It was words that I fell for. In the end, it was words that broke my heart.

-Lang Leav

The clinking sounds of wine glass to wine glass resounded in the air as Nene sat in a luxurious and fancy jazz bar. It's hard to even hear what the bartender is saying because his voice is getting lost under the saxophone notes that jump up and dance. People are chatting and laughing away. Her red, strapless, floor length gown hugged her body. She stared down at her drink, watching the liquid swirl around. 

You'd think by the look of her extravagant appearance that she was here to meet a someone special, but she always thought that quality time meant spending time alone. It gave her space and time to think. She also didn't have to answer to anyone, or impress anyone. 

She turned her head slightly to the window glass pane near her, and she looked up just enough to see the full moon beside the bright stars. It's as if it was smiling down at her, giving her some reassurance of some sort. God knows she was tiring herself out these days. Countless nights wondering if she was heading into the right direction, questioning her morals and doubting the true essence of love.

Nene took a sip of her rose wine, letting the taste linger on her tongue for a quick moment. She turned her eyes away from the shining moon, and to the man who had just taken the stool next to her. She didn't have any plans to talk to anyone that night.

She fixes him in a look that would make any other person feel not welcomed. She folds one leg over the other, her stiletto heel dangling, exposing more of her skin; yet her face is unresponsive, stand-offish. 

Kid entered the jazz bar, removing his sunglasses and folding them into his pocket with a slick, and clearly practiced movement. Yes, he was a little young to get into bars, but his fathers reputation allowed him to enter pretty much any jazz joint. Perks of being the child of a great musician, heh. He was interested in the players on stage tonight, a big name pianist leading a younger duo of bass and drums, trying to make a name for themselves and upgrade from sidemen.

The first song was already under way so he sat at the nearest table, waiting for a waiter to come grab his order. He quickly scanned the room as he took off his light jacket, spotted a few good looking ladies before finally seeing his friend Nene. She was sipping on what seemed like wine and throwing looks to the man sitting next to her. Ooooh, was love in the air? He turned back around, not wanting to disturb his dear friends love life. He could always talk about it with her afterwards. 

The waiter finally arrived with his vodka cranberry, and he sipped on it as the trio began a cheesy, light hearted bossa, Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars.

Eli didn't normally sit next to anyone if he could avoid it, but tonight he wasn't thinking about it. He wasn't paying attention to the woman next to him until he heard the rustling of clothing. He almost unconsciously moved his hand slightly towards his trench coat pocket, where his recently purchased D'Eagle was waiting. When he saw her look and the movements she had made he raised an eyebrow slightly. He quickly recognized the gal as Nene, the one he'd seen in the casino a while back. He was recieving several mixed signals, but wasn't all that concerned with them. He tipped his fedora to her before motioning for the barkeep to come over and ordering a drink of his own, "I'll have one of your weaker sweet wines. Go ahead and suprise me, but make sure I don't end up on my ass after a glass or two."

He wasn't going to be the first to say anything, he rarely was, but if she wanted to talk he'd talk. He turned around for a second or two just to see if anyone else had entered or left the bar. It was always good to keep track of where people were, just in case. A kid with sunglasses had walked in, but as far as he could tell nobody else had left or come in yet.

Nene was taken aback by his behaviour that seemed to show some disinterest. She was so used to getting approached, like all the time, and this guy was practically ignoring her. Kinda. He acknowledged her with a tip of the hat, at least. Nene's face was still unresponsive, but she was more curious now. 

She noticed the barkeep nodding to his order, before going away to make it. Nene took the chance to lean closer to the guy beside her to get a better look of his face. That's when she realized - "uh, excuse me, I think I saw you somewhere before," and she lightly tapped his arm.

The fake excitement registered on her face. But she was definitely, truly, shocked to see him again. Nene wondered if they just visit the same places, or if he was following her. She mentally slapped herself in the head. Don't be so paranoid, Nene thought to herself. Then she cleared her throat, straightened her posture and introduced herself. 

"Well, uh.. Just in case we meet for a third time, at least you would be able to know my name. I'm Nene. And yours?" 

Eli, at least on the inside, practically flinched at her making contact. He responded, "You have, once. 'Twas a casino if I'm remembering right. I was sorta hoping you hadn't seen my face... In our line of work, sometimes anonymity is a boon."

He noticed the barkeep coming back with his drink, and, before replying to her question about his name, he paid and took a little more than a sip of the wine. He spoke, not bringing up the fact that he had overheard her name at the casino, "Since you've been kind enough to share yours, I suppose I'd better share mine. The name's Eli. I wouldn't count on our meeting again, but if chance keeps pullin' this off..."

It was rare for him to bump into the same people more than once, and normally, when it did happen they were never on speaking terms. He didn't know why he was so much more talkative than normal... Perhaps he'd have to shoot the barkeep later if his drink had been strong enough to make him blab something. As of yet, he hadn't divulged anything incredibly important, but if he did, there'd be hell to pay. Omerta was never to be forsaken...

As the word Eli rolled off his tongue, Nene raised her eyebrows in delight and nodded. "Eli? Short and sweet. I like it." His voice trailed off and she realized that his thoughts had drifted off elsewhere. She leaned forward and took a sip of her drink, careful not to spill it all over her expensive gown. 

Nene also noticed earlier that he had chugged his drink rather than sip it, causing her to think that there is really something bothering this guy. Or maybe he felt like he needed more alcohol in his system to get a little more loose. As for Nene, the alcohol was doing nothing to her. She was numb to most things. 

"You're a local? This is my first night being in Detroit. I was here on a business trip, but it finished earlier than expected so I have one more night to kill before I head back home. Mind walking me around the city streets for a bit? I'm craving for some fresh air right now." 

She hung her head shyly, wondering what his response might be. 

Eli was a bit surprised at Nene's reaction to his name. Generally there was the normal nod, an indifferent look, or just no reaction at all. He spoke, "First night huh? You sure you wanna be walkin' around Detroit at night? I am a local for now, and I can walk you 'round for a bit, but you better be able to take care of yourself just in case."

He was a little confused about the fact that she seemed to be acting shy after her... "advances" earlier. What did she want with a walk around Detroit at this hour? Fresh air was the obvious and given reason, but was there something else? Well he wouldn't intrude. If he wasn't going to break the code, he wasn't going to be the one to make someone else do so unless he had to. For a brief moment, the question about how much cash Nene might be carrying entered his mind. Not important, and definitely not important enough to get in trouble over.

He finished off his glass with a big swig before saying, "Alright. Just let me know when you're ready, and where we're headed. As far as I know I don't have any business tonight. I will say one thing though, I'm not looking to get 'over excited' if you get my drift, and don't try anything funny."