Over the Tracks (Corybantic + Blinkk)

[DontxBlinkk]

Since the day she was born, Josephine had her days planned out for her. Being the middle child of the well known Kruger family meant she had a legacy to uphold, not to mention someone to play role model for. Her older brother had already graduated from university, had a successful position with a skilled law firm and married his high school sweetheart. He was his parent's pride and joy and was the perfect person to aspire to be. Josephine's sister was several years younger and just graduating high school. Her goal in life was to cure cancer by the time she was 30, have two-point- five kids and live behind a white picket fence with her own high school sweetheart and be the poster child for a perfect family. She was well on her way to getting there, with the personal phone calls from both Harvard and Oxford accepting her to their ivy league schools. It was easy to say that their parents were proud of her and their eldest child.

It wasn't that Josephine was the black sheep in the family, in fact it was the exact opposite. She had done what her parents asked her entire life, played the good little girl card and slid through her high school career. Instead of going to school, Joe was accepted into a classical symphony orchestra, which was truly her calling. She had a talent for the violin since she was very young and her parents did everything they could to support her and her love of dance. Her parents accepted their middle daughter's passion and skill in the arts, although they were slightly disappointed by her choice, but they were good and never argued with what she wanted to do with her life. The twenty-seven year old was grateful for that and accepted their support and funds without a bat of her eye. On top of that, Joe had picked up a job at a local, upscale cafe during the week and an old style movie theatre on the weekends, complete with performing stage and vaudeville-like shows once a month. It was perfect.

The classically trained musician had a horrible habit, you see. It was nothing she would ever openly admit to, but late at night, after everyone was asleep, Josephine turned on the password locked playlist on her computer, plug in her headphones and turn the volume up. The nontraditional music of artists such as Emilie Autumn and youtube stars would pulse through her mind, ruining each and every 'proper' lesson she had ever learned in school. The passion these people put into their music through their bow was incredible. No matter how many times the woman listened to it, Josephine was amazed. These men and women were what she inspired to be deep down. Below her already flowing passion for the arts. Some nights, it stunned her the ideas she came up with to try to compare herself to these stars. But each and every day, she would unplug herself from that digital reality and return to the one she was really living in.

After one particularly long day, jam packed with work and another late night practice, the five-foot seven, strawberry blonde took a moment to herself in her second story bedroom. With an exhausted sigh, the woman fell onto her mattress, drawing one of the pillows closer to her with a slightly pained hum, resting her head on it, hoping to drift off to sleep. The case of her 'child' was laying beside her closet door, along with her backpack, shoes and several scraps of papers and gum wrappers she had attempted to discard into the trash earlier that day. She failed, to put it lightly. She had a moment of peace and it came to a point when Josephine was just on the edge of sleep when her phone began to vibrate at an uncontrollable rate. At first she ignored it, hoping it would stop, which it eventually did. Before repeating its actions and pulling her out of her dazed state. The woman let her sun-kissed hand trail over the light birch table beside her bed, lift the thin iPhone and pull the lock switch across the screen before pressing it to her ear. Even she was surprised by that achievement. "Mm, hello?"

A screech filled her ear. "Joe! We got a ride downtown. We'll be there in five!" The line went dead. Joe stared at the phone, blinking a few times before she turned her head to the clock beside her. 11:40 Who would possibly be calling at that time? It then dawned on her; several of her co-workers were planning a trip to the downtown area of the city to a new club that had recently opened up. One of the women had been there before but the rest were completely lost on what may be going on in that section of the city. If it wasn't in the north end, most of 'her kind' weren't involved or wanted to be around the other activities. Joe was one of the ones who really wanted to try to go.

"Tonight?" she muttered to herself before letting out a long groan. Five minutes. That meant she had to get up that instant and get ready. Josephine's body refused to move another inch until her mind began to act. 'Downtown, downtown, downtown. Downtown has b-boys. B-boys have hip-hop.' She sat up and stared at the wall in front of her. "Shit." She had convinced herself to make the stupidest move in her life. she was already sitting up with her friends on their way. There was no turning back down. Within seconds, the woman launched herself out of her bed and over to her closet, pulling out the best outfit she could think of to wear to a club: a low sitting black skirt, tight yet full enough to get a bit of the flow she loved so much, and a midnight blue strapless top, cut to just above her mature bust, with a gold zipper stretching down to her mid section, perfect in case she needed to reveal a bit more of herself. Even though she had never been to a club before in her life, she still watched movies and saw pictures. Joe wasn't completely oblivious to the world surrounding her. Josephine still had another minute or two which she used to give herself a quick touch up on her make up to make it that much more dramatic. There was no way on this earth she was going to leave the house that night looking like a tired mess. Luckily for her, the steel blue colour of her eyes rarely looked tired. There was a certain childish charm that seemed to be permanently stuck in her eyes, no matter what she did to change or age herself. Her fingers attacked her mid-back length hair, fluffing it without a bit of hairspray needing to be applied. It was a blessing and a curse, but right now she didn't care. She didn't need to look proper for tonight. After a quick ruffle of her bangs, which were traditionally used to frame her face, and a quick grab of a hair tie, she felt ready to go. She slid her feet back into her standing-friendly flats and grabbed her small bag before heading out, sneaking the best she could down the stairs and out the front door.

A sleek black car was already waiting for her, filled with just about five people, all ready to start their first night on the town.

 

[Corybantic]

The alarm clock screamed, as if to summon the dead from the depths of the earth. One eye cracks open, disoriented by the late afternoon sun glaring through the cracked window between the heavy curtains, which coats the otherwise dark room with prismatic sprays of multi-coloured light. Slowly an arm appears from out of the covers and with a palpable air of resignation, turns the alarm off and peels back the sheets.

In one corner of the room, a small landfill is beginning to gather. Discarded whisky and beer bottles, empty take-away food containers and other detritus of modern life have begun to collect, and the experienced eye can spot that these have only been accumulating for a week or so. With a groan, the man in the bed heaves himself upright and searches for a bottle, any bottle that has not yet been given last rights and a proper burial. One bottle of cheap beer seems to have a promising weight to it, and he takes a long pull of the brew, wincing at the flat, warm, stale taste of the liquid as it slides down his throat. Properly fortified, he shuffles over to the window, screws his courage to the sticking plate, and parts the curtains. Suddenly the room is suffused by a weak and anemic light, the reflection of a reflection of the sun, bounced of a skyscraper to the tenement housing across the way right into his bedroom. By the standards of the neighbourhood, this was prime real estate. Owned by some slum-lord who turned up for the rent every month but was noticeably absent when things needed to be fixed. But that was par for the course, and he was somewhat lucky that this one wasn't one of the ones that tried to squeeze even more from his tenants, off the books or the cops are called. Or one of the ones that were less interested in cash money and loved to negotiate 'alternative arrangements' if you had the right attributes. He had been unceremoniously evicted from his last flop when he had expressed his displeasure at the landlord's practices. Well, once that fucker had time to get out of hospital and round up a few thugs to escort him properly from the premises. He took that beating, knowing what was up. They mustn't have had pride in their work because they only busted 2 ribs.

Harrison had been enrolled in the school of hard knocks since he could walk. His parent's had done what they could, but his mother was unable to work and his father was a small time fence operating out of a storage unit near the docs, so money was erratic at best. Harrison's mother died during his time at elementary school, and it did not take long before he began acting out. Between his unwillingness to reform and his father's coarse attempts at discipline, Harrison soon was his own man and by his early teens had left home. He fell in with some other like minded kids from the neigbourhood and they managed to avoid the consequences for their skirting the law. A run in with a persuasive army recruiter saw Harrison sign up for four years, getting his high school equivalency at age 21. Harrison did not really suit army life, the rules and regulations chafed at his rebellious, independent nature. But he stuck it out for those four years, narrowly avoiding a couple of court martials along the way.

When he left the army, he drifted for a while before finding himself returning to the old city, and gravitating back to the old haunts. He found he had no more taste for his previous illegal activities, most of his old gang were gone. He fondly recalled his father's stories, and the dreams that they engendered in his young mind. He remembered vividly the dream he had of opening a bar, a neutral territory where he didn't have to break the law to earn a living, and he would still command respect from the competing interests.

So he tried to start that bar, but soon found that the money he had put away during his service was not enough capital to build on, and banks were'nt exactly lining up to give him a business loan, although they seemed fine with sending him credit card offers. Failure hit him hard, and he descended into a spiral of women, booze and finally drugs. When he was 27, his long time girlfriend died from an overdose, and this scared him enough to clean out. Now he was on the path to rebuilding his life. He'd got himself back into shape using the routine he developed in the army. Harrison also landed a job at one of clubs on the fringes of the shady part of town, and now 5 years later it was a real possibility that he'd become bar manager soon. If he could keep his shit together.

Yawning, Harrison scratched his thick stubble and showered, moving on auto-pilot. He even managed to shave today. Drying his dark brown hair he engaged his reflection in a staring contest. Neither was much of a winner as apparently passing out completely hammered for 10 hours didn't quite equate with a good nights sleep. Harrison rubbed his bleary eyes and finger combed his hair. He would not be looking his best tonight.

Donning his customary uniform, the black button down, dark jeans, heavy work boots designed to keep him on his feet from 6pm to 6am.

Finishing his ensemble with a thigh length black leather jacket, the most expensive piece of clothing he owned, Harrison locked his apartment and headed in to work to start setting up.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

By the time the car reached the club, the night life was in full swing. People were lined up outside to get in, beginning the party far enough from the door to make their own small gathering worth the wait. People of all kinds made up the line, many of which startled Josephine and her friends to see; 'crack whores', dealers and the average person all stood together, talking as if they all knew each other like old friends. The women looked terrified at the thought of having to wait outside with the random mix, but luckily one of the girls had spoken to the owner of the club and they were put high up on the VIP list. Otherwise they wouldn't have come out that evening, or really any time, and it didn't take long for the five of them to snake past the dreaded clipboard and through the door. It didn't take long for them to get floored by the interior and the sheer amount of people inside the club, grinding and bumping to the music which surrounded each and ever person. With a sharp tug on her hand, Josephine was pulled into the crowd and brought that much closer to the 'horrible temptation' her parents were constantly trying to hide her from.

The bar sounded like a wonderful place to start and each of them stepped up to place an order. Josephine hummed softly as she looked over what the other clubbers had to drink, knowing well that they didn't have the drinks she was used to. Champagne typically, but Joe had a run in a few years ago with tequila and quickly swore it to be her mortal enemy. With a chant of "never again, never again," into her friend's toilet, the blonde made it her goal in life to avoid the toxic liquid over anything else in the world. There were plenty of cocktails being handed out around her and several beers for the manlier drinkers, but Joe was after something smooth yet powerful. Getting a buzz first off would be the best for her to let her loosen up around the multitude of strangers in a club she had never been to before.

"Rum and coke," she requested when the bartender moved down to her. So it wasn't the best, but it gave her a start and she had to respond quickly if she wanted a drink. Things seemed to be getting busier than it was when they entered, or perhaps it was just the fact that Joe was dragged into the middle of the mass of people. It was hard to tell but either way, it was getting crowded. Her blue eyes began to search through the club, making sure to note the style of dance people were using. It wasn't anything that Joe had even tried to perform in the past. She did what she could to not show it, but her interest was captured. Most of the people weren't the kind that Josephine would typically be around, or bother to notice, but here they were the gods that the curious musician was prepared to bow to.

Sadly, her club virginity showed, along with every one of her friends, which was beginning to turn them into easy targets. Two of the women were already deep in conversations with strangers while the other two were ready to tackle the dance floor. Josephine wasn't sure where to begin but she knew that some time that night she needed to get out onto the floor at least try to blend in with the crowds around her.

 

[Corybantic]

Saturday night. It was the busiest night of the week, known as tourist seasons by the locals. On Friday nights, the 9-to-5ers across the city had a regular. Either within walking distance of their work, or stumbling distance of their home if they had any sense. But Saturday, people could venture out of their comfort zones. And just like international travel, there were those who went where they could fully immerse themselves in the lifestyle and culture, who found the places where the locals frequented and could even pass as one in bad light. They earn the native's grudging respect.

Then there were the other kind. The kind that would go to France and stay at the Hyatt on McDonalds and Starbucks, not even comprehending that they were having anything less than the authentic experience. The local population had nothing but contempt for thesee people. The majority avoiding them, and the rest exploiting them, in one way or another.

The club that Harrison worked at was one of a strip of such places. Located on at the overlap between the industrial area of town and the low rent residential zone, it was known locally as the fly trap. Saturday night was a smorgasbord for the local grifters, dealers, lotharios, working girls and boys. It was not the most rewarding job Harrison had ever held, But the tips were phenomenal, if you could handle the condescending attitude that came with them. Frat boys, suits, skirts, housewives, trophy wives, silver spoons looking to piss off mom and pop, Harrison was their best friend for as long as it took to sell them something sticky, wet and socially lubricating.

And the mystique of the bartender didn't hurt the notches in his bedposts all that much. Although he rarely made it anywhere near as conventional a location as that.

This was a Saturday like any other. The first hour or so were people who had truly lost their way. Arriving at a club before 8pm red flagged them immediately. Usually, Harrison, Kenny or Yvonne suggested a place more their pace. After short pouring them a couple of rounds, of course.

Slowly the lost and lonely were replaced by the determined. These tended to arrive between 9 and 10, and were usually evenly split between men and women, cruising for an 'authentic' experience. Not coincidentally the pushers and dealers arrived now to, ready to provide this. For a price. Knots of regulars would gather in the dark corners for some friendly banter, or perhaps strategy sessions. The groups would disperse shortly before 11, and then the fun begins.

Harrison had just finished grabbing a quick smoke while changing over some kegs down in the taproom, and took a couple of deep breaths to convince himself that it really was worth it to head back out there. Tips were good tonight, but he was getting tired of having to deal with people. With a shake of his head, he pushed through the swing doors and confronted the heaving mass of people. The beats throbbed through the sound system like the pulse of a ravenous predator. The bar was three deep and, donning his game face, Harrison picked a patron at random started to fill orders. 3 Millers. there you are. Cosmo, appletini and two dos equis. On it. Here you go.

"Rum and Coke".

He had to confess his eye had been caught by the vivid blue top, and the creamy delights he could fantasize were contained within. Pro tip? Hot girls get faster service, and better service too. She had given her order and then apparently lost interest in him, expecting her order to appear as if summoned by magic. It was probably how she was used to drinks appearing, he thought to himself.

A quick evaluation saw a slight figure with impressive curves. The outfit was elegant, so definitely not trying to fool herself that she was blending in. Money, definitely. Came with a group of friends, all girls. Ronnie was halfway though his regular game of 'bet I can guess your star sign" with a blonde, and another tourist was trying his luck with another. The girl that had caught his eye seemed a little wide-eyed, so he was fairly sure this wasn't her idea to come here, or really her idea of a great time. She was still facing away, so he only had barely a profile to look at, but there was definitely a graceful line to her neck and a delicacy to her jaw that he found quite alluring. He thought he might as well extend this transaction as long as he could. Usually he could play it just right to ensure that she would come back to him for her next, and subsequent drinks, giving him more opportunities to lay some groundwork.

"White or Black?" he shouted back above the bass that had just dropped.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

Sure, Josephine had been distracted but that didn't mean she wasn't listening. Or couldn't feel the man's eyes tracing her body. After years of being on stage, she could hear nearly anything whispered across and auditorium and feel any look. Directors were the best sort of people to train others to learn when they were being watched. As soon as a wrong note was hit, it as obvious who the man in charge was looking at and staring down, as if a hawk had found its prey hidden behind a thick set of reeds. competition judges were the true masters, able to chill even the most confidant of musicians to a pile of shivering tears without wasting a second glance in their direction. Those cold hearted dragons were Josephine's mortal enemies and she did was the could to make such a thing known as soon as she stepped out onto the stage. She could never had guessed that such a skill would have come in handy in a bar. From the moment her small crew had entered the building, eyes turned to them, many in some sort of agitation as they tried to figure out what the group was doing there but others, the more regular clubbers, chose to ignore them completely, figuring they would be out of the bar before they could bat an eye. Josephine didn't blame them, she would have done the same thing if they had come into the equivalent place in her part of the city. She never thought any of them would want to enter an auditorium for any reason.

Several of the people crowded around the bar were ready to pounce on the girls, taking them away, deep into their world for better or for worse, which was the only reason why Josephine's friends decided to hang back. Monica was at her side, watching the bartenders work, fully prepared to flash some skin to get a discount, or something close to it. She had been at the club once before and recognized two of the men behind the bar, but doubted they had given her a second look.

Despite the pounding bass, Josephine's senses were still working, adjusting as quickly as they could to her new settings, making sure she could still hear over the music. Especially when the bartender spoke to her, offering her a choice in her drink. She appreciated what he was doing and turned back to look at him, fully prepared to give him her answer right away, but her guard dropped once she saw him.

The blonde didn't get a good look at the man before but now that he was staring her down, she faltered slightly, caught off guard by his stare. To be completely honest, she wasn't sure what to expect from a bartender at that sort of club. Joe wasn't one to judge right away, but at the same time she was raised in a certain way and it was hard to shake that from her mind. Harrison was far different and while Josephine didn't mind talking to a pretty face, she wasn't exactly looking to flirt that night. This man was going to help her though.

Leaning forward on the bar, the woman let her shoulders shrug, eyes scanning the mass of bottles on display behind the creators. "Surprise me," she answered, glancing back at Harrison with a small smile, her eyes lighting up briefly.

Monica leaned in and nudged the woman, using the same volume the other two had to use to communicate. "Joe, Carrie's been nabbed," she shouted with a laugh and both women turned to look towards their friend. Their red headed friend had been whisked onto the dance floor and was now grinding against an overly friendly man with a confidant grin.

"Idiot!" Joe called back, looking down the bar before returning to Harrison again, the smile still sitting lightly on her lips. If this was how the night was going to be going, Josephine couldn't see herself leaving early. She was still tired but the butterflies in her stomach were fuelling her adrenaline, keeping her awake for a few more hours. As long as she had drinks in her system and a friend by her side, she could make it for a few more hours before she would need to find a bed to pass out for the night. Hopefully it would be her own bed and not because of too much alcohol. Not that the blonde was planning to leave with someone else. She would do anything she needed to as long as she wouldn't be leaving with anyone other than who brought her here.

 

[Corybantic]

When the woman turned to bring her gaze onto him, Harrison was momentarily struck dumb. Her eyes were frosted blue, like a glacier he had seen from a plane when returning from active deployment. He sensed a little more resemblance than just the color, because these too were distant, and perhaps a little cold. And like that glacier, he hoped for a chance one day to see them from up close and maybe even wake up next to them.

"Surprise me" she said.

The voice was light and a little unsure. Definitely not her plan to be here tonight, but enjoyed the company of her friends too much to pass up the opportunity.

Harrison grabbed a bottle of dark rum from the quick pour rack in front of him. A glass was procured from a tray to his left, set upon the bar on a napkin. He grabbed the ice scoop in his left hand and, indulging in a bit of flair tending, he flipped the Bundaberg bottle lightly and caught it lightly but surely, perfectly vertical with the pour spout over the glass. As he counted to three, he plunged the scoop through the ice and let the cubes cascade musically, settling in the dark brown liquid. With a nonchalant twist of the wrist, the flow of alcohol stopped abruptly, and he snaked the bottle back to it's home next to the rest of the house brands. He topped the glass off with coke from the soda gun, and garnished the drink with a lime twist for that quasi-cuba-libre feel and presented his creation for her consideration with a subtle flourish of the wrists, like the world's most indifferent magician.
((ignore the mistake in the previous entry. He meant to give her the choice between dark or light rum, not white or black.))
"Dark Rum and Coke" he announced, ringing up her drink and change.

He slid the tarnished metal change tray next to her drink and smiled. Now he had her attention, he had to ensure the bait was well and truly taken, to make assurance double sure that she'd be coming back his way anytime she wanted a drink, or if he was lucky, a casual conversation inasmuch as that was possible conducted at full bellow.

He leaned as far forward as the bar would allow as she reached forward to take her change. He beckoned her a little closer, and at what passed at a club for an intimate volume (a loud speaking voice anywhere else) he said to her, conspiratorially, "Your friend Carrie will be fine. Freddy's not a creep like some of the others. He know's he'll get some tonight, and it don't bother him none if it doesn't turn out to be her."
He gestured to a lycra-clad, stiletto heeled Philipino woman pressing herself up against a tall, curly blond haired man with a soft, baby-face that nevertheless contrived to hint at a darker mien beneath. "Now Barry does not like hearing no if he's set his sights on someone. but by the looks of tonight's contestant, that is highly unlikely."

"Anyway, you have a good time tonight, Jo..." He took a stab "...anne".

 

[DontxBlinkk]

Josephine's eyes trailed over the man, watching the show before her with a smile. The man was showing off as well? She hadn't seen any of the other bartenders performing anything of the sort that night no matter how many people she had watched them serve. His flashy serving enticed his customer enough that she simply couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Monica had seemed to have vanished from her side, which she only noticed thanks to another man snaking up beside her to fill the empty spot. The blonde angled her body away from him ever so slightly, pleased to have someone else to focus on instead of thinking about who may have been beside her at that moment.

Despite the impressive show, it didn't take long for the skilled creator to deliver the drink to her, displaying it in front of her on a clean napkin. It was certainly appeasing to her senses and the woman handed over the proper amount of money, holding up her hand for him to keep the change. She made sure it was worth it; not a dollar or a few cents, but something worth him keeping. She lifted the glass to her lips briefly, taking a sip before she decided to focus on the man ahead of her. he was narrowing in on her and after that show and the taste of the drink, she didn't mind giving him a bit of attention as well.

The blonde did as he asked with the motion, leaning on the bar to hear him better. His advice about Carrie was a bit of a relief, but had her worried at the same time. Carrie may have given it up to Freddy, but it all depended on how many drinks he pumped into her. Just like many of her friends, drinks were something they weren't used to and the whole group of them were small and lightweights. At least he wasn't going to push Carrie too far. As for the other woman, she looked like she was certainly going to give something up.

Josephine raised one of her light brown eyebrows as she looked over the newest couple. The song began to change, along with the movement of their bodies and cued the return of her friend.

"Come on! Dance!" she called happily, tugging at her friend's hand to bring her away from the bar. Josephine faltered, pulling back from her to turn back to the bartender.

"Nice try," she commented with a smile. "Guess again. I'll be back." That was a promise she was planning on keeping with the man. She waved the last three fingers of her glass-holding hand as she started away, her other hand tight in Monica's grasp. With a final lingering look at the man, Joe flashed another smile with a quick nod of her head before vanishing into the crowd to give this world a good try.

 

[Corybantic]

In a swirl of blue, and a flash of a smile, she was gone, leaving Harrison with a pleasant memory and a moderate tip. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he moved on to the next customer, and the next, in the never-satiated mass of humanity who all seemed to know a slightly different recipe for their favorite cocktail than anyone else ever. Occasionally he would meet a pair of blue eyes across the bar top, but he was left disappointed as they failed to meet the electric intensity of the eyes he was hoping to catch again.

As he hustled and bustled, Harrison reflected somewhat sadly that sometimes he was little better than the pickup merchants and lotharios who preyed on the unsuspecting. He had a patter that drew them in, an ability to rapidly categorize and pigeonhole, and how to cultivate their interest in him. It was a skill that had resulted in everything from a quick and dirty back alley blowjob to hooking up with his most recent long term girlfriend. He wondered what kept him from descending to the level of cynicism required to churn through a new girl every three days or more.

Once or twice, He was able to sneak a look over at the dance floor. It was easy to appreciate the fluid grace of her body as she moved to the pulsing beat. He noticed with some concern, and not a little jealousy, that Jo and her friends were drawing quite a crowd, a mix of both regulars and blow-ins. From the distance, though, he couldn't tell what if any interest she as showing in return. More unfortunately, the bar was starting to get packed again, and it was Yvonne's break (Much to the disappointment of the three guys who'd been barnacles on his bar for the better part of the last hour trying to get her number) and so it was just the two of them.

It was at least another half hour before he was able to come up for air.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

Once her feet touched the crowded section of the floor, Josephine knew she was in her element. She had never been in that situation before but like a river flowing into an ocean, she adapted, awkwardly at first but a 'nice' man agreed to help her along. Between drinks, the two of them spoke until the man realized that Joe wasn't exactly what he was after, after much verbal prodding on his end, and abandoned her to return to her friends. Some time during the first number, they all found each other again, along with any men who happened to seem interested in them, and their group reformed. Several others approached the blonde, dancing with her for a minute or two before another, more appealing prey came out of the wood works.

At first, Josephine was stunned. She wasn't as vain as others of her class but to have men leave her that quickly was amazing to her. Then she picked up on the pattern. Each woman had a lower cut top, a higher skirt, less back... the more skin, the more attention. If Joe had come for something, she would have made the proper change in her wardrobe but since she hadn't planned to pick anyone up to begin with, she saw no problem in how she held herself or what she wore. It was cool, for the most part, and gave her plenty of room to move, not to mention gave a good bit of skin contact.

Two or three of the men who joined her were characters she didn't want to see again, talking with their hands or worse, actually trying to talk to her, but they left quite quickly for the next latino lady or crack addict with a shorter skirt. Okay, that was a cruel characterization on Joe's part but she would place money on the crack addict...

Her drink ran dry much sooner than she thought it would and with a harsh tug, she pulled a pretty bleach blonde haired woman from her group back to the bar with the promise that she would pay for her drink. Emily apologized to the man she had been grinding against and eventually he decided to tag along, refusing to loose his new interest in the crowds. With his hands on her hips, Emily followed Josephine back to the bar and as soon as the opportunity came up, the two of them slipped forward, leaving space for the blonde-obsessed man to stand behind Emily, hands on her hips in a possessive manner. Emily ordered from the first bartender to pay attention to her but Josephine gestured towards Harrison with a light point of her finger and a smile on her lip.

Kenny gave the man a nudge as he finished up his next customer and pointed towards Joe. "Got a friend?" he asked with a laugh. "Yvonne's on her way back. Serve then break." He knew he didn't have to tell Harrison twice and instead turned back to the mass of people at the bar.

Josephine's smile grew into something better as she saw the exchange, holding up her glass towards the man with a certain cute innocence that only a blonde could pull of. "Another, if you wouldn't mind," she called over the music, leaning over the bar again to have a better chance at speaking with him. Emily nudged her, drawing her attention away for a moment, only stopping to leave her alone when she got the money. The tip the shorter blonde left wasn't nearly as good as what Joe had, leaving her plenty more to drink. Which she quickly pocketed in the pants of her new friend. The dancer rolled her eyes quickly and turned back to the bartender who she had summoned.

 

[Corybantic]

Kenny tapped him on the shoulder and nodded to Joe at the bar. A broad smile broke out on Harrison's face as he spotted her. While he was confident that he had secured her services as his primary bar flirt for the evening, the actuality of what that entailed, namely that outfit, those eyes and that figure smiling welcomingly at him was a warm feeling that made working the bar on nights like these bearable.

Harrison acknowledged Jo with a nod, even as he was listening to Kenny pushing him to make the next move with this girl, taking a break just when contact had been re-established. Yvonne was technically not back from break for 15 minutes, but hey, Harrison thought, Kenny knows what he's in for. God knows he'd covered for Kenny often enough. Not surprisingly, when the white-collar, whitebread crowd came to slum it, a 6 foot 3 black man with fabulous hair who spoke to each and every one of them at least once a night got a fair bit of play. Yvonne, technically, played both sides against the other, but Harrison suspected that it was mostly for tips. Women bartenders in his experience were more picky, and the best (and best looking ones) had every right to be. They were more likely to find someone for a tumble from the other bar or wait staff, rather than from the hoi-polloi. And Harrison had only had to call dibs on a couple of girls since Yvonne had started work there 6-9 months ago.

He lined up 2 glasses this time, skipping the majority of the flair tend in the interest of speed, and soon produced 2 rum and cokes, one placed on the bar in front of Joe, the other in front of him. He leaned forward as he took her money and said "I'm off for a quick break if you'd like some company? The selling point is that not only am I on a time limit, I'm tethered to one position after that and so you can easily find or avoid me depending on your preference. You can't loose." he grinned.

Anticipating a positive response he grabbed his drink and made his way around the bus-boy's entrance to the bar, stepping down to the club level and heading towards this beautiful creature. "Do you want to go somewhere where a conversation can be held without shouting?" he asked firstly when he made his way around to Jo.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

A mischievousness shine flashed across the woman's eyes as she passed over the money, this time with a smaller tip. If the man was ready to question her, she had a good response; it wasn't that she couldn't afford it but Harrison was bout to get some time with her. Hearing that he was going onto his break was pleasing and she gladly accepted his offer with a short nod, taking the drink from the bar. "Sounds like a great deal," she responded with another perfect smile, sliding back from the bar to wait for him to come around. She nudged Emily and gave her a short command to go back to the group and that she'd be there soon. The blonde nodded and ran off, dragging her man behind her, quite pleased with what had happened so far that evening.

Josephine on the other hand waited for Harrison to join her, carefully sipping at her drink to make it last this time. She couldn't down this one like she had the last, knowing the liquid courage may come in handy when talking to her new friend. Butterflies were already settled in her stomach but now that she had a solid meet up, they seemed to flutter even more than when she passed over the threshold of the bar. Another sip calmed them, but only for a quick second as she spotted Harrison coming through the crowd and joined her. The bass began to pump that much louder when he came close, forcing the woman to inch closer to hear him. It was almost as if it had been planned but anyone with any sense would assume it had been a handy coincidence. Thanks to that change, Josephine took a second longer to recognize his words but once she did, she gave a quick nod.

"Please!" If she was dancing she wouldn't have minded but this was a horrible spot to try to hold a conversation. Once she agreed, her stomach twisted with nerves. She was enjoying the dancing and the company of her friends so why exactly did she agree to such a thing? It was hard for ever her to realize why she had. But it was too late. Perhaps they could go back to the floor before his break ended. Her blue hues wandered over Harrison for a moment before she began to follow him to the more peaceful place. Or where she imagined would be peaceful. Harrison had a pretty face so it wasn't as if she would hate looking at him but she'd have to see how he could use his words. That was often times a deciding factor for her with how he spoke and what he knew.

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison led Joe to the smoking room on the upper level of the club. Technically a balcony, regulations meant that it had to be completely sealed off from the main club and open to the air, so the owner had built a glass wall sectioning off almost a quarter of the upper floor, and this meant that it was also insulated slightly from the noise of the music that the DJ was pumping out.

Not to waste an opportunity, Harrison lit a cigarette and offered one to his lovely companion.

He sits at an empty table, of the high stools and chest high tabletop. He puts his drink down and extends a hand to Joe. "I'm Harrison, but for the love of all that is holy please do not call me Harry. You, I know are Jo.....'lene? She shook her head. "No, that one was a stretch. But I'll get it eventually."

"I'm pretty sure it's your first time here? Not to sound too corny, but I'm sure I would have remembered a face like yours before. You're pretty much a gemstone in a sea of glass in a place like this."

He took a drag of his cigarette and finally listened to that voice which tells you you're running off at the mouth and not letting your conversation partner answer any question you actually pose.

He coughed, slightly embarrassed and tried again. "So are you having a good time? I got the feeling earlier that this wasn't your idea. Didn't want to come out? or just not out this side of town?" Try as he might, he couldn't quite rid the last question of the slight derision the locals in the poorer part of town had for anyone else who was almost by default better off than them.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

Josephine looked around the room they had entered, noting that it was of a higher class that what was down below. There were less people above and Joe could only guess it was a VIP lounge of some sort. Not that she minded. The people who were inside were all tied up in their own conversations, many of them flirting in their own little world, taking no note of the couple who had just come inside. Her attention was caught by the small, thin stick Harrison had offered her and she took it with just an ounce of interest. She had smoked once before and was caught... That didn't end well. But here, she would probably stand out if she didn't take him up on the offer. With that thought in mind, Joe took the cigarette between her fingers and lit it with a quick borrow of his lighter.

She took a seat beside Harrison, pleased with the change in volume of the upper room. She took the man's hand and smiled, giving him a small, short nod. "Nice to meet you, Harrison," she responded, taking a sip of her drink as he continued to guess. Jolene? She was glad her parents didn't pick that name. She would certainly be Joe if that was her name. "Think more French," she suggested, placing the end of her smoke to her lips, pulling in a breath of smoke with ease. The man continued and the woman certainly didn't mind the light conversation between the two of them.

"You're right, it wasn't my idea at all," she agreed. "I've been out all day working so this wasn't exactly what I was planning to do. But I don't regret it. It's been..." Her words faded as she thought of a good way to explain things. "... Worth it. To put it simply." She took another sip of her drink, shifting slightly in her seat. "I've never had a chance to come over here, but I've wanted to, to be honest. Which is the only reason why I agreed to do this. Pretty glad I did." Her lips pulled back into a smile, her eyes glittering with glee as she happily looked him over. "Do you work here every night or will I miss you if I come by again?"

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison watched the expressions and emotions come and go across her face. It was like a sculpture come to life, and captivating. He smiled and nodded as she talked of her friends. As a fairly solitary soul, Harrison had never kept a group of friends very long. He had acquaintances, he'd been part of a crew, and the army growing up. But soon he moved on from them. He had people who he owed favors to, and people who owed him favors. At a certain level of this side of town, that was as friendly as people got. One of the dealers he used to know always said that only a friend can shoot you in the back. His entertainment was usually taken alone, or in those rare times when he was part of a couple, he usually just tagged along with his girl's friends.

"I'm full time here, I'm off on Mondays and one other day that's a bit more of a crapshoot." he smiled at what he took was a compliment that she was glad she had made the trip. "But what about you. Where would I go to see you at work? Or are you a woman of leisure with a wealthy benefactor somewhere funding your lavish lifestyle" he jokingly added. Certain signs definitely pointed to a woman with, if not a job, then certainly an inner purpose of some kind. He really had an instinct that she was some sort of artist. He was familiar with many of the personalities that crossed the threshold to the grittier side once a month or more. Some were there to heighten their own sense of superiority. Some were just cruising for a bit of rough (god know's he'd been that on several occasions), but Joe managed to defy any genuine attempts at being pigeonholed. He had known a few of these in his time, and if being unconventional and unpredictable more often than not had the painting gene or some similar bent.

He was enjoying the light conversation, but could sense the beauty in front of him was longing somewhat to get back on the floor and like Marshal Mathers before her, to lose herself in the music. Harrison was not known for his dancing, but he sensed that this might be an inevitable next step. He hoped he could keep out of sight of the bar, if it came to that. With everyone's phone including a video camera these days, he knew that Kenny and Yvonne would make enough of a deal about it that next weeks DJ would somehow include a clip of it in the visuals for his set or something.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

Josephine laughed, almost melodically, at Harrison's suggestion that she had someone backing her daily needs up. She shook her head, the smile sticking to her lips as she lifted a finger, as if to point something out. "I wish," she commented jokingly. "No, I work in a cafe on the East side. One of those upscale places that the middle class comes into on special dates." The building was designed to be a place between the upper and middle class sections of the city for both classes to enjoy. People from both sides of the street could come in and be equals in the server's eyes. Josephine loved it for several reasons, including getting wonderful tips from those who came in to treat themselves. It took her mind away from her tougher job as well and gave her plenty of time to practice when she wasn't on duty, even if it was just a chance to look over her music. Which brought her to her next job...

"And I'm a part of the erm... the orchestra in the city." She took a sip, her eyes slowly wandering away from Harrison. She could bet that her temporary host could guess she was something more than just a pretty face from a material world. Her gaze turned back to him in time to catch a glance at his reaction before she took the glass away from her lips to set it back on the table. "Second chair violin," she continued with a shrug of her shoulders, running a finger slowly over the top of her glass. "The first chair is a horrible bi--" Joe cut herself off before she could bad mouth the man in charge of her section.

The blonde cleared her throat and put the end of the cigarette to her lips and took a long drag. Letting the smoke ease past her lips, Josephine dropped her gaze again, trailing over the crowd below, watching as the bodies continued to move with the muffled beat. "He's a bit full of himself," she finished, turning back to Harrison again, wiggling her shoulders to get into a more comfortable position against the chair. The fingers of her free hand fell to her hair, twirling a small red-tinted lock around her naturally tanned finger. "We'll just put it that way."

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison laughed at Joe's remark about the first violinist. "Seems like that's Murphy's law. The chances of a person being someone you can't stand greatly increases when they're in a position either of authority or a position you'd like to be." He shrugged. "I remember there was this Staff Sergeant. Hernandez, I think his name was. Nasty son of a bitch, somehow managed to be in a unit with three sergeants under him, and boy did he let us know about that half a rank he had above us." He sighed, thinking of his time in a foreign country and those that were still there.

"But he got his just deserts. He got promoted. To a desk, we heard. I don't know much from the next guy, but that sounds like Karma to me."

He notices that regaling his time with the military does not fascinate this gorgeous lady in the slightest.

So, Violin? Don't they get all the choice parts? They're like the guitarists in a band, aren't they" his brow furrowed. "Kind of like trumpets in a jazz band. I'm afraid I've never been exposed to much classical. Classic rock, maybe, but not classical."

"I can't help noticing your occasional longing looks back to the dancefloor. I can't promise much, but if you want, I'd be happy to sway awkwardly while you have a good time." he smiled at her.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

He had been in the military? Just the idea of that left a sour taste in Josephine's mouth. She did her very best not to show her distaste by hiding her lips behind her glass. She had met others from Uncle Sam's ranks, through her parents, and each of them had been buff, mindless, 'oorah-military' types, prepared to flaunt what the achieved or how they were some sort of grand war hero. They were exactly the type that her parents wanted for Joe; strong, handsome men with a story behind their name and a ranking on their chest. Harrison didn't seem that same type, which saved him from having his guest walk away right then and there, but Josephine couldn't be too sure how he would act in the future. If there was a future...

Then he asked about the violins. Joe's stomach twisted at the idea of people choosing their parts. "No," she quickly said. "We have to audition for the parts. If everyone chose their parts there would be no melody. It would sound disgusting. No one wants to be last chair, but they're needed. Orchestras are very different from rock bands." At least Harrison knew some kind of music that took talent. While she was enjoying the music in the club, it was mindless beats with some synthetic sounds layered over it. Perfect for grinding against each other but near-talentless. Classic rock took skill. Josephine knew that and she respected those artists just as much as she did her classic writers. Of course, she could never admit such a thing to people she worked with on stage. That would get her run out of the auditorium. "Even trumpets in a jazz band need to audition for their parts. It's an important part of being in the group."

Her lips pursed momentarily when the man mentioned her looks to the side, quickly formulating some sort of answer back to him. She could use that moment to make a quick get away and return to her friends but that was risking her chance at making a connection in the club and possible cheaper drinks. She doubt that would happen though, but it was a chance. And more importantly, talking to this bartender kept her away from the hands-y men below looking for a chance to grab a body against them. Harrison wasn't a bad face to look at either. So all together with that information, she made her brief decision.

"No no, I'm fine here," she told him with a faint smile. "I wouldn't want to make you awkward. Besides, when your break ends, I'll have the rest of the evening to myself to dance. A good conversation away from grabby hands is a good break." And it wasn't the worst conversation she's had with a man. One of the full-of-himself marines had that award and she doubted it would ever be taken away.

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison looked at Joe in some confusion, then shrugged as he decided that this was the first of a potential multitude of misunderstandings that two people might have. He didn't want to waste time arguing about what he meant versus what she may have heard, and he was unsure he would be able to forrmulate the right phrases to indicate that he had meant that he was under the impression that in an orchestral piece the composer would reserve in the soaring melodies or feature moments to the violins, depending on the piece, he supposed.

It was looming as large as life for Harrison that there was a definite divide between him and this delightful young woman. And delightfully young she was. Below a certain income level, constant low-level stress presses down on people. He saw it almost everywhere. A 20 year old who didn't know where there next meal was coming from was molded in a fiercer cauldron than those of privilege. And the effect was only compounded as they got older. It was refreshing to see a girl of Joe's apparent age still full of innocence and joie de vivre that was rare as hens teeth around these parts.

With the end of his break fast approaching, Harrison decided to broach a subject that would need to be treated with the utmost care and tact. The wrong answer and he'd... not wasted the effort, because good conversation (even for a brief time) was a tonic to the man who was still recovering from his most recent girlfriend choosing drugs and the drug lifestyle over being with him, but the right answer and his night would be well and truly made, and it was only just coming on to midnight.

"So, with you're work in the cafe and the orchestra, and the fact you have a Saturday night free to head out with friends, I'm guessing there's not currently a Mr Joe in the picture?", he asked, knowing he was betraying an interest and in may ways surrendering some initiative. Oh well, at his age, there was less appeal in chasing the unattainable. But there was always the thrill of the chase if encouragement is given.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

As if forgetting their difference in culture, Joe smiled at the man, pressing the butt of her burnt out cigarette into the ashtray on the table between he two. "Much to my parent's dismay, there is not." Again, her eyes trailed over the man's expression. She wasn't sure if she should clue in that the man was in luck with that fact or if she should let him think and debate that on his own. She figured it wouldn't take much for Harrison to guess that he did, in fact, have a chance. Not much of one, thanks to their entertainment differences or the opinion of their lower class counterparts by those Josephine saw on a daily basis. The chances of this princess taking a pauper into her life were slim other than to get drinks from him. But if there was one thing that would shake her family up, it would be to do anything with Harrison. Even if it was just speaking to him over the table in a dirty, lower class bar.

To her parents, being a twenty-seven year old today meant that their daughter should have completed college, graduated with honors and married her high school, or even college, sweetheart. Josephine had done the university route, barely graduated with the honors she should have had but dumped her high school, six year boyfriend on his butt outside of her college dorm building. She did it with class, intelligence and a large crowd of their peers. Joe was prepared to make the man suffer and that's exactly what he did. At home, her parents acted as if she had committed murder but eventually got over it when she was accepted into the large orchestra. It was funny how easily the two forgave their children once they did what they had planned for them. But the woman didn't have any plans to continue down that path more than she already had. And visiting this club was a perfect way to begin that rebellion.

Josephine sighed dramatically and continued in the same fashion. "They're so worried that I'll become a spinster with no support from a man." She set her hand against her cheek, faking a teary-eyed look. "I just don't know what I'm going to do." With an overly dramatic eye roll, Joe leaned forward, holding her chin up against her arm, bracing herself against the table as she closed the distance between the two of them ever so slightly. She shook her head with a slight pout of her lips, locking her deep grey-blue eyes with his own colourful hues. "By your state, I suppose you don't have anyone either?" she asked, doing what she could to tease the man without offending him. But he must have not put much effort into his look that day, as he looked like a tired mess. Josephine could tell that, with some effort and a change of clothes, he could pull of a look that could fool anyone into thinking he was of a higher standing than what he was. "I apologize if I'm wrong." She doubted it though. If any man in a relationship was caught flirting with any other woman as Harrison was at his job, he ran the risk of getting dumped on his ass. At least, that's what Josephine had done. And the chances of him asking about her own relationship if he was in one of his own was just as doubtful.

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison sighed at the question and shook his head. "No, I'm six months clear of my last relationship." not, he didn't add, the last time he was with a woman, but that was slightly less relevant. "It was not a very happy ending, I must confess, but I have a firm policy that I don't talk about my ex's unless it somehow directly relates to the matter at hand."

The memories were still a little too raw. Amy had been with Harrison for almost two years, and he had been serious enough to start shopping around for a ring of some description. But the problem had been that while Harrison was a purveyor of liquor hard and mild, and dabbled in marijuana in his time, he had never gone any further, despite the almost ubiquitous availability of crack, or smack, or meth, or ice, or whatever the vogue substance to snort, smoke, shoot or whatever. Amy, a beautiful if jaded Korean-born immigrant who was 10 years younger than him, had begun taking Ecstasy back in the club days, and had progressed into something harder. She had cleaned up for a while, and Harrison had met her during that time, but a few months into the relationship, and unbeknownst to Harrison, she had relapsed. Once he found out, Harrison had made numerous attempts to help her get cleaned up and back into a more functioning society, but soon it became too much for him, and he had given her an ultimatum that if she didn't get clean, she should just take her things and leave. She had sworn to his face that she wouldn't touch the stuff again, but within two weeks he had heard from one of the dealers he was acquainted with that Amy had scored off one of his competitors. He confronted her and she admitted that she couldn't or wouldn't give it up, and they had separated shortly after. Word about the clubs was that she had rebounded fairly hard with one of two guys, and though it pained him, Harrison just couldn't bring himself to care what else she chose to do with her life.

All the emotions flashed across Harrison's face in rapid succession. The memory brought an sour taste to Harrison's mouth and he swigged his drink, the biting alcohol and acid coke swirling in his mouth served to cleanse his palate somewhat.

"You know, I'm sorry, I've just managed to bring up some shit I thought was long gone. And my break's over anyway." a busboy was waving at him from the entrance to the quiet lounge. He coughed and shook his head to dislodge the last vestiges of the recollection. "I've completely fucked this up at the last. Let me try and salvage something for you. Grab your friends and bring them to the bar, next round on me, anything off the menu, my treat. For you, same for the rest of the night." he took a vicious drag on his cigarette. "Again, Sorry for this. It just hit me weird tonight. No idea why."

He took her hand, trying to resurrect some of his usually effortless charm. "I'd love to see you again, Joe. Perhaps somewhere a little less... " he waved vaguely toward the pulsing crowd "...here." he finished.

"How about I just leave the offer of my number open to you at any time, and if the mood strikes before you leave tonight, let me know. At the very least, enjoy some good booze." he managed a stronger smile now. "And if I'm luckier than I have any goddamn right to be, we can try this again another time."

He got up, looking to usher her back downstairs to the club proper.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

It didn't take a genius to realize that something was wrong with the man once the question was asked. Josephine finished her drink while she did what she could to stay quiet yet not make things too awkward between the two of them. Harrison fell into his thoughts while Joe dropped her gaze to the table in front of her, giving him a chance to think. She understood that there was no reason to discusses ex-relationships, especially to a stranger in a bar he had recently picked up. Instantly, she regretted asking anything about it. Making people remember harsh and painful memories was never something she wanted or enjoyed doing to strangers. To those who wrong her was a different story completely. Harrison hadn't done anything to Joe other than a bit of confusion. And that could happen to anyone.

When the man finished his drink, the woman's blue eyes returned to her host, watching his moves until he began to speak. The blonde shook her head calmly, a smile crossing her lips in return to his suggestion. "Well I'll be sure to take advantage of that," she told him, giving his own hand a light squeeze in response to his touch. It was better if she left his worries alone rather than apologize for causing them. By the end of the night, she was fully prepared to give him some sort of tip in response to his offer. With a light tip of her head, her eyes trailed over the man in front of him before giving him a small, short, polite nod. Harrison was attractive, single and had a steady job, but there was no possible way that Josephine could see him outside of the club. Her friends may have wanted to come visit the rough club, but that was the most they could ever mix with the life these people lived. It was the ugly truth but deep down she thought the two of them both knew that. And more importantly, there seemed to be too much of a difference between the two of them for anything serious to happen. Light flirting, getting a few drinks, perhaps dancing if it came to it, but she couldn't see much more happening.

She slid from the stool, smiling in response to his stronger look. At least he seemed to be feeling better. That would take some of the bit of guilt off her shoulders, letting her have an enjoyable night once again. This time with the added bonus of free drinks. She started downstairs with him again, flashing another smile at him before the two parted, giving Joe a chance to return to her friends. They had migrated to the middle of the dance floor and picked up a few more people in their group but when Joe mentioned a round of drinks, they cheered and quickly broke away. Once she gave Harrison enough time to return to the bar and serve a few to get back in the rhythm, she started over with the few who had joined her in the beginning and ordered their poisons, only to return to the floor again straight away.

Another hour passed and the club began to settle down as couples, both new and old, began to leave to the closest bedroom available to them. Josephine's friends, for the most part, found someone to rub up against but only one or two had found someone to leave with. About half an hour after Joe and Harrison parted, the woman had found someone to speak through the beats with. He was tall, well built sweet talker with eyes that went through her like a knife. The only reason she found him attractive was the amount of booze she had running through her system. After a handful of drinks, the mysterious stranger began to add his own touches to the drinks, keeping the items hidden as well as he could without drawing attention to himself or his actions. It took some time for the little white pill to take effect but once it did, it was too late. It was almost 2, with less people inside the club, making Josephine and her friend a bit more obvious to the watchful eyes. Though to most, it would just look like the man had gotten the tourist drunk.

Josephine hung off the man's arm in a way that seemed uncharacteristic for her. The woman may have been warm and opening, but clingy was a vibe she never alluded to. Her cheery skin had turned pale, almost in a sickly manner, but her cheeks were flushed in a common drunken sign. Joe barely noticed something was wrong, convinced it was just the new drinks the man had bought for her.

 

[Corybantic]

Harrison shook his head as he returned to work. He'd right royally fucked that up, no question, and it didn't even need words when he got back behind the bar. Kenny and Yvonne spotted the strike out, hang dog posture as he re-entered the serving area. "She found the self-destruct button." he offered by way of explanation and poured himself a gin, the drink of melancholies the world over. It took a few minutes, but he slowly got back in the rhythm of tending bar again, letting the ebb and flow of pour and mix flow over him in a zen meditation way.

He saw Joe a couple of times shortly after their aborted attempt at a meeting of minds, and true to his work he gave the girls a round (and got an approving ogle from a brunette for his trouble), and anytime Joe came back he fixed her a drink. She still fired his imagination and made his pulse race when he saw her, but he knew that that ship had sailed. After about an hour and a half she stopped coming back to him for drinks, and he lost sight of her for quite a while at the crescendo of the night, between 1 and 3 in the morning. He thought she might have gone home, as he was seeing less and less of the other girls as well. Somewhat ironically, he had made back the cost of the round of drinks and more thanks to generous tips from the girls and the guys trying to impress the girls, returning to him because he'd given them one freebie early on.

It was about 3:30, and Harrison had been at work for almost 10 hours at this point. His shift was almost over as they left the closing duties to the junior trio of servers who came in from midnight and bussed the room for the first half of their shift. Finally Harrison got a good look at Joe, and the reason he hadn't seen her for so long. She was in the 'care' of Rufus, a bottom feeder of the lowest order, in Harrison's personal hierarchy of scum. He was fairly sure that he was some sort of sociopath or something. Rufus was handsome enough, but never quite managed to manufacture the charm or empathy needed to make a connection, whatever the intended outcome. So he operated by helping things along, chemically, as it were. It was subtle and gradual, and his methods of delivery innocuous enough that even the best had been caught out.

Now any and every bartender in the strip learned to stop caring about this kind of thing, rationalizing it as the need for personal responsibility on the part of the girls, or if they didn't, they just left. Moved to more upscale premises where the police actually showed if you called them, and could not be persuaded to let things slide for an envelope every so often. Oh, most, if not all of them made sure that their products were clean from the outset but it was just too much trouble to try and constantly be on the lookout. But Harrison felt the responsibility hang on him like a heavy chain. He had been the one enabling her to reach the point beyond judgment, and now she was making a very. bad. call.

He was still trying to work out the best way to salvage the situation, when he saw Rufus heading towards the door, a glassy-eyed and unsteady, almost sleepwalking Josephine in tow. Harrison grabbed the nearest bussy, Bart and told him to take over, as Harrison just found out about an emergency and had to do something about it.

Inwardly, he fought down panic and guilt as he pushed his way through the crowd and noise towards the door.

 

[DontxBlinkk]

After Josephine left Harrison's view, her thoughts had seemed to oddly leave her mind. After a drink from the man she had danced with, her judgement faded away, turning her into just another girl in the club looking for a good time. When Rufus started out of the club, she went with him without another thought or explanation as to where they were going. Such a thing didn't matter to her at that moment. In fact, nothing mattered to her. Rufus had her under his complete control, dooming her with the first sip.

When the bartender found the pair, Rufus had the 'tourist' pressed against a dirty wall in an alley, tucked deep in the back as to avoid prying eyes or those who may care to stop him. One hand captured the woman's hand above her head, keeping her from pushing him away while the other was purposely roaming over her hip, making it's way down to the hem of her skirt. His lips were connected to Joe's painted own, silencing her drugged mutters against his actions. Obviously, he didn't mind what she was doing. Rufus had plans and he was going to continue until a larger brute came along and attempted to steal his prize.

Struggling was useless for the woman, even if she could break free from him, as her guide was easily two times larger than her. Josephine was stuck there, silenced from the world with only the hope that someone would come along. If she was thinking properly, that is. The foggy feeling that had washed over her nearly an hour ago was still there and felt as if it wasn't going to leave her any time soon. Nothing was making sense to her but she knew deep down something was wrong. She just didn't care.