Diamond Nights

Now when she said 'modern' I thought I was gonna hear some more of that twenty-first century jam my doll played on her phone. But it turns out she'd picked an eighties club, saying something about the music she listened to while she was growing up. Y'all know I wasn't familiar with anything beyond the twenties. Jazz was all I knew so pop was a whole new game to me.

'…#Tell it to my heart, tell me I'm the only one.# …' This bouncy beat played in the background while a bunch of flashy lights glittered all over the floor, and the walls, and the bar, and right were we were sitting tucked away in the corner on the leather couch. We ordered some drinks and began our long night out.

"A wine drinker, huh?" I observed the familiar colour of her glass and that signature smell.

"On occasion, Mr Facilier." I guess she didn't want me to think that she abused the richness of alcohol. "And only if it suits my taste."

It was a particular favourite of mine, even though I was more fond of the rosé than the red. "As a wise man once said, my darlin': La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin."

I didn't expect her to pick on on my quotation. "'Life is too short to drink bad wine'?" That was something else she surprised me with when she translated my French with ease.

She spoke French? How come I never knew this? "And a French speaker?" I put down my own glass and turned to my doll now she'd piqued my curiosity. "How come you never told me this? How could you keep a secret like that?"

My Charlie doll fumbled around like she was embarrassed at my discovery. "My mum has two business in France." She explained to me. "I know enough to handle a phone call in an emergency, but that's it."

I couldn't resist. This was an opportunity ripe for the picking and I wasn't about to let it slip through my fingers. I saw my chance for a special kind of flirting.

I thought very carefully about what I was gonna say, I didn't want to get too advanced in case her French wasn't at my fluent level. I kept my eyes on her as she watched the dancers doing their thing on the club floor. I waited for the right moment to get her attention, but sadly it didn't look like I was gonna get it.

I saw her staring out into the coloured lights like something was distracting her. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

"Oh?" She looked back at me like I'd suddenly snapped her out of a trance. "Oh, nothing. It's just…I've never done anything like this before." She looked down at her fidgeting hands like she was sad or something. "I almost can't believe I'm doing it now."

I put the French flirting on hold, this had turned into a tender moment and a delicate touch was needed here. I tried a more relaxed topic hoping to win back her full attention. "I used to do this all the time back in my day." I took another look at the club and noticed the differences. "Well, not like this, with all the flashy lights. But back in the day when the streets were flooded with jazz."

My doll took another sip from her glass. "I'm afraid I don't know very much about jazz." She gave me a puzzled look.

"From what I gather about this day and age I wouldn't expect you to." Something else that was different about this new century. "We're in the wrong time. And you've kinda grown up in the wrong culture."

"You mean England?" Charlie caught my drift.

"Yeah. I mean, Jazz was born in this country. In this very city, sweetheart." I proudly told her like it was some kind of ancient tale. "But by the looks of things, after eighty years it's almost died out. Replaced with this new-age bounce."

"Oh no. It hasn't died out." Charlie doll put down her glass and turned round to me. "Tiana's restaurant still plays live jazz all the time, Princess Cameron told me herself. And Jazz is actually a big part of American tradition, as far as I know. So it's not dead, it's just become a classic. And classics never die."

I gotta say, it did make me feel a little better knowing that not everything I'd grown up with had grown old over time, it stopped me from feeling old. Not that there was nothing to like about the twenty-first century. They had shiny new cars, wacky gizmos and gadgets, and hey, the music wasn't that bad either. I can honestly understand how this new genre got so popular.

"Ya know." I wrapped my arm around my doll now that I got her attention again. "Even though this is far from the beats I grew up with, it ain't bad. It's good to know music hasn't lost it's pulse."

I felt my Charlie doll snuggle up to my chest and relax while we both watched the ravers having a good time. "I like this one." She told me while she wiggled her hips to the rhythm of the music. I could feel her shoulders next to mine as they started to move ever so slightly next to my body.

I tried my hardest to listen to some of the lyrics as the next some came on. '#… Is there a man out there…Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight...#

I had a pretty amusing thought drift through my mind while I listened to the beat and thought about the words. "I can imagine my grandpa's showgirls dancing to this one."

I heard her giggle like she knew what I was talking about.

"Something funny?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing." She shied away and at first she tried to avoid the question. "It's just the thought of showgirls from the twenties dancing to eighties music."

I wasn't sure if that's what got her giggling. Hey, maybe the wine was going to her head. If it was true, then there was something else that was going to her body. She was still swaying to the music, gently bouncing up and down on her tush. I felt myself starting to bounce with her as a sly idea sneaked through my mind.

"How's ya French, Charlie doll?" I spoke softly into her ear, making sure to sound alluring and playful.

She pushed herself away from my arm and sat herself up. "I'm not good at it." She shook her head, acting all modest. "It's my mother who's always screaming down the phone to her businesses in Paris. Not me."

"How's about giving this a try?" I was all ready to start whispering in her ear when I saw her cheeks go red and she started smiling like an idiot. "Whatcha blushin' for? I ain't said nothin' yet. And even so, I ain't gonna say nothin' naughty."

"Well I certainly hope not." My doll tried to fan way her blushes with her right hand while she composed herself.

"C'mon, Charlie doll." I couldn't have her thinking that I was out to embarrass her. "I'm a gentlemen, remember?" I may have been flirty and perhaps a little mischievous, but wasn't a pervert and I sure as heck wasn't gonna whisper nothing dirty.

"Alright." My Charlie gave me a chance. "I'm listening."

I hummed a chuckle as I brought my lips close to her ear. "Voulez-vous danser~?"

Well, I hadn't said nothing naughty, but she leaned away and started snickering through a blushing smile all the same. I waited patiently for a reply, keeping my smug smirk while staring at her pink face. I watched my Charlie look back at me, still smiling with those tight cheeks. "I know what you said!" She squealed out, although she acted like she wasn't sure whether or not she got me. "What? You mean out there?" She gestured out towards the dancefloor.

I grinned, with a little more lust than charm. "That's my request, darlin'."

"Can't we just dance sitting down? Where there's just us?" She couldn't be serious and no, she wasn't. She just beamed at me embarrassingly while she helplessly wiggled in her seat for a second or two. Then she burst out giggling.

I raised a brow and narrowed my grin back down to a smirk. I think she caught my drift.

"Oh, my god." Charlie held her hands to her face like her nose was about to fall off. "Out there. With all those people?"

"You want confidence?" I placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some gentle persuasion. "I give you confidence. It's right there, and all you've gotta do is go and get it."

I held my palm out towards the flashy lights, gesturing her to get her tush out there and accept my request. But I wouldn't stretch my hand far before my doll placed her palm in mine for some reassurance.

"What if I…What if they…?" She fumbled around, trying to get her words together. "What if they take exception to me?"

I didn't like it when she shrunk back into her shell like she was reverting back to being the shy little mouse she used to be. I liked her more when she was out there having fun, showing me the kind of girl she really was.

"These folks ain't your stuck up highclass buddies." I had to get that idea out of her head, the one what was always telling her people were out to judge her. "They ain't gonna bother ya, alright? They ain't even gonna bat an eyelid."

I saw her stare out into the lights again, I could tell just from looking at her that she wanted to do this, she was just having one last minute doubt.

"I want to." (I told ya) "I do like this song."

"It's gonna be over soon." I tried to tempt her. "If ya don't make your move you're gonna miss it."

She fidgeted and played with my hand while she weighed up her options. Then she just looked at me with a twinkle in her sapphire eyes. "…Help?" …Gladly~

With her pale palm still firmly in my grasp I gave her the encouragement she needed by pulling her off her seat onto her feet. I heard her let out a gasp that had a partial squeal to it. She was pretty excited and also probably a little terrified. I know how she feels around crowds, she don't like being surrounded by a ton of people in case they are turned on her. But she was all scared for nothing. These folks were just minding their own business. They were having a good time and I intended to do the same.

Into the lights I bounced with my doll in my arms, ready to show her how it was done. Although I had to admit, I wasn't really sure how folks these days dance to this kinda music. Now don't go thinking that I ain't got no talent when it comes to dancing, this shadowman could wow the crowd and steal the show. But I didn't wanna attract too much attention, for my doll's sake.

I stood there behind her with my arms around her waist and just started off by swaying with her, getting her comfortable first and letting her know I was here for her. At least it wasn't dancing she was scared of, just everybody else. And once she realised that nobody was looking at her she started to relax and do her own thing.

My Charlie turned round to me and I saw my chance to really take her for a ride. I took her by the hand and danced with her side by side, bouncing up and down to the beat. Taking the lead I spun her around before pulling her back towards me and dancing close up.

I knew that I didn't have to make this effort and maybe I should have been hoping she'd lose her cool and falter. But I was having too much fun with her to hope for that. My job could wait, tonight was all about me and my doll swinging to the music and forgetting all about our cares.

'…#Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight, won't somebody help me chase the shadows away#…' I loved this beat, I'd only just heard the damn song and already I loved it. '…#Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight, take me through the darkness to the break of the day#…' I spun her around again and heard her laugh out loud at the fun we were creating. Only problem was on that last spin she dropped something.

Her hair clip came flying off and it landed on the dance floor next to her feet. I was hoping she'd just ignore it and carry on jamming with me, but she stretched out her hand like she was about to pick it up and a little blue spark seeped out from her finger tip. Her magic wrapped hold of the butterfly clip and pulled it up to her hand.

I felt like I oughta say something, there was a small danger here she didn't seem to realise. "You oughta be careful about using that pretty power of yours where somebody might see ya."

My Charlie looked up at me and gave me this playful smile. Then she flicked her finger in my direction and all of a sudden I felt my hat spin around on my head, messing up my hair.

I reached for the rim, trying to stop the damn thing before it spun clean off my head. "What the?" Hey, I never saw anything shoot from her finger that time. "How'd ya do that? What happened to that glowing blue you're always showing off with?"

"I've been practicing." Charlie doll gave me a smug look. "I can decide what it looks like now. Even if it looks like nothing at all." She lifted her hand and demonstrated again, reaching over with her invisible magic and raising her glass off the table, trying to fetch it over to the bar.

I watched her take a sip of her wine while I struggled to understand something. "You know, I don't get you sometimes." There was something about this woman that bewildered me. "You're too scared to dance in case you draw attention to yourself, yet here you are showing off your magic in the middle of a nightclub."

"The colour's gone. No-one can see it." Charlie insisted that there was nothing to worry about. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"Do you have to ask?" I couldn't believe how cool she was acting. "You can't even see the damn thing. How do you know where it's going or what it's gonna-."

A loud pop went off right above my head. I nearly jumped outta my spats, it sounded like a bulb exploded or something. But I didn't have time to look up, I didn't even have to. 'What the hell was that?' And almost as soon as I had that thought, a sudden downpour of rain soaked my shoulders.

Amongst the sound of the water pattering all over the bar and dancefloor was the sound of panicked people letting out a few screams and moans as they abandoned their fun and started to scatter themselves.

"Oops." I heard my Charlie squeak out in a quiet voice. "Sorry, that was me."

That clumsy little doll, she couldn't control her magic once it was out of her sight and now she'd gone and set off the damn sprinklers.

"I warned y'all about pointing that finger around!" I rushed over to the other side of the bar where it was dry. I hate getting my gear wet.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She panicked, even though she was laughing at the same time. "It slipped."

'It slipped'. That almost had me laughing. "Eh, that's not that bad." I wiped the drops of water off my shoulders while I got a good look at her. "I kinda like you in the rain. You sparkle~"

"But I'm cold." She giggled like she shivered at the same time.

"Then why don't I warm you up?" I offered my hand, pulling her into the dry and bringing her body close to mine.

My Charlie doll looked up at me with those eyes glittering like gemstones, her wet hair shining in the disco lights. She looked like she was admiring me in my handsomeness, even though I wasn't exactly at my best with damp patches on my clothes.

I carried on gazing down at my pretty little doll as the music was still playing in the background, only now it had changed to something a little slower. And I gotta say, the words were quite apt.

'…#'Till now, I always got by on my own. I never really cared until I met you#…' Geez, it was like somebody was trying to give me a message here. '…#And now it chills me to the bone. How do I get you alone? How do I get you alone?#…'

All I could do was stare at her as I listened. It was like a bomb had gone off in my head. I suddenly got all these chills from looking into her eyes like she was putting me under some kinda spell.

"How do you do this to me?" My doll whispered with her cheek pressed up against my chest. I was almost about to ask her the same thing.

My answer was short and sweet, just like her. "I'm magic~"

That cute little smile of hers suddenly got a whole lot tighter, like she was about to laugh, or misbehave. "So am I." My Charlie flicked up her hand, aiming her finger and her magic at me. The puddle pooling on the bar suddenly splashed and sprayed water right at my face.

I flinched but it was too late. I got wet all down my front, drops dripping off my hair and off the rim of my brand new hat. I took it off to try and shake it dry while I heard my doll laughing at my trouble. Any other time I would have been pretty damn pissed off, but I knew that she didn't mean no trouble at all. This was just her way of saying: 'I want to play'.

I took a sneaky little pinch of powder from the inside of my jacket where everything was dry. "You're an amateur!" I grinned at my little minx and blew a little smoke her way.

I heard her giggling and letting loose the occasional squeal as the pink cloud wrapped around her waist and started dragging her back out into the downpour.

I watched her struggling and laughing as I leered at her wet sparkling body while the water rained down her hair and face. It was a shame she was wearing a sweater, or else I would have looked forward to those clothes of hers getting a little see through. But all the same, I loved what I saw. My doll, completely at the mercy of my magic and there was nothing she could do about it. "You ain't nothin' but a second-rate charlatan." I taunted her. "You're not a master yet!"

Her eyes went from shut tight to snapped open, and they stared right at me. My Charlie gave me another one of those smiles like she was getting ideas again. "On the contrary." The blue sparkle glittered out from her fingertips and started swarming around my pink cloud. "This magic is a mere illusion." And with that, my spell vanished, releasing my once helpless little Charlie doll and setting her free to cause mischief. "But I'm the real thing."

That magic of hers started streaming my way like my doll was about to turn the tables on me. I felt that shimmering blue take a hold of me like it was trying to pull me out into the rain.

"What's wrong?" Charlie smiled at me like she was about to start giggling again. "Are you afraid to get wet?"

Any other time she'd have got me, I really didn't like getting caught in a storm. But if getting wet meant having fun, I was willing to play her game. I hoped to surprise her by walking out into the sprinkles by my own accord without having to rely on her magic to pull me out by force. I walked right up to her, towering over her and smugly smiling down at her with self-satisfaction.

She smiled right back before taking hold of my hand and making a very familiar request. "Voulez-vous danser~?" My doll started to sway.

I heard her, but I wanted to make sure we were clear about one thing. "Dans la pluie?" I asked.

"Dans la pluie." She whispered.

Alright then, but if we were gonna dance in the wet and rain then I wanted to do it my way. "How about something a little more my style?" I wrapped a hand around her waist and extended the hand I was holding, moving her into a more appropriate position.

"But no-one dances like that any more." She said that like she thought I was joking, like my style was too old for the likes of her.

"Humour me, would ya?" I started to sway with my doll. "Come on, where's ya sense of fun?"

"Oh." She raised her free hand like she was about to wrap it around my shoulder. "So it's fun you want." And instead unleashed a blue spark that flew out like a firework and zapped the stereo, changing the music. "Lead the way."

The new track was just the right kinda music for the moment. It was modern, slow enough and still had some of that familiar bounce to it. The club was empty, we had the floor all to ourselves and to my surprise the rain actually made for an interesting dance. The way the puddles splashed under our feet, the way the disco lights lit up every little drop of water like we were sprinkled with tiny gems. I've danced with plenty of dames and seen some pretty wild parties in my time, but I ain't ever done anything like this before.

It was a shame we weren't as hot as we might have looked. It was pretty chilly dancing under all that water. My Charlie doll began to slow her waltzing down until she just stood there snuggled against my body.

"I'm getting cold." She breathed through a shiver.

I started to shiver a little myself as I ran my fingers through her drenched black hair. I figured it was time to get going, (before the fire department showed up). "Then why don't cha get us a ride home?"