There was a freedom and safety in crowds for Liliana that could not be found anywhere else. As she was jostled between strangers, careless and drunk, she was the happiest she had been in months. The sweet scent of lilacs that accompanied her pheromones were all but drowned out by the smells of smoke and liquor, of perfumes and colognes meant to achieve the same thing that her body did naturally. Everyone here was trying to catch someone else’s eye, and the sexual tension her chemical presence evoked didn’t seem out of place. No eyes were narrowed in suspicion at her, no one accused her of witchcraft, of cheating… No one thought she was manipulating them.
The downside was that she had spilled the drink that someone had bought her a few minutes before and now she had to try and work her way against the crowd and back to the bar. That meant squeezing between people, ducking under arms, and trying to avoid making anyone else spill. So far she had managed to keep the tawny fabric of her dress free of anyone’s beer.
When she made her way at last, she clung to the edge of the bar itself, leaning forward so dark curls brushed the surface. The reflective wristband she had acquired at the door meant she was entitled to all she could drink, so long as it was on tap. Now all she needed was someone to refill her cup.