sat a few more seconds and I mentally replayed what we had watched. I took a deep, steadying breath, looked up at him shyly through my eyelashes and said, "Yeah, it really was kinda hot." He laughed out loud, a deep throaty laugh, and said, "Oh you are going to be trouble."
CHAPTER 3
DAMAGED GOODS
"I don't know what you are talking about. I am pure innocence, sunshine and light. No trouble here." I say with wide, innocent eyes.
"Yeah, I'll just bet you are."
I can not believe I am sitting here, coyly flirting with this man. And enjoying it. He's just so darn easy to flirt with. I usually have all force fields up, phasers set to stun. I have to keep my guard up because I often arrive at this bar alone. Except for rare occasions when I do actually arrive with a date, I leave this bar the way I came tonight- alone. But I have a fabulous time; I drink, I visit and catch up with friends, and I dance. Boy, do I dance. Charming was right, I dance every chance I get, with almost anyone who asks. The only way to be able to do that, consistently, is to keep my guard up. No one gets too close. Be friendly with everyone, but overly friendly with no one.
The regulars know me. They know I am here for fun and am always good for a dance, but they know that is all. People notice if you are always taking some guy home at last call. The best way to avoid that is by never taking some guy home at last call. That way the men all become more like a protective big brother, and none of the women want to gouge your eyeballs out with their manicured nails in the bathroom.
"Do you dance? When you're off duty, I mean." I ask, trying to bring the topic of conversation off of sex and onto something more neutral.
"Yeah, some. The slow songs. Not the wild, thrashing around with abandon stuff."
"But sometimes the thrashing around with abandon is exactly what you need. After a drink or two, in the dark with the throbbing lights, the beat of the music pounding through you, the volume up so loud your heart beats with it. You go out there, get lost in the crowd, close your eyes, totally thrash, and definitely with abandon."
He laughed and said, "Well, when you put it that way...still no."
"So where is this boyfriend of yours?" he asked.
"What boyfriend?"
"The one I pretended to be, the one you kept telling the drunk, pushy guy that you had."
"Oh, that boyfriend. There isn't one."
"No boyfriend? Should I find pushy guy and tell him the coast is clear?"
"Only if you want to see how fast I can run."
"He was toasted, you really wouldn't have to run all that fast."
"If he was that toasted, how come you didn't catch him trying to drive home Mr. Officer, sir?"
"I'm not on duty. Just moonlighting at the front door. No car, no radio, no anything. But they do patrol out front. I'm sure someone got him."
"Ah, all dressed up but no place to go, huh?"
"Beats having a major event to go to and showing up butt naked."
"I have had that dream, that is not fun." I said.
"We have been out here for quite a while, did you lose your friend?"
"She is around here somewhere. She knows where to find me. If I get bored and ready to leave, I'll go hunt her down."
"You aren't bored yet?"
"Are you kidding? Dancing and a show remember?"
"Oh yes, how could I forget? I thought maybe it was my charming company," he said, with a knowing smirk.
I almost let the comment go, but the smirk was too obvious. "Charming?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him accusingly. "Why did you say charming?"
"No reason," as he looked away with a fake guilty expression.
"You heard me? Oh, God, I'm sorry."
"That was definitely a new one, but I've been called worse. Yeah, I heard your friend say something to you about me being the reason you were hanging out front all night instead of with her. And you said, 'He's too charming.' " He said it mockingly, with his eyebrows raised high, impersonating me.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"It sounded dismissive."
"It was meant to be. She stopped
CHAPTER 3
DAMAGED GOODS
"I don't know what you are talking about. I am pure innocence, sunshine and light. No trouble here." I say with wide, innocent eyes.
"Yeah, I'll just bet you are."
I can not believe I am sitting here, coyly flirting with this man. And enjoying it. He's just so darn easy to flirt with. I usually have all force fields up, phasers set to stun. I have to keep my guard up because I often arrive at this bar alone. Except for rare occasions when I do actually arrive with a date, I leave this bar the way I came tonight- alone. But I have a fabulous time; I drink, I visit and catch up with friends, and I dance. Boy, do I dance. Charming was right, I dance every chance I get, with almost anyone who asks. The only way to be able to do that, consistently, is to keep my guard up. No one gets too close. Be friendly with everyone, but overly friendly with no one.
The regulars know me. They know I am here for fun and am always good for a dance, but they know that is all. People notice if you are always taking some guy home at last call. The best way to avoid that is by never taking some guy home at last call. That way the men all become more like a protective big brother, and none of the women want to gouge your eyeballs out with their manicured nails in the bathroom.
"Do you dance? When you're off duty, I mean." I ask, trying to bring the topic of conversation off of sex and onto something more neutral.
"Yeah, some. The slow songs. Not the wild, thrashing around with abandon stuff."
"But sometimes the thrashing around with abandon is exactly what you need. After a drink or two, in the dark with the throbbing lights, the beat of the music pounding through you, the volume up so loud your heart beats with it. You go out there, get lost in the crowd, close your eyes, totally thrash, and definitely with abandon."
He laughed and said, "Well, when you put it that way...still no."
"So where is this boyfriend of yours?" he asked.
"What boyfriend?"
"The one I pretended to be, the one you kept telling the drunk, pushy guy that you had."
"Oh, that boyfriend. There isn't one."
"No boyfriend? Should I find pushy guy and tell him the coast is clear?"
"Only if you want to see how fast I can run."
"He was toasted, you really wouldn't have to run all that fast."
"If he was that toasted, how come you didn't catch him trying to drive home Mr. Officer, sir?"
"I'm not on duty. Just moonlighting at the front door. No car, no radio, no anything. But they do patrol out front. I'm sure someone got him."
"Ah, all dressed up but no place to go, huh?"
"Beats having a major event to go to and showing up butt naked."
"I have had that dream, that is not fun." I said.
"We have been out here for quite a while, did you lose your friend?"
"She is around here somewhere. She knows where to find me. If I get bored and ready to leave, I'll go hunt her down."
"You aren't bored yet?"
"Are you kidding? Dancing and a show remember?"
"Oh yes, how could I forget? I thought maybe it was my charming company," he said, with a knowing smirk.
I almost let the comment go, but the smirk was too obvious. "Charming?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him accusingly. "Why did you say charming?"
"No reason," as he looked away with a fake guilty expression.
"You heard me? Oh, God, I'm sorry."
"That was definitely a new one, but I've been called worse. Yeah, I heard your friend say something to you about me being the reason you were hanging out front all night instead of with her. And you said, 'He's too charming.' " He said it mockingly, with his eyebrows raised high, impersonating me.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"It sounded dismissive."
"It was meant to be. She stopped
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