Page 38 of The Fall

“C’mere to me, Seacake.” The barman wiped a drop of liquor from the tray with their finger. “Everyone knows about your jealousy. But normally, you’re dating them first. It wasn’t his fault”

Is that what she was doing? Lusa thought. Kerr flipped the barman off and stole the tray, melting away into the crowd.

Too Rash, Too Unadvised, Too Sudden

Sitting knees-up in the corner of a booth with her tray of stolen shots, Kerr felt smaller than ever. As a final insult, the shadows brought Lusa to her, half hidden, but concern evident. Kerr thought she would have left after the ridiculous stunt she pulled.

It’s not like she planned on kissing her. In the excitement of it all, her jealousy had taken over. Yet again, she found herself alone and humiliated. Lusa slid tentatively across from her, a bockety table safely between them. Almost alone.

“Sorry,” Kerr muttered. “You were probably into him and I just chased him off. I don’t know why I do that. Sometimes I think without acting.” She stared at the table, head heavy with shame. “I mean, act without thinking. Sorry. I know I already said that, yeah?”

“I…” Lusa started, but Kerr was in no mood to accept pity.

“It’s okay, you can go. I don’t need you to drive me home.” Drawing circles on the worn tabletop with her fingernail, the ache in her eyes warned she’d start crying soon.

“Why would I go?” Lusa placed a hand on the table, beside hers. Not touching. “I was having fun.”

“Before I put a gun to his head, yeah?” Kerr pulled her hand away. She could be attracted to her. Who wouldn’t? But liking her would be too far.

Squinting in the low light, Lusa’s dark eyes nearly disappeared into angry black holes. “Was I acting like I wanted him to touch me?”

Kerr squinted back. This was Lusa. The last man that touched her lost his fingers. The one after that lost his life. She didn’t fuck around.

But this man’s hands were around her waist when she had found them together, alive and fingers still intact. “You didn’t kill him. I thought that meant you liked him.” Kerr hated how her voice trembled.

Chin held high, Lusa reclined into the frayed cushion. “Not that it’s any of your business, but, no. Do threats look like flirting to you?”

Relieved, Kerr nodded. “I thought…” she pulled her hand back. “I probably shouldn’t have put a gun to his head, yeah?” Kerr sniffed and looked away.

Her eyes, a mixture of concern and curiosity, Lusa relaxed. “Were you flirting with him? Because your gun looked like a threat to me.”

Kerr laughed, and then wiped her nose on her sleeve. “No, I don’t threaten when I flirt. I’m not into men, either.”

Kerr had trouble interpreting her expression. A raised eyebrow. A raised chin and half covered in shadow, like an interrogation. Was she into women?

“Your club, your rules,” Lusa said, finally. “Though, I’ve never had anyone threaten to kill for me before.” Lusa snorted. “Except when Pinga threatened to kill my ex. Then she ended up fucking her. And her new girlfriend.”

Her tastes confirmed, Kerr blew out a tight breath and ran her fingers through her hair. “That’s…”

Lusa nodded in agreement at the unspoken. “Walking in on that was very awkward. She’s my sister though, you know?”

Surely, she must be joking. “I don’t know.” Kerr said. “Nobody here has sisters. It’s kind of strange that you do.”

An adorable crease formed between Lusa’s eyebrows. So many secrets and Kerr could spend weeks learning them. But that was the alcohol and Lusa recovered after a beat. The moment had passed and it was too late for Kerr to do anything about it.

“Anything else I should know before I say something ignorant?” Lusa leaned forward.

Feeling better now that Lusa had embarrassed herself, Kerr took another shot. Lusa copied her, and then coughed again. Kerr tried not to laugh, but the alcohol made it difficult to restrain herself.

Running her hands over her face, Kerr tried to stay serious. “The Adlets are the only gang who trades with us. We’re at the bottom here.” Kerr stared into her empty shot glass. Then she grabbed another one. “We get by fixing old tech for everyone else, but we’re barely a real gang. We’re a glorified repair shop.”

Lusa pursed her lips. “And you thought you’d burn your relationship with your only trading partner by kidnapping one of them?”

Arms feeling a little too floppy, Kerr waved it away. “That was Chalice’s fuckin idea – rebuild Model 2 and wall off MB12, yeah?”

“Like the Glacier, but shittier,” Lusa said. “Got it.”

“Every gang would love to get their hands on the AI. Control infrastructure. Crack security. Develop new tech instead of fixing rubbish” Kerr turned to the wall. “Her idea was sound.”