living dead girl

“Baby, I’m not even close to me.”

“I’m more than willing to let you show me a good time. Well, I’m willing, at least. It’s your girls I’m not willing. They care about getting money to line your pockets. And don’t think that doesn’t mean I trust you’re not the same,” his tone was light as he spoke, and he couldn’t help himself glancing at her lips as she dropped her register. Despite the way he spoke, he didn’t move to dislodge her hold on him. It was simply not worth it. “Do you say that to all of the people in this town who don’t want to enter Seven Sins?” he asked with a laugh. Still, she affected him. He was only a man, not a god. “How do I know you’re not out to break a sensitive soul, such as myself?” he asked, a touch of dramatics lightening the mood.

       The way Eden continues to look at him makes his lips upturn into a small smile. Not something many people get outside of his family. He clears his throat wondering how he even caught her attention more than once. It was a strange feeling and something he was relishing. “Please, by all means. Not that you need any sort of permission. But you do have it. To be clear.” 

       The laugh doesn’t bother him, not in the slightest. He’s used to the casual indifference of his passion. He leans towards her and shrugs. “Yes, a commercial for Seven Sins. Hear me out.” He picks up his drink and downs half of it, suddenly thirsty. “Well, it has so much to offer, right? It’s not just a strip club, it’s an experience. You’re a part of it. We can highlight that. I bet you get even more traffic than you already do. It’ll be great, Eden. Look at your face. Who doesn’t want to see that on their television screens? You’re the perfect muse.” 

There was not an ounce of shame in the way she acted - hadn’t been for what felt like a lifetime now. She was rather proud of everything she did, big to small, but his verbal permission was enough to gather another, wide smile from her. “My, my Liam. Have we always been so gracious?” She didn’t need it, and would have stared without it, but it did amuse her to know he enjoyed her attention. 

He was obviously rather enthused with the idea of the commercial, and while it made absolutely no sense to her, watching him in what seemed like his element, was enough to have her agree to it. Even without the flattery he sprinkled in at the end. Reaching across the table, the pad of her thumb brushed against his bottom lip, tugged at it as she let out a little Tsk. “You precious thing. I’m not an experience many get to have.” Still, she was an admitted ho for the attention being on her. “They’ll only find themselves disappointed to know they can’t have me when they show up.”

She took a slight step back to give them both a bit more space, Vivienne not immediately letting her attitude or temper flare up too badly.  She held herself still, learning the ins and outs of the town still but knowing enough not to annoy the wrong people, and not wanting this to be one of those situations.

Her eyebrow rose and she made a huff of a sound.  “Go around smelling people do you?  That’s kind of weird.”  She crossed her arms across her chest and shrugged.  “Not the first time I’ve been told that either.  I’m just special like that.”

She let out an apologetic laugh at the other’s words, giving a small shrug. “It’s kind of hard not to smell people around here.” Turning to face her completely, Eden took a step forward, taking away a bit of the space she had just put between them. “I feel as if I could have been far more weird, though.” Brows went high as she leaned into her a bit. “Could have gotten all in your space and tried to breathe in your soul..”

Before pushing her own boundaries, she leaned back, giving the space again. “You shouldn’t be so taken aback by my words then.” She paused. “How special are we talking?”

“You flatter me,” he told her dryly. Marcas had no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing and he certainly didn’t want to encourage her… much. Still, he couldn’t keep the slight smile off of his face. She was just… funny in a way. He laughed at her assessment of her business. “It’s not that I don’t want to, Eden, I simply never have the time. I’m not one for paying for my dalliances. I prefer those who are more willing to spend their time with me freely. Not that looking at them wouldn’t be a wonderful use of my time, but you must see it from my point of view. And how can you, when you’d be the one getting my money?” he asked with a grin. 

       It’s distracting the way Eden stares at him. If he were a less man or woman, he might squirm in his seat. But he doesn’t because he happens to like the attention. It’s quiet here, not completely shut off from the rest of the town, but enough privacy that he knows she heard him. But he doesn’t push the issue. It doesn’t really matter when she’s staring at his mouth like he might be better than a Burger King meal. 

      “Do you really want me to repeat it or should I just ramble on so you can continue staring?” He cocks his head then as he looks her up and down. “The point is, Eden, I want to do a commercial for the strip club. Completely professional and local.” 

He was better than a Burger King meal, and she would fight anyone who tried to belittle his looks in such a way. There was an enjoyment in staring at him though, bothered by it or not, she’d been far too focused on the way his lips moved as he spoke to pay much attention.

But, considering he called her out, it seemed he wasn’t bothered at all. She smiled, the flash of white coming from behind the glass she held. “I could stare all day, rambling or not.” Leaning back, she finally tore her attention from his mouth and lifted it to meet his own. And then she laughed. “A commercial? For Seven Sins?” There was a moment when it was clear she thought he was joking, evident in the way she laughed again, but it slowed once she realized he wasn’t, in fact, joking.

“ What kind of commercial does it need?”

Marcas scoffed, shaking his head in good nature. “You’re not even listening to me,” he said, his tone sing-songy. Eden unnerved him. He had heard about her probation, had also heard about how she was recently off probation. “How am I supposed to hold a wonderful conversation, if my conversation partner isn’t paying attention?” As much as he smiled and teased, there was a certain… flatness to him. A monotony that had settled in for a while. “I was asking how business was going.”

Eden unnerved a lot of people, and for that, she was grateful. There was something in the way people squirmed around her that brought a twisted little sense of joy. It was there in the way they stuttered, adverted their gaze from her own. Tense muscles, rigid movements - she loved it all. It fed an ego that absolutely didn’t need anymore sustenance. “Quit bein’ so pretty and I’d stop staring long enough to listen.” the grin came from behind the straw that was currently clamped between teeth, the corners of her mouth turning upward in an almost cheshire like smirk. “Oh, I promise i’m paying attention.” Just, apparently not the kind he wished to have. Still, her gaze lifted upward and found his own. “It’s a strip club, Marcas. It’s going wonderful. Why haven’t you been by?”

“Say it again.” Still half in her thoughts, she focused on them, her gaze dropping to their mouth.