This is a response to Peja's Improv Challenge # 1. The challenge was to write something that had these words in it: 1) drip 2) freaky 3) hooked up 4) duck walk 5) fake.

This is a PWP. Don't expect a plot, a sequel, or anything else, k?

Like Taking Candy from a Rookie

By Kameka

Jake McCartey jumped slightly at the sound of heavy knocking on his apartment door. He was running late, having just gotten in from work. It was a Friday night and he'd been looking forward to a free weekend kicked off by a date with a beautiful woman. Although Jake had been in New York for a year, he was still finding it difficult to find women who accepted not only his job as a detective but also the instances he was called away in the middle of dates. His date tonight was a blind date set up by his neighbor Rob. Beautiful women always surrounded the man.

How could he go wrong?

The door shook slightly as the hand fell again. Making his way back to the entrance, he opened it and jerked quickly to one side to avoid getting smacked on the chest. "Can I help you?"

"You're Jake, right?" At his wary nod the brunette smiled in relief. "Good! Robbie told me you lived a couple doors down from him. I'm Candy, your date for tonight."

Jake stepped back to allow her into the apartment. "I thought I was picking you up at eight? It's only seven-fifteen."

"Oh, you were?" She took off the swinging black coat she wore to reveal a clinging red dress. "I didn't remember for sure. I can be such a flake sometimes," she explained with a giggle. "I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Wouldn't want Robbie mad at me, right?"

He watched as the brunette sat down and relaxed as much as the tight red dress would allow. Her hair was long and artfully tousled to lie against her pale skin. Jake noticed with a slight grimace of distaste that it accentuated the obviously fake cleavage shown by the plunging neckline. Enhancement was all fine and good, but there was such a thing of 'too much of a good thing.'

"Is this the first time Robbie's set you up?" She looked over his body slowly. "I can't believe he's had to before. You're pretty good looking."

Jake shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He was finding the frankly assessing look a bit freaky. Was this what women meant when they complained about being treated like a piece of meat? "I have to go shower," he said, using it as an excuse to get away from her for a while. "I shouldn't be gone long. Make yourself at home, okay?" He gestured to the kitchen. "Drinks are in the fridge."

"Take your time," she offered, already thumbing through a magazine she'd picked up off the coffee table. Jake used her distraction to make his escape, hoping that some time away from her would allow him to get his head on straight.

*

"You didn't have to take me to my door, you know," he again reminded the slightly inebriated woman.

"Nope. Door to door service," she repeated. "Full escort," she tossed her arms open to show the size and giggled when she wove unsteadily on her feet.

Jake reached out to steady her and fought a sigh. The evening had gone from bad to worse. He'd left the safety of the shower with the hope that he'd been mistaken about Candy. Instead he'd been right on the money. She'd veered between rampant insipidness and predatory. For the first time since he'd discovered the restaurant, he hadn't enjoyed Tony's. Keeping the less-than-stellar dinner conversation in mind, he'd suggested that they go to a club afterwards. Hopefully the music would preclude conversation.

He opened the door and turned to say goodnight only to find her already gone. "Aren't you going to come in?" she asked as she peeled off her black coat and once again made herself at him.

"Sure," he answered as he shook his head and closed the door. She shouldn't have been able to get inside without him noticing. "Want something to drink?"

"I'd kill for some wine!" She paused and giggled. "Guess I shouldn't say that, you being a cop and all."

"Will coffee do?" he asked, already putting some on.

"Don't you at least have some beer?"

Jake turned and made a show of checking the contents of his fridge. "Nope, sorry" he answered while ignoring the brown bottles that resided on one of the shelves.

"Oh, well. Maybe the coffee'll be good later. Keep us awake and our energy levels up."

"Later?" Jake almost groaned at the implication she was going to be staying a while. He silently left the kitchen and made his way to one of the chairs as he thought about it. He could just kick her out… But no matter how annoying she was, he didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything.

"531 was great, wasn't it? I didn't know that it was retro night," she enthused.

"I'd never been there," he told her by way of answer. The club she'd suggested had only played music from the 1980s and the early '90s. "They sure liked to play Michael Jackson."

Candy giggled again and attempted to moonwalk again. The heels she wore complicated the dance move. She'd had the same difficulty at 531 and had ended up starting a Congo line of a duck walk. As she'd said then… Moonwalk, duck walk… What's the difference?

"You know, Candy, I have to get up pretty early tomorrow." He held his breath in the hope she took the hint.

"Oh, okay." She shrugged and reached for the row of black buttons that ran down the front of her dress and held it closed.

"What are you doing?" Damn, had that been his voice that broke? That hadn't happened in years!

"Getting undressed. We can hurry up and then you can go to bed." She finished the job of unbuttoning the bright red fabric and shrugged out of it to reveal black lace lingerie. She moved closer to him and ran a crimson-tipped nail down the side of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just wondering why…" He gestured to the fabric that lay on the floor.

"Don't be silly, Jakey! Door to door service! Or should that be bed to bed service?" She considered the question a moment before deciding it was irrelevant and shrugged. She reached out to grab hold of his shirt. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

Jake leant back as far as he could. "Well..."

She pouted and looked at her lace-clad chest. "It's because I drip, droop, isn't it? Candy Drop."

Jake shook his head. "It's not that at all. I'm just tired, okay?"

She looked up at him, her eyes coldly calculating whether or not he was lying.

Never let them see you sweat, he reminded himself.

Finally deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, she bent down and scooped up her dress. Shrugging it on and buttoning it with a quick efficiency that belied the alcohol in her bloodstream, she grabbed her jacket with one hand and flounced to the door. "If you want another date with me, you can arrange it through Robbie," she told him before leaving him.

Jake stared after her, wondering just who she was. What she was. Picking up the magazines that she'd knocked off the coffee table, he decided to pay a visit to his neighbor. Knocking on the door, he waiting for it to be answered. "Rob, it's me Jake."

The door opened to reveal a tall black man wearing hastily drawn on boxers. "Jake, my man, didn't expect to see you before tomorrow afternoon!"

"Sorry if I disturbed anything," he offered by way of apology.

"No problem. Carmen's used to it. I'll be in the hall," he called to her before stepping out and closing the door. "What's up?"

"What was wrong with Candy?"

"Candy?"

"Yeah, the girl you hooked me up with."

Rob nodded and took a drag of the cigarette in his hand. "Oh, that Candy. Nothing, why?"

"Just seemed like something was wrong with her," he answered.

"Want someone else? Carmen maybe? I have lots of girls to choose from," Rob assured Jake.

Jake looked at his neighbor and blinked. "Lots of girls?"

"Course, couldn't have a business without them, could I?" He finished his cigarette and flicked at the ashes with a nail. "Listen, you want one, call me and we can work something out. I gotta get back inside."

He left Jake standing there much as his girl Candy had earlier in the night. His girls? Jake shook his head and made his way back to his apartment, making a mental note never to ask Rob what he did for a living. Being a cop could make friendships hard sometimes.

The End