Loud, bright, playful, and distracting. The burlesque parlor was filled with pungent perfumes and sweat. It was the smell of fun. Illegal fun. Having a good time is what these people were all about. It was already one am and these people didn't look tired in the least. They were just getting started at enjoying the women on the stage. Colors surrounded James' vision as silhouettes danced all around. He sat at the bar, a place where no one was but the bartender and even he looked antsy to join them in throwing money on the stage. Looking around, the man finally ran out and found the girl with the biggest breasts, sitting in front of her and gazing up as though she was his long lost love. It wasn't like James cared that the man left him. He could always get his own drinks.

He stood up and walked around the bar, picking up the nicest looking alcohol he could find, pouring himself a glass. James downed the glass and leaned over the bar to do some more sight seeing. There was a woman that wasn't apart of the show who was literally naked on the floor. Security was outside and the bouncer was too busy laughing at the girl. She was positively drunk, which was odd since no one had touched the bar he was now behind in about an hour. James watched her with no sense of arousal on his face. It was sad that she was begging for attention. He puckered up his face and turned a cheek. She was too easy to pick up anyway. If he just threw himself on her, she would take it. There was no fun in that.

He sipped at his drink and brushed his unusually long hair away from his face. James worked at the place, but tonight was his night off. He played the piano for the classy ones, but tonight was no class, no piano. Just yips and squeals as people tried to do the most things that were against the law as they could. He was the only calm one in the place and the only one doing only one illegal thing. And that was being behind the bar. Just working at the bar didn't count. There hadn't been a police bust here yet and it had been around for a while. There were too many people that were afraid of being caught by the mob if they if they talked and gave up the place. The mafia partially owned the place after all. They owned everything.

Downing the rest of his drink he made a pleased sound as it burned his throat. He looked toward the door to see who had walked through it. Perhaps another eager fellow to watch the women dance. It was most likely one of them, but instead it was a woman. One of the women who came in for random check ups, surrounded by her male buddies. Sometimes to see if they were doing something they didn't approve of or to pick up the money they wanted. This woman was interesting looking. Very unlike the women of today. It almost looked like she cut her own hair and made her own clothes. No salon would do that. Then again, his own hair was a bit of an enigma.

She came to the bar, but made no effort to look toward him yet. She was too enthralled with sneering at the whores on stage. He smirked to himself and kept his eyes on her. She was a pretty girl. Odd, but pretty. He never tried to get with a mobster before as they were all men. This could be a new challenge for him. She finally stopped sneering at the stage and instead turned her sneer to him. "Well hello there, doll." James said with a smirk, leaning on the bar as though he owned it.

James pointed to the stage to show her the bartender, whom was now on the stage showing off his own dance moves and doing a little touch and feel when he could. "I decided to take over as there was no one running the bar." He said in a smooth voice. "What can I get for you tonight, my dear?" It was even wrong for women to drink in public if not at all. Not against the law, but just frowned upon by most men, but James was an exception. He was quite open minded as long as they were lookers.

Right off the bat, James knew she would be a challenge. It could have been the fact that she was part of the mafia or the way she walked around the place. It could be both. Either way, he wanted her. She had a beautiful body and a stunning face. There was a first for everything and he was an original picker. The smirk was still attached to his lips as she tried to look uninterested. Some men would just leave her be and try to find someone easy. If at first you don't succeed, try try again. He would always try until he succeeded.

He watched her eyes fall to the women on the floor who was now disoriented so that she didn't know that people were stepping on her to get to the stage. Perhaps he was wrong in that people would give her the attention she craved for. They just looked at her. No one touched the woman inappropriately yet. "I would love to." He would bend at the hip for a woman if it meant that he would win in the end. James turned and made his way out of the bar to grab hold of the woman on the floor and cradle her in his arms.

Now he knew why no one touched her. She smelled disgusting and didn't look so pretty up close as he had thought. Her breasts were completely off center and her waist was too small. At least for his taste. Smiling at the fainting woman, he helped her outside and grabbed a nearby table cloth to wrap her around in so she wouldn't be cold. Seeing one of the workers in the crowd that usually waited tables for drinks, he grabbed hold of her shoulder and whispered in her ear to tell her to grab the naked woman's clothes if she could find them. The woman obeyed as she had been with James before and wanted to again. James knew that she was always trying to win his affection for another night, but he was busy now.

Now that he was rid of the trouble starter, he rubbed his hands on his pants and returned to the bar. Hearing her order, he found it under the bar and poured her a glass. He was a pro at bartending as well as playing music. James worked here since it opened and watched everyone do everything. He could even dance if he really wanted, just for kicks. "There ya go...Annabelle." He said, sliding the glass across the counter toward her tapping finger. James was a handsome man, well built. He knew that, but wasn't self centered about it. You have to know when you're good looking other wise no one will think you are. "James." He returned the name exchange with another coy smile.

Doing what women wanted was all part of his plan to get them to do what he wanted in the end. Perhaps she knew that, perhaps not. She seemed to know a little bit about what he was up to or men that had tried with her. If she knew about it, he knew he was better. She wouldn't realize.

Though the naked woman didn't deserve any special treatment, he didn't want to leave her out in the cold. He was a gentleman, after all. He sent the woman to find her clothes and also try to find a way for her to get home. It was the least he could do. She would regret doing anything in the morning. He didn't have to worsen the sentence. If he were such a person, he would have joined the mob years ago.

Perhaps the bar was going to be sour after this broad had run around. That and the pigs drooling at the other dames on stage. Now, they seemed to have forgotten their own jobs and proceeded to start kissing the more attractive ones in the crowd rather than taking money to keep the mafia happy. And from what he could tell from the member across from him, they wouldn't be. This job would be all wet and he would need to find a new one. He should be trying to avert her attention, but he didn't care anymore. Perhaps he could work out an agreement where she could find him another job if she made him lose this one.

Nodding his head graciously, the sly smile not planning on leaving anytime soon, he smoothed talked his way to her brain some more. "You're very welcome." He finished his bow and gazed into her eyes as though she were prey, but he knew that it was the opposite in actuality. "Not at all. We're all human and I'm not nervous in front of them so why should I with you?" James returned her laughter, but for a different reason. "I hope that made a lick of sense to you."

His clear disposition remained as his new lady friend walked off as if she had her own business to take care of, which she obviously did. She wasn't about to enjoy the show and turn his mind into mush now was she? James watched her enter the stage and rose his eyebrows at how much she didn't care at what she was doing and at how much clothing she was wearing compared to the woman with none on. As if he hadn't figured this out himself, she grabbed the actual bartender by the shirt collar and threw him against the ground. A shiver went up his spine and not in the bad way. James shook his body as though he were dipped into a cool pool.

The entire bar was silent and if his smile had a voice, it would have ruined the stillness of the place as it was screaming in its own way. He whistled softly and a few eyes went to him as though it was louder than the mad woman's eyes up front. James figured he must be falling for a woman like this. He mouthed the word 'damn' as he leaned forward and watched the spectacle unravel before him. Many people started to flee, trying to get through the door as if a bomb was about to go off. He was sure there would be, but he would go down with the bar just to see the explosion.

The bartender ran behind the bar like he was supposed to, but didn't stay there for long. It was either the fact that he was scared to stay and be around this woman, or that there would be no customers to serve. So he grabbed his belongings and scurried out the door with the rest of them. They were the only two in the place now and he marveled at the mess he would have to clean up. "Might want to hand me a couple of those bills. I should be tipped for cleaning this place up now that he left courageously." James said as she returned to the bar, winking at her when she finally sat down. "I think I've fallen in love. Marry me, won't you?"

James grinned again as she started to count out the bills. She seemed so professional at it, of course. As he waited for her counting to finish, he pulled out the liquid he had previously been devouring and poured it into the glass already laid out for him, now empty. He pulled the cup to his lips and swallowed the entire thing before pouring himself another, this time going more slowly as to enjoy it. He needed something to wear of the ringing in his ears from the sudden change of noise in the place. James knew that he could still be yelling as though there were still people all around.

Work would be slow if he actually kept his job, but it would be better than losing it. After seeing so many flee from this woman he realized that he had more cool than he thought. Of course he knew who she was and what she was about, but that didn't stop him from their conversation. Perhaps if he tried anything, she would pull the trigger. That only made him more excited to see if he could pull it off. He couldn't actually like the girl now, could he? James liked to deny the obvious quite a bit.

She laid down two of the many bills she had in her hands. It was generous and barely one night of pay for him. Then again, he would rather trade what she had and what she gave him. Taking one of the bills, he slid it back underneath her fingers where the others lay, now counted to whatever number she had come up with. "That is for being beautiful and letting us be alone. Cheers." He held up his glass and tapped hers lightly, no matter if she was holding it or not, before taking another swig. "Not that scary? Well that will be just between you and me, cause I don't think those other fellas would believe you." James smirked, running a free hand through his hair only to have it fall back into his face, right where it had been before.

This place was a mystery. A whole cluster of law breaking things in one place. A mobster, female at that, a burlesque parlor, and a bar. He really hoped the prohibition of alcohol would be just a simple phase because he really couldn't live without something to wet his palate. Coming here all the time was a waste of time and he figured it wouldn't be around forever. The entire place being empty was a surprise. Everyone must have been up front as there was no noise behind the curtain as to whether someone must have realized there wasn't a whole lot of commotion. They would have inspected it by now if they weren't alone.

Gazing around the empty business, he shrugged his shoulders and took another swig of his drink. "I can't imagine." James said as though he was genuinely curious who indeed was afraid of her, as if the silence wasn't proof enough. She looked at him more curiously now and less of a sneer as there had been before with other souls around, if you could call them that. Annabelle seemed more inviting now and it caused him to lean forward some more before fixing his tie. "Scared? Quite the opposite actually." He didn't have to explain it more than that. He knew the look in his eyes was explanation enough.

As though it was something that was normal, he pulled out her order and poured her a fresh glass. Women could barely be allowed to drink wine and yet he was pouring her whiskey as though he had done it many times before to other dames. From the feeling in the air, he could tell that there was a lot of unresolved questions still lingering in her mind. Had she expected him to flee like everyone else when she knew what kind of a man he was? Men like himself don't give up easy. And for the fact that he was truly unafraid of her as well.

Ah. There it was. "I'm not the type to follow." James said simply with a shrug of his shoulders, looking at the way the grain of the wood swept along the bar before returning to her eyes. "Besides...it looked like you still needed service when you got back from your little 'errand'." He smirked at the sentence he just spoke. He meant it in so many ways. If he had heard what she was thinking right now, he still wouldn't give up and wouldn't run away like the other cowardly rats. Another simple answer would have been given. It was from a play he had recently enjoyed. 'To die would be an awfully big adventure'.

James started at where her fingers lay on the glass he gave her before looking back up into her face. He was distracted. There was no doubt about that, but only with certain parts of her. It was hard to be a gentleman with a horrid mind. "Like? I adore it." He grinned, averting his eyes, suddenly feeling embarrassed for saying such a thing. Regaining his composure and not asking too many questions about why he was feeling sheepish around her, he returned his eyes to hers once more. His grin still brightening up the room, he nodded his head as though his first answer wasn't enough.

For a moment he forgot she was part of the crazy mobster gang that ran New York city and instead thought of her as a regular woman, but she was much more than that and then suddenly, the moment was gone. What ever got her to join the thing in the first place? She must have had a family somewhere. How had she accomplished such a feat? He would have loved to join the mafia as he had nothing better to do and no family or wife to care, but it wasn't that simple. There were many things you had to do and people you had to know. Had she been born to this? His eyes narrowed as he tried to study her face as though it would give him all the answers he longed for.

He rose his eyebrows and let the professional smile of his lips show her his emotions and thoughts. "And what do you like, Annabelle?" James wondered genuinely, though the back of his mind was stuck in the sewage pipes as always. Her form was beautiful even when it was sitting down and he knew that it wouldn't falter if the corset did happen to be away from this picture. He got the best look when she went up on stage and all the lights were on her. James would have loved if she had given everyone a dance.

"Madam, I can assure you, I do not have better things to do." James said with another sheepish grin, wondering what came over his confidence these past few times. The real romantic lover was peaking out of him and he wondered if he was tired or out of practice. "All I have is here. My job, friends...or what is closest to a friend anyway. Here." Usually he wouldn't spill random conversation bits out to others, but since she was asking, he couldn't help but answer. Perhaps it was her dominant place in society that got him to talk.