Crimson Rose

The city seemed endless. As the bus rolled between towering buildings of glass and steel, Evelyne pressed her forehead gently against the window and stared upward in disbelief, her blue eyes widening every few seconds as another impossibly tall structure appeared above her. "Good Lord..." she whispered. Back home, the tallest building was the church. Now she felt as though giants had built a kingdom and forgotten that ordinary people were supposed to live in it. She smoothed her blonde hair nervously and glanced down at the envelope containing the details of tomorrow's interview. The opportunity of a lifetime. A respectable position. A chance to finally make something of herself. At least that was what everyone back home kept saying. At the moment she mostly felt terrified. The hotel lobby alone was larger than the town hall she had known all her life. After checking in, she rode the elevator to the twelfth floor. The room itself was beautiful. Too beautiful. A large bed. Soft lighting. A window overlooking the endless sea of city lights. Yet after an hour of sitting alone, the excitement faded. The silence grew heavier. The city looked magnificent from above. But it also looked lonely. Evelyne sighed. "I can't spend all evening hiding in here." After staring at herself in the mirror for several moments, she finally grabbed her purse. "One drink," she told herself. "Then bed." The hotel bar occupied the top floor. Jazz drifted softly through the room. Business executives sat in expensive suits. Couples occupied private booths. The city glittered beyond the enormous windows. Evelyne immediately felt out of place. Still, she found an empty stool. "Just one whiskey," she told the bartender. The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Rough day?" "First day in the city." "Ah." That explained everything. The doors opened. And suddenly every conversation seemed quieter. Not because people stopped speaking. Because they started looking. The woman entering the bar moved with effortless confidence. Her crimson silk blouse shimmered beneath the lights. A black leather skirt hugged her elegant figure. Tall heels clicked softly against polished wood. Dark hair flowed over one shoulder. Her red lipstick matched the blouse perfectly. She was beautiful. Dangerously beautiful. The sort of woman people noticed whether they wanted to or not. Celestine. The Crimson Countess. Though nobody in the room knew her by that name. And nobody knew what she truly was. Celestine surveyed the room casually. A hunter evaluating possibilities. Her eyes moved from table to table. Potential prey. Potential distractions. Nothing interesting. Then she saw her. The blonde girl sitting awkwardly at the bar. Looking completely lost. Completely innocent. Completely unprepared for the city surrounding her. Celestine paused. How curious. An unpleasant voice interrupted Evelyne's thoughts. "You here alone?" She turned. A man in an expensive suit stood beside her. His smile instantly made her uncomfortable. "Oh. Um. Just having a drink." "That's a shame." He moved closer. "Because I happen to have a very nice suite upstairs." Evelyne blinked. "I beg your pardon?" The man laughed. "You don't have to play shy." "I wasn't." He continued leaning closer. Evelyne shifted nervously. "Sir, I'd really rather—" "Come on." His hand moved toward hers. Then another hand appeared. A woman's hand. Elegant. Confident. Stopping him. Celestine smiled pleasantly. A smile that somehow felt more threatening than anger. "I believe," she said softly, "the lady wishes to be left alone." The businessman frowned. "And who are you?" Celestine's crimson eyes seemed to glimmer for just a moment. "Someone advising you to leave." The man swallowed. Something in her gaze made his confidence evaporate. A moment later he was walking away. Very quickly. "Are you alright?" Celestine asked. Evelyne stared. "That was incredible." Celestine laughed. "It wasn't." "It absolutely was." "I merely reminded him of his manners." "Well thank you." The blonde smiled warmly. "And now you've rescued me from my first city disaster." Something about that smile struck Celestine unexpectedly. It had been a very long time since anyone had smiled at her like that. Hours passed. One drink became two. Then coffee. Then conversation. Evelyne found herself telling Celestine everything. About her hometown. Her family. The interview. Her fears. Her dreams. And Celestine listened. Really listened. Few people ever listened anymore. Especially to lonely young women visiting cities for the first time. "You trust people too easily," Celestine finally said. Evelyne laughed. "Everybody keeps saying that." "They keep saying it because it's true." "You sound worried." "I am worried." "About me?" Celestine hesitated. "Perhaps." Eventually the bar began closing. Neither wanted the evening to end. Neither entirely understood why. "Would you like to continue talking upstairs?" Evelyne asked. Then immediately blushed. "Oh goodness, that sounded terribly forward." Celestine smiled. "I would like that." The elevator ride felt strangely intimate. Neither spoke much. Yet silence no longer felt uncomfortable. The closer they stood, the more aware they became of one another. The more difficult it became to look away. Inside the room, the city glowed beyond the windows. Evelyne stood awkwardly near the bed. Celestine stood near the glass. "You were right," Evelyne said quietly. "About what?" "The city being dangerous." Celestine looked toward her. "And yet here you are." "And here you are." For several seconds neither moved. Then Evelyne crossed the room. Slowly. Carefully. Her heart pounding. "Thank you," she whispered. Celestine's expression softened. "For what?" "For making my first night here less frightening." The distance vanished. Their hands found one another. Then came a gentle kiss. Soft. Tentative. The kind that asks permission before it dares to continue. And neither wished to pull away. Outside, the city continued its endless rhythm. Cars moved. Lights flickered. People hurried through streets below. But inside room 1208, time seemed to slow. Two lonely women who should never have met found comfort in one another's presence. And for one night, neither felt alone. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains. Evelyne stretched slowly. For a few moments she wondered if she had dreamed everything. Then she noticed the empty space beside her. Celestine was gone. A small ache touched her chest. But something else remained. Resting upon the pillow. A single crimson rose. Fresh. Beautiful. Impossible. Evelyne picked it up carefully. Attached to the stem was a folded note. Only three words. "Until we meet." She smiled. And somewhere far below, beyond the crowds and traffic and towering buildings, a woman in crimson disappeared into the city. Watching. Waiting. Remembering the blonde country girl she had intended to hunt. And had instead begun to care for. A Story by Germaine Corbeau - Click here for links to all Germaine Corbeau Stories! Quick 👏 Guide: 0 = I got lost! - 1-4 = Nice font... nice images. - 5-9=Read a bit. Nice try!, 10-14=Okay... Pretty good!, 15-19=I actually enjoyed this! - 20=Absolutely legendary!