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For reasons unknown to her Janet had started up a conversation with her Uber driver during the drive from the airport to her hotel. She was only in New York, from LA, for about a week, and she wanted to have a little fun while she was in town. Isaac had passed a wrinkled club flier into the back seat and raved about the DJ that would be playing that night. It sounds like enough fun for her to fold the leaflet and shove it into her purse. When Isaac reached her hotel, she tipped him a twenty and got out of the car. She temporarily forgot about the flier as she numbly dragged her suitcase into the front lobby, then into the elevator and up to her room.
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Almost as soon as Isaac finished processing Janet's ride, he got pinged to pick up his next fare. The sun was sweltering outside as he sat in standstill New York traffic. The lane finally opened up, and he was able to turn onto a street that traveled a little more freely. His GPS guided him to one of the cities' faceless office buildings and a young woman with her hair pulled back in a bun climbed into his back seat.
She had her phone to one ear, and a thick portfolio clutched in the other hand. Isaac waited till she lowered the phone to her lap and placed her hand over the receiver to give him directions before pulling back out into traffic. He'd wired his cellphone into the stereo of his car, and the song changed. A club beat started slow, then quickly picked up.
"Who is this?" She asked somewhere near the middle of the track.
"I can change it." Isaac offered. He knew that he was supposed to listen to something bland when he had a fare in the car, but when he drove most of the day, it just got boring.
"No, I'm not, I meant I kinda like it."
"It's this guy." The car got stopped at a red light, and Isaac passed the last of his fliers back to her.
"Huh."
"He's got a gig tonight."
"I might check him out." She opened the portfolio and shoved the flier into one of the sleeves. "Thanks." At the next light, Isaac switched up his library to play only tracks from that DJ. They got through two more tracks before he dropped her outside her apartment building.
"So will I see you there?" Isaac asked as she gathered her things and rated her ride.
"Maybe." He got a warm smile from her, and he stuck his hand into the backseat for her to shake.
"It's Isaac." He told her.
"Samantha." She slid off the seat and out the door.
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Samantha had planned to head straight up to her apartment, dump her things, and let her hair down. As soon as she got out of the car, the breeze changed and carried the scent of food from the nearby food truck with it. Intrigued Samantha walked down the block to where the truck was parked. A small line had formed, after briefly checking the menu she joined it. Not cooking would be a nice treat.
The woman in front of her had frizzy curled hair and was leaning against the telephone pole. A flier with pull off tags had been tacked beside her. It advertised the same DJ that Isaac had been listening to in his car. The woman turned; her gaze landed on the picture of the guy's face. For a moment her eyes narrowed in what might be recognition, then she shook it off. The line inched forward, and she stepped away from the spot where she had rested. The breeze blew her curls in all directions. With a frustrated sigh, she yanked what she could back into a pony-tail.
On a whim, Samantha tore off one of the tags and offered it to her.
"He's pretty good; you should consider seeing him while he's in town."
"Are you flirting with me?" The woman took the tag and gripped it between both hands so the breeze wouldn't ripple it as she tried to read what it said. Samantha hadn't been, but she gave the other woman a coy smile.
"Maybe." The air had pulled some of her hair from the bun. "I'm Samantha. My friends call me Sam." Samantha tried to tuck the loose locks of hair back behind her ears, but they came free again. The line shuffled forward.
"Amanda." The woman pulled out her wallet and stuck the tag down with the bills. She stepped up to the counter to order, then looked back over her shoulder. "Maybe it's a date. You'll have to show up and find out." They shared a smile, then Amanda's order was placed beside her, and she disappeared down the block.
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Amanda had only planned on getting lunch, not an invitation and a possible date. She doubted the girl would even show up. If nothing else maybe the night out was just what she needed. When she'd looked at the flier something about the DJ's face had been familiar to her. She'd never met him, but she'd felt an inexplicable jolt of deja-vu.
She sat on the first bench she found and bit into the burrito she had ordered. She had the night off; rent wasn't due for a couple more weeks. Even if the girl didn't show up maybe, she'd be able to find a new client or two to deal with. She finished eating and balled the wrapper between her hands. She dropped it, and her empty soda cup into a nearby trashcan and shoved her hands into her pockets.
It was early afternoon; she had hours before she needed to decide about the show. Aimlessly she walked down the block. The record store caught her interest, and she headed inside. For a few minutes, she silently browsed. Across from her a boy with short brown hair was flipping through the record bins. The young man picked out two, then moved down the line to go through a different drawer. She could see what he'd picked so far, and her fingers aimlessly roamed over the albums on her side. She pulled one free and passed it over the row.
"Try this." She suggested. It took a second for the guy to realize that she was talking to him, but he took it from her, and silently reviewed the cover. A little smile broke across his face as he added it to the pair in his hand.
"Thanks!" Amanda shrugged non-nonchalantly and continued working her way down the row. She lost track of him as she headed into the used CD racks.
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Brian turned the cover over to read the back as the girl continued down the aisle. Once she was out of sight, his attention shifted back the records in his hands and the new ones between his fingers. He worked his way down the aisle as the urge to check for this, and that flitted through his brain. When he'd finished, he headed for the counter to pay. His phone vibrated, and he dug it out as he headed for the door.
Quick fingers typed a reply as he did his best to navigate the over packed store without bumping into a display or another shopper. He pushed the inner door outward without looking to make sure the small lobby beyond it was clear and ran straight into a dark haired guy taping a club flier to the glass. Fast fingers fumbled to catch his phone before it dropped. Big hands braced on his shoulders to stop both of them from toppling over.
"Sorry," Brian muttered once he'd shoved his phone safely into his pocket again. "I wasn't paying attention." Brian looked up at the other man's face. For a moment it felt like the world stopped. The guy was ridiculously handsome, then he smiled at him, and Brian was sure his heart wasn't beating. The hands hadn't moved from his arms; he wasn't sure he wanted the guy to let him go. "Hi." The word was lame; his palms felt sweaty. The plastic bag between his fingers crinkled as he shifted his hold. The urge to ask the other man if he was real bubbled from nowhere.
"Hi." The guy's smile widened a little, and Brian briefly imagined what leaning up and kissing him would feel like. He wanted to rake his hands through the man's messy curls. It was absurd, but there was no way this guy was single. He probably had a hundred suitors. The man's hands dropped away, and Brian mourned the loss. "Do you have plans tonight?" Brian was sure he'd heard those words wrong. Strangers didn't ask him on dates. His friends didn't ask him on dates!
"Plans?"
"Yeah, there's this DJ tonight" The guy tore two of the tags off the flier he'd posted. Brian's shoulders drooped. He'd known it was too good to hope. The guy was only doing his job, promoting the show. He took the tag and dropped it down into the plastic sack between his fingers.
"I'll think about it." Brian lied. He reached to push open the outer door.
"Wait, I still need your name."
"What for?"
"So I can put you on the list. That way, if you do come you wouldn't have to pay to get in the door. I'll even make you a drink or two when my boss isn't looking." The guy's charming smile was making Brian's brain melt and his mouth dry.
"Brian... Brian Kirkland." The guy had produced a pen, and Brian watched him write his name in evenly spaced print.
"Adam."
"Adam...." Brian trailed off, hoping for a surname.
"If you show up tonight I'll tell you." Adam told me, the taller man winked at him.. "I'll be behind the main bar, come say hi." He moved to post a second flier on the opposite side of the glass as Brian walked out onto the street.
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Adam finished taping the flier and stepped out the door. A girl on a bike swerved to miss him. His eyes darted down the block until they landed on Brian's back. Seeing him had caused the strongest feeling of deja-vu he'd ever felt. It had sent his mind reeling. He'd had to force his fingers to bend and release the guy's arms before he'd pulled him into a hug, or kissed him, Adam had felt an overwhelming urge to lean forward and kiss the guy. The feeling lingered as he walked away.
He daydreamed about wrapping his hand around the back of the smaller man's neck, then pulling him into a kiss for the rest of the afternoon, until he got to work and the fantasy dimmed. Adam stopped to talk to the man at the door and added Brian's name just to be safe. The guy probably wouldn't show. Adam worried he might be getting his hopes up for nothing.
"Adam? Hey."
"Yeah?" Adam looked up from the bar he had absently been wiping down to find his manager holding out several sealed bottles of water.
"Take these to Liam."
"Liam? Oh, the guy performing tonight." Adam dropped the bar rag into the sink and accepted the bottles. The night's DJ had been tuning his equipment since Adam had arrived. He walked around the end of the bar and headed over to the raised stage. The DJ pushed his headphones down around his neck and reached to take the first bottle. He twisted off the cap and drank half of the first one before reaching for the rest.
"Thanks, man." He leaned to place the unopened bottles where they wouldn't get knocked over.
"I'll bring you another one to replace the one you started." Adam offered as he turned to head back to the bar. His long frame let him lean over the counter easily; he took the new bottle to add to Liam's collection. "I'll check on you later to make sure you don't need more." He told him before walking away again.
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Liam finished the first water as he watched the bartender walk away. Something about his silhouette was familiar. The dark eyes, curly hair, and easy smile... all of it rang a bell, but for the life of him, Liam couldn't place it. Maybe it was just something he'd seen too many times before. His club career had taken off at a breakneck pace; every weekend was a different gig in a familiar setting. Maybe that's what it was; he'd grown accustomed to impossibly pretty people with relaxed personalities tending bar and raking in tips.
The plastic water bottled crinkled as it folded it between his hands; mindlessly he tossed it into a small sack he used to collect his trash. The doors had already opened, and he spotted the petite little woman walking around the club. Her circle brought her along the edge of the stage. Liam grinned as he got a flirty wink and wave from her. More people trickled in as the house lights went down. Music to get the crowd going had already started piping through the speakers. He'd let the crowd's energy build a little before he got introduced to start off the night.
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Janet couldn't resist flirting a little before continuing to work her way around towards the bar. She traded in her suit for a short flirty skirt and a plunging top. The club was starting to fill as she perched on a bar-stool and waited for one of the bartenders to notice her.
"Oh my god you came!" The exclamation caught her by surprise. The only person who might have known she would show up was the Uber driver she'd had that morning.
"Yeah, I'm, Yeah, I like what I heard in your car this morning enough to see if his set is just as good live."
"You won't be disappointed, I promise you. Liam is awesome! It's Isaac, I figured you forgot, but you were in my car for twenty minutes, so its cool" Janet laughed, she had forgotten, but the older man didn't seem the least bit offended. "I'm going out to smoke before he starts his set if you want to join me."
"Maybe later."
"Sure." Isaac grinned and waved before heading towards one of the doors along the back wall.
"What can I get you?" Janet swiveled on her stool to meet the amber eyes of a young man gorgeous enough to her forget how to use words correctly.
"Surprise me, I want to start a tab." She finally managed. Anything specific she might have intended to order had gotten lost in her head while she had been staring at his face. Janet passed her credit card across the bar top and gave the man a coy smile. Her hair fell forward, and she caught a lock of it between her fingers and started to twist. The dazzling smile she got in return made her feel warm.
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Isaac stepped out of the rapidly warming club into the fresh night air of the fenced in patio. More traditional music, picked to give clubbers a break from the frantic pace inside played from the pair of speakers mounted above his head. He lit a cigarette as a Prince song played and was nearly finished with it when the patio door opened. Samantha had traded the suit she'd worn that afternoon for black leggings and a black halter top.
"Oh my god! You came too!" The young woman's face twisted into a smile, and Isaac dug out his cigarettes again to offer her one. He'd been passing out fliers for the show all week, so he'd expected to see a familiar face or two.
"Yeah. He seemed like a good DJ." Samantha accepted his offering and lit it. On a whim, she blew her best attempt at a smoke ring and grinned at him. Isaac couldn't stop the full-fledged smile that spread across his face. He politely waited long enough for her to finish, then held the door for her as the two of them walked inside together. They parted quickly enough as he headed towards the front of the growing crowd to be near the stage.
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Samantha flitted through the crowd of dancers in hopes of spotting the familiar mass of brunette curls she'd met that afternoon. As the crowd got denser, and the DJ started his set she began to realize that finding her was probably a lost cause. She stopped by the bar long enough to get a beer, then she headed to the restroom and almost ran straight into Amanda as she was exited back to the floor.
"Hey, Sam." The woman's voice flowed over her as Amanda brought the beer bottle she held to her lips; one arm crossed over the woman's chest as they studied one another. Samantha's eyes skimmed over the other woman's figure with growing interest. She was glad she had taken a chance tonight. "Come on." As Samantha stood there the other woman finished her beer in a long series of swallows; she felt transfixed as she watched the muscles of Amanda's throat bob. A bead of sweat raced her neck. "Let's dance." Amanda grabbed her arm to lead her back into the thick of the crowd. As soon as they passed a trashcan, they both threw their bottles away. With nothing to distract her Samantha's attention focused solely on the woman dancing first in front, then against her.
The two of them stayed there, in the thick of the crowd for around thirty minutes, until they slowly started working their way towards the back of the club where the main door allowed a column of cooling air to pass inside.
"I'm going to get us water," Samantha told her over the pulse of the beat.
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Amanda nodded and leaned against the short wall that separated the clubbers who had been admitted from the ones who were just arriving. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she made no attempt to hide that she was staring at Samantha's ass as the woman headed for the main bar.
When Sam slipped out of sight, Amanda turned her gaze to the new arrivals. A disbelieving laugh built in her throat as she watched the little hipster she had spotted at the record store argue with the man on the door.
"Will you just check the list? It's Brian Kirkland" He pleaded quietly. Amanda doubted the kid's name was there, but she leaned over the half wall between her and the bouncer in such a way that the man might see down her shirt if he wanted.
"He's with me. He was a late addition, will you check?" The man sighed in annoyance, but took the kid's ID and ran his finger down the register.
"Huh. Fine." The kid got handed a wristband, and the younger man fumbled with it as he walked further into the club.
"Thanks..." The sentence hung unfinished. "Again." He tacked on as he finished snapping the band around his wrist. "That's twice I owe you."
"It's no big thing. Have fun tonight." She wondered what small miracle had coaxed a guy like that into a place like this.
"I don't even know your name." He lamented. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"It's Amanda, and my date for the night is handling the drink."
"Brian." He waved awkwardly, then darted towards the main bar.
"Who was that?" Samantha asked as she returned with both water and beers.
"Just some poor kid." Amanda wrapped her arm around Samantha's waist and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Who is way out of his league." Together they giggled.
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Brian had no idea what he was doing here. The plastic band was annoying, and the music was too loud. He smoothed down the simple black button down he wore and raked a nervous hand through his hair. Part of him wished it was longer, either so it would shadow his face to help him hide or so he could pull it back.
There was no way he was staying here all night. Hopefully, Adam would be able to make the drink he'd offered. He would stay long enough for a drink or two, and try his best to be charming enough to get Adam's number.
If he was honest, he hadn't expected his name to end up on the list for the night. He was thrilled. Once he was close to the bar, his gaze flicked from one end to the other, until he spotted Adam talking to a girl with dark hair and bangs near the opposite end. He'd been right about the probable parade of suitors apparently. Unexpectedly undeterred he moved from his current spot at the bar to the open space beside the girl. Adam's animated face lit up as he settled onto the vacated stool. Brian heard an annoyed sound as the attention Adam had been showering her with abruptly shifted.
"Hi." It was Adam who said it first this time, in a tone that expressed that he was just as shocked as Brian was that Brian is sitting at the bar right now. "I promised you a drink. I've had something in mind for you all day, do you care?" Brian shrugged, free liquor was free liquor. He could order his preference when he was forced to use his own money.
"You don't have to."
"I think you'll like this." Adam turned to the bottles behind him, and Brian fixated on the lines of his back. The movements of his body behind a bar were practiced. The girl snorted derisively; shaking her head as she stood.
"He's not that cute." She muttered under her breath before she picked up her drink and carried towards the direction of the patio exit.
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Adam focused his attention on the bottles in front of him; he could practically feel a pair of chocolate brown eyes tracking his every movement. He picked out a high ball glass, added ice, then started building the drink with vodka. At the end, Adam added a short black straw and stirred everything together. His fingers found a pen, and he scribbled down his name and number before turning back to his audience. He walked across the space and slapped down a pair of napkins. The one closest to Brian had his contact information; the other was for the drink.
Fast, flexible fingers snatched up the number as soon as Adam laid it down.
"Adam Hayward..." He ignored the drink in favor of pulling out his phone to add the number. Adam couldn't stop the smile as he watched him. The screen glow cast both the young man's fingers and face in soft light. Brian passed the device between his hands for a moment, then shoved it back into his pocket. He finally reached for the drink, taking a moment to swish the first swallow around in his mouth to learn the flavor. "Is that peach?" Brian stirred the straw through the remaining liquor and ice.
"Yeah." Adam leaned into the bar to rest his forearms against the polished surface. "Do you like it?"
"I, yes." One of Brian's arms rested on the bar, close enough for his knuckles to touch the back of Adam's wrist. He brought the drink back to his mouth. "This is really good."
"I'll make you another one later if you hang around till my break; I actually want a few minutes to talk to you." He watched Brian fidget on his stool. Fingers rested a little more firmly against his wrist. "I hope you'll stay; I have to get back to work." Adam reluctantly rolled his hand away and pushed back from the bar. The moment he focused his attention on someone else he had an order to fill, and money to take. His attention was swept from the guy he wanted to focus all this attention on, to random people he couldn't care less about. Every time he moved down the bar he expected to come back and find Brian gone.
Liam's set ended, and there was a rush as people lined up to get drinks. When Adam worked his way back to the spot he'd left Brian, he found Liam leaning against the counter instead. His shoulders slumped, and he reached into the cooler for a bottle of water. He passed it to DJ, and watched him drain it, then crumple it.
"Good set!" Adam called to him over the din of the surrounding crowd. He watched Liam nod, then push away from the bar. Someone hollered for Adam's attention, and he forced his gaze away from the other man's back.
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Liam mopped sweat from his brow as he pulled his cigarettes free from his pocket. The back patio was quiet and serene compared to the packed club, and he walked to the far end of the fenced space to lean against the wooden slats blocking off the alley. A breath of almost chilly air drifted along the side of his face. Smoke curled into a cloud around him as he exhaled. It had been a great set; the crowd had produced incredible energy that made him feel alive; it kept him going back to the stage night after night. People packed the patio to drink, and smoke, and breathe. None of them seemed to notice him as he kept his head down and the cigarette to his lips.
"I'd bang you." Liam's head snapped up to stare at the girl that was standing in front of her. She was tiny, with a larger than life personality accented by a plunging neckline. Liam grinned at her and focused on her face instead of her chest.
"Would you now?" Rather than answer she plucked the cigarette hanging from between his fingers and lit her own from the embers. A bark of laughter escaped Liam's throat. She was ballsy; he kinda liked that. The patio started to empty again as the next DJ got started. The outside music was tamer, and he could hear seconds of the sharply contrasting set as the door opened and closed. Liam slid down to the concrete and leaned his head back against the wood. He liked playing in New York. The door swung open again, and two girls stumbled out. The patio was empty enough for him to hear them giggling together as the one with wild frizzy hair pressed her partner to the closest brick wall.
"Do you want to join us?" The woman who had lit her cigarette off his nodded her head towards the picnic table she had come from, a guy with glasses waved. Liam had seen him at more than one show. Sitting with a fan could get awkward quick, but he levered himself off the floor to sit with them. The guy's face lit up as he got closer, but instead of trying to hug him, or throwing himself at his feet, the guy just offered a fist bump. Liam rolled his eyes at the other man's ridiculous grin, but sat, and accepted a new cigarette.
The giggling got louder as the two girls moved sit at the far end of the long table. It was weird; there was an odd almost companionable feeling between the five of them as they sat and smoked. It was so strange to Liam, the three of them didn't know one another, and the two girls really weren't part of their conversation, but sitting between the two groups made him feel grounded, almost comfortable.
The door swung again, and the bartender who had been passing him water stepped out. A cigarette already hung from his lips. Liam watched the taller man's gaze scan over the scattered tables, for an instant he almost assumed he would join them, but he walked along the edge of the building towards a locked gate, and an area that Liam assumed was reserved for staff. The gate banged closed behind him, so Liam turned his attention back to Janet and Isaac.
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Adam inhaled the scent of fragrant clove into his lungs and pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood in the darkened alleyway. He'd cut through the patio instead of the kitchen in hopes that Brian had gone outside, but it seemed like the other man had left instead of hung around.
"Hey." The unexpected greeting, in an area reserved for staff, startled him and he dropped the cigarette. A delighted grin spread across his face as he watched Brian fidget where he sat on the steps leading back into the bar.
"How did you get back here?"
"I asked the guy at the door where you normally took your break." Adam watched his knee bounce nervously. "I guess he took pity on me because he let me come back here."
"Then I will have to find a very generous way of repaying him." Adam stamped out the embers of the clove with the toe of his shoe. He crossed to the steps and leaned. One hand settled on Brian's thigh; the other gripped the smaller man's neck. The first kiss was an experiment, a brush of lips to test the waters, then Brian's hand curved around his neck and pulled him closer. Adam rested his knees against a lower step and leaned into it as he balanced against the tips of his toes. His hands gripped at Brian's waist and neck. Smaller hands clutched at his waist and in his hair. One of Brian's hands gripped in the curls as Adam rested their foreheads together.
"You're giving me your number before you leave, right?"
"I want to see you again, so I think that I have to." Adam reluctantly let him go and stood straight to dig out his phone. He settled onto the step beside Brian and looped his arm around his shoulder. He offered him the device once he'd unlocked it and watched him add the number. Brian leaned into him as they listened to the patio music mix with the sounds of the city. The few minutes he had to himself ticked by too quickly.
“I really have to go back in.” Brian's hair felt impossibly soft against his cheek.
“Call me when you get off.” They got up together, and Brian stayed tucked under his arm as they walked through the patio towards the main door. Adam could feel hesitation building in the smaller man's frame the closer they got.
“I get it, anxiety, it's a bitch.” Silky strands of hair slipped between his fingers as he angled Brian's head to give him a final kiss. A sharp wolf-whistle from the dark haired girl with bangs he'd met earlier that night made him laugh. “I'll talk to you later.” Stepping away was hard, but knowing he had the guy's number left Adam hopeful that this could be more than a random encounter.