Night Life
A few days after running in to Jay at Venom, Manny was walking in to her apartment building. She pulled off her sunglasses and smiled at the doorman, "Good Afternoon Richard. How are you today?"
Richard smiled, opening the door for her, "Very well, Ms. Santos. And yourself?"
"I'm good, thank you. Tell Sophia I said hi."
"I will. She's making a batch of your favorite muffins. I'll bring them tomorrow for you."
Manny laughed softly, "She's the reason my agent keeps putting me on a diet," she joked as she headed to the elevator. She hit the up button and waited.
A few minutes later, she stepped out of the elevator playing with the keys in her hand. She walked down the hall, humming to herself. She was almost at her door, when someone bumped in to her.
"Hey, watch it!" She hissed.
"Geez, Santos, are you stalking me now?"
She looked up only to meet eyes with Jay. She laughed, "In your dreams."
"Actually, you're doing something else in my dreams," he joked as she rolled her eyes.
"That's disgusting. Are you visiting someone?"
He shook his head, "No, I moved in last week."
"Wait... You're the one everyone has been talking about?"
He smiled, "People are talking about me?"
"No, no. It can't be true. I mean, I saw some of the furniture that was being delivered. You do not have that kind of style."
Jay laughed, "You're right. I don't. My sister does though. She's a decorator."
Manny looked at him, "You said you got a job here, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Well, what do you do?"
"What do you do?"
Manny sighed, "Don't answer a question with a question it's annoying."
"I'll tell you if you come have a drink with me."
"You're lucky I'm such a curious person, but no public places."
"Why not?"
"Long story. Your place or mine?"
He smirked, "Bet you never thought you would say that to me."
She laughed, "For that, we're going to my place. It's just a few doors down." She started walking and then stopped at her door.
"Oh, so you're the one who has this penthouse. I wanted this one."
"Everyone does," she unlocked the door and let him in.
Jay closed the door behind them and followed Manny to the bar she had, "I'll make the drinks."
"Nothing to strong."
"Got it."
A little while later...
Manny and Jay are sitting in front of her bar, sipping from their third or fourth drink.
"So, tell me, why no public places?" Jay asked.
"I really don't feel like being in yet another tabloid."
He raised an eyebrow, "Tabloid?"
She nodded, finishing her drink, "I'm a singer."
"Didn't you want to be an actress or something?"
"Yeah, but," she sighed, "that didn't work out as well as I had planned. So, I tried my hand at singing and what do you know? People actually like listening to me."
"And how is it I've never heard that you were this famous singer?"
She smirked, "Because I don't go by Manny."
"Oh, you don't? Then what do you go by?"
"Cassie."
He laughed, "Why not keep Manny? Or go by Manuella or whatever?"
She shrugged, "I have no idea. It was my agents idea."
"Let me guess, she tells you to jump you ask how high?"
Manny nodded, putting down her empty glass, "That's the music business for ya. Once I get my second album out, I'll be able to have more say. Hopefully. Enough about me, what do you do?"
"I'm a lawyer."
Manny let out a laugh, "You're a lawyer?"
"Hard to believe I know, but hey, I have experience with the law."
"Yeah, experience on how to break the law."
"Very true." He grabbed her empty glass and his own, making them another drink.
"Have you ever heard any of my songs?"
He nodded, "I have. I was seeing this chick a few months back who was in to that whole pop scene."
"What did you think?"
"Didn't make my ears bleed."
She laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment."
"I never saw you in any tabloids though."
"Really? Shocking."
He handed her the glass and sat back down, "Why is it shocking?"
She sighed and sipped her drink, "You remember Craig, right? Well, after he got out of rehab for the third time, we started seeing each other again."
"And that's tabloid worthy?"
"Not exactly. He ended up switching to the label that signed me. We hung out a few times and then he confessed that he was still in love with me."
"I'm guessing that's a bad thing."
She laughed softly, "At first it wasn't. Then, come to find out, he was with Ellie. So, while I'm all giddy that we're back together and we're actually working as a couple for once, our faces were plastered all over the magazines. One night, while we were at some club opening, Ellie shows up. She causes this whole big scene and Craig was running his mouth saying it was all for publicity and that he had no feelings for me what so ever. Blah, blah, blah. The press had a field day with it. Calling me a mistress and a home wrecker." She took a deep breath, "Ashley Kerwin even had an interview about that whole love triangle and how I was pregnant, then had an abortion. It was horrible."
"Wow. I don't know how I didn't hear about any of that."
"It's over with now. Thank god." She rubbed her forehead, "Wow, I didn't realize how drunk I was."
He laughed, "Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing."
"I'm going to change, it's kind of hot in here," she got up, stumbling a little. She found her balance and walked to her room.
Jay got up and walked around the pent house, looking at the random pictures she had. He saw one with her and Emma from graduation. Then, saw one of her and Craig, but Craig's eyes were blacked out.
Manny walked back out and over to him, wearing a pair of short shorts and a tight tank top, "I love that picture of me... It's too bad Craig's in it."
He laughed, "I agree. I like the one of you and Emma."
She smiled, "That has to be the best day I ever had. I think that was the last time I saw her."
"How come?"
"I left for LA the morning after graduation. I don't visit much. I guess we just lost touch."
"Really?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Have you ever seen her around Toronto? I mean, before you moved here?"
Jay bit his lip and nodded slowly, "Yeah... We sort of had a thing."
Manny raised an eyebrow, "After the whole Ravine thing?"
"Yeah. A very short lived thing."
"I didn't know that."
"Not many people did. That was sort of the problem."
"For her or you?"
"For me. I didn't want to keep everything a secret. She did. Even when I started school and was trying to do better for myself. It was like she was ashamed of me."
"I'm sorry. Em can be a bitch at times. Why didn't she wanna tell anyone?"
"Long story. Many some other night."
Manny nodded, not wanting to pry.
"So, another drink?"
She laughed, "If I have another drink I might try to take advantage of you."
"And we wouldn't want that..." He smiled moving a little closer to her.
She bit her lip, letting all the alcohol she consumed take over, "Not at all."
He put a hand on her hip, "Or would we?"
She took a deep breath, "We might... want that." She put a hand on his chest moving it slowly up to his neck.
His hand slid to her lower back and he pulled her closer. Manny's hang ran up the back up his neck, running her fingers through his hair. Jay leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against hers, trying to tempt her which didn't last long. Both of her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer, kissing him hard. He backed her up against a wall, pressing his body against hers. She moaned softly and he slid his tongue in to her mouth. His tongue rubbed against hers aggressively. His hand moved down her side to her thigh and slowly up to the waist band of her shorts. He ran a finger along the edge, slowly moving underneath the fabric.
Jay's hand was almost down her shorts when she pulled away from the kiss.
"Jay... I – we... can't," she said breathlessly.
He stepped away, trying to catch his own breath and nodded, "I agree."
"I mean... I want to. Very much, but..."
"It's cool, Santos."
She sighed and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and mumbled, "Wow."
Jay looked at her, an eyebrow raised, "Wow?"
She nodded, "No one has kissed me like that in years."
He chuckled, "I have to agree with you there."
She stared at him for a minute and then pulled him towards her, kissing him again.