Laura opened the heavy oak door to Crowes' Tavern, stepping inside and letting the door swing shut behind her. It was a cheery place, with lots of dark wood, shiny fixtures, clean floors, cozy tables and pleasant lighting. But there was no one in sight, she noticed with dismay. Having been occupied with business meetings all day, she was looking forward to spending the evening in the company of Maximus and his friends and knocking back a few. She walked in further, hoping to find someone who could at least tell her where he was. "Hello? Anyone home?" There was no answer, and she turned, heading back for the door.
"Leaving so soon?"
The voice from behind her sounded familiar, a bit like Maximus', yet not like his at all. It was smooth and polished, seductive, almost honeyed, but lacking Maximus' warmth. She turned around to face the man now standing in the doorway to the back room. The ice-blue eyes were what caught her attention from the first instant. He had his hand on the rim of his dark sunglasses, pushing them down and lowering his head so he could peer over the top of the lenses at her. His gaze raked over her, from her head down to her toes, then back up again. She'd seen men do that before, undressing her with their eyes... but this time it was different -- if his thoughts could be translated into action, the clothing would surely have been ripped from her body.
It was the most blatant come-on she'd ever seen in her life.
Involuntarily, she took a half step backwards. "Is the bar open?", she asked, trying to keep her composure, yet could not take her eyes off him. He was fairly tall, about Maximus' height, clean-shaven and just as handsome as Max, if not moreso. In fact, his face was nothing short of breath taking, with smooth, unblemished skin, and soft, full lips that were drawn back into a practiced smile. His auburn hair was neatly combed and gelled, swept over in the front from the left over to the right in a soft wave. The purple suit he wore would have been garish on anyone else, but on him, it seemed perfectly natural. And it fit him well, clinging nicely in all the right spots, suggesting a muscular, well-maintained body beneath.
The man was a study in arrogance and conceit, and she could tell immediately he was the type who not only knew what effect his beauty had on women, but also had no trouble exploiting it. All her instincts screamed to stay clear of him. Yet he also radiated sexuality and animal magnetism, more powerfully than she'd felt in a long time... With the possible exception of Maximus.
"Yes, we're open. Liz is out running some errands," he finally answered, slipping off the sunglasses and sliding them into the pocket of his suit jacket. "I'm minding the store for her." He took a few steps towards her, his gait a confident swagger. "Is there something I can do for you, my dear?", he said in a silky-smooth tone that dripped with innuendo.
"I was looking for Maximus. He told me I could find him here most of the time."
"Ah... Maximus," the man said. She wasn't sure she cared for his tone, one of familiarity mixed with... contempt...? distaste...? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. "He's not here right now -- he went out with the group a while ago, but -- "
She backed towards the door. "Then I'll just come back later. Tell him I was looking for him." Her gut kept telling her to get out, that it wasn't safe to be left alone with this handsome stranger.
"But," he continued without missing a beat, "he should be back shortly. Why don't I fix you a drink while you wait?" he moved behind the bar, rattling some of the bottles as he looked over the stock below. "What can I get you?", he smiled, this time a bit more amiably, most of the chill disappearing from the icy blue eyes. "It's on the house."
She still hesitated. "That's not necessary. I'll just come back later," she repeated.
"Please," he said, extending a hand towards the row of stools in front of the bar. "Have a seat while you wait... Any friend of Max is welcome here."
She stopped. "...You're friends with Maximus?"
He nodded. "We both have rooms upstairs," he said, gesturing to the staircase leading to the second floor.
He seemed a little friendlier now, but she still wasn't sure about him. What was the name of the guy Maximus had warned her about...? Oh, yeah -- Sid, that was it! "I don't believe I caught your name," she replied, watching him closely.
"My name..." He hesitated, and as she stared at him, his face seemed to blur for a moment and she blinked, shaking her head. "...is Ted." When she rubbed at her eyes, he seemed concerned. "Are you all right?"
"Yes... It's just been a *long* day, and I've obviously been working too much -- now I'm seeing things...." She looked at him again, then decided, /What the hell...// She was tired, thirsty, and in no mood to go back out and drive around, or even go back to her hotel room. She took a seat on the stool nearest the door, looking past him to see what was on tap. "Give me a Heineken," she said.
"Beer?", He said with a hint of distaste. "Are you sure?" He lifted a dusty bottle of wine from a shelf behind the bar. "Hmmm... Montrachet Grand Cru Red Burgundy, '98... I didn't realize Liz had something this splendid in stock. I must compliment her on her fine tastes." He looked up at her. "It's a wine that's meant to be shared," he purred.
She shook her head. "Heineken -- in a frosted glass, if you have it."
"You don't know what you're missing," he said, frowning slightly. She watched him closely as he went into the small freezer behind the bar and pulled out a thick glass beer mug, filling it from one of the beer taps. He set it in front of her on a coaster, and she took a quick swallow, watching as he took out a corkscrew and opened the wine bottle.
As he poured the wine into a crystal glass, she said, "I hope you're planning on drinking that *alone*, because beer and wine *do not* mix, at least not with me."
He nodded, swirling the wine around in his glass, sniffing it, before taking a small sip. Like a wine connoisseur, he rolled it over his tongue, commenting, "...Highly impressive...Medium bodied, muscular, thick... dense and spicy... Well-balanced and harmonious... it has an extraordinarily -- " She noticed he was staring at her again as he added, " -- *long* finish."
It took a few seconds for the double meaning of his words to register. She shifted in her seat, feeling her face warm. /I'm not going to *touch* that...// she thought to herself. Pretending that his innuendo had gone right over her head, she asked, "You're going to drink the *whole* bottle?" He shook his head 'no', and she said, "Isn't that a waste?"
"I've never believed in denying myself *any* of the pleasures that life has to offer," he said, staring pointedly at her again, his voice low and seductive.
She looked away, staring down at her drink, thinking, /oh lord... I am SO over my head here...!// But still she didn't move. /why am I letting myself get sucked into this...?// When she looked up, glancing at him for a moment, she answered her own question.... Lord, he was gorgeous...! It didn't seem right for a man to look *that* perfect. Perfect teeth, perfect hair, incredible blue eyes. And his sculpted features were so exquisitely proportioned that surely a Renaissance master had chiseled them in marble.
As he leaned in closer, she could smell his musky cologne -- 'Polo', she noted... which was guaranteed to put her hormones into orbit. /S***//, she thought. /Why did he have to be wearing *that* too!?//
"You never did tell me *your* name..."
She drew back a bit, sitting up straighter as he leaned in closer over the bar. "Didn't I?", she answered, being deliberately evasive. Somehow, telling him her name seemed like it would give him even more control of the situation. But, at the same time as she said it, she unconsciously swept her long brown hair off her face, tossing it back in a rather provocative manner.
Oh, *that* was brilliant, she thought, regretting it instantly. Talk about sending mixed messages...
But his next statement shocked her. "It's Laura, isn't it?"
"How did you know that?", she asked quickly.
"It's no secret about who checks into the hotel," he said, smiling amiably again. "We're all friends here, but you're the only one I haven't met yet."
"Oh..." was all she could manage in reply.
He extended his arm over the bar, and she hesitated for a moment, then moved to shake his hand. But he took her hand instead, quickly bending down to lightly grasp her wrist, bringing it to his lips. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Laura..." He kissed the back of her hand softly, but it was enough to send a jolt through her whole body.
"Uh.... likewise," she said, pulling her hand away quickly. She slid off the barstool, looking around for the bathroom. Spotting it in the back, she said, "I'll be back in a minute..." As she neared the door, she looked back over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't following her.
Once inside, she locked the door, then ran the cold water, splashing it up on her face a few times. Blotting her face with a towel, she stared into the mirror, thinking furiously. What the HELL was she doing? In spite of herself, she was attracted to him, desperately so, and if he didn't know it before, he sure as hell knew it NOW.
She kept staring at herself in the mirror, wondering what she was going to say and do when she went back out. She briefly considered hiding here in the bathroom until Maximus showed up... but that certainly wouldn't stop Ted from knocking at the door in a few minutes if she didn't come out.
Oh, well, there was nothing else to do but march out there and make sure she kept her distance from him until Maximus arrived. Hopefully it wouldn't be long now.... IF Ted was telling the truth about that.
She pondered that possibility, then decided if no one showed up within 15 minutes, she was out of here. Taking a deep breath, and putting on her 'game face', she straightened her clothes and fixed her face, then walked back out.
First glance showed that Ted was gone from behind the bar. /Thank God!//, she thought, then realized her beer and his wine were missing as well.
"I thought we'd be more comfortable over here."
She turned to the side, and found him sitting at a cozy little table in a dark corner, with a single blood red rose in a vase in the center of the table, along with their drinks. /Damn...//, she groaned inwardly, but steeled herself, walking over and scooping up her beer. "I was fine at the bar," she said as she sailed past him, heading back towards the bar and the front door. She slid back onto the barstool, and started to take a sip of her beer.
And stopped, staring down into it. As he approached her, she went around behind the bar and dumped the remaining contents of the stein into the sink. She he poured herself another beer from the tap, and he asked, "Don't you trust me?"
"What do you think?", she replied, then came back around to take a seat. But when he approached, intending to sit beside her, she backed off. "Look, I need some space, okay?", she said, glancing at her watch.
"What's the rush?"
"The rush is I'm leaving soon if Maximus doesn't show up," she said, purposely rattling the rental car keys in the pocket of her jeans. She was nervous -- nervous of him, and nervous about what she might do if she were left alone with him for too long...
"I'm surprised he's not here already," he said, moving away and going to the table nearest the door. "Is *this* acceptable? Take all the 'space' you need..." He started to smile. "And if you really want to leave, you're right next to the door... I'm not trying to scare you."
"Well, you're doing a pretty good job of it."
"I didn't intend to -- I just can't stop myself sometimes around beautiful women..." he purred as he took a seat at the table, motioning for her to join him.
She groaned inwardly at so obvious a 'line'. Yet somehow her feet betrayed her, and she found herself sitting across the table from him. /Get out now!// a little voice inside her head called out, but it was drowned out by the raging hormones. She couldn't get enough of those ice-blue eyes...
She sat there, sipping on her drink, watching him watch her. Several minutes passed before he finally spoke, "My room is just up the stairs..."
The world seemed to stop as she pondered that. She wanted him... GOD, she wanted him!, and the only thing that surprised her about his invitation was the fact it had taken him so long to actually say it. Fantasies of a perfect body to match that perfect face blotted out all other thoughts, and images flashed through her mind in quick succession: lips devouring hers; tongue sliding in her mouth; buttons giving way and fabric tearing as clothing disappeared; eager hands sliding up her naked thighs; a hot, sweaty body pinning her to the floor...
Sanity made a last-ditch effort, and she shook her head. "I can't do that..."
"Forget Maximus. He's a fool," he whispered, leaning across the table, reaching to take her hand in his. Once again, his touch was electric.
Her heart was pounding, breath quickening as he caressed her hand. Their eyes locked, and she felt as though she were drowning in those hypnotic, ice-blue pools. She struggled for control, telling herself there was *no way* that she was going to have a fling with a man she didn't even trust as far as she could throw him. But when he brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back softly, then moving to nibble on her fingertips, she was nearly lost...
She jumped a moment later, jolted out of the spell she had fallen under while gazing into Ted's eyes, when she heard the front door open. There was the sound of many footsteps, but because of the partition behind her, Laura could not see who had arrived. She looked at Ted, watching as his expression changed from a seductive smile to a self-satisfied smirk. And she did *not* like the way his eyes changed too -- now it was like looking at a snake. The hold he had on her hand tightened, and when she tried to pull away, he refused to let go.
The group came up to her, Maximus in front, followed closely by Bud White, John Biebe, Peaches, Michelle & Tina. Max looked at Laura with a questioning gaze, then his eyes turned down to their hands, not failing to notice that Laura had to yank her hand free from the man's grasp.
Maximus put his hands on his hips, glaring down at him. "Sid, what are you doing?"
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