ย ย ย โโย โi can see that.โ beaming, he didnโt falter under the stare of the other man that she hopped away from, one of the staggeringly rich whoโd just bet and lost high in his last game. instead, he took some satisfaction in the venom of his expression. baz wasnโt the most gracious of winners, and he didnโt mind leaving the other literally empty-handed as his grasp fell off from julietโs waist. being pulled away by her was something of a relief, anyway, as he hadnโt quite known what reception to expect from his approach.ย gladly, he let himself be guided back from the crowds, with only a teasing comment leaned in for her to hearโ โhope iโm not stealing you away from more important things, am i ?โ
their past reunions had often come about in frenzies of questionable legality, and so this one felt somewhat out of their element, though the sudden appearance of the cognac helped. they both seemed strangely suited to their setting, dressed their parts, him in a clean-pressed suit to mask in imitative wealth, her in what appeared to be the uniform for the place. his inclusion was, of course, entirely performative. if any cameras had caught sight of the few helpful slips his hands had taken, he knew that his two-piece wouldnโt stop a bouncer from breaking every bone in his arm. he wondered if juliet was faking anything similarly, or if sheโd caught up with the rest of the world and been hired for real, straightforward work. baz watched her while they walked the hall, trying to spot changes in her from the last time, left on the roof in the early hours of the morning while heโd run to catch a train. she sounded the same, at least.
โwhere are you taking me ?ย i donโt want to be getting you in trouble running off. gotta say, this is as close to an honest job as iโve ever seen from you.โ none of it sounded genuine, surely sheโd have recognized that from him by then. each of them were already trouble all on their own, and worse trouble together, so having any concern over it was fairly useless.ย knowing herโ for however much that counted, it was unclear how close they could consider themselves when all they had between them were fake names โshe would be able to get herself out of any issue that might come up from her peeling away unannounced. she was always going to do what she wanted to do.
with her statement he grinned, tried to catch at her wrist to encourage the cognac to come out. โwhacked me ?ย come on.โ it wouldโve been a natural thing to think, and there had been times over the past months when such a fate was genuinely promised to him. heโd even wondered if she was running from similar threats more than once, though he still shrugged it off then. baz wasnโt about to admit to worrying about any of it.ย โiโm offended you think iโd get caught so easy. i could have said the same for you, too, though. you disappeared just as much as i did. didnโt exactly expect to see you here.โ
theyโre deep in the clubโs twisting system of halls now, ariel delighting in having the upper hand as she leads him up a stairwell, almost cackling at his question.ย โ absolutely not. especially if you won -- which iโm positive you ensured ,โ she added with a conspiratorial wink over her shoulder. back to the door they arrived at, she bumped the pushbar to open it with her hip, the night air rushing in the stairwell as they exited the club and landed on the roof.
it wasnโt a sophisticated hang out by any means -- just some string lights and a few tables set out by the dancers and bartenders, an easier and safer place to escape to during cigarette breaks to steal a moment for yourself. going out in the alley was asking for trouble, or an unwanted interaction with a drunken patron. still, the little paradise on top of the gold club was one of arielโs favorite oases in the city.ย โย just a little slice of heaven, right here on the pulaski highway ,โ she answered theatrically, unstopping the cognac and taking a long swig to help warm her smarting limbs.ย โ -- god, i know right? i still find ways to make it a little dangerous, though. iโm not going soft on you over here .โ arielโs eyes glinted with dark mischief as she wiped her lips, offering the bottle of courvoisier to belfort.
he looked good, especially in the dim lighting the makeshift rooftop patio provided. older, which shouldnโt have surprised her -- it had been a while, but they seemed so timeless in her mind -- untouchable by the years. ariel knew she looked younger after two years spent in kinder conditions than sheโd ever known -- or at least cleaner, not as gaunt with hunger and rolling off of whatever sheโd gotten her hands on that week.
โ yes, โwhacked youโ ,โ she reiterated, tone light and teasing as she flopped down into a folding chair.ย โ you donโt have to get caught to end up dead .โย itโs nice, this thing they have going on -- dancing through each otherโs lives just long enough to make an impact, but not long enough to become a drain on one another. it might have been her longest, most meaningful friendship at this point in her life.ย โ yeah well, there are a lot of rich, dumb people who pass through here, and they love to get a taste of rough on their little vacations ,โ she snorted with a small shrug.ย โ figured it was a as good a place as any to lay down a couple roots. for now .โ
