Celebrity

3.

Continued.

About four blocks from Absentia Maroon, Coriolanus sat in his car with two fingers of whiskey, swirling around his glass. Across from him sat Pluribus Bell, an old "family friend". "You said you'd make this quick, but you're not doing a lot of talking," Coriolanus grumbled. The stench of whatever hole Pluribus crawled from was soaking into his leather seats. He was sure if his stomach was flipping, Lucy Gray wasn't going to make it to the restaurant.

"I heard about your new club, was wondering if you needed a manager. A money man," he offered. Coriolanus saw through the cheap fabric a few inches too short and the off white button in that was missing the top buttons. Pluribus was broke, but Coriolanus thought it wise to hear him out.

"I have a money man. And I have a manager. What makes you think I need you?" He sharply replied. Pluribus' eyes scrambled for a response as Coriolanus took a swig.

"You're young. What do you know about owning a club? Give it six months you'll be belly up without me." An eyebrow shot up from Coriolanus' resting face. What's that a threat? It had to have been. The club was play money for him, a way to give back to the Lucy Gray and the Covey or whatever he told Mr. Plinth during his proposal.

"Let me make something extremely clear, Pluribus," Coriolanus' eyes went dark, as he stayed relaxed in his seat, "it's been six months and we have seen nothing, but an incline. This club is not a ploy to be messed with or a scheme to buy you a better suit. This club belongs to my girl, who in turn belongs to me. And I don't take too kindly to people messing with what's mine. Dismissed." Pluribus saw a flash of Crassus Snow as Coriolanus gripped to the club with his teeth. He would need another angle to edge his way in. Remorsefully, Pluribus backed his way out of the car, the door almost catching his foot as Coriolanus snatched the door closed.

He knocked on the window that separated him from the driver alerting to him that he was ready to go. As the car came to a steady pace, Coriolanus cracked the windows in hopes to air out his cabin enough for his date.

5:38 PM

Coriolanus strolled in through the back of the club. A few workers whizzed past him, setting up to open at 8 while Lucy Gray caught his eye. She sat by the bar tossing up conversation with Johnny alone. None of her family members were in sight, even though she had mentioned they were rehearsing that morning. Casually, though, he made his way to the bar and leaned next to her. "This seat taken?" He smoothly inquired, spinning her a quarter of the way from the bar to face him.

"My boyfriend's coming. And... he's the jealous type," she played along. Johnny backed away from the bar to start his pre-shift inventory and give them some privacy. Coriolanus used the side of his curled his index and thumb to pull Lucy Gray in for a tender kiss. They both had the taste of whiskey on their lips, surprising neither of them. She snake her hands to his jacket, pulling him in closer, then running her fingers under the fabric to his chest. Her movements concealed behind the dark gray fabric. "How'd your meeting go?" Coriolanus tried not to lose focus feeling her hands run along his perfectly pressed shirt. Their foreheads still attached, he went in for another kiss.

"Boring," he mumbled against her soft skin. "You ready for dinner?" Lucy Gray nodded and slipped of her seat, pulling her hands back to herself. Coriolanus tipped his head to Johnny, then wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "See you this weekend," he called. Lucy Gray waved to everyone as Coriolanus kept his eyes forward.

—

At the townhouse, Tigris and the Covey sat around the cold metal table, food over flowing once more. No one really touched their plates, full from the lunch they had at Maroon's. "In 12, we have this lake. Have you ever been to a lake?" Maude Ivory asked, sticking a grape in her mouth. Tigris picked at her salad and shook her head.