jdcartwright (jdcartwright) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-11-15 17:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | jd cartwright, ~ro clark |
Flashback - Between jobs
Who: Ro (aka July)/JD
What: Meet
When: Jan. 2000
Where: Vegas bar somewhere
Ratings 21yr old meets lust vampire, wadda ya think?
It was a great time to be alive JD had decided, figuring he would give sleep a miss for another round of drinks at the bar near his new apartment. Some mates were coming over this weekend from his old precinct in California to celebrate his turning 21, and his move back to Vegas, and he was priming himself for a weekend of partying and enjoying life.
Glasses clinked and the next round of shots was downed after a cheer went up. JD laughed and put his glass down on the bar, calling for a refill for everyone, then hearing the jukebox start playing a familiar dance number. He looked around, standing up and calling out “who wants to dance?” to the partying crowd.
"I do!" July called from down the bar. She slammed down her shot, a green creamy thing the bartender said was called a Scooby Snack and walked over, waving a hand at the young man who had propositioned the crowd. This was why she loved coming to Vegas. There was always someone looking for a good time. She probably wouldn't stay long but she'd have some fun and eat well while she was here.
"Hi," July said to the dark-haired man, taking him by the hand. "Let's dance."
JD's eyebrows shot skyward as the stranger led him through the crowd, the whistles and cheers of his bar buddies sending his grin from ear to ear. His eyes drank in the sight of the loveliness leading him out onto the dance floor. "Yes, let's!" he agreed. As soon as they were in amongst the other dancers he drew her closer, took her other hand too, then spun her away into a small space, drawing her back again.
July pulled back to her new friend, slipping an arm behind his neck and letting his hand trail over her skin as she did. This decade was starting with a more revealing style than the last. Everything was low-cut and skin showing. Her jeans fit low on her hips and she couldn't bring herself to adopt the ruffly baby doll style. Instead July wore a light tank-top with thin spaghetti straps and her arms were bare.
July pressed in close. "You guys celebrating anything?" Men in Vegas often were, she'd learned. "Bachelor party or something?"
The thought of getting married was about as far from JD’s mind as anything could be and he shook his head at that. “Just me getting old,” he returned with a grin, hands now moving over the exposed skin as their bodies pressed against each other, the crowd now thicker around them. “And moving back here,” he added, head leaning down till his lips were beside her ear. “How about you? Here with anyone tonight? Or can I invite you to join our party?”
"You don't look that old to me," she said with a smile. July had to have thirty years on him. "I couldn't get anyone to come with me so I'm by myself." She hadn’t asked anyone, that wasn’t the point. Her fingers were curled against the back of neck. "It'd be nice to make a friend. Hey, is it your birthday? Since you're older?"
JD grinned and nodded. “Yeah, they say I’m gonna be a man, like the number makes a difference,” he replied, smiling as he ran his hands up and down her sides. “D’you think it matters?” he asked.
July looked at him. He was young but not too young. No teenager on a fake ID. Her fingertips drifted up into his hairline. The studs on his shirt pressed into her skin but that was easy to ignore. "You look like a man to me."
“That’s all that matters!” he laughed, hands now resting on her hips as they moved together, the music, and the crowd, pulsing around them. He pressed against her, his cheek now against hers, enjoying the feel of her, and wondering. “So you a local, or just here for a good time too?”
July pressed in closer, her other hand now slipping behind his neck too, fingers interlocking. She found the hook of his attraction in his mind, drawing it forward to make it more difficult for him to put out of his mind. July tilted her head, pressing her cheek against his. "Just here for a good time doing what they do in Vegas."
“Mmm, that sounds intriguing,” he replied, smiling. “Cuz that could mean you’re a trust-fund baby about to lose all that cash, or… ” As he spoke there was a slow rush of warmth that seemed to run through him and he drew her closer, his teeth lightly closing on her ear lobe before he added, “...you’re here for a very good time partying.”
The corner of July's mouth turned up at the slight pull on her ear. That was very nice. She rolled her hips against his. "Girls, fun. You know what they say."
“Just wanna have…” he growled softly, eyes half-closed as he ran his hands up her body, one moving behind her neck, and his fingers spreading to cup the back of her head as the other reached her side, his thumb sliding from beneath her breast upwards until it was lightly circling across the nipple just discernible beneath the material of her tank top.
The small space between them and the curve of his arm kept the gist of what was happening mostly out of view. The dancers around them were caught up in their own flirtations. July could feel their want too on the edges of her attention. But bless the liquid courage of men his age. July liked the forward ones best. She couldn't make anyone act outside their own nature so they were the ones who kept this from getting repetitive for her. It actually was fun.
One of her hands drifted down to the buttons on his shirt and tugged a little. July pulled again on this stranger's attraction and this time she did the same to his pleasure, making him more aware of what he was feeling. Her hand behind his neck twined into his hair and she used that as leverage to pull his head down to hers. July brushed her mouth against his jaw, letting her teeth scrape the spot as well. "We do. Seems like you do. And it is your birthday."
“I do, and it is,” he agreed, voice still a soft growl, but also getting more throaty.
He had to wonder whether the bourbon was starting to kick him into some sort of hyperdrive as his skin seemed to tingle where her teeth scraped against his jaw, her breath warm also. He’d had encounters with strangers, enjoyed them immensely, particularly when the other party had taken the lead. But this was something different, and suddenly he realised that not only did he want to take her wherever she’d like to go, but he was enjoying it like he never had before. As if there was something electric between them. A very pleasant charge it was too.
The music wound around them and each beat of it sent a pulse through him, his body reacting to her closeness, and reflecting his desire.
July could feel his desire, both in the physical way his body was reacting the and emotion of want. She could give him a good time on his birthday. She could do that and get something for herself.
His head was still bent low towards her and July took her revenge, letting her own mouth and teeth nip at his ear the way he'd done to her. "Your friends?" she asked. "Okay to leave them on your party? We could go back to your place?"
“They’re all big boys, they can look after themselves,” JD replied, his smile widening, though for a brief moment he wondered if he was being set up by his crew who were due into town the next day. He wouldn’t put it past Danny, and Sam would be the one making calls. He looked around, eyes darting to see if he could see any of those familiar faces watching on, getting their money’s worth. Or would they be waiting outside? He shook his head as he looked back down at her and smiled. “You sure?” he asked, his smile confirming he was good with the idea.
July tilted her head and pressed her mouth against a but if skin on she could reach on his neck. She wasn't shy about it, sucking hard and again scraping with her teeth before pulling back. "It was my idea. Come on, let's get a cab."
He groaned softly at the feel of her mouth on his skin, never before having felt how good that could be. “Lead the way,” he told her, grinning. He reached down surreptitiously to adjust himself while she was turned away as they made their way off the dance floor.
Fortunately there was a cab at the wait outside the bar and he gave the driver his street after they’d climbed into the back seat.
July kissed him a couple times in the cab, one hand cupping his face. She kept her grip on his attraction and pleasure, wanting to keep his appetite up, so to speak, now that he seemed to consent to a night together.
"Your place?" she asked when they pulled up in front of an apartment building. "Or a friend's?" July had thought he was visiting Vegas to celebrate his birthday, not that he lived here. She'd expected a hotel. Instead, July made sure to note the nearest cross street so that she knew where she was if she needed to leave in a hurry.
“Mine for the time being,” JD confirmed after paying the cabbie and turning to look up at the building. “I just arrived back from Cali, mates are coming to town this weekend for the birthday celebrations,” he said, shoving his wallet back in his pocket and offering her his hand. “It’s not much, only moved in a few days ago, still a few boxes to unpack,” he continued, his free hand reaching up and his finger lightly tucking under her chin as he looked at her and grinned. “But the bed’s made, clean sheets and all, and a clear pathway from the front door to it.” As he spoke he ran his thumb lightly across her chin, “unless you’re having second thoughts?” He kept his eyes on hers, making sure there was no hesitation.
A casino would have been safer, with a crowd to flee into if something went wrong but July didn't think anything could happen she couldn't handle. As confirmation, July ducked her chin and captured his thumb briefly between her teeth. "Sounds perfect."
His grin widened and he led the way up the couple of steps to the front door and held it open for her. “After you, up the stairs, last door on the left.”
July followed his instructions and once they were both inside, she turned to her new companion. "Tell me what you want?" she asked, giving him one more chance to consent.
“You,” he answered, without hesitation, his hands moving to her hips and head bowing as his lips moved to her temple, kissing their way down across her cheek to the corner of her mouth.
That July could certainly do. She turned her head and captured his mouth in a deep and enticing kiss. When they finally finally made their way back to his bedroom and fell into bed, July kept his awareness of his pleasure high. After all, it was his birthday. There was plenty of energy for her to feed on until they'd finally spent themselves and drifted off into a satisfied sleep.
The birthday boy was still sleeping but July had woken in the pale pre-dawn light. She'd quietly pulled her clothes back and, for lack of a better word, went poking around. A hotel room may have been better, where she could hope for unattended cash or a collection of casino chips that could be swiped without trouble. She didn't have much hope for a bachelor's apartment still waiting to be unpacked. Besides the feed, the night might be a bust. At least the young man sleeping had been energetic and enthusiastic. July had fun with that bit.
Before giving up her search completely, she opened a tin on the dresser. She wasn't expecting much. Spare change maybe or a few joints. But even in the low light, diamonds were distinctive. What looked like an engagement ring, plus a pendant and earrings. "You dirty dog," July muttered to herself. "Who are you getting engaged to? Let me do you both a favor." She held the jewelry up to take a closer look in the dim light, then slipped them into a pocket.
"What do you think you're doing?" JD had always been a light sleeper and early riser. Almost six years of being up at 4am, in the pool training by 5am for two plus hours five days a week was a habit even the accident hadn't managed to change. And he'd been back in the water, training, ever since his doctors had allowed, strengthening his damaged shoulder and knee, knowing he'd never return to the competitive levels of before, but enjoying the solitude and disciplined routine of the training environment, and the comradeship of the squad.
But this morning he had found it a challenge to wake up when his brain had triggered the regular alarms and he was rubbing his face as if trying to rub away the sleepiness as he stood there, between her and the bedroom door, blocking her exit.
July was more worried about the inconvenience of hurting him than she was frightened of him standing between her and the door. That was never her preference and not her style. "Sorry, I couldn't sleep," she lied. She nodded at the box she'd been going through. "Looked like something you hide joints in. Thought I'd see if you wanted to bake when you got up."
His frown deepened a little as she spoke. He knew exactly what was in the tin, and had seen her putting her hand in her pocket. “And if I looked in your pocket I wouldn’t find my mother’s rings and pendant?” he asked, his voice low, a little sad as he rubbed at the side of his face, fingers scratching along his jaw.
July's face scrunched up. "Shit. I figured you were trying to have one last good time before you proposed to somebody."
He sighed and shook his head, the tiredness he was feeling making him forget about getting any sort of indignation happening, just a sudden wave of sadness washing over him. He found himself sitting on the end of the bed, turned away from her. “No, m’ dad couldn’t bear having them reminding him she wasn’t coming back, but didn’t want to get rid of them, so gave them to me.”
July didn't know what it was like to feel that way but she knew humans did. She couldn't dismiss it and head for the door with the jewelry in her pocket just because she hadn’t ever felt the same way. "Sorry," she said, fishing out the rings and pendant from her pocket and holding them out to him. "It wasn’t personal."
He looked up, seeing the jewelry lying in her proffered hand. He looked back up at the tin and then at her. “You know where they go,” he said, “let’s make like this never happened, huh?” He still couldn’t get out of his head how good it had been the night before, sex like he’d never had, and he screwed up his face as he again tried to wake himself up fully, shaking his head and looking at her. “What did you do to me?” he asked, looking at her, puzzled.
July put the jewels away, making sure he saw her do it. "I didn't drug you, if that's what you're thinking," she said quickly. She didn't need a report of drugging a man to rob him following her around. "It was your birthday; I rocked your world." July wasn't always as subtle as she probably should be. She'd upped his pleasure quite a bit and fed well. It'd been his birthday, he should have enjoyed it.
He looked up at her and nodded, smiling. “You sure as hell did that,” he confirmed. “Never had anyone like you,” he added. He knew he hadn’t been drugged, they hadn’t consumed anything from the time they’d met. “You want some coffee?” he asked, pushing himself up off the bed again.
"I did some having too," she protested. In more ways than one. "And yeah coffee's good. You should eat something too," she advised and then quickly added, "if you're not feeling well."
He'd started to head toward the kitchen when he paused, a hand coming to rest on the door frame, as he looked over his shoulder at her. His face displayed a look of slight puzzlement on his face. "I feel okay, just tired… like… drained," he said, half to her, half to himself. Her comment about her 'having some too' put a grin on his face. "Glad I gave an good as I got," realising, "that sounded better in my head, sorry."
July should go. That would be the safest thing to do considering he'd caught her stealing from him. But now she'd put everything back he almost didn't seem to mind. Whether that might change as his energy levels improved was unknown. But it was an interesting way to react and July was a sucker for interesting.
"No worries. You did do good," she said lightly, following him. She couldn't explain the real reason he was so tired. 'I stole your energy while we were fucking' wasn’t something people understood. Instead she added, "You did exert yourself a bit last night. Plus drinking."
He shrugged, not really able to think of anything he did that was different. The jug was filled and put on to boil, two mugs set on the bench and a jar of instant coffee opened.
"How d'you like it?" he asked, then turned and looked at her. "The coffee that is."
July was tested to go poking around his kitchen but considering she'd just been busted she stayed where she was, leaning against the countertop. "Cream and sugar. Or milk and sugar. Or just milk if you don't have sugar. Any way but black." She wasn’t usually the type to take a backseat to anything but right now she was waiting to see what happened next.
"Milk, sugar, coffee," he said unnecessarily as he handed her the mug after finishing making it in front of her. He picked up his own and took a sip, eyes on her as he did.
"So you been doing this long?" he asked, leaning against the counter and scratching absently at the scar that ran from his shoulder around to his arm.
"You mean going home with people?" July asked, corners of her mouth curling up over the rim of her mug. It wasn’t what he meant, of course. She knew that. "Feels like forever." July looked older than him, though not unreasonably so, but her appearance didn't betray her true age.
He was only recently back in Vegas, and had a week before he was officially starting in uniform, but he was already keen to go places, mainly becoming a detective. One thing his uncle had taught him was to make sure to foster good contacts, from all walks of life, a piece of advice JD had seen benefit his uncle during an investigation many times. And he saw no reason for not starting to do this right away.
"Get caught often?" he asked, taking another sip of his coffee.
"No, not really." She'd been arrested before, for variations on drunk and disorderly or other things like that. One time she'd been picked up by the cops at a Vietnam protest. And she had been arrested for theft, back when she'd been Reed. In nearly every case including the theft, charges had been dropped.
He wasn't surprised. A very attractive woman, damned hot in bed, could probably get away with petty theft if she chose her marks well.
"What do you do with it? Got a regular fence? Or sell it online?"
July raised her eyebrows. "That's a very specific question, officer." The officer bit was a tease, a play on a question most folks wouldn't think to ask. What he did for a living July had no idea.
"I'm a specific kinda guy," he threw back, covering up the jolt he felt when she called him 'officer'. "I like to learn, and like I said, I'm only just back in town, so I got a lotta catching up to do on what the go is around town."
"Have to find someone who lives here then," July said with a shrug. "I'm just passing through."
JD's mouth twisted a little, he wasn't sure if she was just saying that to get out of telling him anything or because it was true. He found himself hoping it wasn't true. "Pity," he heard himself saying before his brain had a chance to kick in.
"Where's home?"
"Everywhere, nowhere. I go where I feel like. I could be on a millionaire's boat next weekend and it would be just another day." This had happened before. Rich men liked to look at July.
Even through the tiredness he was feeling there was something about her that was niggling at him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He scratched at the stubble on his jaw and finished the coffee in his cup. "Sounds like an interesting kinda lifestyle," he replied as he walked over to the sink and rinsed the mug.
"My turn to ask a question?" She watched his reaction. "Why not call the cops? Or throw me out? Why make me coffee instead?" Even with him low energy, this could have gone very differently. July knew that.
He again leaned against the counter, realising the tiredness he was feeling was still there, even after the caffeine hit. It wasn't as bad, the extra sugar he'd added seeming to give him some energy, at least for the moment.
He shrugged after she'd asked her questions. "How would that look? My first face-to-face with m' new boss is handing over an attractive bird who blew m' mind then almost blew through with m' mother's jewelry?" He shook his head and huffed a laugh as he watched her reaction. "I'd never live it down."
"You are a cop!" July said smugly. "In which case, I admit nothing, there's nothing on me, and you can't prove it." She was smiling though and obviously not too worried or upset by this revelation.
"Well, technically not at the moment," he replied, grinning. "I resigned from m' last gig to transfer here, and I don't start till next week." His grin turned into a smirk, arms by his sides and hands resting on the edge of the counter as he felt the sugar starting to kick in. He pushed off from the counter and walked across to her. A finger came up to just under her chin and he angled his head as his eyes ran across her face before meeting hers. "And I figure there's a lot more fun things we can be doing," he continued, "if you think you might be interested? And it doesn't involve a shit ton of paperwork."
July grinned slow but wide. "Take me away, officer."