though desdemona could feel every flicker, fall, and rise of the heat that always seemed to cloud the air between them, she was an expert at concealing her thoughts and keeping her cool. one didn’t become the reigning queen of soul, one of the rising voices of the civil rights movement, and an all around icon — by being easily influenced or swayed. she smirked a little despite herself though. there was something charming about bed that she could never quite put her finger on. it wasn’t a sleaze or quite a swagger, more of a quality. he was driven. he knew exactly what he wanted. he had a past, wasn’t so smooth pressed like a lot of the people in hollywood, despite what she knew was a truly luxurious upbringing.
ever astute, the songstress sensed his displeasure when she pulled back from fixing his collar. “boy, please. you a mess every damn day i see you,” she bantered with a dry wit, a contrast to her soft-lashed gaze. her eyes flickered down, giving him a scan and mocking disgust, though the opposite was apparent. her smile grew. they both knew what she was really thinking when she scanned his figure. she thought he had the most beautiful figure, both from a point of attraction and artistically. his dancing was mesmerizing, and he was the only one she had ever partnered with in that regard. due to how she was raised, she refused to dance for the public despite having ten years of classical ballet training. there was an elegance in sitting there, singing her soul for the world to hear. what she would never do was shuck and jive for the masses. but for him, things were different. he had a freedom that she couldn’t quite get her hands on, and it was almost intoxicating to watch him be able to enjoy that.
as he went on, her expression grew more tamed again. her poker face was immaculate. truth be told, a few years ago she wouldn’t have accepted the drinks. not in public like this, anyways. but just this very year the supreme court ruled in favor of relationships like this, between a woman like her, and a man like him. it would be a pity not to celebrate such a win for the movement. “hm,” she gave a graceful shrug of a shoulder, looking away with a coy expression, “you can buy me two, actually – a sidecar cocktail ..” their eyes met again and she brushed her palm over his chest, as if there were something there and she was just tidying his appearance again. her voice lowered into something more warm and intimate though. she knew exactly what she was doing. “thank ya kindly, beddie.”
his grin grew wide , his teeth a beautiful shade of white . shining behind upwardly curled lips . he looked like a child who had just been praised . always a mess , you say ? oh do go on ... beddie would be a right fool to pretend he wasn’t the epitome of chaos . wealthy beyond belief meant nothing when his designer clothes still , somehow , frayed along the edges . it came with the territory . being a hoofer meant constantly moving about , and ironed duds rarely stayed perfectly straight after being placed upon the tanned skin of a tornado and that was what he was ; a tornado , always spinning .
or perhaps she was referring to his personal life . his history , a right pigsty , was a mess that couldn’t be cleaned . it was also the only reason his smile wavered ( if only for a second ) . he tried to be better , but to be better would imply there was something wrong with him in the first place , and fuck if his pride wouldn’t let him take that hit .
“ ooooohhh , ” he cooed , a tsk tsk tsk soon falling from his mouth . “ don’t stand there and pretend you don’t love it. “ his grin remained intact as he leaned forward , looking back and forth as if to trade a secret meant only for them . “ i’d be so boring otherwise ... then you’d never talk to me . and what kind of world would it be if i didn’t have ms. black to fix my collar ? ”
“ two it is . ” he turned to the bartender , offering a nod before also requesting his usual . he didn’t respond to what she said next , instead choosing to look away . he didn’t know how it worked : empathy . he knew enough , the bare minimum really , but he never felt the pressure to actually conform . never felt the pressure to take someone else’s wants into consideration over his own . although maybe pressure wasn’t the right word . desire . there it was . beddie never wanted , of his own volition , to make another person feel comfortable .
he would drink , smoke , curse , do whatever the hell he pleased . and if someone didn’t like it ? they could leave . no skin off his bones . but he didn’t want her to leave . he wanted her stay right there , with him .
it must have been his age . he was getting older ( the damn horror ) . same thing was happening with lori . who was he to worry so much ? it was a disaster . “ how have you been , hmm ? step out of my sight for a couple days , you might as well be a stranger . is this the part where i introduce myself ? give you a charming smile , and wonder why the hell they’re putting the sun in such a dark , dark lounge ? ” he paused , his impish smirk returning as he took hold of his recently delivered drink .
“ feels a bit counterproductive to me , ” he chuckled before taking a sip . “ but i’m serious , des . catch me up . i hate being out of the loop . ”
