Table for one

[Mikhail]

Mik's body felt all loosy-goosey, muscles relaxed and soothed. Then again, that's what a spa was for, right? Fuck! Li had kicked his ass repeatedly. Well, not too badly. And he rather enjoyed the close quarters- the guy definitely had a way about him and he did smell good- just before Li pretended to gut him or rip out his throat. You're not supposed to get that close to an Oni, dumbfuck!' And he imagined the Lady would laugh and he couldn't help the smile he flashed the man. A warm one to be sure.

But the bruises added up. Ribs and legs mostly, along with a nice one on his shoulder. And shit, but he had no idea about all the yoga that was required just to learn how to kill something. He was dripping with sweat from that alone, stretching and holding poses in ways he would never have figured possible, before the training even began.

So when his body screamed at him that morning, well, why the fuck not? What was the saying? "Treat yo' self!"

So the Spa it was. Mina's hands were surprisingly strong despite how tiny they were. Then again, small fists could be pretty painful, he knew too well. And what the hell. Why not go in for the full service. Massage, hot stones, facial, pedi- the whole nine yards. Well, almost. Not that kinda place. Not that if he wasn't persistent it might not happen. At least maybe after dinner or something. But eh- that wasn't why he was there.

So anyway, where was he? Oh yeah. So Mik was feeling all sorts of good and relaxed and for the first time in a week, he didn't move like an old man. He had stopped off to change- black leather pants, cream v-neck, and his rust leather jacket. He could still smell all the junk they put on him- including some aroma-therapy oils that were supposed to linger and keep him feeling chill- but that was pretty cool.

So what to do now. He stopped off at a small hole in the wall and got a couple slices of pizza, large greasy triangles that you had to fold in half just to fit into your mouth. He always went heavy with the red pepper too. And he did have a beer. Didn't take that long to eat and he wasn't in the mood to post up at a table in some dive. Not today, anyway.

But he did want a drink. And he wasn't gonna deny that Mina hadn't made him feel good. Real good. Some eye-candy would do. But maybe something more upscale. It wasn't a usual haunt- he didn't make that much money- but he had scored pretty well on his last few jobs. And what the hell was money for if not spending it by having fun? And he did like Kalisti. When he was in the mood to be teased.

And yeah. He was in the mood to be teased. He sauntered in, eyes adjusting to the low lighting. The bouncer looked him up and down but didn't say much. Mik smirked at him and winked before taking in the place to figure out where to settle. Intimate alcoves to allow private conversation while still being able to enjoy the show. Larger tables of a larger crowd. The single booths where a patron might sit and talk with one of the servers or performers- if they happened to be in a chatty mood. And a bar.

Yeah, that was usually the best bet. Even if a table caught his eye, you always started at the bar so you could watch the dynamic of the people there And the bartender was cute, mop of dark blondish hair over a pair of eyes that seemed to hold a smile. Nice pair of shoulders too. Nasty scar across his neck definitely promised an interesting story. too. The girl behind the bar competed for his attention, though, black hair flowing around a face- and body, holy shit!- that promised everything a heart could desire- along with a nice ride in a blender there at the end. Dear god, how they found these people...

Yeah, this could be fun. A brief side glance prompted a small smile. Mr. lime green shirt that very nicely showed off his biceps and tats was only a seat or two down. He waved the girl over, friendly grin and a twinkle in his eye. "Well heya doll." Her smile was wide and her eyes flirty, but of course she was a hired gun. Still, not like he wasn't playing a game too. "Tell ya what, if I knew you were working here, I'd be here every night."

She laughed gamely and came back, immediately catching the vibe. She spoke as if relieved. "Good thing for me then. I need this job. But without having to fill out a restraining order."

He laughed apologetically, winking at her. "Sorry, doll. Barbie, right? Can't help myself." A wide grin. And he let the aggressiveness drop to something more relaxed. "So can you hook me up with a drink, hun? Titos and pink grapefruit?"

She eyed him with a glint of playfulness warring with dislike for a moment, as she wiped the space in front of him. "Sure thing, Ken."

He frowned. puzzled, pretending to be offended. "Ken? Do I look like a Ken to you?"

She shrugged innocently, hiding a slight smile. "Maybe? I don't know. After all, I'm Barbie. Which would make you Ken....". And then she smiled tightly, eyes sharp with amusement at his expense

He barked a laugh, enjoying her tease, and her smile became genuine. She was quick. He looked mock-offended and gobsmacked. "Wow! Just....wow! Now that says all sorts of things doesn't it." His voice dropped to sultry and he raised an eyebrow. "Nobody ever called me smooth though." And then a toothy grin, daring her to say what he knew she was thinking.

Just making fun of himself. Just a game. The Lady laughed at him all the time. It's what dancing was, after all. She handed the drink to him. "Well, not-Ken, I'm Nissa."

Mik put his hand across the bar and shook hers. banter done for now. "Good to meet you, Nissa. Name's Mik. Thanks," he said, nodding to his drink. They'd talk or they'd not. No biggie. He was just floating, looking for something new to do anyway.

Maybe he'd he see or hear the Lady. That always led to fun. He glanced over at Lime-shirt briefly as he took a sip, before spinning around to watch the stage. Interesting to see what they had going today.