Downtown III

Tuesday, but the day's title wasn't important, every day was the same to me. The back of my head was soft and swollen, like an overripe melon swarming with insects. These things never last long. Get up, wash up, get dressed, make coffee. It was still raining. I didn't have to be at work for another hour, but my apartment's emptiness was wearing down on me. Plus, I felt famished and my cupboards were bare. Why was I so hungry?
Opening my umbrella, I realized that I hadn't eaten dinner the day before. Slowly and deliberately, I followed my feet to Southside Wok for some curry. Inside I was surprised to hear Connie Francis' Siboney playing overhead.
"Good afternoon. Can I help you?"
"Hi. Is that Connie Francis?," I asked her.
"Oh," she said pointing in the air with a small laugh. "Yes, this is my best record when I was young. Do you like it?" Up in years, but young in spirit she brightened my disposition through her creased smile.
"Yeah, my grandmother use to play it a lot when I was little," I smiled back. "I haven't heard it in years." here she laughed once more.
I ate my meal to the sound of another era. How much has the world changed since then? No time to get philosophical though. Keep moving. Calm mind, full stomach, fortune cookie in pocket. I paid my bill and started for the bar.
"Hey Gio, you alright man? Doral told me about the jacker." Dezi looked me up and down, brow creased.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm fine." I said closing up my umbrella.
"Well, I doubt that he'll try that shit again," he grinned, "Not unless he's ambidextrous" He mimed having his arm in a sling, we both laughed.
"Alright Dez, anything you want me to do before we open?"
"No everything's ready"
"I'm gonna go out back for a smoke then."
I went to the back, but halfway open the door hit something. It turned out to be a woman. Pale skin, black hair to her shoulders, green eyes and no makeup.
"Sorry about that. You alright?"
"Yeah, sorry I shouldn't of been standing in front of the door." She had a soft sleepy quality in both her eyes and voice.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah" she paused looking into my eyes, "I came over here for a cigarette. Our building doesn't have an awning." she said pointing to the shady looking spot next to Dezi's. The faded burgundy door blended into the brick. It looked abandoned.
"Your building?" I lit up a cigarette.
"Yeah, well my sister's. We just moved here from ______." I couldn't imagine anyone moving to Youngstown by choice.
"Oh yeah? What do you do?" she laughed.
"My sister's a dominatrix. Her professional name's Mandragora, she's pretty well known." I stared wide-eyed, she laughed again.
"Sorry, never heard of her"
"You think we're freaks?" she asked with a wicked grin.
"No girl, do what you do, but you think it'll get business in Youngstown?"
"You'd be surprised. Like I said my sister's pretty well known. We've moved shop twice so far, both times spontaneously, always a random place. She's pretty eccentric, but we've never been short on clients. Usually businessmen with dull lives and money to burn." she said nodding. I nodded too. I didn't know what to say. She grinned raising an eyebrow and flicked her cigarette at a nearby dumpster.
"I'll see you around," she said and turned to walk away. I nodded grinning. Her long black jacket danced in the wind. Was I dreaming? As she opened the door I noticed a dull golden Mandrake root had been painted on it. "Mandragora huh?"
But what was her name? I wondered. I was fixed on the door, unable to look away until I inhaled a lungfull of filter smoke. I snubbed it out and went back inside.