Warning: This story contains adult language, graphic violence, attempted rape, attempted suicide, and sexually explicit themes. Reader's discretion is advised. Rating - R.

Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.

Chapter 17: Lush Life

Jack and Apollonia made their way to Paddy's Tavern, a splendid, energetic bar that was known for the best liquor and lively entertainment. They occupied a table diagonally across from the band, which was playing a popular Irish ditty. The patrons at the bar were clapping their hands, slapping the table tops, and stomping their feet to the sounds of Gaelic tunes. Jack was enjoying himself immensely, drinking his beer and bopping his head up and down to the vivacious Irish melody. Apollonia was taking pleasure in the festivities herself, leisurely sipping her cola. He turned to her smiling. "So, how do you like them?"

"They're great. Better than I expected." She said clapping to the music. Several customers were dancing all around them. Men and women dancing to their hearts content as the day's worries and miseries were left at the front door. Other drunken men tried to stay lucid in mind so that their wives would not suspect their shenanigans at home. Apollonia overheard two men declaring to each other that their wives would kill them if they found out they were out drinking. As soon as the music stopped, everyone applauded thunderously. The patrons made their way back to their seats and conversed as usual, until the next song began. Jack looked over at Apollonia, happy to see that she was enjoying herself. Jack called out to the bar maid to have another refill of beer sent to him. Turning his attentions back to Apollonia, she gave him her undivided attention. "So, how does it feel to be back in the real world?"

"It's nice. Really nice. It feels great to be out again. Not closed off from the world."

"Do you think Giselle would mind you being in a bar with a bunch of drunken fools and harebrained scabs?"

"What I do is my business. Giselle means well, but she is not my mother. I go where I please." Jack was glad to see the spunk in her emerge. He made sure to let her know it.

"That's one of the things I really like about you. Your fire. I like to see how close I can get to it without getting burned." Apollonia gave him a sly grin. As they conversed, three men approached the two, one with a beer in hand. "Hey dere, Kelly. What brings you to these drunk-infested quarters?" The man joked as the others laughed along.

"Fellas, this is Apollonia Conlon. Apollonia, this is Bryan, Patrick, and Russ. We work tagedda at the Fenway Warehouse." Apollonia nodded in acknowledgement of each man. All were tall, muscular, and good-looking. Grabbing chairs from nearby tables, the trio decided to join them. "Is this your first time to Paddy's?" Bryan asked, a dark-haired, soft brown-eyed man with a friendly face. "Yes, it is. Jack was nice enough to show me a good time at his favorite hangout." Jack noticed his friends ogling her. Russ, the red-head, sat diagonally from her while Patrick sat to her immediate left. Their presence made Jack uncomfortable. He moved closer to her in his chair, trying to diffuse the tension both generated from the guys and building from within.

All talked and consumed their alcoholic beverages until the band began to reconvene, planning to play their next song. "So, Apollonia, you like to dance?" Asked Bryan. "I love to dance. It's why I still have my amazing figure." The guys started "woo-hooing" at her comment. "I like her. She's a trip!" Exclaimed Patrick, his blue eyes flashing. Jack didn't like Patrick rubbing her back. His expression of disapproval was evident, but no one noticed as they were too busy having fun. "I've got an idea." Proclaimed Bryan. "Why don't you dance with me and we can leave these jokers to play poker and shoot the breeze."

"Like hell you will! She's gonna dance wid me. Right, sweetness?" Said Patrick. "Like either of you have a chance once she sees how good I am." Said Russ, who was barely able to stand. Jack sat back watching how all of his friends were eager to dance with her. Seeing Jack's discontent look, Apollonia devised a quick solution to resolve the matter.

"Waitress! Bring me a bottle of your best whiskey, please." Confused, all of them looked at her with wonderment. "Apollonia, what are you doing?" Jack whispered. Apollonia just smiled at him. All sat quietly as the waitress brought a giant bottle of whiskey to the table. "We are going to settle this once and for all." She opened the bottle with everyone looking on with curiosity. "Whoever takes the biggest swig, can dance with me."

Provoked by the challenge, they all agreed to the bet. Bryan took his turn first, guzzling as much as he could without choking. He stood there proud, as if he proved himself victorious in the contest. Next was Patrick. He swallowed as much as he could without hurling over. He was not a heavy drinker, but the temptation of dancing with Apollonia and winning was too good to pass. As soon as he was finished, Russ took his turn. He was the most inebriated of the four and almost passed out. Much to Apollonia's surprise, Jack grabbed the bottle and took his swig. In a matter of twelve seconds, Jack held the record of drinking the most whiskey. He then turned to her. "Shall we?" He said, extending his hand to her.

His friends were crestfallen from their defeat, but they figured they held their own. They watched as the attractive duo made their way to dance among the others. Apollonia pressed against him, relishing the feel of his hard body squeezing her breasts as his hand held her close to him. The band began playing a fast-paced melody and the two began waltzing across the dance section of the bar. Other couples were trying to keep up the pace and dance as well as Jack and Apollonia, but their rhythms were not in sync as they were for the dancing starlets. They mesmerized everyone in the bar as all eyes were on them. They danced and danced all the way through to the music's end. They brought the house down as everyone went into raptures over them. The two bowed and curtsied to their delighted audience. Apollonia smiled at her admiring spectators as did Jack. They walked back to the table to their applauding trio of friends.

"Well, I must say, Ms. Conlon, you certainly have got some talent and a lucky dance partner at that!" Commented Bryan. She smiled at his compliment as she rested to slow down her rapid breathing. Jack looked over at her. "Ready to go?" She nodded her head in affirmation. "Well, it's been nice chatting with you guys. I'll see you tomorrow at work." Jack threw down some money onto the table for the drinks and a tip for the waitress. They said their goodbyes to each other and the guys watched as Apollonia and Jack made their way out of the door.

~

Racetrack, Mush, Blink, and Crutchy spent their time at Sheepshead betting and watching the horses make their way to the finish line. Racetrack, who always had a bet on a different horse, kept screaming and cursing all the way through until the competition came to an end. "Damn it!" He yelled. "Dat's the fourth horse this week dat I bet on and it didn't make a damn impact on my wager!"

"Awww, don't be upset about it, Race." Crutchy added. "The last thing ya need ta be doing is putting money on a stallion dat won't guarantee a win."

"Listen, you play by your rules. I'll play by mine." Race snapped. He had been betting on several horses for the past week and so far every one of them lost their race. The last thing Racetrack needed was sympathy. Blink and Mush had their eyes on two young ladies that were sitting nearby, flirting with them from a distance. Both appeared to be women of high station and they displayed great amounts of flirtatious activity, directing it their way.

"So which one do you want, Mush? The one on the right or the one on the left?"

"Does it really matter, Blink? I'd do them both!" Both guys laughed and patted each other on the backs for their womanizing philosophies. Crutchy looked at them shaking his head in disbelief.

"Hey, you guys. What's so exciting ovah dere?" Racetrack asked.

"Cast your eyes downward." Blink said, pointing to the girls a few rows down from them. Race nearly lost his marbles.

"Are you guys kiddin' me!? Those goils are da easiest pieces of ass this side of Manhattan!" Blink and Mush looked at him in astonishment.

"What are ya serious?"

"Hell yeah, Mush. The pretty dark-skinned one gets as much play from guys as a rooster in a house full of horny hens. And the blonde, dat one sucks so much dick the goil walks around on her knees!"

They guys screamed with laughter as Racetrack had given them the girls' notorious reputations. "Something tells me dat you tasted both of those babes." Blink stated.

"No comment." Race said, puffing on his cigar.

Blink and Mush snickered as Crutchy looked at Racetrack with embarrassing eyes. "Ya know, the way you guys treat goils ya nevah goin' ta find real love. Don't ya wanna be in love and spend da rest of ya life loving one person?" The other guys just looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions.

"Aww, come on, fellas. I mean, don't ya wanna have someone dat makes ya feel special and loved?"

"Hey, listen, Crutch. We all want ta have someone ta love and love us back. But right now, all we're thinking about is twat and how much we can get!" Racetrack reiterated as Mush and Blink each second his motion. Crutchy just shrugged it off for the moment, knowing that his horny friends would eventually see things his way. They all turned their attentions back to the horse race and having a good time.

~

Jack walked alongside Apollonia as they strolled casually through the shaded paths of Central Park. The evening breeze caressed the trees tenderly down the pathway. Side by side, they wandered, taking notice of the beautiful weather and squirrels running back and fourth on the grass. Apollonia liked how their tails rippled as they scurried about the ground. Nonchalantly, she looked up at Jack. "Well, Monsieur Kelly, this certainly is wonderful day we are having. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, of course. Wonderful." Jack responded, looking more like a giddy schoolboy than a virile, young man who was enjoying the company of a beautiful woman.

"Do you get to see Medda very often?"

"Not very often. I have gotten to see her from time to time when I accompany Racetrack and the others, but I haven't seen her perform for a while now."

"Same here. The last time I saw her she had dancing midgets and jugglers onstage. I felt like I was at the circus." Apollonia giggled at his remark. Getting a breath of fresh air, something she had not done since she first materialized after her lengthy depression, she glanced up towards the trees, seeing how the leaves swayed back and forth in the warm wind.

"So, tell me, Jack. How often do you get out and enjoy yourself?"

Jack shrugged. "I get out a lot. After a hard day's work I usually go to Paddy's Tavern or Brady's for a drink or two. Occasionally I have had to go out on a few dates. And not with the guys, mind you." She laughed quietly at his last statement.

"Well, I hope that a date with me will be just as enjoyable as the dates you've had with other women." Jack looked down as the continued walking down the pathway. Watching lovers walking hand in hand as they passed by, Apollonia took clandestine glances at the cheerful couples. She could not help but notice the blissful vibes they were generating. That kind of energy she was very familiar with when it came to love. Nervous and tense, she took a sideways glance at Jack. "Um, Jack, do you mind if I ask you something?" Jack paused and politely waited for her question.

"Why haven't you come forward to me sooner?" Jack looked at her quietly before answering her.

"To me you're like a growing addiction I can't deny. I tried to forget you, but you were still burning inside my brain. I figured that I'll live a lush life in some small dive, rotting with the rest of those whose lives were lonely, too." Apollonia looked up at him compassionately. Jack decided to change the subject.

"Tell me, what plays have you seen lately?" Apollonia and Jack walked and talked covering several topics before attending Irving Hall to enjoy a night of vaudeville entertainment.