Page 34 of Contention

“What would you like to drink,” he asks charmingly, a soft smile on his lips. Leaning into her space, smelling of clean evergreen. “I’ll have them bring you something nice.”

Oh, he’s down for some fun, isn’t he? Too bad Kara isn’t in the mood for company tonight. He could have been fun, some other time. Easy to play with.

“I’d just like a water, actually,” she says drily.

He cocks his head to the side, grinning and scoffing in a derisive way that gives his age away. Young, likely Kara’s age. “Water? Don’t be so boring, I’ll order you-”

That familiar flash of red sparks behind Kara’s eyes. “Order me anything,” she says slowly, dangerously, “Other than what I want…and I’ll pour it on your dick, right through those lovely slacks of yours.”

His cheeks redden, as if shocked someone wouldn’t want him to order liquor against her will. He leans closer to her, sneering, “What did you say, you venomous bit-”

A heavy hand falls on his shoulder, fingers gripping tightly. The young man looks upward and the sneer drops off his face instantly. The group of men standing on the far end have all stopped talking, now watching Kara’s exchange with Angry Boy-Man. This newcomer has come over from the group, likely to break up the argument, which is sort of gallant. In his other hand is his drink, clear and bubbling. He drinks from it calmly before speaking to the asshole beside Kara. “Do tell me you aren’t actually trying to force this young lady to drink something she doesn’t want,” the man drawls lightly.

“Uh…um…she mouthed off at me…” the younger man stutters, his sails losing their wind fast.

Kara’s defender turns to glance over his shoulder at the group of men. Her aggressor does the same, mouth tightening in a manner that speaks to his sudden nervousness. The distinguished blonde is standing in the group with his arms crossed, looking unamused, lips twisted irritably. He gestures with one hand, a ‘get out of my sight’ motion.

“Did you get that?” Defender of Women says flatly to the man beside Kara.

Angry Boy-Man nods quickly, standing up and vacating the outdoor deck immediately without another glance at Kara. The tension in Kara’s spine dissipates slightly with his absence. She feels like she’s been dodging unwanted advances all night with extreme inelegance.

The man beside Kara looks down at her. “Are you alright? We don’t usually tolerate the uncultured types here.”

Kara snorts; she can’t help it. Uncultured? Is this place considered cultured? Ha! “Oh, I’m fine. He was just an annoyance. I could have thrashed him, if I really wanted to.”

His lips, nice lips, twitch into a slight grin as he looks down at her. “Most girls don’t drink alone here. Are you waiting for someone?”

Kara feels her lips curl somewhat unkindly at that. He has his free hand now in his pocket casually, sipping from his drink as he eyes her from behind his mask. Pretty eyes. She counters with, “Are you?”

He makes a sound in the back of his throat at that. A huff of laughter, perhaps. He gestures to the now vacant seat beside Kara. “May I?”

Oh, how painfully polite of him! Lord, she’s tired of men today. “No one is stopping you.”

When he sits, she can smell the gin and tonic he’s drinking. Her nose wrinkles; oh, how she loathes gin! Once more, he gives her a slight grin, amused by her reaction. “You must be new. Most women here are after something. You seem like you could care less.”

Sure, Kara can imagine all sorts of gold-diggers finding a freaking gold mine in this place. Not something she’s into, but she knows the type of women out there that would love to have some rich guy wrapped around their pinky finger. Damn the consequences of that, naturally. “I don’t see the attraction in selling your body just to have an old rich guy attached to you like a bad rash. I prefer my independence far too much.”

“Is that so? Why do you come here then?” Mr. Gin and Tonic leans closer and Kara can see the blue of his eyes, firelight reflecting there. “Simple curiosity? Perhaps no one is good enough for the likes of you, is that it?”

Kara inhales with a beatific grin, thinking on how to best answer that tangled question. Or rather, it’s a loaded question; her answer is the thing that’s dark and tangled. Instead, she plays on curiosity. And research. He seems to think she’s a serious member, not someone on trial. “Oh, you know. This place is all the rage in the news these days. It gives me a thrill to be here.” She gives him a harmless grin. “Do women often get in trouble here? Or is that hush hush?”

He regards her carefully, drinking his gin. He leans closer, saying, “Most girls that come here are looking for trouble. Much like yourself.”

“Have you been upstairs?” Kara presses. “Do people actually…pay others to beat them?”

A muscle twitches in his jaw and he artfully dodges her question with his own. Obnoxiously. “Haven’t you been upstairs, as a member?”

Oops. He’s sharp. He caught her misstep…she pressed too eagerly. Shit.

He shifts in his seat, taking another drink before leaning closer to her. He smells delicious-

It’s then that Bianca steps outside, looking for Kara amongst the seated areas, over the flames of the assorted gas fire pits. When the redhead sees her, Bianca smiles and starts over, saying loudly. “Kara, I’ve been looking for you. You won’t believe how freaking craz-”

Mr. Gin and Tonic is staring at Kara, his tropical blue eyes going hard behind his dark mask. His shoulders tense visibly. He repeats her name. “Kara?”

Kara isn’t sure she understands the reaction. Too slow, her thoughts are simply too slow at the moment. “That would be what I’m called, yes.”

Before the words even finish falling from her lips, his hand is on her face, pulling up her mask roughly, exposing her, the cool night air blasting her cheekbones in a wash. Kara blinks in surprise, because that was fucking rude, especially after talking about being uncultured, there has to be a rule against this-

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