One More For The Road

Posted on Wed Sep 28th, 2011 @ 9:28am by Jackson Banning V

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: The Nexus Club
Timeline: Following 'Mixed Messages'

Jackson stood like a statue in the middle of the lounge in the wake of Connor's departure. Of all the 'what the fuck?' moments in his life, he was sure this one topped them all. His hangover-fogged brain tried to re-trace the course of the conversation and figure out just where it took a left turn and jumped off the cliff. He was not having much luck. It was as if there was some other conversation or event playing into all this that he'd missed.

Something had happened and he damn sure intended to find out what. Just as soon as his head stopped torturing him. The death of the guitar hadn't helped at all. Twanging, discordant strings had been added to the pounding. He could replace the guitar before tonight, no problem. The piano showed some scratches in the hard wood but that was also easily fixed. No one would be the wiser. It was no one else's business. But first, coffee.

He gathered up the remains of the guitar and once they'd been fed into the industrial replicator in the back, he returned to the bar. What a hell of a morning it had been already. He set about making more coffee, singing softly in the silent bar. A snatch of song that seemed fitting...

Its quarter to three,
There's no one in the place 'cept you and me
So set em up Joe
I got a little story I think you oughtta know...

Yeah, part of this story Oz was gonna know - like the part where she explained just what the hell was going on. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Hello Jackson. It's been a long time."

Not long enough, was his first thought. The voice was soft, feminine, and held a thoroughly beguiling note. It also brought to mind a previous time when things had been only slightly less complicated than they were now.

God hates me. That is all there is to it. Maybe if I close my eyes, wish real hard, none of this will be happening...

"No greeting for your old friend?"

Her voice was coming closer. Wishing wasn't doing a whole hell of a lot of good. Well, they do say bad things come in threes, so here was number three, right on time. At least he was getting them all outta the way at once. Taking a sip of his coffee, and noting with some chagrin that her soft voice was soothing the headache, he turned.

"Sulan." She hadn't changed one bit. Same lithe figure, same luxurious auburn hair tumbling down around her shoulders, and even now after all this time, he could feel its weight in his hands. She still looked younger than her years, just as Jackson did. He wondered how long the effect would last for her, just as he wondered that every time he looked in the mirror. Oh why now?

"Cat got your tongue? Isn't that the phrase you always used?" She moved across the room, finally stopping at the bar, looking him up and down. "I see you look as good as ever. Well, aside from nursing a massive hangover. Rough night?"

"You don't know the half of it, Su. An' the mornin's gettin' worse by the second. Present company included. What brings you here?"

"Who would be a better question."

She continued to move, circling the bar now and stepping behind it. Glancing behind himself, Jackson realized he was cornered. Great. Sulan continued her approach, pressing close as he reached the end of the bar. Idly, his brain noted that she still wore the same heady perfume, noted the tiny ridges above her nose that he'd always found so interesting. The tinkle of the fine chains that hung on her ear was audible in the silent bar.

"Okay then, who?"

"You, of course. Eli told me that you often come in early." She ran her hand up the front of his flowered shirt, expertly releasing a button at the top. "Nice boy, that Eli."

Jackson's eyes narrowed. "Don't you go messin' with Eli, got that?"

She smiled up at him. "Protective aren't we? It suits you somehow. I was surprised when Janice told me you and she were playing parents. You never seemed like the type. You were more...footloose and wild as I recall."

That's an understatement if there ever was one. Something she said, however, snapped him back. "Wait...you talked to Janice? Why?"

"Yesterday. It was a madhouse in here, you were all getting ready for some big VIP to visit. I suppose in all the chaos, she didn't have time to tell you. I'm working here now."

"Working...here?" Jackson had the awful feeling that he had become the victim of some grand, cosmic joke. Perhaps some Q was bored this week and had decided to make Jackson his new plaything.

"Reservations. She's much too busy and was glad to have the help." Sulan leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I need to go finish settling in. We'll catch up soon."

And like the ghost she should have been, Tora Sulan drifted out of the Nexus, leaving Jackson alone once more. There was one thing he could be glad of on this particular morning - his life was never dull. Carrying his coffee to the stage, he sat at the piano and played a few bars,just to make sure it sounded okay.

But this torch that I found
Its gotta be drowned
Or it soon might explode
So make it one for my baby
And one more for the road...

Yeah, the piano was in much better shape than he was.

*********
Jackson Banning V
Owner & Cosmic Target
The Nexus Club