Suggestions and Innuendo Who: Lance and Mannix Where: The Brothel When: Late Afternoon
Lance left Lydia and headed towards the house, taking the long way that took him by the brothel. He told himself that it was to check in on his cousin, but really, he was looking for someone else. Just a peek. It was enough to get Lance up the front steps and through the door, looking around, all too curious if the place was worth anything or if a certain someone was lurking in a corner somewhere.
With the sun safely behind the clouds, Mannix was up on the main floor and making sure the guests got what they wanted. The brothel was doing well in his opinion, with each employee seeing at least one person a day, sometimes more. It was really up to them once they’d seen one client, but most of them were eager to pocket the extra cash. He was sitting in the front room, sharpening a large knife, when the door opened and he set it aside. It had been a while since they had a customer he recognized and this one he greeted with a smile. “Lance,” he grinned. “Good to see you. How’s life treating you these days?”
Lance hadn't been expecting to be greeted by name and jumped slightly. His mind did a double take, cursing how they all looked so much alike and yet Mannix and Lily fell just shy of that mark. Mannix's smile and greeting were enough though, causing that familiar pull in Lance's stomach. The whole damn family did it and he felt sick rushing behind it that as much as it wasn't his preference, Lance wanted to touch this one too. "Mannix," he greeted with his own smile, though it was more reserved than the easy grin he'd been given. "Well enough. I was looking for Kenzie." He stumbled over the last words, his mind thinking of someone else and his logic forcing him not to say it.
“I believe she’s upstairs working,” he said, his grin morphing into a bit of a smirk. While Mannix didn’t want to be seen as playing favorites, he tried to make sure Kenzie got good customers. She was one of the few that would actually complain to him if she didn’t think the sex she was getting was good. Lucky for her, he didn’t mind rectifying that problem. “Come in. Sit. I’ll call the girls down if you want, or you can just have a drink.” He knew Lance would be a good customer if he could get him to bite.
Lance's eyes glanced up, taking that in with a nod. "Yeah that makes sense." He looked back enough to catch that smirk and tilted his head. "Heard you got your balls back in that arena. Well done. I know she was pissed you'd gone soft on her." The whole statement was laden with innuendo, but Lance didn't care. Forget the girls, why aren't you on the menu? The thought was there before Lance could reign it back, and it left him, just staring at Mannix for a moment before sitting and shaking his head. "M'fine with a drink. Satisfied otherwise." Or he had been. He might be interested in blowing off some steam later.
“She said that?” Mannix laughed as he rose from the couch to get Lance a drink, plus one for himself. He had a mix of bottles at the bar, some of them running lower than he’d prefer, but the moonshine they still had plenty of. So far, it was the only thing for which they had an incoming supply, so that’s what he made for both of them, adding a bit of lemon for taste. “There was a girl I was interested in and it was worth putting Kenzie squirm for a bit till I figured out where we stood,” he said, handing Lance his drink, then taking a seat on the couch again. “Nothing against her. We’ve got a deal worked out now that I believe she’s happy with.”
"Heard about the girl, too. Seems like a waste to go and get involved." And it looked like it hadn't worked out for him. "Glad you came to your senses. I didn't want to listen to her bitch about it. More so when she was cranky that you'd lost your steam and I was getting laid." And especially now that he was feeling jealous. Lance took his drink, taking a hefty swig. "What kind of deal?"
“I dunno. For the right girl, it might be worth it,” Mannix said, thinking of the one night he’d almost had December. It still frustrated him that he’d been so close, but if she needed them to just be friends, then he could live with that. Her friendship meant more to him than getting laid did. “She had no reason to be cranky. She was getting laid. She just wanted things her way, and that’s not really the way it works when you’re getting paid.” Hopefully the guys he picked for her were better suited to her taste than the ones in the beginning. “She didn’t tell you?” he asked, impressed. He’d made her promise, but he still thought she would end up telling Lance. “I give her a good fucking if she serves me dinner.”
"There's no such thing as the right girl," Lance said, though he did have something on the regular now didn't he? Wasn't that what Zania was? "No, she wanted to have fun and she wasn't and you weren't interested." He shrugged when Mannix seemed surprised that Kenzie hadn't told Lance about the deal. "I wasn't feeling chatty at the time." He'd been taking a drink but slowed, looking up at Mannix. "You are aware she can't cook for shit, right?" Unless...no. No way.
“I would’ve said the same, but this one makes me think about trying it,” Mannix said, then shrugged. It didn’t really matter, since December had asked him to back off. A part of him wanted to keep trying, keep pushing, but he had the feeling that would just piss her off. If there was any chance of there being something between them again, he’d have to wait it out, and Mannix wasn’t used to waiting. “Don’t worry, I have no interest in her cooking,” he grinned. “It’s a little complicated, but all she has to do is show up.”
"Until you get bored. Then you sing a different tune." Lance had a feeling that was how it played out. That was how it always played out. Why lie to yourself? Lance watched Mannix for a moment, the ran his hand and over his mouth laughing a little to himself. Now he really wanted Mannix's mouth on him, which he didn't want to be thinking about, but he knew how good that was. "You unlucky fuck...stuck inside all day, too?"
“If I get bored.” There were some girls that he didn’t want to spend any time with outside the bedroom. Then there were girls that he enjoyed once, but couldn’t see himself going back to. December was the sort he rarely ran across, where he enjoyed her company and wanted to fool around with her. And knowing what she liked, he seriously doubted he’d get bored. “It’s not so bad,” Mannix said, half lying. “Who else do you know?”
"You'd get bored," Lance said. It was Mannix. He was used to variety. At some point he would get bored. Lance grinned behind his glass. "Zania. So I get why Kenzie was stoked you got your hard on for her back." Because he hadn't even done more that let her jack him off and bite him and it was hot.
“Too bad Zan got to you first. I won’t compete with her over a food source,” he teased. Mannix didn’t see himself biting a guy unless there was a girl involved and he was just there to feed. And even then, he still wasn’t sure about it. But he was also telling the truth about competing with Zania. They needed to track who they were feeding from and how often, otherwise they might end up hurting someone. “But yeah, I got the impression Kenzie was glad to have me back.” Not that he was hers, but he was willing to play with her once more.
Jesus, Mannix did not need to say that. Because that had Lance’s mind reeling without his permission off in directions that involved Mannix’s mouth on him again. Instead of making eye contact he took too big a gulp of his drink and was relieved it left him choking for a moment, coughing to cover up his discomfort. “She wants someone that can keep up. Apparently you can.”
“I’m glad she speaks so highly of me,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I suppose that means if we ever need a guy working here, I can step in, though I prefer to run the place.” He was a bit more picky than he let on, which was why he left the whoring to the whores. It took a certain mindset to do what they did and Mannix wasn’t sure he had it. Then again, if the right girl came in looking for a good time, he might not turn her down.
Again, Lance considered the job. He didn’t like being told what to do as much, which meant he probably wouldn’t last, but he still shrugged. “Depends on who’s looking for a good time and how well you pay. You might find someone interested in making a few bucks. And what guy turns down sex?”
“I’d cut you the same deal I cut Kenzie,” Mannix said, just in case Lance was interested. “She doesn’t live here, so it’s sixty-forty. We have prices we recommend, but you can charge whatever you want, so long as it’s not below the recommended price range. You keep whatever you charge extra.” He thought it was a pretty good deal, but it wasn’t a business he’d ever been in before. With no competition, he had nothing to judge them by. “I think it’s all a matter of what you’re comfortable with. If a girl came in and you weren’t into her, we wouldn’t want to turn her away, you know?”
Lance looked at his drink and nodded. “It’s not a bad deal, no. We’re mostly living off it.” Though the bartending sounded more his speed somedays. While he could be down for getting paid for laying on his back in most cases, he wasn’t sure he’d still get to sleep with Zania if he started working here. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
“It’s not for everyone,” Mannix agreed. If Lance couldn’t get it up for some girl that came in, then he’d have to bite him just to get him started. While Mannix didn’t mind it all that much, he’d rather have someone who was into the job. “So what’re you doing to keep busy? It’s too easy to go a little stir crazy in this place.” And it was even worse being stuck inside all day.
“I’m going stir crazy,” Lance said cheeky smirk on his lips. If Mannix was a girl it would seem flirtatious, but it wasn’t as overly obvious with Mannix. “Looking at getting something at Zan’s club, just gotta...sweet talk her more. She’s aware that I’m trouble.”
“I think that girl could use some good trouble in her life,” Mannix laughed. “I know she was chasing some other guy a while back, but he was into someone else. I’m glad to hear you’ve managed to distract her. It shouldn’t take much to get a job with her.”
“Heard about him. He’s a dick.” Lance had made his own conclusions which weren’t founded in much of anything other than despite not being interested in a relationship, Zania was a cool drink of water on a hot day. She was fun, sexy in her own way, and interesting as hell. There was no point in throwing that aside. “When am I not distracting? That’s been my way as long as it’s been yours.”
“Eh, kinda. I just think he has his priorities out of line.” Mannix’s biggest problem with Mickey was that he’d somehow managed to fuck them both out of getting December, then had the nerve to turn around and go for his sister. “I figured,” he grinned. “I don’t know her very well, but she figured out this vampire thing before I did and was kind enough to clue me in on it. That and we supplied her with the lights and sound system for her club.”
“Yeah? Well, guys like that are usually dicks.” Lance was pretty sure that was how it worked out. “She’s interesting. Quick. Which is interesting. She figured out me before I expected it.” Which wasn’t easy that much was for sure.
“And she told you what she is,” Mannix pointed out. “It’s not something we want to spread around, so she must trust you, at least a little. That’s probably more of an in to her club than you think.” He wondered what Lance meant by Zania figuring him out, but decided that was probably a pretty personal question. He didn’t know if anyone had really figured him out that wasn’t family.
Lance chuckled. “Hard to miss when she’s turned on, there they are. I’m assuming it’s the same with you.” Which was why he’d gotten to find out about them and what they meant. Which he was handling pretty well if anyone asked his opinion.
“Yeah, I haven’t quite figured out how to control that aspect,” he grinned. “So far it’s worked out for me, since everyone that’s found out that way has been into it.” If he’d wanted Clementine, he was sure he could have had her, but he hadn’t taken it there. Kenzie had been the only one to really take advantage of the situation.
“It’s something else,” Lance agreed before shrugging. “Let her know if you do. I know she’d rather them not get in the way from time to time.” He smirked a little then finished off his drink and set it down.
“I think it takes practice, which might also be an answer you’d like,” Mannix laughed, taking another sip of his drink. He knew he needed to work on it himself, but the only girl he was screwing was one that knew what he was and liked to be bitten. It gave him little reason to try and hold back.
Lance just laughed, looking upstairs and giving up on Kenzie. He’d see her at home. And the longer he stayed, the more likely he was to drink more and say something stupid to Mannix. “Practice makes perfect.” He got up and fixed his jacket on his shoulders, smiling at Mannix. “Tell her I came by looking.”
“Of course,” Mannix said, standing as Lance stood in order to show him out. “Come by any time. I’ll set you up with one of the good ones.” He didn’t think he’d see Lance any time soon, though, if he was getting it from Zania for free. It was still good salesmanship to offer.
“When I get bored,” Lance said grinning a little more. He didn’t think he’d be there soon, since there were other options, including he guessed Mannix’s sister, even if he’d blown her off before. He could probably sweet talk his way back into that. Still, he got it. Mannix had a business to run. “See you around Mannix.”