The Guiltiest Pleasure
Author's note- This is my first published work, please R/R and don't hold back! This is an idea I have been playing with for a while now. If reviews are good, I might be expanding on this concept. Also, I do not own any of the characters or places in this story, they are all owned by SE. Enjoy!
The meeting had finally finished, Barrett had gone on forever this time, he had gotten off on one of these tangents, how we need more help, this and that. He doesn't quite understand that we are a small resistance group against a large company. That is a tough act to sell. It did not matter now, it was over for the night and I was off to my weekly heaven, a bar on the plate.
"Jessie! You're not going to stay for a drink?" Tifa called to me as I quickly made my way to the door. Tifa always needed to keep tabs on us, her motherly instinct I guess you could say.
Crap! I thought, there was one thing I knew, that my friends could never find out about my weekly habit.
" Oh! Sorry Tifa, not tonight, I'm really beat." I smiled softly at her, and her gentle face smiled warily
"Well…alright, see you tomorrow…"
"Y-Yeah! Bye everyone!"
I made my way out the door and finally I was free. Don't get me wrong, I adore my friends, we are all fighting for a great cause, and normally I enjoy kicking back and relaxing with them. Tonight, though,like every Friday, is not like the other days. Going to the plate is expensive, and I have to pinch my pennies to make it work. However, it is worth it, going up to the bar on Loveless lane is worth it, because HE is there.
I rushed home to change out of my less than flattering AVALANCHE clothes. Dressing for tonight is always an issue. I settled on a tight black skirt, and a grey tank. I straightened my hair, and put on some makeup. " Now, you're ready" I said to myself as I looked into the mirror.
I made my way to the train station, the last train was boarding, perfect timing. I paid for my ticket, 85 gil, more than half of my weeks pay, but like I said, I don't mind. Especially not tonight, because tonight, I, Jessie of AVALANCHE would be brave. I sat nervously on the train, I noticed the male passengers stealing glances when they thought I wasn't looking. Hopefully, that was a good sign. I was aiming to catch someone else's attention tonight.
Finally, the train came to a stop on the plate. The bar was a five minute walk away, I was incredibly nervous. I come here every Friday, to see him, however, I have never worked up the courage to speak to him. I know, it sounds crazy, but I get so jittery and I have an awful nervous habit of babbling like a school girl. Until now, I would simply admire him from afar, and find myself entranced by his smooth, calm demeanor and cheeky, sly smile.
Tonight would be different. I decided to throw away my fears. Tonight I would make the man I have been dreaming of notice me. Not just notice me, speak to me, fall for me.
I reached the door of the bar and pulled it open, I sighed, half out of relief when I scanned the room and did not see his distinctive hair. It was better this way, more time to think. I sat down at the bar, and Samantha, the barmaid came over to me.
"Hi Jessie, what can I get you?"
"White Russian please." This was going to require some vodka. As usual, I sat on my own and drank my cocktail, I had no reason to mingle with the plate-dwellers, only one interested me. Time passed by, as well as a few drinks, I was beginning to lose hope….
" Hey" A smooth voice rang out from behind me. My head snapped up, I couldn't Imagine who would be approaching me. I whipped around as fast as I could. I could not have been prepared for what would be in front of me. I froze where I sat. There, smiling his sly, cheeky smile, with his bright, spiky red hair, stood the man of my fantasies, Reno of the Turks.
I know, we are supposed to be enemies, but, I can't help but be sinfully attracted to him.
"Hello?" He prompted. I must have looked like an idiot, I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as a nervously touched my hair.
"Oh…ah y-yes" I smiled back at him meekly.
"I see you in here a lot, you got a name?" He asked as he situated his tall lean body on the stool next to me.
"Ahhhhhh….Jessie!" I said, maybe a bit too high pitched. "you fool." I thought to myself.
"Jessie? Cute name for a cute girl." He smiled his staggering smile at me. "I've been wanting to meet you. I'm Reno."
My heart skipped a beat, Reno, beautiful Reno had been wanting to meet me!? I could barely breathe.
"You okay dollface?" He put a long pale hand on my arm.
"Y-yes," I stammered, " I'm just really not used to things like this." I touched my hair again and sipped my drink.
"Really? Pretty thing like you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in question.
"I don't get out much…w-work, you know." This time I gulped my drink. I wanted desperately to know what he was thinking behind those beautiful blue eyes.
" Trust me babe, I know." He leaned over the bar, "Sam! SAM!" he waved his hand in the air to call over the barmaid. I hate to admit it, but referring to her as "Sam" sent a shock of jealousy through my bones. The tall brunette barmaid walked over and flashed Reno a flirty smile.
"What can I get you, Reno?" She leaned onto the bar in a manner that made her already annoyingly revealing halter top, even more revealing. More envy, had we been under the plate, I may have taken her outside. Much to my relief, and her despair, Reno didn't seem to take much notice.
"Whisky on the rocks Sam, and what are you drinkin' hun?" He turned to me and looked at my empty glass.
"Oh, white Russian. Thanks." Is this a dream, is he really buying me a drink? I was having trouble processing the situation. I wasn't sure what my attraction to Reno was, he was good looking, yes, but perhaps it is true what they say, women like the bad boys. You can't get much more bad than a turk, especially for a girl whose entire life and work is to fight against them.
"Whoo-boy, white Russian? You aren't messin' around….I like that." He smiled, this time a devilish smile that sent a heat coursing through my body. Sam brought us our drinks and before I knew it, a few hours and more than a few drinks had gone by. I was suddenly aware that there were only about four others left in the bar, the bottom of the whiskey barrel type. I also realized that Reno's arm was around my waist, and this was causing "sam" to shoot me some pretty nasty looks. I smiled a smile more cocky than I ordinarily would have and looked to Reno. Tonight was my night, finally I had shed the shy Jessie persona. Tonight, I was a sexy, confident(liquid confidence or not) woman.
"Hey Jessie, what d'ya say we go back to my place, we can walk there, it' not far at all."
Now, I'm not the promiscuous type, by any means, on a normal basis. However, I had had more than my share of drinks, and Reno is irresistible.
" I would love that." I smiled what could be considered my first, sexy smile and leaned into his chest.
" Great!" he squeezed my waist and paid the tab. We walked out in to the streets of Midgar, I had never been out this late above the plate. Reno guided me down the street, and I was suddenly aware of a certain walking impairment the vodka seemed to have induced.
We reached his apartment complex after what seemed like forever, we walked past the door man, who smiled and gave Reno a nod. It was very late, so there were no people in the lobby or on the elevator. He pressed the button for the third floor. The sudden jolt of the elevator threw me into him. He caught me easily and laughed. We entered his apartment, it was plain, with a kitchen in front when we walked in, and a living room like area to our right, behind the couch a ways was a door, presumably to his bedroom. Reno closed the door behind us and shrugged off his navy jacket. Even though he still had his white shirt on, I could see Reno's lean muscles. I grabbed ahold of him and pulled him near. He grinned at me and grabbed my chin to pull me up to his face. My whole body went hot. I had been drinking, but not enough to not be aware of this.
He pressed his lips softly against mine and eased my lips open with his. He guided me back into his bedroom. He pushed me back gently onto his large bed. I grabbed the back of his hair and began kissing him with intensity. He slid me higher on the bed, sliding his white shirt off his back. I could see his lean, yet chiseled body. He had a tattoo on his chest, of some wutai symbol, and only his dogtags now lay on his chest. He looked at me for a moment, before we began to take off each other's clothes. Ordinarily, I look down on women who do what I was about to do, perhaps it was because the only other woman I have any substantial amount of contact with was Tifa, who was a virgin, waiting for her "knight in shining armor" or some nonsense.
None of that mattered now. I was getting my Reno, I had been dreaming of and fantasizing about this moment from the first time I saw him working in the sector 5 slums. I can only speak for myself, but I felt, at this moment, that there was no such thing as enemies, as good guys and bad guys, nor AVALANCHE and ShinRa. Right now, tonight, there was only Jessie and Reno.
The sun woke me up with a start. I was lying in Reno's big bed, looking at his white ceiling and pale blue walls. I looked to his empty spot on the bed and thought about the previous night. I had been with Reno. The man who entered my head every free thought was mine last night. I hadn't begun to think that last night may be my only night with him, I did not want to ruin my bliss. What would my friends say? Barrett would fly into a rage and call me a traitor, no doubt. Possibly throw me out of AVALANCHE. Tifa would be disappointed. " how could you let yourself be taken advantage of like that?" she would say.
None of it mattered, maybe he didn't care, maybe I was just another toy. Pathetic or not, that was good enough for me. He chose me last night, the plain little girl from the slums. It was good enough.
I sat up, putting my hand to my head. I had a bit of a headache. It was then I noticed the note he had left, it read:
Jessie,
Sorry I couldn't stay, I had to work early today, guess I should've told ya. Anyway,
There is coffee on if you need it,and I left you some gil for a ticket home, wherever it is you live.
Take Care!
P.S. I got your number off your phone, hope you don't mind!
I smiled warmly to myself as I reread the note. I couldn't be sure, but maybe this would work out better than I thought.