Peridot eyes had been watching Jim for a lot of the night, how he interacted with customers, his easygoing nature rubbing off on those around him. She admired the light in his voice, that something that called out to her from the moment she had stepped inside. She had been laughing at one of his jokes, overheard as she sipped a tonic and vodka mix, when his eyes landed on her and he strolled over, a tanned hand thrust into a denim pocket at his pelvis, and he leant over and smiled.
"Ain't I seen your face somewhere before?"
Lerida acted stunned, which in part she was, and her lashes drew down a touch as she considered it.
"I suppose I'm on my beat in Westend streets more than East, but I'm hardly on show and tell"
Jim grinned.
"No no no, I'm sure I seen ya somewhere. You a singer ain't cha?"
Lerida smiled broadly and nodded, his expression urging a laugh out of her.
"I don't know, Jim"
He leant back and looked around the bar, and then fixed his eyes on her.
"The Alley Cat Club. How're you like come and have a night here, maybe on a Wednesday"
The once jazz singer drew her teeth across her bottom lip, and shook her head a little, thoughtful.
"I'm fairly tied up at the moment" her eyes were apologetic.
"Surely you got some free time. You'd go down well in 'ere. I might even be tempted to join you some time, up there, give it our guts. How about that?"
His lean arm extended across the bar, and sitting straight, she reached for it and shook it tight.
"Done"
She pursed her burgundy mouth and then laughed softly, flushing at his attention.
"Good to see that spirit, kiddo"
And he sauntered off, throwing a look at her throughout the night as she chatted with those seated nearby, as if to say "it'll be right, kid, it'll be right" and she was thankful for his asking her.
At the moment it'd be no mean feat to get the guts of the blues out of her. She was soaking with their crookedness when alone in her bed at night, as if caught in a downpour of foreign feeling. She had so much to get out of her, and maybe this insightful, lovely man had seen that. Looking over at him before she left, him returning the look, something of kismet passed between them, and as the door swung shut behind her, it remained; fastidious and exciting, the flair that spontaneity had for like souls.
"Ain't I seen your face somewhere before?"
Lerida acted stunned, which in part she was, and her lashes drew down a touch as she considered it.
"I suppose I'm on my beat in Westend streets more than East, but I'm hardly on show and tell"
Jim grinned.
"No no no, I'm sure I seen ya somewhere. You a singer ain't cha?"
Lerida smiled broadly and nodded, his expression urging a laugh out of her.
"I don't know, Jim"
He leant back and looked around the bar, and then fixed his eyes on her.
"The Alley Cat Club. How're you like come and have a night here, maybe on a Wednesday"
The once jazz singer drew her teeth across her bottom lip, and shook her head a little, thoughtful.
"I'm fairly tied up at the moment" her eyes were apologetic.
"Surely you got some free time. You'd go down well in 'ere. I might even be tempted to join you some time, up there, give it our guts. How about that?"
His lean arm extended across the bar, and sitting straight, she reached for it and shook it tight.
"Done"
She pursed her burgundy mouth and then laughed softly, flushing at his attention.
"Good to see that spirit, kiddo"
And he sauntered off, throwing a look at her throughout the night as she chatted with those seated nearby, as if to say "it'll be right, kid, it'll be right" and she was thankful for his asking her.
At the moment it'd be no mean feat to get the guts of the blues out of her. She was soaking with their crookedness when alone in her bed at night, as if caught in a downpour of foreign feeling. She had so much to get out of her, and maybe this insightful, lovely man had seen that. Looking over at him before she left, him returning the look, something of kismet passed between them, and as the door swung shut behind her, it remained; fastidious and exciting, the flair that spontaneity had for like souls.