I look back with the utmost
fondness at that bath; it was the cleanse I needed, both literally and
figuratively. After a long day of acting the part of a beautiful barmaid, it
gave me a chance to recharge my batteries. If there’s anything I learned as a
spy, it’s that you need to be fresh for the charades, but I digress. More
importantly, it marked the start of Maggie Flanagan’s life as Marston Heights’
newest resident. I bring these words to you while there’s a lull at work, so
excuse me if I’m being short and sweet here. You also now might be thinking
“What’s that? Already?” To which I reply that yes, Maggie, formerly known as
Lannet, is happily employed as the town’s saloon girl.
You see, I was in dire need of a
job, which was driven by the fact that I couldn’t live off the town’s
generosity forever. Then again, much akin to many travelers that pass through
Marston Heights, I possessed that inner drive; I desired to be independent and
to be able sustain a decent, if not unremarkable, living here. Apart from that,
I simply wanted to contribute to the town that had graciously accepted me, even
if I did stage it. Anyhow, I’d arranged a week’s stay at the saloon with Bill,
as a temporary measure. However, once I started working there, things rapidly
changed-it was as if I became the town’s lucky charm. People
started coming in more and more, for one. As a result, the saloon underwent a
transformation from a quiet hovel to drown sorrows at to the life and soul of
the town, all thanks in part to this freckled Irishwoman. If I’m being honest,
quite a few patrons just came so they could chat with me; I was more than happy
to engage them in lively banter. With the way people approached me, with those
eager smiles on their faces, it was clear that the bodysuit I’d chosen was
paying off! I’d have to gently brush them off, but given the environment of the
bar, nothing serious happened. All of this served to endear me to the town,
and I gradually began to earn a reputation as a thoughtful, spirited woman who
was doing all she could to settle down. But enough about that negative mindset.
This did make me feel satisfied, but deep down I admit that I had some concerns
that people would find out the truth. Thus, I really wanted to build up enough
goodwill to draw upon at that point in the future, to show them that I was
truly someone like them. But enough about that negative mindset! Marston
Heights was a town that had already given me a lot: the people were friendly to
a nauseating extent, my options felt boundless, and for the first time in my
life I felt like this was home. However, as with all good times, they
don’t last forever.
One morning, as I was trying to
catch my beauty sleep, I woke to the sound of fairly intense knocking on my
door. Sluggishly turning over, I leaned over to try and find my mask on the
adjacent dresser. I donned its stretchy frame with hast, Hastily pulling it
over my face to use the built-in voice modifier, I called out.
One morning, as I was trying to
catch my beauty sleep, I woke to the sound of a fairly intense knocking on my
door. Sluggish in movement, I leaned over to try and find my mask on the
adjacent dresser. I donned its stretchy frame with haste; it was vital that I
didn’t blow my cover without using the mask’s built-in voice modifier. After hastily
arranging it, I called out:
“Who’s there? Let me sleep!”
“Ah shoot, Maggie,” came the
familiar voice. “I hate to wake ya this early, but there’s some fella down at
the bar asking for ya.”
“Wait, what?!” I exclaimed. What
could possibly be going on that would require my presence? “Bill, ye know that
I don’t like being interrupted at this hour! Have you told him this?” I let my
Irish brogue shine through as it was important to play up the “annoyed Irish
lass” bit; after all, I wanted to use this as an opportunity to reaffirm the
boundaries of my guise.
“Ah sorry Maggie, I did,
but the fella’s been asking for ya this whole time. Says he won’t leave til ya
meet him.”
How lovely. I genuinely was
concerned this was my past catching up with, or if this was something that
could easily blow over. Either way, I was still nervous, irrationally so. Look,
as Lannet, I’d faced a lot over the centuries, but for the most part I was able
to react and mitigate those surprises. Now? There was a lot that still go
happen to blow my cover, and that fact was making me irrationally nervous.
Well, what could I do?
Thinking quickly, I steadied my
voice and nerves.
“Thanks Bill, I guess I might as
well see what this lad is after. Tell him that there’s a round down there on me
if he gives me time to get all dollied up. After all, I want to give him my
best impression.”
Not to mention that I’d need time
to ensure that my disguise was still picture perfect. God, the timing of this was
not ideal. Who wouldn’t love being woken up for no apparent reason,
right?
“Righty then Maggie, I’ll pass it
on. Hey, if he’s bein’ a nuisance and if you’d want me to chuck him out, you’ve
jus’ gotta say the word.”
“I don’t think it’ll come down to
that, but thank ye kindly Bill,” I said, smiling behind the door. “Believe me
when I say I’ve got ways of dealing with those situations.”
After I heard Bill’s footsteps
retreat down the stairs, I began to get ready for this guest. Despite the
relative sense of urgency to get dressed, I took my sweet time putting on the
rest of Maggie. I always get hit with an increased level of sensitivity, and
wanted to really savor it this time; think of it as a treat and a way of
sticking it to whomever had the gall to prematurely wake me up. Finally, after
conducting my routine inspection and after donning a simple, yet alluring,
dress, I headed downstairs to meet destiny.
At the bar, Bill was standing next
to a tough, rowdy looking cowboy. This guy was what you’d call a man’s man: he
was massive, well-built, radiated machismo, and had a beard that would put most
of the west to shame. The cherry on top
was the flamboyant suit he wore that was rounded off with a fancy brown hat.
All in all, I could tell I had my work cut out for me. Even as I was making my
grand entrance, I noticed his eyes were hungrily tracking me. That in and of
itself told me something about him, so I steeled myself for what was sure to be
a thrilling conversation.
“Ma’am, let me say I’ve been
looking forward to this meeting.”
Oh, Christ. Well, at least I’d have
a chance to ham it up again, because this could go one of two ways. Ideally,
it’d end up with me getting some more peace and quiet with this guy pissing off
from whence he came.
“Oh. Thank you? I hadn’t realized
people outside Marston Heights knew me, especially as I’m so new here.”
He looked at me, flashing a broad
smile.
“Well ma’am, as some folks around
here have been talking about the saloon girl in this here town, I figured I
ought to meet her. See her for real, and I have to say that I am liking what
I’m seeing.”
As he winked, I winced on the
inside. Was he for real? I understand that my suit was attractive, but
this was a bit too much. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Bill pretending
to wipe down the already-pristine bar counter. I could tell things might get
tense soon. Naturally, it was in my best interest to defuse the situation as
calmly and carefully as I could. Or barring that, I could always give him the
what for; “being” Irish/Irish-American (depending on who was asking) did
have its perks.
Without smiling, I responded.
“Sir, I’m glad to hear that, but I
don’t understand why you dragged me out here, especially at this early hour. If
you wanted to meet me, that’s fine and dandy, but I’d appreciate it if you cut
to the chase.”
Without missing a beat, he
responded, still smiling. I admit that this wasn’t the reaction I was
expecting, and I started feeling that shadow of doubt creep up.
“I say this with all due respect,
ma’am, but what I see, I tend to get. And I’ve got a proposition for you that I
think you might like. Most people would want to listen to what I have to say,
because sooner or later you’ll agree. And if you don’t say yes right away, well,
the Sharp family ain’t afraid of waiting to get their hands on things.”
I didn’t actually realize how
serious this guy until he said those words. Even Bill was taken aback when the
name was dropped.
“You’re…Colton Sharp?!” he
exclaimed, still in shock.
“The very same. And if you don’t mind,“
his face twisted into a smug sneer, “you can fix me another one of what Marston
Heights considers a drink. We’ve got business to conduct.”
With that, Bill hastily turned
around to fix a drink. Clearly, this Colton Sharp was a man to be reckoned
with, but I didn’t survive centuries of cutthroat politics to be intimidated by
this man. While the drink was being fixed, he turned to me with a markedly
changed demeanor.
“Ms. Maggie, I—"
I immediately cut him off. With
what I’d seen in this short time, I didn’t want to let him feel as if he was
familiar with me. This asshole barged in and assumed he could boss Bill and I
around, so he was asking to be taken down several pegs.
“That’s Mrs. Flanagan, thank you
very much.”
With a glare, he continued.
“Mrs. Flanagan, I would like to
take you to somewhere nicer. After all, you deserve to be treated like royalty,
instead of toiling away here in this here speck of a town as a saloon girl. Folk
here are plain and boring, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to spend the rest of
your life with them. So, what do you say? I’ve got an extra horse all ready for
you, and we could be at the ranch by high noon.”
That was it. This was the offer
from a man who clearly had no qualms about morality if it meant he could get
his way. My dilemma here was that I had to clearly express that under no
certain circumstance would I go with him. At the same time however, I didn’t
want to cause any fallout for the folks of Marston Heights; the people
responsible for my well-being were people I wanted to protect. If my old
friends from home were here, I’m confident they would appreciate my skills in
handling this delicate situation.
Looking at Bill first then Sharp, I
took a breath. Well, time to make my metaphorical bed to lie in.
"Mister Sharp, and I use the
title only out of respect for your family, if you want someone to blindly follow
you around after you throw shite on it, go buy a pig from back east. You walk
in here, thinking that your family name gives you the right to act like a
bully, only to insult the town that took me in. You try to throw money at me
thinking that as a saloon girl, I can be bought like a child’s toy. I am Maggie
Flanagan, and I would never, EVER let myself be kept like a prize. With your arrogant,
ugly behavior, I don't think the saloon doors would open for you, much less any
self-respecting woman. Or maybe, that’s why you feel the need to compensate for
your lack of success. So no, I will not agree to your proposition."
I made sure to pack plenty of Irish
mettle in those words, and that did the trick--he looked absolutely taken
aback. Sputtering from the unexpected outburst, he began to leave.
“You…you…bitch! I can’t believe
you’d turn down this more-than-generous offer from one of Arizona’s leading
families. Mark my words, you’ll regret this!”
As he spat out his rebuttal, I
couldn’t help but notice how there seemed to be an audience forming outside the
saloon. It wasn’t just me who noticed this, but Sharp then became cognizant of
how many eyes were boring into him. Especially how they were trying
their darndest not to laugh at how flustered he was.
Turning to them in
barely-suppressed rage, he yelled.
“You haven’t heard the last of
Colton Sharp! You all will wish that Irish slut said yes!”
Now, I simply couldn’t let him have
the last word. Besides, I wanted to put the final nail in his coffin for this
particular situation while everybody was paying attention.
“My, my, Mr. Sharp, looks like that
so-called ‘honeyed tongue’ of yours has finally met its match. Guess everybody
sees you for what you are--a bully hiding behind sweet words. Well, let me tell
you something. If ye don’t leave now, I’ll make sure ye’ll leave with a black
eye. Now, leave before ye embarrass yourself more.”
To his credit, he was still
composed when he saddled up and left. I couldn’t help but think about the
glance he gave as he finally made his overdue exit from town, however. Maybe it
was part of my inherent sense of caution, maybe it was something about him, but
I had a nagging suspicion that life here was about to become more complicated.
Walking back inside the saloon, I made a swift beeline to my room. Bill opened
his mouth to say something, but a single, urgent nod caused him to carry on
cleaning the mess that one Colton Sharp made.
Once back inside the safety of my
room, I locked and slumped down against the door. God, I needed air. Tugging at
the bottom of my neck, I finally found the seam to the mask and yanked it clean
off. Why, of all the situations I’ve ever faced, did I feel a sense of
impending doom about this one? Something like this would have been trivial back
on my home planet, so why was it affecting me this much? Calm down, Lannet,
just breathe.
Several minutes later, I was
feeling fine. So much for a quiet life on Earth, I suppose. I came here to
escape my old life, not to retread it it’s steps. Thankfully, the day was young
and I had plenty of time to collect my thoughts. That I did, in the luxury of a
nice, warm bath. It was time to rid my memory of that asshole, Colton Sharp and
reflect on all the things that caused me to fall in love with life here in
Marston Heights. There were the supportive people, the glances from the
patrons, and the fact that I had a place to stay. Ultimately, it was my wit and
clever thinking that had gotten me in this mess, and I could rest easy knowing
that I had the know-how to get me out of it, too. The fact I had alien
technology for such occasions also gave me a peace of mind most “humans”
wouldn’t be able to access…mostly because these “humans” wouldn’t know how to
use them at this stage in their development. I’m digressing though. With the empty
mask staring at me from the comfort of its stand and the curvy bodysuit hanging
on a makeshift hook in the corner, the warm embrace of these warm suds were providing
me with all the security I needed.
