you have to have faith in people before they earn it

The setup was absolutely gorgeous but more importantly, there were servers walking around with small munchies and flutes of flavored water and champagne as everybody waited for the ceremony to start. Being the person that he was, each time someone greeted Zay, he found himself entangled in a conversation he didn’t know how to leave. That was the price he paid for wanting to fill his mini plate up with assorted meats and cheeses.

“Sorry,” he smiled and handed her a champagne flute. “I thought you’d want some. I got some grapes and carrots too, but they touched the turkey and salami, I don’t know if that bothers you but I can always go back and get some more,” Zay offered. There was no issue going back and getting a different plate if it made her more comfortable. He stifled his grin at the word date and nodded in the direction of the seats. “Is it cool if we try and sit closer to the front? We can sit on the end if you need to leave and have a cigarette or something,” he suggested. 

Taking the champagne, Nel let the pout work its way off of her face as she rolled her eyes at him, playfully. She stepped on her cigarette, taking a sip of the cool beverage-- something that was honestly impressive of the server and staff, to keep the drinks cool as they were passed around. Popping a grape in her mouth, she winked at him, “Don’t mind a bit of meat every now and then,” The flush that was on her cheeks was heightened with the blush she packed on, her face a natural glow against the atmospheric dimness of the venue. 

Nel moved out of a few people’s way, knowing full well that some of the people in here would be willing to pay her money to come to an event like this. The thought crossed her mind, but she let it go, knowing that she had accepted Zay’s invitation without any questions. Plus, she thought it would be a little sad to see him here alone. “I don’t care where we sit,” She laughed a bit at the man’s comment, her head shaking a little bit as she linked her arm with his, “Damn, I know I’m not super classy, but I don’t think I’m rude enough to get up in the middle of a wedding ceremony to light a cigarette.” As they found a seat, Nel turned towards the man, finishing her champagne, and asking the server for another one. “Those pictures we took the other day? And the,” She bit her lip, “That video?” Was it appropriate to be talking about this at a wedding? No. So, she lowered her voice a little bit so those around wouldn’t hear her, “I know I told you I’d give you ten percent,” The smile starting to hit her lips, “But I made like, way more than I ever have,” Her eyes met his, “Like... way, way more.”

The ignition of the cigarette was fuming against her lips as she puffed out a heavy breath. Where was he? For all Nel knew, he was most likely inside the building, jabbering on about something to anyone that would listen. For her, weddings meant a huge amount of money being spent on something that would probably last a good five to six years, and then implode. Leaving you with lawyers and additional funds that would drive you into debt by the time you were fifty. It wasn’t exactly romantic, if she was being honest. Then again, it wasn’t that she knew anything different. 

One turn of her head, her arms crossing her body, she swallowed at the sight of the man in front of her. She just wasn’t used to seeing Zay in a suit, that was all. “Where have you been?” She asked, a little accusatory. Mostly from being left alone in an unfamiliar setting with people she’d rather not interact with. Her tone softened a bit, “I just couldn’t find you anywhere and I think the ceremony is starting soon. Obviously wanted to sit with you. Would’ve been weird if my date ditched me.”

It was dawning on Nel that she may or may not have realized that Zay’s buzzing personality would have left her wondering where he was at all times. Especially in a setting where, from what her drunk brain could tell, seemed like thousands of people. The mojito sat in her hand, chilled as the iced condensation started to drip down her hand. The room was spinning-- only a little bit, she knew she could handle it. But being in positions where she felt considerably uncomfortable was not how she wanted to spend her Saturday evening. Especially at a wedding, in a dress that was pinching in place-- 

“Oh, god-- fuck,” Her heel trapped in the woman’s dress next to her. For such a big place, it seemed like they were elbow to elbow in the reception area. It may have been the drinks working on her, though. A bit of embarrassment shrunk her body; the woman achingly familiar. “No, I promise I’m not here to suck your boyfriend off. Or following you.”

Nate let out an audible sigh as Nel plopped into the sand beside him. The tension in his muscles remained, though, jaw clenched as her words sliced through him deeper than she likely even knew. It wasn’t worth it to say that yes, in fact, he could. This small piece of it, anyway. It would only add fuel to her fire and fuck if he was going to give her anything to wield against him. 

“Bitter?” Nate asked, voice edged with sarcasm. “Me?” Frankly, he didn’t have an answer for her. It was a good question– one he’d been asking himself lately. He used to be more than this. And he was beginning to miss that person. He snorted, turning to her with raised brows before sliding his gaze back to the ocean once more. “What are you doing here, Nel? The whole daddy’s money bit is getting tired, don’t you think?”

It was almost like the man got off on being miserable all the time. As far as Nel could tell, there wasn’t any sign of him shaking it off. Instead, she just matched his sigh and pulled her legs in closer to her chest. The skin on her legs was bare, the sweatshirt she was wearing settled overtop of them before she turned her head towards the man.

“Yeah, bitter,” It was almost like every time that she had spent with Nate, the man had been in some sort of angry episode. This didn’t feel unusual to Nel, however, and while she knew that the toxicity could become a bit much, she wasn’t going to back down from him. It was all an act, after all. “Is it a bit, Nate?” She questioned, her head tilting to the side a little bit as she pretended to ponder the everlasting question, one that even Socrates didn’t have an answer to. “I don’t think it is, considering your dad is rich as shit, and you are kind of a spoiled brat,” A dry laugh escaped her lips, leaving a bit of silence between them. 

“I was out on a night stroll to see who I’d run into, and I found you. You’re the winner. Now give me ten grand.” The attempt to make the man give the smallest amount of smile that she could find, her substances starting to race through her as she tried her best to separate the sound of the ocean from her own thoughts. “I’ll even flash my tits if you smile just a little bit. The pout bit is getting tired, don’t you think?” 

The softest smile appeared on his face, his top teeth barely peeking through. Zay wasn’t a professional photographer by any means– hell, he was barely an novice! But he was getting better, even though they were just shots on a phone. “Maybe we could get different colored…uh… props to match the paint,” he suggested. It was, perhaps, the kinkiest suggestion Isaiah would ever have in not only this situation but in his life.

Nel had been over before. They were friends! But the idea of her being even partially nude in his room…the hallways…outside…he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He was in way over his head but Nel was never rude to him. She never made him feel less than, or spoke down to him. “I mean, I couldn’t lie to Alli if I tried. She’s a lawyer, like…she’s a really good lawyer,” he chuckled. “I’m not…uncomfortable or ashamed,” Zay added quickly. “We– I’ve had to do things for money too. Not sex stuff,” a small blush as he recalled just how terrible their one and only intimate night together had been, “but you gotta do what you gotta do to pay rent, you know?”

Silence was uncomfortable. However, when that silence came after admitting a fuck up, it was beyond unbearable. She didn’t yell. She didn’t sound thrilled that someone else had seen her body (for free), but she didn’t yell. “Like I said, I can’t lie to Alli,” he repeated. “I’m sorry for fucking up already, but I can make vegan versions of lumpiang gulay and pinakbet for you if you decide to come over.”

A eyebrow raised. Props? she thought. Nel wasn’t even sure that Zay knew what he meant when he said the words “prop”, but she was curious to pick his brain for a few minutes. “What color prop do you think I’d look best with? In your professional opinion, of course,” She bit her lip softly, the giggling ensuing from her body. A thought crossed her mind, initially, but she’d wait to share it with him later. Maybe Zay knowing how to use those wouldn’t be that bad--

His words brought her back to reality, as they got closer to the check out line. They had to get to work; this wouldn’t all be done without them actually doing the work. “I went to school to be a lawyer, you must attract that personality around you,” The smile she flashed him, as she loaded the checkout belt, was extremely genuine. “Strong independent women.” Nel paid for the items promptly, handing Zay the bags as the assistant she was basically using him for. 

There was no real stress about the situation-- hell, she knew that nothing Zay ever did would be on purpose. Anything bad, at least. The attitude towards him couldn’t be negative, it couldn’t hurt anymore. “You didn’t fuck up,” Nel felt her trust starting to loosen with Zay, even though her guard was up for so many other people. Why was it disintegrating so quickly? “I don’t want you to have to make me food, we can just order. You have to focus on me.” Flirting with Zay was also part of the job description, something she didn’t tell him when she designed the fake contract, but it was definitely in there. “It’s not hard to focus on me, right?” Nel pushed the man against the car a little, just enough for him to bump and to hold their hips together. 

“If it is, just tell me.” Her fingers laced in his belt loops and tugged just enough so he’d feel the sensation. 

WHO: open. [ @crescentstarters​ ] WHERE: sunstone. the stretch of beach behind nate’s house.

As the frigid weather began to recede, leaving behind promises of spring, Nate found himself out here more and more often. He’d always been drawn to the sea, to the brutality of it. The predictability of it. His pants legs were rolled up, feet buried in the sand, his favorite bottle of whiskey half gone and laying beside him. Smoke rose from the burning down cigarette between his fingers and his elbows rested against his knees. For one single moment, there was peace. 

It was the unmistakable sound of feet sinking into sand behind him and growing closer that shattered that illusion and found him groaning– a rumble in his chest– as he tossed a quick sidelong glance at the figure, shrouded in shadow and highlighted by what little moonlight peeked through the clouds. “This is a private beach,” he called, though it was halfhearted. It wasn’t the first wayward soul to stumble through and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. They never stopped to chat.

At least, Nate thought with a long-suffering sigh as the person grew closer still, they didn’t usually. Finally, slowly, he looked up again. “You lost?”

The sound of the ocean wasn’t something that Nel would ever be able to get over. It was calming, but at the same time, it made her feel anxious. The waves came in and out, sometimes hitting her feet, other times not getting anywhere close. Her eyes stayed on the horizon, head tilting as the substances hit her system, giving her a soft nudge to keep walking. The beach wasn’t very big; she came down here often when she wasn’t looking for anything or anywhere to go. Not only was the beach calm, but the sounds were innocent and void as she walked in the darkening world around her. The sun had mostly set, leaving the west coast for the evening, heading out to the other side of the world. 

Nel wasn’t entirely sure that she would have found him sitting there, but alas, the one figure that she could, ironically, count on to be placed there. Her eyes moved towards the man that was sat in place, her head turning to make sure that he had noticed her. Possibly by sound, maybe just be instinct.

“Unfortunately daddy can’t buy you the beach, too,” In a bit of a slump, she sat next to the man, noticing the bottle that sat between his legs in front of him. Must’ve been a rough day. “I actually knew exactly where I was going, thanks,” Her smile a bit lazy as her lips suddenly felt dry from the ocean salt in the air. “What’s with being bitter all the time?” She asked, pushing his shoulder with her own. “Lighten up a little bit. Maybe if you get the stick out of your ass you’ll smile a little bit.” She rolled her eyes, “Unless, of course, you like something up there, then that’s a different conversation entirely.”

He cleared his throat anxiously, something that happened more whenever they were hanging out. Zay didn’t mind what she did in the slightest, but it was still a bit uncomfortable for him to discuss sex so openly– ala, the craft store. He had missed most of the standard “locker room” discussions that happened in high school, as well as sex education, and even though he’d had sex before…Zay felt that he was in a constant battle of catch-up. What was he catching up to, he wasn’t sure, but it had to have been something. “Uh, if I was a subscriber I think I’d be happy just to see your ass at all,” he shrugged with a light blush creeping over his cheekbones, “I don’t know if that helps at all, but I do think you should go for it.” 

Zay hung back and held the basket as Nel scanned the colors. He wasn’t an artist by any means, but the fact that there were over one hundred shades of blue made his head hurt. Whatever happened to just light blue and dark blue? His eyes shot down at the toes of his shoes– they were getting pretty worn out. He’d have to start owning two pairs of shoes at a time. “Why not? You’ve been there before and, you know, there’s some really pretty landscaping in the back that we could use to change the scenery,” he suggested. She would look so pretty lying nude in the grass, especially since flowers were starting to bloom. “Alli and Sanem leave me alone most of the time, and Joey is usually out and about. I don’t think they’d even realize I had a girl over,” Zay took  a step next to Nel, grabbing some orange to toss in the basket. 

“You’re right– I didn’t tell anybody that you…we…,” he glanced back at the wall of color before settling to look into her eyes. A sheepish smile crossed his face as he continued to speak. “It’s not my business to tell, y’know? They know that I’ve been hanging out with you, and…,” they know that I’ve completely flipped my lid about you.

“Alli, uh,, she actually found a picture on my laptop from when we started, uh…working together,” he admitted, “I– I must’ve forgotten to X out of it before getting food a-and she suggested you actually…come over for dinner, or something sometime…,” he felt like an ass. He should’ve been on his laptop in his own room instead of the dining room, but of course he needed to be closer to the refrigerator. “She thinks you’re pretty and, I guess, she wants to just meet you or something,” he babbled. 

It was a bit hard to get used to, if she was being honest. Someone being nice for once. There wasn’t anything malice or not genuine about Zay-- if there was, she knew that it would have been the softest, most pure insult she had ever heard. It would be a back handed compliment, except with no ill-will. “I appreciate your approval, Z,” Nel bit at her lip, eyes taunting their way back to him. Be careful, she thought. This can get you in serious trouble. 

There wasn’t much to hide when all of your dignity was spread over the internet. That was by choice, and she wasn’t ashamed about it. Not unless someone tried to undermine her success or work ethic. Nel was one of the most hard working that she knew, she’d fully commit that trait to herself. It wasn’t hard to see that she would help anyone with any shift at the bar or diner, and she was doing OnlyFans as her main contribution of money. At the same time, she didn’t want to flaunt her body to everyone she met. That wasn’t how she worked, nor was it the impression that she wanted other people to see. Just because she was a sex worker didn’t mean she was looking for attention. “Yeah, I guess we can try that,” Nel would feel better knowing that there wasn’t anyone else there to see her. Maybe she wouldn’t have to be fully nude. There was just something about being with Zay that made her feel that she had to work at a higher standard than most-- maybe she wanted to be better because of him. It wasn’t a feeling casual to her. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” She quickly iterated, not wanting Zay to feel that he had to be a certain way around her. Talk about her in a certain way. All he had to do was advocate for her... as a friend. “Right, I appreciate that. I-I mean, you don’t have to lie to them if they say anything...,” A bit of a trail off sent her eyes back to the man again, wondering if he would mention it if it was brought up. She wondered if he would be ashamed. “I don’t-- well, I don’t want you to feel like... uncomfortable with all this. You know?” 

A slow nod elicited from Nel’s neck, her eyes troubling down to the floor. Without him having to even tell anyone, someone knew. This person in Zay’s life most likely questioning why a woman would interfere with someone so innocent-- her worst nightmare would be to have someone think she was taking advantage of the boy. In reality, she was. Having a friend was one of the most comforting feelings in the world-- all of her secrets? She knew they’d be locked and sealed under Zay’s discretion. “Dinner...,” A few more nods engaged. “I-I mean, uh,” She put a few paint brushes in the basket, her eyes not involved in the task at hand anymore. They were more racking her head again the fact that she’d have to explain to someone in Zay’s friendship proximity that she wasn’t illegally hiring him for sex work. “So she believed you when you said we were friends, huh?” A slight laugh left her lips. “I don’t know if most people would believe you if you said you were real life friends with the girl sitting in front of a camera with her legs open.”

It hadn’t been entirely Zay’s fault. The wind had been a bit too much for the shoots that they were going for, and she had to admit that it was far too intense for the rather simple photos they were trying to achieve. Ultimately, the photos turned out... well, terrible. Instead, they had decided to move indoors, maybe take a few photos in Zay’s room that was quite hidden from the rest of the manor. He hadn’t been wrong in saying that the manor was grand and would be incredible for some photographs. 

In her wind of assumptions, she hadn’t entirely thought about the idea that anyone would be home. Why would someone be home if Zay had been sure that they would be alone? In retrospect, it may have just meant that no one would bother them, but she had fully intended on walking into the bathroom in her lingerie with no issues other than the one that she walked right in on--

“Oh my god,” Nel exclaimed, turning her head as she realized that she had walked right into an occupied restroom. It hadn’t fully occurred to her that this was definitely someone she hadn’t fully met yet-- one of the people that Zay had been talking about, presumably, but nothing more than that. “I am so, sorry-- God, I should have knocked,” Still standing in the room, like an idiot, she turned around and walked out the door in a bit of a haste, closing the door behind her. What a great first impression, she thought.

@alli-pellisier

Wide-eyed with infatuation, Zay was more than eager to follow Nel to the store when she had asked. When he decided to take on the “role” of cinematographer for her adult content, he was under the assumption that he’d be able to handle everything– beyond the media content. “Paint?” he asked, looking around at everything on the shelves. There was a lot of different art supplies that he didn’t even know existed, but it was apparent that they weren’t going to need much. “Followers are good,” Zay repeated, keeping his hands in his pockets and his thoughts pure. “Followers mean you’ll be able to pay rent and groceries,” the comment was under his breath, as he felt anxiety slightly rising the way it did when he needed to help his mom pay the mortgage. Or was it from the way she grazed the cuffs of his sweatshirt, the tips of her fingers catching contact with his palms. “Yeah, I mean, whatever you need. I think we can get you hundreds of more followers by the end of the month,” he grinned. People would be ridiculous to not follow her! She was incredibly cute, and well, from what he’d seen and experienced (though that wasn’t much), great at what she did. “I, uh, I…,” his eyes glanced down quickly at the toe of his shoes before meeting her own. 

Would you rather see my body painted in blue or pink?

If he was given the opportunity to be honest, he’d say something about wanting to see her body against his own. Maybe not in those words, but in his own goofy yet endearing way. But this wasn’t the time, nor the place, and Zay didn’t think there would ever be a time or place to admit any of that. “We could do both,” Zay suggested. “It’ll probably take two separate days, but it could be like…what are they called?” he threw his head back as he searched for the word. “You know when artists do something for a while? Like…a series sort of? We could do a paint series,” he connected with her eyes once more. “I think pink and blue are both great colors for you. We can play with the softbox lights against your skin and the paint,” Zay said. He took everything John had told him and ran with it, doing more research and bookmarking different suggestions online. Zay didn’t think Nel would “fire” him from this job, especially since she wasn’t paying him, but he definitely didn’t want to lose the opportunities to spend as much time as possible with her. “If you want, we could set something up outside at the manor? Alli and Sanem are out working a lot, and Joey is usually never home. We could paint you in my room, get a nice section of the garden and do some nice shoots there. Maybe film some things?” 

Within a few weeks, Nel had basically gotten herself a puppy without the responsibility of cleaning up after it. Well... maybe in a different sense. At the same time, it was like having an emotional support pet and an assistant all in one body. Confusing, but definitely a plus. The paint idea had been inspired by a movie she had been watching recently, she couldn’t recall the name or the purpose of the paint, but she did remember that it elicited this incredible reaction from her. The way that the paint fell onto the body was incredibly enticing. Even though Nel knew that her work was mostly sex based, it was always nice to be able to throw in some artistic flair where it could be used. It made the work more her and added the extra ‘umph’ that could possibly push the boundaries of what sex work looked like. “Oh, you think?” Making the man uncomfortable was Nel’s daily goal. It consisted of her fluttering her eyes at him. That was all it took. “So you would want to see my ass covered in paint? If you were a subscriber, I mean?”

It wasn’t a bad idea. The fact that Zay had mentioned the series was actually quite impressive, and Nel would have to make note of his subtle answers more often. It was actually quite a good idea, and she knew that her followers would definitely be into it. Not that Nel knew these people on a face-to-face basis, but what she did know was that the followers were quite active in acknowledging what they did and didn’t like. Half like more of the artsy posts that she made, and she knew that this would be something right up there with her more produced shots. Obviously, a lot had been filmed alone, but now she was trying to get Zay involved to help. It was yet to be proven if it would benefit her or not. “You want to do it... at your place?” Nel searched the colors, recognizing that maybe yellow would be good, too. Maybe a soft mint green. “I mean, I don’t want to make anyone at your house uncomfortable.” Knowing that Zay had lived in the manor wasn’t necessarily somewhere that Nel would frequent, just knowing that she didn’t belong somewhere as nice. “I don’t know, I don’t want to make anyone there uncomfortable. What would you say if they saw us?” 

Nel bit her lip softly, her eyes turning back to Zay as she crossed her arms. “I mean, I just-- I can’t assume but something tells me that you didn’t tell anyone that I’m-- that we’re...,” Nel trailed off. “That you’re a porn videographer.”

location: The Art of the Draw

“I’m trying to update the content on my channel, and I really think that this is what’s going to do it,” The explanation came with a few paint brushes, neon paint, and a palate in her hand as she turned towards the man. He had been aimlessly following her around, acting like the puppy that Nel had wanted but knew that she couldn’t take care of. The irony in the thought made her shake her head as she sighed again. “From what I can tell, from the OnlyFans content that I have seen from other people, standing out is what’s going to really bring in the new followers,” A smile appeared on her lips as she approached the man, pulling at his sweatshirt sleeves, as she placed the items in his hands to help her around the store. “Now that I have a cinematographer that is starting to help me with this, I can really branch out.” Nel peered at the neon blue that sat on the shelf, wondering if buying a bunch of colors now would be more efficient or not. “Would you rather see my body painted in blue or pink? What is my color, Z?”

“  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒  𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇  𝐀  𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇  ––––––  if  you  know  someone  who  can  manage  all  of  that  and  not  skim  off  the  top  i  would  love  their  name  .  ”  luca  shakes  his  head  with  a  soft  laugh  ,  hand  moving  to  remove  the  plastic  tiara  from  the  top  of  his  head  .  he  can  spot  evidence  left  behind  all  around  the  bar  ,  a  discarded  sash  and  abandoned  penis  straw  on  a  nearby  table  .  he  adds  the  tiara  to  the  collection  though  if  still  there  by  the  end  of  the  night  he’ll  toss  in  the  garbage  .  

“  seems  like  the  easy  way  out  you  know  ?  post  a  video  ,  go  viral  ,  have  people  pay  me  to  mention  their  products  in  future  videos  .  ”

At the man’s words, Nel found it quite funny how their worlds had collided in conversation like this. Her work online wasn’t completely a secret, but it wasn’t something that she proudly explained to the world. It was her own little secret for as long as she could keep it, not wanting to have to explain herself or her worth. “Listen, I know a guy, my taxes are always shitty and I’m not in the mood to go to jail for fraud,” She leaned against the back of the bar top, taking a small sip from her bright red straw as she snickered at the decorations that the party had left behind. “You... have no idea,” The complete irony of the conversation had her a bit baffled to say the least. She didn’t want to completely out her online following to the man-- it wasn’t quite easy to casually say that she put on cam shows for a living, was a household name in the world of OnlyFans. “If you’re willing to put on a ball gag and beg for it a little bit, you can get paid for anything.” She winked, biting at her lip as she turned to walk towards a chair placed at the bar. “It’s amazing how many men don’t realize the industry is just an open door for them.”

starter:  open  //  @crescentstarters location:  fear  knot

“  𝐈𝐓’𝐒  𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐀𝐒  𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐃  𝐀𝐒  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊  .  ”  luca  motions  to  the  plastic  tiara  on  his  head  with  one  hand  before  giving  a  subtle  nod  to  the  bachelorette  party  exiting  the  front  door  of  the  bar  .  still  he  keeps  it  on  as  he  looks  back  to  the  other  beside  him  and  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  takes  a  quick  drink  of  his  beer  .  “  they  were  doing  some  bachelorette  scavenger  hunt  ,  one  of  the  things  on  the  list  was  get  a  stranger  to  wear  a  tiara  and  film  a  tiktok  together  .  who  knows  –––––  i  may  be  internet  famous  before  the  night  is  over  .  ”

Nel wasn’t entirely certain what she had been looking at. The man seemed out of place, a whole obnoxiously loud bachelorette party was seemingly overzealous about their place in the bar. “I think you look great in a tiara, if I say so myself,” She shrugged, the glass placed at her lips as she scoffed a little bit. “I wasn’t exactly able to catch the Savage dance on film, but I believe that you may be having to get your finances in order if you’re going to become an internet sensation,” Nel had a quick wit about her, the liquor sitting on her lips. Her eyes looked up and down, surveying the man. “Internet fame is overrated, don’t buy into it.”

Location: On the Rocks (any place with a bar and drinks) People: Open. @crescentstarters​​

  Okay, Jamie was not expecting someone to pour a drink on his face. He had not even been in the bar for more than half an hour when someone who seem to know him and was upset with him threw a glass of beer in his face. “You a-hole. I wish I never met you!” They shouted has they slap him before they walked off. Jamie sighed has he slowly wipe his face and looked at his shirt which was now sticky and reek of beer. “What? I what do you expect me to say,” he said turning to the person next to him. Jamie was sure that it must have been someone who he hurt. 

“I don’t think I have any comments. I don’t even remember them.” he sighed. “Do you happen to know someone who has a spare shirt or something?”

A lot of the commotion that Nel usually heard at bars was tuned out by the music that played. Her favorite thing was being able to change the sound of the record player at On The Rocks; she usually went for a more disco tune especially on a night out. In this case, her sudden need to listen to early Bee Gee’s had taken over. As she flaunt herself over to the machine, she searched for the song she was looking for-- More Than a Woman. But then it hit her. Instead, it felt a little more like a Madonna night. Material Girl era Madonna. 

As she sipped on her cocktail, walking back to the bar where she had originally been sitting, she must not have noticed the fight that was happening to her previously. It must have slipped her mind, not paying attention like she did most nights. “Damn,” Nel swallowed, turning her head towards the man next to her, now covered in beer. She was glad she missed when the drink was thrown, or she could have been in the splash zone. 

“Do you not carry an extra set of clothes in your car or anything?” She wasn’t entirely sure why she thought the man would have any reason to believe that she had any extra clothes. “I may have one in my apartment, about a block or so away if you’re willing to trust me enough. I can’t guarantee it’ll fight, but I can guarantee that you could walk home in a cropped bralette.”