Where The Numb Meets The Lonely (SwanQueen)

Chapter One

When it hurts this good, you gotta play it twice

Another vice

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She pushed up the sleeves of her red leather jacket as she strut into tonight's bar of choice, escaping the chill of the cold Boston air.

She approached the bar with ease and immediately made eye contact with the bartender.

"It's been awhile, Emma." The bartender said sarcastically. "Your usual?"

Emma gave him a firm nod and he slid a Manhattan in her direction moments later. She took her first sip, letting the whiskey warm her throat as her gaze shifted around the bar, searching for her next target.

When she spotted someone with potential, she shot him a playful grin and flipped her long, blonde hair behind her shoulder. She knew it wouldn't take much more than that to get his attention and as soon as he smiled back at her and took his first step in her direction, she smirked and shook her head. "This is getting too easy," she whispered to herself.

His level of confidence seemed to match hers. As soon as he reached her, he extended his hand and introduced himself, but Emma didn't bother to listen when he said his name. She just took another sip of her drink then watched him tilt his head, waiting for her to tell him what her name was.

"What do you think my name is?" She cocked her head to the side, looking doe-eyed and innocent as she bit on her bottom lip.

The nameless man laughed. "Hmm... can I get a hint?"

"It starts with an S." Emma lied, already wishing she could cut to the chase and get what she wanted out of him.

"Samantha?" "Sarah? Susan?"

"Susan? Really? I look like a Susan?" She paused, shooting him dagger eyes. "No, it's Sarah. Second guess, good job... I'm pretty impressed." She giggled flirtatiously, knowing she had this guy wrapped around her finger already.

He laughed and smiled at her, confirming what she already knew about his desire for her, and she took a large gulp of her drink then reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder, heat radiating from his skin right through his cotton shirt.

"So tell me, Sarah. What is a gorgeous girl like you doing all alone on a Saturday night?" She admired his confidence, she'd give him points for that, but she knew this guy in front of her would soon be forgotten.

"I'm not alone." She raised an eyebrow in his direction then swallowed the rest of her drink.

"Touche. Do you want another drink?" He asked, taking the empty glass out of her hand.

"I was actually hoping we could get out of here. Tell me... " She paused, remembering she didn't know his name. "Do you live around here?"

He nodded and before he could answer, she grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the exit.

Before they even closed the door to his apartment, she was yanking his shirt off and she kicked her stilettos off to the side.

His hands grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head as she unbuttoned her jeans quickly.

Nameless guy wasted no time with foreplay, pushing Emma back on the bed playfully as he slid a condom on and pushed inside her, letting out a deep grunt of pleasure.

She stared up at the ceiling, letting out the occasional fake moan as he kissed her neck a little more roughly than she anticipated. She could tell he thought he was doing a great job... they all thought that. They were all the same. That's why she never bothered learning their names, because they all just blended together. She sighed as he continued his rushed thrusts and then reached down to assist him at getting her off.

When she finally got what she came for and her orgasm washed over her, she whispered to him that she had to get home. She climbed out of bed and slipped her skinny jeans back on.

She muttered a quick goodbye to yet another nameless guy who she'd forget about in the morning then walked outside of his apartment and hopped into a cab.

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Emma woke up the next morning and reached into her nightstand for the Advil. She popped two into her mouth then headed toward the bathroom to get in the shower before work.

As the dirt and lingering smell of whiskey and men's cologne washed down the drain, so did her memory of last night. The nameless man was just another notch on her bedpost that had now been forgotten.

She toweled off and blow dried her hair then got dressed and headed out the door.

"Hey, boss. What's the assignment today?" Emma asked the older man as she walked into their small office. The place was cramped but looking for a bigger office was a waste of time, energy and expenses.

Her boss quickly briefed her on a man who skipped bail and fled to his hometown in New Jersey.

"Jersey, huh? Okay, I'll go home and pack. Do you have an address?"

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Emma fumbled with her keys before pushing the door to her apartment open. The familiarity in its quiet emptiness was soothing, but also felt lonely. She sighed loudly and walked toward her bedroom to pack for her trip.

Her laptop was sitting on her unmade bed and she glanced at it for a few seconds, tilting her head to the side.

She plopped down on the bed and pushed the disheveled comforter further down as she pulled the laptop closer to her. She opened her browser and searched for an AirBNB in Cape May, NJ. She knew it would only take her a matter of days to catch her latest assignment, considering she knew exactly where he ran off to.

She made the impulsive decision to book the room through Sunday, allowing herself some well-deserved time off. It wasn't the most luxurious getaway possible, perhaps an island would be better, but it was affordable and just what she needed right now.