02-27-2013, 01:19 AM
"So what'd you say your name was? Ruby?" The man asked, removing his black bow tie and tossing it on the bed. It was followed by a tuxedo jacket, and he fumbled with jeweled cufflinks as he turned to smile at the woman who'd followed him into the room. The name matched her clothing, at least. A ruby red sheath that contrasted starkly with her fair skin and matched the very carefully-arranged curls whose vivid color was probably as authentic as her saccharine Southern accent.
"Ruby? Sure, why not? Let me help you with those, sugar." The woman swayed forward and removed the cufflinks, setting them on a table where they winked in the light of the hotel room's flickering lamp. Smiling at some private amusement, she ran a hand up the smooth fabric of his shirt and began unbuttoning it. Bright red lips quirked into an even more sardonic smirk. "So are you feeling as lucky now as you were at baccarat tonight?"
"Why don't you tell me? Aren't you Lady Luck?" The man gave her a grin that he obviously felt was worthy of James Bond, although it fell short somehow. Perhaps it was the too-smooth sheen of the man's polyester shirt, or the brighter-than-diamond sparkle of the cufflinks. Perhaps it was the cheap hotel room and the smell of liquor on his breath. Or maybe just the fact that the bow tie was a clip-on made him look sleazy instead of suave. Still, the overstuffed money clip in his pocket was more than enough reason for a woman like 'Ruby' to be in his hotel room.
"Actually, I think someone's luck has just run out." Before he could react to the sudden frost in her formerly honeyed voice, the man found himself pinned against the wall in a grip of iron. He struggled to break free, and drew in a breath to cry out for help. His breath was cut short as her knee came up between his legs, and then razor sharp fangs were at his throat.
The vampire finally stepped back, sated, and let the body slump to the floor. She regarded the corpse with disdain even as she knelt to rummage through his pockets. "And I told you my name was Scarlett."
The cheap, gaudy money clip was just as full as she'd remembered, and the denominations were even higher than his successes at the casino had indicated. She tucked the money into the absurd little evening purse she'd left on a chair, and started going through his suitcase for valuables. There were car keys, another bundle of money, and more evidence of the deceased man's shadiness. Figures he left the wedding ring and family photos in his luggage. Wife probably thinks he's on a business trip while he's in Vegas pretending he's Mr. Bigshot.
She spared a brief moment of pity for the unknown wife, then completely forgot her as she stuffed the second wad of cash into the tiny purse. This gives me more than enough to get to where the other vampires are and keep a roof over my head while I find a clan... And best of all, I can stop pretending to be a harlot.
A few minutes later, the ruby-garbed woman drove away in the deceased man's car. An hour after that, a red sequined dress with matching shoes, purse, and wig were dumped in a Good Will bin, along with the identity of Scarlett LaRue. And by midnight, raven-haired Beryl Koenig was boarding a Greyhound bus headed to Ellington.
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