Set the Fire to the Third Bar

Chapter 1 – Set Down Your Glass

There they were again. Five men sharply dressed in suits and shiny shoes. Up the stairs behind the soundproof glass of the VIP lounge. They were there every night: talking and drinking. Then some of them would go home, others, like the new one that was always wearing a hat or a blonde one who was definitely a gym regular, would pick a random girl from the crowd that seemed to actually worship the ground they were walking on and take her home or maybe not home. One of them who apparently was the owner and his female friend, a very pretty dark-skinned slender girl in her mid-twenties who could easily go for a top-model, would close up. The two tried to act accordingly but it WAS possible to tell that there was something going on between them. Hesitant glances, light touches, little gestures – all signs pointing to an upcoming relationships. At least from one certain regular's point of view it was clear as day.

"The usual?"

The voice rang near the young woman's ears and she turned on the bar stool smiling up at the bartender, a Rubik's cube in her slender hands.

"You know how I like it."

The barista was one of these men no one seemed to grab the age of. One of those men behind the counter that knew all the secrets. He also knew the regulars, what their poison was and got good tips for his exceptionally good memory of matters in question. Although the particular customer could tell that he was way over thirty for his hands were rougher they should be at a young age, the scars he was careful to hide behind his shirt in addition to the tattoos she's noticed peeking out from his sleeves and collar told her that he served a sentence, probably nothing major, maybe even in juvie.

"Jameson and Cranberry on rocks for the lovely lady, voila."

She only smiled in response excepting a drink put in front of her on the counter.

"It's not the most common thing you see someone holding in a place like this." He said rather loudly to make sure she heard him over the music and pointed at the item in her hands.

"It helps me relax." She only smiled again.

"You come here every Friday night with that cube and no date, no friends. Why such a beautiful girl is at the club alone?" He pressed.

The brunette looked at the man in front of her, continuing to solve the puzzle blindly.

"Because she appreciates her solitude."

"Jim!" The dark-skinned could-be-model jerked the bartender from the conversation sternly and gave him an icy glare. "I think you have customers."

Indeed. The club was full and the bar could be compared to a rebellion attack.

"Jim" nodded and vanished to the other end of the counter.

"Sorry if he was a bother. He's a harmless flirt." She was the manager. No doubts there. "I'm Lilly by the way, the hostess."

"I'm Kyna. And it's fine, no harm done." The younger girl spinned the cube in her hands, her eyes still on the other woman while one more layer fell into place.

"But I must say that Jim was right. You and that puzzle cube in the club..a sight not usually seen. Never I'd even say." Lilly put an elbow on the counter, indicating that she planned to stick around for more than a minute.

"Oh, I'm just looking for a perfect solution." Kyna replied after a small chuckle. "I do it in approximately 38 moves."

As a proof she tossed a perfectly solved Rubik cube on the counter and added:

"I've heard there are people who do it in twenty."

Lilly tried to cover the shock with a remark:

"That's an interesting hobby."

"I get bored easily. When I reach the twenty moves I'll move on to something else."

Lilly looked intently at the fairer woman, studying her, then paused her lips slightly and smiled again with that polite smile of a manager.

"By the way, this is from the gentleman in a dark-blue suit." She made a gesture with her hand and a waitress appeared behind Kyna out of a nowhere holding a tray with a bottle of Cristal Champagne.

The young woman on the bar stool dared her blue eyes up to the VIP floor to find the blonde one (the one she considered good acquainted with the physical activities and protein shakes) looking straight back at her with equally blue eyes. Upon catching her gaze he raised a glass he was holding in a salute. She was the first one to admit the he was attractive but…a million of reasons more not to start anything by excepting the bottle of…Kyna sighed recognizing that it was a Vintage 1999. She shook her head as she became certain to refuse the 5000$ bottle.

Instead she took the last drink of her J&C which became very cold due to all the ice cubes having melted and cringed slightly at the frost embarking and enveloping her throat from the inside. Then stood up from the stool, grabbing her purse and, straightening her knee-length nude lacy dress, looked at Lilly with a polite smile:

"Lilly, could you tell the gentleman that although it is incredibly generous of him, I'd have to decline. Thank him from me though. I really have to go plus I'm not much of a sparkly drinker."

"You sure?" The other woman tried again.

"Yes." Kyna nodded and made her way to the exit before stopping when she reached the manager. "I'd be careful with this Jim guy if I were you. He's not exactly clean."

She was gone after that, lost in the dancing crowd.

Lilly looked up at John watching the scene from the second floor. She shrugged her shoulders not really realizing what has happened. No girl usually refused John, no girl was usually offered anything by him, usually it was the girls throwing themselves at him. The man in question looked deep in thought for a second then a Cheshire smirk graced his handsome features.

Lilly shrugged again and turned around heading to the back room, grabbing the solved Magic Cube from the counter on her way.

She wasn't sure why but she had a feeling in her gut that she should have a better check on Jim the Bartender.

A\N – Hello, guys! Thank you for joining! What do you think? As you see this takes place about 3-4 years before the movie, probably three bcs Aj is already a part of the crew so Ghost has been in prison for some time and Lilly and Jake are close to nailing it. Oh young love.

What do you think about Kyna? I know there isn't much about her in the 1st chapter but I promise there's a lot to her story.

So please R&R! Make my day! I'm open to any suggestions and critics!

PS I don't own anything accept for the plot and my OC's.