INERTIA (MAX)

[CONNOR SELWYN]

A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN WAS EXACTLY WHAT CONNOR NEEDED. HE FELT AS IF HE'D BEEN STUCK INSIDE HIS HOUSE FOR WEEKS, WHEN IN REALITY IT HAD ONLY BEEN ABOUT A DAY. HIS ADVISORS (WHICH CONSISTED OF HIS BROTHERS LENNOX AND ASHER, AND HIS CLOSE FRIEND JETT) HAD CAUTIONED HIM AGAINST GOING OUT MUCH AND BEING IN THE PUBLIC EYE. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS VERY LITTLE LENNOX, ASHER, AND JETT ALL AGREED ON AT ONCE, ONE OF THOSE THINGS WAS KEEPING CONNOR'S HEAD ON HIS SHOULDERS AND NOT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK FOR HIS MANY SINS. IF HE WENT DOWN, THEY ALL WENT DOWN WITH HIM BECAUSE HE WAS THEIR LEADER: THE DON OF THE IRISH MAFIA. WITH THAT TITLE AND RESPONSIBILITY CAME MUCH PROTECTION. BUT TONIGHT, HE'D MANAGED TO 'SNEAK' OUT (WHICH CONSISTED MORE OF LENNOX GRIPING ABOUT HIM WANTING TO LEAVE AND SAYING IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS AND JETT ENCOURAGING HIM TO GET SOME PUSSY... IT WASN'T REALLY A FAIR FIGHT ON HIS OPTIONS), AND NOW HE WAS AT VELVET REVOLVER, ONE OF HIS FAVORITE PLACES IN SAPPHIRE BAY'S DOWNTOWN UNDERBELLY. ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN A WELL-TRAVELED, WELL-POPULATED AREA OF TOWN, IT WAS RIFE WITH SEDUCTION AND DEGENERACY THAT CONNOR SOAKED UP LIKE A SPONGE. HE HAD TO GIVE IT TO THAT PRIG PORTER MIDDLETON: THE MAN KNEW WHAT MADE MEN PAY THE BIG BUCKS TO SEE A LITTLE TAIL.

AND HOPEFULLY TO GET SOME, CONNOR THOUGHT TO HIMSELF AS HE SLIPPED EASILY IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR WITH HIS IRISH 'BODYGUARD' - JETT WHO COULDN'T RESIST GOING TO THE STRIP CLUB AND WANTED TO SEE IF HE COULD GET LUCKY AS WELL, AND WHO ALSO PROMPTLY SLIPPED AWAY FROM HIM THROUGH THE CROWD THE MOMENT THEY WERE IN THE FRONT DOOR - AND WALKED FOR THE TABLES IN THE LOWER FLOOR OF THE BURLESQUE CLUB. GRABBING ONE BY HIMSELF - WHO KNEW WHERE JETT WAS BY NOW? - CONNOR ORDERED A SCOTCH AND WATCHED THE GIRLS ON THE STAGE WITH MILD AMUSEMENT. THEY WERE DRESSED WELL, AND THEY WERE CERTAINLY SEXY, BUT DID ANY OF THEM STRIKE HIS ATTENTION? PERHAPS. AS HE WATCHED, ONE OF THE BRUNETTES CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION IN PARTICULAR, AND HE DRANK HIS SCOTCH IN THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION AS HE WATCHED HER DANCE.

IT COULDN'T BE SAID THAT CONNOR SELWYN WAS A LONELY MAN; HE HAD A WOMAN IN HIS BED EVERY NIGHT IF HE WANTED ONE, AND HE OFTEN DID WANT ONE. AND HE WASN'T A SAP WHO MUST BE 'IN LOVE' TO BE HAPPY. HE WAS MORE THE TYPE OF MAN WHO OWNED THINGS, AND WHEN IT CAME TO WOMEN, THEY WERE OFTEN NO EXCEPTION. THERE WAS YET TO BE A WOMAN TO STEAL HIS HEART AWAY, AND CONSIDERING THE ORGAN WAS A SHRIVELED LITTLE BLACKENED BLOB IN HIS CHEST, THAT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY. HOWEVER, AS HE SAT WATCHING THE BRUNETTE WHO ATTRACTED HIM, HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF THAT HAVING THE SAME WOMAN TO CALL WHEN HE WANTED COMPANIONSHIP CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HURT. IT WOULDN'T BE A 'RELATIONSHIP' PERSAY, SINCE HE DISDAINED THE WORD AND ALL OF ITS POTENTIAL LONGEVITY, BUT IT WOULD BE A RECURRING THING THAT WOULD KEEP HIM ENTERTAINED FOR A WHILE. A WOMAN HE COULD LITERALLY CALL 'HIS' IN THE MOST LITERAL SENSE OF THE WORD, AND IF THAT MEANT HE HAD TO BUY HER JEWELRY AND FUCK HER UNTIL SHE COULDN'T THINK OF ANYONE ELSE, THEN SO BE IT. THAT, HE COULD HANDLE. 'LOVE' HE COULD NOT.

AS THE ACT ENDED, CONNOR STOOD FROM HIS TABLE AND MADE HIS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD TOWARD THE DOOR THAT HE GUESSED WOULD LEAD HIM BACKSTAGE. AS HE REACHED THE CHANGING ROOMS WITH THEIR MIRRORS AND LIGHTS AND SCANTILY CLAD WOMEN, CONNOR SMILED DARKLY TO HIMSELF. THIS WAS HIS PLAYGROUND. MOVING THROUGH THE SHADOWS UNTIL HE SPOTTED HER, HE MOTIONED FOR ALL OF THE OTHER GIRLS TO SCATTER. THEY SOON DISAPPEARED, AND HE STOOD ALONE IN THE DOORWAY TO HER CHANGING ROOM, LEANING AGAINST THE DOOR JAM AS HE WAITED PATIENTLY.

"YOU CAUGHT MY EYE OUT THERE, AND THAT ISN'T AN EASY FEAT," HE COMMENTED IN HIS RICH IRISH ACCENT, A SMALL SMILE OF FLIRTATION GRACING HIS LIPS.