The wires are electrifying her phosphorescent hair [Annelise]

Dusk was falling and outside the restaurant on Diagon Alley, the street lights were turning on. Addreig was sipping absentmindedly on his second espresso in an effort to keep himself up for the night he had planned. His favorite jazz band was playing at a club just a few blocks away and he had every intention of staying until their very last song, which knowing them would be well into the night. He’d left work two hours late trying to tackle the mountain of paperwork that his coworkers had unloaded onto him over the last two days. Add had lost a bet on last weekend’s Quidditch match and being low on money, he’d offered to do the work of his two mates that he’d watched the game with in lieu of handing over money. He left work starving and being that Add never cooked for himself, he’d headed straight for the bistro, further draining his savings. Even though it was nothing more than a hole in the wall, it as expensive and the food was delicious. He inhaled his rack of lamb in a manner of minutes and mused afterward that he hadn’t really given himself time to really savor it. Now he found himself still a little hungry and was growing over caffeinated.

Addreig waved the waiter over and asked for his check and watched as the woman sprung into action, most likely trying for a better tip by providing speedy service. He reached into his pocket for his coin purse and jingled it tentatively before opening the drawstring and peering inside. He hoped against hope that he wouldn’t be washing dishes tonight and looked up just as the waiter was coming back with the check. Add thanked him with a curt nod and opened the leather folder up slowly, knowing he was probably going to be disappointed by what he would find inside. Sure enough, the amount was startling and after taking note of the amount, he snapped it shut. He hastily fished out the ten galleons and twelve sickles and a handful and cheap as ever, grabbed just four more sickles for the tip. He slid them into their slots neatly and closed the folder with a snap. He stood creakily, having been seated for a while and pushed in his seat before heading for the door and slipped his coin purse back into his pocket as he walked. He smiled at the waitress and slipped out through the door into the Alley beyond.

Add headed for the Leaky Cauldron and as he approached the wall, he instinctively pulled out his wand and counted out the bricks three up and two across and tapped them each respectively. As the wall opened up before him, he stepped through lightly and slipped through the door as someone else was leaving. Add didn’t often make the trip through the pub and into the muggle world, but the club was right on the border of the two worlds on Charing Cross Road, just a few buildings away from the Cauldron. He opened the door onto Charing Cross gingerly and looked behind him to make sure no one he knew was inside the pub before stepping out onto the street. Merlin only knew the guff he’d get if someone saw him, Addreig Daley known muggle hater going out into the muggle world. Granted, The Lazy Bowtruckles were a wizarding band but they frequented the club he was heading to more than he liked and hated venturing out too far from his comfort zone; that and he’d hate for anyone to recognize him.

It was just a two minute walk down the block to the lounge Sweet Syncopation and considering it had a strictly wizarding clientele, the storefrontof the building was fairly ambiguous and promised a restaurant that had been many, many years in the making; strangely, few people ever questioned it. Add climbed through the illusioned window and into the entryway of the club. The line was moving quickly considering it was still early yet and before long Add was inside the lounge itself. There were people milling around one of the bars. Add squeezed in and quickly ordered a gin and tonic with extra limes and was served right away. Since it was still early, he didn’t worry about getting a table and instead slid into one of the corner stools. He took off his hat and balanced it on his knee then absentmindedly straightened his suit jacket. His suit was a dark, dark blue and he wore a light gray shirt and a silver tie to complete the ensemble. He thought he looked pretty snazzy, if he did say so himself. Add glanced around the bar, hoping to spot a pretty thing all by her lonesome but so far there only seemed to be couples or bachelors just like him scoping out the joint. Arching a brow and heaving a sigh, Add squeezed a couple of limes into his glass and brought it to his lips.

Warm amber light faded around her as nighttime approached the city. Her pink heels pounded the pavement of Soho as she made her way towards Charing Cross Road, which was, luckily, not too far at all. Her feet had already begun to pay for her footwear choice, but what could she do? New shoes had to broken in sometime. Plus, there would be seating at the lounge. As she proceeded down the street, she noticed a few peculiar glances from behind her shades. Annelise knew it had been a bold choice to turn her sleekly coiled hair bubblegum pink, but it simply matched her new shoes too well to pass up. She'd be lying if she said she didn't revel in the attention. Smirking to herself, she pulled a cigarette out of her small black purse, resting it between her neon pink lips. Lighting it with a flick of her zippo, she inhaled, flashing gawdy smiles at those brave enough to furrow their brows at her.

She pulled her black cloak tighter around her torso, the cool December air catching up to her. She was grateful she'd decided to wear the black beret, now offering warmth to her ears. She held her cigarette between the fingers of her rather oddly cut leather glove, letting her thoughts wander as she made her way to the lounge. Normally, she'd be out with a group right now, probably hopping from club to club downtown. Tonight, though, she was taking a little alone time to enjoy one of her favorite spots in the city: Sweet Syncopation. The wizarding jazz club was always a relaxing spot to unwind with a cocktail, and provided more sophisticated conversation than a nightclub. There was also a sensuality about it all, the ambiance and smoothness of the music. Annelise liked the mystery of whether she'd being going home alone or not. 

Finally, Annelise approached the entrance to the club, tossing her cigarette away before making her way through the illusionary facade. The crowd was bustling in the entryway, Annelise nearly able to make out her reflection in the glossy lacquered floors. A young witch took her cloak, unveiling her semi-transparent top. A small sliver of midsection was exposed between the hem of her top and the waist of her leather skirt, her entire ensemble emphasizing the slender curves of her figure. She slid her sunglasses into her clutch, revealing the dramatic eyeliner she'd spent longer than necessary perfecting in the mirror of her bedroom vanity. As she waited in line, she reapplied some pink to her lips with the help of her small golden compact. Whether it was the pink of her hair, her form fitting clothing, or her sparkling personality, Annelise was definitely attracting some attention. She was certainly dressed more proactively than the other patrons, but that wasn't exactly out of the norm. She felt a nearly giddy urge to grab the arm of the next inquisitive pair of eyes and whisper “I'm a stripper, you know.”

The line was fast moving, although populated, and soon Annelise entered the lounge. She made her way to the bar, passing the cloth covered tables that surrounded the stage. There was time before the music began. Annelise noticed a few men in the area, some leaning against the bar in conversation, some resting on the red bar stools. Bottles of liquor sparkled behind the counter, practically glowing against the exposed brick. It was dark and moody here, with just a touch of seediness, and Annelise drank it in. Resting her elbows against the bar, she made some quick chatter with the barkeep, who she learned was called Jimmy. Ordering an amaretto sour, she let her eyes wander, meeting a few eyes in the process. The bar was really starting to fill up now, and she wanted to grab a seat. After all, her feet were still killing her. She slid onto one of the remaining red stools, next to a handsome young wizard in a dark suit. The bartender approached, sliding her a drink. She smiled at him and opened a tab. She was hoping for a long evening.

“Jimmy,” she called, wanting his attention for just a few moments more. “Can I smoke in here?” she said, gently biting down her lower lip as if she'd just revealed a secret. He laughed and nodded at her in affirmation. “Jimmy, I think we're gonna get along real fine,” she purred, taking a sip of her drink. She savored the taste. Jimmy could mix a drink. Finally starting to settle in, her attention again wandered to the man next to her, who squeezed some lime into his drink. It appeared to be gin; perhaps vodka? She reached into her clutch and slid out a cigarette, resting it between her gloved fingers. Turning to him, she held it out. “Gotta light?” she said, softly. It was time to break the ice.

At the moment the only music was the buzzing of conversation around him, it was still early yet by the club’s standards and the better bands hadn’t quite come out to play yet. A greener, more amateur band appeared to be in between sets so he was left to imagine the sweet tones swirling around him. Addreig was nothing if not jazz connoisseur, so much so that he fancied himself a world class composer; at least in his own mind where notes usually swirled furiously around him, just out of reach. He couldn’t say for a fact that he was without musical talent because he’d never really tried to play despite wanting to take lessons for years. He was so enthralled that for the last few minutes he’d been tapping his right foot rhythmically to an oft imagined beat while taking intermittent sips of his quickly emptying drink. He was just about to take the last sip when over his shoulder he heard a woman’s soft voice break through his reverie. Before he turned around, he reached into his jacket’s inside pocket and fished around for his lighter and clutched it in his hand.

“Here you are,”

Add said in a low, husky tone as he drew the lighter out of his pocket and turned toward the woman. Addreig prided himself on keeping his expressions subdued, it wasn’t often he let his face belie his feelings but in that very moment that he turned around he couldn’t stop his eyes from widening ever so slightly at the young woman sitting next to him. Without saying a word, he deftly flicked the lighter on and watching as the flame ignited as he held it up to her cigarette. He clicked it off as the end of the cigarette started to smolder and slid it back into his pocket. He couldn’t help but give the woman another once over from her hot pink hair to her matching shoes and back up her legs to her midriff bearing top. He pulled his eyes away only to flag down the bartender and gesture to his empty glass, wordlessly ordering the same drink. Add nodded curtly as the young man switched his empty glass with a full one; he noticed the extra limes placed around the rim and uncharacteristically muttered a ‘thanks’ before the man turned away.

“I give you a lot of credit,” Add said, methodically squeezing lime after lime into his gin and tonic until they were all floating in the concoction. He looked across at her, took a sip, then set down the glass on the bar between them. “I know a lot of people who don’t have the self confidence to take two steps out the door dressed like that.”

Addreig never said that hedidn’t have the self confidence; that was never implied. Now, that didn’t go to say that he would ever dye his hair pink, but he had nothing against dressing extravagantly. Granted, as a man he couldn’t be half as risqué as a woman could. Something in the way this woman in particular carried herself told her that she was comfortable dressing that way. Add mulled over his words for a moment, hoping that he hadn’t made a misstep before he even started the conversation. The only time that Add made an exception to his time honored tradition of not giving a shit about what anyone thought was when he was trying to pick up a woman. Now that he thought about it, there was a potential that she could take ‘dressed like that’ the wrong way. He chose not to cover his ass, though. He didn’t want it to seem as if he was falling over himself to impress her.

“Who might you be?” Add asked, a touch of amusement in his voice. “I don’t know why, but I really want to know you better.”

Annelise didn't attempt to hide the playful grin that spread across her face as the man reached into his jacket pocket. Clutching a lighter in his hand, he offered it to the neon-haired girl in a rich, husky tone. “Thanks,” she replied smoothly, taking a few quick drags on her cigarette as thin white smoke began to plume. The scent of earthy tobacco filled the area, Annelise closing her eyes and drinking it in through her pores. Exhaling and opening her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the man eying her, and she let out a short, almost inaudible laugh. Without a word, the man turned his attention to the bartender.

“I give you a lot of credit,” he said a moment later, “I know a lot of people who don’t have the self confidence to take two steps out the door dressed like that.” She let out another quick laugh, this one with clear intent. She crossed her legs and turned so that her whole body was facing the man, her pointed pink heels mere inches away from his legs. “The way I see it,” she began, “every day when you leave the house, you've got two choices: you can blend in, or you can stand out,” she continued, tapping some ash from her cigarette into a tray. “Even more so,” she detailed, “we witches live a long time, which to me is simply an irrefutable invitation to be a whole different person tomorrow than the one I am tonight,” she added, her eyes looking into his. Hazel she noted.

“And you know what's really funny about the whole thing?” She questioned, raising her cigarette into the air, “is that even when I'm completely different tomorrow, and you couldn't pick me out of a lineup, I'm still just me,” she said, inhaling her cigarette deeply as she let the thought simmer. Taking a solid drink of her amaretto sour, she set it back on the counter and leaned slightly towards the man. “I never change,” she breathed, as though divulging a secret, “but the perception of me sure does,” she finished, with a wink.  Tonight, she was playing to win.

“Who might you be?” the man asked with some amusement. “I don’t know why, but I really want to know you better.” Straightening in her chair a bit, she held her cigarette above the bar with one hand, and reached the other out towards her new acquaintance. “Annelise,” she said elegantly, waiting to feel the warmth of the man's hand against her own. She too was intrigued.

“My pleasure.”

Addreig watched the plumes of smoke billowing out of her cigarette and let his eyes wander toward the ceiling where they were swirling away into nothingness. He turned his attention back to the enigma that was the woman sitting next to him and watched her over the brim of his glass as he brought it to his lips. He caught the faintest laugh escaping from her and couldn’t help but let a wry grin play on his face. This woman was so intriguing, so enthralling that he found himself almost unable to take his eyes off of her and only did so when he realized that he was staring. 

Watching her smoke was making him itch for one of his one, so he reached into his inside pocket and drew out a silver cigarette case. He opened it, slid one out and dug around for his lighter. In on swift motion, he lit the cigarette and took several puffs before clicking off the lighter and putting everything away. He listened as she spoke, taking several more drags in the process and when she laughed more audibly this time, he smiled in spite of himself.  He was well aware of her body language when she turned completely toward him and took note of how close she was. Brazenly, he too inched forward so that his knees brushed her feet.

“You, miss, have to be the most self assured person I think I’ve ever met.” He said after a long while, truly weighing what he was going to say at the risk of sounding as if he were trying too hard. “Well said, truly.”

After he’d said this, Add continued to really consider her words. Add wished that he had half of the gumption that she did or that he was even remotely as self aware that she was of herself. He was a very proud individual, most people who knew him thought he was arrogant but it was really just fierce self satisfaction. While he felt he exuded confidence, this woman practically shined she was that self assured, that confident. It was a very, very attractive quality she possessed, one that he found impossible to ignore. I never change…but the perception of me sure does. Add was floored by this comment, especially the way it was delivered in her low sultry voice that was just above a whisper. He felt a thrill rush through his body and his eyes flickered with intensity.

“Well, Annelise,” He said with another wry grin “I hope you don’t mind if I stick around for a while. You certainly have a way of…pulling  a man in.”

The neon haired witch relaxed when the man pulled out a cigar of his own and began enjoying it. She felt a real connection; the guarded walls between two strangers had fallen. She felt a faint rush of energy as the man's knee brushed against her feet. She wasn't surprised by the warmness in her cheeks. Now the touch barrier had been broken too. She cracked a smile as the man complimented her words, burying herself in her drink. She was definitely blushing now. Her eyes met his, and she was electrified from the intensity. He'd meant every word. A wry grin spread across his face and Annelise felt a little flutter in her chest. My, he was handsome. “You oughta use a grin like that more often,” she said with a smirk. She laughed flirtatiously as he offered to stick around, and promptly ground the end of her cigarette into the ash tray. “Come on,” she said, resting her hand lightly on the man's shoulder, “I'm pulling this man that way.”

Hopping down off her bar stool, she turned and grabbed her drink from the counter. She led the man into the larger room of the club, many of the cloth covered tables filling up with patrons. She let her hips sway as she walked, hoping that her form fitting leather skirt would do the talking. She glanced over her shoulder at the man, her hazel eyes taking him in again. He filled out his suit quite well. Finding a good spot near the center, she set her drink down atop the table. “This'll do?” she said, sitting down. She took another sip of her drink as the pair settled, and smiled at the man across from her. She wasn't afraid to stare at him a bit. Applause from the crowd distracted her, and she instinctively joined in with the group. An old wizard thanked the previous act as they cleared the stage, and introduced saxophonist Romy Getz. Annelise lit up with delight as the crowd offered him a welcoming round of applause. “I love him, he's brilliant,” Annelise said to the man across from her, nodding towards the stage.

The jazzy wizard began to play his saxophone, and thickly sweet, smooth sounds poured from the stage like honey. The sounds of faint, intimate chatter and ice cubes clinking in their glasses mixed with the musician, creating a soothing cacophony in the moody room. Annelise closed her eyes a little as she listened, letting her hands gently trace the skin above her necklace. She was letting herself loosen up, more so than she'd been all night. Coming back into reality, she let her eyes open with a gentle flutter as she directed her attention back to the man across the table. She turned to face him fully, smiling wryly as she rested her forearms on the tabletop. She leaned towards him, emphasizing her decolletage “You know, mister,” she said playfully, “I feel like you know a lot more about me than I know about you,” she said, raising her eyebrow. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand, eying the man with genuine curiosity. “Tell me something about yourself,” she asked, plainly. “You could always start with your name,” she offered, flourishing it with a wink. The night was off to a smashing start, she reckoned.

“Well Annelise, I’ll make sure you see more of it, then”

Addreig couldn’t resist allowing his mouth to curl up into another grin, this one a little slyer. His eyes flashed with amusement. This Annelise certainly was gutsy; she was also, he noticed, not at all bashful which he could surmise from the fact that she hadn’t pulled back from the contact. Well, perhaps she had reacted a little; he couldn’t miss the blush that colored her cheeks. Before he could tease her about it, she was off her stool and pulling him from his own. He made no move to protest and only hesitated to grab his drink from the bar. He followed her through the crowd of people who were sitting down or standing at the tall tables that were scattered around the lounge. As he followed her, his eyes barely wandered from the provocative swing of her curvaceous hips, yet still noticed when she looked back at him and seemed to give him a once-over. He smirked as their eyes met and nonchalantly ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. It wasn’t until she was sliding into her chair that he mentally kicked himself for not offering to pull out her seat. He sat down across from her and set down his drink on the table, taking note of the fact that it was still half full.

“This is perfect, just close enough.” He said, taking a sip of his gin and tonic. “And yes, he is a great musician; one of my favorites.”

Addreig set his glass down again and resumed his posture of before, his body language open and confident. Before he turned his attention to the stage, he shot her another grin and his eyes smiled, too. He was thoroughly enjoying himself so far and couldn’t think of a way this night could go any better. She was proving to be great company and he was getting positive vibes from her, even if there was something about her that he couldn’t quite place. Her speech and actions were so fluid that he got impression that there was a lot more to find out about her. Once again he found himself staring and everything but her figure was just background, even the silky tones of the saxophone that was being played by Getz. Add sipped at his drink absentmindedly, finally tearing his eyes away to look back at the stage. Her voice cut through to him, stirring him out of his daze and he turned back toward her to see that she too was assuming an open posture. That, and she was leaning forward just enough to emphasize the low neckline of her top. He blinked a couple of times to prevent his eyes from becoming glued to her cleavage and forced himself to look up at her face.

“My name is Addreig, but you can call me Add.”

Add smiled warmly at her and gentlemanly stuck out his hand across the table. They hadn’t had a proper greeting considering her first words to him were to ask for a light. Add was not at all nervous around her, or hadn’t been until now. The idea of touching her even briefly was enticing and had him wondering how soft her skin was or if he could smell the aroma of perfume lingering on her wrists. They’d only just met and he was already intrigued by her and when she asked him to tell her more about himself, he found himself wishing that he had something interesting to tell her. He was even willing to stretch the truth a little, if only to impress her. All these thoughts passed through his mind within seconds, meeting her was giving him a burst of adrenaline that he’d never experienced before.

“You wouldn’t find me very interesting, I don’t think." He winked at her. "I'm mostly work and don't really get out to play too much. But, I have to say I'm glad that I made it out here tonight."

“Addreig,” she purred, delighted to finally have a name for her new beau. “Addreig,” she repeated, letting the name linger on her tongue as though she were trying an expensive wine. “I like it,” she offered, smiling brightly. “It’s a strong name,” she finished. It was a statement of feeling rather than logic. As she eyed the man across from her, she could feel the physical chemistry that sizzled between them. There was a strong part of her that wanted nothing more than to get lost for hours in his strong chest and solid arms, and she wondered if he felt it too. She subtly traced the rim of her glass with her finger, not letting her eyes leave his figure. He was all she was interested in at the moment.

She laughed lightheartedly at his reply, her heart fluttering just a touch as he winked at her. She could tell that he didn’t get out much, though she wondered why. What sort of work could he be doing that was better than this? Annelise smiled a little to herself as a thought crossed her mind. She was a stripper for God’s sake and even she got bored with that from time to time. She paused for a moment after he expressed his content for tonight’s little adventure, letting only a small smirk spread across her lips. While she certainly wasn’t one to get too involved, she decided that she wanted to know a little more about her new friend Add.

“All work and no play makes Add a dull boy,” she said, lightly, leaning back and twisting in her chair to allow her elbow to rest on the back. With her other hand, she brought her drink to her lips. “Tell me,” she requested, “what is it exactly that you do?” With a sweet sip of her cocktail, she eyed him intently, wondering how long they could keep up this charade. While, in truth, she did want to know more about Add and his work, there was a very large part of her that hoped his next sentence would be my place? As she set her cocktail back onto the table, another smattering of applause rippled from the crowd as Romy Getz finished his first song. She joined in, smiling at the wizard on stage. As the applause settled, she was surprised to discover the tables closest to the front moving to either side of the stage, new flooring rising from the depths and taking their place.

Getz didn’t miss a beat, transitioning smoothly into an utterly lustrous and sexy melody. The lights around the club changed colors, the mood darkening and becoming even sultrier. She noticed several patrons rise from their tables and embrace one another in the new space. Getz had summoned a dance floor. “Wow!” Annelise whispered, looking to Add with genuine excitement. “I’ve never seen anybody else do that!” she added, her eyes bright. Add was now lit only by the candlelight dancing in the centerpiece, and she caught his eye, she was quite certain there was more than just reflections flickering in his rich brown irises. “This night is just full of surprises,” she offered, suggestively. As she smiled at him across the table, she wondered if he might ask her to dance.