Chapter Eight: Dance the Night Away
(Adult themes ahead, Slightly longer chapter)
As Hestia shuffled the clothing in her closet, she slowly realized that she didn't have very many formal clothes to wear. Of course she had the occasional cocktail dress for dance nights at Mooney's, but other than that, she didn't have anything appropriate for her date later that evening. She had managed to get the new doctor in her staff to cover her shift, to ensure that she got to actually have a relaxed time without having to check her pager every five minutes. She spent the next twenty minutes contacting each of her friends to possibly borrow a dress from one of them, or even to talk them into going shopping with her. Kira answered her with a fake giggle and a simple answer of being busy, and that she could help next time, and that she hoped the date went well. Liza's phone went straight to voicemail, and Amy didn't even try to cover the uncomfortable bored tone in her voice as she also declined.
She had almost gotten Stephi to go shopping with her, but then she remembered some appointment she had at some parlor. Hestia ended the call with a sigh as she glanced through her closet again. Her tongue clicked behind her teeth before she came up with an idea. She got dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a plain t-shirt. After grabbing her purse and keys, she pulled on a pair of flats and exited out of her home into the street outside. She made a brisk walk a few blocks over and was soon entering Fish Mooney's club. It was a much different place in the daytime, but it still held that flair that Fish had carefully poured into it. She looked around to find the stage empty, but she could see the back of the owner's head as she seemed to be eating. Her stomach began to turn as she approached the woman sitting a few feet away from her. "Miss Mooney, do you have a moment?" Her voice came across a lot more nervous than she had intended, but she was met with a careful smile as the woman turned to face her.
"Oh, your Falcone's doctor. Zaqar, is it?" The woman purred as she made a gesture to the seat across from her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Hestia hesitated, but took the seat offered to her. "Well, I uh. Actually I didn't really think this through before coming here." She chewed on her bottom lip as the lion across from her licked her lips in wait. The redhead exhaled sharply. "Well, you see, I have a date tonight, and I have nothing to wear, so I called my friends, but they were all busy, so I wasn't able to get anyone to go shopping with me, and I have no idea where to go in order to find the right outfit, so I was honestly going to stop by and see if Os—Mr. Cobblepot had any idea as to where I should go. But maybe you know somewhere instead…you always dress so attractively."
A large man had seemed to appear out of nowhere as he took a spot near Fish, and he looked the doctor over inquisitively. "It's alright Butch, she's my guest." The woman answered his silent question before she rested an elbow lazily against the table top. "Well, allow me to congratulate you on your date. You seem to be a nice girl. As for fashion advice, my umbrella boy is of no expertise. I might have a few things in the back that might fit you, but where do you plan on going?"
"It's called Nostalgia."
"The new restaurant downtown? You must have a very important date if you managed to get in there."
Hestia nodded slowly. "I guess he might be considered important."
"Is it anyone I know?"
"I don't think so." Hestia mustered her best smile after she caught the animalistic tinge in her companion's eye.
Fish caught onto her cover up quite easily. This girl was well, simply a girl to her. She hadn't fully adjusted to the mob life, and Fish saw the innocence in her still. She could also see the hunger in the girl's eyes as the green orbs took in Fish's outfit. The club owner smiled brightly before standing. "I am sure I have just the thing. Come along now girl, I will have you looking proper for your man. He will hardly be able to control himself once I am finished with you."
"Thank you, Miss Mooney." Hestia said happily as they stood from the table.
"Please, my friends call me Fish."
Hestia caught that hungry purr in her newly found friend's voice as they headed off towards a hallway. "Fish it is." She complied as they continued down the carpeted hall. As they came close to the end of the hall, Fish opened an ornate door before allowing Hestia to enter. The door acted almost like the one to Narnia, but instead it was a room full of clothing of different styles and colors. A wall at the far right carried dangerous heels, accompanied by a wall of clutches and purses galore. Fish walked a circle around the young doctor, her eyes taking in her appearance.
"Stilettoes." Fish murmured as she took in the doctor's height. "You are blessed with such fierce, fiery hair, so I am thinking a nice green or purple dress to compliment that." Hestia was surprised by Fish's fashion knowledge, but she also remembered all of the wonderful ensembles that her performers wore in the club. Fish's heels clicked across the tile towards a rack of dresses. She slid a hand over the soft, silky fabric of an ankle length dress. She pulled it, along with a few others from the rack before laying them gently over the back of a chair. "Nails, please."
Hestia held her hands, palms facing towards the ground, in front of her for the woman to see. "I haven't done them in a while…" She shyly spoke as the woman before her clicked her tongue at the doctor.
"I can see that. We have some work ahead of us. What time is your date?"
"I need to be home and ready by eight."
Fish pulled up the left sleeve of her half jacket and checked the time. "That gives us four hours to get you in your best shape. I have always enjoyed a challenge." Her coy smile made Hestia nervous as she looked around the room.
-{X}-
Hestia stood close to her door, her hands smoothing out her dress. She felt like a completely different person now that Fish was finished with her. She had graciously thanked the woman with a warm embrace before she was shooed off in a cab. They cut it close with Hestia making it home at exactly 7:45. The pair had decided on a floor length mermaid cut dress. It was a deep palatine shade, and the top left her shoulders and neck exposed in an off-the-shoulder neckline. To keep her from being too exposed, Fish had leant Hestia a white pearled matinee necklace, along with matching earring and bracelet. The dress left her feeling exposed, however, since it left most of her back visible. "He'll see them sooner or later dear, might as well embrace them." Fish's words of encouragement echoed through her mind as she practiced walking without stepping on her dress.
She had decided on a pair of the dangerous, strappy heels to close some of the height difference between herself and her soon to be date. She examined her newly manicured French tips before looking over her makeup in a mirror once more. Fish had turned her into a different person with most of her hair in an up-do, with a few strands elegantly curled to still leave her face with a slight frame. Fish had also had the hair dresser give Hestia bangs to help frame her face in a softer manner.
Her stomach knotted as the doorbell rang, and after giving herself a mental pep talk, she placed her hand on the knob. It turned with a click, and his scent wafted through her door frame. Her heart hitched up into her throat as she took in his tuxedoed frame, his own eyes examining the woman before him. "You look very handsome." Hestia finally spoke.
Victor spoke in a low tone before offering an arm out to her, "You look different."
She wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad different to him, since his face didn't reveal any clues. She decided not to read too far into it as she wrapped an arm around his. He led her out to a black four door, and he opened her passenger door to allow her to climb in. He had noticed the open backing of the dress as she slid into the vehicle, and he paused only to make sure her skirt didn't get caught in the door before he closed it. He ventured to his side of the vehicle and quietly drove off towards their destination. "You are wearing perfume. It's new."
Hestia giggled lightly from nerves before looking at him. "I hope it isn't too much."
His right hand rested on her thigh causing her heart to beat blindly against her rib cage. "It is a pleasant smell." His fingers moved absentmindedly over the fabric of her dress as he mused aloud. "That dress fits you perfectly. I didn't realize you had such a wardrobe."
"I went shopping with a friend." She lied quickly before resting her hand on his. This was a new experience for her, given that she hadn't gone on a date in a few years. She hadn't even known anyone to go out with in this capacity. He had calmly taken her hand in his own as he made his way to their destination. As they got close Hestia noticed the line growing outside of the door. Her heart sank a little. "Oh, we might not be able to get in."
A noise came from Victor's chest in a grunt like fashion. "Don't worry. I have reservations." He turned a corner and parked behind the restaurant. His fingers left hers as he turned off the car. She moved her hand to open the door. "Stay. I will open it for you."
While he seemed so aggressive, he was still polite. He was quickly on her side of the car, and soon his hand was reaching in to help her out. He rested a palm at the small of her back as he led her towards the front of the restaurant. Once they turned the corner, he held an arm out to her, and she graciously wrapped her own around his again. They approached the door, and a man at the front of the line looked angrily at the couple. "The back of the line is back there buddy."
Zsasz snapped a fierce glare in his direction, causing the man to stop before he could make another statement towards them. He then turned his attention smoothly to the suited man at the door. "Victor Zsasz, for two."
The suited man quickly shuffled through the papers on his clipboard until he came across the name. He checked them off the list and opened the door. "Right this way, they'll get you seated. Enjoy your meal, Mr. Zsasz." The couple walked into the restaurant, leaving the man at the front of the line in a fit of rage.
Hestia's eyes danced around the restaurant as she took in the environment. She had been to places similar to this before, but nothing so beautifully designed as this. They were led over a marble floor and around an intricate fountain before being led out to the main dining hall. It was already packed with other people. Hestia recognized a few as politicians and other important figures in Gotham. They were led to a table in a somewhat secluded area, and Victor pulled the chair out for Hestia, and after she had taken her seat, he pushed her in keeping care in not ruining the skirting of her dress. Once he was sure she was comfortable situated he sat across from her, and a waiter quickly greeted them and poured a sample of their nightly wine into their glasses. He also set down a small plate of antipasto in between the two of them. "I'll return to take your order in a few moments."
Hestia's eyes scanned over the menu at the expanse choices. She occasionally glanced up at Zsasz to find him staring at her. His menu was already rested upon the table top. "You already know what you want?" She asked, disbelief echoing in her tone. "They barely opened tonight, and you already made up your mind?"
Zsasz lifted his wine glass as he inhaled the rich scent of the wine. He took a small sip before making eye contact with her. "I ordered for us when I made the reservations to ensure we wouldn't have much waiting time."
Her hands slowly lowered her menu to the table top, a slight look of offense dancing to her features. How could he possibly know what she wanted? She lowered her napkin lightly over her lap before looking across the table at him. "I supposed I will let that slide for our first date."
"I assure you that I ordered the best for us tonight. I am sure you will enjoy the meal, I just didn't want to waste any of our time together this evening." He took another sip of his wine slowly before resting the glass upon the table. "Why did you decide to become a doctor?"
"My parents were doctors, and so they felt it best that I follow in their footsteps. However, I took a slightly different course than they did. My father was a psychiatrist, and my mother a psychologist. It worked out well for the two of them to work together. I decided to study emergency medicine and surgical critical care. I returned to Gotham to help those that may not be able to seek care from a hospital. I am actually considering asking Falcone if he would allow me to hire a few psychologists and psychiatrists to expend my practice. I cannot offer much on the mental health side of doctoring as of right now."
Victor looked over her features slowly, his eyes only stopping to linger at her exposed neck. As she finished speaking, his eyes returned once again to her face. "My parents came from money, and you already know what happened to them."
Hestia took this as her turn to sip on her wine, the liquid dancing through her taste buds. She kept her eyes on his face, however as he spoke. He was clean shaven, and the candle light from their table flickered lightly against the skin on his head. She hadn't realized he had finished speaking completely as she stared at him. She had started to become lost in the low roll of his voice, the tone so crisp and sure. "Do you want me to arrange a time for you to meet with Don Falcone, or would you like me to relay your wants for your clinic to him? I am sure he wouldn't have any issues with you improving your practices. However, he did find you a few other doctors to help lessen the load for you."
She snapped back to the conversation calmly. "I think it would be better if I met with him. That way I could explain the importance of my requests. I know that he has been very kind about our agreement so far, and I don't want to abuse that, but I am thinking of what is best for my patients. Many of them are unable to find affordable care, and others are unable to go to more traditional institutions."
The two made small talk as their night continued on, and after they completed their shared desert, he stood to pull her chair out for her once again. They walked arm in arm again towards the exit, and Hestia could feel a great number of the other diners staring at them as they exited. A few whispers caught her ear. Who is that? Why is she with Zsasz? Doesn't she know? The only person she made eye contact with was the pale eyed umbrella boy. His smile fell in surprise at the couple as they walked past his table. He was obviously there with others, but Hestia made a point of not making eye contact with any of his companions. She could hear the lioness' laugh somewhere nearby, and the well-spoken voice of her boss. She heard a pause from him, surely he had noticed the pair.
She suddenly felt very small, but she kept her head held high as her eyes disconnected from Oswald's, her stride confidently matching Zsasz's. She was starting to learn that if she was going to work in this world, and be a part of this jungle, she knew she had to grow some fangs. She stiffened her gaze as they passed another table, with only one man that she recognized. They didn't make eye contact, and he didn't notice the couple, but she felt that if he had, their exit might have gone differently. Salvatore Maroni was speaking rather loudly, a half empty wine glass in front of him. He owned a restaurant, what was he doing at this one? Zsasz's arm tightened a bit around hers as he quickened their pace.
They were soon climbing into his vehicle, and she could tell that his teeth were grinding. His jawline became more defined as he inhaled sharply. She wasn't sure where this sudden anger came from, but she shuffled nervously in her seat. His hand placed itself on her thigh again, this time the touch more involved than earlier. "I am not taking you back to your place. There are too many people there."
She blinked quietly at him as he turned into a nicer part of town. He was soon pulling up the driveway of one of the nicer homes in the area. He pulled into the garage and was once again on her side of the car to let her out. They entered his home through a door in his garage. She had always expected him to live in a small apartment, maybe even a studio since he didn't seem like the kind of person to have much company over. He had an open kitchen that dwarfed her own, and then they passed through what she assumed was a darkened living room. She was suddenly becoming nervous as his hand was wrapped tightly in her own. He knew his way through the dark, and her heart pounded as she was led through unfamiliar territory.
He paused only to unlock two large doors. He flipped on a light and turned to face his guest. Her hands were nervously straightening her dress, her eyes looking quickly around his room. There was another set of doors across the room to her right that seemed to lead out to some sort of balcony, and two other single doors on the left side of the room, probably leading to a bathroom and a closet. The carpet was dark in color, possibly a dark red from the low lighting in the room. There was a dresser close to her, the wood matching the doors from what she could tell. Her eyes stopped on the bed across the room from them. At the foot of it, a two person ottoman rested. The ottoman contrasted against the darkness of the room with its snowy appearance.
He waited for her to finish her examinations as he stepped out of her way to allow her to venture into the room. His bed was large with four posts, black curtains pulled back around each of the sides with the snowy white colored ropes. She stepped towards the bed, her hand gently touching the post closest to her, she could feel a design carved into it, but the lighting was too low for her to clearly make out what it was. The comforter on his bed matched the curtains, and the sheets peeked out in a pale white shade. He had two pillows on each side of the bed, with one throw in the center. She knew that he was a meticulous person, but his room seemed a little more fashionably aware than what she pegged him for.
She walked towards the double doors on the side of the room and opened them. He walked behind her slowly as she walked out onto the balcony. It was made of stone, and she looked up at the moon above them. The stars were a little more visible here than from her home back in the heart of the city. Her hands moved over the cold stone as she looked out into the small woods behind his house. She couldn't see much in the darkness, but the breeze helped her calm her nerves. He moved close to her, her pale skin illuminating in the darkness. His hands moved slowly down her sides as he trailed kisses down her exposed neck before they wrapped around her. She melted into his hold until they fit against each other, and she inhaled his cologne slowly.
His kisses became more wanting against the nape of her neck, and the nerves began to creep up in her stomach. She made her mind up quickly however, and turned in his arms until she faced him entirely. She moved her hands across his chest and up around his neck to pull her face closer to his. They stopped inches from each other, their eyes connecting. He had a different type of gaze in this moment, and she felt her knees go weak. He closed the space between them by placing his lips against her. At first they were careful to help her ease into this dance, but soon they became greedier and hungry as they moved from her mouth and across her jaw to her neck. This time he left soft bites down her exposed neck, her skin shuddering in goosebumps. A small moan escaped her lips, and he bit once more harder before lifting her up. He sat her down on the balcony ledge, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him.
She had an odd sense in the back of her mind at this scene. She hadn't been intimate in a while, and she was worried about the consequences the morning would bring. His body fit itself in between her thighs as his heat spread to her body. He was thankful for her exposed shoulders as he turned his attention to kissing this unexplored flesh. Her hands worked carefully at his jacket's buttons. As soon as the next layer was free, she began to remove those buttons as well. Her hands soon found themselves touching against his bare skin. Her fingers found the rough texture of scabs along with a few smoothed over scars. She moved to return his kisses by placing gentle lips against his chest. Her fingers moved over his scars in curiosity and his hips moved against hers, causing a different feeling to take over her nervousness.
The two took their time warming up before he lifted her to carry her to his bed. He set her down right in front of his bed and she quickly turned to allow him to kiss over her shoulders and for his hands to move over her own scars. She began to slip off her dress, and his hands reached out to firmly grasp her wrists. He spun her to face him again and after letting her wrists drop to her sides, he began to remove the dress from her form. She felt vulnerable as she was exposed to him, his body pressing against her as he began to devour her nerves, their bodies lowering to his bed.
The jingle of his belt echoed into the room as he removed the last few articles of clothes from his body. His hands worked precisely to remove her strappy heels, and they thumped somewhere else across the room. He pushed her frame towards the center of his bed, and he climbed up after her. One of his hands moved up her stomach slowly, and soon he was grasping one of her breasts, his thumb gently moving over her nipple. Her breathing hitched as he lowered himself between her thighs once more. He entered slowly, her body becoming acquainted with his size and this feeling again. Gentle moans came from the doctor as Zsasz moved between her legs. Much like their kisses, he became greedy and his pace quickened.
He wrapped an arm under her to arch her back, and she began to move to his pace with him. Foreign sounds came from her as he took her as his own, her hands touching him here and there as she became lost in his warmth, and he began to allow low rumbles to come from his chest. She wanted to become closer to him as she wrapped her legs around his hips. This caused him to suddenly roll onto his back with Hestia in tow. She rocked her hips as she rode him, trying to keep the pace that he had placed for them. Every ounce of nerve that she had earlier in the evening had been dissipated with each touch from Victor, and she allowed herself to become lost in him.
His fingers kept a firm grip upon her hips and soon she felt a sensation growing inside of her. Her head tipped back as she let out a series of moans, a mixture of simple noises and words. They continued until they reached a peak with her letting out a breathless gasp, and the rumbling coming from his chest. She let her head rest against his chest, their breathes easing into each other as she giggled softly. One of his hands had moved to her hair and he rolled a lock between his fingers, the texture soft against his fingertips. Much of her hair had come loose from their activities and it now sprawled out over his chest and some tickled against his cheek. He carefully lifted her up and had her stand as he pulled back the covers on his bed.
She hadn't realized quite how soft the bed was or how smooth the sheets were against her skin until she was close to drifting off. She entered a dream state as she inhaled his scent again, his fingers carefully playing with her hair.