heaven ☆ mick mars

32.

"rum and coke, please." i asked the bartender. not my usual choice of drink, but i wasn't lillian for the hour. i'd decided to pretend that i didn't just hear the news no one ever wants to hear. so i'm not me, mick didn't cheat on me, i don't even know who he or mötley crüe is, boom. sorted.

the hotel bar was pretty deserted, apart from the odd individual or two. and a loud, boisterous group of boys, sitting in a booth.

i glanced over, watching all five of them in hysterics. their image was electric, the classic, magnetic look of the 80s. boy did i feel lucky to be alive in such a decade. (A/N: i wish smh)

i found myself chuckling at them, their laughs were the kind that you had to smile around. they weren't obnoxious laughs.

pulled back in seconds to the present, i remembered my situation. but this hour wasn't about remembering, it was about forgetting.

three quarters of my drink was already gone. that'll help me forget.

jesus, i sound like nikki. don't follow in my footsteps, kids.

out the corner of my eye, i noticed someone from the booth looking at me. hopefully not a pervert. i turned back and met his gaze, he smiled and frowned before getting up.

i focused my eyes back to my drink, stirring the straw around slowly, the ice clinking against the glass.

whoever this guy was, sat on the stool directly to the right of me.

"i'll get a beer, please." he asked the bartender who served him his drink promptly.

we sat in silence for a few moments before he placed his glass down following a mouthful of his beer.

"rough night?" he asked in a very cliche manner.

"sure is." i responded, not looking at him, rest my chin in the palm of my hand.

"um...listen, this is going to sound hella rude and objectifying but..you're wearing like, basically nothing."

"excuse me?" my eyes finally met his, my eyebrows raised at his forward observations.

"see, i told you! but what i mean is, you must be freezing."

"please don't do the whole heroic, chivalrous, have my jacket move...why do guys always do that? is it to prove they have a big dick? because they always end up being assholes and have tiny dicks.."

"okay, well! first of all, wasn't going to offer my jacket, that is extremely cliche, i was going to point you in the direction of the steam room at the spa, secondly, what's his name and what the fuck did he do?" the guy asked. i liked his tone, confident yet an element of humbleness was there.

i took a moment to drink his appearance in. his hair had a lot of volume, his lips were plump and pink. his bone structure was overwhelming in a good way and he had that million dollar smile that would usually make me run a mile.

i hesitated before opening up. "his name's mick, he cheated on me. now i have some questions for you. in fact, no, it's not a question, it's a blanket statement of truth, you're in a band, right?"

he looked around as if pretending people might be listening. "how can you tell?" he whispered, a desperate look on his face.

"everything about you and your friends screams rockstars."

"SHHH would you keep it down? the place could be swarming with paparazzi!" he put on quite the show, referring to the completely empty bar and making me giggle, followed by himself.

"i'm sorry! my lips are sealed!" i played along which made him smile.

"that's a nice smile for someone who just got-"

"no, please, i came down here to forget about it all..i'm pretending it didn't happen. i probably shouldn't have even told you.."

"ahh okay, i get it, i get it...i'll play along. what's your name?"

"...mallory...?"

"ah, sure, sure." he nodded thoughtfully. "nice to meet you 'mallory', i'm richie. NO WAIT, we're playing make believe, my names vodka soda."

i giggled again, grateful to be relieved from pain, even if just for a few short moments.

"so, is vodka soda in a band?"

"sure is! we're just starting out. we're gonna make it."

"hmm. funny how most idiots say that these days, 10/10 of them end up being right."

"ahh, mallory, it's the power of manifestation and blind faith."

i smiled. "does the band have a name?"

"yes. zon lovi."

"love it."

"knew you would." he smiled.

"mind actually telling me, so i know when you become famous?" i smiled, getting ready to leave the bar as i saw nikki standing nearby, gesturing for me to go over to him.

"not that you'd ever forget a face like this!" he exclaimed. i rolled my eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"debatable." i shrugged, making him scoff and smirk.

"bon jovi. we're called bon jovi."