Chapter Seventeen: Lounge Part 2
The couple arrived at Eren's complex. She instructed Levi to park in the underground garage, since they were likely to be at her place for a little while. Once they were inside her apartment, Eren gave Levi another quick tour of her humble, but cozy abode, then left him to his own devices whilst she raked through her closet in search of appropriate attire for the night out they had planned.
"I don't think I've ever really shown you around my place have I?" Eren questioned, locking the door behind both herself, and Levi, as she stepped out of her shoes in the small, linoleum tiled entryway.
"No, I've never had the pleasure," Levi smirked when he saw his favorite color dust her cheeks.
With a roll of her eyes and small huff, Eren strode past him and beckoned for him to follow her.
"This is the kitchen," she indicated with a wave of her hand, "and through those doors is the saddest excuse for a laundry room that has ever existed," Levi chuckled and followed her as she turned and walked out onto the carpeted area, "this is the living and dining space," she walked over to a glass paneled door with the blinds drawn up, "and through these doors is a little patio." She unlocked the door and opened it, allowing Levi to step through and admire the view of the pool and the pleasant afternoon breeze.
Levi stepped over to the railing and looked down at it, he quickly dusted a bit of the dirt and other debris that pile up on outdoor structures, then rested his arms against it. He leaned forward a bit to take a quick look around the area. Eren's unit was on the first floor, on the corner of the building. He was able to see the quaint, cobblestone pathway that separated her building from the others. He took a deep breath, and then released it as he took in the relaxing smell that the small garden, surrounding the pool, created. He looked to Eren, then back to the calming landscape, "This is nice."
He noticed she had no patio furniture, 'What a shame, this is a great place to read,' he thought to himself, making a mental note to keep a look out for a few decently priced pieces for her.
"Thanks," she smiled, then went back towards the door, "You already know where the bathroom is, and right across from that is my bedroom." She paused when he noticed he wasn't making a move to follow her, "You're more than welcome to pull a chair from my kitchen table and sit out here if you'd like. It's nice out today," her eyes lit up when Levi turned and smiled at her, "I'll be in my room, if you need anything, just knock alright?" With that, she stepped back inside and headed towards her room to pick out her outfit for the night.
Though the apartment was small and a little cramped, the closet, and Eren's bedroom, were decently sized. Eren walked into her closet and immediately started to search through her dresses.
'He said it was called 'The Legion' right?' she thought to herself, 'I wonder what would be appropriate. Surely I can't go wrong with a simple black dress…or maybe I should go more casual? It is a lounge after all…but wait, it's an adult lounge, there probably won't be anyone else around my age there…maybe it'd be better to dress up a little then?' Her thoughts continued like this for another fifteen or so minutes, while she wondered in and out of her closet, laying out a few options on her bed to choose from later.
By the end of her search, she stared, stuck between the newest little black dress she'd added to her closet from a sale two weeks prior, and the black sequined piece she'd worn to the Christmas party. After a prolonged, internal debate, she decided on the new dress. It was a bit more daring than the sequined dress, but Eren didn't mind standing out a little every once and a while.
The bodice on this dress was a simple, curve hugging design, which stopped a few inches past the curve of her bottom, making it fall into the category of a mini-dress. The top and back of the piece were where the fun happened. The sleeves were made of a black, lacey material that stretched from her wrists, all the way up to her collar bone, cutting into the solid black of the bodice, and making neckline look like the top of a solid black triangle. The back was made of the same lacey material which curved off right above the small of her back. She decided against any leg wear and opted to only dress up, the already attractive piece, with a simple pair of silver studs and a matching ring. She finished the outfit with a pair of tastefully sparkled, silver platforms.
Satisfied with her outfit choice, she stepped out of the shoes and carried them with her as she left her bedroom and went to the bathroom to do something with her hair and makeup.
Levi's head turned when he heard the door opening, his jaw nearly fell when he saw what she was wearing. Then he noticed the platform heels in her hands and felt his eye twitch in annoyance. 'She has to be doing that on purpose, I really need to get inserts,' he'd always known he was on the short side. It was something he'd thought he'd come to terms with long ago, but he felt his 'little man complex' returning bit by bit whenever he went out with Eren.
He forced these thoughts into the back of his mind when she disappeared behind the bathroom door. Turning back around and looking down to his phone, Levi thumbed through the search engine he'd been using to find a restaurant to eat at.
It had been a while since he last went to The Legion, he knew they had food, but he couldn't really recall if was decent or not. Their website did little to aid his faulty memory. The last time he'd gone there, he had practically been dragged out by Erwin and Hange for his 23rd birthday. He laughed to himself, thinking that he'd go out to a place like that of his own volition. The laugh was short lived as his thoughts returned to earlier events in the day that brought on this abrupt decision to go out. 'I hope she has fun tonight, but I also want to know what upset her. I don't think it was anything I did, since she said 'Mom,' but what does her mother have anything to do with…' he stopped, as his mind thought of the worst possible, and most likely situation which caused Eren's tears, 'She mentioned her mother had passed away, which explains why she's off on her own like this…but who is… no, how can she afford the tuition by herself, is that why she works so much?'
His thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat, "Ahem."
Eren stood before him, hair brushed down neatly, and makeup complete. Levi could only stare. The sweet innocence he'd fallen for was completely masked, what stood before him was a sexy, dare he say, sultry, version of the young woman he'd held in his arms earlier that day.
Women were positively amazing creatures. He'd never truly be able to understand how they could switch from playful and sweet, to seductive and sexy with a few simple strokes of a brush and a change of clothes. She was like a completely different woman. Well, almost. Maybe in a few more years, she really would be, but for the night, she was just dressed as though she were.
"You look great," he finally said, after catching his gaze linger a bit too long on…well, everything. Her legs looked fantastic, the dressed hugged her in all the right places, and her hair and makeup made her looked polished and sophisticated. Levi was tempted to just stay in and enjoy her all to himself for the remainder of the evening, he did not want any others looking at her, lest he grow jealous.
But he'd been the one to invite her out, so he had to keep his word. She would no doubt be disappointed if he cancelled just because she looked too good to share with the world.
He stood from the sofa and grabbed his jacket, ready to head out for a light dinner, before taking Eren to The Legion later in the evening.
Levi had his car valet parked. The Legion was located in the middle of a street, bustling with its Saturday night crowd of regulars and first timers. It was nearly impossible to find a front parking, so he settled for the next best thing, having someone else park it for him.
As he exited his car, he fished out his wallet and tipped the teenaged looking boy with a few bills and made his way over to escort Eren out of the car. Levi all but glared at the men who gawked at the long-legged, bright eyed and tanned beauty as she stepped out of his not-unimpressive vehicle. He slipped his arm around her waist, and let his hand rest on her hip as he pulled her closer to him and they walked towards the entrance.
Eren was a little surprised by Levi's seemingly adolescent behavior; she couldn't help but laugh at how protective he'd gotten. 'Hmm, I must look better than I thought,' she giggled at her own inner monologue.
She allowed Levi to hold her close; she wasn't exactly opposed to the contact, even if it was a bit childish. She actually found it quite amusing and made a mental note to tease him about it later.
As they finally neared the entrance to the lounge, Levi noticed the line of, rather young looking people, which continued down the street a little ways off. He was a little confused by it, but paid the line of people little attention as he and Eren approached the door, and its bouncer.
The man was tall, with broad, muscular shoulders, and an obvious fake tan. He wore darkly shaded sunglasses despite the fact that the sun had long since set, and the moon had taken over as the sky's major source of illuminating light. He was a bit heavy set, but the muscles in his arms were more than convincing that his beer belly wouldn't slow him down in the least, should he have to physically restrain you.
The bouncer gave Levi one look and huffed, then his eyes fell on Eren. He gave her a once over, then looked back to Levi, who'd raised his brow in challenge, as if daring the impressively sized man to question him. The man signaled for them to enter the area and directed them to the counter that lay just beyond the entrance.
Levi fished a few more bills from his wallet and tipped the bouncer, in silent appreciation, before walking over to the counter. He asked her to wait while he paid, since he didn't want her to feel bad for how much he'd be spending on her entrance alone. Women usually got a discount, but minors had to pay a bit extra, since the lounge wouldn't make much off of them from the bar. Levi flashed his ID and told the woman behind that counter that Eren was still a minor.
He beckoned Eren over, and the woman stamped her hands with an odd design of overlapping wings, one, Eren noticed, was similar to the centerpiece on Levi's dining table. She made another mental note to ask him about that particular wing design, but held her tongue as she was finally escorted into the first, of four, large rooms that made up The Legion.
"Wow," she said in awe, openly staring at the first space, without the knowledge that three other, equally unique spaces awaited her, "This is amazing."
The room was dimly lit; the only light sources seemed to come from the crystal chandeliers that hung above the seating areas, in between each space, there were a few metal sconces hung on the walls and several tall metal lamps in the corners of each sitting area. The overall lack of house lighting did wonders on the space, highlighting the golden painted walls and making their metallic sheen subtle and tasteful.
Each sitting area had it own, unique twist, to make it a little bit different from the next, but in general, they were comprised of two, rather large and comfortable looking, leather chairs. Each one was made of dark, cedar-colored leather, with a button-tufted design covering the sides, back, and seat of the chair. The wing-backed style blended well with the rolled arms and the brassy nailhead design that trimmed the front of the arms, all the way down to where the wooden feet began. It was stand alone piece that looked like it had been ordered straight from a 19th century antiquarian shop.
Opposite each chair, rested a rounded ottoman, each was made of a red, more modern, snakeskin leathered design. They were much simpler than the chair, but did nothing to distract from the antique and classy ambiance of the area. In between the chairs and ottomans, stood a small, wooden, square table, finished with a cherry lacquer. All of these pieces were sectioned off into separate, more private areas, by a large woven rug that differed for each space.
The overall mission of this room was to offer a private, lavish, and elegant environment to The Legion's guests.
It did all that and more.
Levi watched as Eren's eyes wandered around the space, filled with excitement, wonder, and a hint of apprehension. He followed closely by her side as she wandered around the room, admiring the décor and ambiance. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked in the dim lighting. The light hit her in just the right places, bouncing off the tip of her nose, and highlighting the apples of her cheeks, not to mention how it made the light gloss she had on her lips shine just right. Those soft, perfect, and kissable lips. Yes, her perfectly kissable lips.
Levi realized he'd been staring a bit too long and forced his gaze away. "So," he started, "do you like it?"
Eren looked at him with surprise for a moment before answering, "No," then she grinned widely, "I love it, I just can't decide where I want to sit though," she laughed at Levi's expression.
"Well don't decide yet," he stated, taking her hand in his when he noticed a man from a mixed group eyeing Eren, "There is still a lot more to see."