The road to hell... (QC & ShadowKnux372)

[Discordia]

“There you go.” Athena said with a bright smile, handing the coffee over to the young man. He thanked and left. Her black hair, pulled back into a ponytail, swished as she turned around and headed into the small back room of the coffeeshop. “Carrie, I’m done.” She called to her supervisor in the adjacent stock room.
“‘kay, I’ll be out in a minute.” Came her reply. It was quarter to six and there were hardly any customers. Athena took her apron off and shoved it into her locker. She grabbed her bag and left. “See you in a few days.” She called out as she left. Nearly six and the autumnal sky was growing dark. There was a chill in the air, raising goosebumps where her black t-shirt didn’t cover her arms. she didn’t mind though, she loved this time of year; the dark nights and the vibrant leaves falling from trees. Halfway home her phone chimed in her bag. Heading to bed now, talk to you later. Love you. She read the text from her boyfriend and put the phone away. She’d reply to him later.

It was six o'clock by the time Athena arrived home to the city centre apartment that she shared with her boyfriend. It was silent as flicked on the hallway lights and slipped out of her black converse. Her boyfriend was away on a work trip for the rest of the weekend, leaving her alone. She’d managed to get herself three consecutive days off to make the most of her time alone. A small part of her felt bad as she wandered into the living room. As soon as she heard that he was going away she had been looking forward to the time alone rather than missing him. She pushed down the guilt. Lately Athena had been arguing with him more and more. At twenty one her job didn’t pay very well and she had only recently finished university studying photography and dancing. Not many people wanted to hire her so she was doing her best to find freelance work, leaving him and his professional marketing job to pay most of their bills. Pushing the thoughts of their last shouting match from her mind, she decided she needed to head out, maybe grab few drink But first she needed a shower.

The streaming water felt greats she stepped into the shower. It soaked her black hair, running down her back and over her pert round butt. The hot water washed the soap from her body, cleansing her perky C cup breasts and flat, taught stomach. Her dancing kept her in shape, the outline of her muscles just visible, her thighs strong. She loved the way her body looked and felt. Stepping from the shower she couldn’t help but admire herself in the mirror. Her hair was jet black, her eyes a starling green. Her skin was pale and soft. She couldn’t help but grin. Just because she was in a relationship didn't mean she couldn’t have fun, maybe flirt a little, tease the boys at a nearby bar.

Half an hour later and Athena was sat at a bar about twenty minutes from her apartment with a JD and coke. She wore a cropped black leather jacket over a stunning red dress. It was noticeably short and revealed a decent amount of cleavage. It was what she wore when she wanted to have fun. While it barely covered her butt and showed off her perky breasts it till left plenty to the imagination. She sipped her drink and surveyed the room, doing her best to look casual and sexy at the same time.

 

[ShadowKnux372]

Mike looked around and surveyed the bar. People-watching was a forgotten past-time, and the times had come to a point where people underestimated how much somebody could learn about somebody else just by watching them for a bit and how they reacted to their surroundings. Bars and dives in particular were especially good for figuring out how people really were; toss a little booze in someone's system, and once the inhibitions are a little more lax, the layers of morality and coherent thought get peeled away...it was intriguing, to say the least.

Not that the folks this afternoon were providing him with much to be scintillated with, his eyes scanning across the tables to watch people converse, to see a couple of people playing a card game, one of which had an absolutely atrocious poker face even before he started dipping into his drink. Nothing too unusual, but calm days could be fun now and again. It was better than the brawl that broke out last week that required him to bolt from his table lest he wind up colliding with one of the fighters flying into his seat from a good left hook.

The man in his mid-twenties plucked out his phone and checked the time...perhaps he could check out of here early, pay for his bourbon and hit the road, maybe toss in early...such was his thought process before he saw himself a rather young-looking woman at the bar, who seemed to be taking after his own little habit of entertaining herself with some people-watching. It piqued his curiosity, to say the least, and looking at the way she held herself, and the way she was dressed...it would be dishonest to say she wasn't piquing a few other parts of him as well.

Smiling, he approached her, musing about how obvious it would look for a well-dressed young man like himself to be approaching her at the bar like this; no doubt his motives would be apparent right from the get-go. She didn't look dumb, the way she shrewdly looked towards some of the people milling about, and thus, decided against being falsely suave, and instead being direct.

"Hi there. Mike Allens." he said, leaning himself against the nearest stool to her at the bar, not bothering to take a seat just yet, and setting down his own drink. "I was just about to head out, but when I saw you, I thought trying to talk you up would be worth spending a little more time down here. You're quite good-looking, if you'll let me be up-front, and I thought I'd take a shot and see if we could get to know each other...or at the very least, get your name in exchange for mine." he said, before flashing her a friendly half of a grin. "Or if I'm bothering you, I can head on out, but I'll gladly pay for that JD and Coke of yours for the trouble." he offered in addition.

 

[Discordia]

An amused smile spread across Athena’s face as she listened to Mike’s introduction. She had expected guys to hit on her, hell that was why she wore the red dress, to get some attention. However she hadn’t counted on the first one being so direct and… charming about it. She couldn’t help but grins as she mused over her response. The young woman got the impression that he had taken his time in approaching her, wanting to stand out and make an impression. She liked it. It had been so long since any men had put a significant amount of thought into impressing her.

“I’m Athena,” The young woman said, sipping some more of her drink, “and it’s nice to meet you Mike.” She smiled sweetly. Normally she would turn down guys like this. Tell them that she had a boyfriend and that she wasn’t interested. Tonight was different though. Her boyfriend was out of town for the weekend, leaving her all alone. She wanted some attention, wanted someone who would put the effort in to impress her, who would treat her right. No, she needed it. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with some harmless flirting. She told herself. It’s not like I’m gonna go back to his place.

“Altough, only quite good looking?” She said with an arched eyebrow and an unimpressed face, before cracking a smile to let him know she was joking. “I think you need to work on your chat up lines, but you’re not so bad looking yourself.” Athena added, gesturing for him to join her in the seat next to hers. It would be good mohave some company, someone who could make her laugh. As she looked him up and down she thought that it was a shame she had a boyfriend. He certainly seemed handsome enough and knew how to impress a woman. If circumstances were different she’d be all over him right now, maybe even taking him back to her place to give him a night to remember. A small pert of her wished she could. Most of her friends that were her age were single and they seemed to be having more fun, seeing guys. As much as she liked hearing their stories she always felt a bit left out, like she was missing out on something.

Knocking back the rest of her drink, Athena quickly pushed those kind of thoughts from her mind. She didn’t want to be tempted. Despite her feelings she still loved her boyfriend. He just infuriated her. A lot. “You don’t have to buy me any drinks,” Athena said, flashing Mike a grin, “as long as you can keep me entertained.”

 

[ShadowKnux372]

Mike let out a nice chuckle at her comment, letting a bit of sheepishness fall through his otherwise well-done attempt at looking charming and not a bit of a flake. "Is it that obvious I'm out of practice?" he said with a tone of good humor himself, sliding into the seat behind him as he was directed. "It's been a while since I had to work on my flirting game and talk to someone new. You're lucky I managed to get through a whole sentence without stuttering, or spilling my drink on you or something stupid like that." he continued, grabbing his glass once more and sipping another hint of bourbon. "Athena's a nice name. Very nice to meet you, Athena." he said, echoing her sentiments from earlier.

He continued leaning back, this time against the bar itself, joining his new acquaintance in people watching. "Well, I'll certainly do my best to keep you entertained, though I might not have too many options for entertainment. I left my tap shoes and top hat at home, you see." he joked with a grin, before gesturing out to the throngs of people elsewhere in the bar. "I come here for the atmosphere, to see who's visiting the bar and what they're doing. You learn a lot about people just by watching them, especially in a bar. A little booze..." he said, lifting his cup, "...and you start catching glimpses of how people really feel."

Turning to glance at her, he smiled a little more softly. "Though some people still manage to be a bit of a mystery. I was watching you for a bit before I came over...but I think rather than watching, I'd like to learn about you straight from the source. So, Athena...what brings you here? Besides turning the heads of out-of-practice pick-up artists like me?" he said, giving her another hearty little chuckle at the bit of self-deprecation.

 

[Discordia]

"Mmm, no we wouldn't want you to spill your drink all over my dress, then I'd have to take it off and we'd all hat that." Athena said with a pout. Her face was all innocence apart from the mischievous look in her eyes. She ordered another drink while listening to Mike. "Yeah, bars certainly do make for good people watching and, of you're lucky, some excellent drama." Athena said with a grin. Every now and then her eyes would wander the bar, taking in the sights only to return to Mike.

"I'm not so mysterious," Athena chuckled at Mike's comments. "I'm just a simple, fun loving girl. My-" she stopped herself suddenly from saying boyfriend. She was quite enjoying Mike's company and the last thing she wanted to do was scare him away with mention of a boyfriend. Even as she stopped herself she couldn't help but feel quilts. In some strange way was she being unfaithful by pretending to be single? She certainly shouldn't have been flirting with Mike, not really. And yet she didn't care.

"I, erm, I've just had a bad week and I need to unwind. What better way than booze and good company, right?" Athena explained with a grin, taking a sip of her second drink. Technically she hadn't lied. Her week had been kinda bad. It had started off with huge fight between her and her boyfriend. They had fallen out. They still hadn't made up by the time he left for his business trip. Athena was certainly good at holding a grudge, but she planned on forgiving him when he returned. That is, after have some innocent fun. "So tell me about yourself? What brings you hear aside from som much needed practice in flirting?" She asked with a grin.

 

[ShadowKnux372]

"Haha, would we? I beg to differ on that." Mike said lightly to her joke about getting her dress off if it became ruined. He certainly didn't think he'd care much if that dress was off. Though perhaps in more private a location would be more preferred...but he was getting a little ahead of himself. He'd been blunt enough so far, but being direct and being crass had a fine line between them that he needed to toe lightly near for the moment. He stayed silent and just let her talk, get whatever she wanted to say off of her attractive little chest.

Sipping his bourbon once more, his eyebrow wanted to perk a little at her situation. Bad times at home, perhaps, from the sounds of things. A good time to unwind was just what the doctor would order, he could agree with that, raising his glass and offering to clink it together in agreement. "Hear, hear." he had said in response. "It's good to be considered 'good company.'" he added with a grin of his own.

Once her short tale was concluded, it was his turn to start divulging information. How best to be tactful about himself without being completely untruthful or sidestepping honesty a little? "Ah..." he began, scratching his chin lightly, fingers scraping across the faint stubble he'd gathered. "I'd say it's a little like your situation, for me. Unwinding is nice and I do enjoy a good drink at a place less...hmm...'classy,' shall we say?" he said, eying an example of the class the bar had, a patron sitting alone in his booth messily devouring a plate of wings and a couple beers. "The place I manage is a bit out of the way compared to here, but the bar nearest to me doesn't have a really nice bourbon to down, it's mostly become a place for high-class and modern younger folk to flaunt their wallets and buy small drinks with fancy names that would cost twice the amount for half the drink I've got right now." he said dryly, shaking his cup a little.

"It's fun to get a little change now and again. You never know who you might meet." he explained, casting her a sideways glance. "Especially when they turn out to be lovely young ladies." he added. "You'd definitely be good-looking enough to qualify as my next potential recruit, that's for sure..." he said, a little more under his breath than everything else.

 

[Discordia]

Athena chuckled at his response to her joke, though she had expected as much. What man wouldn’t want to see her out of her dress? Athena contemplated the situation, the thought of Mike seeing her without her dress. As she played it out in her mind a thrill ran though her. She had always liked to show off her body for her boyfriend, to be a tease, to get him all hot and bothered without even touching. “Well, if you play your cards right…” She trailed off with a seductive smile. However the young woman made a note to slow down on the drinking. She was having too much fun. In fact it was exhilarating, flirting with him and him flirting back. She loved the attention.

As she looked over to the man devouring his chicken wings, Athena couldn’t help but laugh, before listening to him explain. “Yeah well, people usually only come hear for one reason.” She said, raising her glass for emphasis. “Well this and one other thing.” She said, subtly nodding to a couple, a man and a redheaded woman, making out in a far corner before she pulled him with her into the women’s toilets. “However it’s certainly better than your hipster bars.” She said with a teasing grin. as she spoke an angry looking young man entered the bar and Athena nodded to him. “At least here there’s drama to watch. I bet he’s looking for that young woman.” She said, before sipping more of her drink. It was starting to go to her head and she was feeling merry. “If I’m right, but me a drink, if not, well I’m sure we’ll think of a way for me to reward you.” She suggested.

Athena frowned slightly with the way he muttered about a new recruit. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” She asked curiously. “A recruit for what?”

 

[ShadowKnux372]

Mike said nothing, but couldn't resist the lightest sound of mirth beneath his breath. He was hoping he was playing his cards right, Athena was a fantastic-looking young lady, and getting to see what lay beneath the dress? Well, what man in that bar wouldn't be looking for something like that? He was just the lucky one who had a chance and took the first opportunity to seize upon. "Hope my hand is better than his was, then." he said lightly, gesturing to the poker-playing table where one man threw his cards down in frustration, apparently having failed to bluff his way to victory with a pair of sevens.

"Drama, drama....at least around here the stuff that gets people's penchant for drama is a little more...substantial." he said with a chuckle, glancing away as the man passed by angrily, looking for whatever it was he was searching for and appearing like the kind of man who would start a fistfight with anyone who looked at him the wrong way. "My 'hipster bar,' as you correctly put it, would have some more...shall we say 'spoiled' drama? I believe the last argument between a couple I heard was because the ring the man bought his girlfriend was a few grand lower than what she expected to be spoiled with." he said, shaking his head, as the man who had entered the bar pounded on the woman's bathroom, earning him a sudden escort out of the building by security, before the couple that had sneaked in there left, flushed and giggling in that way that children do when being scolded but not feeling particularly guilty. "Well, looks like I owe you a drink, then. A pity, I was hoping I'd see what you'd come up with as a reward."

As he tapped the bar to get the bartender's attention and bought Athena's next bit of alcohol, he turned his attention to the question at hand. "Hmm." He pursed his lips for a moment. He'd been doing well with her so far, and he wasn't the best liar in the business, anyway. Maybe he might as well come clean, but be tactful about it as usual. "Well, put simply, I manage a place that...has a reputation, shall we say. Perhaps you've heard of the 'Den of Delight?' Do remember, I only manage it, I didn't come up with the cheesy name." he said with a self-deprecating chuckle once more. The Den of Delight would be known as one of the more infamous of places to some, as would any place that specialized primarily in stripping and erotic dancing to entertain men with deep pockets to toss towards lap dances and the like. Hastily, he clarified his position. "Now, I'm off-duty and this isn't a recruiting drive or anything stupid like that. I was just thinking out loud that you'd definitely fit the bill appearance-wise. I'm sure most people have heard the place is actually pretty exclusive on who they'd let work for them as a...model, if you will." he said.

Letting his words sink in, he said nothing further, just sipping his drink again and waiting to see how Athena reacted to the revelation of the kind of business he was in.

 

[Discordia]

“Oh please that’s not drama!” Athena said, laughing at his comment about the latest drama at his hipster bar. “Places like this, dive bars, these are where the real drama happens.” She added with a grin, watching as the young man approached the women’s toilet, banging on it only to get himself kicked out. Athena had won the bet and another drink. And yet she felt an odd pang of disappointment. A small part of her was left wondering what would have happened if she’d have lost, how she wouldn't have had to make it up to him, what kind of reward he would have claimed. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and downed the last of her drink, before moving onto her next one. She knew that she probably shouldn’t have it. Her inhibitions were already affected enough at this point. And yet still she drank it.

The young woman listened intently as Mike explained where he worked. She had certainly heard of the Den of Delight before. She’d heard of it from friends before and often she wondered what kind of woman would strip for money. She herself was something of an amateur dancer. She enjoyed dancing for her boyfriend every now and then, but to do so for strangers. She supposed that if her financial situation got bad enough she would consider it, but that didn’t feel likely.
Athena laughed when Mike suggested she would be attractive enough to work there. “Well I’m flattered but I, erm, I’m not, it’s not my kinda thing.” She explained, flustered.”And besides…” She trailed off. What she had wanted to say was that her boyfriend would never allow it, but that would kill the mood. She sipped some more of her drink, suddenly bitter about all the things that she couldn’t do because of him. She contemplated how much of her drink she had left, thinking about how she shouldn’t really finish it. And then she finished it, downing it all.

“I’m bored, let’s get out of here.” She said suddenly, standing up and looking at Mike with a grin. “Know anywhere fun to go?”

 

[ShadowKnux372]

"Oh, don't I know it. There's a personality down on this side of town that my local hangouts don't possess. A certain edge, really." Mike agreed, chuckling. It really was a bit of a show of the differences between where they regularly held themselves and what they were surrounded by. Still, down at the core, how different were they, really? After all, just because Eric's part of town might be considered "high-class" didn't mean there wasn't a seedier underbelly...after all, Mike was one of the higher-ups at a place that proved just that. Conversely, just because this dive bar had it's edge didn't mean the whole side of town Athena lived in didn't have its fine point. Earnest people that didn't put on airs and more simplistic enjoyments were just a few things that Mike could think of off-hand.

He quickly raised his hands to show he meant no disrespect by his insinuation. "Oh, no, like I said, this isn't a recruiting drive, this is just commentary from a guy who's...well, seen a lot of 'talent,' if you will. You've surely got the looks, but I'm not going to hand you my card unless you actually show an interest." he said amiably. She'd certainly be a welcome fresh face, but Mike, at least, wasn't the strong-arm type, though he couldn't say the same about others in the business. If she came to him one day, then great! Until then, though...best he could do is leave the offer open, in his own ways.

Suddenly, a new turn of events, as Athena downed the drink after trailing off, perking Eric's eyebrow up before he pushed himself to his feet. "Well, I can certainly think of a place to show you, if you're willing to travel a bit. I can take you to my car...or if you're afraid I'll suddenly sprout horns and turn into a demon, you can just follow me in yours." he said, giving a chuckle at the loose metaphor. He clasped his hands together, giving her the idea he had. "You've let me get a little bit of a feel for your part of town...would you like to visit mine? Strictly as a bit of social fun, of course." he said, obliquely referring to where he worked, before making an addition to try and up the appeal of the notion. "I'm not sure how much you've heard, but there is more than dancing there. They serve decent drinks and have quite good food and music. It's only on other floors where the...more salacious stuff happens." he said, before giving her a playful smirk. "Perhaps you'll get a chance to laugh at some of the 'hipster drama,' as well."