Signs
Kelley sat at the bar tapping away on the wooden table in front of her as she heard the bathroom door open from behind her where Alex came out of with a shake of her head. “No luck?” Kelley asked turning on the stool to face the other woman who just shook her head. “Alright I got an idea.” Kelley replied knocking lightly on the wooden bar getting the bartender’s attention. “Excuse me have you seen any purses around here?”
“I’m sorry to say nothing has turned up, but you never know.” The bartender who looked a little shifty responded with an emotionless face.
“Really cause I heard in bars like this people swipe purses and sometimes the bar tender knows something. Maybe if we can find out where it is there’d be a handsome tip in it for you.” Kelley responded with a small raise of her eyebrows.
The man looked around once or twice before sighing “Okay, give me a second.” He muttered before going off in another direction. After five minutes or so he came back with an address. “I hope I was of help, how about that handsome tip as you put it?” He asked with a smirk.
Kelley scoffed but dug out twenty dollars from her pocket and put it in front of the man as he shook his head asking for more moving to pull back the piece of paper that had the address. Kelley rolled her eyes and dug out another twenty leaving her with about forty. “Thanks.” She spat out grabbing the paper and walked out of the bar with Alex following behind. Once they stepped outside she looked down at the address and sighed, “This is a shitty part of town, I’ll come with you.” She saw Alex try to disagree but Kelley shut her down. “Really I have nothing better to do.” A small lie but Alex didn’t have to know.
Alex nodded giving in as she walked beside Kelley to the scribbled out address. “Can I ask why you’re lugging around a guitar right now?” She asked turning towards Kelley who adjusted the strap once more before smiling at the other woman.
“I’m actually here for an audition tomorrow I was just in Grand Central trying to figure out what I’m going to play.” Kelley responded with a small shrug. “Why are you musically gifted too?” She joked with a wink and a chuckle.
“Oh, no the last time I serenaded someone was in 9th grade, to my funny valentine to Dylan Chamberlin behind a tree.” She said with a red face.
Kelley laughed “Dylan Chamberlin behind a tree, nice. What was your encore?” She asked with a giant grin on her face as they pushed through a crowd of people.
“A strip tease to “I’m too sexy for my shirt, to sexy for my shirt…”.“ She trailed off as she laughed off her embarrassment with Kelley. “And that was the end of my music career.”
“What a shame, you showed promise.” Kelley responded wiping one eye that was watering do to how much she was laughing. “So what was the next career then?” She asked genuinely interested.
“I’m a art consultant, I’m actually in the city looking to buy a piece.” Alex responded with a shrug of her shoulders. “So what was this thing you were heading to tonight? Is it something to do with the audition?” Alex asked as they turned another corner.
“No, not really…well kind of. You know when you can’t make up your mind about if you should do something or not and you ask the universe if I’m suppose to do this give me a sign.”
“Was the audition the sign or the thing?” Alex asked rubbing her hands together in a attempt to keep them warm.
“It was the sign, there’s this amazing band that recently lost their guitarist and I figured hey might as well. I played for one of their guys before and he loved my shit so..” Kelley trailed off.
“So then what’s the thing?” Alex asked curiously.
“A wedding..” Kelley responded with a heavy sigh as she looked over at Alex’s bulged eyes. “Oh god, no I’m not going to break up a wedding it’s just there’s someone I got to see.” After a few more minutes of walking they stopped in front of the sketchy door as Kelley handed her guitar over to Alex “Go into the bar across the street and wait for me. You said it was a black prada bag?”
“I think we should call the police.” Alex said with a shake of her head. “You’re going to get hurt, you don’t know these guys.”
“Yeah they’ll be right over how’s next Friday for you?” Kelley responded sarcastically “Are there any specific things about the purse I should know about so I can find it?”
Alex sighed before nodding “Yeah on the inside flap are the initials AM. It’s in my husband’s messy handwriting. Wait how much cash do you have? Are you going to do something crazy?”
The shorter woman nodded taking in the information and move towards opening the door, before patting her pockets in search of her wallet. “I don’t know that seems like a personal question, maybe forty bucks?” She said teasingly before giving the girl a wink. “Thanks for not saying stupid, means alot” she said with a chuckle before going in.
Alex watched the shorter girl disappear before she moved her way over to a pay phone and called the police. A few minutes later she was still waiting for Kelley so she dialed another number after a few rings a voice came through the phone. “Hi Servando Carrasco’s room please.”
“Hello?” A raspy deep voice came through the phone as Alex leaned against the payphone stand.
“Hey baby.” Alex replied twirling the cord to the phone in her finger nervously.
“Hey Hon.” He replied as she heard him moving to sit up from his bed. “What’s up it’s late are you okay?”
“Yeah I just couldn’t sleep and I just wanted to tell you that I love you.”
“Aw, I love you too. Listen I meant to tell you but when I tried to call your cell it was off. Well there’s a change of plans and I’ll be home by eight and we can have breakfast together.”
Alex panicked slightly as she shook her head to herself. “But that’s so early don’t you want to be on a later flight?” She asked but heard him say that his flight was already booked and not to worry about it. “Okay, well. I’ll see you later.” She replied before hanging up and running a hand through her hair. “Shit..” She muttered to herself. Before she heard people running behind her with a bag full of purses running away from two cops as she saw Kelley stumble out of the door she entered with a bloody nose. “Oh my god, Kelley.” She said rushing over. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, he didn’t hit too hard, but I’m sorry to say I couldn’t get your purse back they jumped me when they saw the police and took off.” She said apologetically holding her nose to try and stop the bleeding.
“It doesn’t matter it was already over when I missed that train.”
“What was over?”
“My marriage I had to be home before him and now it’s not going to happen.”
“Well, what time do you have to be home by?” Kelley asked grabbing her guitar case from Alex.
“At the latest, like seven.” Alex replied with a frown.
“So that gives us three hours to find you a way home. Hold on.” She replied moving over to the payphone in front of them calling the first car service to come to mind. “Hi, how much would it cost to get to Boston right now. 447? That’s the best you can do? Alright thank you.”
“Do you think we can raise that?” Alex asked hopefully as she looked at Kelley.
“Well it’s a hell of a lot easier then one thousand. I got a buddy at my thing maybe he can help us out. Let’s go see.” She responded giving Alex her arm to loop her own through as they made their way to the closet subway station.