Bar Stools

[Administrator]

In the lobby of the building just outside the entrance to the theater there is a small bar with half a dozen stools. Pull up a seat!

[Killian O'Donnell]

NEW DAY ~ RESERVED FOR SARAH

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It had been an excruciatingly boring week for Killian. Most of his time was spent keeping an eye on things at Raconteur's. Everyone took turns watching the coming and goings there, but Killian spent an inordinately large amount of time keeping things orderly there. He supposed it was easiest for him to deal with the few people who were stupid enough or drunk enough to cause trouble for them. Usually he could silence even the drunkest of men with just a look and occasionally when it took more then a look he was happy to oblige. A few punches and well placed words can cool even the most volatile temper, especially when they come from Killian.

Tonight, though, he had plans to enjoy himself and that meant getting away from Raconteur's for as much time as he could. Of course the only logical place for him to go was Caprice. It had been a few weeks since he'd seen Sarah and she was always able to help him relax. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of whiskey before casting his eyes around the room. He saw a few people he recognized from Rac's but for the most part they were all strangers, something he was more then fine with. He didn't fancy running into anyone he knew here tonight. Only Luke really knew how much time he spent at Caprice and he planned to keep it that way. He may like most of the people in his circle, but he didn't really trust them to know how often he visited the headlining act at Caprice.

[Sarah Williams]

Sarah was working the floor, some nights it was something of a trial, but this evening she was rather enjoying herself. The guests were generous with both their time and some of their coins and when it came right down to it, Sarah enjoyed the art of a good flirtatious conversation. She draped her arm across the shoulders of the man she was talking too, listening attentively as he boasted big about promises for after the show that he would never be able to deliver on - and she left him with a well placed press from her hip and trailing of her fingers before moving on. She stopped a few more times as she headed towards the bar, chatting a few regulars, making sure the rest of the performers were doing their part - and it wasn't until she was steps away from it that she saw him.

His back was to her as he scanned the floor to the right, broad shoulders that she couldn't mistake for anyone else, even if it had been weeks since she'd seen him last. She couldn't help the grin that crawled across her features at the sight of him, feline and sexy as she reached for and found her cigarettes. This could turn out to be a very good night, indeed. Lighting up, Sarah settled onto the stool next to him, surprised that he still hadn't noticed her presence, "Hey there cowboy," She said lightly, waiting for Killian to turn before continuing. "Come here often?"

[Killian O'Donnell]

Killian was completely lost in his thoughts and was a bit surprised to hear Sarah's voice come from the stool to his left. He turned his head slowly, a smirk appearing on his face as he caught sight of her. "More often then most, I think." He reached out and brushed a piece of hair back off of her face. "How about a drink, darlin'?"

As his own drink was placed in front of him he lifted it to his lips as he watched Sarah expectantly, waiting for her reply. He knew what she drank, but he wasn't going to order for her. Killian drained the drink before setting it back on the counter and tapping his glass lightly so that the bartender would know to pour a refill. Tonight, he hoped, was going to be a very interesting night. He could watch Sarah perform. Something, he found he enjoyed immensely and then if she was willing they could both retire to her room. Yes, that would be a nice end to this monotonous week.

Killian briefly wondered what his 'friends' would think if they knew exactly how much time he spent with Sarah. Not that they would ever find out if he had anything to say about it. He was sure Finn would crack some joke about how he was losing his edge and coming dangerously close to being in a relationship. He hoped that if it ever did come up, most just passed it off as a wrong impression because he didn't think they'd ever believe he'd continue to see the same person. He wasn't sure how it had happened himself, but Sarah was certainly beginning to consume his thoughts.

[Sarah Williams]

Sarah smiled as he lifted his hand and pushed a piece of hair out of her face, a simple gesture to most and hardly the most intimate that had passed between them - and yet there was something gentle in the movement that had Sarah taking notice. Not that she was going to be admitting that to anyone any time soon, nor the fact that she was actually rather pleased to find Killian sitting here at the bar this evening. Because the truth was she had rather missed him since he'd been scarce lately and Sarah was smart enough to know you didn't go missing men like Killian. "Love one," She said at his offer for a drink, pausing a moment to light her cigarette and gratefully take a drag. "Whiskey." She said to the bartender before shifting her attention to watch as Killian downed the contents of his own glass.

"Was starting to think it was something I said," She teased lightly, tapping a few ashes from her cigarette as her drink was placed in front of her. With another smile she reached for it and took a sip, grateful for the liquid burning taste of it as she shifted her body to face him, letting her eyes take in the handsome lines of his profile. Sarah Williams was no fool, she'd been born and had lived a good deal of her life out West and she knew danger when it lurked in a man's eyes. It lurked in Killian's, blue eyes that could be hard as flint and just as unforgiving, men like that were not to be toyed with or trifled with. But Sarah had a feeling they'd stopped toying awhile ago, because she also knew that men like that rarely called for repeat performances without purpose -- and the damn thing of it was, Sarah was enjoying Killian, on many levels.

[Killian O'Donnell]

The corner of Killian's lip tilted up into a smirk as he returned his attention to the woman who occupied his brain far too much these days. "Just been busy at Raconteur's." He shrugged one shoulder absently as he moved his glass of whiskey around in his hand. With his free hand he playfully snatched Sarah's cigarette and took a quick drag before holding back out to her. "You know how it is. I'm sure things have been busy here as well." Killian figured that the number of customers at Raconteur's had gone up lately because of the chill in the air. Gamblers and drunks always felt more at home inside of a place like Raconteur's on the long winter nights.

Killian had never seen the appeal himself, but he knew some of his friends had. Finn in particular enjoyed working the gambling establishment because as he said time and again the pickings were rather easy. Killian rarely indulged in card games, but that was because he'd learned his lesson long ago. Cards were not his forte and they never would be. He'd leave that to Luke, Finn, and Derek.

Killian couldn't help but let his eyes wander over Sarah's figure. She looked as stunning tonight as she always did. The color she was wearing was especially flattering. As his gaze returned to her face, he smiled widely. "You look beautiful," Killian said before he could stop himself. It wasn't that he didn't compliment the women in his life because he did. It was just such a rare occasion that it usually only came out when he wasn't really thinking, which is when they were most genuine. He used compliments and endearments to get women into bed and then he promptly forgot them. There were obviously a few who were in his life who he hadn't bedded. Sarah was a special case though. She wasn't a part of the gang but he was quickly making her a part of his life.

[Sarah Williams]

Laughter sparked in Sarah's eyes as he snatched her cigarette and took a long, playful drag from it before handing it back and she made a show of replacing it in her mouth. She liked when he was lighter like this, his tone teasing and playful, not so heavy with the work he did with the gang or whatever might trouble him outside the time he spent with her. "They have, cold in the air has more men looking for a way to warm themselves up," She replied with an easy smirk, as it would be easy to take the implication from her words, as there was no doubt that they had warmed each other up on numerous occasions, weather outside be damned.

She looked at him when he complimented her, words that she had heard a great many times before, even from Killian's very lips. But said here, at the bar when they'd only been in each other's presence barely five minutes and the promise of what lingered was a long way off - the words meant more. Because Sarah knew they weren't handed out in such a way often, not with the soft sincerity that just barely tripped beneath the surface of his voice as he spoke. "Thank you, sugar," Sarah breathed out, pausing to take another sip of her drink and swirl the amber liquid around in her mouth before swallowing it, trying to ignore the way her gut twisted just a little at the way he was looking at her. "Ain't so bad yourself, cowboy," Sarah said, watching him over the rim of her glass and debated whether to say the next words that were threatening.

"Missed those eyes of yours." They came rushing out anyway and Sarah felt the corner of her mouth upturn at the knowledge that there wasn't much to be done about the admission now. So Sarah did what she always did best, she went with it. Leaning over towards him, Sarah set her glass down and slid her hand over to brush her fingers against his masculine ones. "Missed these hands too," She said, this time her voice laced with heat and meaning and the usual flirtation that had always been a trademark of their meetings.

[Killian O'Donnell]

"You can say that again," Killian replied with a smirk. He wasn't complaining because he certainly enjoyed the benefits of having more customers. Namely more money in his pocket every week. It also meant, though, that he was breaking up more fights and tossing out more rowdy customers. Then again that was one part of the job he always thoroughly enjoyed. He loved seeing the looks on some patrons faces when they realized what he was capable of. Maybe he enjoyed it a bit too much, but he'd been that way as long as he could remember and he didn't see anything wrong with knowing you were bigger and badder than most of the people around you. In fact, it was rather comforting.

Killian gave her a grin when she complimented him. He wasn't overconfident but he knew he possessed qualities that were attractive to women. Most women though turned tail and ran the other way when they got a closer look at him or spent more then a few hours in his company. He supposed that was one of the things that had drawn him towards Sarah. She wasn't afraid of the coldness he exuded most of the time. It was a refreshing change of pace. There were very few woman who could say the same and the few who could were usually just as heartless as he was.

A small chuckle escaped his lips when she mentioned his eyes and he lifted a brow, not entirely certain she was being honest. It had been mentioned to him on numerous occasions that he could scare a man to death just by looking at him. Then again that wasn't his intent with Sarah, but he was sure she'd noticed. The chuckle died quickly at her next words. His thoughts immediately turned towards the bedroom and he slowly ran his thumb over the fingers brushing against his own. "Probably not as much as I've missed those lips," He said as he set his glass down and raised his hand to cup her cheek, the palm of his hand gently grazing her lips.

[Sarah Williams]

Sarah was, by just about anyone's standards, experienced. She'd found time to enjoy a great many men in her life and it wasn't by accident that very few of them were admitted in for repeat performances - though she'd been known to take a lover or two from time to time. Sarah bored easily and didn't like getting hung up on men who couldn't keep up with her natural zest for life and living just a little bit in the fast lane. She made a living being a man's fantasy on stage, but very few were ever capable of being the embodiment of hers.

There were exceptions of course, and the man sitting beside her was one of them. From the moment they had met when he wandered into Caprice with one of his friends there had been electricity in the air. A sort of heated chemistry that couldn't be ignored, not that Sarah ever turned away from anything that inviting. The crazy thing about it was, with time, whatever it was that lay between them had gotten hotter instead of colder, it had intensified and continued to draw her in. And it was perhaps almost frightening the way her body and being responded to him still, like now as his attention turned more fully to her and his hand cupped her cheek.

"Perhaps we can get all... reacquainted later," Sarah said, her tongue darting out to wet her lips and catching just the slightest bit of her palm and her eyes darted to his. She allowed his touch to linger for a moment, savored the look in his eyes and the knowing that she put it there before she pulled away to reach for her whiskey. Even Sarah, who sometimes had a warped sense of propriety, knew there was a time and place and she did have a responsibility to adhere to certain guidelines considering her role at Caprice. "I'll...look forward to it."

[Killian O'Donnell]

Killian's heart quickened as her tongue grazed his palm before she pulled away to turn back to her drink. He pulled his hand back and lifted his own to his lips, needing to feel the burn of it so that he could retain his focus and not get lost in thoughts of being in her bedroom. Having grown up around women who put on an act to make money he could understand why Sarah wouldn't want to be obvious about their intentions for one another. It would be bad for her business and although he personally did not want to see or hear her flirting with other men he knew she had to. It was part of the job, though he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to be okay with it.

"So will I," He replied after he finished his drink and motioned for another. He was pretty sure it was going to be the only thing on his mind until they were locked away in her room. Killian could wait though, it was part of what made it so enticing. If you got everything you wanted when you wanted it, what you wanted would become boring. Though he doubted he would ever bore of Sarah. She was the breath of fresh air he'd been needing in this city. Although he wasn't truly ready to admit it, he knew he was becoming dangerously attached. He hoped he was hiding it well enough. "You due up on stage, soon?"

[Sarah Williams]

And there it was again, that promise that always hung in the air when they were together, heavy and ready and ever present in a way that Sarah knew would not be ignored. She would set it aside when she was onstage, she was a professional after all and had spent much of her life doing just that, but she knew Killian wouldn't be far from her thoughts once they initially parted ways for her to go on stage. The fact that her had that effect on her after so long was startling, though Sarah didn't want to take the time to examine it - she'd never been one to analyze her emotions, she simply wished to feel them.

"About an hour or so," She said in reply to his question, wondering if he battled the same way she did or if that rough exterior was able to keep aside the feelings that Sarah was beginning to feel stir inside her. Taking another drag off her cigarette, Sarah watched as the embers on the end of it burned brightly before turning her gaze to him. "Should probably go change soon, but I got a few minutes yet." She should probably be making more turns of the floor now, maybe working a few guys at the bar to get them to bleed a few more coins from their pockets, but she wasn't inclined to do so.

Not when Killian's icy blue eyes were turned on her and she could admit that she wanted to stay right where she was, with perhaps a few adjustments. The thought made her smile and she let the wickedness of it show as she drained her glass and set it on the bar with a thunk, fingers trailing along the rim of it. "You'll be staying for the show, then?" She asked, though she already knew the answer, it was in the set of his body and the way he was looking at her. The man wasn't going anywhere and the knowledge of it pleased her.

[Killian O'Donnell]

With a slight nod of his head he acknowledged her response to his question. The moment she mentioned that she'd need to go change shortly he immediately thought of the last time he'd been in the dressing room of Caprice Hall with its headliner and a languid grin spread across his face. He knew if he continued with this train of thought he was going to be decidedly uncomfortable until he could get her alone. Although it was difficult he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and pulled out a cigarette of his own before lighting it.

"Don't have plans to leave anytime soon," He replied as he took in her smile. It held the promise of something to come later and he thoroughly enjoyed that. Conversations with Sarah usually led to the dance they were currently performing with one another and it was always something he looked forward to. Not many women could entice a man with a single smile, but Sarah could certainly do that and more with a smile or a look.

"Where's your boss, lass?" He figured she wasn't around if Sarah was spending this much time with him. He knew how these places worked. All of the girls, and especially the headliner, were expected to flirt with the customers in order to get them to buy more. Though he certainly appreciated having Sarahs undivided attention. He also wasn't sure how he'd react if she did flirt with someone else while he was there. He knew it wouldn't be a pleasant reaction and he didn't think Sarah would appreciate him brawling with one of the other customers.

[Sarah Williams]

"Naomi is backstage, likely making sure everyone is keeping everything straight back there," Sarah explained when he asked after her boss, which Naomi technically was though both the woman looked at it as more of a partnership. Such had been the way of things since they had known each other and since Naomi had written to Sarah asking her to come East they did their best to manage things together. "Naomi is an old friend," Sarah explained finally, knowing that the arrangement was anything but conventional. She knew her place as a performer, there was no question about that and Sarah took pride and joy in it, but there were certain benefits to being in charge.

"We worked together out in California," Sarah said, not knowing why she was telling him this other than the fact that it was a distraction from where else her mind might be wandering if she allowed it. "When she bought Caprice she wrote me a letter and asked me to come," Sarah extinguished her cigarette and tapped her glass as the bartender passed to get a refill. She still remembered the day she had gotten the letter, Patrick had been dead for a year and she was beginning to feel restless, the routine of the dance hall in California becoming a drag. When Naomi's letter had arrived it had been like a breath of fresh air, the opening of a window when it seemed all the doors in Sarah's life had been slammed shut.

"So I came to help with the stage show," Sarah continued, shooting him a smile as she brushed some hair out of her face. "Keep the girls in line, help make a few decisions to keep the place running, that sort of thing..." She shrugged her shoulder as she trailed off, suddenly realizing that they appeared to have gotten in some sort of habit of revealing personal details about themselves the last few times they had been together. That hadn't been part of what she intended at all, but somehow she found that she didn't mind.

[Killian O'Donnell]

"Old friend, huh?" Killian realized that he was learning stuff about Sarah that he'd never thought he would. Then again he'd told her a few things that not many, if any, other people knew about him. It seemed like a fair deal to him. Sarah had been friends with Naomi and she'd sent for Sarah to come out. The more Sarah explained the more he realized that Sarah wasn't just a headliner here but also a partner in the business. A brief smile crossed his lips at the thought. He'd always been attracted to women who were independent and Sarah was certainly that. It fit his view of her that she wouldn't really answer to anyone.

"Was it a good decision?" He wondered if she didn't regret leaving California. He'd been out west but never that far, but from what he'd seen it'd been a pretty place. Of course, he didn't have much use for pretty places filled with wide open country. He preferred the bustle of the city to the quiet of the country. For some reason he'd never been able to sleep very well whenever he'd been in the country. Though when he'd first arrived in New York City he'd never thought he'd miss the crowds and the noise like he had when he'd left.

Killian laughed quietly for a moment, "Keep them in line, huh? Bet you scare the skirts off of most of them." Though he didn't think she'd reign over the other dancers with a tight fist, but he was sure not all of them would be used to being around someone with Sarah's brazen personality. Plus, he doubted she minced words with them. In business you could never be a pushover because once your employees knew you were, you weren't likely to be able to control them after that.

[Sarah Williams]

"Great decision," Sarah replied without hesitation, knowing that the move to New York had been exactly what she needed at that time in her life. A change not only scenery, but in mindset as well, it had been the push she needed to shake off the last bit of heartbreak over losing Patrick and finding other focus in her life. "Right time, right move," She quirked a smile at Killian, reaching for the glass of whiskey as it was refreshed and she nodded at the bartender in thanks. "You know how it is, sometimes you just have to...move on..." She waved her hand vaguely into the air, somehow knowing that she wouldn't need to explain herself further, that Killian would understand.

She laughed a little at his suggestion that she scared the skirts off the girls in the back, and while it wasn't exactly the truth, Sarah knew that she did run a tight ship. She had an expectation and a standard that she made it clear would be met if the girls wanted to work at Caprice, Naomi had put far to much money into the place and they both had invested their time, Sarah wasn't going to allow it to crash and burn because of the acts on stage. "They know there are lines not to cross," Sarah said, letting a playful self satisfied smile play across her features.

Sarah took pride in her work, on the product that went out on the stage and the fact that the crowds showed a response to it. It had given her purpose after a long time without one and she had embraced it - and she was just now beginning to realize how much. Sarah wasn't an idiot, she knew that the mark she left on the world wouldn't be indelible and she mattered very little to most, that had been the way of things. But she'd fought like hell to make her life matter to her and that's what was most important, at least as far as Sarah was concerned.