James Hook

She didn’t pick up on his moment of hesitation and stalling, and a smile broke out across her face at the mention of Mexico. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to visit there. The historical sites look amazing, and the food is amazing, and everything just sounds… Amazing.” She giggled to herself, then sighed. “Shame you didn’t get to see much.”

Chloe reached for a second burger. She knew the stigma of how men liked girls who didn’t eat a ton, but she frankly didn’t care. She ate what she ate, and she wasn’t going to not eat just for a date. “Well here...” She didn’t even know where to begin with what had gone on here at home. “The firework show was delightful,” she said sarcastically. She wondered if she should stick with the “official” story of what had burned out that building that night. “Someone decided to have their own party and burned down a building. But no one was hurt, thankfully.” She shrugged and took another bite.

The idea of taking her far away to see sights she desired seemed like a possibility. It would cost him his time off, but it wouldn’t kill him to take a moment and enjoy the little things. Hopefully. Though he couldn’t easily hold SMEE accountable to run business. Jynne could come in handy there...

“Maybe some day... you can see it all. I’ll navigate us there.” He insisted. 

Having just stuck a fry in her mouth as he asked about the auditions, Chloe gave that awkward nod of her head, like when waitresses ask how your food is when you’ve just stuffed your face with it, and then swallowed. “Auditions are next week - and I’m sure it will go fine,” she replied, reaching for another fry. “I do think I’ve finally come to a decision on the song I’ll use at least. It’s… more fitting to the part I’m looking for. Maybe I’ll sing it for you later?” She hadn’t meant to say that last part - and immediately wished she could feel it back in, because she wasn’t sure if she was quite ready for him to hear that song from her. It was basically like a serenade to him, and good God if that wasn’t weird, having now been around him for a record twenty minutes in all. She bit into a burger and watched him, and though it had happened moments ago, she could still feel the warmth of where he’d touched her leg. Maybe her eagerness was part of the rush that had gone thru her.

“Now, you tell me about your trip,” she said eagerly, laying on her side and propping her head up on her palm, her elbow digging into the blanket. “Where did you go? What did you see? Any horrible weather?” She got a little excited with her questioning. She’d never been in anything bigger than a fishing boat, and never on the ocean, so she wanted to hear everything.

James nodded, he’d gladly take a listen. In fact, he would have rather her sing now than divulge into the details of his trip. His mind raced as he simply asked, “Which trip?” Buy him a moment of time. There in his process, he couldn’t help but look over her form. 

“Mexico,” a vague enough answer. “Was where we traveled. It was mostly business, so I didn’t check out many sights.” A lie. He had been to every bar in a twenty mile radius of the docks. The only sights he saw were of the women he lured in with his dark charm. “I’d say we were caught in a bit of a storm on the way there. But we lucked out our trip back.. thankfully so..” Too much risk in losing product. 

Could hearts beat so hard that they explode? Chloe was certain that had to be the case as he put his arms around her. He smelled of leather and the ocean; a dizzying musk she hadn’t been prepared for. She took a deep, steadying breath as he released her, tucking her hair back and trying to hide the blush in her cheeks. Hopefully the sunset was doing a good enough job of that.

“I promised boring,” she said with a grin, a chuckle escaping her as she took his hand and led him to the blanket. She sat and pulled the duffel bag closer, then tucked her legs beneath her and patted the spot beside her. “And there’s a first time for everything, as they say.” She glanced over at the skateboard and then back at James, wiggling her eyebrows comedically. “Magic, huh? Well, it’s not apparating, but it’ll do,” she joked, referencing a certain popular book franchise. “Until I get my car back… Old Faithful here will have to work overtime.”

“I hope you’re hungry, because I went tres magnifique here,” she said as she unzipped the thermal bag. Inside, the hamburgers and fries she’d picked up were still plenty hot to enjoy. “Oh!” she said excitedly, flopping the lid back down on the food and turning toward the boombox. She hit the button to play the CD; as the first extremely loud bars of a Crystal Method song played, a few birds from a nearby tree scattered into the sky. She quickly scrambled for the volume switch, lowering it, then she looked at James with her teeth clenched and an embarrassed look. “Ah… that was not supposed to go like that.”

“You sure you’re not trying to frighten the birds?” James posed the question, an amused smile finding his lips. His hand resting on her leg in comfort for a moment. “Don’t worry about it. Play it as loud as you’d like. No ones gonna bother us.” James said knowingly. If problems were to arise, he had a way to weasel himself out of most things.

“I haven’t eaten yet today, so I’d say I’ve come prepared.” He told her, stealing a few fries from its container as she continued to figure out the music situation. Music he wasn’t entirely used to yet. But for her, he would try. It was just loud enough to hear now, but not so overpowering that he couldn’t hear himself think. That would be disastrous. 

James leaned back, his arms propping him up as he gazed upwards. The edge of twilight was one of the most beautiful times of the day. His stomach growled with want for sustenance, but thankfully the music concealed it. James turned to look at Chloe, studying the lines in her face, the curve of her lips. His memory hadn’t done enough to recall the minute details. 

Chloe nodded, not knowing at this point which way she would end up going. She had a lot to think about - more than just the play. “I will definitely text you,” she said, giving him a cheeky grin. “Mm, I suppose I should go - I’ve held you up from work long enough,” she said, not wanting to pull her hand away from his, but giving it a squeeze as she regretfully dropped it. “I came to see you off… and I should let you… off.”

Their conversations were short, whether it were through a digital exchange or face to face. It nearly drove him mad. Not because of the time, but because she was the one who had pulled the plug. However, what she was doing had left him with intrigue, and wandering thoughts.

From behind them, he could hear a commotion, leaving him with very little choice but to cauterize the festering wound. “Right- well. Pleasure to see you. Another all time record,” he commented again on the time. 

“I expect to hear from you in the next few days, or we’ll be needing another five minute conversation to smooth it over when I come home.” He playfully suggested. “Be careful, hm?”

     “OR, counter offer, you give me my cut now so I can go and we don’t have to see each other again for a good bit!” flashing him a toothy grin. Bill may like being around a fellow psychopath – and causing Hook more trouble for fun – but he had things to DO. A woman to pay. And probably more than equally annoy.

     “UNLESS you want me to stick around, Jimmy? Get some more of those murderous thoughts flowing. Gotta get you good and angry to deal with those backstabbing lackeys of yours. Besides, I’d LOVE to stick around to see that carnage. Bet you do beautiful work,” his eyes with sparkling with delight at the thought. Let’s add more fuel to the fire, shall we? “Especially since you can’t do those nasty thoughts to ME.”

Hook could only imagine a world where this scum was digested by the top feeders deep at sea. However, to drive further into the madness of his mind only seemed to fuel the bastard. And so Hook shot him a smile. It screamed many things, none of which were happiness. Amusement may have been the closest. 

“Hey, musicals aren’t everyone’s thing,” Chloe said with a giggle, still insanely aware of her hand in his. “I’ll send you a few songs, definitely, but you have to promise to return the favor,” she said, wanting to learn more about the ever cryptic sailor. It seemed like she shared so much, and yet she’d barely scratched the surface of learning what made him tick. “Expand my musical mind.” 

“Wicked is one of my favorites,” she beamed, wanting to sing a little of the song for him, but refraining - she wanted to leave him a little something to look forward to. “I was torn between it and ‘Out Tonight’ from Rent.” As she thought about the first few lyrics of that particular song, she bit her lip, realizing how much it applied to her right this moment. My body’s talking to me, it says it’s time for danger… “Mm, then again… maybe I’ll do that song after all.”

“Aye, I promise..” James agreed, squeezing her hand with recognition. He could see she took great pride in whatever this song was. Once things had calmed down-- and did they really ever?-- he would take to searching out of pure curiosity. Trying to pin her to it. Little did he know what Out Tonight really implied. 

Chloe bit the inside of her lip and swallowed as her heart seemed to leap into her throat when he grasped her hand; she sure she was about to burst. For something as simple as a touch of a hand, something she did with Ivy and Rider and her other close friends all the time, it seemed so much more intimate with James. Her mind seemed fuzzy and she had to concentrate to bring herself back to sensibility. “Mm, Chicago,” she answered with a shy grin, dipping down a bit in a little 20’s flapper curtsy. “But maybe I could get your personal opinion on my audition choice? I’m thinking ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked. So that, you can definitely look forward to,” she blushed as she thought about the prospect of singing for him. Privately.

Chicago, he had heard of but never seen. Though, he was always open to try new things. And if it meant winning her affection, he’d sit through it.

“You’ll think I’m foolish... but, I don’t believe I know that one either,” James admitted. The song that sparked conversation was also nothing he had ever listened to. “Seem to be out of the loop concerning musical tastes. While I’m away, you’ll have to send me some to listen to.” He proposed. She had his number after all. 

Even just a touch as simple as his arm around her shoulders had Chloe’s heart beating wildly, her skin tingling. She was acting like a stupid school girl - but really, was she any different than one? “I-” she began, trying to rack her brain for another lie. “Okay, yes, maybe I just…” Can’t stop thinking about you? “…wanted to see you. Excuses were made.” She shrugged, giving him a little grin. Could he really blame her? He had to know how devastatingly handsome he was.

“Leaving it up to me? Well, you did say you wanted some normal in your life, and I guess you can’t get more normal and boring than that,” she joked, blushing under his intense gaze. In excitement to his question, she grasped his arm enthusiastically with her free hand. “I have been busy - there are auditions for a summer musical coming up and I’ve been working on an audition. So… perhaps you can look forward to a little performance when you get back?” She ran her hand down his forearm, then pulled back nervously as she realized what she’d done, tucking some hair behind her ear - her trademark sign of shy nerves.

“I’m flattered.” James admitted. “The last person I thought I’d see down here, but I’m pleased you came.”

There was some surprise in learning she enjoyed the arts. From the little he’d seen of her, it was Though he believed skateboarding to be a form of it. Still so much to learn, and he longed to explore every inch of her mind... in due time. “Full of surprises, you are... for a normal, self proclaimed boring girl. Little lies. I’d say there’s more to you than you’re letting on.” James reached for her hand after her bold move. Calloused fingers contrasting with her own soft skin.

Now Bill had seen this coming – it was one of the pleasures of being clairvoyant. Another pleasure he had? Being able to make people see things that AREN’T there. As soon as Hook tilted that chair back, the Bill in that chair faded away. The REAL Bill was leaning against the door frame of the entrance to the room.

     “Considering the last time I tried to PLAY you, and how it didn’t end well, you REALLY think I’d screw myself out of a GOOD pay day? You better check that intel you got. I don’t think the lackeys you sent to follow me are up to PAR. And one of them may need to get his nose fixed after the nice break I gave it,” he was very nonchalant about this, looking down at his fingernails as he spoke. Hook didn’t scare him. Their shared psycho was something he ENJOYED.

Tossing a black duffle bag at Hook’s feet, Bill finally looked up at him, “TRIPLE the asking price. Not five times. Unless your little idiots are out to try to play deadly games with the BIG man. Which sounds like a big YOU problem,” a shrug, “I’ll take my cut and get back to scamming this lovely couple into buying some fake art piece.” 

“Tick TOCK,” was all Hook uttered as the image of the fool faded. It would have thrilled him to pierce through Bill’s chest and watch him bleed out on the warehouse floor. But that was the stickiest part of it all, due to his unflinching ability to thrive on like a cockroach in a wasteland regardless of impending doom. It seemed nothing would kill the devil. Because the devil could see just far enough ahead to put a stop to it.

Hook took one look down at the black duffle bag before kicking it aside to inch closer to his counterpart. If he could shake him from conducting business for him, he would have. But the thing about cockroaches was they could find their shit trail and follow it back to the source. “You’re far later than we discussed.” Hook told him, already having threatened to lessen his pay for making him wait. Then there was the discussion about messing with his men... “You’ll receive your six percent and not a penny more. You should be pleased I didn’t knock you down to four.”

Raising an eyebrow, Chloe set him with what she hoped was a flirtatious grin. “I was in the neighborhood,” she lied with a shrug, knowing that James would probably see through the lie. “And thought I might come see you off.” She laughed a little nervously, giving him a shy look. “Seems like you just have a way of making me get out of my comfort zone.”

She sidestepped a man who was loading the ship, nearly pressing herself against James in the process. If her face wasn’t pink before, there was no doubt about it now - she felt her cheeks flush at their proximity, even without touching. “Um. Sorry,” she chuckled as she stepped slightly back again. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come, I didn’t think it would be… this busy down here.”

Hook only stepped forward as she tried to distance herself from him. Something about the blushing cheeks piqued his interest. “Nonsense.” He insisted. He swept in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he walked them past his crew, where one had bumped into him. The ticking tempted him to grab the man by his collar and throw him into the water. But with the lady present, he carried on his way, making a mental note of who wasn’t watching where they were walking. He’d find himself overboard once they were deep at sea.