It's been a while since Lou left, I keep thinking about her lips against the skin of my ear… My heart races only by having that thought.
My shift's just about to finish, all I have left to do is mop the floors and clean the glassware, which, usually, Will and I do together.
"So… I saw her say goodbye to you." He says in an annoyingly playful tone.
"She gave me her number and her club's address… She told me I could go over any time I wanted."
"Will you call her?"
"I want to… Actually I was just thinking about texting her, but I don't know if she's still up, I mean, it's almost two in the morning."
"You said she owns a club… She might be up, who knows?"
"Should I? What do I even say?"
"I would." he snickers "Tell her that it was nice meeting her… I don't know, I'm not good at giving advice."
I snort and take my phone out of my back pocket, I've already saved Lou's contact info.
"Hey, it's Y/N, it was really nice meeting you!" I type and send it.
My phone chimes a few minutes later
She replies: "Hey, I was hoping you'd text or call."
I show Will her reply.
"Dude, what now?" I ask, panicking.
"Play it cool, I guess..."
"Okay… but, how?"
"Just be yourself."
"Well, I did… What are you doing?" I text her.
"I'm still at the club, waiting until we have to close up, you?" She replies.
"We've just closed, almost done cleaning up."
"Do you want to come over?"
I gasp as I read her reply.
"She asked me if I want to come over."
"Do you?" He smirks and raises an eyebrow.
"I do." I say as I keep cleaning up the glassware.
"Then go." He laughs and takes the glass I'm currently holding.
"What? Right now?"
"Yes, go!"
"Really? Are you sure?" I point to the pile of dirty glasses in the sink in front of me "I still need to finish cleaning these..."
"I'll finish cleaning them, I know you'd do the same for me." He interrupts me.
"Okay, I owe you one..."
I hug him and give him a friendly kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you." I say as I pick up my phone and the rest of my stuff.
"Yeah!" I type with shaky hands "Do I text you when I get there?"
"Yes, please." she replies.
I say goodbye to Will before running out, I check up on my phone the directions to Lou's club and start driving. I know I'm at the right place, when I hear loud music coming from the inside.
"I'm here." I text her.
I park on the sidewalk and wait for my cell phone to chime with her reply, but to my surprise, she comes out from the back of the building. I stare at her, speechless, she looks stunning.
She walks toward me and stops a few inches away.
"Come..." she holds my hand and pulls me a little "You can park in here."
I follow her to the back of the building and park my motorcycle right where she told me. She stands by my side and stares at me, my heart starts beating like a drum when our eyes meet.
"Look at you, you've just finished working and still look lovely... " she whispers.
I blush.
"Thank you, you look really pretty." I say nervously.
"Do you want a drink?" She asks.
"Sure, thank you."
I walk behind Lou as we enter the club, the lights are dim, the music is really loud and it's a little cold; I follow her to the bar and we sit on a pair of wooden stools, she gestures something to the guy behind the counter and he gives her two bottles; she hands me one, it's beer… to be precise, the same one I served her a few hours ago. She looks at me as I take a sip.
"Do you like it?" she asks as she studies my reaction.
I take another sip out of the bottle and laugh a little.
"I love it."
"You said it was your favorite. So I got a few bottles in case you came over."
Oh god, she actually remembered. I get butterflies.
"I can't believe you..." I try to hold back the huge smile that's forming on my lips, but fail at it.
"Thank you." I say sincerely.
"My pleasure." She replies.
I sit there and look at her, speechless. I study every inch of her face; her hair, perfectly messy… her lips… oh god. I remember the feeling of them against the skin of my ear…
"What?" She asks.
"Nothing" I mutter and blush as I laugh it off.
"So, what do you do in your free time?"
"Umm… I really like to take photos, paint, I was taking acting lessons…" I pause to think about what else I like "Oh! And I'm great at playing poker!"
"That sounds pretty interesting."
"It is! My father taught me how to play when I was little." I pause "What do you like to do?" I ask, interested.
"Well… I might just tell you that later." She smiles.
"Why?" I insist.
"Later…" She winks at me.
"Okay..." I mutter "So…" I look at the bottles that are sitting in front of us "Do you want to have a chugging contest?" I ask, trying to change the subject.
"What?!" She asks with a funny look on her face.
"Come on..." I elbow her softly. "One, two…" I look at her challengingly "THREE!" I shout as I start to chug, she starts a few moments after I do, but my competitive ass doesn't care. I finish my beer a just second before she does.
"Okay, I want a rematch. You cheated." She complains.
"I'll just win again."
"I don't think so."
"Wanna bet?" I ask cockily.
"Okay… What do you want to lose?"
"Loose?" I scoff "I don't know, we can decide that later..."
She doesn't reply, instead she mutters something to the bartender and he brings out a few more beers.
"Ready?" She asks as she hands me a bottle.
"Of course… You?"
She nods.
"On three…" I say more excited than I should "One, two… Three!"
This time we start chugging at the same time and, once again, I win. We both laugh.
"I could do this all night." I say showing off.
She just looks at me and smiles.
I am mesmerized by her. She's beautiful. I want to touch her face so bad…
"Again?" She asks.
I nod. Again, we start drinking at the same time, except this time, she wins.
"You were saying…" She teases me.
"Did you let me win?" I ask as my brain processes that I might have just been played.
"Maybe."
"What?" I gasp, pretending to be offended "I demand a rematch."
"You'll lose again." She mutters with a grin.
"I'm pretty competitive." I insist.
"Okay, then, what are we betting on?" She asks.
"Whoever loses has to take the other out for dinner." It's my chance to ask her out, so I take it.
"Deal."
We shake hands and she hands me another beer. I try as hard as I can to finish it first and, to my surprise, I do.
"I did not let you win this time." she says out of breath, laughing.
"I genuinely thought that I was gonna lose." I admit, laughing too.
She keeps laughing and gently reaches for my face to clean my chin, where I have a little beer dripping down. I lean a little toward her.
"Hey, boss…" A tall guy calls her. I turn to look at him and realize that the place is almost empty.
"Wait a sec… I'll be right back." She whispers in my ear.
She talks to a group of people, who I suppose work for her and the few people who are left start to leave. After a few minutes, we end up completely alone and in silence.
She goes behind the counter and takes out a bottle of tequila.
"Want another drink?" She asks, smiling knowingly,
"Yeah, thanks."
I get up and walk around the place, which is huge.
"Nice place." I say as I sit back on the same stool I was before.
Lou pours some tequila on two shot glasses and hands me one.
"So, Y/N, have you ever done something illegal?"
I laugh, but she looks dead serious.
"Hmm… it depends."
"On what?"
"Recently or in the past…" I say shyly.
"Whenever."
I feel the need to be completely honest, and I do.
"I shoplifted a few times, I cheated while playing poker on a few casinos and…" I blush, embarrassed "I sometimes water down the alcohol at the bar, but I only serve it to customers who are rude to me or any of my coworkers."
She laughs. That wasn't the reaction I was expecting, not at all.
"What?!" I ask as I look at her, confused and laugh nervously.
"Nothing, I like that you were completely honest."
"So… Have you ever done something illegal?" I ask.
"Do you remember that a couple of years ago The Touissant was stolen at the Met Gala?"
"Yeah…?" I don't get where this is going.
"Well, I was a part of that."
I laugh, she must be teasing me, but she doesn't say a word.
"Really?" I ask.
"Yes."
"Whoa." I exhale.
"What?" She looks at me with a scowl.
"Why would you tell me that?" I ask looking her in the eyes "I mean, I don't mind, but, we've just met… I could say something to anyone."
"Will you?"
"No." I say as I look her in the eyes "Will you tell me how you did it?"
She sits next to me and we keep drinking as she tells me the story, how one of her close friends planned it while she was in jail, how they executed it perfectly and got away with it; she describes every single detail to me, and I look at her mesmerized; the story is fascinating and we're both drunk by the time she finishes telling it.
"I can't believe you guys did that… and actually got away with it." I exhale surprised "That's amazing."
She doesn't say a thing, but I feel her staring at me; when I look at her, our eyes meet.
"Have I already told you that your eyes are really... blue and beautiful?" I babble staring at her.
"No." She laughs.
"Yes. They're beautiful… You're beautiful." I say as I lean closer to her.
"Really?" She looks amused.
"Really." I lean a little closer.
"Do you mind?" I say as I reach for her face but I don't actually touch her.
She doesn't say a thing and instead takes my hand and puts it on her face. Her skin is warm and soft, just as I thought. I hold my breath and gently run my finger through her cheeks, her nose and, finally, her lips.
"Lou?"
"Yes?"
"Kiss me." I whisper.