Little Girl, Big City

Sugar Magnolia was sick of this godforsaken hamlet in the Ozark moutains. She had bigger fish to fry, and knew that if she practiced hard enough, she could make it as a country singer in Nashville. Or at least find herself a man that could finance her taste for jewelry and liquor. When the teevee worked, she would make sure she was home for the various talent shows that were so popular these days, portraying people who were once as ordinary as she, glamorized on the national stage. For years she imagined she could be one of those people, but it was only after she landed a gig singing in her uncle John’s band that she began to scheme her way out. Her voice was average, but of course in Yellville that and her bra size was enough to make her a star. So, she thought, it should be no problem to make it to Nashville and blow all those other tramps out of the water. While singing and tending bar at Box of Rain tavern, she was able to save up two thousand dollars, a small fortune in her world. The day of her last paycheck she tipped the bar manager a little extra, grinning smugly at the man who seemed sure she wouldn’t have the balls to do it, and went home to pack. The next morning she bleached her dirty dishwater hair and got Uncle John to drop her at the nearest bus station.
It was a Saturday morning when she stepped onto the bustling streets, lugging her guitar case crammed with the few clothes and costume jewelry pieces she owned, smelling the signature bbq her new city was famous for. Her stomach rumbled, but no, priorities first. She needed to find a place to stay. There were so many people on the street, it was unreal to Sugar, who hadn’t been anywhere busier than Mountain Home, a tiny city west of hers. Sleepy and disoriented, six blocks was about all she could take before she decided she needed a drink. Maybe she could find work, too, since she had some experience. She was, after all, wearing her nicest tank top and mini skirt. The white leather boots inherited from her mother were only improving the look. Yes, she thought, she could easily land a job here. Stopping in front of a hickory wood whiskey bar, she applied her Hollywood red lipstick before waltzing in as gracefully as she could with her luggage and sitting at the bar, beaming with false confidence, and two shots of Jack Daniels. The bar keep looked at his watch, wondering if he should point out that was still before noon. Sugar picked up on his hesitation, laid her hand on his wrist, and politely explained that she had just arrived after a long, rough bus ride and just needed to relax before finding a decent place to sleep. She flashed her star smile and leaned forward a bit, to showcase her best features. The man at the bar gave her a half smile and took a step back, but fixed her the drink without another word. She savored it, pretending the room was full of sweat and smoke, teeming with talent agents pining to sign her a record deal. She finished, she pulled out a fist full of single dollars from her purse, but the bartender shook his head and just pointed to the other end of the bar, where a shadowy figure sat, enjoying his own drink. Noticing he had been discovered, he tipped his cowboy hat to her and went back to his highball. She couldn’t believe her luck.
She swaggered over to her new friend and thanked him generously. He introduced himself as Cain Daggert, a friend of the Devil. She laughed at what she assumed was his attempt at humor, because of his biblical name. The two of them got to chatting, and she couldn’t help noticing how attractive this Cain Daggert was. He had smooth, tan skin, and was well groomed with manicured hands and straight white teeth. His age was given away by the touch of grey in his otherwise perfectly black coif, barely visible under his black hat. After learning that she needed a job and a place to stay, her offered to help in any way he could, and offered his card. Leaping on the chance, she leaned in and kissed him dramatically, acting on impulse the way she had always desired. His lips tasted of whiskey and sin, and it thrilled her. He didn’t seem to mind too much either, since she felt his hand squeeze her hip gently before she pulled away. With a look that said “Back to my place, then?” he lifted her case and led her to his car, which drove them to a nearby hotel. Before she knew it, their bodies were interlocking with impulsive hormonal heat, and she was feeling pleasure beyond any capacity she had ever known. Her new life was already better than planned. After a steamy afternoon, her exhaustion finally overwhelmed her and she fell into a deep sleep.
She awoke to an empty room in the dark. Looking around for Cain, a slight pang of panic started creeping in. Only after turning on the lights did the true dread kick in. Her guitar case was gone, along with her money and clothes, right down to her cheap jewelry. On the dresser, a page from the bible lay with a note scribbled over it.
“Welcome to the big city, Sugar”