Dusk was quickly approaching and Aiden was thirsty after walking the streets looking for the next poor schlub to con. He walked down the crowded street of New York and saw a nightclub that looked classy. Her walked in and sat at the bar to order two rounds of Jack on the rocks. His drinks arrived and he tipped the first one up to take a drink. He nearly choked on the whiskey as a low, sultry note drifted up from the stage and the crowd cheered and whistled. Aiden swiveled in is chair to look at the stage and saw the curtain part. A tall, gorgeous blonde walked out towards the microphone, singing a song full of seduction and passion. The look on her face told of the longing in the words she was singing. Her long corn silk blonde hair flowed down her back in loose finger waves that shine in the spotlight. She sang song after song until the bandleader announced that the set was done. Aiden looked at his watch and saw that the time was well after 1 A.M. but the only thing that mattered now was meeting that girl.

Starshine stepped down off the stage and into the crowd where plenty of young men stood waiting to get her autograph. She smiled and signed napkins, business cards, and various scraps of paper. As she was finishing up she saw a tall man with chestnut brown hair and smoky green eyes make his way to the front. He smiled and her heart fluttered, looking into the stunningly handsome face of Aiden. He handed over a plain white napkin and she took it. Their fingers met for a moment and the warmth of his hand startled her. She signed her name at the bottom of the napkin and, on a whim, she wrote her phone number of the apartment where she was staying and the address. She handed the napkin back and smiled her signature grin. Her nose crinkled and her eyes sparkled when she smiled like that and he flashed her another smile that made her knees feel weak before he turned into the crowd and disappeared. That night as she opened the door to her apartment, she hoped she would here from the stranger. She absentmindedly patted her new kitten as she made herself a cup of tea before settling in for the night.

A few days later Aiden walked down the street in an upscale part of town. This was a much nicer neighborhood that the rat hole he lived in. He brushed invisible lint off of his new suit jacket and squinted at the napkin again. He approached the building and looked on the brass plaque by the door, which listed each occupant and apartment number. He adjusted the deep purple vest and tie he was wearing and walked inside to the lift. He stopped on the third floor and walked slowly down the hall till he found number 3B. He knocked on the door, hoping she was home. After a few moments of silence he heard a muffled thump and then the door bolt sliding out of its place. Star opened the door. Her hair flowed down her shoulders over the cream and blue dress she wore. It looked as though she had just come back from errands, as there was a grocery box on the counter and a very impatient cat whisking his tail and staring at the can of tuna that she had been opening. Aiden tried not to smile as he saw the look of sheer delight on her face. "Well what are you doing here?" She said in a thick European accent. She ushered him inside and directed him to the small couch. She went into the kitchen and came back out with a pot of tea and two cups and saucers and poured him a cup. As she was doing so she noticed the bouquet of wildflowers that he had gotten from the flower shop down the way and grinned again. Aiden sheepishly handed her the bouquet and took a sip of the tea only to wrinkle his nose in distaste. He immediately changed his expression but it was not lost on Starshine who went into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of fine Irish whiskey. After he had taken a swig of the hard stuff he goggled at her as she downed a shot herself and took a seat on the armchair facing him. They started talking and soon found out that they had both had relatives in New Orleans. After another hour of talking Aiden worked up the courage and said "How about we take a day trip there? I have been meaning to pick up a few things that my brother left behind and I'm sure the city holds meaning for you as well. What do you say?" Star considered the proposal and agreed and they made plans to fly out the next weekend.

more to come!