ennis j falco is not a cowboy (inawhirl) wrote in mnhttnprjct, @ 2010-06-28 22:18:00 |
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The bar was smoky and crowded even though it was only ten, early by New York club standards. As the night wore on it would get progressively more and more crowded, mostly with women and a few gays that came along for the ride. Just now there was still enough room to move but the line at the bar took a bit and the dance floor was starting to fill up and not just on the popular songs. Astrid had been there a while already, drinking with Ennis and talking with her in one of the corner booths. The two of them got stares by many of the women that went by, partly because both of them had played here before and partly for more obvious reasons. Astrid had known Ennis a while now, and the two of them had a tendency to drift in and out of each other’s lives and beds more than most of the other people she’d slept with. It was one of those attractions that it was hard to shake, and right now it had been a while. Maybe that was why she figured that seeing Ennis would remind her why she didn’t do things like long standing relationships other than with Lucien. Or maybe she just wanted to hang out with her friend. For either reason she found herself leaning on a table, smoking her cigarette and tilting back her drink to drain it, considering ordering another and if she’d be able to find her way home or not if she didn’t slow down. “How’s Mina?” she asked, regarding Ennis over the rim of the glass as she sucked an ice cube into her mouth and crunched it, before putting her glass down. Hanging out with Astrid never needed an excuse, in Ennis’s eyes. There was just something about the woman that she couldn’t quite stay away from, something that kept her interested longer than she stayed with most women. Good company and good in bed was not a combination to ignore. They had a lot in common. And that was what Ennis tried to tell herself bothered her about Astrid considering settling down with one person. One man. “Mina’s fine,” she replied. She took a swig of her drink, then added, “Still a diva.” Mina had the talent to back it up, sure, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still rub Ennis the wrong way sometimes. “Haven’t had any ‘creative differences’ lately, so things have been pretty smooth as far as the music goes.” “Mina will always be a Diva,” Astrid said, smiling a bit and watching Ennis carefully as she sat across the table. “I don’t think anything is ever going to change that.” Not that she would tell Ennis she was a Diva, but she was in her own way, at least in how she craved the spotlight. “You have Mina and I have Lucien,” she added. “They both have massive egos but I can usually keep his in line. Most of the time. And the band wouldn’t be the same without him. I’m not sure I’d want it without him.” Her relationship with Lucien had always been complicated and still was, particularly now. Ennis chuckled.”Yeah. Things wouldn’t be the same without Mina, either. Wouldn’t have the recording deal without her.” She took swig from her drink and a long drag from her cigarette. Part of her wanted to ask about this cellist of Astrid’s, but the other part of her didn’t want to go anywhere near that subject. Maybe later in the night. “So. What have you been up to? Besides texting while intoxicated.” She cracked a grin and winked at the other woman. Astrid groaned softly and put her face in her hand for a moment. “Don’t even joke about that,” she said. “It was horrible. Really. Thank God he had a sense of humor about it.” She shook her head briskly and took another long drag of her cigarette, the thought of that text and how it had made her feel reminding her of why she’d wanted to see Ennis. Ennis was safe in a way. Their attraction was mutual, she always knew there were not any strings, no chances that Ennis would suddenly start buying her couches or thinking that there was more between them than friendship and sexual attraction. In many ways it was like Andy had been before she’d started becoming more serious with her girl and when they’d first known each other. “You just had to bring that up didn’t you?” she said, sliding closer to Ennis in the circular booth. “Me and my big mouth, huh?” Ennis slipped an arm around Astrid’s shoulder’s and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad he didn’t freak out, though. Good thing you two talked--know where ya stand on things.” She’d learned better than assume women knew what she wanted and had the same idea about things she did. “But you found a good one, this time? Not like that guy with the couch?” She tapped the ash off her cigarette. Astrid leaned into Ennis, kissing her lightly on the cheek in return and letting her hand rest on the other woman’s knee. It seemed odd that they’d be talking about this, but Astrid had always been open about her sex life. “He’s brilliant,” she said softly. “Intelligent and funny and very ... I don’t know. It feels very new still and very strange, I am not used to... feeling as if I would wish to commit to someone. My longest relationship has been with Lucien and that is hardly of the conventional sort.” She shrugged softly. “I am not sure yet whether I would wish to be committed to one person, man or woman.” “That’d take take some getting used to, I think. For me it would. Can’t...really see myself settling down. Not any time soon, anyhow.” That did not however, mean she was totally at ease with the idea of Astrid settling down. Ennis didn’t really want to think about the implications of that. “As long as he knows you aren’t really serious about the marriage thing, it should be all right. And it sounds like he gets that.” Astrid nodded. “I’m not sure I could manage that,” she said. “It’s odd enough contemplating being... well monogamous for lack of a better word. We haven’t discussed it. And I don’t know if he knows, but it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone else.” Ennis raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Impressive. Guess that means he’s good in bed as well as musically talented, huh?” She grinned slightly and played with a bit of Astrid’s hair. “He’s a lucky man, I’ll give him that.” Astrid wasn’t sure she could explain that it went beyond that with Thomas. Yes they were good in bed, but there was something about him that made it more than just sex. She took just as much enjoyment just sleeping beside him or waking up with him and that had never happened with anyone other than Lucien. The comment made her smile though, and she turned her head to regard Ennis with perceptive eyes. “You aren’t jealous are you?” she asked, voice teasing as she leaned in and brushed her lips along Ennis’ jaw. “Missing me?” “Whoa, I would not say ‘jealous’,” Ennis said, laughing slightly. “But ‘missing you’ would not be a bad way to say it. Hell, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t.” It felt weird to talk about it, though. Kind of like the first time she asked a girl out, only without quite as much of the desire to run away and hide. “You’re smart, multi-talented, gorgeous. And you’re a good friend. Not always easy to find all of those things in one woman,” she said. “Flatterer,” Astrid said, pulling back a little and trying not to smile. “You say that like you mean it.” She felt just buzzed enough that the edges of things were blurred a little, and she leaned her head back on the padded back of the booth, looking up at the spotlight hanging above her. “Do you think I am making a mistake, Chere?” she said quietly. “I am not this woman, you know? The one that needs a man. One man.” Ennis chuckled throatily and ran a hand through her hair. “Hey, it ain’t easy finding good company that’s worth going back to.” She took a long drag from her cigarette and exhaled, watching the smoke curl away. That wasn’t an easy question to answer. Ennis wasn’t sure how she ought to. “I dunno. I mean...you and me are a lot alike, yeah? It’s hard for me to see me settling down, so I...it’s kind of hard to get my head around, you know?” Yeah, that was a good way to put it, probably. “If it’s a mistake, I guess you’ll find out. Some time. At least he didn’t like, buy you one drink and decide that meant going steady. So at least he sounds safe.” Safe enough to be hazardous to any future possibility of Ennis having sex with Astrid, at least. “Fuck, Astrid, I don’t know.” “Not like couch guy. Fuck we had sex once and suddenly he like wanted a lifetime commitment or something.” She closed her eyes, pained at the thought. “I don’t either. He gives me space, I think he knows I need space, and that’s something I just... I like him. Like him enough that it’s been a while since I’ve had sex with someone else and I don’t know that I like that. I don’t know what to make of it.” She opened her eyes slowly and turned to look at Ennis, hand coming up to caress the other woman’s face. “I have missed you.” Ennis leaned into the touch. “I’ve missed you, too.” She leaned closer and brushed her lips against Astrid’s. “‘M glad he gives you space...people need space.” Hopefully it was enough space to have Astrid to herself a few more times, at least. Selfish, maybe, but it was true. “I’d be willing to try to help you figure things out. If you wanted.” Best to ease into the subject, Ennis thought. Astrid laughed. “Such a humanitarian, chere. Always thinking of others.” Her hand slid up slowly, threading through Ennis’ hair, fingers tightening automatically. It was funny how after many times being with someone it grew automatic, the things you both wanted. “I think maybe you should.” If she did and it felt wrong, she would know. And if not well... it wasn’t that time yet. It would have to be as simple as that. “After all, I want to know for certain, non?” A broad grin spread across Ennis’s face when she felt Astrid’s hand tighten in her hair. That was a good sign. “Oh, you know me. Always ready to help a lady.” She pulled the other woman closer and nuzzled her neck, nipping gently. “And oui, you want to be certain.” And Ennis would do her best to try to make it certain that Astrid wasn’t quite ready to settle down just yet. |