Charm

Jessica was in her early thirties, something she hated to admit. And as she smoothed beige powder over her face, she began to wonder what Detective Matson wanted from her. Sure she was attractive, but she wasn't exactly his type. On any given evening, she would spend her entire shift fetching him far too many drinks and unwillingly meeting the demands of the women he planned on seducing. Although she was not the kind of woman to be envious, she would find herself staring at them. They were beautiful, successful, and were in the company of Matson. Secretly, the moment he had walked through the door she had fallen in love with him. He was ruggedly handsome, fit, and had a seductive charm that would leave her weak in the knees. And as she closed her compact mirror she sighed.

Dark circles appeared underneath her hazel eyes. Her hair, long over due for a trim, fell lifelessly upon her shoulders. She had gained a few pounds in her hips and as her jeans pulled tightly across her midsection she began feeling insecure. Matson was a man with exquisite taste, she thought to herself. And as if the remedy for an over-worked single women presented itself in the bathroom, she began searching. Her purse, nearly empty, produced no such results. The last stick of gum? Maybe. But the torn receipts and single dollar bills from an evening of fetching Bud-lights? They were not going to help her.

He had mentioned that he needed to talk to her, and as she applied another coat of lip gloss she envisioned his face as he said it. His eyes had twinkled and a sly grin fell from his lips as he took the last sip of his drink. For a moment she paused, staring at the mirror before her. Although his intentions baffled her, she found her heart racing with rendering possibility.