Kanan Jarrus (spectre01) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-02-15 17:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, dutch velders, kanan jarrus |
Who: Kanan and Dutch
Where: A bar that serves delicious chicken fingers and Guinness
What: A meet-up at the bar for dinks and dancing
When: Shortly before the Silent Hill plot
Ratings/Warnings: Low - flirting and maybe some langugae
Status: Complete!
To turn an old cliché: All work and no play made Kanan a dull boy. Well, distracted was probably a better choice of words than dull. Not that the “project” Nightingale had him doing wasn’t occupying his time and attention. Oh, it was. Just doing checks on those who remained in Nightingale’s network alone was a full time job. Kanan was leaving absolutely no stone unturned (to use another cliché) to be sure there wasn’t anyone else harboring some kind of long-term grudge that would blow up in their faces down the line. Or worse. Then came the task of the actual leadership transition within the network. It was tricky and delicate work that required a lot of attention.
There were only so many hours, however, Kanan could devote to these tasks before he started looking at everyone around him suspiciously. It was a trait that came naturally to him, given his history, and often worked in his favor. However, when he started to think he was seeing possible complications that simply did not exist, he knew he had to step away for a few hours to clear his head.
Clearing his head always required a few drinks (or several, depending on the level of clearing needed) and, if he could manage it, pleasant company of the opposite sex. Tonight he had the wonderful fortune to have both at his disposal, plus the promise of delicious chicken fingers.
Kanan arrived at the bar his new acquaintance had told him about the time he’d said he’d be there. He scanned the evening’s crowd for Dutch, as well as taking note of his overall surroundings, a deeply ingrained habit he’d been taught when he first entered the world of criminal activity.
***
It was just meeting up for beer and chicken fingers, but Dutch was wearing one of her tighter little black dresses. Yes, she could dress like a lady, she just didn’t often choose to. She had a pair of heels on her feet, too, instead of the usual boots. If she didn’t do this from time to time she might have felt like a fish out of water, but thanks to giving variety a try now and then she felt fine in this get-up.
This had become one of her favorite bars, though her absolute fave still remained the speakeasy-like hacker hangout downtown that required a password to get in. Whitehats and blackhats mingling together in almost perfect harmony with the promise that no one would turn anyone in. It was a nice environment for someone like Dutch. It was also a nice environment for catching all of the latest gossip. Dutch did love her gossip.
Her eyes roamed the bar, looking for Kanan. When she spotted him, her lips curled into a small smile. Kanan was attractive. He’d make for good company for the night. She walked over, high heels clicking as she did so though they were barely audible over the sounds of the bar.
“Hey, stranger.” She grinned, taking a seat next to him. “Been here long?” Dutch propped her elbow up on the bar and looked at him with those grey eyes of hers.
***
There was nothing like the smiling, friendly face of a good looking woman to pick your spirits right up. Kanan’s face broke out in a smile as well as Dutch sat down next to him. And, woo, she looked good. Kanan was glad he opted to change from the jeans and t-shirt he’d had earlier to a pair of slacks and a dress shirt. It wasn’t what he usually wore, but it was always a good idea to make a good first impression.
“Hey there yourself,” he said as he turned to face her. “Don’t you look like a vision,” he smirked. Ahh, harmless flirting, one of Kanan’s favorite pastimes. He motioned to get the bartender’s attention. “Can I get you a beer?”
***
He opened with a compliment. It was a good start, in Dutch’s opinion. She nodded in response to his question. “Anything’s good. I’m not really a beer snob.” A good pint of Guinness was delightful, but Dutch could enjoy just about any label beer when it came down to it. Oh, she’d dated beer snobs before. It hadn’t worked out. She could never understand them. It just didn’t make sense to be so picky with something that, regardless of taste, could make you feel so good.
“Enjoying yourself so far, handsome?” Her smile broadened just slightly. Kanan was a handsome guy, but, truth be told, Dutch used the word ‘handsome’ pretty loosely. She never told anyone that, of course, it would have taken away from the effect. Instead she just took her time looking him over, playing with a strand of blonde hair as she did so.
***
“My kind of girl,” Kanan smiled. Kanan wasn’t a beer snob either. There was no point to it. He’d drink just about anything put in front of him. He had his preferences sure, but not having a particular brand of bourbon or his favorite beer on tap wasn’t going to get his nose bent out of shape. As long as it wasn’t watered down and did its job, Kanan really didn’t care.
His company for the evening was British, so Kanan indulged and got them each a pint of Guinness. He hadn’t had an Irish car bomb in years, but he’d let the night play out before the two of them started doing anything quite like that.
“I’m enjoying myself immensely now,” he told her. “Beer in hand, beautiful lady for company. This is the definition of enjoyment.” Kanan could think of another definition of enjoyment that involved beautiful women, but let’s not be presumptuous here.
Kanan caught her eyeing him up. She wasn’t very subtle about it, so he let her have a good look. He was in excellent shape, tall with an athletic build. He was toned without being beefy. He wore a simple, but nice looking, black t-shirt with a pair of nice slacks. He had his black leather jacket with him as well. He’d forgone the shoulder holsters and left his gun back at his hotel room. There would be no need for that tonight.
He grinned at her. “Like what you see?” He asked with a teasing smile.
***
As soon as the Guinness was in front of her, Dutch took a drink. She raised her eyebrows and gave Kanan a thumbs-up of approval. “Nothing quite like it.” A giggle escaped her lips and she winked playfully. The mood was a fun one and Dutch was determined to keep it that way. If he was having a good time and she was having a good time, then they were both definitely doing something right. The trick was to keep doing it that way.
When she was caught in the act of shamelessly checking him out her lips curled into a tiny little smile. Her fingertips which had been drumming on the surface of the bar lifted to her mouth as she nibbled on the nail of her index finger like she was thinking over her answer. “What if I do?” She asked, her head tilted forwards slightly.
Dutch wondered what would happen if Kanan played his cards right. She knew how far she was willing to go. It had been too long since she’d hooked up with someone so attractive and charming. She just didn’t know if he’d be willing to go as far as her. Her gut told her yes, though, and she almost always trusted her gut.
***
The Guinness had met Dutch’s approval and Kanan was pleased. It wasn’t every day you met someone who enjoyed the stout heartiness of Guinness. Kanan sometimes joked one didn’t need breakfast when Guinness was on tap. It was bread in a glass!
That look she was giving him. Fingernail between her lips, head tilted forward and looking at him with those eyes. It was playful and enough to spark his interest even more. He grinned at her playfully, “then it would make me happy,” he told her, “to know that I caught your fancy. You’ve certainly caught mine.”
He took a drink from his own glass and savored the unique taste a moment. “Tell me a little something about yourself, Dutch,” he said.
***
A bigger smile spread across Dutch’s face and she let her hand drop away from her mouth. “Rest easy, then, and know that you have indeed caught my fancy. You’re an interesting man, Kanan Jarrus.”
She sat back a little on her stool, crossing one leg over the other. What should she tell him about her? Dutch did have a devil may care attitude about other people’s opinions, but she didn’t want to strike a wrong chord tonight. She wanted everything to run smoothly.
“I’m originally from London. Still get a box of British candy from my dad every month to remind me where I’m from. Technically I’m in between jobs, but I’m doing some independent work to pay the bills. Love beer, but I can appreciate a good martini now and then. Aaaand I don’t feel entirely out of place in art galleries.” She finished off with a raise of her eyebrows and a long drink of her Guinness.
“Now I think it’s your turn.” Dutch smirked at him, nudging his leg with a high-heel-clad foot.
***
She was a playful sort. Kanan liked that very much, just as he liked her foot against his leg. Now it was his turn to tell her a bit about himself. That’s how these things usually went. The Get-To-Know you portion of the evening before the fun really could begin.
If only Dutch knew just how interesting he really was. But like her, he wanted things to go smoothly, so he was selective about what he told her. “I’m from the east coast originally,” he said. “I moved around a lot, so I don’t exactly have what you would call a home town. I transport goods around the country and sometimes out of the country-“ if the money was good enough to cover the risk “-I’ll drink beer, but my alcohol of choice is bourbon. Nothing like it, really. Let’s see…I’ve never been to an art gallery, but I’m not above going to one. I don’t know anything about art, but I’m always open to learn something new.”
There, everything truthful enough to share for the moment. He drank a bit of his Guinness. “What kind of freelance work do you do?” He asked curiously.
***
The mention of transporting goods got a slow nod from Dutch. It could have easily meant more than what it seemed to mean on the surface, but she didn’t poke around for more information right at that moment. Dutch was rarely ever concerned about what was polite. More than what was polite it just didn’t seem right and she doubted he would trust her with any pertinent information if she asked questions right off the bat, anyway. She smiled a little bit at his mention of never having been to an art gallery. If this turned into anything more than just one night spent together, maybe she’d take him to one. Her favorite gallery had a bathroom that was wonderful for risque rendezvous when the events outside got loud enough.
It took her a split second to debate how to answer his question. Kanan didn’t seem like the type who would rat her out to anyone who could do anything, so she decided to favor honesty. “The kind that isn’t always strictly legal.” Dutch lowered her voice just slightly, smirking mischievously. “I’m a hacker at heart. I always seem to land legit jobs in IT and the like, but when I’m in between jobs working on my own? I always seem to wind up on the speed dial of the seedier types. The hazards of being able to get the job done, I suppose.” She shrugged her slim shoulders and took another drink.
“I’m presently waiting on hearing from Bass Industries. I was poking around their system and discovered a competitor stealing from them. After that I’m positive I’ll get a job offer. If not, I’ll survive. I always seem to land on my feet somehow. Call me Catwoman, if you will.” She grinned and rolled her head to stretch the muscles a bit.
“Do you come to bars like this very often, Kanan?” Dutch pursed her lips just the faintest bit, watching him carefully. “You probably leave with a beautiful girl on your arm every night.”
***
Oh, she was a hacker. Kanan was instantly intrigued, especially since she was willing to be honest about her less than legal activities. He could relate, of course, being a smuggler and black weapons dealer. He had several clients who could be defined as seedier types, as she put it, though he never had to run anything for a hacker before. It was kind of like coming across a kindred spirit of a kind. He smiled at her knowingly. She could probably assume that he didn’t have the cleanest of hands either.
“What you know about computers would probably put me to shame. Beautiful and smart,” he said with an appreciative smile. He raised his glass in a little toast, “Here’s hoping you get that job at Bass. I’m sure you’ll do well there and there’ll be plenty to keep you from getting bored.” He winked.
He took a liberal drink from his glass to cement his well wish before setting it on the bartop again. “You flatter me,” he said with a laugh. “It’s true I like the company of women, but I can’t say as that I leave with a beautiful girl on my arm every night.” He made a show of feigned disappointment, “It’s hard to believe, I know, but not everyone likes my brand of charm. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t generally come to places like this too often. My brand of bar is a little more...colorful, let’s say. What about you?”
***
Dutch laughed a little as she lifted her glass along with him. “And boredom is an awful thing, so let’s hope you’re correct.” She took a drink. The job at Bass Industries was as good as hers if she knew Chuck Bass as well as she thought she did. When she exposed his rival as a thief she’d proven herself as an asset and who doesn’t want to have all of the good players on their team?
“Colorful?” Her eyebrows raised slightly. “I’d like to see your brand of bar sometime. It could be an adventure.” Dutch smirked playfully. That was the kind of adventure she would have loved to go on. An adventure complete with drinks and the promise of conversation and company. It was already clear that she and Kanan got along alright. The only thing that could have spoiled such an adventure would have been if she couldn’t have stood being in a room with him, but just the opposite was true.
“Me? No, I’m afraid I don’t go home with a beautiful woman on my arm every night.” A chuckle escaped her lips. “The same goes for handsome men. What a world it would be if that were true.” Dutch shook her head with a grin.
“Beyond beautiful, what kind of girl are you after, hmm?” Her eyebrows waggled slightly and she eyed him curiously.
***
Kanan laughed lightly at her joke, but he was a little surprised that she didn’t have her pick of men. She was funny and charming and even if there wasn’t the potential for naked late night romping Kanan would have still greatly enjoyed her company. He didn’t have a complete one track mind, here. Dutch was shaping up to be a fantastic companion. “I would gladly take you to one of my more usual haunts,” he promised her. “I think you’ll have fun.”
Her next question was somewhat loaded, even if Dutch hadn’t meant it to be. Kanan was quiet a moment as he gathered his thoughts and tried to answer her truthfully while not inadvertently offending or scaring her off.
He shrugged his shoulders lightly. “I’m not really sure I have a type,” he admitted carefully. “Someone who will be good company, I guess.” He said after another moment of thought. Company could really mean anything, whether it be strictly physical or psychological, Kanan wasn’t particularly picky. Sometimes he needed one more than the other. “I travel a lot so…” another shrug. “I take the good times when I can get them.”
Kind of awkward, but Kanan wasn’t heartless. He knew his sleeping around was more of a flaw than it was something to be proud of. Another sip of beer. “Are you looking for anything specific yourself?”
***
“I don’t understand people who claim to have a type.” Dutch admitted with a facial shrug. “If they really are limiting themselves to just one specific type of person, then they’re denying themselves a whole world of possibilities. It’s an adventure getting out there and mingling with different sorts of people, you know? Why deny yourself that?” She sighed and took another drink of Guinness. It was true that she didn’t have a type. Oh, she would use the excuse You’re not my type to get out of potential hookups with undesirable people, whatever their faults might have been, but she had never really sat down and figured out what her type might be.
She refocused her attention on Kanan, smiling at him. “So, you travel a lot. What’s been your favorite place to travel to in all of your exploits?” Dutch herself had never traveled much. For most of her life she’d only ever been in two places. The first had been London and the second Orange County. It had only been a month ago that she’d explored New York City and that had only been because a dream had inspired her to do so. Honestly, she didn’t have the cash to travel. Maybe if the job as Bass Industries panned out that would change for her.
***
It appeared he and Dutch had quite a bit in common. Kanan was really enjoying discovering this and at the same time, it was a bit disheartening. He wasn’t intending on staying in Orange County after he finished the job Nightingale had given him. It had been good to see her again and had been a trip to be reunited with Lina, especially after not seeing her in years, but Kanan considered himself a wanderer. Those two people from his past had changed their lives (or were in the process of changing it in Nightingale’s case), and Kanan couldn’t really see himself fitting into those lives any longer.
So finding that he and Dutch were a lot more alike than they had first thought made Kanan very happy. He wished he could stay and build on this budding relationship. He may call himself a “wanderer”, but that wasn’t true. Kanan had been running for as long as he could remember. Even with the dangers of his lifestyle, Kanan felt safest when he was on the move.
“My favorite place?” Kanan repeated the question thoughtfully. “Huh, you know I’ve never actually thought about it before. I’ve always just...kept moving.”
***
“I have to admit…” She trailed off for a moment, nudging his leg with her foot and letting it travel up his leg a few inches before relaxing and letting it fall again. “I’m a little jealous of you. I haven’t seen much of the world. I got a little taste of traveling recently and I like it. I’m not sure how much I would enjoy constant travel, but I know I’d like more travel.” A tiny smile spread across her face. It was the honest truth. Back in London she’d had posters on her bedroom wall, usually of celebrities she liked posing around landmarks she wanted to see. As an adult, though, Dutch wasn’t the sightseeing type. What interested her was the culture of a place. On her New York trip, for example, the biggest thrills she’d gotten were walking the crowded streets with locals and tourists alike looking at the outsides of apartment buildings and local businesses. It had been a fun time. She could imagine doing that in cities all over the world and never getting tired of it.
“Ever been to London?” She asked, taking another drink and noting that she was almost done with her Guinness. That had gone rather quickly. She’d have to pace herself. Dutch wasn’t a fan of getting too drunk in the company of others. She liked to keep some control over herself. One Guinness wasn’t going to make her a slovenly drunk, but it could start to pave the road to such a fate depending on how fast she downed it.
***
“You shouldn’t be jealous,” Kanan said with a slight smile. He was well aware of her foot traveling up his leg and he took it to mean that she was enjoying herself and wasn’t necessarily adverse to the idea of this going further than simply drinks and talking, a possibility he himself had been hoping for since she had walked up to him in that slinky dress and had only increased as their conversation had continued. “Not of me, anyway. I do travel a lot, but I don’t really spend a lot of time anywhere. Not enough to really be able to take in the sights or get a good feel for a place.”
“There isn’t anything stopping you from traveling now,” he said. He rested his hand on her arm, a reciprocation to the way she had been touching his leg with her foot. Het let it linger there for a moment before reaching for his glass. HIs Guinness was down to the last few mouthfuls as well. “Especially if you get the job with Bass, you’ll probably be making enough bank to take off anywhere you wanted to. You should take the chance when it comes up. Life’s short, you know.” A credo Kanan often lived by.
He polished off his beer and set the empty glass on the bartop. The last bits of foam sliding to the bottom. “I have been to London,” he said. He had a client that was based in Europe, and although usually they met on the east coast when said client was Stateside, Kanan had made a couple of trips to England for special jobs. “It was on business though. I think I only got to see Big Ben from the plane.”
He motioned for the bartender to bring another beer. “Would you like another?” He asked
***
“That’s a shame.” Her mouth formed a slight frown. “Getting to travel all over the place and not getting to really relish it.” It sounded a little bit like the myth of Tantalus to Dutch. Having something wonderful just out of reach. That would really be awful. Though she supposed it was a lot better than having a job where you spent all day at the same desk in the same office every day of the year, year after year.
Her frown curled into a smile, though, when he mentioned that there wasn’t anything stopping her from traveling. “You know, you’re right. On everything, pretty much. I think once I’ve settled in at my new job I’ll treat myself by whisking myself off to someplace more interesting than Orange County.” Dutch finished off her Guinness. “Someplace that’s more than a stone’s throw from London, too. Someplace I’ve only ever dreamed of. I’ll have to do some thinking about where this someplace will be.” She smirked at him. “You’ve been quite an inspiration, you know that? It seems you’re more than just a handsome face.”
“That’s a shame. If you ever get the time, you really should explore the city even if it’s just by doing a decent pub crawl there. I grew up there and never even got tired of it. How many people can say that about their hometown, I wonder?” She lifted her hand to her mouth, nibbling on her thumbnail a little. It was a habit of hers.
When he asked if she wanted another Guinness she smiled and nodded. “Please. They’re a bit like potato chips, yeah? One is never quite enough.”
***
“One is never enough,” Kanan agreed after he ordered two more Guinesses for his tab. He also put in an order for those chicken fingers that were supposed to be so good.
“I try to be more than a pretty face,” he said once they had their refills. “That way I have something to fall back on once my looks fade,” he laughed, “honestly, though, I don’t think anyone has ever told me that I’ve been any kind of inspiration. I’m not usually quite this insightful. It just seems to me that if you have the means and ability to travel and if that’s what you want to do, than you should do it.”
He leaned against the bar as he faced her, chin in his palm. “You could make a list of the places you want to go and then just check them off. Rome, Paris, Amsterdam - I really recommend Amsterdam. That is one place I was able to go to and actually got to enjoy the city.” It would have been a sin not to. “Prague, Sydney, Milan. Then of course there are destinations here in the States. Really the choices are endless and there’s no point in limiting yourself, right?”
She was a little cute when she nibbled on her thumb like that. Kanan smiled and found that he had leaned a bit closer to her.
“Next time I’m in London I promise you, I’ll do a pub crawl,” he said. “Will you give me a list of all the best ones to hit?”
***
“It does make sense.” Dutch nodded. “My dad was big on that live for today philosophy, too. Tried to raise me on it, much to my mother’s chagrin. She’s the uptight one around the house.” She smiled remembering all of the arguments her parents would get into over the simplest of things. Homework had been such a delicate issue when Dutch was a child. Her father would let Dutch go out and play before it was done and then catch hell for doing so. Now they were all united around her mother’s illness. Dutch took a drink, trying to push it to the back of her mind.
“What makes Amsterdam really special?” She leaned in a little closer, propping her chin up on her hand. Honestly all she’d ever heard was that there were some cafes there where you could smoke marijuana. Her knowledge was otherwise limited.
“I will absolutely give you a list.” She grinned playfully. “What kind of music do you like? You might have to hit up the Ministry of Sound, too, depending on your answer.” Her eyebrows waggled playfully. Dutch didn’t really have a favorite genre of music. She listened to everything, but if she could dance to it? Even better. The concerts and raves at the Ministry of Sound had always been some of her favorite times for that very reason.
***
“It’s a beautiful city,” Kanan said, “Full of old architecture and old world charm.” He smiled chuckled a bit. Dutch was from London. Europe was basically packed full of old world charm. “And it’s a great place to have a good time. You have the ‘coffee houses’ where you can buy weed, of course.” He paused a moment, “although considering weed is pretty much legal here in the States now it might not have quite the appeal any more.” When that federal law was passed, Kanan had considered himself lucky he hadn’t based his career in ferrying marijuana across the border. “The streets are too narrow for cars, so citizens literally bike everywhere. The Red Light District is an interesting place to visit, too. It’s amazing how high end sex can be when you don’t stigmatize it, you know.”
He took a sip of beer. “With all that going on, it was probably the safest city I’ve ever been to. You could go walking around at midnight and not have to worry about being harassed. helps that the cops carry AK’s with them.” He chuckled again. “And of course if you go outside the city there are the tulip fields and windmills. Very pretty.”
He took another sip of beer before putting his glass down. “Music, ah, let’s see.” He stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Classic rock. You know, The Who, The Eagles, Boston.” He tilted his head a little. “Ministry of Sound? What is that?”
***
“Ah, that’s one thing I loved about New York City. I rented a bike while I was there. As long as you don’t tire easily, you’re set. You save a bundle on cab fare, too.” She winked as if she was sharing some brilliant secret and took a drink of beer. “Amsterdam sounds lovely. I’m not sure I could ever make the leap to exploring the Red Light District, but I’m sure it’s interesting.” It was almost funny - Someone as sexually adventurous as Dutch shying away from the Red Light District.
“Tulip fields!” Dutch’s eyes widened as she echoed Kanan. “My mum would love that. She’s nuts about tulips. Tried growing them in a box on our windowsill, but failed miserably. I’m sure entire fields of them must be quite lovely.”
Dutch nodded, taking another drink. “Classic rock is brilliant music to drive to. The Ministry of Sound is sort of a nightclub that branched out to become a… Well, a whole different business. I’m pretty sure it’s a record label, too, by now. They don’t play classic rock, though. Originally they were all about American house music, but now every big name DJ plays a set there. It’s a great place to go if you want to dance.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But EDM isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There are other venues that might be more up your alley.”
She paused a moment, tracing circles on the edge of her glass with her fingertip. “Do you like to dance, Kanan?”
***
Kanan wasn’t big on flowers himself and knew absolutely nothing about them, but he liked the way Dutch’s eyes grew at the mention of tulips. He filed that bit of information away for now.
The Ministry of Sound sounded as though it could be fun. Kanan’s genre of choice was classic rock, but he didn’t have anything against house or EDM. He’d done a fair share of business deals in clubs that blared such music from the speakers so loudly you could feel it in the back room. There was something to be said for music you could feel in your bones.
“Sure,” he said with a casual shrug. “I like to dance.” He actually enjoyed dancing quite a bit. He was fairly coordinated, but really didn’t have any idea if he was any good. Not that he cared one way or another. It was a fantastic way to get a release and always went well with drinking. He smirked at her, “would you like to dance, Dutch?”
***
Kanan’s admission that he liked to dance got a smile from Dutch. In her experience, people who enjoyed dancing sometimes enjoyed dancing for hours at a time and that kind of stamina could be translated to other activities. This was just dancing, at the moment, though. She smiled a little and nodded.
“I would love to.” It occurred to Dutch that she wasn’t wearing her most comfortable shoes. She’d planned for the night to be drinking, talking, and then perhaps heading back to one of their homes. These shoes had been suited for that. Dancing in these shoes would produce a kind of pain Dutch wasn’t sure she wanted to experience that kind of pain. Casually, she leaned over in her seat and got to unstrapping her strappy heels and set them delicately under her stool. Luckily her feet were pedicured, toenails painted bright red. She grinned at Kanan and explained. “I didn’t exactly bring my dancing shoes. I trust you won’t be stepping on my toes.”
***
Kanan watched her take her shoes off and set them aside and grinned a little. She meant business and had no worry about how she might look going out there barefoot. “I promise I won’t step on your toes,” he told her and jokingly crossed his heart. Next time, maybe if this turned into something more than a one-time meet-up, the two of them could go dancing for real and Dutch could wear more appropriate footwear.
He gulped down a few more swigs of beer before taking her hand and leading her to a little dance floor a bit away from the bar, twirling her around as they stepped onto the parque floor.
***
Dutch let out a cheerful squeal as she spun around. “You have some moves, mister!” She laughed loudly, putting a hand loosely over her mouth only after the fact. She’d been so used to listening to the sounds of their voices, it took her a moment to really hear the music playing. Dutch started simply, swaying to the beat, then started to move her feet and her head. Once she started to feel connected to the beat, she danced a little closer to him, putting a hand on his hip.
“Not half bad!” She chuckled, subtly pulling him even closer with her hand.
***
“I told you I was more than just a pretty face,” Kanan laughed in response. Rhythm came easily to him and it was only a moment before he was moving along with the music as well. Like, Dutch, he started out slowly, simply, matching her pace while moving on his own. He noticed her getting closer and appreciated the company. When she put a hand on his hip, he returned the gesture with a hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her. He hadn’t had a good time like this in what felt like forever.
“Ya having fun?” he asked her with a hint of hopefulness.
***
Laughing, Dutch nodded in agreement. Kanan most certainly was more than just a pretty face. She turned around with her back to him, looking over her shoulder and dancing like that for a few seconds before getting tired of the lack of direct eye contact and turning back around.
“It just so happens that I’m having a blast!” She leaned in with a big grin on her face. It was the truth. The two of them were getting along remarkably well. Even if nothing else came of it, Dutch was having a good time. That was something worthwhile in and of itself. For being such a big and thoroughly populated place, Dutch didn’t come across many truly fun people very often. Kanan was a gem and she recognized him as being one.
Just to be mischievous, Dutch moved her hand and snaked her arm around his back, giving his butt a playful squeeze. She laughed. “Sorry, I just had to.”
***
This was great! Dutch was having a good time. Kanan was having a good time. They were getting along famously and had a lot in common with each other, even if a lot of their more...illegitimate commonalities still went unspoken. Kanan could easily see Dutch as a fantastic companion to have for a fun night out on the town. Or, perhaps, a more quiet but equally as fun night in his hotel room, a notion that was reinforced when she grabbed his ass.
He laughed at her playful teasing antics. “I know, it’s irresistible,” he teased back with a wink and then twirled her again before pulling her close. “Almost as irresistible as your little black dress,” another teasing smirk.
Kanan had been warned of the weird things that tended to happen in Orange County. He’d been warned of the Dreams and what they could do to an individual. However, all of that was forgotten for now as he danced with Dutch. In fact, he could probably get used to staying here. At least for a little bit.
***
Dutch let out a loud laugh when he twirled her again, almost having to catch her breath when he pulled her close. She went with the flow, always moving with the music, and wrapped her arms around his neck to better savor the closeness.
“I’m glad you approve! I save this dress for very special occasions.” Maybe it was a stretch. Dutch saved it for occasions when she wanted to impress people. She had plenty of similar dresses, but this was one of her favorites, and nothing, in her opinion, was sexier than a little black dress.
“I can assure you, I look just as good out of the dress as I do in it.” That playful smirk was back on her face. There was no harm in flirting and Dutch was having such a good time that she decided now was as good a time as any to try it.
***
Matching his movements with Dutch, Kanan let his hands rest on her hips when she put her arms around his neck. He liked this kind of closeness. It was intimate and yet still very much appropriate for the setting they were in.
Kanan agreed. There were few things that compared to a woman in a little black dress. And Dutch certainly knew how to wear hers. He wasn’t lying when he said she looked amazing in it. He grinned at her playfully. “Does that mean meeting me qualifies as a very special occasion? You flatter me, and you know what they say about flattery.”
His grin turned a little more mischievous. “Is that so?” He asked. “I think I’d like to see that for myself, just to be sure.”
***
Dutch raised her eyebrows, still swaying to the music. “Are you saying that flattery will get me nowhere or are you referring to another saying about flattery?” She smirked a little bit. She was pretty confident that a cocktail of flattery and flirting could get one anywhere one wanted to go. “And how do you know I wasn’t referring to the beer and the chicken fingers as being the special part of this occasion?” It was impossible to hold back a laugh at that one. No, Kanan was the part she’d been looking forward to. He’d seemed fun and that had caught her attention.
“Well, as comfortable as I am with my body image, I have to put my foot down at public nudity.” Her smirk spread into a grin. “Which raises the question, your place or mine?” Dutch raised her eyebrows slightly. She really didn’t have much of a preference.
***
Kanan feigned an exaggerated pout at her. “Aww, Dutch, that hurts,” he said. “At least tell me that my presence made the beer and chicken fingers better than usual. I can use a little bit of flattery now and then, you know.”
The song had changed to something with a slower tempo and Kanan slowed down to match. He kept his hands at her hips as the two of them swayed in time to the music. Her question of his place or hers caught him a little off guard, but in a good way. It was always a treat to meet someone who wasn’t afraid to ask the questions she wanted instead of attempting to drop hints.
He matched her grin. “My hotel room isn’t far from here,” he said and nodded his head towards the door. “You wanna get out of here?”
***
“Oh, Kanan,” She laughed at his pout. He really was charming in his own way. “Of course you did. The Guinness would have been flat and unrefreshing had you not been sitting on that stool right there next to me.”
A slow song. Dutch was less of a fan of slower music. It left her feeling antsy, like her body wanted something faster to move too, but dancing slowly with Kanan wasn’t terrible. It felt more natural than usual. She supposed that slow dancing with a partner would always feel more natural than slow dancing by oneself.
“As much as I hate to cut this dance short…” Her eyes found their way to the door and then back to Kanan. “Absolutely.”