell. Brushing her hand across her eyes.
Her hand slipped to remove the ear piece as she heard clapping from the two men, who well... honestly it didn't take a supernatural to figure out that these men were very much diva's in their own right. The corners of her full lips lifted in a smile, a flash of teeth in their direction. Jolene bowed a little.
She knew she could sing. Lyric had amazing talent and this body could pass that talent on without effort. How Barbie found such a body was just nothing short of a miracle. Stepping down carefully from the small stage she walked over to Silent. Plucking a napkin from one of the tables, she leaned over to cup Silent's chin in her hand. Using the napkin she would carefully clean the traces of tears that were on her face.
"Thank you, means a lot you think I'm good," She smiled at the multi-colored haired lupa. "Think I could work for this new club?" Jolene asked dropping her hands and tossing the napkin in the trash. She kept leaning across the bar. The smile on her face was warm and open. "I don't mind helping out before I start. Seems like something really exciting." Arms were shown to Silent "See, goosebumps."
Maybe for a moment Silent totally blanked on the fact that this woman in front of her wasnt Lyric. This wasnt the hookah in Salem..And just maybe things were that huge mess that they had became. When Jolene cupped her face Silent would brush her cheek against the womans hand.
"So sorry. Yes Id love to have you sing. Not here. Eden. It would be perfect for you."
Sil never would tell anyone why the Gaia had been changed to Eden..But Sil had her reasons for it. Wiping off the of the tears and bring herself from the memories Silent would straighten.
"My only question is my..Customers are more of the paranormal sort..Namly the kind that go fuzzy during the moon..Think you can handle this?"
Jolene tilted her head looking Silent over. The question was legitimate in nature. She was after all human, and some humans were very dead set against all things paranormal in nature. It was fear. Fear, because they were on the low end of the food chain. Jolene could understand why they did it. She didn't agree that it was right. Yet, throughout history fear was always used as a very powerful weapon to control the masses.
Emerald green eyes looked at the Lupa before her. She wanted so much to scream out 'It's me! I'm here. Look at me, remember me!' Lyric's voice was shut down by reason. Silent might not take it well, she might freak out. Jolene and Lyric alike would not want that. She didn't want her friend to condemn her, hurt this body and send her to the afterlife. If there was an afterlife for them. That was always such a puzzling question.
"Like you?" the smile she wore grew a little more. One of her fingers came to point at Jolene's own eyes. "Tri colored, that's not normal for humans. So I can only guess paranormal of come kind." A slight shake of her head. "I don't mind at all. Actually it would be an honor. Most paranormals, fuzzy or not can pretty much rip me apart. If I was allowed to sing at Eden, they say that music soothes even the wildest of beasts." A slight shrug of her shoulders. "I would be happy to work for you, I mean if you'll have a human like me on staff." She said with a sultry chuckle.
After Rome and the clensing fires she had seen. After the fights and insanity that had all been driving by hate and not understanding. On both sides. The more unbreakables for getting that once upon a time they were just human and having forgot their humanity became exactly what the media made them out to be. Monsters. It was a sad time that had been piled atop the hell that was russia.
Silent would smile some. " No far from human. At least for some time now." Sil would bow her head some. Sometimes she forgot that her eyes were far from human. Far from the soft brown eyes she once had in her other life. "Im happy to know your fine with that. Im excited to have you join us." And some. Just something about the woman that soothed the space in her that had ached since Hawaii.
"On one condition. I am in need of a assiant..Nothing big..Just someone that can take my place during the times when..Im not so..able." Aka when she needed to be with the pack. But still Silent wasnt about to be like when i run with the pack. No. She would keep their secrets. That mess that happened the night Geller was found was enough to remind her that maybe her silence on many of them was needed. Even if she didnt understand (in her own way she did) why they wished to keep what they were.
Jolene felt the smile spread across her lips when Silent bowed her head. She was listening to what Silent was saying. The ache of not being able to shift came over her, when Silent was talking about not being avaliable. Jolene brushed her hands down the rougher material of her jeans. It wouldn't stop what she felt.
"Sure, I would love to be your assistant. For here or for Eden?" A brow rising with the question that had been asked.
Sil would hike her thump and the now swinging kitchen door. Dispite their rather...Unusal ways...The pair always looked over the place...This was just as much their baby as it was hers...After all they had been with the Hookah since Salem. Sil also had the Capt...But since he was called away to the fae courts...Well...There was a void there as well.
"They do alright with here..Its my club that needs a face..I mean we have one for the inferno as well as heaven..Just Eden hasnt got much of a staff or crowd really.Not since....."
Sil remembered the Masque and the rebirth of the deamon that once nailed her to a cross. Remembered how Wildes mark had burned her. Sil rubbed her neck...SIlent hoped that this time the deamoness would stay on her gate of hell and not return to this city. Cause Myc being here was enough to drive her mad.Tilting her head she would glance up at the girl.
"Welcome to the family hun. Were a wild bunch...And my partner here...Hes just the worst..But hes pretty great...So youre first job as my assitant..Should you take it..Is lets get these places staffed. I need a belly dancing troope to do shows here once a week..And maybe at the inferno..If they are willing to get into the darker aspects...And since Gabby has left me high and dry.."
There she was in business mode. Silent sometimes forgot that not everyone was on her page when it came to two things. Pack and business...But only Ash had ever truely understood that...On both levels. She missed having him there to be her sound board...But that was another life another time.
