insatiable

milo did little to hide the smirk that pressed his lips as zoey spoke of the undeniable chemistry that fired between them and he could only nod in agreement as he took a swig of water. “you might be right about that.” he mused with a raise of his eyebrow as he pulled the glass from his lips and set it back down, his finger tracing circles around the rim. her following statement hit true, he had been one to take up the stage, thrive off the energy that was solely focused on him and she seemed to resemble the same. “i think that would make a duet even better, if i’m being quite honest.. always eager to compete for the spotlight.” he winked as he leaned back in his chair and brought his leg up so that his ankle rested against his knee. “give it a go.. lets see if we can make magic up there, eh?”

zoey’s eyebrows quirked when milo pushed the suggestion for them to share the stage, even more intrigued by his desire for it to happen. his choice of words caused a slight heat to rise over her skin as she imagined what it might be like to compete for the spotlight in other situations. “maybe we should stick with our own sets for tonight.” she suggested, slipping off the stool to stand, “and when i see yours, i can decide whether or not you’re worthy enough to make magic with.” she quipped, eyes shining with mischief as she pushed her brown locks off her shoulders and slipped past him to walk to the stage. 

milo was a natural flirt, he was a people pleaser, purely charismatic and charming and it showed in the way he talked to others. it was a habit he learned to subdue most nights, reserving it for only those he thought deserved his attention. even if he’d just met zoey there had been an undeniable attraction there, at least on his behalf. as she spoke he sat up, pushing back his hair as he looked between the stage and her, fingers wrapped around the glass of water. “we can test the waters, always down to explore chemistry.” he mused with a subtle grin as he turned his full focus on zoey. milo had been purely selfish when it came to his music, never finding anyone good enough to share his talent with but he was growing more open as the minutes passed between them. “what do you think?” he asked.

zoey let out a gentle laugh and looked down at the water in her glass, “somehow i don’t believe chemistry will be a problem.” she hummed, feeling his attention zone in on her and while other’s might’ve shied away from the spotlight, zoey simply straightened up and tipped her head to the side. “oh, i don’t think that’s a good idea. i have the tendency to outshine anyone else on stage, and you don’t seem like the type who would take that too kindly.” she teased, setting her glass down and tracing the rim with her fingertips.

“too good to me.” tony spoke warmly with a smirk on his lips, his gaze dropping to watch her adjust his jacket. he held back the butterflies that swarmed his stomach and opted to look back up, hoping whatever game in mind could keep his from wandering. “promise not to poison me and inherit my fortune?” he winked as he leaned forward to brush some of the hair from her eyes. “we’ll play your game, i’m down.. have some party favors after we can use to wind down after.” he proposed with a mischevious smile playing on his features.

carmen let out a laugh and shoved his shoulder playfully. “silly, i have to coax you into marrying me before i can inherit anything.” she pointed out, hopping off the counter and motioning for him to join her on the other side. “alright, what should we use as a blindfold?” she asked, grabbing a box from beneath the counter with a coy smile, “you can pick anything from this lost and found box.” she started, digging her hand inside and pulling an old garter from inside. “how about this? except now i kind of want to see you wear it.” she teased, holding it up to his face with a smirk.

milo’s attention had peaked as she responded back to him, sitting up a bit taller in his chair as he leaned back, arm resting on the adjacent seat. his gaze lingered on hers, drinking her in as he tried to place her in any of his memories but he’d fallen short. he pulled his glass towards him but held off from taking a sip as she announced his name, a warm smile coming to press to his lips as he nodded. “it’s a pleasure to meet you.” he promised as he then brought the glass up to take a swig before setting it back down. when she told him her normal schedule his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, finger in the air in recognition. “that’s why i haven’t met you yet.” he pronounced, his own accent slipping through the cracks as his palm pushed against the bar top. “saturday to monday…” he waved off his own scheduled dates before looking back up at zoey. he grinned wide, his eyes squinting a bit as he shook his head. “i guess you’ll find out in a few short hours, can say i’ve heard nothing but positive reviews on your end.” he complimented as he brought his hand to his chin, eyebrow raised. “how long you been here now? bit mad at myself for not meeting you sooner.” he chided

zoey licked her lips as she took milo in, noting the way his gaze seemed to be enveloping her completely. she was used to the feeling of course, considering men seemed to lack control when they were in her presence, but she didn’t seem to mind when she happened to be doing the exact same to him. he was cute, of course, he’d have to be for jade to want to hire him, but she was never really one to mix business with pleasure, so instead of returning his smile, she looked back down at her water glass, twirling the ice around with her straw. “oh? were you interested in collaborating?” she asked innocently, resting an elbow on the bar so that she could rest her chin in her hand as her gaze returned to his. the cheshire cat smile that occupied his features caused a jolt of unrest within her, as if she knew he would be trouble for her in some way.

hayden brushed her long dark hair off her shoulder as a smile quirked up the corners of her lips. both because he had previously thought about the situation she was pretending to offer and because of the euphemism he chose to use. though her eyes didn’t miss his grip on the glass or the way he drank from it as if it had been years since his last drop. “my wheels greased.” she repeated, dropping her attitude for a moment as she breathed out a warm laugh. sometimes, he was funny. “wrong again, tristan.” she finally said while the bartender did as he was told though hayden was sure she saw an eye roll. “you sat beside me, remember? i was minding my own business, talking to gus here.” she motioned to the man behind the bar. “i can’t help it that you find me so provocative.” she punctuated the sentence with a sip of her martini. “and please, don’t you worry about nate and i. there is nothing lacking there.” she added with her own eye roll. clearly, perturbed by the suggestion. when tristan leaned in again, hayden did the same to mirror his action only instead of taking him up on the offer she reached out to tap his nose gently. “don’t give nate another reason to want to kill you, hm. he already has enough.” 

tristan’s eyebrows quirked when a smile crossed hayden’s features, and he couldn’t help the tinge of pride he felt at being the cause of it. as much as hayden tended to get on his nerves, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the interactions. he had sat beside her at the bar, rather than the empty stools all around them after all. his nose crinkled slightly when her finger came into contact with it, and he shook his head with a grin. “oh, kennedy, you don’t know me at all if you think i don’t want to give nate more reasons to hate me. in fact, the more reasons, the better.” he boasted, holding his hand up to cheers her. “so, you know. if you’re ever feeling extra lonely, cold in that empty bed of yours because your precious costa is off doing whatever that family does. well, you have my cell number.” he hummed, taking a sip of the amber liquid as his eyes remained on the brunette, a mischievous glint in them, “can’t promise i’ll answer though.” 

“hear about you so much it’s taken over pillow talk.” she mused softly with a wry smile. izzy watched as he made himself at home across from her the semi secluded corner of the lobby. the move felt bold considering, in her mind, chris could show up at any minute. but it was refreshing when all of the other workers simply grovelled at chris’s feet like their life depended on it. and their lives did but izzy thought they could have at least a little dignity. it made sense to her why chris would like him. after a drag from her cigarette, izzy nodded slowly. “only when he finds something more interesting to do.” she confessed as she flicked ash into the tray on the low table by the chairs. it used to hurt izzy, to make her sit up at night wondering why she couldn’t hold the man’s interest. but now it was so commonplace that she’d learned to accept it as just part of their relationship. for a brief moment, her eyes turned faraway as she thought of chris and his increased risk taking but she was quick to catch herself. she knew better than to show emotion to someone like the man across from her. “do you always ask so many questions?” she wondered as she adjusted the hem of her slip dress, realizing it had fallen a little too high on her thigh. 

bash wasn’t surprised at how enigmatic the woman in front of him was. in fact, he’d figured for someone like chris costa to be interested, she’d have to be absolutely phenomenal, and she didn’t fall short of those expectations at all. he was surprised, however, by the magnetic pull he felt as he sat there a few feet away from her. his eyes dropped to the hem of her dress, but he quickly looked away, urging himself to keep focused on his tasks. especially when she immediately picked up on his line of questioning. “i guess, you know, when i’m trying to get to know someone.” he explained, taking a drag of his cigarette and watching her with curious eyes. “i guess i’m just curious as to why someone so clever would find herself with someone like chris.” 

hayden watched him carefully, unable to resist the temptation to play with him. she hadn’t expected him to fall to his knees begging for the opportunity to please her but she was pleasantly surprised by his response. an amused smile formed on her lips, her dark eyes taking in the way he raked his gaze over her. sometimes when she was left to her own devices, she grew bored and incredibly restless. nate knew this about her and he knew that liked to be the cat in a room full of mice. tristan just so happened to be a mouse that she loved to hate. “but you’ve thought about it.” she surmised with a smug expression. “about me. squirming, begging, tugging on that perfectly coifed hair. i bet you’d make short work of this skirt, too.” she mused, the hand not on the glass dropped to the hem of her skirt, fingertips dragging over the bare skin as she inched it up her thigh. “especially since there’s nothing underneath.” hayden tilted her head to the side with a wily smile and then she turned her body halfway back towards the bar and took a slow sip of her martini. “too bad i prefer to be satisfied. getting only halfway there really does nothing for me. sorry, tristan.”

tristan chuckled darkly and sat up, noting the fingers on her thigh but forcing his eyes not to linger, especially when it was so obvious that she knew the effect that she had on people. “well, i’m not a monk” he said, hand gripping firmly on his glass when she mentioned that she wasn’t wearing underwear. he took a deep breath and brought the glass back up to his lips, tipping the rest of the liquor into his mouth and swallowing loudly. “well, unfortunately you’ll never really know whether or not i can satisfy you, kennedy. clearly your current boyfriend is lacking in that department if you’re here, talking to me about having your wheels greased.” he pointed out, motioning for the bartender to pour him another one. “but i’d be happy to take you out for a spin if that’s what you’re looking for.” he leaned in again, raising his eyebrows at her with a smirk, “it’ll be our little secret.” 

“oh, right.” she mused as he spoke and she swivelled on the bar stool to face him, her dark eyes locked on his face. while hayden viewed tristan as something akin to a cockroach, she sure found his endless need to poke at her fascinating. she knew it had everything to do with his and his family’s rivalry with nate and the costa’s but she also knew he could have taken a seat at the other end of the bar. and yet here he was, looking to verbally spar. hayden licked her lips after another sip of her martini and let the toe of her shoe brush against his shin. “i’m paying for a drink and enjoying the conversation.” she corrected as her fingertip carefully ran around the rim of the glass. she eyed him mischievously for a moment. “but you approached me. are you feeling lonely, tristan? it’s okay if you are. i can understand how tough it must be to be the heir to such a vicious throne.” hayden pouted at him, her eyes going wide. and then she leaned closer to shield her words from the bartender. “need to blow off some steam?” she murmured. “i’ll let you eat me out if you ask real nice.”

tristan picked up his glass, taking a sip of the burning liquid without sparing a glance towards hayden as she responded to his remark. what he wasn’t expecting of course, was to feel the brush of her foot against his shin, causing him to almost inhale the drink rather than swallow. his eyes snapped towards the brunette, then down towards her fingertips, which were trailing over the rim of her glass, and while he was achingly aware of what she was pulling, he wasn’t exactly immune to her antics. “oh, sweetheart.” he said, shaking his head as he leaned against the bar when she leaned closer, creating a bubble between the two of them. “you know i’ve never been able to resist a needy brunette, but believe me, if it’s my head you’ve got between your thighs it won’t be because i asked nicely. it’ll be because you’ve begged for it.” he replied in the same tone, eyes slowly moving to scan over her body as if he were taking a mental picture. “i can see it now.”

@natecostaa​

tony had just wrapped up the remainder of the early arrivals as he stacked up the last of the luggage carts for the evening. he’d loosened his tie, dropped the keys off in jade’s office when he wandered back out to the lobby. her voice had caught his attention, turning to seek out the source when his gaze fell onto carmen. he grinned softly, shaking his head at the comment before wandering over, hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks. “who you callin’ hot stuff?” he asked with a hum before leaning against the booth. her words caused him to raise his brows, looking around briefly before ducking down closer. “what you got in mind, hm?” he asked, fully prepared for the worst.

“i’m calling you hot stuff, hot stuff” she mused, beckoning him over and leaning forward when he’d leaned forward so that she could adjust his jacket. she delicately brushed off his shoulders and sighed, hopping up onto the desk so that she could sit comfortably. she tapped her chin in thought when he asked what game they should play, trying to conjure up an idea. “we can.. people watch? or i could blindfold you and make you guess what i put in your mouth.” she suggested, a wicked grin on her face.

the night had been nothing but average for milo in his residency in los angeles. he was quite enjoying his time hoping from one small venue to the next but as of late the olympus was home. his tiny apartment lingered just half a black from the infamous hotel and it’s deep secrets that drew him in. he’d arrived just an hour shy of the opening of the lounge, his seat reserved at the corner of the bar with both a water and glass of white wine at the ready. his eyes landed on a particularly long legged brunette that entered the room, seemingly taking up the entire room with sheer confidence, causing his lips to twist in an unsuspecting smirk as he kept his head low. as she dropped her bag he couldn’t help but lift his head again, eyebrow raised before pushing his fingers through his hair. “can’t say i’ve seen you here before..” he trailed in a playful tone. 

zoey twirled the straw around the glass of ice water that had been handed to her, completely lost in her own thoughts when a voice called out from the corner of the bar, causing her to snap her head up to attention. when she caught sight of who had spoken, her brows knitted together as she tried to place him. “can’t say i’ve seen you here before either.” she mimicked, her voice husky and adorned with a british accent while sharpened fingernails tapped against the surface of the bar as her dark eyes scanned his face in interest, right before recognition set in. “you’re... milo” she finally said, remembering that jade had informed her that she’d be performing with another singer that evening. “i’m zoey. i usually take the wednesday through friday” she explained, twisting her body on the bar stool to face him. “i heard you’re quite the performer”

hayden breathed out a humourless laugh at tristan’s biting wit, her hand waving dismissively in the air before she brushed her dark locks off her shoulder. for a moment she simply let him speak even as he grated on her very last nerve, choosing to wash down the bile that rose in her throat with a sip of her vodka martini. “do you hear yourself when you speak? or do you love the sound of your own voice so much that you don’t care when you’re spewing bullshit?” she snapped without little care for politeness or manners. the thing about tristan was that nate loathed him and anyone that was on nate’s bad side immediately made it on to hayden’s shit list. while for some, that may have been an unfair practice for tristan it felt completely justified. she shot an apologetic look to the bartender and reminded herself to leave a heftier tip than usual when she finally departed. “it’s pretty rich that you’re here alone while you accuse me of having no friends, don’t you think?”

tristan let out a laugh at hayden’s jab at him, completely humoured by how furious he could make the brunette without really trying. as much as she got on his nerves, and had terrible decision making skills when it came to her life — love life and otherwise — he couldn’t deny her unbelievable ability to bite back with intensity, when he knew most people would simply walk away. it’s what made their interactions interesting, and why he even bothered to continue to acknowledge her existence. “oh but you see, i’m not here to make friends or pay strangers for conversation. i’m here for a drink. you, on the other hand, well you look like you need someone to talk to. feeling a little lonely there, sweetheart?”

there was a spot in the corner of the lobby that chris had shown her a year before. it gave the perfect view of the entire space but kept the occupant out of the spotlight. that was where she had sunk into the velvet arm chair, her legs crossed in the silk slip dress she’d put on expecting to go out. but, naturally, chris was late. in fact, she was convinced he wasn’t going to show up at all. it was a habit, one that izzy was used to, but that didn’t prevent the impatience from creeping in. the conversation that was to follow would surely escalate into unfiltered yelling before he reminded her of her precarious position and she inevitably stormed out. izzy was more than aware that she knew too much to ever actually leave. at least not of her own volition. so she sat there with her teeth biting at the edge of her thumb and a cigarette delicately pinched between her two fingers. when the familiar but new man approached her, she slowly lifted her gaze from where it had been transfixed on a tear in the carpet to meet his. it wasn’t that chris’s minions weren’t allowed to speak with her but she had the feeling that most thought she didn’t have a brain in her head and the rest, well, it wasn’t her brain that they were interested in. “right.” she quietly confirmed, uncrossing and crossing her legs as she shifted to correct her posture. a frown tugged at her red painted lips while her eyes flitted over him. “you’re chris’s new favourite, right?” she said easily, unaware that she was giving anything away. “did he send you to let me down easy?”

bash let out a slight laugh and moved to drop down onto the armchair across from izzy, unbuttoning his suit blazer as he went. “his new favourite? that’s generous, but i suppose i’d like to think so.” he mused, tucking a cigarette between his lips and lighting it swiftly. “and no, chris didn’t send me. did you two have a night planned?” he asked, leaning back as he crossed his leg over his knee and got a little more comfortable. he knew for a fact that chris wasn’t coming by that night, it was the only reason he’d been bold enough to approach the woman when he knew that if the man walked into the lobby and saw bash conversing with his lover, he might not be as friendly. “does he always leave you hanging like this?”

with her elbows on the bar and her arms folded in front of her, hayden sat perched on the stool as she talked to the familiar bartender. at that time of night, it was always the same man and the place was always winding down enough that they could hold a conversation. one of her black peep toe pumps dangled from her foot as she laughed softly at the anecdote he had just shared, the smile lingering on her lips for the briefest of moments before the rude interruption. her dark eyes turned to the man who had seemingly appeared out of thin air and a scowl took over her face. “were you raised by wolves?” she asked curtly, clearly unimpressed by the move he had just made. “or do you simply choose to be a neanderthal?”

“charmed, as usual kennedy” tristan hummed, bringing a hand up to scratch at his jaw as he avoided her gaze to glance down at his watch instead. if there was one person he wasn’t interested in engaging with, it was the girl who was sat beside him, and it wasn’t just because her boyfriend seemed to be the bane of his existence, no, hayden kennedy was unpleasant enough to deal with in her own right. “it’s not my fault you have no friends and choose to take up the time of the service staff who are actually paid to take my order rather than blabber on with you all night. though i’m sure he’s not complaining.” he added, with little or no regard to the fact that the bartender could hear exactly what he was saying as the man passed him his drink. 

@museybuchanan​