A Place to Crash

Entering the pub in a pantsuit and collared white shirt with black heels too high to walk straight in without years of practice, Agatha strode toward the bar. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down to her chest, blue eyes framed by dark mascara, cheekbones slightly sharp and hollow from hunger, and thin lips curved into a faint smirk. She dragged her purse over the counter just as a double shot was placed in front of her.

The pub, though it had seen better days, was fairly quiet at this hour. More people were slowly entering as the workday came to an end.

"Billy! Did I ever tell you that you're an amazing bartender? No, the best bartender?" Agatha grinned, eyes crinkling as she downed the shot in one go.

The bartender, Billy, was dressed in dark blue denim pants, a white shirt, and a black vest, barely looking up as he worked on other customers' orders 

"Gotta keep our number one money-maker happy, right?" Billy replied with an innocuous smile.

Before long, a man in a suit slid onto the barstool beside Agatha, raising a hand to signal for drinks. 

"Hey. So, are you an entrepreneur or a business owner around here?" he asked with a charming smile, ordering two shots.

Agatha’s smirk widened. She didn’t even have to find a target tonight, he came right to her.

"You could say that," she mused, swirling her empty shot glass. "But mostly, I just love alcohol. Why don’t we make this interesting? A drinking challenge. Loser pays."

The man had that certain cocky air about him, the kind that wouldn’t refuse a challenge. His eyes glinted as he considered the offer, already convinced he would get lucky tonight.

Billy poured the shots, already knowing how this would end. Was he concerned? Sure, but mostly for the poor guy going up against Agatha. He had long since learned that this Agatha wasn’t human when it came to drinking. At the very least, it would be entertaining watching the master do her craft. 

Over the course of the night, Billy kept an eye on them as they downed shot after shot, the playful flirting between them escalating. The man leaned in, his touches becoming bolder, but every time it was close to provocative, Agatha simply ordered another round. Eventually, his movements became sluggish, his head swaying as he struggled to focus.

"Oh, you don’t look too good sweetie," Agatha said sweetly. "Why don’t we grab a taxi? Let me just settle the bill."

She signaled Billy, then helped the man to his feet. He swayed, his unfocused eyes locked on her. He smirked, still convinced he was about to get lucky.

"I’ll wait for you," he murmured before stumbling toward the exit.

Billy slid the payment terminal toward Agatha with a raised brow.

"You know this tab is more than I make in a night, right?" he said, showing her the total.

Agatha just laughed boisterously, waving a credit card before tapping it. "Well, lucky for me, the loser’s paying."

Billy shook her head with a smile. "I know the boss doesn’t like it but thanks, as always, for your generosity and you must teach me your ways one day "

"One day, teen. But I have a card to return," Agatha said, spinning on her heel with a dramatic flair and waving the card in the air. Her walk had just the right amount of sway, enough to pass as tipsy, but not nearly drunk.

Stepping into the warm summer night, she let the cool breeze brush against her. The man stood at the edge of the sidewalk, struggling to flag down a taxi. Agatha casually walked up beside him, steadying him with one hand as she discreetly slipped his card into his suit jacket, then let out a sharp whistle. Almost immediately, a taxi appeared

The man eagerly climbed into the backseat, but just as he settled in, the door shut behind him. He rolled down the window, his expression confused.

"Wait—aren’t you coming?"

Agatha crouched slightly to meet his eye level, her smirk never faltering.

"You just don’t have the features I want in a person."

With that, she tapped on the taxi’s metal frame, gave the driver an address, and turned away, disappearing into the night.

—--------------------------------------------

Agatha walked as steadily as she could through the streets. Though it was still summer, the evening breeze did little to help her keep warm. A few passersby were in the area, barely sparing her a glance, and if they did, she was too drunk to care. The neighborhood, a mix of condos and small shops, was close to the city center, attracting both late-night workers and partygoers. She blended in easily, appearing as though she, too, was coming from a night out.

Despite her inebriation, she knew she needed a place to crash. Sleeping on the street was an option, but the wind was making that idea less appealing. She had been walking aimlessly for what felt like hours, and her feet ached with every step. Just as she was about to give up and find a back alley to rest in, a door suddenly swung open in front of her.

Her reflexes slow but still functional, she instinctively lifted a hand to catch it. An asian woman stepped out, pausing when she noticed Agatha.

"Shit! Sorry, I didn’t think anyone was out here."

Agatha looked up and gave a lazy wave, an awkward smile on her lips. 

The woman stepped onto the sidewalk, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Her first drag was deep, like she was trying to inhale her stress away.

“No worries, dear,” Agatha said, tilting her head. “You look stressed as hell, though.”

The asian let out a tired chuckle, her laugh hollow. “Yeah. Just needed a break from work. You know how it is. Although it feels like I have a curse.” Her sunken eyes hinted at too many sleepless nights.

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Agatha replied. “The only way to end a curse is to face it.”

Not wanting to start a longer conversation, especially in her current state, she smoothly slipped past the woman and into the building, acting as if she belonged there. She headed straight to the elevator, and as luck would have it, the doors slid open immediately.

She exhaled in relief and pressed a random button. Her eyes fluttered closed as her finger landed on 19.

As the elevator hummed upward, a new problem came up, she needed to pee. Right away..

The moment the doors dinged open, she stumbled out and began jiggling doorknobs, desperate to find an unlocked one. On her third try, the door clicked open. She slipped inside and shut it quickly behind her.

The darkness barely registered as she hurried down the hall, her instincts guiding her. A door to the right, please be a bathroom. She pushed it open and sighed in relief.

After finishing, she stepped back into the dimly lit apartment, taking a moment to survey her surroundings. The living room looked more like a showroom than a home. Pristine, minimalistic, and untouched. In her drunken haze, she assumed no one was there.

Pressing her hands together, “Thank you, Airbnb. You really know how to treat a woman”

She moved carefully through the space, barely registering the darkness as she searched for the bedroom, not bothering to turn any lights on. Once she found it, she kicked off her heels and pulled back the heavy blankets, sinking into the massive bed.

Warmth enveloped her, so much softer and cozier than the cold outside. Not a care due to the comfort of the bed, a drowsy smile crossed her face as she instinctively curled toward the source of heat beside her.

“So much warmer than outside…” she mumbled, already slipping into unconsciousness.