Case 325 || Loki

O N E

June 15th 2012

Lily Quill was having a bad day. Not just any bad day where you spill coffee over yourself or accidentally put your coloured shirt in the washing machine with the white laundry. No, no. This was a really bad day.

Stumbling into the bar, she took a seat at an empty stool by the counter. She was exhausted from the days events. It was late evening which meant that the bar was full to the brim with people mostly consisting of middle aged men playing poker and large huddles of friends having a girls night out.

"I've seen healthier looking corpses. You should go to bed." Zoey Blake turned to look at her best friend, letting out a laugh once she saw the unimpressed expression from Lily. Zoey drew her attention back to the target board in front of her. She effortlessly threw the last two darts - both landing in the centre circle.

"Zoey's not wrong you know." Jade, the bartender, gave Lily a sympathetic smile and slid an iced coke across the counter. She had perfectly groomed dirty blonde hair which was pulled back into a loose bun. Intricate arm tattoos peeked out of her long sleeved shirt. Despite working long nights almost every day, Jade always had a lively face with large bright eyes and an enthusiastic smile.

Lily muttered a small thank you but gave the pair a playful death glare. Although Lily was underage to drink, being only 19, she had become a regular at the Tipsy Apple bar. Mostly because Zoey and Lily would meet up at there at least couple of times a week - that, and the bar made the best grilled cheese sandwiches in New York.

Rounded, wooden beams supported the high ceiling and the yellow fairy lights attached to them. One of the beams featured a nailed in target bored. The beam itself was splintered from bad aims. The walls were packed with rows of painted portraits - not settling on a single colour scheme. Lush plants lined the windowsill, some of which crawled out of the plant pots and draped along the tiled floor.

At the right of the bar, mismatched tables fit perfectly in the space like a jigsaw puzzle. On the left, a well loved pool table was tucked away. Authentic arcade machines clung to the walls behind the pool table. They let out rattles and chimes as people slid in their spare change to have a turn.

The bar should have felt claustrophobic and overwhelming with all of the colours and noises. But instead, it was inviting and homely. The counter that sat snugly in the middle of the bar - opposite the oak door -  played soft music in the background to calm down the bustling atmosphere.

After Zoey threw her last dart, she popped into the stool next to Lily. To a stranger, Zoey would come off as intimidating at the least. She was dressed in a tight leather bikers jacket, ripped jeans and a white sweater. Zoey never failed to look stunning in anything she wore though black did suit her best. Black hair complimented her vivid brown eyes that were set seductively in their sockets. A thin white scar, which had faded over time, sat engraved into the side of her forehead. In the beginning, Zoey had masked the scar noticeably with makeup but through their years of friendship, she had accepted the scar as apart of herself.

Zoey smiled flirtatiously at Jade who rolled over a martini in her direction, seeing as Zoey was 22 so could legally drink - unlike her sober friend - who Zoey relished in making fun of her over it. The flustered bartender evidently got butterflies, turning beet red and quickly moved onto the next customer - scribbling down their order and pouring the beverage. It was unbearable to watch the two flirt constantly but never ask each other out. It was plainly obvious that they fancied one another. "So," Zoey reluctantly moved her eyes from Jade's muscular back and turned her attention to Lily. "Talk to me, what happened?"

"I quit." Lily said under her breath.

"Say that again?"

"I quit." Lily repeated causing Zoey to almost choke on her drink.

"You got fired."

"Nope I quit."

"Lily, you're forgetting that interrogating people is literally my job. You got fired." It was true, Zoey worked as a very successful private investigator for the NYC police department - dropping out of college after 2 years to start her PI business. No one knew how she did it, nor did she let on how she did it. Not even to Lily.

Lily paused a second. She leant over the bar, sighing heavily, and rested her head in her hands. "Yeah, I got fired."

"Lily," Zoey drawled out her name in a long sigh, muttering to herself in disbelief. "How the hell did you get fired from a grocery store?"

 "I was on my shift as usual, working alongside Beth. It was her first day and she had never worked on a till before so I was showing her the ropes. And then this guy comes up to Beth and asks for her number. At first she politely declined but he kept getting more and more persistent." Lily began, shrugging her shoulders.

"And then what?" Zoey pried, eagerly leaning forward slightly.

"And then he said that 'I'd love you to sit on my face'." Lily mocked the man's voice. "Beth wasn't going to stick up for herself and she was really uncomfortable so all I said back was, 'why? Is your nose bigger than your dick?' He reported me to my manager."

Zoey wheezed with laughter. She slapped the side of the counter, doubling over from the insult. "Burn! And you're manager fired you over that?"

"Oh no, there's more."

"More?" Tears of laughter sprung to Zoey's eyes. She tried to keep up with the flood of tears but ended up giving in and letting them run down her cheeks.

"The manager called me into his office with the customer. He told me that they were just trying to be friendly. So I replied with 'Honestly, the people who tolerate you on a daily basis are the real heroes. I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, but that would be cruel and unusual punishment.'"

"You said that to the customer?" Zoey caught her breath, eyes glistening with the new drama.

"Nope, I said that to my manager." 

Zoey's laugh was contagious and soon they were both giggling so hard that they had to grip one another's arm so they didn't end up on the floor.

"That," Zoey began between short breaths, "has got to be the boldest thing I've ever heard you say." Lily was definitely the more reserved friend of the two. While Zoey enjoyed endless nights clubbing and drinking, Lily preferred the comfort of her own home with her Grandpa - only really leaving the apartment to meet up with Zoey or go to work.

"He was pissing me off." Lily defended.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Seriously though, I've got no job. And I'm broke. That was the only place that would employ a person with no experience, college degree or people skills - and they were desperate!"

"Girl I got you covered." Zoey smirked devilishly. "A guy owes me a favour. And he's looking for a personal assistant."

Lily eyed her friend suspiciously. "What guy?"

"Just Tony Stark." Zoey looked at her fingernails like it was no big deal.

"Tony Stark." Lily whispered. "TONY STARK!" Tony had always been one of Lily's idols. She had been listening to all of his accomplishments ever since she could remember. Her favourite being how he managed to build an entire Iron Man suit out of scrap metal in Afghanistan.

"Yup."

"How did you even come into contact with Tony. And why haven't I heard this story yet?!"

"Let's just say that his cologne has a divine smell." Zoey winked, reminiscing on the 'fun' she had with him when they met at a party in Dubai. Lily cottoned on, instantly acting out a gag and disgusted look.

"Now Listen." Zoey grew serious. "I can get you the interview, but I can't get you the job. That part's up to you."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Lily hurled herself into Zoey's arms and embraced her tightly. Both of the girls spent the rest of the night laughing at one another's bad jokes - Zoey drunk and Lily high on caffeine.