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Everything had begun to fade. The reds, the yellows, the golds, all colors drained out. It was all black and white, looking like a broken television, the picture fuzzy around the edges. Time moved in another way here. It seemed to simultaneously go in the blink of an eye and last a lifetime. He had aged, that he knew. It was his hands that gave it away. They were rougher, more lined. Every time he tried to hold on to a thought, it slipped from his mind. Limbs heavy and sluggish, he waited and watched the sway of the curtains, listening for the music.
She found him sat there in the chair as expected. Like her, he was older. She’d never thought that she would get to age, that she would remain trapped in amber, a Homecoming photograph forever. Leaning down, she cupped his jaw to pull his face closer and kissed him slow and hard. His lips gently pressed against hers in response. Afterwards he smiled. He hadn’t smiled in a long while. It was like the muscles in his face were trying to remember the motion. Life sparkled in his eyes, alert and full of purpose. Awake at last.
“Let’s go,” Laura said, as she took his hand and pulled him to her.
--
After the explosion at the bank, Audrey’s dreams were filled with fire and pain and fear, so when she saw a chance to step through a gap in the red curtains, she took it.
--
The Waiting Room was silent and empty. No Laura, no Giant, not even the dancing man. Cooper had no idea how long he had spent wandering around. Time always felt different to him when he was on his own to when he was with other people. Still, he was no stranger to solitude, he reasoned. He could find ways to make his stay here useful. There was plenty for him to discover about the rules of the place.
His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a dark-haired young woman stepping between the drapes. Audrey Horne looked startled and so grateful to see him in a way that made him ache. He moved towards her, and she was in his arms, head tucked under his chin, her hair tickling him. He inhaled and breathed in the scent of her shampoo.
“Agent Cooper,” she sighed into his suit jacket. He’d missed her, he realized. The way she said his name, how their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together.
“Audrey,” he said, “you shouldn’t be here.”
“That’s me,” she replied with a smile that almost ended him right there and then, “always turning up in places I shouldn’t.”
It was a purely selfish impulse, but he wanted her to stay with him. Right now he didn’t care about the wrongs or rights of it. His arms slid around her waist, holding her tighter and closer. The more he tried to hang on to her, the more she slipped away, until she was gone and he was alone again.
--
Audrey weaved her way through the cars in the motel car park, the cup in her hand containing a few melting ice cubes. Despite the sky being a deep midnight blue hours after the sun had set, she could still feel the heat rising from the tarmac. The neon sign buzzed nearby announcing that there were vacancies. She knocked on the door three times.
“Was that the secret knock?” Laura asked as she ushered her into the room.
“I think you’re confusing me with Donna,” Audrey replied. “We never had a secret knock.”
She put the cup of ice between the ashtray and the empty glass on the bedside cabinet and flopped down on the bed. It was a crappy old double that squeaked every time you moved. The room wasn’t much to write home about – a stuffy box with ugly décor and a television that only showed one channel in black and white – yet the past few days she’d spent here were some of the happiest she could remember.
Audrey grabbed one of the ice cubes and placed it on the base of her throat. The cold burn against her skin was a relief against the stifling airlessness of the room.
“We’re nearly out of beer,” Laura told her as she lit a cigarette.
“It tastes gross anyway.” Audrey imagined herself sipping a martini.
“That’s why we need the ice.”
Audrey took a drag of the cigarette, tasting Laura’s lipstick as she put it in her mouth.
“Maybe you’ll finally meet your tall, dark and handsome stranger. He can buy us some better booze,” said Laura as she took the cigarette back. “What does he look like, when you picture him?”
Audrey shrugged, feeling herself blush. Sometimes she wished she hadn’t told Laura about it.
“Do you ever think about what his name might be?” Laura continued, “I bet it’s something rugged and manly. Like Bill. Or Dick.” She winked and Audrey burst out laughing, the remains of the ice running in rivulets down her neck. Laura laid down next to her, swigging the last of her beer.
Audrey scooped up a nightgown from the floor. It was black and silky, not one of hers. She stood in front of the cracked full-length mirror and held it up. The fabric felt good. She tried to smooth out a large crease that had formed in the middle.
“Is that mine?” Laura asked, her tone more cutting than usual. “I don’t like people touching my things.”
“I thought I was the one who was supposed to be precious about that kind of stuff,” Audrey shot back, not letting go of the gown.
“We should go back home. My parents will start to wonder where I’ve gone.” Laura’s eyes were cold. There was a crackle, then a short pop from the bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. The room plunged into darkness. All Audrey could see was the end of Laura’s cigarette, a fiery circle in the black.
--
Audrey didn’t want to admit it, but she was lost. All the corridors blurred into one. It was like being back at One Eyed Jacks – all red drapes and full of secrets. She had thought she’d known where she was going however once again, she was in over her head. Now she followed the music, the beats and tone familiar to her. It was something she had loved to listen to long ago.
Finally, an end was in sight. She pulled back the curtains and stepped into a room. She saw Laura first – the flash of blonde hair against the dark material of the couch – then Agent Cooper. He was spread out with Laura above him. As they kissed, he ran his hands down over her back tracing lines into the fabric of her dress. Audrey thought about him touching her that way, how his hands on her body would feel. She thought about Laura’s lips on her neck, about kissing her breathless. Her face was flushed, the heat crept all over her. It was tempting to stay and watch however she found herself stepping into the room towards them.
“Audrey.” Agent Cooper turned to look at her.
“We’ve been waiting for you,” said Laura.
They smiled and both reached out a hand. Audrey took them in hers and let them pull her in closer.