InsaneJournal

Lobby to Babylon, Evening and Night, Amarie, Del, Emma, Niles. Closed.
Emma had been down in the lobby on time, dressed to impress in a micro mini skirt, decorated all over with black sequins and about two inches of fringing that meant it looked decent if she stood still. With that was a nice spaghetti strapped vest top in silver and black, and an overshirt of sheer black fabric shot through with silver, that was knotted at her waist, the tails dangling to just below the low riding waist (or should that be hip?) band of the skirt. Heels and her hair up made her look older, as well as taller, and her make up was bold but not over done. Now all she needed was Amarie, and a taxi!

"Whoa don't you look nice!" Amarie said. She did her best to ignore Frank's speculative gaze, knowing that her jeans and hoodie looked perfectly decent. "So you're going on somewhere after the movie? Cool! Come on, let's hurry. I don't want to miss the previews."

She grabbed Emma by the arm and hustled her towards the door hissing, "Gonna change in the cab. Frank would've told Vinnie."

"I thought we might grab something to eat as well? Maybe?" Emma didn't mind being hustled towards the door, or the cover story, or even the hissing, she was just glad to be going out, doing something, and yes, having fun! "And I thought it was too hot for much else, but I did bring a jacket."

"Good idea," Amarie agreed as they bounced outside and she looked for a cab then waved and whistled as she spotted one on the right side of the street. "Where to?" she asked Emma as she opened the door.

"Are we eating first? If so, how about something simple? Couple of burgers at the Clucker?" Emma grinned, "If not, you pick!"

"Happy Mother Clucker, hun," Amarie instructed the cab driver, wondering not for the first time how the heck that name had got past the City planning division. They got in and the cab sped away.

-----------

After a good meal, and Amarie having changed, they'd got another taxi, this time to Babylon, where, true to Amarie's word they'd not had a problem getting in. The air was hot, and heavy, the music loud, and everything was expensive, but hey, they were having fun. Emma spotted a couple of younger looking lads, casting hopeful glances in their direction, and snorted, "Oh lord, you know they should rename this place the meat market? Would be more honest. Look out to your left, eyeballers with hopefulness?"

Amarie looked sidelong. They didn't look bad to her but then she had long ago realised that Emma's standard's were higher. "Yeah, i see 'em," she said. "C'mon let's dance."

Emma laughed, "Absolutely, let's go do that." She saw no reason why she shouldn't aim high, it just meant she'd probably get more than she would if she'd aimed lower, even if she didn't get everything. It still worked in her favour though, at least, that's what she figured.

The dance floor was crowded, bodies moving in time with the music, a mass of people close together. Finding a space on it was not that hard though, not at the edges, and of course, from there you could dance and be seen as well as do some looking at the same time. Perfect.

Amarie danced as enthusiastically as she did everything else, just concentrating on having fun, although she did keep an eye on Emma.

Niles had never been to Babylon. So far it seemed like the standard meat market of a club, and that in itself was okay. Meat markets were usually swarming with half-dressed, dancing women, and thus far, that proved to be true. He took a drink of his beer and nodded to the dance floor where a group of girls were dancing and making eyeballs at them before turning to Del. "What do you think?"

Del was looking over his shoulder at a tall blonde in hot pants. "Good in parts," he said. Then turned and added with a grin, "Don't fancy yours much!"

Niles laughed. "Yeah, same here." He gave a brunette his most charming grin before turning back to the bar. He glanced at Del. "I've gotta say, women in these clubs always wind up looking the same."

Emma was hot and thirsty, they'd been dancing for a bit and she needed a drink, she danced closer to Amarie, "I need a drink, you want anything?"

"No, thanks," Amarie sdaid with a grin. She had just caught the eye of a guy she'd had her eye on for a while and he was making his way towards her. "I'll be right here if you want me," she added. "if you don't come back I'll come find you."

"OK, have fun!" Emma grinned, getting a glimpse of the guy coming towards them, "I'll be at the bar for a bit anyway I suspect, the queues are quite deep?" She chuckled, and headed off towards the bar, one hand delving into her purse to find some cash.

Niles leaned against the bar, both elbows braced on it's surface as he looked around the place, rather bored. "I dunno," he said, leaning his head towards Del. "I might get out of here in a few minutes." There was nothing here holding his interest. He would get laid tonight, but not by any of these women. They all looked the same, wanted the same thing, which he was fine with. It just bored him tonight.

Del, who had come to dance, drained his bottle of water and shook his head. "I'll stay a while. The music's good and loud and Eris might drop by later. But first," he grinned, "i gotta take a pee. Be right back."

Niles grinned back. "Alright, I'll be here. At least until I finish this," he said, holding up his beer.

Emma saw a gap opening up in the crowd and moved through it easily as someone went the other way, sometimes being short and female really was a huge advantage, at least until she came to another gap, this time around someone, and she looked up, right into a familiar face, "Hello Niles, fancy meeting you here."

Niles turned his head at the sound of his name and looked down at Emma, smiling. "Why hello, Emma," he drawled, taking in her outfit. "You look lovely this evening."

"Thanks, you look smart, here on a date? I came with a friend to dance, but I kind of need a drink now, it's hot and thirsty dancing out there." She gestured back towards the dance floor, and smiled, "If I could just get to the bar I'd get a bottle of water, but, it is a little crowded?"

Niles smirked at her from his position of leaning against the bar and turned, smiling at the pretty bartender that had been looking him over all night. "Hey sweetheart? Can I get a bottle of water for my friend here?" The bartender looked at Emma and pouted slightly as she walked over and grasped a bottle of water and brought it to him. He winked at her. "Thanks, darlin'," he drawled. "Put it on my tab."

He turned and presented the bottle to Emma and finally decided to answer the question she'd asked a bit before. "Nope, no date. Just here with my friend Del to check the place out. Never been here before."

"Me either, but, I wanted to dance and meet people, so it seems to be working out well on both counts so far." She smiled, and checked the seal on the bottle, still intact, so she broke it and sipped at the water, lifting the bottle to keep it from dripping all down her front as the heat of the room caused condensation to form on the outside.

He gave her another once over and smiled. "I imagine so. You look very lovely this evening, but of course I've already told you that. Been quite popular with the boys?"

Emma gestured with the bottle, "That lot? Not so much, but then, mostly I think they're either with someone or too scared to think beyond looking? Luckily Amarie and I came to dance, and have some fun." She chuckled, "How about you? If you're here with a mate that must mean you're doing the same? Although, I can't see you coming out just to dance somehow."

She'd heard the gossip about Mr Devereux from the maids, sometimes the laundry was the place to hear everything, and she just laughed, Niles was all right. But seeing him tonight, well, it bought other ideas into her head. "Did you want to dance though? I mean, I'm guessing you can?"

Niles laughed. He hadn't come here to dance exactly, but he could. And, he would with Emma, because he was just thinking it might be a good idea.
"Sure, we can dance," he said, pitching his voice in the drip from the spoon sort of way.

Emma finished her bottle of water, a long swallow, but worth it. "I needed that, and might need another one afterwards, but, let's go dance and have some fun?"

He drank the last of his beer and set it down on the bar, winking at the bartender before turning back to Emma. "Sure thing, darling. Lead the way."

Emma chuckled over her shoulder at him as she turned back towards the dance floor, the fringing and sequins on the skirt flashing and catching the eye, she even gave her hips a little extra swishing as she walked back to the dance floor.

Niles followed, as all men are won't to do, and placed a hand on her hip, pulling her a little closer as he began to move to the music. He wasn't a dancer, but he was a musician. He know about rhythm and he was comfortable enough with himself to move.

Emma found it intriguing that he danced, and not badly at that! It was a different style maybe to many of the other couples on the floor, but she was up to following a lead, and so her movements were in time with his, if sometimes not quite what was expected. But it was fun, good fun.

Niles smiled a little as he danced, thinking that it was just one of those things that he learned to do because girls liked it. He'd never do this on his own, but with Emma it was quite fun.

Emma liked dancing with Niles, even after several songs he wasn't all grabby hands like so many of the younger boys were, and he had a lot more rhythm than many of the older men. In fact, Niles seemed to be the perfect medium all round, which gave her even more to think about, but, for the moment, she was happy, laughing up at Niles as once again she messed up and stepped forward instead of back and they bumped into each other.

He chuckled and caught her hips. "Watch it there, you keep bumping into me like that and I'm going to think you're doing it on purpose," he said with a teasing grin.

"What would you do if I was?" Emma snickered, she was having fun, and it was hardly anything, unlike several couples she could see where the pairs were all over each other. "As it happens, it's just an accident, but I like of like this way too."

Amarie and her partner weren't all over each other but were certainly dancing up a storm. He was older, which she liked, had no inhibitions, which she liked even more, and was a good enough dancer to make HER look good, which she thought was fantastic. That he looked good enough to turn some of the other girls heads, though she noticed that Emma's attention was fixed on the very good looking man she was with, was just a bonus.

They danced, apart or close together, and in the clinches exchanged names. A little later they exchanged kisses and he drew her into one of the darker corners where they began to dance far more intimately.

Everything was going fine until she mentioned the Manor.

Emma of course wasn't going to have the same problem, she knew Niles, and he knew she was from the Manor, so they were still dancing away, getting closer and closer, when they were interrupted by a couple almost falling into them.

Niles felt something crash into him and pulled Emma out of the way just out of instinct, looking at the couple that had crashed into them. It was harmless enough, God knew it often happened on dance floors, but he didn't want Emma getting hurt. He looked down at her. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine," Emma danced a little closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, "you're very quick on your feet, and a great dancer."

He grinned down at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Well, thank you sweetie. You too."

Aww getting on so well. It was a pity to disturb them but that's what Del did. With Amarie's hand held firmly in the crook of his elbow he guided her through the dancers and right up to Niles side.

"Hey," he said. "We've got a problem. These two are underage AND live at the Manor. I think we ought to send them home in a cab."

Niles' brow furrowed a little, perplexed, then he looked down at Emma. Underage? Surely she was at least eighteen? If not, yikes.

"We're all right!" Amarie said, scowling at him. "We can take care of ourselves."

"Yeah right," Del said. "Like you did last year? I don't want to look your brother in the eye and tell him I'd left you in this place on your own and I certainly don't want Abrams on my back for upsetting one of his team."

"Amarie's not on her own, I'm here with her?" Emma looked up at the guy interrupting them, "And so what? Neither of us is drinking alcohol, we were let in by the doormen, and who gives a monkey's where we live? We just wanted to have a little fun."

"Okay," Del said, with a grin. "I'll just go back to the Manor and if I happen to meet a big guy in a baseball cap called Alec I'll compliment him on how nice you dance shall I?" He shrugged and looked at Niles. "We'll be seeing her parents every day and if something happens to her I don't want to feel I'm at fault."

"I have the right to go out and dance, I'm over eighteen dammit, and so what, tell Alec." Emma wasn't impressed, "Geez, who turned you into Mary fucking-poppins."

She looked up at Niles, "I'm sorry, but it seems Mr Nanny britches here is going to ruin my evening. Don't let him spoil yours, find someone fun and frisky? Maybe two?" Emma reached up and patted his cheek, "Come on Amarie, we can always go somewhere else."

"No you fucking don't," Del said and stalked across to the nearest bouncer. "Hey," he said, "how long have you been letting kids in here? I know for a fact that those two are underage."

The bouncer, who didn't actually give a monkeys toss about either girls age, sighed and ambled across. "'Fraid I'm gonna hafta ask you to leave, ladies," he said, "less you can show me valid ID."

"Oh you are some class prick, remind me never to run into you again, and hey, great, you get us thrown out of here, are you planning on following us around from club to club? How long before you get totally bored?" Emma for one was so cross she could have easily made a scene, as it was, she turned back to Amarie, "What do you want to do hun, go on somewhere or head home?"

She did spare a glance for Niles, not so friendly now since he hadn't stuck up for them at all, and there was a certain amount of regret there as well, she had been having fun after all.

Niles, befuddled by it all, watched the scene take place. He shook his head to clear it when Emma looked at him as if she expected him to say something. He looked back at her and shrugged. He didn't know that this wasn't an eighteen and up club, and he wasn't really sure as to why Del was all worked up. "Guess I don't see what the big deal is," he finally said to Del. "They're over eighteen, and they're not drinking."

"They're not?" Del said and nodded to Amarie. "Vodka and orange was a drink last I heard. Now, why don't you," he nodded to Amarie, "and your potty-mouthed friend in the slut-skirt let me put you in a cab back to the Manor. I'll pay and you don't have to thank me. Come on out you go."

"Like we need you to pay for a cab, get out of here." Emma turned back to Niles, "I guess I'll talk to you soon, give Lola a snuggle for me?" And with that she ignored the other guy completely, "Come on Amarie, Mr Boring there can go do whatever, jumping off a tall cliff without a parachute springs to mind, we can go anywhere."

She positively stalked towards the entrance, her hips and skirt swishing with anger, she didn't even wait to see if he was following, and brushed off the bouncer too. Luckily she had all her stuff with her, and the night wasn't cold, because marching right out without stopping might have been a bad idea otherwise. She turned back to Amarie, "Sorry hun, so, what do you want to do now?"

Amarie was arm in arm with Del and whispering to him. He whispered back and she giggled. "Guess I wanna go home," she said. "Hey hun didja see? Most of the guys in the club had their eyes bugging out at the way you swing your booty." She sighed and looked at Emma with something close to hero worship. "Wish I could do that."

"Well, that's fine, are you done with loverman there? You know, the one that got us thrown out of the club?" Emma wasn't remotely impressed, and she figured there was something else maybe, but she wasn't going to push it, she just wanted to get away from him.

"Yeah," Amarie said. "See you around, Del?"

"Sure," he said flagging down a cab.

"And you won't ...?"

"Nope, I promised," Del assured her and opened the door. He shot an apologetic look towards Niles as he helped Amarie inside - he'd have some explaining to do there, not that Niles would be going short. Women had been all over him like a rash all evening. But he'd looked as though he had plans where Emma was concerned.

Emma moved round the cab and got in all by herself on the other side, no way was she hanging around to wait for anyone to help her. The thing was, she couldn't believe Amarie was just going along with this, it felt really wrong. Surely Amarie was as upset at this turn of events as she was, and what would Niles think? Honestly, sent home like a child? She was not having this. Not peaceably anyway. She even huffed at the cab driver when he insisted on driving to the Manor rather than going anywhere else.

Niles watched Del put the girls into a cab with a curious expression. There had to be something there, he decided. He hadn't expected Del to act that way, especially over a little harmless fun. He waited until Del was back with him to arch a brow. "Everyone tucked away all safe and sound?"

Del waved at the cab - he had given the cabbie enough of a tip to ensure they were delivered to the door of the Manor - then turned back to Niles and grinned. "Safe and sound," he repeated then burst out laughing. "Oh God their faces! Mr Nanny-britches!" He gasped and shook his head. "Poor kids. Sorry 'bout that, Niles, but Vinnie would have had my hide."

Niles smiled and tilted his head. "Who's Vinnie? And why would he care if they were out dancing?" He paused. "Who had orange juice and vodka?" He really was still confused by the whole thing.

"Vinnie's one of the security guys at the Manor and Amarie's his little sister," Del explained. "He's a pal and we were talking about family one day and he told me that she's never recovered properly from being shot last year. You hear about that? Serial killer shooting kids. He plugged Amarie just under the heart, nicked her aorta and she was in hospital for months. Vinnie reckons she's still not right. Weakened the vein or something?" He shrugged. "She looks okay to me but I have to see the guy every day and I'd sooner not wince every time I did." He sighed. "If only she'd kept quiet about who she was. She was a load of fun."

"Huh," Niles said, looking after the cab then shaking his head. "Well that's too bad. She seemed like a nice kid." He paused to think. "How old are those two?"

"Amarie's actually older," Del said. "She's eighteen. Emma looks more grown up, definitely thinks she's more grown up, but is still seventeen I think. She's had a rough couple of years, poor kid."

Niles gaped. "Seventeen? Holy shit!" He shook his head, shaking any ideas of Emma straight out. "I thought she was older somehow. Fuck." Eighteen he could have dealt with, no problem. But seventeen?!

"And had to grow up fast," Del said, turning and nodding back to the club. "You wanna come back in? I reckon we deserve a treat after being such knights in armour. Yeah, Emma was involved in those shootings last year too. She almost died, luckily the shooter missed and hit one of the adults instead, but her blood went all over Emma and the poor kid flipped out. Just a horrible situation."

Niles was still reeling. He thought Emma had told him she was eighteen? Had she been lying? Jesus. He paused, breaking out of that train of thought to focus in on another. "She was involved in the shooting too? Who did the bullet hit?"

"One of the managers," Del said. "The big black haired one. But that's the least of it. Emma was trapped in the lift last autumn with a friend and the girl was injured and bleeding out - or was that the autumn before? Hell we were all using the stairs after that one. And before that one of her step mom's exes held them hostage in a car. And then there's the whole business of being brought to the States and then not that long after Mom moving out and leaving her to look after herself. No wonder she acts grown up!"

Niles shook his head. "Jesus fucking Christ!" he muttered. "I need a drink. That is just..." He shook his head. It was too much for a man that didn't have enough alcohol in him just yet.

Del slung a companionable arms across his shoulders. "C'mon," he said. "Let's see if they'll make us a jug of margaritas? That attracts the babes like flies!"

Niles snorted and smiled, walking off with Del toward the bar. Distraction in the form of alcohol and lots of legal women sounded perfect to him.