Chapter 3
Walking up to her at the bar, he was careful not to touch her but rather leaned on the bar next to her as she waited on tiptoes for the next available bartender. Stealing a glance at her he saw that her cheeks were flushed and her skin had a thin layer of sweat that instead made it look as if she were glowing.
The bartender that made their way over to her was an attractive male with obviously gelled hair and a beard thicker than the hair on his head. Convenient the way the bartenders picked their customers, wasn't it? He thought as he listened to her order. Captain and Coke, he never would have thought. Champagne, yes… Red Bull vodka, maybe but definitely not rum.
She looked over at him and said, "I would offer to buy you a drink but you're still nursing one" she stated plainly while looking down at his drink that was surely watered down now. He tossed the rest back and winced, as it tasted exactly as he thought it would, dirty water with a hint of gin.
"How about now?" He asked with more confidence than he has shown her in their two interactions combined.
Raising her eyebrow, she looked at the bartender and held up 2 fingers while pointing to a bottle of dark liquid on the shelf behind him, with a smile that reached her eyes the entire time. Ah, that's the trick to fast service Lip deduced as he watched her and the quick movements that followed as the bartender did unnecessary motions with the bottle and shot glasses.
As Lip thought about what to say to her next, the shot glasses were slid over to them. She held hers up, slid his closer to him and said "To Mouth, it's only fitting I give you something that goes in your mouth."
"You definitely have more than one thing I'd like in my mouth," he said with shocking clarity and poise.
Her eyes opened as wide as they would go, her jaw dropped and she did the last thing he expected, she grabbed his arm with one hand while tipping her head back to let out the biggest, most exuberant laugh he has ever heard. He stared at her and could not stop the smile that started pulling at his lips.
"I am going to say it again Mouth, you are funny," she said with sincerity.
"I've had a week to work on it" he replied quickly, without realizing what he was implying.
"You've been counting? Missing me? Why, I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me" she said in the gentlest voice she could muster.
Not knowing what to say back he turned around and leaned his back against the bar, making sure to keep her in his peripheral vision in case she decided to bolt after his inability to hold a conversation. Instead, she leaned across the bar again, ordered another round of shots and a Gin and Ginger. As the drinks were hastily poured and set in front of them, she slid a shot and the drink over to him. With a raised brow, he picked up the shot, tossed it back and looked at the mixed drink in front of him. Shaking her head at his taking the shot without her, she took the shot and stared at him waiting for him to speak. Giving up, she sighed, "It's for you Mouth, the cute redhead down the bar staring at us mouthed that is what you like to drink" she said while nodding her head down the bar where he saw Ian pretending not to notice them.
"Thank you, really" Lip said as he took the straw out, setting it on the bar, rather than flicking it on the ground this time.
"You're difficult to flirt with. Work on that or girls might start giving up" she said and walked away.
He went to call after her when he realized he did not know her name. Damn. If his lack of chivalry or inability to hold a conversation wasn't a turn off, his stupidity sure was.
He watched her move back to the mob that was the dance floor and the people he was sure she came with as Ian walked up to him and put his arm around his shoulder, "You pissed her off" he said with a sound of disappointment.
"Fuck off" Lip replied coolly.
Ian and Legs pissed him off. He got whatever he wanted and he sure as hell did not need to hear shit from his brother when things did not go his way. Finishing his drink, he set it in his brother's unwilling hands and walked to where she stood in the orgy that was termed here as "dancing." Leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Join me for a second" he asked while her movements seized and others around her looked on in curiosity.
"He speaks." She regarded him with little emotion but followed him to a less crowded area. "What's up?"
"What's your name?" He asked.
"What?" she asked quickly, thrown off guard, "We've already had our first date and you don't know it?" she responded after regaining her composure.
"You're funny and it's cute, it has obviously always worked for you, but I'm asking you a question. What is your name? I have a name for you but I doubt you're going to like it." He responded with apparent annoyance.
"You're quiet and brooding, it's obviously always worked for you but right now you're being an asshole" she spat back at him, crossing her arms, pressing him to continue. When he didn't she said "It's Danielle. If you're done, I am going to go back to what I was doing" she told him harshly as she turned back around to go back to dancing, walking away from him for what had to be the tenth time.
The week following the Saturday at Pulse passed by in a blur, much like the rest of his night after he lost sight of Danielle, deciding to drink himself stupid to make up for the way he acted around her. Waking up Sunday brought on feelings of both nausea and guilt, which he made a pact to himself that he would not think about in the hope of allowing the feeling to pass. He did not have to see her again unless he wanted to, her building was on the other side of campus and he had no intention of going there or to Pulse ever again.