A/N: I hope you enjoyed our first chapter. Just going to give you a heads up down this story is VERY LONG. Anyway on with the show!
Chapter Two: "Can I Bum One of Those?"
Refilling the fruit tray next to the register, Rhyanna closed her eyes breathing evenly.
"I have to be more carful…" She said under her breath. Pausing she rolled her eyes as she rubbed her hand down her face, "God, I'm such an idio-"
Suddenly a mass slammed into her back, wrapping it's arms around her neck as she squealed loudly. Fighting the urge to throw her assailant off, she waited until they let go. Rhyanna turned to see a platinum blonde bounce then lace her fingers behind her, a bright smile on her face.
"Hello, Cami…" Rhyanna greeted her co-worker with an irritated tone.
"Oh don't be so grumpy, Rhyan…" Picking up a stray cherry, Cami quickly popped it into her mouth.
The girl was much taller than her. She stood at five six where Rhyan only stood at five and a quarter inch. The two wore similar attire, their dress code requiring them to wear all black, and skirts. They both wore regulation halter vests. Under Rhyan's, she wore a black tank top. Under Cami's, she wore a black bra and fishnet.
"How can you be so cranky with a big after party going on?" Cami leaned down on the bar, "Look at all the big shots!"
"Yeah… Look at 'em all…" Rhyan said as she turned to grab the lid to the fruit tray.
"Do you think I can get one of the celebs to take me home?" Rhyan shrugged. Cami's face fell into a pout, "Rhy, you're no fun." She propped her hands on her fists.
"Well all the celebs are still cheap douche bags. At this rate I'm not going to be able to make rent this month…" Rhyan crossed her arms as she scanned the crowd her eyes narrowing at the man who'd left without tipping.
"Rhyan, you have to act the part sometimes." Cami waved a cute guy around the room. Rhyan slid her gaze sideways. Cami snapped up holding her hands up in a placating gesture, "I'm not saying you have to sleep with anyone, but flirting can go a long way sometimes… Check these out." She stuck out her foot. She wore a pair of over the knee black boots with pointed toe and gold studs that ran up the side.
"My tips last week bought me these." Cami tapped her toe twice she switched her weight from one foot to the other. Rhyan quirked her eyebrow, not really impressed with the idea, "Well… Don't knock it till you try it." Cami turned and with a quick readjustment of her breasts, she sashayed her way over to a customer.
Rhyan turned rolling her eyes just as a man with dark red hair, his hair down to the center of his back, and dark glasses sat down at the bar. His hair was adorned with a few carefully placed braids, and silver clasp over the one right of his temple. He braced his forearms on the table, his hands and wrists covered with tattered black and red fingerless gloves. He wore loose fishnet over a black tank top and a black vest over that. Around his neck he wore more chains than she even owned.
Rhyan eyed him for a moment, the line of his strong jaw, the way his arms flexed slightly as he rubbed his temple then threw his hand down on the bar again. Rhyan glanced to Cami, as she reached across the bar, commenting on another man's necklace. It worked for Cami… What's the worst that could happen?
Leaning against the bar, her forearms pressing into her chest causing her breasts to push together extenuating her cleavage.
"Lights too bright for, ya?" She said sarcastically, a flirty smile on her face, "What can I get you, sweetie?"
Zane glanced over the rim of his shades, not caring if the empty, pale pupils were visible in the dark setting. Two security guards had his back when they word of his arrival spread, "I see better in the dark."
Adjusting his shades on the bridge of his nose, a strange sound penetrated his ears. He ignored it and rested his arm on the counter. With a quick hand, he signaled two fingers as a double.
"Paron Silver." With his other hand, Zane rubbed the rim of his left eye under his eyebrow. An unusual beat, most likely someone's heart, was throwing off his usual migraine.
Rhyan stood up straight. The man was clearly unaffected as he glanced over his shoulder. Rhyan pursed her lips as she turned and poured one shot, then the other. She pushed them over to him.
"Want a chaser?" her voice not as sweet as before as she picked two limes and a saltshaker.
Zane let his drinking do the answering, downing the shots one right after the other. Ignoring the bartender as she held out the fruit, he didn't bother with the standard ritual with that came with tequila. The sharp burn faded quickly as he sighed.
He glanced back up at her. Zane assumed the strange heartbeat picking up in his eardrums was from the bartender. It was so loud. At least tequila would numb him for a few moments. Signaling for another two shots, Zane was sure to avoid a hangover. With ears like his, it would really suck.
"So I assume you're here with all the celebs and not a groupie." Rhyan said, as she poured his shots again, "Seeing as your attire is actually well put together and not an awful, low budget interpretation."
She pointed behind him at a girl wearing a fishnet top and fur boot covers. Odd for outfit for anytime, let alone a high-end club, but there were a lot of weird Goth folks dancing and knocking into each other on the dance floor. She slid the glasses over to him.
"Want me to run you a tab?"
Zane glanced at her before perching his arm so his head could rest in his hand. It was kind of amusing. The woman didn't know who was. Weird… But refreshing in a way. He shook his head and put a hundred on the counter.
"You could say that…" Downing one of the shots, Zane cleared his throat through the tequila burn, "bet a lot of big shots in here? Hadn't noticed its so freakin' loud."
Then again anywhere was too loud for Zane. He heard his name screamed from behind him but knew the fan girl was somewhere outside the bar. Only a matter of time now…
Rhyan furrowed her brow, 'Freakin' loud?' She thought most people don't complain near the bar. It's quieter so that people could order their drinks easier. But Rhyan's ears were already sensitive to the pounding techno beats. Rhyan picked up the hundred and a little too quickly, counted out his change an brought it back to him, "Want me to bag up the limes for ya?" Rhyan joke
"Don't bother…" Zane said with a sigh as he took the fourth shot. Before he could set the glass down, a 20-something year old woman got past his security and pounced on Zane from behind. Her tube dress nearly falling off, her arms draped heavily on his shoulders. The original impact caused him to drop the glass and his shades to slid from his ears.
He gritted his teeth at the brief contact. The squeal in his ear was what did it. The words, "I love Zane Cooper!" Opened a lot of stares from those around him. Zane sighed as she was taken back into the crowd, nearly taking his vest in the process.
Sunglasses on the counter, Zane rubbed his eyes, "You got an empty V.I.P. room?"
Rhyan jumped back as the woman nearly knocked the man over the counter with her attack, with a bemused look she watched at the woman clawed at his clothes as she was carted away.
Wait… Zane Cooper… The singer? Rhyan managed to get a glimpse of his milky-filmed eyes before he rubbed them. Wasn't he blind or something? It was then she realized he was talking to her.
"Huh...? What…?"
"V.I.P. Room, Empty, Do you have one?" He articulated.
Rhyan picked up the discarded glasses and set them in the dish bin, "Sorry, Hun, all booked. But you can hide in the back with me, I'm about to take my break."
Zane didn't give it another thought and stood, putting the shades back in their proper place. Glancing back at the security, seeing as it was starting to get more rowdy than usual, he looked back to the bartender, "Lead the way."
In wake of celebrity obsession, Zane slipped from his seat and down the span of the bar to where it opened for employees. His ears, which picked up the unusual beat, noticed the shift. The strange rhythm that caught his attention faded very slightly then returned when she joined him. So it was her…
This woman sounded different. Zane could pick out a heart defect a mile (or two) away but he'd never heard a healthy heart beat like hers. The only comparison he could make was to that of other mutants. Depending on their physical construction, it wasn't uncommon.
Rhyan lead Zane to the rather shabby looking back room. Junk and extra boxes of booze piled high and carelessly thrown here and there by other bartenders and waiters, contrasted with the clean, modern look of the public area. Rhyan kicked off her heels and sat down on a few soda crates.
She glanced back at Zane, "Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Zane Cooper… I'm Rhyan by the way."
Rhyan reached over and pulled a bottle of water out of a case and cracked it open. An awkward silence filled in between as she glanced up at him. Taking a noisy swig of her water, she leaned forward, "So, if you don't mind me asking… What happened to your eyes?"
Zane glanced in her direction, a scowl on his face, Rhyan held her hands up, "I'm not going to run to the tabloids. I honestly don't care enough, just trying to fill in the silence." She took another gulp of water.
"Hormones." Ok it was kind of a strange answer. Zane leaned a shoulder against a metal shelf and took off his glasses. Now fully exposed, the silvery excuse for pupils nearly blended in with the whites of his eyes. Cracking his neck from one side to the other, the contents of the shelf he leaned against shook as if a slightl tremor from the speakers pounded.
"Runs in the family… But I can see just fine." Zane slide his gloved hand into his fest and pulled out a cigarette. He placed it behind his ear only to be covered by thick red locks a moment later, before massaging his temple again.
Alright… Rhyan may be dressed like a complete bimbo, but an idiot she was not. Clearly what ever happened he didn't want to discuss but her tactic worked. It wasn't silent… at least for a little while. She shrugged and watched him pull out a cigarette and tuck it behind his ear before rubbing his head against.
The awkward silence was back.
Rubbing her nose, she asked, "Can I bum one of those?" Zane froze a moment, his gaze sliding towards her. Then he silently held his pack out to her. Taking one, she stood and popped the back door open with her hip.
"You smoke?" He asked.
"No." She said bluntly before producing a lighter and quickly lit it.
Zane narrowed his eyes a bit and followed her to the door, "If that's true, I wouldn't recommend starting…" He pulled out his own silver lighter. Pushing the door open a bit further, he leaned his back into the doorframe and started into the grimy alley. The awkward silence came back again as wisps of smoke dispersed into the already hazy air. Zane flicked off some ashes and looked back at Rhyan.
Rather bluntly, he spoke a bit quieter as if someone was listening, "Trying a little too hard, don't ya think?"
Rhyan shrugged, "My co-worker just said I wasn't trying hard enough…" She readjusted her skirt, "I was complaining about not making enough in tips to pay my rent. She told me it was because I don't flirt enough. But clearly it doesn't work either way…" She took another drag of her cigarette.
Zane laughed quietly to himself. Good diversion. He too took a drag and let the silence take over the air between them until he paused a second before another inhale. His brow furrowed as Zane listed to screaming, but it wasn't in the alley, or even on the block. If he had to guess, some chick was getting mugged half a mile away.
Zane cleared his throat, dropping the barely smoked cigarette on the concrete before stamping it out as he stepped outside, "I'm gonna bounce… Thanks for the escape route."
He put his shades back on as he headed down the alley away from the street.
A/N: Comments are always welcome. Please send Jeanne some love too ( )
~Whispering Ember