room.
Corruption is a funny thing.
“I guess I'll have what he's having,” Lola said, glancing up at me, then to the dark haired waitress. She only relaxed when the other woman nodded, scribbling the order down in her tiny notebook.
The girls moved down the line, talking to the other two men. The chair under me creaked as I leaned towards Lola. “I figured Brenda had done her research, making sure you could legally sign that contract, but please tell me you're not secretly a preschooler," I teased.
“I'm nineteen,” she laughed, pure blue eyes landing on my greens. Then, like water on oil, she her eyes back to the menu on the table. “I'll be twenty in four months.”
Nineteen. She's getting her break pretty early. I was twenty-one now, but I was only seventeen when I'd started foraying into the music world seriously. A chance meeting at eighteen had been the start of my rise to fame.
Squinting at Lola, I studied the top of her head. She had her nose near touching to the menu. Not sure what to say next, or if there even was anything to say to her, I took her cue and looked at my menu.
By the time the waitresses returned with our drinks, I hadn't figured out what I wanted.
No, that wasn't right. I knew what I wanted.
She just wasn't an option.
Flicking the plastic sheet up so the dark-haired girl could take it, I met her smoldering stare. “Just give me what you like best.”
“I—what I like?”
Taking hold of the chilly glass of caramel colored beer that she'd handed me, I put on a half smile. “Yeah. Your favorite food, whatever you'd eat here. Get me that.”
Tossing her hair back, clearly enjoying the envious glare of her fellow waitress, the girl giggled. “Alright, I can do that. I'm Scarlett, by the way.”
“Scarlett,” I repeated back. The name sounded fake, but who was I to judge? “I guess I should introduce myself, I'm—”
“Drezden!” she blurted, her smile wide as the moon. “You're Drezden Halifax. Yeah. I know.”
Of course she knew.
I hid my smile behind the beer, the crisp and bitter liquid refreshing on my throat. I caught Lola watching me covertly from behind her menu. “You going to take her order?” I asked Scarlett.
She realized she was ignoring the rest of the table. Casting me a final, flirty smile, she moved over to the young brunette. “Sorry about that. What can I get you?”
“Just some tenders and fries,” Lola said. She watched Scarlett nod, then stared after her as she bobbed out of the room, hips swinging. I was sure she was doing that for me. I peered at Lola curiously. What did she think about such over the top behavior?
“She's cute,” I said flatly, gauging her reaction.
“Yeah. Beautiful, even.” Her fingertips went white on her glass of beer. It told me nothing.
Is she envious of the flirting or not? Why can't that information just be stamped on her—
“Fuck!” Lola coughed, covering her mouth and holding the beer at a distance. “That's strong!”
The laugh escaped me. I couldn't have stopped it if I'd wanted to. But, fuck. It felt good. “It does have a kick. Don't tell me that weak beer on the bus was your first?"
Narrowing her eyes, Lola slid the drink closer to herself. “Please. I'm surrounded by rock stars, how could that beer be my first.”
“Oh, sorry.” Lifting my palms in mock defense, I gave her a cocky grin. “You were the one saying you shouldn't be drinking. I thought that meant this was all new.”
“It's just this beer, that's all.” Fidgeting, she watched me warily. “It's just strong.”
“I know,” I said. Angling my chin up, I took a long, deep drought from my glass. It was a stupid move, entirely too braggart. Why was I acting like a show off? Setting the mostly empty drink down heavily, I arched an eyebrow at Lola's stunned expression.
Perhaps she wanted to prove something. I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that she proceeded to emulate me, chugging back half of her huge glass. I gawked at her
Corruption is a funny thing.
“I guess I'll have what he's having,” Lola said, glancing up at me, then to the dark haired waitress. She only relaxed when the other woman nodded, scribbling the order down in her tiny notebook.
The girls moved down the line, talking to the other two men. The chair under me creaked as I leaned towards Lola. “I figured Brenda had done her research, making sure you could legally sign that contract, but please tell me you're not secretly a preschooler," I teased.
“I'm nineteen,” she laughed, pure blue eyes landing on my greens. Then, like water on oil, she her eyes back to the menu on the table. “I'll be twenty in four months.”
Nineteen. She's getting her break pretty early. I was twenty-one now, but I was only seventeen when I'd started foraying into the music world seriously. A chance meeting at eighteen had been the start of my rise to fame.
Squinting at Lola, I studied the top of her head. She had her nose near touching to the menu. Not sure what to say next, or if there even was anything to say to her, I took her cue and looked at my menu.
By the time the waitresses returned with our drinks, I hadn't figured out what I wanted.
No, that wasn't right. I knew what I wanted.
She just wasn't an option.
Flicking the plastic sheet up so the dark-haired girl could take it, I met her smoldering stare. “Just give me what you like best.”
“I—what I like?”
Taking hold of the chilly glass of caramel colored beer that she'd handed me, I put on a half smile. “Yeah. Your favorite food, whatever you'd eat here. Get me that.”
Tossing her hair back, clearly enjoying the envious glare of her fellow waitress, the girl giggled. “Alright, I can do that. I'm Scarlett, by the way.”
“Scarlett,” I repeated back. The name sounded fake, but who was I to judge? “I guess I should introduce myself, I'm—”
“Drezden!” she blurted, her smile wide as the moon. “You're Drezden Halifax. Yeah. I know.”
Of course she knew.
I hid my smile behind the beer, the crisp and bitter liquid refreshing on my throat. I caught Lola watching me covertly from behind her menu. “You going to take her order?” I asked Scarlett.
She realized she was ignoring the rest of the table. Casting me a final, flirty smile, she moved over to the young brunette. “Sorry about that. What can I get you?”
“Just some tenders and fries,” Lola said. She watched Scarlett nod, then stared after her as she bobbed out of the room, hips swinging. I was sure she was doing that for me. I peered at Lola curiously. What did she think about such over the top behavior?
“She's cute,” I said flatly, gauging her reaction.
“Yeah. Beautiful, even.” Her fingertips went white on her glass of beer. It told me nothing.
Is she envious of the flirting or not? Why can't that information just be stamped on her—
“Fuck!” Lola coughed, covering her mouth and holding the beer at a distance. “That's strong!”
The laugh escaped me. I couldn't have stopped it if I'd wanted to. But, fuck. It felt good. “It does have a kick. Don't tell me that weak beer on the bus was your first?"
Narrowing her eyes, Lola slid the drink closer to herself. “Please. I'm surrounded by rock stars, how could that beer be my first.”
“Oh, sorry.” Lifting my palms in mock defense, I gave her a cocky grin. “You were the one saying you shouldn't be drinking. I thought that meant this was all new.”
“It's just this beer, that's all.” Fidgeting, she watched me warily. “It's just strong.”
“I know,” I said. Angling my chin up, I took a long, deep drought from my glass. It was a stupid move, entirely too braggart. Why was I acting like a show off? Setting the mostly empty drink down heavily, I arched an eyebrow at Lola's stunned expression.
Perhaps she wanted to prove something. I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that she proceeded to emulate me, chugging back half of her huge glass. I gawked at her
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