Who: Lucifer Morningstar & T.J. Hammond What: An interview When: Backdated July 28th Where: Lux Rating/Warnings: Low...innuendos but really tame for these guys Status: Complete
Lux was doing just fine with business, but Damian was of the mind that it could always do better. Planning events, scheduling appearances, ordering decor...all of that was bloody work that he didn’t want to do. He would much rather throw money at the problem to get someone else to do it. It was perfect happenstance that this Hammond bloke posted about his talents.
The man would be arriving at Lux any moment now. Was Damian dressed for the occasion? If one could call wearing a black silk robe with only god knew what was beneath as being dressed, then sure. He was dressed for the meeting. Unconventional was the least adjective that could be applied toward Damian.
He’d been sitting at the beautiful grand piano in the club, a cigarette burned in the ashtray next to the glass of scotch that rested next to the music stand. Damian was playing his own rendition of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters when a buzzer rang out dreadfully off key. Damian didn’t even pause for longer than it took to push the button that would open the door for good Mr. Hammond then he went back to playing.
Honestly TJ had no idea what to expect because club owners he’d found were strange as folk as people would have you believe. They were all eccentric in their own way and passionate about their business which you would expect given that it was their livelihood. Whilst Damian wasn’t exactly dressed for company TJ looked the very picture of elegance from the sharp edges of his suit to the well polished shoes and complimentary tie.
He also had a leather satchel with him that carried his portfolio along with his handy easy to carry i-Pad and various other things he needed for a client meet. As he approached he immediately finished off his cigarette, ushered away the smoke as he discarded of it before he slipped a mint in and waited until that was fully dissolved before he rang the bell in question.
A minute or so passed before he was buzzed in and TJ pushed the door open. The sound of music caught his attention first followed by the fact he recognised it as Metallica and immediately after the man clad in what looked like a silk robe.
“TJ Hammond,” he offered by way of greeting.
Damian looked up as the man he’d been expecting came down the stairs to the main floor. A cheerful smile settled on his face as he stopped playing. “Hello!” His British accent was very difficult to miss even with just one word. Damian got up from the piano to walk toward Hammond with a hand extended. “Lucifer Morningstar. Welcome to Lux.”
His eyes immediately gave his guest the once over, but not in a skeevy way. Assessing. The style of clothing. The hair. Expression. Damian took everything in. Immediately after he jerked his head toward the lavish bar behind him that took up the entire back wall. “Drink?” regardless of the answer Damian turned to walk toward the bar where a bottle of very fine, very old scotch sat opened. “Did you find the place all right?”
TJ took a hold of the extended hand, noting both warmth and strength in the grip, and was relieved that his own handshake was no wilting daisy as it was one of the many ways you gave a first impression. He’d learned that young thanks to his father’s berating tone and constant tutelage, he was a Hammond after all so anything TJ did reflected on the family name, more’s the pity.
A drink? He shouldn’t, working and all, but when had that ever stopped him?
“Yes please.”
He did give the piano a lingering glance as TJ played and he did so very well, had a natural talent for it which had been honed into something else entirely by many hours of lessons. “And I did, actually. Helps that I’m native so I can find pretty much anything.”
The piano was a genuine Steinway. Damian only had the best of things. Including the Macallan Speymalt 1973 he poured into a fresh glass for Hammond as well as refill his own glass. He was perfectly at ease in his less than casual dress. “I think it is obvious that I am not a local.” Damian chuckled as he handed Hammond his scotch. “Cheers.” He touched his glass to Hammond’s then drank half the contents as if it weren’t two thousand dollars a bottle.
“So.” Damian extended his arms. “This is Lux. My humble business venture.” If the definition of humble meant luxury and ostentatious. “Think you could work with it?”
TJ arched his eyebrows at the way in which Lucifer knocked the alcohol back as if it was water. Maybe just maybe he’d met his match as far as drinking himself into a stupour went, but only time would tell. “Yeah, the accent kind of gives it away,” he offered with a small playful smile before he took a sip of his drink.
The glass was then put down in favour of rummaging out his iPad which he used to take a couple shots of Lux as it helped to have visual inspiration when he was no longer stood in the beating heart of the club itself.
“I think so,” he affirmed with a nod. “I can definitely see opportunities and how you might be able to pull in the Hollywood elite.”
Damian didn’t refill his glass this time. He was more interested in watching Hammond go about his work. It was always fascinating to observe how people approached their professions. Telling, as well. If Hammond hadn’t been a wit serious Damian would have shown him the door. Well. A door, anyway. It didn’t necessarily need to be the front door. Hammond looked like he could be fun.
“Cost isn’t a concern all though I’d rather not have to refurbish the decor entirely.” He wrinkled his nose as he grimaced. “Shutting down for that would be boring and we can’t have that. This business is constantly in motion. Hesitation is self-destruction.” Damian had learned that from watching other clubs rise and fall. But he also did despise atrophy.
“Oh, I agree,” TJ assured Lucifer as he scrolled through the pictures he’d taken before he made a few notes against them about how he could make things work as they were without a need for a total decor overhaul. Honestly TJ was a complete disaster behind closed doors but the one time he wasn’t was when he was working, it was as though it gave him enough focus to keep his demons at bay and that was a very good thing.
He tipped his head to look over at Lucifer. “How up to date with current trends are your bartenders?”
He knew celebrities loved to be the first to try the newest and shiniest things on the market, cocktails included. “And how do you feel about masquerades?”
Damian swirled his scotch in a slow idle motion as he watched Hammond. Once he was engaged in conversation again directly he lifted from his lean to join Hammond. He chuckled as he reached the man. “They better be or I’ll sack the lot of them.” He finally finished his glass of scotch then set it down on whatever surface was closest.
“I love them,” he answered with a devilish expression coming to his face. “The anonymity. The decadence. The uninhibited indulgence. What’s not to love?” Judging by his grin Damian definitely was intrigued. “Tell me what you have in mind.”
“The thing about celebrities is whilst they adore all the attention that comes from being well known they also crave the chance to be something else entirely,” TJ explained as he turned his head to look over at Lucifer. “A masquerade offers them that opportunity. They get to dress up, slap on a mask, costume, be somebody else for an evening. Do things they’d never normally do because nobody knows it’s them and not a single Paparazzi will be able to tell them apart so they benefit from the privilege of anonymity.”
He smirked a little. “Nobody else is doing it.”
Damian was familiar with celebrities. Some of them wanted the attention and limelight. Some of them wanted to be left alone. It was the latter that he’d had a hard time enticing into his club. They were also the ones that had the biggest draw. However, the two polarities canceled each other out. This proposal could solve both problems.
“I like it,” Damian said to Hammond with an approving purr in his voice. He lifted a finger in the air as he snatched up his glass while on the move to the bottle of scotch. His steps were fast enough to make the robe flutter. “I’d want to use their identities in the marketing. No commitment other than to attend, but there’s no point of enticing them here if only you and I know about it.”
Upon reaching the bottle he refilled his glass then strode back to Hammond. “Another?”
“Of course,” TJ agreed readily with a nod of his head. “What would be the point of it if nobody knew who was coming? Definitely couldn’t draw in the crowd if there’s no names used.” TJ’s brain was already working, whirring, piecing together the best ways to make this night happen.
He turned his head as Lucifer joined him again. “Yes, please.”
“Did you want a particular colour scheme or let them pick it?”
Hammond’s glass was filled to the rim. “You and I are of like minds,” Damian commented with a grin. “Some might say that isn’t a compliment.” That was punctuated with a chuckle as he set the near empty bottle down. “I say the more the merrier. Cheers.” He touched his glass to Hammonds before taking a drink.
“Hmmm…” Damian took another drink as he began to pace in what seemed like a random direction on the main floor of the club. “Reds. Scarlet red to be exact.” Another drink. “Golds and black.” He turned around to wag a finger at his new event coordinator. “I’m thinking….come as an original sin. Yeah?”
He was not stingy with his alcohol now was he? This was somebody that TJ could get behind. Most definitely. “Screw what other people think. All that matters is what you and I think.” Or so he kept telling himself but his father? Well, that was another thing altogether. His opinion carried too much weight and TJ hated how much he craved his approval.
He managed to take notes on his iPad as Lucifer spoke, explaining colour schemes, and the potential theme for the evening.
“Original sin, I like it. I think it’ll fit with the mood of the night perfectly.”
“Exactly!” Oh yes. Damian approved of good Mr. Hammond. And if TJ thought this was generous if he saw the liquor storage and the wine cellar he’d understand why Damian could afford to pour two grand a bottle scotch like water.
“Oh, I’m liking you more and more, Mr. Hammond.” Damian’s voice was a silky grumble mixed with a growl of amusement. “You keep this up and I might have to offer you a permanent position.” Suggestive? Perhaps. Ambiguous? Definitely.
TJ’s lips slid into a devilish smile. “Wait until you see how much I cost first.” His lips parted into a grin which was accompanied by a wink. What? Flirting was fun and it was something TJ was very good at.
“But I will make sure your night is a success.”
Damian recognized flirting when he saw it. Mainly because he was always looking for it. He took a step closer to Hammond as he swirled his glass. “I anticipate a sinfully good time.” Mixing business with pleasure? It wouldn’t be the first time.