Chapter Forty-One: Being Amicable

"Heya...Look at St. Nicholas' ass over there. Looks like he found a new Mrs. Clause to dip his candy cane in." Beetle sniggered, looking to Deetz, who seemed to be biting back laughter as she started on yet another beer.

"Yeah, better her than me. I think I'm done with the whole one-night stand thing. It's not worth it." he eyed her as she shook her head, as if shaking some unwanted thoughts away. Honestly, it was good to hear that. Why, he still couldn't quite admit to himself, even when drowning in a formidable amount of booze, but it was a good thing, and he left it at that.

Of course, that didn't stop his ass from being curious. "So, what made ya finally close yer legs, Deetz?" Beetle chuckled darkly, hoping to provoke her a little for entertainment's sake.

"Well, when you put it that way..." she grinned, wiping over her face in what seemed to be embarrassment. "I was just really sad and desperate, obviously. That's not what I want. Not at all..." Lydia bit her bottom lip nervously, before glancing at him.

Okay, now he couldn't bite back his intrigue. Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was something else. It could've been the way she'd come back running to him when she could be balls deep with some good-looking stud her own age. Maybe it was the way she was the only woman in his existence that hadn't been a spiteful hag to him, though he'd spewed bullshit and told her she was a thousand times. Maybe it was the way those glowing neon beams were lighting her up like a dark angel. Maybe she was the most beautiful woman in that whole club. Or maybe he was trashed. Really, really trashed. That's what he was telling himself anyway. He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to wipe his thoughts away. "So, uh, what do ya want?" he asked, nearly biting his tongue as he cringed hard at the way that came out way too nice sounding. Maybe she was too trashed to notice.

"That's a good question, BJ." she said, taking her veil off and fiddling with it. He eyed her long black hair as it fell back over her shoulders and down the curve of her back. "I think I just want someone to be with me. I'm tired of being alone."

Man, this shit was getting deep. "What? I'm right here, Deetz." he sniggered. What the hell was he doing? Maybe he was getting too bold. Maybe he wanted a little too much validation or a bit too much of an ego stroke or some shit. He definitely wanted her reaction, though. He knew that much.

Lydia looked up at him, her smile warm but slightly sad. "Yeah, but it's not like that. You can't be with someone who doesn't care back. You know that. Remember Trixy?"

Okay, that was a bad fucking turn for the conversation to take. He fucked that up, too. Hell, having a stripper for a girlfriend was hard as hell. "Yeah, but that was my fault, Deetz." he admitted.

"Well, there's always a reason that stuff happens. It doesn't just come out of nowhere. What did she do that made you want to cheat?" Lydia asked in earnest, seeming to be deeply interested in what he had to say, once again, unlike any other woman he'd been with.

Maybe it was the fact that he was with a hot, wild, fun chick that wouldn't stop the fun for him. Maybe he was a dumb fuck for believing she'd ever give up dancing on that pole - that attention. "I did it outta spite, Deetz. I wanted her to stop strippin'. Said she would, but she'd never do it. I was tired ah watchin' my girl up there grindin' on other dudes. So, I figured I'd give her a taste of her own medicine, get mah drift? I mean, I didnt' intend for it to go that damned far, but I was pretty wasted..." He raised a brow, secretly wondering if she'd find him even more repulsive than he already was. Probably.

Luckily, Lydia didn't say anything bitchy. Not that she would, because she never did, as much as he wanted her to think that. She simply did what she was good at, and that was interrogating him. "Why do you think she was with you in the first place?"

"Easy. She liked havin' some dumbass chase after her. She knew she'd never stop her shit." he spat, realizing just how sore that had made him inside. "She just liked stringin' my ass along."

"You're better off without her, BJ." Lydia nodded, patting him on the back to soothe his bout of unhappiness, and for a brief moment his impulse was to do something really stupid and get closer to her, but he resisted, telling himself that revenge had to come first, whether he felt like it or not.

Of course, just when he began to fight with himself again, Lydia put a stop to it without even realizing it. "BJ, I never got our dance back in the Neitherworld. You wanna go out there with me?" she asked, grinning widely, probably in an effort to cheer him up, since he was sort of back to sulking over Trixy. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though." she quickly added, probably out of fear that he'd jump down her throat again.

Damn, he'd done a fine job of making her think he couldn't stand her. Even with the proverbial cat out of the bag, Deetz still was wary about his reaction to her. Of course, he realized that he could use intoxication as a pretty good excuse for practically anything, and that included Lydia. Who wouldn't want to get close to that? It wasn't like he'd forget to screw her over. If anything, he told himself this might make the vengeance sweeter in the end.

"Eh, why the fuck not, amirite?" he grinned deviously at her, pushing his beer away as he stood, holding out his hand. This was going to be good.