oh, honey

jade knew that juliet had been more than capable to handle herself and the situation she found herself in, it hadn’t been the first time and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. she pushed her hair back, pulling the glass to her lips to take a sip as she felt a bit of the lingering nerves dissipate from her body. her shoulders relaxed as she turned to face her, gazing over her features that showed no signs of worry. “okay, okay.. “ she trailed off as she allowed herself to calm down a bit. “if he comes back… tony will take care of it.” she promised as she folded her hand under her other arm, resting her elbow on top as she offered juliet a coy smile. “enough about that.. how are you?” she asked as she moved towards the couch, taking a seat as she leaned her back against the sofa.

“or i can take care of it. we don’t need men to fight are battles for us, do we?” she asked rhetorically as she took a slow sip of bourbon and moved to sink down in the armchair by the window, adjacent to the sofa. juliet crossed her legs at the knee and adjusted her robe to keep herself decent as she allowed herself to relax. she could worry about gus later, much later. now, he was hardly on her radar. “i should really ask how you’re doing. you show up at my door all frazzled like it’s your first day.” she mused over the rim of her glass, curious eyes on jade. “what’s gotten into you?”

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.” 

izzy didn’t try to hide the look of surprise that took hold of her delicate features when he mentioned wanting to get to know her. she knew chris was fond of him and, if she were honest with herself, she had also noticed him the moment he’d made an appearance. her thumb flicked against the end of the cigarette as she watched him take a slow drag from his that she was sure she felt in her own lungs. “that’s why you want to get to know me - because you think i’m clever?” she wondered softly, her head tilting to the side as a shy smile ghosted across her lips. “you’ll be awfully disappointed if you discover i’m not.” she added as her eyes dropped to the cigarette in her hand, her other hand smoothing over her bare knee as she got more comfortable. “i don’t think my answer will surprise you. he sought me out and can be incredibly persuasive.” izzy licked her lips. “but you must know what he’s like. why else would someone like you be wrapped up in all this.”

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.” 

hayden sometimes wondered where tristan got his absurdly cocky attitude from but if she really thought about it the answer was clear.  he and his family were no different than the costas. they both believed the world fell at their feet and they weren’t wrong. there was a certain gravitational pull around both of the families. her tongue moved over her teeth behind closed lips as he spoke, bragged, like he was untouchable. in hayden’s experience, nobody who crossed the costas was untouchable. “you should be careful what you wish for, tristan.” hayden shook her head as she finished off her martini, her dark gaze never quite leaving tristan. though hayden saw no reason to share their encounter with nate, she knew if she did he could go on the warpath just for tristan speaking to her at all. scoffing out a laugh while she ordered another drink, hayden looked at him, unimpressed. “we both know if i called you up in the middle of the night you wouldn’t only answer. you’d come running.”

“juliet…” jade scolded as she looked up at her with a warning gaze, head shaking as she knew it hadn’t been the first time she had to make someone disappear. it wasn’t like she enjoyed hurting others but most often than not it was her only choice in keeping the hotel alive and her job in tact. as juliet strode over she grabbed the glass, head tilting as she let out a tired breath and leaned her head against the window, shaking it a bit as she tried to relieve any bit of stress that begun to settle in her chest. “no, i told him i had no idea who you were, just like i had every other time he came in.” she spoke up as she adjusted her poster, pushing her shoulders back before taking a slow sip. “he seemed incredibly confident walking in this evening, jules.” she quipped with a sharp raise of her eyebrow.

at jade’s use of her name juliet shrugged. she wasn’t entirely joking and she knew the blonde was well aware of the lengths she would go to in order to protect herself. her self preservation instinct trumped all other things. juliet watched as jade seemed to bear the weight of the world on her shoulders and she wondered why she even bothered to be in the business she was. there were plenty of hotels that she could rein in that didn’t involve such a seedy underbelly and yet, there she was. “jade, i’m not worried.” she repeated solely, the hand not holding the crystal glass smoothing through the air as if to ease the clear tension. “he has nothing that will stick legally and he doesn’t know i’m here. what is he going to do? pester you to death?” perhaps her tone was more blasé than necessary but juliet had a knack for getting out of sticky situations and she didn’t see the problem currently. gus didn’t have a leg to stand on, in her eyes. 

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.” 

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 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.”

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.”

“ listen, i’d show you off on the town but tonight i’m feeling selfish with my time and you.” he admitted as she reached for her drink, finishing off the dwindling relaxation it offered.” only the night she says.” he teased back with a small smirk over his expression.” what do i have to do for two? “

“who needs the town, hm? i’d much rather spend my time with just you.” she quietly insisted. hayden placed a hand on his chest, fiddling with the collar of his shirt as she gazed up at him. they’d been through so much together that was hard to imagine a world without him in it. she didn’t want to. “i might be able to swing two. if you’re lucky.” she teased. 

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?”

“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. 

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?”

“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.”

as the door swung open jade was quick to brush past juliet and made her way towards the window, her hip pressed to the frame as she peered out onto the dimly lit streets around the hotel. her mind was racing at the endless possibilities that could come out of his visit and while most men simply cut their loss or were scared away, this one in particular seemed to stick. “yeah hes back.” she muttered before turning her gaze towards juliet, ignoring the soft flutter the woman’s presence brought her in the robe she now had dawned over her slender frame. “he wants his money, as per usual.” she explained as she turned so that her back was to the window, leaning gently against it. “and i need an alternative to stuffing his body in a bag and dumping it into the pacific..” she trailed as she crossed her arms over her small frame. “he knows you come back here, he’s been watching.”

“why? he’s a small man. i bet a have a birkin i could fit him in.” juliet said nonchalantly while she poured a second glass of bourbon and joined jade at the window where she handed the glass to her. juliet knew the situation was a particularly serious one, that gus had powerful friends in powerful places. but as long as she dodged him, she wasn’t worried. she’d tangoed with men like him before. “sweetheart, you mustn’t look so worried. does he know where my room is?” she wondered in a soothing voice as she reached out to tuck a stray strand of blonde hair behind jade’s ear without much thought. “does he even know for certain that i’m in this hotel or is he simply fishing?” she added and took a sip of her drink. “i’m not worried. nothing we can’t handle.”

“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. 

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?”

after giving his report to his superiors, bash headed back towards the hotel chris seemed to spend all his time in. he wasn’t sure what he’d be asked to do next, but the investigation seemed to be coming to a plateau, and he knew he’d have to get his hands even dirtier to gain the man’s trust. he adjusted his jacket as he walked in, greeting a couple of henchmen who happened to be parked at the front of the lobby when his eyes fell onto the beautiful woman who always seemed to be hanging on cc’s arm. he hadn’t planned on speaking with her, but the thought suddenly occurred to him that she probably heard and saw far more than he’d have access to anytime soon. and so, his target was set. carefully, he made his way towards her and tilted his head to the side, “hey… isabel, right?”

@museybuchanan​

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?”

it was late, which meant tristan was free of his obligation to be a good, respectful son, leaving him keen and able to step into what had turned into his favourite spot in LA. there was nothing on his mind but a stiff drink, so when a particular brunette seemed to be hogging the attention of the bartender at the lounge, he slipped onto a stool right beside her, waving his hand between her and the man’s face with a raised brow, “whiskey, one block of ice.” he ordered, ignoring the clear annoyance on his face as he turned to make the drink. 

@museybuchanan​

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?”