Too Old For This? No Way!

[Tamara Sulik]

Sometimes, Tam felt guilty about her actions. With Mikael at school, she shouldn't look for the opportunity to leave the Academy, go to a bar and meet some handsome stranger who’d rock her world for a night. She should go for someone more serious, someone who could be a father-like figure for him, even though he was fifteen and probably was no longer looking for such a thing. Or maybe he was. Fifteen, that was the age of puberty and while Tam could talk of those things with him, a man might be best. Only she wasn't good at getting the right men. She might have, before. Who knows? All she was certain of was that she hated feeling like she was someone’s property, and she always started to feel that whenever the relationship lasted too long.

Still, now that she was here, she didn't seem to enjoy it as much as she should. Sitting by the bar, twirling the glass between her fingers, she was not paying too much attention to the people around her. Was she getting too old for this? That thought was terrifying. She definitely spent too much time with the students of Bellefonte if she started to think that. She emptied her drink and pushed the glass away. That done, she let the barman take care of it as she turned around and looked at the crowd. Dancing and showing she still had it all would boost up her morale. Hopping down the stool, she walked towards the dance floor.

She didn't have anyone to dance with. She didn't need it. No doubt, after a short while, she’d get someone. If not... Well, she could still get back to the bar and empty a few more glasses before heading back to the Academy and crash on her bed.

((TAG: Lamont Fenris ))

[Lamont Fenris]

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Even though it was just business, sometimes it took its toll. This was one of those days. Someone from his company his legal adviser, had committed suicide. Lamont because of his award winning personality due to an obsession with order did not have many friends. But this was a guy he was confident that he could call a friend. The loss was weighing on him. But what was running through his mind was what weighed even harder. He could hire another adviser, he was not out something that could not be replaced, other than at the office he had only really seen the man 3 times. Which is kind of sad considering this was the closest he had to a friend. Many acquaintances but not many actual friends. What was bothering his was why he cared. Why the death of this man was bothering him as it did not really put anything into disorder. 

Finding himself in the need of a drink, Lamont was still new in town. He needed to find a place to drink and think and come to terms with the fact that he was actually mourning someone. He had heard someone mention of a place called Silverlight that some of his employees were going to after work. He had no desire to mingle with them in the slightest nor ruin their night by having the boss horn in on their fun. But it was the only place he had heard of so far and he was new so he felt why not go for a drink.

Normally in times like this he would simply call his limo to drive him to Silverlight. But instead he looked up the location of the bar on google maps. Then he took off his suit jacket and tie and opened the closet in his office and took out his white and red leather jacket and grabbed his helmet. Perhaps a drive would help clear is mind. 

Walking out of his office and into the elevator, two of his employees were talking but stopped when he entered the elevator. There was now 3 people in the elevator which made it uneven which bothered him almost to the point where he wanted to get off and grab someone. But strangely enough he didn't. Normally he would. The elevator moved down toward the lobby and was nothing but awkward silence. Taking a breath when the elevator stopped and the other 2 got off. They said "Goodbye Mr. Fenris." to which he gave a smile and raised his hand. He could not get out of his mind why this man would take his own life. He saw no disorder in the man. He would have seen it if something was that bad. The door opened at the parking garage. Then Lamont took out his keys and pushed a button.

A noise was heard and a red triumph Thunderbird motorcycle rode up to him. Then he got onto it and put his helmet on. Then he put the key in the ignition, and he started the bike. Then he took off out of the parking garage and through the city. Moments later he pulled up outside Silverlight. there was a line up to get in. Lamont loathed waiting. He parked his bike in a safe spot and activated the security system. Then he took off his helmet and put it in the saddle bag and locked the saddle bag with his other key. Then he walked right up to the door and the door men stopped him. 

Doorman: Back of the line.

Lamont then pulled a hundred dollar bill out of the pocket on his leather jacket and handed it to the man with a handshake. The man then smiled and let him in. Which caused him to shake his head, as the man should have insisted that he go to the back of the line despite the bribe to keep things fair. He would have done it, hated it, but done it. But he was able to milk the greed of the man without even having to watch him and find out that flaw. Shaking his head he walked straight to the bar. After waiting a little long but an appropriate amount of time for the bartender to notice him, Lamont ordered a scotch on the rocks preferably aged and only 2 cubes. 

While waiting for his drink as he thought with a heavy heart about what had happened he looked out across the dance floor. It took a few seconds but he noticed something. Everyone had been dancing with a partner. Except one woman. Dancing by herself. A confused look crept onto his face as he looked at her and she was a beautiful woman. Why was she dancing alone?. Then of course. He started to obsess over the fact that she was the only one alone which brought disorder to the dance floor. He did not come here to dance, he came to drink and think. But he was going to have to to regain order. But he could think of worse things to do to regain order in a situation than dancing with a beautiful woman.

Still clad in his leather jacket, he walked onto the dance floor as the bartender slid the drink in front of him. He walked right over to her. Asking her to dance might have invited a no. Which he could not have because it would then bother him that she was out of order until she left the dance floor. So instead he just gave a warm smile, not just a fake business smile as that would not have done the trick. This was a smile that could dampen even the wildest of femme fatales. Then he took her by the hand and started to dance with her. Did not say a word. No names. No pick up lines. Not even a hello. Just a smile, the value of actions over words was put to the test as he spun her in the dance.

[Tamara Sulik]

Despite getting there alone, there were just so many people on the dance floor that Tamara didn't really feel like she was alone. She felt bodies brushing against hers every now and then. She could get the attention of a person or two no doubt, get a dance with them and who knows what else. Only that didn't seem to go so well for her tonight. Oh, she was noticed and even got the chance to find some men ready to ‘sacrifice’ themselves and dance with her but somehow, something was off as it happened. Maybe she was not attracting men enough to her liking, or maybe she simply had too much on her mind. Still, she could dance and simply ignored whoever may try to join her.

This left her rather alone after a moment. She didn’t seem to care though. Another may join soon enough. If not, getting lost in the music and the moment was good enough. She found it this was what she needed. Not the men, not the flirting, just some alcohol and dancing to loud music. It chased thoughts away, at least for as long as she was indulging in both. She didn’t think it was a problem either. More uptight people might say otherwise, but Tamara was not like that. All she wanted was to evade. She always did that in her life. She’d move away the moment she’d start growing roots. Kalispell was the first place she stayed and she did it for her kid, first so that she’d get her citizenship then to have him around. He was a student at Bellefonte. She had to stay here and be with him. Only, every now and then, the feeling to run away took her. It did before too, especially when the kids started to get on her nerves. This was what she found to ‘evade’ without really running away. Doing this every month or so hardly sound bad to her.

As expected, it didn't take so long before a man joined her. Some tall and strong looking man dressed up in a leather jacket. She returned his smile only hers was smaller and rather amused. She just knew it would happen and liked it. He looked good enough, better than any that might have come near her so far. He was not sure about grabbing her hand but she was also not very surprised that such a man was the kind to take rather than ask for something. For now, she let it slide. Her docility would depend on how much he intended to take though, as she was not one to simply stand there and let people do as they pleased of her. She liked her attitude though and this made her get a little closer to him as they’d dance together.

[Lamont Fenris]

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A few spins and some fancy footwork that looked a tad sloppy as faster dancing was not his strong point all he had really been taught was ballroom and he just kind of adapted movements from that so it looked a tad sloppy but fun. But he was not worried about his own movements as he did not have to sustain them for too long. As beautiful as his business partner was order was restored, regardless of his dance skills. As the song neared the end he had lead her closer and closer to the bar during the dance. The song then ended and as customary with ballroom dancing he put his hand on his abdomen and gave her a light bow before reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulling out a cigar. He knew he could not smoke it in the bar. He was a business man and respected how businesses needed to be run. His plan was to cut the cigar and ready it, then perhaps see if the woman will accompany him outside so that he might smoke it and possibly share. Putting one hand on her back in a not flirtatious way more of a leading way he lead her to the bar.

"I would have asked for the dance, with my accent I can be hard to understand and it is quite loud in here. So I figured I would try something a little bold. Apologies if offense was taken to this. Thank you for the dance."

His raspy Swedish accent, and confidence when speaking was very evident. This was one of the reasons he had not asked but not the main reason. The main reason was his obsession with order and that a no was not an option. But telling a woman that. Not a great idea, he would rather have drinks in his glass rather than thrown in his face. So best keep that part away for the moment. He had not lied so there was no disorder in his words just kept a reason to himself. He would potentially tell her later if the topic came up. If she stuck around and talked with him at all. He did not seem to have very good luck with women lately.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a gold cigar cutter with spring loaded action and titanium blade. He nipped the end off of the cigar and then sat it on the bar and grabbed his drink which was not what he ordered. He had ordered an aged scotch on the rocks with two cubes. but gotten a young scotch on the rocks with three cubes. The third cube in his glass started to bother him. He stared at it. For a moment then looked back at the woman and gave her a smile.

"Might I buy you a drink?, and would you be so kind as to accompany me outside for a cigar?. It is less loud out there. I would be easier to understand, and perhaps we could converse. I could hit on you good and proper."

With another smile at such a bold statement. He dipped the end of his cigar into his drink to moisten the end. Then took his drink in one hand and put his cigar into his mouth biting down on it and offered his other hand to her.

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara never learned any fancy dancing. She was, however, a club regular so swaying to the beat was the easiest thing for her. To think she might have ended up working at a place like this. Even now, despite it being years since she started working at the Academy, she felt like it would have made more sense for her to be a barmaid than a dorm monitor. She never thought she would have had it in her. Well, if she was no barmaid she could still visit the clubs. That had the advantage to be a lot more fun on this side of the counter.

She had guessed what he was planning to do, getting her to the bar, gently. She did get on the dance floor to dance but she also did it to get someone’s attention and she seemed to have achieved that. She was ready to give him a chance. He might be better at talking than he was at dancing. She arched up an eyebrow at the bow-like movement he gave her at the end of the song. That was unexpected. The cigar actually turned her off a little. Not that she had anything against smoking, well she may but that was his problem. It was more the gesture in itself, the fact it was a cigar. Like he was trying to impress her. It was the impression she had and sadly for him, if that was the case, it didn’t work too well. Poor guy. He may be a talk and strong looking man but he didn’t do things right if he wanted her.

His accent was thick indeed but she managed to understand. Somehow, it made her want to pull out her Serbian accent. She was able to tone it down to the point it seemed inexistent. She adapted to being an American very quickly. But that little joke might be a little mean, not to add rude. She smiled to him. “If I didn’t want to dance with you I wouldn’t have danced with you,” she assured him. She didn’t think it was worth thanking her for the dance though. Were all the men getting overly gentleman-like? She was not used to that and quite frankly it sometimes had the opposite effect it should on her. Probably because she was not used to it.

Again, with the cigar. She was tempted to leave him but the chance of robbing that man of some money by making him pay her a drink was also tempting. She already decided it was all he’d get from her. Sometimes though, being a tease was just as fun as going all the way. She tilted her head to the side as he offered her a drink and even proposed to share a cigar later outside. The last one was not tempting at all but she stayed there, as if seriously thinking about his suggestion before getting next to him at the bar. “Whatever you have with vodka. He’s paying,” she said to the one behind the bar, nodding towards the tall man next to her. She then turned her gaze at him, keeping her eyes locked in his. “We’ll see about the rest later.”