M O N S T E R

Merry Christmas,

I thought this was a bit more eco-friendly than a leather jacket and also a bit warmer too.

“I don’t even own coconut oil.” She grimaced at him, she didn’t own anything. She was living in the alley behind Podium Club at the moment, but he didn’t need to know that. “Well, you shouldn’t want to live with stains all over your shirt, really.” She groaned, “I’m hoping it’s food. But I was drunk, and like a little hight so who even knows.” 

“There’s just no point in trying to get rid of the stains if I’m going to wear the shirt the following week and it’s going to get stained all over again, but don’t worry– I do have decent clothes too, I just decide not to use them so often,” Luke said, adding a wink. “Damn... Was literally everyone drunk at the thing? That’s... impressive– It looks like food, but it might also look like something else. I wouldn’t be able to tell. Sorry, Reds.”

“Do you think I can get this spot out?” She looked down at the blue dress she’d worn at the gala, gently used. “I just, need to return this tomorrow, and this has got to be gone, and I can’t call my mom and ask her the stain secrets.” 

“Have you tried coconut oil?” Luke joked, keeping a straight face for a second before breaking into laughter. “I don’t know, to be fair. If I knew, half of my shirts wouldn’t be all stained from work– What even is it?”

“I’m bored.” Was the announcement upon their arrival beside Luke, unconcerned over any conversation he had going with any person surrounding him. Sin could be selfish that way—focused on their own amusements and needs being fulfilled more than anything else. Especially once the buzz of mingling had worn off, and the consumption of champagne lost it’s unique and specific taste. Curling their arm around his, Sin gave Luke a tug to come along for something a little more exciting than the dull hum of the party. “Come on, I have an idea.” The smirk and gleam in their eyes had to have read mischief, the combination of tequila shots and the fancy sparkling French wine had done it’s job of lowering what little inhibitions they’d had or at least effectively taken away their previous personal oath the behave properly for such a fancy event. “It should be fun. I’ve earned it.” Sin told him, leading him away through the crowd of the Gala. ( @bentley-luke )

Luke had spent most part of the night leaning back by one of the window, going out for a smoke every hour, maybe more frequently than that. He barely knew any of the guests, just a few here and there, but they all seemed to have much more friends around, and he’d rather stay on a side than facing awkward conversations. Sin, who he had run into earlier, made their way towards him, and despite his attempts to look bored and apathetic, a small smile curved a side of his mouth. “Bored? You’ve downed, what? Three bottles of champagne all by yourself and you’re bored?” Luke quirked a judging eyebrow. He was teasing, of course. “What- where- I...” He didn’t have much say. He left his glass on an empty table on their way, and though he didn’t really want to go anywhere, he didn’t put any resistance on Sin’s move to drag him somewhere. Maybe he needed a little bit of fun too.

“Only the cute drinks get drunk by me, tis a fact,” she said, spinning around on her spinny stool, knowing who it was before she even saw his face. She was good at picking apart voices, and his was distinct — broad, deep, maybe a little scratchy like the pointy ends of a pineapple, but nice. “What are you even doing here? Unless you’ve come for the virgin piñas, in which case, be my guest,” she said, waving him to the stool next to her. “From the looks of things I’m gonna be here for a while longer.”

“Good to know,” Luke say without much amusement, shaking his head as he brought his glass to his lips. Her eyes still moved over the people dancing, drinking, chatting, and him... Well, he was fine just observing. “Virgin piñas? Nah– I’m here for the coke. Diet coke,” he said, quirking an eyebrow as if he was listing the name of something fancy and complicated. “I might give those a chance. Later, though. I’m good with this right now,” he said, finally taking a sip from his drink, taking the stool beside her. “You plan to sit here all night, then? Can I do the same with you?”

@bentley-luke​

She had been dancing only moments ago, having stopped to get a glass of water to help her system up before she snatched another glass of champagne. Standing on a side of the salon she noticed a sexy looking man on the opposite side and smirking at herself, she made the way over. “This may be the tequila talking, but I’m pretty sure that I’d still think you’re hot if sober.” Addison told the man with a grin, eyeing him before posing her gaze on his. “So please try and delight me telling me you don’t have a date and if you like what you see.” A flirty look to match her tone, the brunette stared at him almost daring him for an answer.

Luke’s eyes followed the length of his own arm, from somewhere above his elbow all the way down to his fingers holding a glass of diet coke. At least they had those options in the service, though he had to admit he felt more out of place than usual, not just with the drinking happening around him, but also the suits, the whole classiness of the event– if he wasn’t licking his friend’s shoes to get an apartment for cheaper in his building, he would be home, most likely sleep for about two hours now. Lost in thought, Luke was abruptly pulled out by a woman leaning close to him, too close perhaps. “Uhm... Been told, thanks,” he said, trying to sound as casual as possible, though he was more confused than nothing else. “I... actually have no date tonight and... yes, you look pretty and all that, doll, but... I- Do I even know you?”

Holly stood by the bar, watching her date for the evening socialize with men in suits she had absolutely no interest in speaking to. Making small talk was her forte, sure, but even she had her limits. Instead, her attention was on her cocktail of choice, the stem of a bright, candy-red maraschino cherry between thumb and forefinger. She gazed at it like it was the eighth wonder of the world, with childlike incredulity. “Aren’t these… just the cutest?” She spoke aloud to no one in particular, before popping said cherry in between scarlet lips no less red, careful not to smudge her lipstick.

Luke hung out by the bar for some reason he couldn’t even begin to understand. Taunting the devil was he, maybe. It had been some good eight months since the last time he was this close to a bottle, he might as well try if he was really a changed man after all. He was busy, absolutely immersed in thought when a voice pierced through the walls of his mind. A familiar profile came to his peripheral vision, so he let out a scoff. “So they have to be ‘cute’ too? I thought it was just the taste and the amount of alcohol in them was what counted.”

“You don’t live in a five star looking place? Oh shot and all this time that’s where I thought you lived,” Aelish joked, leading him inside. Switching on the light, she kicked a few shoes out of the way so he wouldn’t trip. She went over to the thermostat, turning it up a bit so that they’d hopefully warm up a bit faster. “Come on in and get warm. It’s freezing out. One bad thing about motorcycles. No heat.”

“I know, right? I just got that look,” Luke smirked, though it was obviously a joke. Now more than before his absence. His stubble was short from becoming a beard, his hair long enough to fall on his forehead, his clothes not precisely neat and clean. It had been a few rough days in the past week, laundry wasn’t his first priority and neither was any form of self care, which contrasted from the Luke Aelish had met, bulked up, working out on the daily. Now there was just a hint of muscle, enough for a jaw drop, but definitely not like before. Luke blew warm air into his hands as he took off the leather gloves to match his jacket and stepped into the place, following as she did and kicking off his shoes and tossing them to a side. “You get used to it after a while, or it’s less of a bother, but... yeah, I feel like my nose is going to fall off any moment now.”

With a laugh, Sin somewhat mirrored Luke, joining him in the praise by raising both hands and momentarily closing their eyes. “Praise the holy booty bouncing in thongs.” And once settled back with their hands on the Bored Stiff rag, they somewhat mindlessly flipped through the pages, letting their eyes scan the nude images yet again. “Ass-tro-glide.” They repeated after him and nearly snorted in a bit of laughter over the way it sounded out and now a double meaning hitting them. “I’m surprised you didn’t know about it already, Lukey.” They added in before their gaze lifted from the shiny pages of male genitalia to smirk over at him. “I sure as hell hope you meant that in the dirty way my mind took it. Don’t be a fucking tease. That’s not nice.” When he closed his magazine, Sin pushed theirs away from them a bit to keep the distraction somewhat at a distance—not that they had been super engrossed in the magazine. “Well aside from sitting there looking pretty and aiding my perverse thoughts, I figured you might work as a perfect distraction while I rip the bandaid off, you know. They’ll be distracted by your charm and your wonderfully natural brooding essence and won’t feel the rejection too hard when I deny them a spot in the show I’m currently putting together for the gallery.”

“Wait– What even is the dirty way in this context? I said holing hands, not holding ––- I... Never mind, yes. Take it any sense you want to take it,” Luke joked, humouring them for a second, getting bored of the magazine way too fast, closing it and sliding it across the table just in case Sin wanted to take a look at it. Not that it was a good one, but he figured it would be more than a few times better than the Bored Stiff mag she had been holding seconds earlier. Luke crossed his leg over the other, resting his hands on his stomach, laying, feeling completely relaxed in the couch, not even trying to appear like a decent human being. “Okay, so I’m basically the comic relief. Or the pretty relief. Something like that– I’m... Did you just admit I’m a charming man?”

Aelish hadn’t realized until then how much she had missed riding on a motorcycle. Of course she wasn’t about to go back to her old way of life of stealing and selling bikes. She was clean now and straightening out her life. No way in hell was she about to mess up again. Maybe instead of going back to stealing bikes she’d just save up to buy one of her own. That had been one of the few times she had ridden on the back of a bike and it was alright. Nothing could ever beat being the one in front though. Once they pulled up to her place she hesitated before getting off the bike. Why did all good things have to come to an end? Pulling out the keys from her pocket, she unlocked the front door. “Just a warning but I haven’t cleaned in a few days so just watch your step. I would hate for you to survive the ride over here just for you to trip over something and get hurt.”

Luke silenced the motor and took the key out of the ignition, bringing down the stand to keep Sylvia standing before getting off and adjusting his leather jacket. He blew warm air into his hands to return the sensation to them as he followed Aelish all the way to her doorstep. “Oh, come on. You think I live in a five star looking place or something? I’m used to messy, but alright. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“Very true. And hell, my church could very well be a strip club of some variety.” They gave him a pointed look. “Beautiful people dancing in next to nothing—that shit is my gospel.” Sin lolled their head from side to side, a small smirkish smile toying and curving one corner of their mouth. “I didn’t have as hard and long of a look at her as you have.” Sin teased as he turned the mag around to get different viewing angles and then laughed when catching a glimpse of the ad. “Astroglide. Always go with Astroglide.” Glancing between the magazine in their hands and Luke, they nodded. “Go a step further and make it so good ol’ St Lucie comes up to collect you themselves. That’s pretty much how I’m sure my life is going.”

“Amen!” Luke chanted, raising a hand to the sky– or the ceiling instead. Same difference. His attention was barely on the magazine. Though the images were clearly all attractive women that would drive all men down the same path, or up, if we’re going to a literal sense, Luke didn’t find still images arousing at all. If anything slightly ridiculous and unreal, but he was having fun talking about them with Sin. “I’ll take mental note of that. Astroglide,” he repeated, mumbling for himself as if he was indeed mentally writing it down. “Then I guess we’ll go down holding hands or something,” he shrugged, taking one last look at one of the pictures, a really graphic one, and closed the magazine. “What’s your meeting about, anyway? I came here as your personal distraction, I know that, but I deserve to know I think.”

Savannah grinned at his reaction, “too slow!” She said all too playfully. “I don’t know. You said you were asking for a friend, and now you’re slighting your friend, and I don’t know if I can be friends with a guy who does that to his friends.” 

“Hey, he’s stole girls from me in multiple occasions. I’m sure I get to befriend one of his picks.”