Fighting Fire With Fire

3.

Selene shot Max a skeptical look, one immaculate eyebrow raised and her red-painted lips pressed together. She then looked left and right as they crossed the main street, on their way to the below 21 club. "So, tell me if I'm getting this right," she said. "You want me to hook you up with a random guy, and take a picture of you two kissing?" 

"Yup,  that's right," Max confirmed. "Can you do it?" 

"Of course I can do it." Selene scoffed. "But so can you. Your pretty boy face sells itself to the shallow masses which frequent the Lounge6."

Max pressed a hand to his chest. "Why, I do rather like my face too. Thank you." Or rather, Max should thank Mom for marrying and having him with her trophy husband: a twelve year younger half-brazilian, half-dutch model. Blended with his mom's Eurasian genes, he came out quite good looking, if he could say so himself.

"Don't let it get to your head too much, pretty boy. Looks are only one of the factors that decide your attractiveness level," Selene remarked, always ready to kick Max off his high horse. She tugged on his sleeve. "And you did not dress to impress." 

Max glanced down, frowning. "Hey. What's wrong with my always in style black t-shirt?"

"The fact that you even-- ugh, never mind." Selene narrowed her eyes at Max. "One important tip: don't mention the bisexual thing when I set you up. It scares off the young, insecure gay guys to have to compete with us lovely ladies."

"Sure, sure." Max exhaled. "If they haven't read my mom's tabloid story already."  Then again, the average audience for gossip magazines wasn't teenage guys. Fingers crossed for their disinterest. 

"Also, when I set you up? You mean, you'll do it?"

"Yes, yes," Selene sighed. "I'll ask around later. If any of my eligible gay acquaintances are in town tonight, I'll send them your way. But from there on you're on your own. You'll have to seduce the poor sucker yourself."

"You'd know all about seducing poor suckers." Max shot Selene a fake-stern sideways glance, while Selene raised her shoulders and smiled. 

Most of the regulars in Louge6 knew Selene was a lesbian. Newcomers didn't, and often enough Selene managed to dance and chat her way to free sodas. She didn't even feel bad for it, because she didn't force them to buy her stuff, did she? Besides that, as long as there were wage gaps between men and women Selene had vowed to keep doing it. Poor suckers indeed. 

A few blocks later, Max and Selene reached the entrance of Lounge6. The place where a lot of below twenty-one year olds spent their evenings, enjoying live music of new high school bands trying to break through, or dancing to remixes of the latest hits. 

Tonight was a remix dancing night. The heavy bass techno music blasted into Max's ears, and Max was trying to decide whether that was good or bad. On the one hand, live high school bands gave an easy first topic to talk about and break the ice. On the other, fuck breaking the ice. If one person was attracted to the other and vice versa, there was little that could be done wrong anymore. If not, there was little that could change the lack of attraction in one evening. 

Selene was immediately in her element the moment music filled her ears. She was pulling out all her best, sensual dance moves, and Max already saw people turning to look at her. Even guys who knew she was a lesbian liked to watch. Some straight girls spontaneously were not entirely straight anymore and open to experimentation around Selene. Sometimes, Selene indulged them. 

Grabbing her shoulder, Max held up two fingers. An easy way to ask if she wanted a soda in a loud environment. Selene shook her head and mouthed 'not yet.' Max pointed in the direction of the bar anyway, indicating he was going there, and this time Selene nodded.