"Hello, Emil," Sarah greeted the doorman of Belle Epoque.
"Good evening, Miss Williams. It's nice to see you again," he told her with a smile as he held the door open for her.
Once she had checked her coat, as inevitable as clockwork Karl appeared. "Good evening, Miss Williams. I must apologize. Mr. King has been unfortunately detained and has not arrived yet. Although we do expect him at any moment. I'll take you to his table." He gestured for her to follow.
"Oh, that's alright, Karl. I'll just sit at the bar and slum with the rabble until he gets here."
Karl looked slightly horrified at the thought. "Of course, if that is your wish. I'll let Mr. King know when he arrives."
"Thank you." She wondered exactly what kind of instructions Jareth gave his staff about her. They all treated her as if she were some important dignitary. None of them would even call her 'Sarah' no matter how many times she asked.
Sarah sat at one corner of the bar and Sasha immediately came over. "Miss Williams, what a treat. I'm usually sending drinks up to you on high. What can I get for you?"
"Surprise me," she told him.
He grinned. "Oh, you're just asking for trouble, aren't you?"
"I trust your judgment and skill." Sasha was something of an alchemist when it came to alcohol. She knew she wouldn't be disappointed with whatever he prepared for her.
A short while later, he presented a drink to her with a flourish. She took a sip and closed her eyes as she savored the first sip. It was all smoky whiskey and cinnamon with a hint of cherry.
"That is absolutely fantastic." she told him when he brought it to her.
He gave a dramatic bow. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Excuse me." Sarah looked over to the man sitting next to her. "I just wanted to tell you that is a fabulous dress. Is it vintage?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you very much." She had gone shopping with Jareth earlier in the week and he had convinced her to buy the dress. He was the only man she had ever met that liked to go digging through vintage and antique stores as much as she did. Once she had given up her fairy tale princess costumes she had discovered mid-century vintage clothes and had been a collector ever since. She usually didn't splurge on fancy evening clothes, because she used to have no where to wear them. But since Jareth and his club had come into her life she didn't feel so bad about indulging herself, especially with the appreciative look Jareth had given her when she tried it on. So she had come home with a fabulous 60's white shantung cocktail dress with beading around the neck that looked like a wide Egyptian collar.
Sasha came over and retrieved the man's empty glass. "Another, sir?"
"Yes. And put the lady's drink and anything else she wants on my tab."
"Miss Williams's drinks are on the house." Sasha told him with a touch of frosty hostility.
Sarah raised a questioning brow. "The owner is a friend of mine," she said apologetically.
She chatted with the man beside her for a few minutes about the shop she bought the dress at and some other vintage shops around the city. He was obviously trying to flirt with her, but he wasn't obnoxious about it.
She felt warm leather slide up her bare arm and then curve possessively around the back of her neck bared by her up-swept hairstyle. She could imagine the look Jareth was giving the man she was chatting with, because he instantly turned his focus away from her to his drink and phone.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Don't be an ass, Jareth."
She felt his low chuckle as he pressed up behind her to grasp the glass of wine Sasha had poured for him. "But you're my guest, Sarah."
He withdrew his hand from her and leaned against the bar next to her effectively blocking the man she'd been chatting with. She got a good look at Jareth for the first time tonight. He was wearing a wine velvet dinner jacket with black trousers and black shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. His hair was in rakish disarray and he had a secretive looking smile tugging at his lips. He was the very picture of louche elegance.
"But my host wasn't here, Jareth. I was lonely." She feigned a pout.
"My sincerest apologies," he replied with mock formality. "I was unfortunately delayed."
"What was her name?"
"What makes you think it was a her?" His smile turned wicked as he slipped her arm through his and tugged her away from the bar and toward the balcony where his table was."You forget I'm fae and we enjoy variety in our... amusements," he whispered in her ear. She wasn't quite sure if she imagine that his lips had grazed the shell of her ear when he spoke.
"Okay. Him, then?"
"It was more of a 'they'."
Her eyebrows rose involuntarily.
He gave a dark little laugh. "Are you shocked, my dear?"
She pulled away and scowled at him. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm a romance novelist. Sex doesn't shock me."
"But I don't recall you ever writing a menage a trois," he said as they both took their seats at the table.
"I write romance, not erotica. Threesomes aren't very romantic."
"Hmm, I suppose you're right for the most part. But remind me to tell you the tale of the Queen and her pair of Prince Consorts one day."
A server came up and Jareth ordered them another round of drinks.
"You know, I wouldn't have minded if you canceled since you had other plans tonight."
"There was no need. Mortals lack stamina," he told her matter of factly before that devilish grin slid back across his face. "The poor things were quite worn out."
Sarah rolled her eyes. He so enjoyed trying to shock her and she enjoyed not giving him the satisfaction of shocking her. Though at this moment she was feeling a little nervous at the speculative look he was giving her. Was he not sated by his pair of mortals?
"We need to find you a lover, Sarah."
She barked out a laugh. That was the last thing she expected him to say. "I might have had one if you hadn't done your possessive routine." Not that she had really been interested in the man at the bar.
Jareth snorted derisively. "You wouldn't have wanted him. I don't think being the other woman is a thrill you seek."
"No." Sarah frowned. "Married was he?"
"And with four small children at home."
"Bastard."
He looked contemplative again. "What about Sasha? I think he has a crush on you."
"That wouldn't be awkward at all," she said sarcastically.
"Perhaps you're right. He's far too good of a bartender to lose if he didn't please you."
"I don't need you to play fairy matchmaker for me. Besides I don't really want a boyfriend right now."
"I didn't say anything about a 'boyfriend'," he said the word with distaste. "But you could use a good romp in the sheets. You're entirely too tightly wound. A night of pleasure would help you relax."
"A one night stand is the last thing that would help me relax. I'm not into casual sex. It's never been very satisfying to me. Most guys into casual flings are only focused on their own pleasure." Besides she also had a hard time turning her brain off and allowing herself to just feel and not think even when she was really turned on and attracted to her partner.
"Where do you find your lovers? How can they all be so abysmal?" She was amused by his slightly aghast expression.
"Forgive me if I don't have your fae powers of seduction that have people falling at my feet to please me. And apparently I scare mortal men, remember?"
"I shall find you a proper lover," he said with resolve.
What an embarrassing conversation. She buried her face in her hands. "Please don't. I mean it, Jareth." She looked up and gave him her sternest look. God only knew how he would audition 'proper lovers' for her. "I'd much rather stick to pleasing myself."
"Do tell." He looked intrigued and she immediately regretted that last sentence. "You do have quite the imagination. I can see where ordinary mortal men might lack the creativity to please you."
She drained her glass, wishing the server would come back and interrupt this conversation and bring her a fresh drink. "Can we please talk about something else?"
"That dress looks lovely on you."
Fashion. Okay, fashion was a safe topic.
"Thank you for convincing me to buy it."
"But, of course, I do so enjoy facilitating self indulgence."
"Oh, brother." She sighed. This was going to be a long night. "Are you always like this after..." she waved her hand vaguely, not quite sure how to label his 'amusements'.
"Wearing out two mortals?"
She rolled her eyes again. He makes her do that far too often. "So when is the band supposed to go on?"
He chuckled. "Oh, there's that puritanical streak finally exposing itself."
