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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 23, 2011 2:09:02 GMT -5
Joshua cruised the streets aimlessly with his Aventador, not really sure what he wanted to do tonight. Nell was working and he wasn't about to interrupt her just because of his boredom, Trish was working on something and Donovan was working late. Annabel had decided to stay over at a friend's rather than being baby-sat by her older brother. Alone, he wasn't too upset as he drummed his fingers on the wheel and waited for the light to change. The car was attracting a bit of attention from a few people going about their night, though, and he had the intuition to feel smug about this. As the light flashed from red to green, Joshua drove forward and then spotted the sign for Blackjack glowing a few blows down the straight arrow road. Frowning, he decided that he could indeed do with a beer or two to take the edge off the night--he could have dropped by Corrosion and hung out with Nell, but he still wasn't comfortable drinking around her. I'll only have a few, he promised himself, and this time he was serious. Even still, maybe it was best to choose the upscale route rather than to upset his girlfriend. Was it dishonest to go lurking around in bars when you were in a relationship? Josh pondered this as he pulled into the parking lot of the fancy bar, but eventually shrugged it off. It's not like I'm going to do anything, he reassured himself. Just a couple drinks and then I'll head back home and read a book or something. He wasn't depressed or drinking to get drunk, so Josh figured that it would be alright.
Striding through the doors, the dimly lit bar with its expensive feel was definitely a step up from the more seedy places downtown. A lot of the folk that drank here liked the air of sophistication, but that didn't mean that cheating and flirting were off limits. He could see a dark-haired woman giggling and practically hanging off the arm of a businessman nearby, and he did his best to block out their incessant chatter as he hailed over one of the bartenders. "Just a regular beer," he requested, for his alcohol tolerance was high enough that this would be the safest of routes. As long as he spaced them out he could probably drink all night without worrying about getting drunk, but that wasn't something that he planned to do. Unless he was specifically attempting to get wasted for the sake of quelling depression, Josh didn't like hanging around in bars. Sometimes it was alright if there were pretty girls to hold conversation with, but since that was strictly off limits now, he couldn't exactly expect to have a whole lot of fun. He was decent at pool and could probably hold a game with a couple of the other guys, but that wasn't something that he felt like doing either. Unlike the lower class bars, only some of the folk that drank at Blackjack were as young as himself. They were either heirs, rich bastards, or just leeching off the money of someone else that had taken them out.
He chatted with a few people sitting nearby, but overall most of the conversations went nowhere. Josh wasn't a social drinker, he just enjoyed the taste and wanted a way to pass the time. That's not to say that he was rude to those that said a casual hello, only that he replied with one-word answers and didn't really drag anyone into actual conversation. He was almost tempted when a brunette shot him a smile from further down the bar, but he mentally kicked himself and pretended not to have noticed. I promised myself I'd be good, he reminded. Though a lot of his morales were questionable and he had indeed been holding out for a while thanks to Nell's naivete, Joshua didn't think that he wanted to nail cheating to his list of sins. He might have been a bit ignorant of relationships himself due to the fact that he'd never been in one, but Josh wasn't what you could call a total idiot. He knew that when you committed yourself to one girl, all of the others were immediately off limits. No matter how pretty she is, she has no chance. At least she hadn't hit on him or anything. It was a lot easier to resist this way. He distracted himself by taking another long sip of the beer, screwing up his expression momentarily. The drink here wasn't bad, beer just wasn't to his usual tastes. He knew he might get carried away if he insisted on taking shots of whiskey, though, so it was for the best that he avoided calling the barkeep over again.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 23, 2011 3:09:10 GMT -5
Nell cleaned out a glass, humming softly as she went about her business. Her shift had started only minutes before, and she was glad she wasn’t totally swamped right now. Even more so, she was glad to finally have a decent job, a fter quitting the club. The Blackjack Bar really was a step up. Even though they were stricter here, she was able to charm them into not looking too deep into the fact that she certainly didn’t look like she was of age. It was getting too easy to lie, it seemed, but she tried not to think too hard about it. Instead, she focused on the fact that bartending was probably the one talent she had that could get her somewhere in life, other than gardening. At first it didn’t seem so glamorous to her, but now that she was working in an upperclass bar, it was different. Unfortunately, every time she came into work she was afraid of seeing her father, someone who did not know about her occupation. She could only imagine how much more overbearing he’d get if he found out about this.
Throwing the towel she’d been using over her shoulder, she smiled as a young woman approached and leaned over on the bar, ”Apple martini, please.” She looked very flashy, the dress shimmering and low cut, and Nell made conversation with her as she mixed her drink. ”It’s my birthday,” she said with an easy smile. ”My girlfriends took me out tonight to celebrate.” Putting the slice of apple to finish up the drink, she gave the girl her martini with a pleasant, ”Sounds like fun. Happy birthday!” The young woman paid and as Nell put the money in her apron she turned away to see Josh sitting further down the bar. Brightening that much more at seeing her boyfriend, she was just about to head over to make conversation when she saw the girl she just served heading that way too. Oh.
When the young socialite sat down next to him, she turned away and ducked under the bar, sitting back on her haunches. Nell wasn’t one to be particularly jealous, but the girl was very pretty—well, sexy would be a better word—and she knew what happened at bars thanks to now having worked in two. She guessed she’d wait until the girl left until she went up to talk to Josh. If he doesn’t leave with her. She tried not to be the suspicious kind of girlfriend, and decided she’d simply wait it out. One of the other bartenders practically tripped over her, though, and he shot her a disapproving look. Putting a finger over her lips, she pointed in the general direction Josh was seated and said, ”My boyfriend is over there talking to a pretty girl, please give me a few minutes.” He seemed to understand and simply went back to doing whatever he had to.
Meanwhile, Brittney took a seat next to the hot guy she had found, and she looked at him with a smile, leaning over a bit so they were closer than the stools would otherwise permit. ”You here alone?” she asked amiably, tilting her head so that she could at him up through her eyelashes in a particularly magnetic gaze. She batted him on the arm playfully before she said, ”That’s not fun!” Elbow resting on the bar, she held out her hand and introduced herself, her head tilted so that her blond locks fell over her cheeks. ”I’m Brittney. My father works as a record producer, you may have heard of him. Mark Davis?" Leaning forward a bit more, she inspected his appearance, lifting a fine eyebrow. You look a bit familiar…” She almost laughed with what she was about to say. ”This is going to sound so corny, but do you come here often?” She actually did chuckle after saying it, taking a sip of her fruity drink and waiting for his response.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 23, 2011 3:31:40 GMT -5
Joshua turned his gray gaze toward one of the televisions in the bar, noticing that a football game was playing over the big screen. He sighed a little in disapproval, not really into sports enough to enjoy what was going on. He knew his father had played basketball in high school and all that but Joshua himself had never shown much of an interest. He was alright with watching hockey though he knew he'd never be able to play, and besides, it wasn't in season right now anyway. Maybe I'll only finish up this drink and then leave, he thought. He wasn't really in the mood for doing nothing at the moment. Casting his gaze around the bar, he was oblivious to the familiar brunette behind it as he glanced over the patrons nearby. The fellow on his left seemed too occupied with his date to have a chat, and the nearest on the other side was the girl who'd shot him a smile. Don't even tempt yourself, he thought. Joshua believed that he could probably resist the temptation of the girl, but he didn't want to take his chances. Even the thought of betraying Nell made his stomach stir uncomfortably. She'd hate you for the rest of your life.
If, that was, she ever found out. That was the worst thing about being out alone at a bar--if he did cheat on his girlfriend, she'd never find out. He didn't know any of her friends so it wasn't like he'd make some mistake and they'd text her the news. He could go home with Ms. Pretty Lady over there and Nell would be none the wiser. But I won't, because that would be cheating. Speaking of pretty girls in bars, someone spoke up and caught his attention from one side. Blinking, Joshua glanced away from the glass of beer that he had been inspecting, gray gaze resting upon what must have been the prettiest blonde in the bar. A lump rose in his throat as he kept his gaze trained on her face, resisting the urge to so much as check her out. It was wrong to even consider looking, but she was talking to him so he couldn't be outright rude. "Hello," he said with a light frown, realising that she hadn't even bothered with such pleasant greetings before she'd got to her point. "I am," he said honestly, finding no need to lie as he dipped his head. "And yourself?"
Making conversation was okay, right? He could do this. She was hot, sure, but so was Nell. Hell, yeah. Nell is definitely hot. The thought might have put a little colour in his cheeks if he'd dwelt on it for too long, but he moved on for the blonde chick was talking to him again. "Davis? I think I've heard the name." Alright, so maybe this wasn't so bad. She's probably just a bit tipsy, he reassured himself. Wants to talk about her Dad and her money. That's fine. I can deal with that. Then, because he was in a socialite sort of bar and this was what people spoke about in here, he said, "My father's tossed it around a few times. I don't suppose you've heard of him? His name's Donovan Dale, he owns the hospital here in the Hollow. I'm Joshua." He wasn't trying to impress her or anything, suspicious as it might have seemed to anyone else. Josh didn't feel the need to impress girls with talk of his money and his heritage. He was confident enough in himself that he believed he could stand on his own. No, he was just doing his job of fitting in. "He's not here tonight, though. Busy man." Josh sipped his beer, pretending to be interested in the mild conversation.
Josh was a little surprised as she told him that he seemed familiar, but this was cleared up a little more as she next spoke. "Sometimes," he nodded. This was the truth. It was an upscale place that he'd only been to a few times until he had actually turned nineteen. Now that he could drink here legally he knew that he was in no danger, so he'd popped in a few times recently. Mainly to avoid Nell and her place of occupation. "Maybe you've seen me around." He smiled at her. He wasn't trying to look interested--no, I am not interested, not at all--just trying to look friendly. "I suppose that means you come here often, as well, if you recognise me."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 23, 2011 19:49:58 GMT -5
Under the bar, Nell was getting more and more nervous by the minute. She had grabbed a tray of peanuts and was now scarfing them down as she listened, all the while trying to console herself. They’re talking. People talk, Nell, it’s okay. But this was a bar, and when you talk at bars it wasn’t the same as going out to a bar with someone you already know. People meet people in bars, and not the kind of meet where you’ll be best friends forever. And again, she tried to convince herself that it was okay for Josh to be talking to this pretty blond girl and that she shouldn’t be worried so much. She was just being an overbearing girlfriend, that’s all it was.
But he sounded interested in her, and Nell wasn’t ignorant of Josh’s past. I just have to trust him. It was hard to trust when she knew that she wasn’t the best girlfriend material. Josh was probably used to girls like the one he was talking to now, the mature socialites who drink fruity martinis and pick up guys at bars. Nell didn’t think she could compare to that. Besides, would he really be cheating if he went home with her? It’s not cheating if he gets something from someone you’re not giving him. The thought just made her feel even worse, so she kept listening in, not even aware that this may be just a little bit creepy.
Now Brittney wasn’t exactly in for pleasant conversation. Sure, it was nice, but there was something else she had in mind that she’d rather do. She nodded her head over to a table full of girls similarly dressed to her, and said, ”It’s my birthday, so my friends decided to take me out.” Then, leaning in even closer to him, she said, ”But for all intents and purposes, I am alone.” Hopefully he would get what she was hinting at. Meaning, she didn’t plan on going home with her friends tonight. The had their own rides and they probably knew just what she was doing right now.
”Ah,” Brittney said when he admitted to hearing the name before. This conversation was going well, and she believed that now she had him in her grasp. Especially when he went on to tell her about his father. ”Oh yes, the Dale family,” she said. And since this was talk not associated with what she really wanted, she touched his shoulder and leaned in to get more intimate, like she was telling a secret. ”I can see the resemblence, but I’ve only met him once.” Moving away a bit to take another sip of her drink, she went on to say with her flirty smile still planted on, ”It’s a shame he couldn’t make it tonight.” No, not really. She didn’t have any interest in Mr. Dale, after all, it was his son that she wanted. And he seemed to be pretty receptive to her, which was a great sign.
Running her fingernails along the rim of her glass, she looked up through her lashes once again, and said, ”That’s probably it.” She may have seen Joshua around, or she may have not, she couldn’t be completely sure. It was just another tactic to draw a guy in. Cheesy as it was, it worked. He was smiling at her now, after all, and she took it as her cue to lean in to him again, bumping shoulders. ”I come here from time to time,” she continued on conversationally, giving a gentle shrug of her shoulders. Then, deciding to move on to what she had been getting at earlier, Brittney said, ”Now, do you plan on leaving alone tonight, Joshua?” That wasn’t suggestive at all. Not one bit.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 23, 2011 20:10:20 GMT -5
Apparently this girl was here alone. Joshua was hopeful for a moment, believing that her friends probably wouldn't allow her to ditch them for some guy she'd met in some bar. Thank fuck, he thought, because her mere presence was making him uncomfortable. Then she continued, however, and the nervousness set in again. What did she mean, by all intents and purposes? Joshua was accustomed to the art of flirting and he thought that he was picking up on some sort of cue, but he was also trying to convince himself not to jump the gun and immediately peg her as someone wanting to get in his pants. He'd met plenty of girls that were flirty and charming just by personality and that didn't really plan on taking any guys home. Those were usually the types that worked you into a craze and then walked off with a smile on their face. Maybe she was one of those types. He hoped she was one of those types. "Ah," he said. "Friends busy doing something else, then?" He loathed the need to sound friendly and interested, but it was better than being a jerk. He didn't want to get into an argument and be kicked out, after all.
He felt an odd sort of discomfort sweep through him when she touched his shoulder. She might as well have given him an electric shock for how instantly it affected him, though he tried not to show this in his expression or in his movements. He did shift slightly to put distance between them, however, uncomfortable with how close the girl was getting. If there had been doubts that she'd been hitting on him before, those doubts were rapidly starting to fade now. "What a shame," Josh said when she spoke of his father, though like Brittney herself he really couldn't care less about how well-acquainted she was with the man. "I've been told we look a lot alike. Great man, shame you're not better acquainted." Talking about his family was always slightly boring to Josh. It was practically a requirement at these socialite hangouts, but it held no water for him.
Joshua swallowed another sip of his drink, still trying to avert his gaze from hers as much as possible and keep it trained on her face when he was required to make conversation. Though he might have sounded interested, he really was trying to turn the girl off a little by acting as if he was on a tight schedule--he glanced at the clock, then at his watch, then back toward her. It didn't seem to be having much of an affect, however. This was unfortunate, because he didn't know how to dissuade a girl without being an outright dick toward her. He'd never had to reject someone this pretty before. Ever. She bumped her shoulder against his and his throat tightened again. Stop that, he thought, but stayed silent. He tried to think of a way to reply to what she had said. "I'm surprised we haven't become acquainted before this," was what he settled on, though he didn't look at her as he spoke. Instead, Joshua pretended to be more interested in the amber liquid that resided in his glass. It was almost finished now.
Deciding that he would get another drink, he swallowed the last sip and then flagged over the bartender. "Get me another, would you?" It had nothing to do with wanting to stay and chat longer, he was just thirsty and his other one would have gotten warm and syrupy if he'd left it for too long. No one liked that. The next thing that the hot blonde said made him tense up internally. She's definitely hitting on me, Josh thought. There was absolutely no denying it now. But how did he respond to that? Deciding to keep his answer as ambiguous as possible, he replied, "Maybe I will be... maybe I won't." His lips curved into a slight smirk as he took a sip of the new glass that was slid toward him. Arching a brow at the girl, he said, "Are you cold, or something? You're sitting awful close." He was letting her know that he was very aware of how flirty she was getting. He wasn't an oblivious idiot, he was a confused one. The art of rejection wasn't something he was skilled in. Perhaps if he kept up this air of disinterest, she'd give up.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 23, 2011 23:17:03 GMT -5
Nell may have been ignorant to many things about dating and sex and all that good stuff, but she wasn’t too naïve that she didn’t pick up on the fact that Brittney was definitely hitting on Josh. At least, she was pretty sure. And his answer to her ‘going home alone’ question made her feel sick. And she’s sitting close to him? Oh dear, oh dear… Nell pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Now she knew she had something to worry about, and she didn’t know why she was torturing herself like this anymore. She knew how this would end already, so she wished that they would just leave so she could stand and not have to face them in shame. It was the worst feeling she’s ever experienced, but she couldn’t blame Josh. She never blamed him for anything and it seemed this wouldn’t change. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep him around for long, and she wondered why she even tried. There was always going to be a girl out there like Brittney who Josh would rather be with. So if some girl better than her led him astray, Nell oculd only blame herself for not being good enough.
Brittney shrugged slightly at his question about her friends, saying with slight disinterest, ”I don’t know what they have planned exactly.” They would end up being sperated by the end of the night, which usually happened. She noticed him moving away from her touch, and her lips twitched into a frown for a moment. So he was playing hard to get? That was fine by Brittney. Usually it was the girls being the tease, but she guessed since she was effectively playing the male part in hitting on him, Joshua had every right to play this game. She leaned in close once more to say, ”But I doubt he’s as handsome as you.” She definitely was not playing hard to get, that much was clear. She was used to playing these kinds of games. Not that she slept with every guy she met at a bar, but she knew her way around one.
”It’s too bad,” she lamented. She was trying her best to be as obvious as possible without outright stating ‘I want in your pants’. That wasn’t very sexy, at all. But it seemed she would need to come on stronger to reclaim his attention from the glass he was staring at. As he ordered another drink, she continued on her martini, which was her third tonight actually, but it was hard to get plastered off of fruity drinks like that. Then he replied to her rather suggestive remark, and she placed a hand on his leg. ”Is there any way I can help you decide?” she asked, her eyes full of feigned innocence. He asked her if she was cold, and she chucled. ”Maybe a little,” Brittney said before leaning in closer to speak the next words into his ear. ”I could use something to warm me up.” Her voice was more of a purr now, and if Joshua did not catch on to what she wanted, then he was just dense.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 23, 2011 23:34:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately for Joshua, shifting away from her and showing his disinterest did not seem to be working to any degree. She made him uncomfortable by commenting on how handsome he was. Compliments like this usually served to boost his ego thanks to the fact that people ignored the scars and looked past that, but this was just making matters worse. "Perhaps, but that's just a matter of taste," he shrugged. Alright, so maybe he needed to get a little bit better on the whole rejection front. It would have been so much easier if he just came right out and told her to back the fuck away from him, but Josh found it very hard to do that. He was still trying to play the role of the polite guy that was just out for a night at the bar, nothing more and nothing less. It was slightly ironic that the roles were flipped--usually it was Joshua doing the flirting, or at least it turned into a mutual game if a girl caught his attention with a coy smile. A glance toward the brunette from earlier revealed her to have found a different piece of boy candy to distract herself with, but this blonde didn't seem to understand the concept of giving up and moving on.
Up until this point, Joshua had been doing pretty good at resisting temptation. She was attractive, sure, but so was his girlfriend and he had just resolved to keep chanting that over and over in his mind. The only difference between this blondie and Nell was the fact that Brittney would definitely be a step toward getting some and with Nell he had to hold out for a while. It had already been over a month and it was certainly not easy for someone who was used to indulgence, but he'd made a promise to himself: if he wanted to keep Nell, he had to prove that he could be a good guy for her. The right guy for her.
Brittney stopped those thoughts in their tracks the moment she rested her hand on his leg. He was more than just a little uncomfortable now, becoming more and more aware of how attractive the girl was and how easy she was being. Normally the chase was the fun part when you were the one doing the flirting and the sex was just like a bonus feature, but hell, she looked like she might make her statement right here and now if there weren't so many people around. He glanced away from her, breath stuck in his throat as he tried to think of something to say. Fuck. No. Stop that. How could I even think of doing this to Nell? Damn it, though, it would be so simple to just--no, he repeated firmly to himself. With every ounce of self-control that he could muster, Joshua brought his hand down from the bar and brushed hers off. "Don't," he requested. "Please." Well... at least he was still being polite?
That's not much to brag, he snapped at himself. You were still tempted. That temptation was an evil thing, it really was. Why the hell did she have to be so loose and pretty and insistent? Why couldn't she be like your average girl and just realise when a cause was lost? She leaned forward and spoke in his ear, causing him to tense up. Shaking his head mutely, it took a moment before he said, "I can't." Rejecting this easy fuck was one of the more difficult things he'd done recently, but he did feel a bit better after he'd done so. Think of Nell, he told himself again. She wouldn't like to know that he'd wanted to go home with this hot blonde broad, so he was doing the right thing, wasn't he? "Maybe you should have brought a jacket if you were cold." Speaking of jackets, he was wearing his. He could have offered it to her, but that would just be leading her on and he had no plans of doing so. He took a deep breath and another sip of beer, praying that she wouldn't try again.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 24, 2011 0:52:25 GMT -5
A matter of taste? Brittney smiled at this. ”Well you’re definitely to my tastes.” She wasn’t even trying for subtlty anymore, not that there was much to begin with. She had one thing on her mind, and this was just the hook before the line and sinker. And she wasn’t about to be put off by curt replies, because the fact that he was still replying meant something, right? Well, to her it did. It meant that he wasn’t totally disinterested, because if he was, he would have told her straight off. Because she wasn’t playing coy or anything and he had to be aware of what she was doing. Brittney definitely was not trying to hide it.
She frowned again when he pushed her hand away and she returned it to the bottom of the glass, running her fingernails over it. All right, it looked like she needed to try a different tactic. Brittney was still as close to him as the stools they were sitting in would permit, and said, ”Am I really that terrible you don’t want me to touch you?” She put on a little pout to show how disappointed she was. Of course, it was really just her fishing for compliments. The girl knew how gorgeous she was, but she felt that she just needed to remind Joshua of this. But there was another negative word from his lips, and she still wore her pout as she leaned forward just to show off her cleavage, and playfully asked, ”Aww, why not?” She was still sure of the fact he was playing hard to get and this was just a little game for her. If he didn’t want her, he could have just walked away. But he didn’t, and so she was all the more encouraged. At his next words, Brittney tugged gently on his jacket and asked with a wide-eyed look, ”Why can’t I just borrow yours? I can return it in the morning.” You didn’t get any less subtle than that. Well, she could, but it would involve the words ‘fuck’ and ‘now’.
Below , Nell was still nervously eating the bowl of peanuts that were for the bar and would be coming out of her paycheck. Why am I doing this to myself? While before Josh’s words could have been easily misconstrued—and they certainly were by her—he was a bit more straightforward now. And this did to relieve some of the tension she felt in her stomach. He’s rejecting her right? She couldn’t be too sure, though, just because her over-analytical side wouldn’t let her. But the girl didn’t stop there, and how long would Josh say ‘don’t’ before he gave in? Nell didn’t want to doubt her boyfriend, but it was very hard to do in a situation like this. Even her natural optimism wasn’t keeping her from thinking the worst. Because this was Josh and she was really hot and Nell just decided to commit herself to finishing off the bowl of peanuts. Which was only making her feel even sicker, but she was just drowning her depression in food. Ironic, considering she was working in a bar, but she wasn’t going to drink on shift, even though she wasn’t working right now.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 24, 2011 1:06:35 GMT -5
Alright, now this was just getting ridiculous. She was practically begging her to fuck him without saying the words themselves. Joshua had been willing to be polite, but he was really running out of ways to shove off her attempts and get her to leave him alone. Why did this have to be so hard? He really wanted to prove to himself that he could resist such temptation but he'd never done it before and it was a lot more complicated than he'd thought. Perhaps in his naivete on the subject of relationships, Joshua had just assumed that the fact that he was dating someone meant all temptations and pretty girls would just vanish and give up. It wasn't like he had a sign saying he was off the market or a ring on his finger, so he probably shouldn't have jumped to such conclusions, but he couldn't help it. Nell's probably cheerfully minding her work right now, no idea that some blonde bimbo is trying to get into my pants. The thought made him feel even worse.
Even though he was trying to reject this girl, the attempts to be polite made him quickly start in with an, "It's not that you're--" He stopped himself suddenly. What was he doing? Here was the perfect chance to get the girl to lay off and he should be seizing it, right? Something made him pause and amend, "Just... don't." Was it wrong to hope that she'd just go away and stop giving him this maddening temptation? Apparently, because his words weren't making the bitch clear off. He could start in with the insults and the blow offs, but this wasn't your average crummy bar. There were people in here that knew his last name and he didn't want to give it a bad reputation. At least, not any worse than he already had. Then again, he also didn't want a reputation for being an unfaithful, cheating bastard.
There was just no way to win.
As if understanding that it would help her case, the blonde leaned forward and basically presented him with a view of how well-endowed she was, obviously knowing exactly what she was doing. It made resisting even harder, even when she pouted at him and asked why he couldn't go home with her. For a heartbeat, he actually wanted to tell her it was nothing and press his lips against hers, touch her arm, give some indication that he was interested. Then she would be victorious and he'd have a little fun tonight. Nell would never know. But it doesn't matter if she finds out, he thought. A sin's a sin no matter who's around to witness. "I... I've got a girlfriend," he said. There. It's done. It didn't matter that he'd hesitated a little, right? After all, it wasn't like you could blame him. The bitch was practically flaunting her breasts and her beauty. She was trying to seduce him--what guy wouldn't be tempted?
He just shook his head when she asked to borrow his jacket, assuming that this gesture didn't need any words. He wasn't going to give in to this girl. A part of him wanted to--it wasn't hard to guess what that part was--but his loyalty to Nell was winning out. He might even have been a little proud of himself if he wasn't so uncomfortable.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 24, 2011 1:34:54 GMT -5
Brittney thought she was doing pretty damn good. It was obvious she got the goods, and it was difficult for any man to resist. Even Joshua Dale. He cut himself off before saying what she had been expecting, something that she could use to her advantage. Instead, he replaced those words with another refusal, and her pout was a little more real this time. ”Don’t what?” she said innocently, resting her chin on her hand as if waiting expectantly for his answer. No, she wasn’t going to lay off so easily, because this was still just him playing hard to get, right? He was being a tease, and she predicted that with one right word from her he would eventually give in. Why wouldn’t he? She was attractive, that was for damn sure, and she knew how to use that attractiveness seduce men like Joshua. And she’s proven that she knew how to flirt and do what she wanted.
The next words from his mouth were a little unexpected. But she caught the hesitation and there was the fact that he hadn’t brought it up sooner. If he had a girlfriend, then why hadn’t that been the first thing he said when he became aware of her goals. Her lips formed into a smile as she said, ”Well, who says this girlfriend of yours needs to find out? It’s not like I’ll tell her—” Hell, she didn’t even know who the girl was. ”—And I doubt you will either.” It wasn’t in her goals to destroy relationships, because how could anything happen to a relationship if the other half never finds out about infidelity? A one-night stand would just be a little glitch in the system, easily forgotten. There was nothing Joshua needed to worry about, really, since Brittney wasn’t about to go around town proclaiming how she banged him. This was just as much a one-night stand for her as it would be for him, not something to go on about forever. So this girlfriend of his would be none the wiser. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her after, all.
Underneath the bar, Nell had been enjoying the chrous of angels she could have sworn she heard when Josh said that he had a girlfriend until it was abruptly cut short by Brittney’s next words. The horrible feeling was back once again to torment her, because she believed this might be it, the coup de grâce. Josh didn’t know that she was eavesdropping on this exchange, and so it might appeal to him that she would never find out about it, that he could just go off and sleep with this girl and return to her, acting like nothing happen. And it wasn’t like Nell was going to stand up for herself, just to embarrass herself when she saw Josh cuddling up with this hot blond chick. She decided she’d better just await her fate and hear Josh’s answer, knowing that soon she wouldn’t even be able to listen to them anymore because they’d be making their way out of the bar and over to a hotel or something. Feeling miserable once again, she continued on with her dish of peanuts, watching as the other bartenders strolled by, ignoring the fact that she was shirking off and eating their stock.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 24, 2011 1:55:07 GMT -5
This girl was being an absolute freaking nightmare. Why hadn't he thought about this kind of temptation when he'd decided to go and have a drink? It was only commonplace to attract attention if you went to a bar alone. Some people went out with the sole intention of seducing a new sweetheart for the night. Hell, maybe Brittney had decided right when she'd walked through the door that she was going home with the first attractive or even remotely interesting male that she came across. He didn't know, he wasn't psychic or anything--all he knew was that she was desperate to get in his pants and the more he refused her the older the words got. "You already know, you shouldn't have to ask," he frowned, disapproving of the fact that now she was just trying to try and get him to fall for her. I'm not as stupid as you might think I am. Sure, he was very much a male and she was very, very pretty, but that didn't mean that being in her presence turned him into some primitive idiot that could only pant after her like a dog. No, he didn't lose his personality just because he was tempted by this bitchy seductress.
And that was probably why her next words had such an impact on him. Still having personality meant still having a temper, and he was surprised by the ferocity of the anger that rose in his throat. True, Brittney was just repeating the mantra that he'd told himself a few times--she never would know, after all--but there was something different about hearing it from the girl herself. It marked her down as someone who didn't care about helping him to back-stab another girl. He loved Nell. If this relationship said anything for the two, then she had to love him back, right? Yet here was this blonde woman ready to help him break her heart. If she ever found out. But it was just too dishonest for Josh. The anger overcame the temptation, and by now he didn't know whether he was more angry at Brittney or himself. What were you thinking? You would have ran back to Nell and pretended like you hadn't fucked some dirty little whore you met in a bar and she probably would have just smiled and fucking believed you. Not that he was going to let this bitch off the hook. No way.
Leaning forward, Joshua pretended to act as interested as he possibly could, getting in close. "No, I won't tell her," he said, quietly to sound like he was giving in, but loud enough that the poor girl sitting and eating peanuts behind the bar would probably be able to hear him perfectly fine. "She definitely won't find out." Letting Brittney think she won was just a set-up, however. He kept a barely-there distance between them as he brought his lips close like he was going to kiss her, then used the bar counter as support to pull away as he spat, "Because I'm not going to do it." Even being that close remarkably hadn't made him give in completely, mostly because the rage had cleared his mind. "What part of 'I've got a girlfriend' don't you understand? Would you have wanted to fuck me if I was married, too? Ring or not, I'm as good as." There was a challenge in his voice. Joshua was not yelling, but he was definitely asserting the fact that he wasn't going to cheat on Nell, now.
"I couldn't do that to her," he said viciously. "And it fucking amazes me that you could. You'd support my decision to break her fucking heart, would you?" He didn't even care about his damned reputation at this point as he shook his head. Besides, it would be Brittney who looked the worse one in this situation. "I love my girlfriend, I'm not going to sleep with every chick that comes my way just because she isn't around to witness it." With a pointed glare, Joshua turned his attention back to the amber liquid in the glass for the last time. Suck on that, he thought violently. It'll be the only action you'll be getting from me tonight. He actually felt better, rather than worse.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 24, 2011 2:32:18 GMT -5
To add to the disappointing realization that she finished up the dish of peanuts, there was the coldness in her body when Josh said she wouldn’t find out. I knew it. Nell had always held her boyfriend in high esteem because he was so good guy to her, but clearly it was only a matter of time. Maybe they shouldn’t have moved this into relationship territory. It was obviously a mistake. Why did she even think it would be different, knowing who Josh was and what he did in the past? She should have predicted how easily this would fall through. But no, she just wanted to see the best in him because she really did love him. Or at least, that’s what she thought. She’d never really loved anyone before, so she just believed that this new feeling she was experiencing was it. Clearly, the feeling wasn’t mutual. The first time she ever got into a relationship and this happened. Nell sighed. Well, it looked like she might have to take off early and eat a few tubs of ice cream back at her apartment. But first, she’d have to wait for the two to leave and…
She wasn’t counting on Josh’s next words, and she didn’t think Brittney was either. He’s not going to do it. The most powerful feeling of relief she ever experience surged through her then, and she could have cried from how happy she was, hearing Josh say that being in a relationship was being good as married. After having so many doubts from listening to the exchange, that was probably the best thing he could say. Any previous doubts seemed to disippate as he went on. Why did I ever doubt you? Nell felt bad, considering that she thought Josh would be low enough to go off and sleep with Brittney just because he believed she wouldn’t find out about it. Her low self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to believe that Josh would stay faithful when presented with an oppurtunity to have a fun night with a smoking hot chick.
He was obvious better than that though, and she didn’t think she’d ever been so happy to hear such venomous words. It meant a lot to her, knowing that he did love her and that he wouldn’t sleep around on her because she wasn’t putting up. It was a very good feeling. And it gave her enough balls to replace the dish of peanuts on the the shelving under the bar and grab a glass, moving to stand up and reveal herself. She felt bad since she had been eavesdropping, but Josh’s fierce rejection of the girl replaced that feeling. Nell smiled over at her boyfriend, and asked in her pleasant bartender tone, ”Hey there! Can I get another beer for you, Josh?” Then, as if now noticing that Brittney was sitting there next to him looking quite offended, she asked her, ”How’s your birthday going?” The pretty blond girl simply muttered, ”Just get me another apple martini.”
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 24, 2011 2:55:57 GMT -5
Joshua nearly had a heart attack when Nell popped out unexpectedly from the bar. Speaking of drinks, he was just taking the last swallow of his second one when she appeared and spoke, and the suddenness of it all caused him to give a little start. Joshua was not a jumpy person and it took quite a lot to frighten him, but his girlfriend coming out the the woodwork right after a pretty blonde had tried her hand at seducing him? Yes, that was definitely enough to do the trick. Eyes watering, Josh coughed slightly and shuddered as he blinked the liquid away from his eyes, wiping at them with his sleeve and continuing to sputter a little for a moment. This gained the attention of a few people nearby, to whom he croaked a hasty, "I'm fine, just, uh, went down the wrong way." There was no way he was going to sit here for a while and explain to them the real reason that he'd nearly choked. Besides, that would mean admitting to the fact that he'd just been about to bed Brittney and--oh, god.
Nell was here.
Nell was fucking here.
Shit. It was the only coherent thought he could manage, realising in a moment of crushing agony that his girlfriend had just born witness to the entire scene unfolding between he and the blonde. How much had she seen, he wondered? How much had she heard? Even the realisation filled him with guilt, even more of it than he'd felt when Brittney had been tempting him. Did it even matter, now, that he'd said no in the end? He didn't feel like it should. He was in a relationship, wasn't that supposed to make these feelings go away? You're still a dude, no matter how much you love Nell, he reminded himself. Maybe if they were actually in a sexual relationship then there would be no temptation, but the fact that he wasn't trying to seduce Nell at this stage of their relationship meant going without and thus being deprived of something that was very infuriating. It was like making a child live off nothing but vegetables when they lived next door to an ice cream parlour, or dangling a hundred dollar bill just out of a poor man's reach.
"N-Nell," he sputtered out when he finally caught his breath and got his voice back, throat sore from the momentary coughing spree. "I didn't... I didn't know you worked here." He was surprised when his girlfriend addressed Brittney quite cheerfully, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing. Maybe she didn't? For a moment he was tempted to just live and let live, but then he decided to make a bold move: he was going to prove to this bitch sitting beside him that he was proud of Nell and proud of everything that being in this relationship entailed. "Oh, Brittney," he said as if he'd just remembered something vitally important. "You two don't know each other, right?" Lips twitching into a hint of a smirk, he said, "Remember that relationship I was telling you about?" He paused for effect. "This is Nell. My girlfriend." The one you suggested that I cheat on? The one that will probably never forgive me for this? Still, he was trying his best to make it clear that he was not interested in this blonde bitch. Way to pour salt in the wound and rub it in with lemon juice, eh?
He was going to have to make it up to her somehow. The guilt and the shame and the embarrassment of this convinced him as much. She deserved an apology and much, much more. "I think I'm done drinking for the night," he said with a shake of his head. He was clearly not drunk, his gray eyes clear--though they still shimmered a little from the remainder of the pained tears--and his speech smooth and uninterrupted. Though his voice was a tiny bit hoarse, again from the coughing fit, it took much more than two beers to put him down for the count. "So when do you get off shift, Nell?" he asked with full intentions of making it up to her just as he knew that he should. "I'd love to hang out." He cast his gaze toward Brittney for a moment, pointed. I'm going home with her and not you, he thought, as if this bitch could read his thoughts. Because I love Nell and you're nothing more than a filthy seductress. Smirking a little at her, he said, "Have a nice night," just to rub it in that little bit more.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 24, 2011 13:37:06 GMT -5
Nell felt bad when Josh started to choke on his beer, as it must have been a shock to see her standing there, all smiles, after what had just passed. You kind of deserve it, making me worry like that. But she couldn’t be too angry at him. His little rant at the end made her feel a thousand times better, but the fact that it had taken so long to even say that he had a girlfriend stung a little. Was he interested in the blond? Probably. What guy wouldn’t be? Everyone had needs. ”Sorry about that,” she said, her expression a bit withdrawn. It was creepy that she’d been listening to them the entire time, and she was pretty embarrassed to admit that. Sure, she’d done pretty strange things in her life, but that must have topped the list.
Her smile fell back into place when he said her name and she explained, ”I just started last week. I uh…should have told you.” She didn’t really tell anyone she had changed jobs, because she wasn't sure how long it would even last, and it looked like she maybe should have. There was the sneaking suspicion that Josh had avoided going to Corrosion because of her, so it must have been a shoc to the system to see her here. After having been hit on by a hot blonde. As she was introduced to Brittney in a surprising move by Josh, her smile became more certain and she did what she was supposed to be doing while hiding under the bar and returned to work. She could practically feel Brittney's icy glare before looking up to her face. ”Nice to meet you, Brittney,” she said as she shook up what would be Brittney’s martini. Nell wasn’t about to go and say something like ‘ha, in your face, he loves me’, but she couldn’t say that she really liked the chick. Especially after what she said when Josh told her that he had a girlfriend. But she was the successful one here, so that didn’t really matter. Not meeting Nell’s eyes, Brittney returned in a low voice, ”Nice to meet you too.” She realized now that the girlfriend she was telling Josh to cheat on was right in front of her. And heard it all. Because she’s a creeper.
Nell didn’t say that she was glad he decided to stop drink, because there was always the wariness that remained. It’s not like she could completely forget a night she’d almost gotten shanked by her now-boyfriend. She looked down at her wristwatch as she poured the martini in a glass. She only wore during her shifts because it was easier than checking her phone all the time. ”In a few hours,” she told Josh. Her coworkers were probably glad the psycho girlfriend under the counter had returned to work, and she was going to have to make up for slacking off after just getting the job. ”Think you can wait?” Nell wondered if he was aware of the fact that she’d pretty much heard everything, and if so that made her even more uncomfortable. He stayed faithful, though, and she told herself that’s all that mattered. In the end, she’d won out. She passed the drink off to Brittney as Josh spoke, and the girl simply smacked down her money on the bar, grumbling out a simple, ”Whatever,” before getting up and heading back over to the table with her girlfriends.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 24, 2011 19:10:05 GMT -5
Nell wasn't quite so cheery as she usually was and this worried Joshua. Was she upset? Angry? Did she feel betrayed by what she may or may not have heard, or was Josh just being paranoid as usual? "Don't worry about it," he insisted. "Just gave me a bit of a fright, that's all." She wasn't the one that should be feeling bad about this after all. He was, and he did, and he was hoping that Nell understood that he really didn't mean to hurt her. He had been tempted to go off with Brittney but it hadn't been out of affection for the blonde girl and he certainly felt nothing for her the way he felt about Nell. He'd been so used to feeling nothing that when Nell had come along he'd been quite shocked by the rush of foreign emotions he felt for her. It was lust that had drawn him to Brittney and the blonde had been playing games with his head. Nell would understand, right? Please let her understand. He felt a little sick, which was another one of the reasons he had decided to stop drinking for the night and just wait for Nell to be let off work.
A small shake of his head was initially the only response to her words. "You didn't have to," he told her. He didn't know why she was waiting or if she'd even planned to tell him at all, but Nell didn't have some sworn duty to report every little minute detail of her life to him. She had her own business and privacy just as he had his--he didn't inform her of absolutely everything that he had done or planned on doing. Like this. This was different, though, surely. It wasn't like they lived together and thus he'd had to phone her up and say he was going to be getting in late because he was spending the night at the bar. He hadn't planned for this busty blonde to start in at him, after all. "But, um, congratulations." Josh tried his hand at a small smile, relieved that it didn't come out as a terrible attempt. "I'm happy for you." Which he was, truly. He just hadn't expected to find out with Nell spying on him as he was hit on by one of the prettiest women in the place. But not the prettiest, he thought. Perhaps it was just that he was in love with her, but it was pretty hard to top Nell's looks. Besides, looks only make up for so much. Brittney had a hideous personality if she'd planned to have him cheat on Nell.
She'd have known, if I'd went. The thought was unsettling. If the blonde had done that much more and managed to seduce him, Nell would have known. She'd probably have broken up with him on the spot if she didn't wait until they ran into one another somewhere else first. It just made him all the more glad that his heart had won out over his other impulses. Sex wasn't everything, after all. If he'd fucked Brittney and lost Nell over it he'd be without a girlfriend and without a best friend as well. The blonde would move on to her next boy toy and he'd be left alone. If there was any motive not to cheat on someone, that should be it, right? He didn't see the difference between being in a relationship and actually being married to someone. You still made a commitment to another person, it just didn't involve laws and vows or a ring on your finger. Kind of wish it did, he thought. At least if it had, she might not have even approached. To think that all of this could have been avoided with a circular bit of metal was almost maddening.
A few hours was a long time to sit here and stew in guilt, but he wanted Nell to feel reassured about the fact that he wasn't going to change his mind and pick up girls at Corrosion when she was waiting to finish her shift. "Sure thing, I can wait," he assured her. Whenever Nell busied herself with cleaning glasses or serving drinks, Joshua resolved to only talk to the guys around him. If a girl did start up conversation he stubbornly attempted to keep it short and filled with an air of disinterest, and he mentioned his girlfriend a few times even though he didn't exactly say, 'Hey, see that brunette over there? I'm dating her.' He just mentioned that he was involved with someone. It felt too forced if he pointed out that Nell was here, like he was telling them that he'd definitely be interested if the distance wasn't as small as it was. He didn't know if Nell heard any of this quipped conversations, but he hoped that if she did she realised how sorry he felt. And if not, he was just going to have to tell her himself.
When Nell's shift finally did end, Joshua left the bar with her but did not immediately speak once they were out in the open air. He kept his eyes averted for a long moment, pretending to find the ground to be one of the most interesting bits of scenery he'd ever observed, and then he cast his gaze in the direction of his girlfriend. "Nell... I'm sorry," he said bluntly, not wanting to cut around the issue. He'd just jump in the grave that he'd already dug himself by being attracted to the stupid bitch in the first place. "I know I should have said something sooner, but... the truth is that I've never had to do that before. It was... more difficult than I'd thought it would be." The shame coloured over his words and made its way into his expression. He was being honest with her at least. Painfully honest, yes, but honest all the same. "It doesn't make it any better or worse to say this, but I love you. Not some backstabbing airhead I met in a bar." He touched her hand a little, but he didn't do anything else. Kissing her would have felt like a nail in the fucking coffin at the moment. Plus, his breath probably smelled like beer and that was not attractive. "I'll understand if you're upset with me. How much of that did you... hear... exactly?" Surprisingly enough, he wasn't the least bit upset by the fact that Nell had hid behind the bar and spied on them. She had every right. She probably thought I was going to cheat on her. She probably thought that he almost had.
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