If he was being completely honest, Venus scared the living shit out of him. The party got raided and he managed to slip out in time, however, he had assumed that Venus had done the same thing. Though it was obvious after the third day of work that she didn’t show up. He had begged their boss not to fire her, that he could pick up her shifts. While he didn’t know how to be a waiter, he would try his hardest for his friend. Azzy had to fight his boss every step of the way, throwing out some lies to cover for her and in the end, he had managed to strike a chord with the man with the lie that he knew would work. He had told him that Venus had to go back home because her mother had passed away and that she had to handle the funeral herself because no one else in her family would help. Had Azariah eavesdropped on their boss about what he was going through right now and used that against him to have some sympathy for Venus? Yep, he totally did.
Thankfully they lived close to one another. He had stopped to pick up some food for the both of them, had a nice two grams of weed, and honestly a few condoms. Azzy always liked to be prepared and he wouldn’t lie about the fact that he often got horny when high. Would he force that on Venus? Hell no. Would he offer sex as an outlet just as much as drugs? Positively yes. Azariah had also packed a spare change of clothes and his laptop in case she wanted him to stay the night. Everything but the food was packed into his backpack and he made his way down to her apartment.
SMS: I'm here with food and stuffffff.
The door was unlocked like she stated in the text. Dropping his bag on the couch and the food on the counter top, he makes his way to the balcony, searching for his friend. When he does spot her, his heart breaks into a million peices. Here was Venus, the strong and sassy now reduced down to the broken and sad. He leans against the door frame, looking out at Venus with a concerned look.
“Hey babe…” He says softly, hoping the normalcy would cheer her up a bit. “I went and got some food for us. I know you love some greasy and hot chicken wings.” He shoves his hands into his pockets. “I also brought some other things over, but….fuck…..Venus, what happened?”
“Ayy Azzy,” Venus never wanted to appear weak, she never wanted to be broken in front of a friend. So she forced a sad smile at the appearance of Azzy in her balcony door. She could hear the worry in his voice, it gave her a queasy feeling in her stomach. It was relieving to know he cared but it was a sick thought that he had to see her in such a state.
Taking a deep drag off her shitty cigarette she gestured to one of the other chairs for him to sit. She couldn’t answer that question. At least not yet. Even if she could choke out what happened she wouldn’t know where to start. How was she as someone who sold her body, supposed to explain how violated it felt to be searched at the party? How when they found the little bag of coke they mocked her, and groped her harder as if they would find more. How was she supposed to explain that as a twenty- seven year old she had to call her big brother because she couldn’t afford the two-thousand dollar bail? How was she supposed to explain that she hadn’t talked to him in over a year, as far as he knew she was living it up in the big city, only to get a call in the middle of the night that she was arrested for drug possession. How was she supposed to say, that she hadn’t slept, that she felt sick, that she didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what her family was going to do. And most of all how could she say she should never have come out there in the first place?
"What else did you bring me?” She blinked up at him, her stomach groaned, reminding her that she hadn’t taken the time to eat, he hoped her complexion didn’t give away her lack of nutrients. “I think I’ve got wine left over.. Or something? Wine and wing party, yeah?”
When life gives you lemons, right? No. There was no painting this gold, Venus already knew that. Sure, Venus had had her run ins with the police, but it was no real trouble. She was pretty enough, it was usually easy to flirt, feign interest, and squeeze her cleavage just right to get away with a warning. Not this time. This time she would really have a reason to say “fuck the police”. Most people would expect her to be familiar with this treatment, as a prostitute, but it’s far different when the person doing it is supposed to be protecting you (by law). And she was sure she recognized one of them... Of course he wasn’t the one who patted (or groped) her down, as soon as he made eye contact with her he rushed off to assist another officer...
“I want my phone call.”
“You can have your phone call once you answer a couple questions.
What is your name, age, and current address?
“Venus Tifft, 27, the Bronx...”
How did you find out about The White party?
“Honestly, this girl Kira invited a bunch of people... I personally don’t know her that well, but a lot of my friends know her... So I just went a long...”
Did you know anyone there?
“It was a huge party... Of course I saw people I know. I’m sure you would have recognized quite a few people as well.”
How long were you at the party?
“Obviously long enough to get roped into whatever bullshit this is.”
Were you consuming anything at the party? Alcohol, food, drugs?
“I had a couple drinks, yes. It was a party, what were you expecting people to do? But no, I didn’t even eat and definitely didn’t consume any drugs.”
Did you partake in any physical interaction(s) with anyone? If so, who?
“I’m sorry, but what the fuck kind of question is that? Did I fight anyone? Did I have sex with anyone? Physical interaction? I danced, I drank, I joked around with friends, I held a girls hair while she threw up! What do you want me to say?”
Do you have any knowledge about the underground criminal activity that occurred at the party?
“No. And I feel like if I had any idea what was going on, I wouldn’t be here.”
Liam nodded carefully at her words, “I’ll take your word for it. Honestly, I’ve never actually left New York, which is kind of sad. I really need to fix that soon.” he admitted. Now that he was old enough and could actually afford to take vacation without needing to medically … he probably should explore a little more of the country.
“But, ah, one new experience at a time, right?” he added with a small smile, “Tonight I’m working on ridiculously fancy parties and clothes I’ll probably never wear again.I can try the traveling thing some other time.” he added.
“Louisiana is worth a visit,” She shrugged, laughing as she continued, “Wayyy better food down there. New York has the one thing going for them, and that's the pizza... And even still it’s usually just a greasy ass napkin.”
Scanning the crowd, Venus continued to calculate what her next move should be... She was hoping no more ex clientele would be making an appearance, that’s why she had settled on Liam, right? She needed to start being more interesting or else he might go off and find some other damsel to protect.
“Well, at least the fancy party has drinks!” She tilted her glass towards him, “Do you want anything?”
The doors unlocked. I’ll probably be on the balcony.
Tossing her phone onto the small table beside her was the punctuation to the end of her text. She was exhausted, and that was an understatement... it was even more exhausting staring at a phone full of missed calls. Azzy had been the only one she bothered to contact. She figured he was the only one who could potentially console her. After all, they did frequent the same circle. Surely, he would have noticed her absence.
Pulling her legs up to her chest she tucked them into her over-sized t-shirt. She hadn’t changed for three days now and with her face completely clear of make up, hair listlessly tied up, she imagined she looked like a little kid. She sure felt like a little kid... Big brother had to come to the rescue again, just like when they were little. It was pathetic.
Sighing, she reached for the pack of cigarettes beside her. She hardly ever smoked. She wasn’t even a social smoker. She smoked when there was no other way to calm her, the nicotine always seemed to settle the quaking in her anxious hands. Lighting the cigarette, she took a deep inhale, trying to extinguish her racing thoughts with the exhale of the smoke. Venus had missed almost a weeks worth of shifts at this point (she was sure this would get her fired), she hadn’t even tried to get any other work to support herself. Essentially dead to the world, she locked herself up to cower from the world, only having stepped out for the pack of cigarettes.
But Maybe Azzy could get her up, get her to change her clothes, put down the noxious cigarette, or at the very least wash her damn hair... maybe.
Liam smiled softly at the woman, “Well, um, it’s nice to meet you, V. Though, um,I wish it was better circumstances.” he managed to say, hoping that sounded about right. Socializing in parties, especially fancy ones like this, was definitely not his area of expertise.
“I’m not really either.” he said, relieved that they had something in common, but still a little embarrassed. “I grew up as a foster kid in Queens, this isn’t, ah, it’s not really my scene.” he clarified, “My friend thought it would be fun though, and I never really can tell her no. I guess it’s kind of nice, just … different.” he added with a small shrug. And it was, he supposed. It was at least a chance to try to get to meet some new people, which he always did appreciate it.
Venus smiled a little more, he was out of his element which was always a good advantage, even if this wasn’t a typical party she would find herself at she assumed she could probably navigate it a little better than he could.
“I, uh, I’m from Lake Providence, Louisiana,” She glanced down at her feet, then back up at Liam, “Which is, well... Not the place an event like this would be held.” She didn’t mind being honest about where she came from. She lied about a lot of things but given most people didn’t know her real identity it wasn’t like they could get any information about her, especially from anyone in her neighborhood.
Based on this new information, where Liam came from probably meant he wasn’t in the market for anything Venus was offering... She’d been surprised before of course, but at least now they had more relation than just the stuffy party.
“From what I’ve seen, you’ve gotten more than I can count, so I think the dress is certainly doing its job.” He replied with a grin, noticing the glances directed towards them as they made their way through the crowd. Well actually, if he was being generous, maybe a hundredth of them were looking at him, the other 99 percent were fixated on Venus. She really was stunning, and he had to agree with her about his luck.
He repeated the order when they reached the bar and turned to look at her. “So are you here on one of the guest lists, or are you also an interloper?”
Breaking their linked arms, Venus retrieved her drink from the bar before answering, “I was a little offended I wasn’t invited…” She turned back to meet his eyes, still smiling that luminous smile. The truth was she wasn’t offended to not be invited, this party was stuffy- no matter how drunk the people got... and the idea of a dress code for an event (let alone all white) was absolutely ridiculous. She wasn’t impressed, to say the very least, but she wasn’t there to have a good time. This was supposed to be a work outing, that so far had no bites.
“This isn’t quite the party I would usually attend though.” She shrugged, taking a sip of the chilled vodka. Peering up at him from the rim of her glass she looked him up and down, trying to gauge whether or not he might be a man looking for certain affections. “So, Mr. Interloper, what brought you here?”
“Pffftt” Reina huffed, waving off the woman’s concern, “I’d like to see them tr-” She hiccupped before she was able to get the last word out and for some reason, doing that became the funniest thing on the planet. “Oh my god - my side.” She had to stop herself from laughing at the stupid noise that had emitted from her throat. Once she had composed herself she let out a breath yet another hiccup passed her lips again. Eyes widening, Reina slapped a hand to her mouth, “I can’t make it stop!” She gasped. “They’re with me forever!”
Venus shook her head, the one drink she had had barely gave her a buzz and she couldn’t even remember the last time she was quite as intoxicated as this young woman was.
Still determined to not leave her with the sharks she sighed, “Maybe some water then?”
Thackery smiled, “Nice to meet you, V.” He wasn’t sure if it was short for anything, but he felt rude asking her. “Of course. Company would be great.” He took a sip of his drink. “So, V. Are you new to New York? I don’t think I’ve seen you around. I would definitely remember if I had.”
“Oh, would you?” Venus smirked tilting her head to the side as she spoke. “And why do you think you would remember me?” She ignored the actual question, choosing to tease him instead.
“There’s how many million people in New York? At least a million in Manhattan alone.” Grinning now, she took another drink of the clear, harsh vodka, looking him up and down over the rim of the glass.
Person A is drunk enough that Person B doesn’t feel right letting them go home alone, and so they tag along or bring Person A to their place.
She was being reckless. That much was true but Reina didn’t care, it was the perfect excuse to just forget. Allow herself a break from the troubled mind that constantly plagued her everyday life. Tonight - she danced, drank to her hearts content, kissed a few charmers and laughed so hard that she’d double over in stitches. “Alright!” She slurred, stumbling in her heels slightly as she lifted her hands up, “I’m calling it - this place has gone fucking nuts…” She said, spinning on her heels to leave yet had to grab onto someone to prevent herself from falling over, “Whoops!” She laughed, straightening up again, “Goooodnight!”
Stumbling back, Venus anchored herself to support the intoxicated woman. “Oh, honey,” She shook her head. She had had one drink that evening, it was clear that this woman had had quite a few more than that. Glancing around them she noticed the eyes of quite a few male guests... She was beautiful and Venus knew what terrible things could happen to beautiful girls who accidentally drink too much.
“Alright,” Venus reached out for the other woman’s hand. “Let’s get you out here before anybody decides to get handsy.”
“Jesus, you want to get fucked up!” He laughs. “Darling, we have to be functional by the end of this to get home. Let me adjust those rules for ya. If someone comes up to us and we don’t know them, we have to make them give us their number. If we fail, we chug our drink.” He is more confident about that than just straight up chugging alcohol because he doesn’t recognize someone and then getting black out drunk at some party they weren’t even invited to. “Does that sound better to you? We potentially gain a new client, which is better business for us.”
“Noooo!” Venus tilted her head back as she laughed, “No, I meant like we drink if THEY recognize us but we DON’T recognize them.” She gave his arm a playful nudge, “But you’re right I shouldn’t get too fucked up.”
Picking up her drink she took a small sip before speaking again, “I’m really not looking to work tonight...” There was a pang of guilt in her stomach... She had originally told her Boss that’s what she would be doing, otherwise she would be expected to be turning tricks in the parking lot at Neon. “It would be nice to kind of take the night off...”
He’d been, not quite hiding, but making an antisocial retreat in the corner of the large room, sitting between a table and a wall to create a buffer between himself and the crowd. It had been easy enough to let his eyes skip over the crowd from one white outfit to the next, but they’d caught on one woman after a while, watching as she strutted through the crowds like she had more right to be there than anyone else. And then he got caught. Chris sighed as she walked toward him, a guilty expression painted across his face.
“You’re absolutely right.” He answered with a groan, leaning a elbow on the table he’d sat at, half concealing an apologetic smile. “I am so sorry.” His hand slid down his forehead to cover his eyes, and he peeked at her through a gap between his fingers. “You do look absolutely gorgeous in that dress, though I’m sorry if I offended you.” He stood up and offered his arm to her with a grin, using his head to gesture toward the bar set up at the far side of the room. “What can I get you?”
She didn’t expect to get a drink from him at all, but upon his offer a wide grin spread to her cheeks. Wrapping her arm around his she pulled herself close to his side, allowing him to lead them to the bar.
“You really don’t have to apologize,” she cooed, “I was just teasing. Besides, I did spend quite a bit on this dress, so I won’t lie and say I wasn’t hoping for a few stares.” She gave him a small wink. “Plus, I consider you pretty lucky for getting caught.”
Venus gave his arm a squeeze, “But I will absolutely take that drink! Vodka rocks, please!”
Person A was caught off guard by how crazy things began to get, and simply settled into a corner to avoid the craziness and do some people-watching; unfortunately, Person B just caught them staring.
@clicksintoplace
As Venus stepped through the sea of white, sipping her vodka carefully, her eyes scanned for a place to land for a while. As the party was picking up she was feeling rather overwhelmed, especially trying not to run into the wrong people. Venus wasn’t invited to the White Party, even if a lot of her clients were in attendance, most of them sure as hell didn’t want to see her there. It was too good to pass up though, crashing a stuck up Hamptons party? That’s basically the dream of any girl from her up bringing.
Throwing back the rest of her drink her eyes scanned the crowd once more. Just in the corner, tucked away from most of the commotion, Venus caught a pair of staring eyes. Here we go, she thought. Coolly, she set down her empty glass, dabbed at the corner of her red lips and set her eyes right back on the stranger.
As she strode towards him, she stepped confidently, purposefully, hoping by her demeanor he could sense he was caught. Adjusting the top of her gown, she greeted him with a smirk, “I think you’ve been staring long enough to offer me a drink, don’t you?”
He perks up when he hears the sing-songy voice of Venus. He turns to her with a grin. She always looked so lovely, so he shouldn’t be surprised when she looked absolutely stunning in all white. The contrast against her dark skin was just beautiful.
“Never be ashamed! Shame is for the weak.” He pauses and looks back towards the bartender. “We should probably start a drinking game. I’ve seen a lot of people that i’ve fucked and have been fucked by. It’s really a small world in the eyes of a prostitute.”
Venus grins, in that moment deciding that getting sloppy drunk was much more in order for the night than actually trying to get any work. “Drinking game it is!” She laughed, slapping her hand down on the bar, calling out for a vodka before turning back to Azzy.
“Alright rules,” she begins, wrapping an arm around him, “First of all, if we see someone we’ve both fucked, we gotta chug our drinks.” Azzy was the best kind of company on any given day, so this would definitely be a night for the books.
“Second, if one of us gets approached by someone we don’t recognize, we have to chug both drinks… and, uh, I guess every person is a drink, yeah?” She snickers, giving him a squeeze before grabbing her drink. “What do you think?”
Liam let out a small sigh of relief as the man stormed off before he turned his attention to the woman. He smiled softly at her before shaking his head, “It doesn’t matter what he was trying to get at, he doesn’t have any right to treat you that way no matter what.” he said firmly. He had seen enough and experienced enough even without his job that he couldn’t stand to watch anyone trying to scare or intimidate someone else, much less getting violent.
“It’s not a problem, honestly.” he added, “Are you alright? Is there anything I can get for you - or anyone?” he questioned, hoping to make her more comfortable. “I’m Liam, by the way. I don’t think we’ve met before, so I figured it’s only polite to introduce myself.” he managed, hoping that came out less awkward then it sounded to him.
Taking in a deep breath Venus sighed before drinking deep from her cocktail glass. Staring up at Liam she finally offered him a small smile, “No, I don’t believe we have met, I’m V. Thank you, Liam.”
Venus was trying to calculate exactly what she should do with this new gentleman. Of course he was handsome, not to mention he scared off a coked out former client, so that could come in handy. “I guess I’m not used to this kind of crowd,” Venus feigned a nervous chuckle. “This is a huge party, I don’t know what I was expecting.” This was a lie of course, Venus knew exactly what she was getting into showing up to this particular event (especially when she didn’t actually get invited.) Given her position no one was about to rat her out, which also worked in her favor with the man she was just meeting.
“You don’t seem quite like these people here,” Venus looked around, “What brought you here tonight?”
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