TITLE: PRETTY LITTLE SECRET
Summary: Squall's a hooker and Seifer's a big-shot business man. Sound vaguely familiar? Pretty Woman done FFVIII style. Squall/Seifer SLASH
The parties were always the fucking same. He'd plaster on a fake smile, shake a few hands, greet a few 'acquaintances' (most of whom he wished would just fall off the ends of the earth), and chitchat about mundane things he didn't give a shit about. What was the point of even going anymore? Not that he planned on staying long or anything. But he had to 'keep up appearances' as Quistis had put it. Which meant, pretending that he actually liked the pretentious snobs they did business with.
Despite the fact that Seifer was hot headed and pissed off that he had to attend, he could keep his cool for the obligatory ten minutes. Well, as long as no one provoked him that is. But, there were simply too many of their prized clients here for him to be able to afford to lose his composure, which would consequently lose him his job. Although, Edea was always saying that she liked his temper, that it made him a ruthless and unstoppable negotiator. If it got in the way of business, though...it would be bye-bye eight figure salary. Not that he wouldn't be able to find another well paying job in a heartbeat should that happen.
Truth was, though, that he liked his job. He liked Quistis and Edea. Hell, Selphie was even starting to rub off on him for goodness sake. Of course, he would never admit any of that aloud, but the fact remained that he honestly did care about keeping his job. And not just because it paid well.
Making his rounds, fake smile forced onto his face and silently plotting Quistis's demise, Seifer dutifully greeted all of the guests, even going so far as to actually converse with a few of them. His obligatory ten minutes soon turned into twenty, and before long he had had enough.
Spotting Quistis on the other side of the room, he made his way toward her through the crowd. Finding her alone, he quickly took advantage of the opportunity, pulling her off to one side as she glared at him in annoyance.
"Alright, Quistis, I've played nice long enough. I'm going to go upstairs and call Rin and then head back to the hotel," Seifer announced, leaving Quistis no option but to accept the fact that he wasn't going to stick around.
"I could force you to stay, you know," Quistis commented idly, swirling the white wine she held delicately within her grasp and pretending that she could actually force Seifer to do anything, although they both knew that wasn't true. "But, if I did that, you'd just cause a scene, wouldn't you?" she continued, raising one of her perfectly plucked blonde eyebrows. After two years, she knew Seifer well enough to not get in his way when it came to things like this. Choose your battles and all that...she already had enough trouble with Seifer as it was.
Knowing that the teasing was a sign of her consent, Seifer smirked in a self-satisfied manner. "Yeah, I would cause a scene. By the way, I'm going to need to borrow your car," he informed his co-worker, almost chuckling at the startled and horrified look that came across her face with the last statement.
"What! No way! That's a brand new BMW, Seifer! It's no secret that you're a reckless driver. Why the hell do you need my car anyway?" Quistis objected, seriously distraught. It was one of the few times Seifer had ever seen her lose her composure.
"I flew in, remember? Edea gave me a ride here. Look, I know you're attached to your car and all, but I promise I'll return it to you safe and sound. I need to get out of here, though. You and Edea are going to stay for a while, so she can have Raijin drop you off at the hotel after you get done here," Seifer reasoned, knowing that Quistis was a tough nut to crack.
"Seifer...I don't know. I mean, it's all fine, but...I just don't know whether I can trust you with my car...Look, you can drive it, but if there's even one scratch on it when I get it back tomorrow..." she left the threat hanging, leaving it up to Seifer's imagination to come up with whatever punishment she might administer should anything happen to her precious automobile.
Seifer smiled in content, happy that Quistis hadn't been too hard to convince. "Don't worry, I'll return your baby safe and sound to you in the morning," Seifer promised, holding his hand out for the keys.
Reluctantly, Quistis handed them over, a gesture which seemed to cause her quite a bit of distress. "You'd better take good care of it," she warned him unnecessarily, downing the rest of the contents in her glass with one large gulp.
Seifer watched on, raising an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic display. "Well, thanks, Quis. Have fun, and don't get too smashed...wouldn't want to wake up next to Odine, now would you?" he teased, causing Quistis to shiver in disgust at the mention of her pseudo-stalker and one of their best clients.
"Don't even joke about such things," she chastised, glaring at him. "Now get lost before I change my mind."
"Yes, ma'am," Seifer offered, smirking at the annoyed look Quistis sent him at his way of addressing her, before heeding her words and making his way upstairs and out of sight.
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The envelope was empty. Again. There was a measly thirteen dollars. Hardly enough for dinner, let alone rent. And today was collection day. Damn. Cid was not going to be happy. Hell, last time when they'd paid a week late, he'd threatened to evict them. But there was nothing they could do about it now. They'd just have to find some way to earn four hundred bucks between the two of them tonight.
But where had all of the money gone? They should have had almost three hundred. Unless…Zell was using again. Shit. They could hardly make ends meat as it was without Zell's drug habit to support. He'd promised to stay clean. So much for that.
A banging on the door surprised Squall out of his thoughts. Cid was here to collect the rent. The rent that they didn't have. It looked like he would be sneaking out the fire escape again tonight.
The pounding and shouting didn't cease, but he simply chose to ignore it. Quietly, so Cid wouldn't know that anyone was in, he dressed in the most provocative outfit he owned. Skin tight pleather pants, a net top that didn't really cover anything, a jacket which he would be removing later, and heavy black eyeliner. He needed to score big tonight.
Slipping into a pair of black boots, Squall took one last glance in the mirror before heading out through the window that opened onto the fire escape. Lowering the ladder with practiced ease, he made his way down to the street.
First things first, he needed to find Zell. Not that that would be hard. Zell was nothing if not predictable. He would be at Ray's Golden Lion a couple of blocks away. Like he always was at this time day in and day out. Probably wasting all of their rent on drinks and drugs.
It was cold outside, though not too bad considering it was the middle of fall. Maybe he'd be lucky and wouldn't freeze tonight. He walked faster, warming himself up a bit and trying to get to the bar quicker. He got a few lecherous looks, but ignored them. He needed to talk to Zell.
Arriving at the bar, he stepped inside, thankful to get out of the cold. Looking around, he didn't see Zell, though he knew that the spiky haired blonde had to be somewhere around here. Spotting Nida tending bar, he made his way over.
"Hey, have you seen Zell?" he questioned the brunette, hoping that he could be of some help.
"I think he headed upstairs," Nida answered uncertainly, continuing to mix drinks. As Squall smiled in thanks and turned to leave, Nida shouted out after him:. "You be careful out there tonight."
Squall turned back around, thankful for the concern. "I will be," he answered, smiling once again before heading upstairs to find Zell.
Just as he was nearing the landing at the top of the stairs, he ran into Zell on his way down. The blonde smiled at him, seemingly happy to see him. Obviously he hadn't noticed the frown that Squall was sending his way.
"Hey, Squall, I was beginning to wonder where the hell you were," Zell commented, latching onto Squall's arm and dragging him along behind him down the stairs.
"Zell, what happened to our rent money?" Squall got straight to the point, knowing better than to beat around the bush when it came to talking with Zell about such things.
"Listen, some things came up…it's not as if we can't earn the money back," Zell tried to wave the matter off, heading toward the bar.
"Zell! Rent was due today! We only have thirteen dollars in the envelope! We're going to have to earn two hundred dollars each tonight if we don't want to get evicted. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be forced to live on the streets," Squall informed his friend, trying to get the severity of the situation through to him.
Zell merely sighed in a put upon manner, pausing a moment on his way to the bar before resuming his stride. "Look, Squall. I know we're short, but if we both work really hard tonight then we can get the money. No prob, right? Besides, Cid won't really evict us; I mean, it's not like anyone else in that shitty complex actually pays on time," the blonde pointed out, trying to put Squall's mind at ease, though doing a very poor job of it.
"Zell, I just...I don't want to always have to be scrounging around for money and...what happened to it all anyway? You're using again, aren't you? Come on, tell me; I know that you are. You're wasting all of our money on drugs," Squall spoke forcefully, though quietly enough so as not to be overheard.
Zell turned, finally facing Squall and looking him straight in the eye. "So what if I am? There was a time when you used, too, so don't be looking down on me and acting as if you're better. So, I need a hit every once in a while to get through the day. If you'd been doing this as long as I have then maybe you'd understand. Hell, you'd probably be in the same boat as I am," Zell declared, deadly serious and with more honesty than Squall had ever heard from his friend before.
The stark truthfulness hit Squall hard. Zell had always made it seem like he liked his life, his job, and, well, everything...but maybe that was just his way of dealing with all the shit he got dealt. The reality of what both of their lives had become was depressing...but something that he really couldn't dwell on at the moment.
"Zell...I know, okay. I know that you need the drugs to keep going, but we need a place to live and we need food. There just isn't enough money to go around," Squall reasoned, feeling frustrated and disheartened.
"I'm sorry, Squall. It's just...how about we talk this over later, 'kay? If we're going to earn two hundred each tonight, then we really should get out there," Zell observed, ordering one last drink from Nida.
"Yeah, you're right," Squall conceded, not happy, but knowing that it would be best for them to just focus on getting the rent for the time being.
Downing his drink with one foul swoop, Zell grabbed Squall's hand, leading him outside. He hoped the booze would kick in soon; it was going to be one hell of a night.
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"Seifer, I don't think that it's a good idea for us to see each other anymore..." Rinoa spoke, her voice soft and kind in an attempt to soften the blow. "I like you, but you're always traveling...You never have time for me..." she trailed off, sighing loudly, waiting for Seifer to say something in response.
"Look, Rin, I know I've been working a lot lately, but it's not like you aren't busy too. And you were supposed to meet me here so we could spend some time together..." Seifer pointed out, knowing that what Rinoa was saying was true, but not willing to admit it and just give in.
"Seifer, we both know that you don't just want me to come to Esthar to spend time with you. You need a date for all of those company functions you have to attend there. I know how it works, and I don't blame you, but...I just can't deal with this anymore. I need someone who'll really be there for me. I'm sorry..." her voice became quiet and it sounded as if she was desperately trying to hold back tears.
Realizing that what Rinoa had said was all true and that getting upset with the girl wouldn't do either of them any good, he accepted the fact that they were breaking up with as much dignity as he could. "I'm sorry, too, Rin. I really do like you, even if I never was very good at showing it. I never left any time for you, and you deserve better than that. I'm sure there's a million guys out there for you to chose from. Just take care of yourself, alright?" Seifer spoke sincerely, surprised by how soft he was getting.
"No hard feelings, okay? I mean, I want us to remain friends, Seif..." the girl breached the subject uncertainly, desperately hoping that Seifer wouldn't refuse the offer of friendship.
Although he didn't really care to have any more friends, Seifer figured it would just be easier to accept. "Yeah, alright. I gotta go now. So, maybe I'll see you next time I'm in Delling..." he suggested, not sure whether he was actually going to follow through with the idea, but wanting to comfort Rinoa as best he could.
"Yeah, that would be nice. Bye, Seifer," Rinoa replied, seeming content with the way things had turned out.
"Bye," Seifer replied, hanging up the phone and letting out a weary sigh.
True to what he had told Rinoa, he really had liked the girl, although as she had pointed out, she was mostly there so that he would have someone to attend dinners and such with. He felt bad, sort of, but at least they had ended on good terms. He wasn't really heartbroken over losing her or anything, though it did leave him with a bit of a dilemma.
He needed a date for the functions he would be attending all week. Although it wasn't exactly a requirement, it would look bad if he didn't show up with anyone. And Seifer Almasy was not one to look bad. Ever. But where would he find an appropriate date in time for tomorrow's luncheon?
Not particularly wanting to dwell on the question at the moment, he decided that a drive sounded like just the thing he needed to calm his nerves. He could cruise the city and see if he could find out a little more about what they had to do around here. Maybe he'd even come across one of the local hot spots and find himself a date. It was worth a shot. After all, what did he have to lose?
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"Shit, things aren't looking too good tonight, Squall," Zell commented despondently, trying not to shiver from the cold hitting his scantily clad body. His coat was draped over one arm, but he needed to display himself if he was going to get any johns.
Squall nodded in agreement at Zell's words, shivering slightly from the cold, though stoically trying to ignore it. His flesh felt like ice, his net top doing nothing to protect him from the late autumn chill. His jacket was over one arm, like Zell's, tantalizing him, though he refused to put it on. They needed cash. Someone had to bite soon.
"Zell, maybe we should move down a block or so..." Squall suggested uncertainly, not really thinking that that would help them any, but willing to try anything at this point.
Zell, shook his head firmly, obviously not agreeing with Squall's idea. "No, this is the best spot in all of West Side. Besides, Lulu and her girls have stake on the only other decent spot. We'll just have to wait here and hope that things pick up," Zell noted, resigned to their bad luck. He was experienced enough to know that there was nothing that they could do to turn things around. Tonight simply wasn't a good night.
Squall sighed, knowing that Zell was right, but starting to panic about their prospects of earning enough to pay rent before Cid decided to through them out. He doubted that he actually would, but you never know.
"Hey, look alive," Zell suddenly whispered harshly, shaking Squall's shoulder slightly. "If we score this fella we just might be alright," Zell commented, nodding in the direction of a shiny, expensive looking vehicle pulling up to the curb a few yards away. "This one's yours," Zell generously offered, giving Squall a small push in the car's direction.
Sauntering up to the window, Squall leaned down, feeling better about the prospects of the night as the driver rolled down the tinted window. The guy was actually very good looking, not that it would have mattered. Squall wondered why the blonde didn't just go to a club and find a date like most twenty-something-year-olds did, though he wasn't about to complain. "You looking for a good time?" he questioned, smiling provocatively and tilting his head in a seductive manner.
The man raised an eyebrow at the question, seeming slightly surprised by it. Squall knew what that meant. Rich people only came to this part of town for two reasons: either they were interested in a good fuck or they were lost. He was betting this poor sap was the latter of the two. Just his luck.
"Look, not that your offer isn't tempting and all, but I'm just trying to find a good club," the blonde replied, affirming Squall's assessment, much to his disappointment.
"Well, first off, you're in the completely wrong area of town if it's clubs you're looking for," Squall informed the man, deciding to take advantage of the situation as best he could, he added, "For ten bucks I'll tell you how to get where you want to."
The blonde seemed to contemplate the matter for a moment, trying to decide whether or not the young man in front of him was trying to pull one over on him. For ten bucks, though..."Alright," he agreed, fishing in his jacket pocket for his wallet. He had plenty of money, of course, but the smallest bill he had was a twenty. He doubted the hooker had any change, or would admit to it even if he did. Deciding that twenty dollars was no great loss, he handed the bill over.
Squall accepted the bill, shocked at receiving twenty dollars for directions the man probably wouldn't even be able to follow. Figuring he didn't have much to lose, Squall decided to take his chances with the vague possibility that he might be able to change this man's mind about his original offer. "For twenty dollars, I'll take you there myself," he supplied, opening the car door and getting inside, thankful for the luxury of a heater.
Seifer was surprised by the gesture, but wasn't about to object. He needed a date, and was willing to do just about anything in order to get one. Well, pretty much anything short of hiring an escort. Paying twenty dollars for a hooker to show him the way to a decent club was a small price.
Glancing toward the boy, who couldn't have been older than nineteen, though looked more like sixteen, Seifer couldn't help but wonder how the hell someone could get so down and out that they'd actually consider selling themself. Not wanting to dwell on the depressing thought, he shifted into first gear and pulled out onto the street, hoping the boy really did know where he was going as he had said.
"You want to turn right at the next light," the boy spoke, pointing in the direction that Seifer needed to go. Seifer rolled his eyes slightly. Did the kid think he didn't know his left from his right?
Concentrating only minimally on his driving, Seifer let his gaze dart back and forth between the road and the boy now seated in the passenger seat of Quistis's car. If she ever found out about this, she'd probably skin him alive. He wasn't really too worried about that at the moment, though. Right now, he was too busy taking in the boy's features.
He was rather attractive, which wasn't too surprising considering that to make any money as a prostitute you pretty much had to be. He was slender, thin with long legs, a medium height. His skin was pale, creamy, smooth, and complemented his soft dark brown hair and grey-blue eyes. His lips were red and full, very tempting. Seifer found himself entranced, the provocative outfit not helping in the least. He always had preferred men over women, though not many people knew that fact.
Seifer was brought out of his musings as the young man spoke up once more. "Next left," was all the brunette said, not bothering to point this time, trusting Seifer to have heard him.
Stopping for a red light, an idea suddenly hit Seifer. A crazy, brilliant, ludicrous, amazingly insane idea. But, it just might work. Turning back toward his passenger, he looked him over once more, just barely noting that the light had turned green. The boy was quite feminine, pretty...Seifer didn't doubt that he could pull it off...It would certainly make for an interesting lunch...now to see if the boy was interested...
"Change of plans," he suddenly announced, parking on the side of the road and turning toward the brunette. The sudden shift threw Squall off guard, and he couldn't help but feel slightly worried. Heedless of Squall's unease, Seifer continued. "I have a proposition to make. Now, hear me out. I have this luncheon thing tomorrow and no date. You obviously need cash. Of course, you would have to dress up as a woman, but you would have no trouble pulling it off, and I would pay very, very well," Seifer offered, doubting that the hooker would be able to refuse.
Squall wasn't too keen on the idea, although he had worn skirts and such before because it was good for business, he couldn't turn down an offer that would bring in so much cash when he desperately needed it. "How much?" he finally asked, knowing that that would be what he would base his decision on.
"Well, how much do you usually get?" Seifer questioned, not at all familiar with what prostitutes usually charged for their services, as he'd never had to pay for sex before.
"It depends. Will I be spending the night with you?" Squall asked in return, having noticed the looks the man had been giving him, though he'd pretended to be oblivious.
Seifer contemplated the situation, tempted by the young man in front of him, yet not sure whether he felt comfortable taking advantage of the boy. "How old are you?" he asked, knowing that being nailed for paying for a prostitute would be bad enough without having it be statutory rape as well.
"I'm eighteen," Squall replied straight-forwardly, desperately hoping that this man would accept the offer so he wouldn't have to worry about finding another john for the night.
"Do you know where The Loire is?" Seifer suddenly changed topics, unsure which way he was supposed to go in order to get back to his hotel.
"Yeah..." Squall answered with trepidation, uncertain as to whether or not that was a yes or a no on the topic of him spending the night.
"Great, because that's where we're going," Seifer responded, starting the car up once again, glad that he had found a solution to his problem. Squall, in turn, was glad for much the same reason.
TO BE CONTINUED...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello there, dear readers. For any of you reading any of my other fics, I'm so sorry that I am so terrible at updating. That said, I hope you enjoyed this fic. It is, obviously, based off of the movie Pretty Woman. Naturally, I had to change some things, but the premise is pretty much the same. Not only did I draw inspiration from the film, however, but also from a Harry Potter fanfic that I read on called Pretty Boy. For any of you interested in the HP fandom, I would highly suggest reading it. Anyway, let me know what you think, and, as always, any questions or comments can be addressed in a review or emailed to me (my email address is in my profile). Ciao!