Mr. Pinstripe Suit
Lydia snapped her fingers to the brass beat, and shook her head. Her black hair swayed about her face, and since she went out to the club by herself, she couldn't be happier.
The jazzy place was dark, but like her obsession with the Dark and Creepy from her childhood, it was welcoming. Lydia hadn't dolled herself up in her usual gothic attire, instead going with a slightly mellower version, a black straight dress and her hair loose. It was Halloween after all – she was allowed to go up as something she wasn't.
The club was hopping, and the band was good, and the alcohol was bad either r – Lydia wasn't much a of a drinker, but when mingling with the living like this, she much preferred to have the warmth associated with being drunk in her veins.
Maybe that was what caused the words to slip out – maybe it wasn't even herself, but before she realized it, the Ghost With The Most was there sitting next to her, pulling her drink from her hands and sipping it.
She jumped backwards, and he grinned, yellowing teeth at her. "Hey, missed me, babes?"
Lydia opened her mouth and started, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Bee-"
He clapped a grimy hand over her mouth. "Now, Lyds, I just got here, you're not going to send me away with having any fun, are you?"
Her mind was still a bit cloudy from the drink, probably what led to him showing up in the beginning, but Lydia just eyed him warily before nodding. He grinned again, and Lydia could have sworn she saw something moving between his teeth.
She must have drank too much. Yes, that must have explained it.
Betelgeuse downed the rest of her drink in one gulp, and removed his hand from her mouth to wipe his. "Ah, they just don't have the same punch in the Neitherworld."
Lydia ignored that, "Why are you here?"
Betelgeuse shrugged. "Someone said my name and I appeared…had some things to take care of as well, and besides it's Samhain."
"Come again?"
He sneered. "Mortals these days – it's Hallowe'en in your talk. Walls between worlds are thinner and all that."
Lydia understood that, somewhere in her foggy mind. "You're not here to marry me, are you?" She squinted. "'Cause I know I'm drinking and all, but I'm not falling for that again."
"What, me?" he asked, mock innocently. She snorted. "No, no, need to do that, babes. Already got that done."
Lydia froze. "WHAT?'
Betelgeuse didn't answer, instead scanning the club, eyes falling on the dance floor. The band had just started up a new jazzy number. His green eyes widened. "Hey! I love this song – it's about me!"
And like that he grabbed her hand, pulling her off of her stool and to the dance floor. "What?" Lydia asked, him much stronger than her and – Man, he stunk! "It's not about you – and what do you mean already got that done?"
He grabbed her hands, and then gave that laugh she knew all too well. "Yeah it is – listen, Lyds!"
She barely had time to comprehend that before suddenly they were swing dancing together – she tried to focus on the music, the beat and the words, but Betelgeuse lead her and soon they were practically trampling the others on the floor.
"Well now friends, tell me about this cat that I once met. Smooth talker with an export cigarette."
For a moment she could have sworn that there was one of those nasty things protruding from his mouth – but then he was spinning her again, and to keep from falling she had to follow him.
"I don't believe I ever saw him without a cocktail in his hand and he always swings hard to the big bad voodoo band!"
Lydia had never taken lessons in swing dancing – but she had practiced with a friend once or twice. She was thankful for them now – because for some reason, his feet weren't tripping over hers as they made their way around the floor.
"Now he strolls through the city like a big ol' alley cat, with his pinstripe suit and his big bad voodoo hat."
He winked at her at this, and his black and white stripes seemed to glow in a greenish light for a moment. She tried to shout over the music, "What about you trying to marry me?"
"I don't believe I ever saw him without a kitten on his hand and he always swings hard to the big bad voodoo band!"
Betelgeuse dipped her then, eyes wild. "Yeah, babes – no need to take care of that now. Did that – what was it, seven years ago?"
Lydia's jaw dropped and he pulled her upward again.
"Hey Mr. Pinstripe suit! Hey Mr. Hi-dee-hi-dee-ho – I know you've got the answers, and we all want to know-"
"That's impossible!" she shouted as they stepped in time. "You never got the ring on my hand!"
"Hey Mr. Wingtip shoes! Hey Mr. Always on the go – well, I know you got the answers, and we all want to know."
He shrugged, spinning her out before pulling her back in too close. She squirmed as he shouted in her ear. "Technicalities! Who cares about them?"
"Yeah!"
He whipped her out again, this time when he pulled her in, so fast she felt slightly sick, and they were face to face instead of back-to-chest. "I do!"
There was an instrumental and the crowd, those who hadn't been trampled, circled around them. Lydia didn't look at them, instead trying to get an answer from Betelgeuse's unreadable face.
The only thing she could read from it as she struggled to keep up, was that he really was enjoying this. Her being partly-drunk wasn't helping matters – she should have come with a friend…
"That's right Jack, Pinstripe suit swing!"
Betelgeuse shouted, "No one else does – not Juno's office at least."
"WHAT?"
"Hey Mr. Pinstripe Suit! Hey Mr. Hi-dee-hi-dee-ho – we know you've got the answers and we all want to know-"
They brought their arms up and they spun under, bridge style. "You say that a lot, y'know," he said, once reaching normal positions. Lydia considered kicking him.
"Hey Mr. Wingtip shoes! Hey Mr. Always on the go – well, I know you got the answers, we all want to know!"
"Can't you say anything different?" He was teasing her, she was pretty sure and she glared.
"Well I know you got the answers, and we all want to know-"
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Lydia shouted – and he grinned and then did the unthinkable.
"Well I know you got the answers and we all want to know!"
He did the old trick that worked better in movies then in real life – with a quick jerk she slipped down across the floor and back up between his legs, leaving her much too close to the stinky guy.
"Yeah!"
Betelgeuse shrugged. "We were waiting till you were dead."
"What do you mean, we?" Lydia asked, trying to ignore the last pert.
"Who do you think?" he shouted. "Look!"
The music was continuing – instrumental, and brassy. Missing a step, Lydia turned to look more carefully at those around her.
How had she missed it earlier that all the party-goers were from the Neitherworld? Wait – was that Barbara and Adam back there at one of the booths? Wait – was that her mother? But they were all…dead.
Lydia whipped her head back towards Betelgeuse who was grinning still. With a final spin before whipping her back into his foul chest, he pointed to the form of a collapsed girl at the bar.
"Happy Hallowe'en!"
A/N: This is my first venture into the Beetlejuice fandom – hopefully everyone's characterizations came off alrgiht!
Reviews are always appreciated!
