"I need a job."

That itself was never an odd statement. A normal sentiment to be had around town from newcomers. Their town, within itself, was not a destination for vacations. With odd long twisting roads and wide-spanning mountains, and with a hum of crickets that sang every morning that would startle even the deepest of sleepers, that town was not one where people went to relax. No. The place, tucked away in the depths of nothingness, was somewhere to escape. Someone new in a desperate search for a job so they could settle down was never an unusual sight.

It was, however, odd to find in a junkyard of car scraps. Surrounded by old rusted car doors, popped tires, and random jumbled balls of cables and wires. That's where the woman had asked such a normal sentence, the environment not ebbing away those set eyes in the slightest. As if the job there was already as good as hers the moment she decided on it.

The woman was an outsider in every consideration. Tall, unlike the shorter residents that resided there. With a firm, set face and a posture that simply meant business, plain and simple. Despite her figure that demanded attention, her clothes were quite the opposite. Plain, loose clothing that could take a tear or two without needing to be pitched. She both belonged and didn't in the junkyard. An odd combination that Rick never thought himself to be thinking about, yet there he was. Thinking it with more obsessive energy than he should ever use on such a simple thought.

How could he not think about her? She was so unordinary in their sleepy little village, and Rick was so... ordinary. Simple brown hair, and a slight sprinkle of freckles on his cheeks. He looked like any background character from the comic books he liked to enjoy before bed. Someone to be forgotten after a moment's whim. She, on the other hand, looked like the main character. Someone to be recalled no matter how long it had been.

"Are you sure?"

Rick felt stupid the moment the words left his mouth. Of course, she was sure. Her look gave so much and little away at the same time. Just a taste of her intentions to get him hooked. To leave him wondering why she was there, why of all places she would pursue a job at a junkyard. No one had a passion for working at one. Rick knew that from personal experience. When he was younger, he spent his days running around with a makeshift cape and a head full of healthy creativity for a child. He never imagined that he'd be working to take over his Father's business one day, simply for financial comfort. That last thought gave him a slight headache. A problem for... later.

He's been saying that for a while. Later always came. A part of life he wasn't very fond of.

The woman hummed. "I am. Where is the owner of the junkyard? I saw the flyers about hiring and it said I needed to speak to him."

Right. The flyers. Rick helped put up some of those himself. They needed another set of hands to move parts and keep an eye out for the high schoolers who kept trying to sneak in. Despite the abundance of spots where they could hide away without adult supervision, of all things they constantly decided the junkyard was a perfect spot for their little petty crimes once per blue moon.

"He's in his office," Rick said.

He could only watch quietly as she walked past him. Her eyes trailed along the environment as if making mental notes for the job she seemed to already lay claim to. She glanced back at the man on the clock, briefly giving a small nod of appreciation for him sharing his knowledge before she turned back, seemingly disinterested in him once he served his purpose.

And that was his first encounter with her. The odd woman with too much confidence left an imprint on his life. The woman, weird and new, took away his attention without even trying. There were so many people in the world who demanded that same level of focus, who would scream and cry and destroy their public images just to have people thinking about them. Not this woman, who seemed to be trying to blend in, despite everything about her doing quite the opposite. A combination that Rick was devastatingly interested in. One that kept him pondering, even until the sky went dark and he shuffled his keys to lock his office. Eyes strained from a day of work with only her and a lunch break as a reprieve.

His evening was rather unimpressive compared to how his morning started. A dinner of cold lasagna and sprite he left in the fridge before he was anxiously glancing toward his bank statements.

A drink. That was what he settled upon with a firm expression. Maybe a few. That'd help. Something to help him forget everything, just for one night.

And that was how he found her.

The woman who was stuck in his mind like a song you could never quite tune out sat at the bar. He recognized her the moment he laid his gaze upon her, even from behind. She was wearing the same outfit as before, hair tumbled with slight fringes with the inconvenience of a windy day. For a moment, he couldn't believe she was there. It almost felt like she was haunting him, a hallucination due to her persistence inside of his mind. Yet there she sat, too alive and real for him to comprehend. Simple and there and somehow extraordinary and not at the same time.

If his Father hired her, which was a likelihood given their lacking employee status, he really should get used to seeing her around. They'd be coworkers, after all. He shouldn't let his mind fall victim to the dangers of curiosity, the slippery slope it was when the source would be out of his office window every day for the foreseeable future.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Her gaze spoke everything. Surprised, but not too much so. As if there was a restraint on her feeling anything too intense. She briefly hummed, and for a moment he was sure she was bound to say no until she gestured to the seat next to her.

"I don't, no."

With the permission he had sought, Rick situated himself next to her. He quickly ordered a beer from the bartender, desperate to fix his little problem of being completely coherent.

"Beer?" The woman asked.

Rick glanced over. Ah. There was one in her own hands as well. Cupped gently yet firmly, and he knew for a fact she was going to finish it. Her gaze solidified such a thought. She wasn't the type of person to waste a perfectly good beer.

"After my own heart, huh?" Rick teased.

The woman smirked. "I would say it was the other way around. After all, you came here unannounced and ordered what I did. Are you sure you didn't stalk me here?"

Rick frowned. "I wouldn't say stalk, per se."

Her fingers drifted across the beer can, feeling along the cold edge with a hint of humor written across her face. In her eyes, a fire of determination flashed through. One that made the man very glad he did decide to pursue her to the bar that particular night.

"So it is your calling to follow around a strange unknown woman?" She hummed. The can met her lips for a brief moment as she took a teasing sip. Not for the flavor. Just for a break, a moment to watch the man await her next words. "If you ask me, that isn't a very good hobby to have. Sounds rather dull."

"Dull?"

"It worries me more that you didn't deny the statement of following and were more upset over my thoughts about you."

"Can you blame me? You are an odd woman. I wanted to get to know you more. Finding you at this building wasn't intentional," Rick said. He quietly thanked the bartender when his beer, cold and crisp, was granted to him. It chilled his fingertips at the mere touch, and he enjoyed a long taste of it. "Not a lot of people are willing to work at a junkyard. And you came there so... specifically. It was fascinating."

The woman chuckled at the statement. "Ah, well, fascinating is a powerful word. I feel almost ashamed now, to admit the truth. Frankly, I just wanted the money. Physical and dirty jobs pay well for someone with no degree. That's all there is to it."

"Ah. Money reasons."

"'Fraid so. Keeps the world going around. Best to grab onto that little boat with everything I have before I'm swept away into nothing, right?"

There was a kinship he felt. Rick understood what it was like to feel like he was drowning in debt. How he grasped for any paycheck he could, hoping desperately that it would fill the greedy mouths of those who demanded taxes and bills from him every month. And it was never enough. And he understood that desperation of turning to the darkest corners for relief from it.

"I understand," Rick said. He set down the beer after another swig. "Quite a lot. I understand what you mean."

"Then you probably shouldn't be spending money here, Rick. The beers are a tad bit expensive."

"You have a beer."

"Touche."

An odd girl indeed. A woman Rick never expected to meet in their sleepy little town. Everyone here was dull, boring, and lifeless. Not that it was a bad thing, but for a man who grew up on imaginative colorful comic books of wonder and life, he grew to expect something that was never promised to him. She was the first hint of that in his entire life, and Rick couldn't help but want more of it.

She made him feel alive, short, and simple.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" Rick asked, glancing toward her.

She gestured. "You forgot to change out of your uniform. Has your nametag."

Oh. A look down proved her words true. His nametag glistened under the bar lights, proving that he was so exhausted and drained that even a simple change of clothing eluded him.

"Since it isn't particularly fair that only one of us is acquainted with the other's name -" She stuck out a hand for him to grab, "My name is Elise."

Their handshake was brief. Her hand, despite tinted with the condensation from her beer can, was warm to the touch.

"I'm sure you'll be getting to know me since we now work together," Elise said.

"I'm sure I will."

Rick knew she was going to get the job. His old man would have to be clinically insane to not take her on board. She was a perfect fit for the job. A straightforward attitude with a slight sarcastic tint to it, playful and daring. Muscles that spoke of her experience. Clothes that took a beating but remained neat and straightforward. A candidate indeed. The job was hers the moment she decided to apply.

"Your Father mentioned you. Said a lot of things about his darling little Rick," Elise said. "After he confirmed I had the job he discussed how we'd be working together. Mentioned you keep some comic books in the bottom drawer at your desk when you started working. Those still there?"

Rick felt himself turn red at that comment. He didn't know his Father was aware of that little fact about his office. And that his Father took it upon himself to talk off the new hire's ear about funny little facts about Rick. That Rick would rather him not share with anyone who would be willing to listen.

"Oh don't worry," Elise said. She gave him a warm smile. "It's important to keep up with hobbies. Especially as adults. Work can drag you down, kicking and screaming. One moment you'll be fifty, sixty, and look back and be glad you kept to them. Stay loyal to interests and they'll keep you happy for life."

"You sound like you regret abandoning yours."

"I do. Once upon a time, I had hobbies and interests. Then I had a reality check."

"Adulthood?"

Elise smiled. She never did confirm or deny his statement, though. Leaving Rick to wonder if there was something more at play in her mind as to why she had to drop her other interests. If something else happened.

They spoke a lot that night. One beer turned to two, then three, with the possibility of a fourth hanging in the air. A taunting future that never did come to be, as when a buzz washed over Rick, he found himself giggling along with anything and everything Elise said. Especially when she, cheeks tinted with a red hue, gently grabbed his hand and led him away.

"Where are we going?" Rick asked. His words were only slightly slurred, as he wasn't much of a lightweight. Another drink might've done it for him.

And for Elise, too. She turned, cheeks red, but she was still upright and holding her own rather well.

"My place," She said. Her smile was wide and devious. "You said you wanted to get to know me, right?"

Oh. Rick felt his face warm further at that mention.

"I did," He agreed. Yes. He very much did. He was extremely willing to get to know her. Yes. He said that and he was absolutely confident he had.

"Then let's go!" Elise said, her voice full of energy and personality.

And so Rick followed her, hand in hand, down the street.

___________________

"... I swear, I'll get it to you..."

Elise cracked open an eye at the noise. The first thing that met her gaze was the soft plush pillow that her arm had managed to hook around while she was sleeping. The space next to her, though, was lacking a body of a particular man. One who was instead standing adjacent to the bed, a phone pressed against his ear.

"The money? Don't worry, I swear, it's..."

Elise sat up slightly, wiping at her eyes to try and push back the sleepiness that clung to her eyelids. While her body begged for a longer rest, having been denied so long from a full night's sleep, she persisted. Sitting up to rub her sore shoulders. Slept funny. Rick's bed had a slight spring loose where she had been laying.

"Elise?" Rick looked surprised when he noticed her sitting up. His hand was quick to hang up the call. "How was your sleep?"

Elise sat further up. She twisted her shoulder around to stretch the sore muscles. "Spring filled."

Rick grimaced. "Yeah. I need to get a new mattress. Haven't had the time recently."

"Or the money?"

Rick only turned around and made his way to the small kitchen corner of his apartment. Instead of a response, Elise was only given the slight fragrance of coffee grounds in the air. The slight light cascading down from the curtainless window reflected from the steam rising from the kettle as he flicked it on. Despite his back to her, Elise could see the slight tremble of his hands as he focused on his task.

"Coffee?" Elise questioned.

"The best cure for a hangover, yes? And a cure for the workday. You do start today, don't you? My Father left me a message about that."

A look of relief crossed Rick's face. Thankful that she didn't press for the call answers. That she didn't poke and prod at the secrets he was trying to keep from her.

He didn't have to worry. Everyone had their secrets, after all.

Time passed. They spent the morning chatting lightly before Elise quickly left, a silent agreement for this to be nothing but casual mutually hanging in the air. They didn't include others in their secret little relationship. Nothing about it was forbidden, but the taunting thought of a secret fling was alluring enough for both to pursue. A dirty little secret both of them shared with knowing looks through Rick's office building. His curiosity was satisfied, and her loneliness was cured. Both didn't need much more than that, and so, their little secret continued throughout the days. A constant in their lives, not to be disrupted or deepened.

Elise found herself rather happy with her time spent with Rick. He didn't dare let adulthood dull his personality, a tragedy that many people suffered. He was handsome as well, and his kindness was persistent but not overdone. A decent man Elise was content to wake up with in the early hours of chirping birds and warm sunrises.

Elise had been watching Rick from his crooked office window as she pondered their little agreement. Quietly he moved back and forth, a phone pressed against his ear as he spoke to whoever he needed to. It wasn't uncommon for his phone to ring here and there. Despite the distance, though, she could see his stressed expression as his lips moved frantically. Her muscular arms adjusted the box of random car parts she was carrying, watching him pace. Her eyes burned as she practically tried to commit every little act of his into her memory, to keep to herself and recall whenever she felt a bit lonely.

A quiet giggle escaped from behind her. One far too young to be any other worker, and far too late in the evening to be anyone on shift. Only she and Rick should still be working. That was why she had let herself stare so freely toward the man, openly picking him apart, piece by piece. Yet another giggle and a snort rang out from behind her, and she saw the slight flash of light from a lighter and a puff of smoke.

Teenagers. Right. A junkyard with twisting paths and bountiful hiding spots was a golden teenage hangout. She had been warned about that during her interview, and she could recall the owner's tense stare as he had put out his cigar when the words left his mouth. "Damn teenagers, always - plenty of gasoline and fire hazards out there. People can only smoke in their offices, and yet those teens demand to come out and smoke whatever they can near the most dangerous parts. We're bound for an explosion and lawsuit if they continue. Drive them out, won't ya?"

It was her job. So she followed his words, much like how she followed the stench of sweaty gym clothes and cigarette smoke to the hiding spot where the teens resided. They weren't very good at keeping themselves out of sight.

Three teenagers, all with ruffled common clothing and barely lit cigarettes, sat in a small circle. The boy further to the left clung to a lighter, occasionally turning it on and off to watch the flame flicker. The other boy, with a scar cut across his bottom lip, simply let himself lean back and enjoy his newfound freedom. In between both sat a girl with smeared lipstick and a slight hunch to her posture. All three shared an annoyed look when Elise found them, clearly not glad to be interrupted by an intruder.

"You got a light?" The boy with the lighter asked, his words somewhat slow.

Elise stared. "Don't you?"

He took a glance towards his hand. "Oh. I do. Right."

They were high. That much was obvious with their bumbling giggles and sluggish movements. She let out a small huff when the boy to her right glared again as if this time his gaze would certainly scare off the grown adult twice their size. She could smell the stench now that she was closer. Not an unfamiliar smell, her high school was quite abundant with teens who enjoyed using those types of things. It helped quell the stress of school and parental expectations, so she couldn't put it fully past them. She knew how it felt from the rambling of her old classmates, desperate for a reprieve from the cold gripping hands of reality they had to endure. But they were smoking multiple health-altering substances two feet away from a dripping pipe that reeked of gasoline, so she found herself lacking enough compassion to give them a warm smile and wish them onward.

"You guys need to go smoke somewhere else." Her tone commanded authority and gave them no room to argue as she continued. "It's dangerous here with any open flames, and we don't allow trespassers."

A teenager sneered at her. "Bite me."

"Not interested."

The girl snickered at the comment. She openly puffed on a lit cigarette, making eye contact as she did so. An act of defiance that made Elise frown.

"What are ya going to do, muscle head?" The girl taunted. "You can't hurt us, sheriff will believe us over some random woman no one knows if we get some bruises. Everyone knows this part of the scrap yard is ours. Let us be, won't you?"

"We don't allow trespassers. I'll have to call law enforcement if you three don't leave."

Deep breaths. A deep, calming breath. She let the air pass through her, flexing her fingers. They are just teenagers looking for an escape from school. Trying to take some power back from either rigorous teachers or desperate for attention when their absent parents paid them no mind. She knew quite a few people like that. Watched a lot of the odd shows on the television with teenagers who'd skip out of their houses cheering. It was normal.

The boy to her right, with rugged black hair and eyes flavored with a tint of hazel, flicked his cigarette toward her. The still-smoking object bounced off of her arm, leaving a slight smudge of grey ash before it fell to the ground.

One of her eyes twitched. Another deep breath entered her. It tasted foul.

"I'd very much recommend you all leave," She said. The words were difficult to create. Forced out as she tried to keep in other colorful words within.

The girl snorted. A humorous, unthreatened snort. Instead of heeding her advice she had no idea was her best choice, she stood. Her cigarette hanging low from her fingers, tempting fate to see if it would fall. Gravity never did take hold. Instead, with a slight smirk, she pressed it into the deathly still adult. The tinge of pain crossed Elise's senses as the teenager used her arm to put out the burning end. Her breath reeked of weed.

"Make us," The teenager said. Her eyes widened, almost predatory. "I dare you."