The Bright Lights

[holiday_pirner]

"This girl was hogging the mirror. She's wearing blue velvet bellbottoms, you don't need a mirror to tell you that's wrong." Holly slid in beside Daniel, fluffing out her hair and closing the tab on her handbag.

She plucked the cherry out of her cocktail, looking up at the vampire. "Did anyone try to steal you away?" The brunette scanned the crowd surrounding them. "Tempting you with their scandalously exposed necks."

Another plus of hanging out with vampires was they could hear quite well over booming bass and synth. She knew Daniel could hear every word she said, and she didn't have to go home with a sore throat at the end of the night.

Comments

[daniel_stacy]

“Sexy,” Daniel agreed. He lifted his drink to the man with a fuzzy helmet of hair. “A mustache and chops. I salute you.”

He put his back to the bar top and rested his elbows on it. His ankles crossed and he became the picture of confidence. The trip down to Searchlight had done him some good, Daniel having reignited his old ‘live and let live’ (‘exist and let exist’?) philosophy. He felt loose. Slap-happy.

“By the way… man, you look awesome,” he said to Holly. Next to her, he probably looked like a slouch.

[holiday_pirner]

"High praise," she said, grabbing his chin and guiding his mouth toward hers. She planted a lingering kiss, then smiled. "I like it. A lot."

It was a lot more fun hanging around this place with a date. Holly took a moment to admire Daniel's five o'clock shadow while she finished off her drink.

[daniel_stacy]

“How’s the apartment search?” He put his fingers on the small of her back. It was easier to be around Holly in the din of a bar. Sensitive vampire ears had difficulty discerning her pulse from the next person’s, which saved him from a mental tug of war wherein his demon compulsively listened for it and he neurotically tried to stop listening, over and over ad nauseum.

‘I don’t hear anything… oh hell yes you do, and it sounds like tasty music… nope, I’m not paying attention… hey, do you hear that, buddy? It’s blood!’

[holiday_pirner]

"I found something promising, but Julianna happens to live there. How fun is that?" Holly watched a barback swoop in and take her empty glass. She leaned closer to Daniel.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. It's a big building. But I don't want her catching you on a Walk of Shame." The brunette smirked, tugging on his belt loops.

"I think she knows about your fang problem."

[daniel_stacy]

“Pssh!” Daniel laughed and shook his head, a cocky look on his face. “From what you’ve said, I’m more concerned about witnessing her walks of shame.”

Still, she had a point. It couldn’t be good news to have a watcher – and any associated slayers – knowing where he spent his nights. The last thing Daniel wanted was to get staked while he trotted out of Holly’s building with a stupid ‘just got lucky’ look on his face.

He downed some beer. “You think you’re gonna take it?” If Holly signed the lease, they’d just have to be careful.

[holiday_pirner]

Holly closed her eyes tight, laughing. "Oh, god. Bad, bad thoughts."

She shrugged, grabbing his beer and stealing a swig. Tucking it back into his hand, she continued, "I might as well keep looking. Vegas is a big place. There has to be something."

Narrowing her eyes, she grinned knowingly. "I notice you haven't valiantly offered me a place to stay. Worried I'll be picking out new curtains and making you throw out your action figures?"

Holly did enjoy teasing him.

[daniel_stacy]

"No, I'm worried you'll find my collection of old lady porn." Since she was into sharing, Daniel guided her glass to his mouth and tasted her girly drink. He wrinkled his nose and pushed it back. As bland as beer tasted, sugar was terrible.

[holiday_pirner]

"Oh, I'm so sure." She looked up at the catwalk that encircled the dance floor. There was a man standing among the clubgoers, leaning against the railing and looking back down at her.

Holly tugged on Daniel's sleeve. "That guy's staring at us." He didn't break eye contact even as the brunette returned her gaze.

"I think I've seen him before, on the beach. He was watching me and Echo." Holly wondered why she thought that. She hadn't gotten a good look at this face before, he had been standing too far away. There was just something familiar about him.

[daniel_stacy]

Daniel followed her eyes to the balcony. He saw the man and frowned. A physical impulse overcame him to stand closer to Holly, whether for protective or possessive reasons. He found himself narrowing the gap between them, his arm at her lower back becoming patently obvious. The vampire tried to hone his senses and gather anything he could about the man, but nothing came to him, except an intense urge to punch the guy in the balls.

“Want me to talk to him?” he asked.

[holiday_pirner]

She looked at Daniel, then back up at the stranger. He had broken eye contact, and now appeared interested in the DJ booth. "Let's go up there."

Holly grabbed his hand, and they parted the small crowd who flanked the bar, waiting for drinks. She picked out the path to the black metal staircase.

The brunette turned to look at him. "You won't bite him, will you?"

[daniel_stacy]

“What do you mean, in public? Nah.” Daniel shook his head. He darted a look at the balcony, trying to keep an eye on Holly’s stalker in case he booked it. A moment too late, it struck him that his answer left a lot to be desired. He flinched and shook his head. “I mean, god no. Who would do that? Heh, bite somebody... That is the last thing a vampire would do.”

He urged her forward. “C’mon.”

[holiday_pirner]

She gave him a raised-eyebrow look before climbing the stairs, edging past a wasted couple who decided a crowded staircase was the best place for sucking face.

They reached the upper level, and Holly looked around. The brunette spotted his retreating form through one of the exit doors.

She looked at Daniel. "What do you think? To follow or not to follow?"

[daniel_stacy]

"Follow," he said. If they got close enough to isolate his scent from the others, it could help Daniel track him down later, especially if this guy kept following Holly. At the very least, they might scare him off. Daniel picked up the pace as they headed for the door.

[holiday_pirner]

Holly crossed the space, pushing open the door. It opened onto another staircase, this one attached to the side of the building and leading down to an alley.

"Another alley. Cool." The brunette sighed and, with a backward glance to make sure Daniel was still behind her, made her way down the slightly rusty stairs.

When she got to the bottom, she looked in each direction but Mystery Man seemed to have disappeared. What she did see, pressed against the brick wall and barely out of the shadows, was a woman pressed against another. When the light caught her face, Holly realized the one was another member of the fanged set.

"Oh. Okay."