PunkPrince
Elder Member
Clumsily dressing herself under the dim light of the hotel lamp, Pepper turned and gave a crooked grin to the man still in the bed. She leaned over tipped his chin up toward her before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you Monday, doll,” she purred, her boyish voice smooth. He reached up and ran a hand through her tousled hair before running his hand down to her chest.
“Come on, Pep,” he said. “Stay a while.”
Pepper smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Eager, are we? Nice try, honey. Your time’s up.”
The man shifted and sat up, watching as she pulled on her coat and made her way towards the door of the hotel room. “Have a good night, gorgeous,” he called as she slipped out the door.
She was drunk. This wasn’t surprising, considering that she was rarely sober. And she was only a little bit drunk, so it was fine. She’d only had like…a few glasses of wine. She headed out of the front door of the hotel, pulling her white fur coat tighter around her slender frame. It a bit too big for her, but still her favorite thing she owned. She’d stolen it from a store a few years prior. She would have paid for it if the owner hadn’t been so dead set on being a huge bitch, but she’d glowered at Pepper with such vitriol that Pepper had decided she didn’t care. She’d waited until the woman had rounded a corner, grabbed the coat, and left regretting nothing.
Tonight was no different from any other night. Someone called for her, and she answered. This particular client was a regular, and he treated her well. He was respectful of her boundaries, he paid well, and he always managed to remember her favorite drink. Pepper often pretended he loved her. She pretended all of them loved her.
An actress, Pepper was great at pretending. Great at pretending she was fine, good at spoiling her clients, and apparently, good at sex too. She was not good at much else, apart from pretending people loved her.
Pepper wasn’t sure when exactly people had stopped loving her. When she had been young, wanting to play with dolls instead of sports? When she had started school? Had anyone ever really loved her, or had she always been broken?
Pepper knew she had people that loved her. Eva loved her. Kennedy loved her. Jupiter, Hugo, and Ronan loved her. Everyone else at the bar loved her. They were her friends. Granted, none of them were in love with her—not that that was all that mattered. But still, a tiny voice in the back of her mind, the one that never really stopped—screaming some days and near silent the next—told her that they were faking it. That no one could ever really want someone like her. And there were days that it broke her. Frequently.
So Pepper drank. She fucked, almost indiscriminately, like it would somehow fill the emptiness in her soul. Pepper became prickly, and loud, and impulsive. She faked being okay to avoid worrying the few people she’d let in, and walled herself off to the rest.
Reaching her building, Pepper sat down on the back steps and lit a cigarette, taking a long, slow drag in silence. She remained that way for a while before snuffing out her cigarette and ascending the steps.
Entering through the back door of her apartment, Pepper shrugged off her coat and fell back onto the couch. Her head was pounding, and whether it was due to the alcohol or the exhaustion was anybody’s guess. She lay there in silence for a while, allowing some of her dizziness to fade away before slowly sitting up again and rubbing her temples.
Pulling herself to her feet, Pepper stumbled towards the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and examined her reflection, surprised to see that she didn’t look quite as disheveled as she felt. Her hair was still in the messy bun she had pulled it back into earlier, and her lipstick was just a touch smudged.
She was interrupted by a loud banging coming from her front door. Pepper let out a startled yelp, whirling around at the sudden noise. Who the hell could possibly need to bother her at this time of night? Maybe if she ignored it they’d leave her to get some rest. Lifting the makeup wipe to her face, she had only just begun to wipe at her lipstick when the knock came again. Pepper let out a loud, irritated huff and stormed out of the bathroom.
“What?” she snapped, yanking the door open and glaring at whoever it was who had dared disturb her.
She regretted it immediately, her eyes growing round as she came face to face with a memory from what felt like another lifetime. It couldn’t be. She must be far more drunk than she’d thought. Pepper gave her head a quick shake, blinking as though the figure in her doorway would morph into someone else.
It didn’t, nor did the smaller shape beside her. Pepper stared in silence for several seconds, pressing a hand to her still aching forehead before taking a small step backwards. “Emily?”
“Come on, Pep,” he said. “Stay a while.”
Pepper smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Eager, are we? Nice try, honey. Your time’s up.”
The man shifted and sat up, watching as she pulled on her coat and made her way towards the door of the hotel room. “Have a good night, gorgeous,” he called as she slipped out the door.
She was drunk. This wasn’t surprising, considering that she was rarely sober. And she was only a little bit drunk, so it was fine. She’d only had like…a few glasses of wine. She headed out of the front door of the hotel, pulling her white fur coat tighter around her slender frame. It a bit too big for her, but still her favorite thing she owned. She’d stolen it from a store a few years prior. She would have paid for it if the owner hadn’t been so dead set on being a huge bitch, but she’d glowered at Pepper with such vitriol that Pepper had decided she didn’t care. She’d waited until the woman had rounded a corner, grabbed the coat, and left regretting nothing.
Tonight was no different from any other night. Someone called for her, and she answered. This particular client was a regular, and he treated her well. He was respectful of her boundaries, he paid well, and he always managed to remember her favorite drink. Pepper often pretended he loved her. She pretended all of them loved her.
An actress, Pepper was great at pretending. Great at pretending she was fine, good at spoiling her clients, and apparently, good at sex too. She was not good at much else, apart from pretending people loved her.
Pepper wasn’t sure when exactly people had stopped loving her. When she had been young, wanting to play with dolls instead of sports? When she had started school? Had anyone ever really loved her, or had she always been broken?
Pepper knew she had people that loved her. Eva loved her. Kennedy loved her. Jupiter, Hugo, and Ronan loved her. Everyone else at the bar loved her. They were her friends. Granted, none of them were in love with her—not that that was all that mattered. But still, a tiny voice in the back of her mind, the one that never really stopped—screaming some days and near silent the next—told her that they were faking it. That no one could ever really want someone like her. And there were days that it broke her. Frequently.
So Pepper drank. She fucked, almost indiscriminately, like it would somehow fill the emptiness in her soul. Pepper became prickly, and loud, and impulsive. She faked being okay to avoid worrying the few people she’d let in, and walled herself off to the rest.
Reaching her building, Pepper sat down on the back steps and lit a cigarette, taking a long, slow drag in silence. She remained that way for a while before snuffing out her cigarette and ascending the steps.
Entering through the back door of her apartment, Pepper shrugged off her coat and fell back onto the couch. Her head was pounding, and whether it was due to the alcohol or the exhaustion was anybody’s guess. She lay there in silence for a while, allowing some of her dizziness to fade away before slowly sitting up again and rubbing her temples.
Pulling herself to her feet, Pepper stumbled towards the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and examined her reflection, surprised to see that she didn’t look quite as disheveled as she felt. Her hair was still in the messy bun she had pulled it back into earlier, and her lipstick was just a touch smudged.
She was interrupted by a loud banging coming from her front door. Pepper let out a startled yelp, whirling around at the sudden noise. Who the hell could possibly need to bother her at this time of night? Maybe if she ignored it they’d leave her to get some rest. Lifting the makeup wipe to her face, she had only just begun to wipe at her lipstick when the knock came again. Pepper let out a loud, irritated huff and stormed out of the bathroom.
“What?” she snapped, yanking the door open and glaring at whoever it was who had dared disturb her.
She regretted it immediately, her eyes growing round as she came face to face with a memory from what felt like another lifetime. It couldn’t be. She must be far more drunk than she’d thought. Pepper gave her head a quick shake, blinking as though the figure in her doorway would morph into someone else.
It didn’t, nor did the smaller shape beside her. Pepper stared in silence for several seconds, pressing a hand to her still aching forehead before taking a small step backwards. “Emily?”
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