[attr="class","gaignun"]Rowen had not felt desirable in a long time. She had engaged in behaviors that entailed desire, that implied it in a glancing way, but it had been a long time since someone had met her eyes with a grin, had stayed beside her when others were just as available. She had forgotten what it felt like, but she was beginning to remember. Declan was a bit intoxicating with his presence, and she wanted him to stay around her a bit more.

She had watched Nerys for a long time and had seen her be at ease in an endless sea of people, and though she had picked up a few of her sister’s tells, she was always a bit at a loss when it came to employing them. Instead of anything bolder, she settled for tucking her hair behind her ear and watched the people leaving the bar. She wasn’t ready to go just quite yet. Uncrossing her ankles, she crossed her legs again at the knee.

“In that case, I’m sure you’d sell-out.” Her brow lifted at his second claim, and she glanced over her shoulder at the aforementioned stockings. With an approving, appreciative nod that was mostly a joke, she turned back to him. “Someday, someone is going to think you’re serious and be very disappointed when you don’t follow through with a show like that,” she warned him.

She nearly blushed at his next set of suggestions and thanked God for the low lighting of the bar. She tried to laugh it off, before the mental images took too much root. “Mr. Declan, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. What else would a woman be doing in a man’s bedchambers past dark?” She ‘tsk’ed her tongue for effect and knocked back a swig of her drink to wet her suddenly parched throat. This was certainly not the night she had planned; it was certainly not a night she could have foretold. She, at least, could not blame her curiosity for his thought processes on the drink in her hand. No, that was all her, and it was a her she had not met for a while.

She felt a familiar sense of strange pride as he commented on her ability; it was often the single most special thing about her. “Incredible is definitely one word for it,” she agreed with an almost sheepish smile. She ran her free hand through her hair as he asked his question. “Not often, at least not on purpose,” she lied through her teeth, with a wide smile that she managed to keep more stable than she felt.

[attr="class","gaignun"]Rowen became increasingly aware of the sudden cold air as it hit more of tight-covered legs. The hemline of her dress had definitely rode up, and in that split second to make a choice, she decided against smoothing it back down. That was positively scandalous in her book, but if the weight of his eyes was anything to go off of, it was a good choice. She sat up a little straighter, drink idly clasped in her hand. This was no longer her wheelhouse, if it ever had been.

Her night was steadily being made in the offhand comments he tossed her way, and though she might regret hanging off of them once she left, they were all she needed to hear in the moment. Of the two Oswald girls, no one had ever asked the younger one to serve as eye candy. Rowen always felt understated, reserved, and though she tried not to let his compliment catch her off-guard, her steadily growing blush betrayed her. “A private show might just be better, then. I’m not sure I could rearrange my schedule to fit you in else how.” She hoped her voice sounded more confident and nonchalant than she felt. She was definitely out of practice.

Her brow quirked. “An education? I wasn’t aware you were a qualified teacher.” She had no doubt he had quite the resume of things he could teach her, and learning has always been one of the things she was quite good at. Her heart picked up a little bit in her chest, as she tried to maintain a casual air. She swirled her finger on the rim of her drink. “I’ve always believed in being a lifelong learner.” She only raised her gaze to meet his as she raised her drink to her lips, swallowing down a bit more.

His hand was entirely too warm on her thigh, but she didn’t tense up like she figured she would have. If anything, she relaxed a little bit more. “I’m sure you’ve used that line before, but you’re cute enough that I’ll allow it,” she told him. She drained the final bit of her drink and set it back down. The glow of it would fade in a minute or two, but already she was getting overheated. Even as the band was switching into a looser, more relaxed set to help move the crowd along, she was not budging at all. At least not to go back to her own home.

[attr="class","gaignun"]Something about his gaze made her prideful, almost vain. He was easily the best-looking man under the roof, and he was looking at her. It was hard to keep that from going to her head. Even if he was only chatting her up to look at her thighs some more, she was certainly not going to push him away. It was downright scandalous, but she felt like it was practically just the two of them in the entire bar. She could afford to be a little scandalous, she reminded herself. They were far separated from Primrose and the hawk-eye of her sister; there were precious few people left in the Gorgon’s Head to judge her.

Her brow went up at his statement, and she wanted to tease him more but that left that door too wide open. He didn’t need to know that she would clear her calendar and more for him. She could retain a bit of dignity from the night, as well. Or at the very least, she could save it for later. She tried not to blush even harder as his hand moved the hair back behind her ear; she mostly failed. “You? Crass?” She scoffed a bit. “That I can never believe.” The touch of his hand on her cheek sent quite a shiver down her spine. A gentleman. She considered that, letting her eyes run over him as brazenly as his had gone over her. “Someday, you can tell that comment, and I can judge it for myself.” Her shrug after the statement was much cooler and level-headed than she felt. He had a lot of game, and he seemed to put it down with such ease that she could barely stand it.

She did stiffen when he leaned closer to her ear, and though her eyes widened at his statement, she tried not to betray her shock in any other way. Shaking out a bit of her hair, she leaned back toward his ear. “Only if you can promise to be gentle; I actually really like this pair.” Her hand found itself on his, her touch not at all prohibiting but light as a feather. His grip on her caused her to sit up a bit straighter still, which only sent her closer to him. She suddenly regretted rebuffing his idea of a relocation earlier, but the night was already long in the tooth.

She pulled back slightly to flag down a bartender and ask for a pen. Taking the one offered and a cocktail napkin, she scribbled her number down and followed it with Rowen in her careful, neat script. She offered him the napkin with a deceptively noncommittal shrug. “You can add this to your collection, by the way.” She had doubts about whether he would actually contact her again, but it never hurt to round her bases. Besides, even if he didn’t, it felt like an exercise in personal power or a step in the right direction, at least. It was already bolder and more active than anything else she had already done in a long time. The ball would be in his court for future interactions, safely out of her hands.

[attr="class","gaignun"]“Then someday it will have to be,” she told him with a generous shrug of her shoulder. Someday was a day most never saw, she reminded herself. That did little to cool her blush or the thrum of her excited heart. This was easy, much too easy. It was like she had stepped out of her life, into another that belonged to someone vastly different to her. This wasn’t how she filled her nights; she didn’t let men pick her up at bars. Men rarely even approached her at them. No, this felt like a moment stolen, and she wanted to grip onto the promise of someday. Even if he didn’t mean it.

“You sure do speak in ‘if’s and not ‘when’s. I appreciate the confidence you have in yourself.” After his last promise, she was almost thankful for their break in contact; it gave her a bit to breathe, to put things a little bit of perspective. As much as she wanted to follow wherever he lead, she had responsibilities in the morning. She certainly did not want to rush whatever trouble they could get into. That way usually led to more headaches than she needed at the moment.

She sat farther back against her barstool and leveled her gaze at him, the blush slowly leaking from her cheeks. “You’ll just have to text me and see. I can’t make any promises.” That was a goddamn lie, but she gave an innocent shrug as if it were the gospel truth. The only person who texted her was her sister, and that was still only once in a blue moon. There was certainly no way for him to get lost in her crowd; there wasn’t even a crowd to get lost in.

She ‘tsk’ed his reiteration of his earlier question. “You’ll just have to catch me when I’m wearing a pair of tights I don’t care much about, Mr. Declan. My power gets messy.” As much as she wanted to say yes, some nameless instinct stalled her. Unhappily, she was forced to listen. “Besides, I need to be heading home soon, and I’m not a fan of rushing. My ability, that is.”

She really was loathe to go, as if the spell of the night would be broken. She had nothing to go home to but an empty house and what could always be an empty promise on his part. It would not be the first time; it most likely wouldn’t be the last. The warmth of the night would stick to her bones for a while, chase a bit of the cobwebs from her smile, but she knew the routine. It would all come back in a little bit, that gnawing hollow. It was the only thing in her life that she could truly count on.

[attr="class","gaignun"]“Perhaps. I don’t claim to be clairvoyant.” Tomorrow was never promised; she had seen enough in her life to know that. He was just as likely to just see her in passing as he was to actually call her again. If he did call or text her, she knew she’d come; he intrigued her. The way he looked at her, the brazen way he talked to her, he had a bit too much of a big of twinkle in his eye for her to ignore. Her curiosity was piqued, and though she wouldn’t go out of her way, she would definitely let her path bump into his quite a few times.

At his grin, she raised her brow. “You mean women just throw themselves at your feet? I couldn’t imagine why they would do such a thing,” she clicked her tongue, though she fought not to roll her eyes playfully at his insinuation she was special. She still couldn’t tell if he was just really good or if he was actually a bit genuine. Either way, she wasn’t about to tell him to stop.

“Like I said, I don’t pretend to be able to predict the future. You either will or you won’t; that’s all on you.” Her shrug was deceptively light-hearted. He did seem like he would, like he wanted to see her again, a fact that seemed to only pique her interest even further. The world was full of women who would make his chase easier and more immediately profitable, but if he insisted on claiming he was interested, she was going to ride it out as long as she could. Heavens knew she needed it, even the shadow of a promise.

He was certainly rather boastful in his promises; she would have to be open to giving him the opportunity to follow through. Pulling her hair back behind her shoulder, she shot him another layered grin. “We could at least make sure it ends up in something other than a heap, I would hope. Wrinkles are a bitch to get out.” She was trying her hand at making her own couched promises; it was oddly empowering. She could get used to that, even if she could feel the red of her cheeks ramping back up. She could definitely use some cool air and perhaps a cooler shower.

“I’d really hate if you did, hun. I’d hate for you to pull a muscle during it all,” she teased him. She watched the bartenders cleaning up, the time fully hitting her. She had managed to spend the whole night in the bar, something she hadn’t even thought to do in a long time. The night outside would be deep, but at least she had something to think about on the walk home and then when at home. The hollow could keep to itself for just a bit longer; she

“I can’t think of any reason why you couldn’t. I would so hate to get lost between here and the door,” she teased with a smile and gentle shrug. She stood from her stool and slid the cash for her drinks toward the bartender with a smile, before Declan could even possibly protest. She liked to tip well, and he could always return the favor later. Even in heels, she knew he would dwarf her, but she offered him the crook of her arm just the same. “Shall we promenade outside, sir?”

[attr="class","gaignun"]Rowen’s smile bloomed rather wide at his statement. “Oh, they would have to be pretty spectacular for anything like that,” she replied with an innocuous shrug. She would never have figured that such an insinuation could come from her, but it was a night of surprises. It would be wrapping up soon enough she knew, and there was no reason to let such brilliant linguistic opportunities pass her by. Who knew the next time she would get such a chance?

She wasn’t quite sure what drew him to her; she supposed there had to be an element of the chase. He had already indicated as much, but whatever it was, she found herself wanting to respond to him. He made tall promises, and despite her better judgement, she wanted to figure out if he could keep them. There was no denying that he was an impressive-looking man, and if she were really committed to putting herself back out there, there was no reason she couldn’t entertain him for a while. At least until he eventually got bored with her, that was.

She put that thought out of her head with another grinning smile. There would be time for that later, she reckoned. For now, she was content to chuckle at his statement, shaking her head. “Sending you a bill sounds a little bit too much like something unsavory. My clothes will be just fine,” she assured him.

She shrugged as innocently as she could imagine. She couldn’t imagine being too much of a disruptor in his life; he seemed like he got into enough trouble all by himself. “I’ve gotten a bit too long in the tooth to be considered a Miss,” she told him. She had never considered herself to be anything close to a femme fatale; she couldn’t imagine any sort of real danger she could bring to his life.

“Lady is a much more fitting designation, Sir Declan.” He had left a tip for his own bartenders; there was something rather endearing in the idea of it. He had somehow escaped Primrose without too big of a greedy streak. That was more than she could say for most. “Such a gentleman, you are. You’re a dying breed in this and every town.” She dropped the dramatic formal posturing as she gathered her things to go. The walk outside wasn’t far, but she was glad he had offered to extend their contact for the night. She had still turned down his more private offer, and at that juncture, she would probably do so again, mostly just for the possibility of him asking again on another day.

The night air was cold on her legs, and though she liked the look of the skirt and tights, she wished she had worn something a bit more substantial. Even the warmth that radiated from the very large man at her side could do little more than cutting the chill slightly. She did her best not to further burrow into his side; there would, hopefully, be opportunities for that later. The entrance of the bar was farther away, and she frowned, still wishing to have a little bit more time with him.

“Well, I suppo-.” She was cut-off mid-word as he suddenly scooped her up. Her mind seemed to snap back when she could feel the rough bricks against her back, and she encircled her arms around his neck a bit too readily. She gave the kiss back as good as she got, though she tried her best not to completely melt against him in an undignified manner. She at least could retain some of that, even as her hands found his hair.

Oh, she really would be rather mad if he didn’t ever text her.

[attr="class","gaignun"]The time Ro had felt spectacular in her life was relatively short-lived, and she had never thought to apply the adjective to herself again. It felt like a goal, though, a bit like a coat currently too big to wear right. She wondered, for just a moment, if he knew the full story, if he knew that she had come out more as a way to vibe on the happiness of others than anything else, would he share his same sentiments then. As sweetly as he talked to her, as many promises as he had made, she knew what waited for her at the end of the night. It was what always did, but she could at least stem the tide with a smile in the moment.

“I think you should invest in a mirror, Declan, because you’re pretty spectacular, too.” She meant for more than just his appearance, too. He was witty, engrossIng, and entertaining. He was down-to-earth and forward in a way that was more reassuring than anything else.

She clicked her tongue. “I’m going to have to shorten my office hours, now; I’ll be suspicious of the intentions of every male student that wants to meet,” she joked with a shake of her head. In three years, she had never had any such problem. She hardly considered herself a “hot teacher” among the faculty, not when she was lined up against some of the other women - or even some of the men. Most of them had the sort of confidence she had not tasted in a long time, and in her experience, that was the more brazen students latched on to. For that, she was grateful.

She winced with a laugh and shake of her head. She knew the m’lady type, knew the way their eyes roved to look for the weak link in a pack, knew how they settled on her and expected an easy mark with little more than manufactured, stilted charm and expectations that she had never been interested in reciprocating. “I’m so glad you decided not to go through with it; I would have had to abandon you right here and now and never returned.” She was glad that she didn’t, though; she was too interested to run off just yet.

Her smiled got a little thinner, and she hoped he didn’t notice the way she had tensed up before she caught herself at the mention of exes. She couldn’t very well explain right then and there that that was impossible, that all her exes were dead and gone and that there had only really been one. She relaxed once more, forcing the tension out her shoulders. “Basic human decency is a foreign concept to some, unfortunately. Some men can be positively beastly - and not in the good way.”

By all rights, she should have decked him, should have pushed him away and ran in the opposite direction, but it was an intoxicating encounter. She had not been a nun, even in the worst of her dark days, but since she had been making an effort to be more present in the world and her own damn body, she felt this kiss more than she had any other she had been entangled in for a while. She couldn’t tell if it was his magnetism, her touch-starvation, the cold of the night, or what. It all warranted further investigation.

When he broke the kiss, she leaned back a little bit as if to inspect his face. She didn’t even know what she was looking for, but she muttered “Oh, what the hell” all the same. Without missing a beat, she craned her head back up to his all the same. Her lips found his once more, and she let herself relax into his hands.