Haha so sorry about the delay: I can't believe I uploaded the wrong chapter to the wrong story. Sorry, I'm a retard. I also have this story posted at fictionpress, so if you check there... I update more frequently.

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Trent pulled into a space just big enough to fit his car underneath the top floor. Lauren opened her door and stepped out, and heard Cut You In by Jerry Cantrell playing underneath the sound of people talking. Trent came up behind her and put his hand on the small of her back and then led her around the cement wall into a huge, open space where Milan's fish market was during the day. There light was a red glow, and in the corner was a huge, makeshift bar. The bartender was pulling bottles and glasses from under the counter and slid them down, reminded her almost of Coyote Ugly.

The tables were filled with people, drinking, smoking, some eating. There was a large space near the back, and an open door in which Lauren could see stairs lit by a small, bluish light.

"You want something to drink?" Trent asked.

"Sure." She let him guide her to the bar, and smiled when the bartender looked up and instantly began to talk to him.

"Ah, hey, Trent." Lauren noticed a slight Italian accent. "What can I get for you and your... exquisite lady friend, tonight?"

Trent grinned, "Hey, Tom. I would like a Corona, and my exquisite lady friend," Trent winked at Lauren, "Would like...?"

"A martini, shaken, not stirred, extra dry, please." Lauren grinned and looked up at Trent. "It's all Felice's fault - she taught me to drink."

Trent just smiled, and took the frosted corona off the counter and watched Tom take out a jar of green olives and a bottle of dry Vermouth and another of gin.



"Nice taste." Trent said and shrugged, taking a swig of his beer. He wasn't expecting it when Lauren reached up and grabbed the bottle, took a gulp, and handed it back to him. Trent stared at her before a slow, huge grin spread across his face.

"Some girls know how to hold their liquor." She winked at him, like he had done only a few minutes ago, and turned to the bar to thank Tom who was watching them. She grabbed her martini and grabbed Trent's hand this time and led them to a table in the far back, farthest away from the speakers, where they could talk without yelling.

Sitting down and sipping at her martini and then eating the olives, Lauren looked around, searching for any signs of the fish market.

"You live upstairs?" She finally asked.

Trent looked up at her, making Lauren's breath catch in her throat. His eyes looked a smoky black in the light, his tan, muscular face with perfect, but scarred skin, was shadowed. "Yep. I've lived there since I was just-turning twenty."

Lauren nodded, "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's not bad. It's large, open, and all I have to do is pay rent to Milan, who owns this whole place, and I can stay." He took a drink of his beer. "What about you - do you like your townhouse?" He eyed her curiously, watching her face.

Lauren stirred her martini, looking down into the clear mixture, before answering. "Yes, I do, I really love it. I think that's just because I live with Robbie. Without him, it would be too big and too boring. The best thing about it is the view at night." She shrugged. "I'd much rather live here alone, though, then back at home."

"Robbie - he's the guy who I borrowed clothes from, right?"

Lauren smiled. "Yeah."

"I need to give you back those clothes..."

Lauren laughed, "No, no, don't worry about it. Robbie has so many clothes it makes me sick. He has like my closet times two. It's disgusting."

Trent smirked. "Robbie - he's um, he's- what is he to you?" Trent stopped talking.

"He's my lover. My best friend. My confidant. My... casual sex friend. Nothing too deep."

Trent stared at her for a minute, his jaw slightly slack.

Lauren reached over and touched his forearm that was resting on the table a minute before bursting into laughter. "I'm just joking. Robbie is... well, he's gay. He a gay, rich lawyer. The only true thing about what I said is that he's my best friend. Nothing to worry about, Trent."

Trent laughed. "I was like... what the hell?" He gave a nervous laugh, kind of angry with himself for giving off that much obvious emotion. He coughed, and then looked down at his hands which were now wrapped tightly around the Corona bottle and at her small hand with her perfectly manicured nails still resting on his forearm. He concentrated on her long, thin fingers and then felt her remove her hand. He looked up at her, and saw a mysterious, curious look on her face.



"What?" He asked.



"Where'd you used to live?"

"I lived on the outskirts... near Elk Grove sort of. My sister and her boyfriend raised me, and we lived in a small, two-bedroom house. It wasn't that bad. I just missed my parents like crazy." He looked back down at his glass, not wanting to say anymore. He was pissing himself off enough.

"What happened to them?" Lauren asked cautiously.



Trent was silent for long, Lauren almost began to ask her qusetion again before he said, "They died in a car accident before I was a teenager."



Lauren nodded, and began to ask about his scars but changed her mind. Not now. "How'd you meet Zeek?"

"High school."

"Oh." Lauren nodded. There was silence.

"How'd you meet Robbie again?" Trent wanted to roll his own eyes at himself. Idiot.

"Through Felice and Aiden. Didn't you meet Aiden in high school, too?"

"Yeah."

Lauren nodded, taking a huge sip of her martini. Still shaking her head she looked around, feeling awkward, with nothing to say.

"Lauren, I feel really awkward." Trent finally said after what seemed like eternity.

Lauren let out was sounded half like a hysterical laugh and half like a gasp and then put her hand to her mouth, smiling. "Yeah? Me, too."

Trent gave a boyish half smile, and Lauren saw uncertainty and questions raging in his eyes before he closed them off from her. She loved his Italian, hooded, smokey-eyes. (A/N: Think John Mayer or Jesse Bradford .. grrrr ;-))

Trent's smiled faded. Go for it, he thought. She's intriguing, she's gorgeous as hell, and she's into you and she doesn't seem like a slut or anything. Just do it. He opened his mouth and let the words flow out, "I've never been open with anyone for a while. There's something interesting, I don't know... intriguing about you and it's driving me insane." He concentrated harder on the label of the Corona, his large hands tightening on the chilled glass. "I don't know. I mean, that morning I found you downstairs buying fish and then we went to your place for lunch... I can't stop thinking about you. I've done some things in the past couple of years I'm rather... more than fucking ashamed of, and I'm not ready to talk about it but..." Lauren saw a high, red blush gathering on Trent's face as he looked up at her. "I like you, Lauren. I like you, a lot. And... if you don't have a problem with that, I wouldn't mind bothering you for a while."

Lauren laughed, "Bothering me? Hardly."

The dark cloud that seemed to be looming over Trent's head cleared up slightly and his dark eyes opened a little wider, as a half grin spread across his face again. "Well, then... What do you think about the band? I never really got to talk to you about it."

Lauren smiled. "You guys are awesome..."

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