Beauty of the Dust

~

I swung the rag off my shoulder with a spin and wiped the counter in front of me in time with the beat of the local band playing tonight. I hadn't heard them before, but they weren't bad. They might even play here again some other night. From the corner of my eye I saw someone come up to the bar.

'Someone's in a good mood.' An alto commented as she slid into the stool in front of me. She set her elbows on the countertop and placed her face onto her fisted hands.

I looked down, assessing. Nice body, tight dress, ready smile. Perfect.

I made one last wide sweep before placing the rag back on my shoulder. I leaned on the counter so my face was level with hers. 'I guess you could say that.'

‘I'd wipe that smirk off if I were you,' she said with a smirk of her own.

'Oh, yea?' I was intrigued now. 'And why is that?'

'Because I don't do the whole...bad boy thing.' She motioned vaguely with her hand to encompass me. At my raised eyebrow she continued. 'You're a heartbreak waiting to happen, you know that?'

I shrugged. I never asked for anyone's heart. 'It doesn't even have to go that far. One night is all I'm asking for.'

'Nuh-uh. You aren't going to get me with that.' She smirked, steeled against my persuasion.

'Yet your still here,' I commented.

She laughed. 'Yet I'm still here,' she relented, agreeing with a small smile.

She'd be mine.

'So, what can I get you to drink?' I asked flippantly, straightening up.

She pursed her lips in thought before turning to me with a wink. 'Surprise me.'

I nodded. 'I got just the thing.' I grabbed a shot glass from under the counter, wiping it off quickly, then placed it on the bar.

Turning around I snagged the bottle of spiced rum with one hand and a bottle of absinthe herbal liqueur with the other, pouring until the glass was brimming to the top. This was my favorite part: the mix. Opaque emerald green and deep cherry red fucked to blush burgundy. Flippinging a tall glass upside down, I placed it over the shot glass. I motioned to the straws next to her and she took one, intrigued, the leather squeaking under her. Lifting the tall glass slightly, I lit the shot glass before placing the tall glass back down again. No fumes could escape for this to work.

I slid the oxidizing concoction towards her. She cradled it closer to her and deeply inhaled the fumes through the straw from the upside down glass. She finished it off by taking the shot, her electric eyes danced above the rim of her glass, meeting mine.

She purred in appreciation as she set it down. Looking at me in surprise, she asked me: ‘Do you give these to everyone?’ Her finger was trailing the rim of the empty shot glass. 'Or only the pretty ones?'

I shook my head. 'It's a secret.'

'Even from me?' She pouted.

I laughed at her adorable theatrics. When she pouted that way, her bottom lip looked plump and delicious. Enthralled by her lush, bottom lip, I leaned in. 'Especially you.'

She huffed out in mock frustration, turning away from me. I laughed softly again.

Capturing her small chin in between my fingers, I guided her face back to mine. 'Aren't I getting a thank you?' I asked low, coming in closer.

‘Depends.' She breathed, her sweet breath from the drink reaching my nose.

'On what?' I asked, angling my head.

'On the type of thanks you're asking for.' She angled her face with mine, bringing it closer.

I groaned when her lips brushed mine teasingly. She smiled against my lips before kissing me again, this time fully. I wasted no time, cupping my hand around the back of her head, I tangled my hand in her silky locks. Angling her head back, I bite her bottom lip softly, earning a gasp from her. Tasting her bottom lip, I moved in with a sweep.

Before I could do anymore, she was snatched from me. I stood up to see her being huddled behind a bigger guy. His face bordering purple, his veins were varicose. 'What the fuck do you think you were doing with my girlfriend?' 

Shit. I glanced at the chick he had behind him. Studying her face I could see she was flushed from the kiss, but there wasn't a sign of remorse anywhere. Feeling my eyes on her she smiled wide and winked. Vixen.

I looked at the guy again. He was easily twice my size width-wise, though I had a good couple inches on him in height. This would be interesting.

'I didn't know this was your boyfriend.' I smirked. If I had, I wouldn't have played her little game; she'd have been to my place and back by now.

'I'm going to tear you to pieces you little--' He began, livid.

‘The back door on the left leads to the alley. Go out there and I'll follow right after I serve the guy behind you.' I instructed, nodding at our little audience.

He stormed off, doing as I told him, dragging along his girlfriend. A good portion of the crowd followed, the other portion going back to what they were doing before, uninterested.

“Damn.” I sighed.

The guy stepped up to the bar. 'Two beers.'

I hooked onto two beer mugs and set them on the counter. As I turned to get the beer nozzle under the back counter, he talked: 'Shit luck, huh?'

‘It happens every once in awhile.' Nothing too new here.

He winced sympathetically. 'Think you can take him?'

I smirked at the idea, eager. 'Yea. I think I can take him.'