2. Old Classics
Squall gave himself one last look in his bathroom mirror, trying to decide if he was dressed appropriately for the occasion. His trim body was adorned in black slacks and a dark rust-colored dress shirt, perhaps too prim and professional for a night club, but Squall was pleased with his overall appearance.
Satisfied that he couldn't get any more appropriate for the occasion even if he tried, given a limited wardrobe, he glanced at his watch. Jax had called a little over an hour before, having cooled off at the insistence of Rinoa that no harm was meant, and offered to take them out to a dance club for drinks, on him, to apologize for his irrational behavior.
Squall wasn't much of a dancer and normally would have declined, but Rinoa was going to be there and had pleaded that he come along, and he found himself agreeing without hesitation. He had even suggested a club that a friend of his managed, figuring he'd at least have someone to talk to if Jax and Rinoa spent most of the night dancing.
Clearing his throat, he grabbed his keys off of the small living room end table, then flipped off the light, locked the door, and descended the set of stairs that led up to his apartment. He walked around the back of the building to the small parking lot and to his poor, neglected old car, a rust-spotted '67 Falcon that he used maybe once every week or two. Truthfully, he loved his car, but he felt he didn't use it enough to justify spending a lot of money getting it properly fixed up, though all it really needed was a paint job and some re-upholstery.
Figuring that maybe he would get around to it one of these days, he turned over the ignition and put the car in first gear, then coasted across the street to pick up his friends, as was previously arranged. He parked the car out front and entered the seedy Red Apple Hotel to find Rinoa and Jax sitting at the far end of the large lobby, quietly.
"Hey, Squall," Rinoa greeted, perking up when she saw him. "You look nice. Jax, doesn't he look nice?"
"Yeah," Jax said, standing, obviously not paying much attention as he was busy straightening his tight black t-shirt and jeans.
"Thanks, Rinoa," Squall mumbled, slowly stepping across the room to them. "So do you."
And she certainly did. Her hair was tied up in the same fashion as before, and she still wore the glasses, but now she was dressed in a slim boat-neck black dress that ended just past her knees and black ankle-strap heels. When she stood and turned to pick up her purse, Squall could see little indistinct black shapes on the backs of her legs above her ankles, probably tattoos, but he was still too far away to tell what they were of.
"So, we ready?" Jax asked as Squall approached.
"Car's out front," he answered, turning around to lead them out.
They got in the car, Rinoa in the back and Jax in the passenger seat, and rode silently as Squall drove them to their destination, a downtown nightclub called The Spindle, which specialized in 80s new wave dance tunes and a variety of imported liquors.
Upon arrival, a large bouncer nodded once to Squall in recognition as they approached from the parking lot and held the door open for him and his party, the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" assaulting their ears as they entered. Almost immediately, Rinoa dragged Jax to the large black-lit dance floor, mentioning something about her love for that song, and Squall went straight for the bar, scanning the crowded room for anyone he knew.
He found an empty seat and quickly spotted a tall familiar blond man looking back at him from behind the long, curving, gray marble counter.
"Hey, Squall!" the blond greeted him as he walked over. "What the hell are you doing here? You haven't been in here since... what was her name? Sharon?"
"Shannon," Squall corrected, extending his hand. "Yeah, it's been a while. Like what you've done with the place. How are you doing, Seifer?"
"I'm good, man, thanks," Seifer replied, shaking his friend's hand. "What brings you here?"
"Jax and his girlfriend," Squall said. "They just got into town and wanted to go out. I figured I'd bring them here so I could pester you all night."
Seifer grinned. "Want a drink?"
"Maybe just a beer," Squall sighed. "Gotta drive tonight. Where's Quistis?"
"Working late on a new account," Seifer answered, grabbing a Japanese lager from a little fridge under the bar and handing it over, popping the cap off with a bottle opener. "Apparently a completely unorganized company, so I suspect they recruited her for her anal-retentive organizational skills, and her accounting abilities are just a benefit. Anyhow, she'll probably be here a little later." Seifer paused for a moment. " So... what the fuck is Jax doing here?"
Squall noticed the trace of tension in Seifer's voice and shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure... he's being rather evasive on that subject and all I keep hearing about is some anonymous 'business' thing."
"Oh, shit," Seifer blurted out, his shoulers falling as he released a breath.
"Yeah," Squall nodded, looking down at his bottle. "I know."
The Smiths began to fade and were replaced by "Under the Milky Way" by The Church. Squall turned and searched the dancefloor, immediately spotting Rinoa nearby, still dancing with Jax, her back toward the bar.
Stars. The tattoos on the backs of her legs, one above each ankle, were thick outlines of stars, briefly illuminated by a wavering spotlight. Squall smirked.
Seifer followed Squall's eyes and spotted the very subject of their discussion, dancing with a small brunette.
"That his new girl?" Seifer asked, nearly shouting over the music.
"Yeah... only she's not really new. They've been together about a year."
"No shit?" Seifer sounded astonished. "Freak. Must be a masochist. She's cute, though."
"Yeah..." Squall muttered, turning back toward Seifer. He brought the beer bottle to his lips and swallowed down half the contents as Seifer walked away, momentarily distracted by one of his bartenders.
"Squall?" a feminine voice said as a long, lean figure took a seat to his right.
He turned to see a pretty blue-eyed blond in a beautifully tailored gray pantsuit smiling warmly at him.
"Quistis, hey!" he greeted upon recognition. He leaned over and gave her a tight hug. "How are you, gorgeous?"
Quistis released a disgusted breath, rolling her eyes. "Ugh... Busy. Tired. Miserable. You get the idea... But, how are you? Haven't seen you in a few weeks."
"I'm doing alright," he shrugged, as if implying satisfaction. "Bar's treating me well... and your husband's giving me free beer, so, you know... things are good."
Quistis chuckled, reaching back to pull her hair out of a tight bun. "Where is he, anyway?"
Squall took another swig and pointed in the direction of Seifer with his bottle, simultaneously retrieving his cigarettes from his breast pocket.
Quistis glanced over to where Squall had pointed at Seifer and smiled at him when he caught sight of her, getting a wink in return before she turned back to the brown haired man next to her.
"So what are you doing here tonight?" she asked, getting a thin cigarette from her purse.
Squall lit it for her, then lit his own, mumbling, "Here with Jax."
"Really?" Quistis' eyebrows raised. She'd always gotten along well with Jax ever since she'd met him three years before, through Squall. They were extremely different from each other, almost perfect opposites, but they'd made fast friends and remained close through the whole year that Jax lived in town before leaving in search of better opportunities.
Her dark blue eyes sought him out and she smiled when she saw him dancing, rather stiffly, with a dark-haired woman.
"Who's that?" she asked Squall, her eyes still on the couple.
"The girl? That would be his girlfriend."
"Wow... when did Jax get taste?" she jested, turning back to the bar.
Squall chuckled. "Yeah, she's pretty cool. You'll like her."
Seifer approached them again and leaned over the bar to kiss his wife quickly, before grabbing a wine glass from the hanging rack above him. He filled it with an imported Cabernet, then placed it in front of her, giving her another wink.
"That's the best greeting I've gotten all week," she said, smiling gratefully as she lifted the glass to her lips.
Squall finished off his beer and took a long pull on his cigarette. As he did, a slender, pale hand appeared in front of him and took the cigarette from his mouth.
He looked to his left to see Rinoa standing there, taking the cigarette she'd stolen into her smirking lips, her eyes on his as she took a drag. Her skin was mildly glowing with a thin layer of sweat, probably from dancing on the crowded floor.
"Having fun?" she asked as she exhaled smoke, then passed the cigarette back to him.
"Are you?" he countered, offering her a small smile.
"Yeah, I like this place," she said, taking a seat next to him.
Squall glanced around, not seeing her companion anywhere. "Where's Jax?"
"Oh, he said he saw someone he knew and ran off to talk to them," she said, shrugging. "Something about his new boss, I don't know."
Squall raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off and turned to Quistis. "Quis, this is Rinoa, Jax' girlfriend."
"Hi!" Quistis exclaimed, reaching over Squall to shake Rinoa's hand. "I'm so glad to meet you!"
"Rinoa, this is my good friend Quistis," Squall explained, leaning back as Quistis thrust her hand in front of him, then nodded to Seifer. "And that's her husband, another good friend of mine, Seifer. He runs this place."
"Oh, it's good to meet you both," Rinoa said, eagerly returning Quistis' handshake, then Seifer's. "Awesome club you have here."
"I'm glad you like it," Seifer smiled, genuinely flattered. "Well, you just won yourself free drinks. What can I get you?"
"Wow, is that all it took?" she joked, "That was easier than I thought..."
"Well, really it's because you're Squall's friend," he admitted, chuckling, "but I appreciate it, anyway. So what would you like?"
"Um... do you have sake?" she ventured.
"You bet... any preference- oh, wait... I've got a good one for ya," he stated, winking at her. "Be right back."
Rinoa smiled graciously, then peered at Squall through her glasses, her dark eyes sparkling. "So... want to dance with me?"
He stared at her, utterly expressionless. After a moment, he shrugged. "What the hell. Quis, we'll be back."
"Okay," Quistis said absently, picking up her glass. "I'll watch your seats."
Squall got up as the song changed once again, this time to The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom", and led Rinoa to the checkered dance floor.
They found their rhythm easily, both completely in tune with each other, even at an arm's length away, and even when she turned and danced with her back towards him. She moved with him gracefully, her eyes closing as the sensual tone of the strange song enveloped them.
Seifer returned with the sake, this time in front of the bar, and took Squall's seat next to Quistis, setting the tray he'd been holding down, and turned himself around in the stool to face the dance floor.
"Am I seeing this?" he gasped dramatically, turning to his wife, his voice becoming exaggeratedly nasal and incredulous. "Quistis! Quistis! Squall is dancing..."
"That's why I love you, honey," she sighed, a smirk on her glossy lips. "You're so bright."
"Damn right," Seifer chuckled, his green eyes returning to the couple. The song wasn't terribly fast-paced, but it wasn't slow, either, and they danced smoothly to the rhythm, much to Seifer's surprise. He wasn't sure Squall ever knew what dancing was until now, but he complimented his partner well, dancing at a relative closeness, his eyes fixed on her.
"I'm going back to work," Seifer mumbled, shaking his head in bewilderment, then got up and walked back behind the bar.
A couple of minutes later, the song faded into "Lovesong" by The Cure and Squall and Rinoa returned to the bar, both laughing joyfully.
"Christ, I haven't danced in like four years," Squall laughed, settling back into his seat.
"I haven't had a decent dancing partner in like four years," she responded, still laughing as well as she sat back down. "So, that was a refreshing, and may I say, pleasant surprise."
"Hey, guys," Jax' voice spoke suddenly from behind them, "I gotta split. Squall, can you take Rinny back to the hotel later?"
"Well, yeah... but, where are you going?" Squall asked, puzzled by his early departure.
"I got some errands to run. Thanks, man. I owe ya."
"Hey, Jax," Quistis yelled over the music, giving him an expectant look.
"Oh, Quistis! Hey, cutie, I'm sorry," he said, giving her a quick hug. "I didn't see you there. I gotta go, though, but I promise I'll see you later."
She nodded, watching him slap a hundred dollar bill onto the bar, her brow creased with concern, then turned back to her drink.
"Hey, Jax-..." Squall cut himself short as he saw Jax was already too far away to hear over the loud music. He saw him walk out with a short, red-haired man that had apparently been waiting for him by the door, then shook his head and looked at Rinoa, who shrugged and picked up the sake in front of her.
He looked at the marble counter before him, his icy eyes settling on the hundred dollar bill, then spoke thoughtfully.
"Think we should have told him drinks were free tonight?"
"I like your car," Rinoa said suddenly from the passenger seat as they rode back to the hotel. "A sixty-seven, right? I could tell by the tail lights... among other things."
"Yeah," Squall said with amazement as he glanced over at her.
After three hours of dancing in the crowded club, her hair was starting to fall from where it was held back, a few dark strands framing her face, falling to her jaw, and her eye makeup had started to smear, creating a smoky and tired appearance around her half-open eyes.
Squall found her startlingly and unequivocally sexy at that moment. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to reach over and...
No. Bad.
He shook himself out of his reverie at the realization that his mind was entering dangerous territory and turned his eyes back to the road.
"So... you like cars..." he mumbled.
"I have kind of a thing for the classics, I guess," she said, her voice low and scratchy with exhaustion, giving her a sexy sound, much to the chagrin of Squall, who was trying hard to keep his thoughts clean. "They're just so much better than the pieces of shit they make these days."
Squall nodded in agreement, not really concerned if she saw the gesture or not. He saw the hotel up ahead and pulled up to the front, then turned off the engine and got out, intending to walk her to her room.
She got out and smiled when he came around to escort her inside, and began to dig through her purse for the room key. After a few seconds she came to an abrupt halt as they walked in the entrance.
"Shit," she breathed. "Jax has the room key."
"Is he here?" Squall asked.
Rinoa walked to the house phone on the right side of the lobby and picked it up. She dialed her three digit room number, waited, then cursed as she set the receiver back onto its cradle, telling Squall that Jax either still wasn't there, or was passed out cold.
"I guess... I can probably get another key..." she sighed, heading for the front desk.
Squall's eyes darted around the large lobby and spotted two obviously drunken men sitting on a worn couch, staring unabashedly at Rinoa, snickering to each other as they drank from a single flask.
"Uh, why don't you just come stay at my place?" The words spilled out before Squall knew what he was doing. He glanced at the drunkards once more, then nodded in self-assurance. "Yeah... look, Rinoa, if he's not upstairs, I don't think you should be here alone. This is hotel is a notorious recurring crime scene. We can leave Jax a message at the desk."
Rinoa gazed at him thoughtfully for a long moment, then shrugged and walked toward the front desk. "Okay, give me just a second, then."
He watched her as she walked away, his eyes involuntarily observing her slightly swaying hips, then falling on her tattoos, just under the calf muscles of her slender legs which flexed with every step in those four inch heels.
He groaned aloud.
"Oh, I'm fucked."
A/N- Alrighty! There she is... chapter two. Hope you enjoyed it! Please drop me a line, but be nice... I'm fragile.
D- (that's you, DBH)- Thanks for getting back to me! I'm so happy to know you're still around and reading my stuff! Anyway, yes, you've nailed what a lot of my intentions are with this story, and I hope you enjoy it, as different as it is from T.A., which I have decided to keep up, by the way, because you're right about the progression of the author thing. I sure hope I do better this time around.
KhaestaAradia- I'm so glad you enjoyed the beginning. It's always encouraging to hear stuff like that. Hope you liked this one, too, and I'll be updating as fast as I can, so keep watching! Thanks for your review!
shortie630- Thanks so much for the enthusiasm in your review! I'm really happy that you liked Time Apart... it's a little on the cheesy side, I know, but as long as you liked it, it's staying up. Like DBH pointed out to me recently, it's good for the readers, and the author, for everyone to see the development of an author's writing style. Anyway, thanks so much for your incredibly sweet review! I'll be working hard on this one! Keep reading!
DoubleMoon- Hey, doll! Great to hear from ya! I'm glad you liked the start, hopefully you'll like the rest. And, yes, I would be happy to review your story as soon as I get the chance to actually sit and read. You know I love your stuff... Thanks!
Love to all.
-Risa