For musesandlyrics | Grace Jones quote
6.5. "Forget health clinics and gyms. Sex is the best cure. One good night of sex and your problems are gone."
Grace Jones
Co-written with strips4u
[Follows THIS]
Lara stood naked in front of the window, looking out at the view of New York City from her hotel room. It was true she didn't make it to this side of the Atlantic very often. In fact, there was a large part of her that hated America. She was English born, and bred, and English she would stay. She might have a taste for travelling the world, but she knew where home was. However, at night, there was definitely a certain charm about the lights. The only light in the hotel room came from a bedside lamp, so she hardly feared being spotted.
Even here she knew there would be British paparazzi no doubt waiting for a shot of Lady Croft in the nude. They could wait a bit longer. Her long hair flowed down her back, the ends just brushing against the top of her arse. It was still damp from the shower she and Flynn had just shared. The bruises on her thigh and buttocks from where he'd gripped her tightly and slammed her back against the tiles were just blossoming, but she didn't mind. Any marks from tonight were ones she would proudly wear. It had been a long time she'd been shagged so thoroughly.
The male escort hadn't wasted any time once he'd entered the room, taking Lara on the small table against the wall near the door. She'd only worn a silk robe, not wanting to bother much with clothes if she was only going to take them off. She hadn't even minded that he didn't kiss. She wasn't interested in a romance. She was still capable of finding one if she wanted one, but with Flynn, he suddenly offered her exactly what she wanted with no strings. He really was worth every penny. They'd managed to debauch the sofa, the floor, the bed, the shower, and even the window she was standing in front of. It was amazing that she was still able to stand, but her endurance training had to kick in at some point.
It had very much been a work out she'd needed. She turned her head as she heard the toilet flush, smiling a little as she watched Flynn saunter out of the bathroom. At least with him she knew what she was getting, even if she was paying him for it. She moved away from the window, and picked up her robe that had been dropped to the floor a few hours ago. She didn't bother tying it up, just needing something to take the chill off now she was no longer being kept warm by him. New York might have been moving into Spring, but there was still some lingering cold air from Winter. She climbed onto the bed where he had made himself comfortable again, and lay down beside him as she brushed her fingers over his chest. "So, did I make you remember why you had stopped fucking Englishwomen, or just make you wonder why you'd ever stopped?" she asked him with a mischevious smile.
Flynn smirked as he relaxed back on the bed, one knee raised as his foot rested on the mattress. "It wasn't by my choice, love. She stopped needing my services. Well, actually, no. She didn't. She needed them. I just don't fuck pregnant clients. They pluck themselves out of my little black book when they get knocked up. Most of my clients are American, a few French, Italian. Regulars, anyone. The fly-bys, I don't tend to care where the hell they're from, just so long as their cash checks out. Which is why I take advanced payment." He looked at her in amusement. "I'm a whore, sweetheart. As stunning as you are, a lot of my clients have tasty booty."
"Ah, well, no danger of that happening. No children in my future." Her blue eyes travelled down his body again, drinking in the sight before meeting his gaze. "Her loss. So how does one become a regular? And do you always want them coming to you, or do you get flown to them if distance is an issue?" Lara grinned before she started to laugh. "It's alright, I was only teasing. As stunning as I am, I'm hardly about to try and convince you of my many assets. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I don't need to be the centre of your attention."
Flynn raised his eyebrows as he draped his arm over his leg. "Me either. Any particular reason you don't want to procreate, or is it just one of those independent woman things? I've got a lot of clients into that. They don't need husbands and they don't need an occupied uterus. All my respect to them. Family life isn't for everyone." He shrugged, waving his fingers. "Call me flexible. I do whatever I get paid for. The more that's wanted, the bigger the price tag. I only fly first class, though. So, you are the independent female type."
Lara gave a nod. "Very much the independent female type. I'm used to living my own life. Every time I try to mesh it with someone else's it all goes down in spectacular flame. Children just don't fit in with my lifestyle. I travel too much, I do dangerous work, and I don't want to be a single parent. I don't need a drooling accessory. I wouldn't be doing it because I wanted a family." She smiled. "Good. And money really isn't an issue for me. First class is also fine. You're worth it."
Flynn nodded slowly as he listened to her. He was never opposed to chatting freely with his clients, if they wanted to offer information. Sometimes, he had women just pay him for that because their husbands had never just 'talked' to them. It's probably a lot of why he had such a wealthy and extensive client base. That, and his awesome cock. "Shame. I'm sure you'd make cute kids. But I get it, it's not for everyone. Chicks like you in New York City rent their uteruses out to gay guys, you know," he told her with laugh. "What do you do for work? And are you the whole hog independent woman and don't like people smoking around them?"
"So would you, but I guess the gene pool will just have to do without us. There's a part of me that doesn't want my family's line to end, but I've never met a man I could stomach the idea of procreating with. The closest one... well, he just wound up betraying me." And she'd killed him, but that little tidbit Lara was keeping to herself. Hillary and Bryce were the only others to know. She wasn't even sure why she was chatting with Flynn, but she just felt extremely relaxed. She touched her hand to her chest, stroking the curve of her breast idly. "Gay guys, huh? I've never been a fag hag. I'm a tomb raider. My passport says photojournalist, but it's just a little white lie. And no, I'm not that bad. Feel free to smoke."
"Cheers love," Flynn replied as he leaned over to pluck up his trousers, fishing his cigarettes and lighter out of the pocket. "The gene pool doesn't have a choice but to do without me. The genes aren't in operation. Haven't been for a few years. Maybe a gay guy to procreate with is a perfect opportunity then. He'll do all the maternal shit, and you can pass on your inheritence. Of course, I also know that even the most independent sorts of women now and again have moments where they wonder the what-ifs, if they could just find the right bloke." He lit up a cigarette, blowing the trail of smoke up to the ceiling. "Tomb raider, huh? What does that involve? Pinching shit from dead people's graves?"
"I'm not sure I'll ever be meant to settle down. I know it sounds like I'm throwing a self pity party, but I'm not. I just don't think I'm built for it. I really am just too used to being myself. My two closest friends are my butler, and my tech guy. I have people I trust, people I'm close to elsewhere, but no men. I keep learning that I can't trust them. I'm not even sure I'll trust a gay guy to give my uterus to him. I'll give it some consideration, though. For when I do feel that odd moment of cluckiness." Lara rolled onto her back, and stretched out, folding her arm behind her head. "In a manner of speaking. Mostly discovering all the little treasures and secrets the tombs hold. Sometimes I even get to save the world."
Flynn smirked. "Wow, makes my job look boring," he offered, blowing some smoke rings out in front of him. "Can't say I'm jealous. Don't like getting my nails dirty. Not in the literal sense, anyway. New York holds enough treasures and secrets to keep me going til I check out. And I didn't even consider it was a self-pity party. Trust me, I know what one of those looks like, and you're not it. I also know what it's like to have issues that are deserving of self-pity parties, and it sounds like you have your shit together well enough. No sense doing shit you don't want to."
Lara grinned. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you've had some interesting adventures in your line of work." She watched the smoke rings with amusement. "That's what nail files, and manicures are for. It's not like I'd get away with having imperfect nails amongst high society. It's all about appearances, and most of the time they'll pick on the tiniest fault. Not that I pay them much attention most of the time. Fuck them if they don't know how to have fun. See? You do have your own playground. I'm more than happy to leave this city to you to discover its secrets. You know from personal experience, or from watching others? This is what I've been trying to tell people for years, but they still insist in making me try."
Flynn quirked his lips and shrugged. "More like interesting ordeals. My personal life has given me more ups and downs than my work. Not a lot surprises me in my work anymore. There are only so many sorts of secrets rich women of legal age can have. Don't know about you, love, but high society can fuck me. Oh wait, they already do," he added with a smirk, taking another drag on the cigarette as he found a more comfortable spot on the bed. He wet his lips, eyes looking her over. "Personal experience. I'm in no way conventional, not to high society, not to life, not to anyone."
"I don't need conventional, I prefer things very much unconventional, so from that standpoint I'm glad you think that way." Lara brushed her fingers against her stomach, her eyes on the ceiling for a moment. "High society will always want to fuck what they cannot control, or what they consider taboo. Try as they might to convince the world otherwise, they are just as perverse as anyone else. Some of us are just more open about it than others." She twisted her lower body slightly, hooking her leg around his, and rubbing her foot against it. "They like to think they're breaking the rules, but whores are a more than ancient tradition. They're only treading back over what their ancestors have already done. Just now there's more toys involved."
Flynn raised an eyebrow. "You're lumping an awful lot of people into the one boat there, love. They're not all like that, I assure you. For every whore, I can show you another woman in high society who have made it for herself without ever getting her tits out. Some are there because they just merely like succeeding."
Lara held up her hand. "I stand corrected, and apologise. I was merely talking about the bored, rich, trophy wives. I don't doubt there are women that have worked for it. I know we're capable of amazing things when we put our minds to it." She bit her lip as she smirked. "Succeeding really is a very nice feeling."
Flynn gestured with his hands. "You know the problem with a lot of rich people? High society? Wealthy? Whatever the fuck you want to call them. They take life for granted. I assume it's easy to once you get used to that level of lifestyle, but they do. They can be sluts, whores, bitches, bastards, or they can be kind, caring, Mother Theresa loving shit. They still take the standards for granted. It's always going to be there at their fingertips, whether they do good with it or bad with it, they still have it. Life and living should never be taken for granted. It can all be taken away in the blink of an eye."
"You have no idea," Lara murmured, falling quiet as she looked away. She realised she was still one of the privileged and lucky to be in her position, but it had cost her her mother, her father, and even Terry. She wasn't about to take any of it for granted. It's probably why she tempted Fate so often, waiting to see if it would claim her along with everyone else she cared about.
Flynn cleared his throat, watching some of the lights out the window. "You don't think?" he returned calmly. "The very reason why I'm here and who I am right now stems from me having a pretty fair idea," he told her with a small shrug.
Lara brought her gaze back to meet his, searching Flynn's face. "What happened? My mother died when I was a baby. My father was murdered when I was barely a teenager. I killed one of the only men I have ever really loved. There, now you know some of this rich woman's secrets. You must get sick of being treated like a priest, and hearing all our confessions."
Flynn sniggered, despite the heavy subject. "Is this a game of who has less reason to take life for granted, huh? Mine's bigger than your's? I never knew my father, he knocked my mother up when she was sixteen at their prom under the football grand stand, then pretended she never exisited. My mother raised me from sixteen, and as far as I'm concerned, she did a fucking awesome job, even if it was hard. A year ago, my lover was shot in the back and left for dead, now he's missing. Haven't seen him in months. But why don't I take life for granted? Because I nearly didn't have it to take for granted. When I was given a second chance, I swore I would do whatever the fuck I pleased to make me happy."
Lara started to laugh as well, her face relaxing again. "It wasn't supposed to be. I was just trying to offer you my story and subtly get yours. I'm sorry about your father, and I think your mother did a good job, too. Single parents deserve a lot of credit. I'm very sorry about your lover. You haven't been able to locate him at all?" Lara's eyebrows wet up slightly. "That is as good a reason as any to stop taking life for granted."
Flynn shook his head, but then scrunched his nose up. "Yeah, I did, actually, only now I'm just not so sure it was him. If it was him, something has really change. He wasn't... him. Does that make sense? He wasn't like him at all. He's Cajun, but he had a British accent. His personality was a lot more coarse than normal, too. I gave up trying to twist my brain over and over again about it. I tried to find him again, but he's vanished into thin air. Part of me is even starting to wonder if this was the real him, and the one we knew before was the facade. But he just got bored." He stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray beside the bed. "I went about two steps from hell and back. I would say I wouldn't ever repeat it, but I'm not a miracle worker. Truth is, one day, I might and I might not be lucky the second time."
"That does sound awfully complicated. Is there anything I can do to help? I'm hardly a missing persons expert, but I still have a few connections. I could also use a challenge as you well know. Do you want to find him again, or are you just hoping he'll come back to you? Would you rather the Cajun version was his true self? Could you even love the more British, coarse him?" Lara nodded, understanding on at least some level what he was talking about. "I hope that day never comes for you. In the meantime, here's to living life to its fullest."
"No," Flynn replied with a laugh, resting his head back against the bed head. "Remy's... unique. If he doesn't want to be found, you won't find him. I don't know if I'm hoping much of anything. I think we all got in too deep too quick, and it wasn't what any us needed. It was good while it lasted, but if he came back, things would be different. This other version of him... if it was him... no, I wouldn't want that. There was something in his eyes, and his eyes are something else as it is. Something else was there, or it was missing, I can't really be sure. But no, he was very... hands on. And for me, that's saying something. In essence he was still him, but in everything else, something has changed intensely. He didn't even know his name. I just have this niggle in my gut that maybe someone's brainwashed him, I don't know. It's not like he's not involved in shit where that was a possibility. To be honest, I've just stepped back into my life how it was before he crossed our paths, and maybe that's just how it's all meant to be."
Lara nodded with approval. "At least you have your head screwed on enough not to be moping. Not that moping would be an easy task in this job. Can't imagine fucking random strangers would be high on your list with a broken heart. Brainwashing is a very serious thing, though. Is he likely to be the type to get brainwashed? He doesn't sound like he can't take care of himself, he doesn't sound particularly vulnerable. Do you think he was kidnapped?" She reached out, her hand travelling over the planes of Flynn's chest before continuing lower.
Flynn held his hands up. "To be honest, I stopped analysing it. From day one, he was secretive. Outright blatant about it, too. Outright blatant that he would never commit or be monogamous, which was fine. It wasn't like I could offer the same. It's in his nature to just vanish, or to get bored and move on. I think it would just be a waste of time to mope over it. He basically warned us he might do this one day so, so be it? Still, we miss him. It's hard not to. He was an intriguing and addictive presence. Fucking awesome lay with a cock like you wouldn't believe. He's not vulnerable, but he's playing with big guns, people who can hurt him if they know how. I just... I'm an average human being that has no need or want to play in those realms."
Lara's eyebrow crept up. "'Us'? There's more than two of you in the relationship? Or non-relationship as you may prefer. Keep talking up his cock like that, and I might just start thinking I'm getting second best," she teased gently, nudging his foot. Her gaze dropped to Flynn's cock, tempted just to amuse herself by giving him a handjob but she relented. They both needed a break. "It does sound quite intense, but I really hope he comes back an intact Cajun. Even if you don't want to be exclusive, it's hardly fair to lose someone you love and care about. Nothing wrong with being an average human being."
Flynn smirked and gave her a slow nod. "Yeah, there's three of us. It worked, until it just didn't. Maddy's my best mate, has been for a very long time. We just never really dated until Remy came on the scene. She's a stripper, or was at that point. I think she's going to go back to it. She was dancing, he was a patron, they both kind of sucked each other in. They both have this sort of... uh... presence. You can get hooked before you know it. But anyway, you basically get Maddy and me as a package. So he took us as a package. Literally, against a wall. The rest is history. But clearly he had to move on and be this Ace dude. Ironic, considering what he can do with a deck of cards..." He paused, tilting his head a little as the notion only just dawned on him. Maybe the cards were the reason Remy was calling himself that. Still, if he knew who Flynn was, he was putting on an extremely awesome act of pretending he didn't. "Yeah... but sometimes you just feel extremely... mortal. At least I do. When you face death in the face, you lose that sense you're invincible."
"When you're used to losing people it's hard to actually imagine being anything else but alone," Lara responded quietly to the death comment. She could actually understand where Flynn was coming from, but death had never really scared her. It was losing people she loved that did. Even if she had chosen for the most part to be alone. It was just an easy way out. "I still feel as if you're not telling me something. Especially in regards to the deck of cards. It's admirable, and a little hot that he did take you both as a package. If you knew what you were getting into though, the disappearance... Well, it's hard, but perhaps expected? And if he comes back... would you try and pick things back up with all three of you?"
Flynn fought off the urge to light up another cigarette. He was the sort of person that liked to have his hands occupied. "You don't think the reference to a deck of cards was him being able to just do a really good party trick?" he asked with a smirk and cleared his throat. "You're right, though. Remy's... not normal. He has abnormal abilities in certain areas, so to speak. They can make him really quite dangerous, and I guess that was part of the thrill. It was always expected at the back of my mind, though. I got used to having him around and... there was some crap that went on while we were together that made us all pretty vulnerable, and more reliant on each other than we probably normally would have been. But I never really completely saw it as a committed relationship. It wasn't, how could it be? I just figured it could be not committed and he still stick around. According to his best pal, he has a history of just upping and disappearing anyway."
Lara pointed at him. "I did for a brief moment, but I've learned to expect the unexpected. Monty Python can be educational. He really does sound as if he should be able to take care of himself, and yet... If there are forces stronger than your abnormal Cajun, no wonder he got into trouble. I'm very sorry that you've experienced pain before with him, and it speaks volumes if he did manage to stick around before regardless of his history. Still, we are all capable of being creatures of habit, and eventually our habits catch up with us." She reached out to take his hand, pulling it against her body as she smiled at him. "Are you feeling rested now, Mr Hunter?"
Flynn shot her a smirk and cleared his throat, looking down at where she had his hand pressed against her. "Is this your way of telling me I'm still on the clock, Lady Croft?" he asked in amusement. "And there most women would be expecting mates rates after a deep and meaningful like that."
"Not exactly, just my way of telling you it's okay if you need a little something to do with your hands. I recognise the restlessness even if I'm not a smoker." She raised an eyebrow as she gave a soft snort. "I wouldn't ask such a thing. You earn every cent of your rate, and I intend to pay full price. I don't need you doing me any favours."
Flynn held his free hand up, wriggling his fingers. "You call the shots, my lady," he told her with a laugh. "My nicotine habit won't affect me catering to your wants and desires in any way."
Lara started to laugh as her own hand finally found its way to his cock, and she gave it a squeeze. "Good to know you continue to up hold your standards. Now... about me calling the shots..."
Words: 4231
Grace Jones
Co-written with strips4u
[Follows THIS]
Lara stood naked in front of the window, looking out at the view of New York City from her hotel room. It was true she didn't make it to this side of the Atlantic very often. In fact, there was a large part of her that hated America. She was English born, and bred, and English she would stay. She might have a taste for travelling the world, but she knew where home was. However, at night, there was definitely a certain charm about the lights. The only light in the hotel room came from a bedside lamp, so she hardly feared being spotted.
Even here she knew there would be British paparazzi no doubt waiting for a shot of Lady Croft in the nude. They could wait a bit longer. Her long hair flowed down her back, the ends just brushing against the top of her arse. It was still damp from the shower she and Flynn had just shared. The bruises on her thigh and buttocks from where he'd gripped her tightly and slammed her back against the tiles were just blossoming, but she didn't mind. Any marks from tonight were ones she would proudly wear. It had been a long time she'd been shagged so thoroughly.
The male escort hadn't wasted any time once he'd entered the room, taking Lara on the small table against the wall near the door. She'd only worn a silk robe, not wanting to bother much with clothes if she was only going to take them off. She hadn't even minded that he didn't kiss. She wasn't interested in a romance. She was still capable of finding one if she wanted one, but with Flynn, he suddenly offered her exactly what she wanted with no strings. He really was worth every penny. They'd managed to debauch the sofa, the floor, the bed, the shower, and even the window she was standing in front of. It was amazing that she was still able to stand, but her endurance training had to kick in at some point.
It had very much been a work out she'd needed. She turned her head as she heard the toilet flush, smiling a little as she watched Flynn saunter out of the bathroom. At least with him she knew what she was getting, even if she was paying him for it. She moved away from the window, and picked up her robe that had been dropped to the floor a few hours ago. She didn't bother tying it up, just needing something to take the chill off now she was no longer being kept warm by him. New York might have been moving into Spring, but there was still some lingering cold air from Winter. She climbed onto the bed where he had made himself comfortable again, and lay down beside him as she brushed her fingers over his chest. "So, did I make you remember why you had stopped fucking Englishwomen, or just make you wonder why you'd ever stopped?" she asked him with a mischevious smile.
Flynn smirked as he relaxed back on the bed, one knee raised as his foot rested on the mattress. "It wasn't by my choice, love. She stopped needing my services. Well, actually, no. She didn't. She needed them. I just don't fuck pregnant clients. They pluck themselves out of my little black book when they get knocked up. Most of my clients are American, a few French, Italian. Regulars, anyone. The fly-bys, I don't tend to care where the hell they're from, just so long as their cash checks out. Which is why I take advanced payment." He looked at her in amusement. "I'm a whore, sweetheart. As stunning as you are, a lot of my clients have tasty booty."
"Ah, well, no danger of that happening. No children in my future." Her blue eyes travelled down his body again, drinking in the sight before meeting his gaze. "Her loss. So how does one become a regular? And do you always want them coming to you, or do you get flown to them if distance is an issue?" Lara grinned before she started to laugh. "It's alright, I was only teasing. As stunning as I am, I'm hardly about to try and convince you of my many assets. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I don't need to be the centre of your attention."
Flynn raised his eyebrows as he draped his arm over his leg. "Me either. Any particular reason you don't want to procreate, or is it just one of those independent woman things? I've got a lot of clients into that. They don't need husbands and they don't need an occupied uterus. All my respect to them. Family life isn't for everyone." He shrugged, waving his fingers. "Call me flexible. I do whatever I get paid for. The more that's wanted, the bigger the price tag. I only fly first class, though. So, you are the independent female type."
Lara gave a nod. "Very much the independent female type. I'm used to living my own life. Every time I try to mesh it with someone else's it all goes down in spectacular flame. Children just don't fit in with my lifestyle. I travel too much, I do dangerous work, and I don't want to be a single parent. I don't need a drooling accessory. I wouldn't be doing it because I wanted a family." She smiled. "Good. And money really isn't an issue for me. First class is also fine. You're worth it."
Flynn nodded slowly as he listened to her. He was never opposed to chatting freely with his clients, if they wanted to offer information. Sometimes, he had women just pay him for that because their husbands had never just 'talked' to them. It's probably a lot of why he had such a wealthy and extensive client base. That, and his awesome cock. "Shame. I'm sure you'd make cute kids. But I get it, it's not for everyone. Chicks like you in New York City rent their uteruses out to gay guys, you know," he told her with laugh. "What do you do for work? And are you the whole hog independent woman and don't like people smoking around them?"
"So would you, but I guess the gene pool will just have to do without us. There's a part of me that doesn't want my family's line to end, but I've never met a man I could stomach the idea of procreating with. The closest one... well, he just wound up betraying me." And she'd killed him, but that little tidbit Lara was keeping to herself. Hillary and Bryce were the only others to know. She wasn't even sure why she was chatting with Flynn, but she just felt extremely relaxed. She touched her hand to her chest, stroking the curve of her breast idly. "Gay guys, huh? I've never been a fag hag. I'm a tomb raider. My passport says photojournalist, but it's just a little white lie. And no, I'm not that bad. Feel free to smoke."
"Cheers love," Flynn replied as he leaned over to pluck up his trousers, fishing his cigarettes and lighter out of the pocket. "The gene pool doesn't have a choice but to do without me. The genes aren't in operation. Haven't been for a few years. Maybe a gay guy to procreate with is a perfect opportunity then. He'll do all the maternal shit, and you can pass on your inheritence. Of course, I also know that even the most independent sorts of women now and again have moments where they wonder the what-ifs, if they could just find the right bloke." He lit up a cigarette, blowing the trail of smoke up to the ceiling. "Tomb raider, huh? What does that involve? Pinching shit from dead people's graves?"
"I'm not sure I'll ever be meant to settle down. I know it sounds like I'm throwing a self pity party, but I'm not. I just don't think I'm built for it. I really am just too used to being myself. My two closest friends are my butler, and my tech guy. I have people I trust, people I'm close to elsewhere, but no men. I keep learning that I can't trust them. I'm not even sure I'll trust a gay guy to give my uterus to him. I'll give it some consideration, though. For when I do feel that odd moment of cluckiness." Lara rolled onto her back, and stretched out, folding her arm behind her head. "In a manner of speaking. Mostly discovering all the little treasures and secrets the tombs hold. Sometimes I even get to save the world."
Flynn smirked. "Wow, makes my job look boring," he offered, blowing some smoke rings out in front of him. "Can't say I'm jealous. Don't like getting my nails dirty. Not in the literal sense, anyway. New York holds enough treasures and secrets to keep me going til I check out. And I didn't even consider it was a self-pity party. Trust me, I know what one of those looks like, and you're not it. I also know what it's like to have issues that are deserving of self-pity parties, and it sounds like you have your shit together well enough. No sense doing shit you don't want to."
Lara grinned. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you've had some interesting adventures in your line of work." She watched the smoke rings with amusement. "That's what nail files, and manicures are for. It's not like I'd get away with having imperfect nails amongst high society. It's all about appearances, and most of the time they'll pick on the tiniest fault. Not that I pay them much attention most of the time. Fuck them if they don't know how to have fun. See? You do have your own playground. I'm more than happy to leave this city to you to discover its secrets. You know from personal experience, or from watching others? This is what I've been trying to tell people for years, but they still insist in making me try."
Flynn quirked his lips and shrugged. "More like interesting ordeals. My personal life has given me more ups and downs than my work. Not a lot surprises me in my work anymore. There are only so many sorts of secrets rich women of legal age can have. Don't know about you, love, but high society can fuck me. Oh wait, they already do," he added with a smirk, taking another drag on the cigarette as he found a more comfortable spot on the bed. He wet his lips, eyes looking her over. "Personal experience. I'm in no way conventional, not to high society, not to life, not to anyone."
"I don't need conventional, I prefer things very much unconventional, so from that standpoint I'm glad you think that way." Lara brushed her fingers against her stomach, her eyes on the ceiling for a moment. "High society will always want to fuck what they cannot control, or what they consider taboo. Try as they might to convince the world otherwise, they are just as perverse as anyone else. Some of us are just more open about it than others." She twisted her lower body slightly, hooking her leg around his, and rubbing her foot against it. "They like to think they're breaking the rules, but whores are a more than ancient tradition. They're only treading back over what their ancestors have already done. Just now there's more toys involved."
Flynn raised an eyebrow. "You're lumping an awful lot of people into the one boat there, love. They're not all like that, I assure you. For every whore, I can show you another woman in high society who have made it for herself without ever getting her tits out. Some are there because they just merely like succeeding."
Lara held up her hand. "I stand corrected, and apologise. I was merely talking about the bored, rich, trophy wives. I don't doubt there are women that have worked for it. I know we're capable of amazing things when we put our minds to it." She bit her lip as she smirked. "Succeeding really is a very nice feeling."
Flynn gestured with his hands. "You know the problem with a lot of rich people? High society? Wealthy? Whatever the fuck you want to call them. They take life for granted. I assume it's easy to once you get used to that level of lifestyle, but they do. They can be sluts, whores, bitches, bastards, or they can be kind, caring, Mother Theresa loving shit. They still take the standards for granted. It's always going to be there at their fingertips, whether they do good with it or bad with it, they still have it. Life and living should never be taken for granted. It can all be taken away in the blink of an eye."
"You have no idea," Lara murmured, falling quiet as she looked away. She realised she was still one of the privileged and lucky to be in her position, but it had cost her her mother, her father, and even Terry. She wasn't about to take any of it for granted. It's probably why she tempted Fate so often, waiting to see if it would claim her along with everyone else she cared about.
Flynn cleared his throat, watching some of the lights out the window. "You don't think?" he returned calmly. "The very reason why I'm here and who I am right now stems from me having a pretty fair idea," he told her with a small shrug.
Lara brought her gaze back to meet his, searching Flynn's face. "What happened? My mother died when I was a baby. My father was murdered when I was barely a teenager. I killed one of the only men I have ever really loved. There, now you know some of this rich woman's secrets. You must get sick of being treated like a priest, and hearing all our confessions."
Flynn sniggered, despite the heavy subject. "Is this a game of who has less reason to take life for granted, huh? Mine's bigger than your's? I never knew my father, he knocked my mother up when she was sixteen at their prom under the football grand stand, then pretended she never exisited. My mother raised me from sixteen, and as far as I'm concerned, she did a fucking awesome job, even if it was hard. A year ago, my lover was shot in the back and left for dead, now he's missing. Haven't seen him in months. But why don't I take life for granted? Because I nearly didn't have it to take for granted. When I was given a second chance, I swore I would do whatever the fuck I pleased to make me happy."
Lara started to laugh as well, her face relaxing again. "It wasn't supposed to be. I was just trying to offer you my story and subtly get yours. I'm sorry about your father, and I think your mother did a good job, too. Single parents deserve a lot of credit. I'm very sorry about your lover. You haven't been able to locate him at all?" Lara's eyebrows wet up slightly. "That is as good a reason as any to stop taking life for granted."
Flynn shook his head, but then scrunched his nose up. "Yeah, I did, actually, only now I'm just not so sure it was him. If it was him, something has really change. He wasn't... him. Does that make sense? He wasn't like him at all. He's Cajun, but he had a British accent. His personality was a lot more coarse than normal, too. I gave up trying to twist my brain over and over again about it. I tried to find him again, but he's vanished into thin air. Part of me is even starting to wonder if this was the real him, and the one we knew before was the facade. But he just got bored." He stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray beside the bed. "I went about two steps from hell and back. I would say I wouldn't ever repeat it, but I'm not a miracle worker. Truth is, one day, I might and I might not be lucky the second time."
"That does sound awfully complicated. Is there anything I can do to help? I'm hardly a missing persons expert, but I still have a few connections. I could also use a challenge as you well know. Do you want to find him again, or are you just hoping he'll come back to you? Would you rather the Cajun version was his true self? Could you even love the more British, coarse him?" Lara nodded, understanding on at least some level what he was talking about. "I hope that day never comes for you. In the meantime, here's to living life to its fullest."
"No," Flynn replied with a laugh, resting his head back against the bed head. "Remy's... unique. If he doesn't want to be found, you won't find him. I don't know if I'm hoping much of anything. I think we all got in too deep too quick, and it wasn't what any us needed. It was good while it lasted, but if he came back, things would be different. This other version of him... if it was him... no, I wouldn't want that. There was something in his eyes, and his eyes are something else as it is. Something else was there, or it was missing, I can't really be sure. But no, he was very... hands on. And for me, that's saying something. In essence he was still him, but in everything else, something has changed intensely. He didn't even know his name. I just have this niggle in my gut that maybe someone's brainwashed him, I don't know. It's not like he's not involved in shit where that was a possibility. To be honest, I've just stepped back into my life how it was before he crossed our paths, and maybe that's just how it's all meant to be."
Lara nodded with approval. "At least you have your head screwed on enough not to be moping. Not that moping would be an easy task in this job. Can't imagine fucking random strangers would be high on your list with a broken heart. Brainwashing is a very serious thing, though. Is he likely to be the type to get brainwashed? He doesn't sound like he can't take care of himself, he doesn't sound particularly vulnerable. Do you think he was kidnapped?" She reached out, her hand travelling over the planes of Flynn's chest before continuing lower.
Flynn held his hands up. "To be honest, I stopped analysing it. From day one, he was secretive. Outright blatant about it, too. Outright blatant that he would never commit or be monogamous, which was fine. It wasn't like I could offer the same. It's in his nature to just vanish, or to get bored and move on. I think it would just be a waste of time to mope over it. He basically warned us he might do this one day so, so be it? Still, we miss him. It's hard not to. He was an intriguing and addictive presence. Fucking awesome lay with a cock like you wouldn't believe. He's not vulnerable, but he's playing with big guns, people who can hurt him if they know how. I just... I'm an average human being that has no need or want to play in those realms."
Lara's eyebrow crept up. "'Us'? There's more than two of you in the relationship? Or non-relationship as you may prefer. Keep talking up his cock like that, and I might just start thinking I'm getting second best," she teased gently, nudging his foot. Her gaze dropped to Flynn's cock, tempted just to amuse herself by giving him a handjob but she relented. They both needed a break. "It does sound quite intense, but I really hope he comes back an intact Cajun. Even if you don't want to be exclusive, it's hardly fair to lose someone you love and care about. Nothing wrong with being an average human being."
Flynn smirked and gave her a slow nod. "Yeah, there's three of us. It worked, until it just didn't. Maddy's my best mate, has been for a very long time. We just never really dated until Remy came on the scene. She's a stripper, or was at that point. I think she's going to go back to it. She was dancing, he was a patron, they both kind of sucked each other in. They both have this sort of... uh... presence. You can get hooked before you know it. But anyway, you basically get Maddy and me as a package. So he took us as a package. Literally, against a wall. The rest is history. But clearly he had to move on and be this Ace dude. Ironic, considering what he can do with a deck of cards..." He paused, tilting his head a little as the notion only just dawned on him. Maybe the cards were the reason Remy was calling himself that. Still, if he knew who Flynn was, he was putting on an extremely awesome act of pretending he didn't. "Yeah... but sometimes you just feel extremely... mortal. At least I do. When you face death in the face, you lose that sense you're invincible."
"When you're used to losing people it's hard to actually imagine being anything else but alone," Lara responded quietly to the death comment. She could actually understand where Flynn was coming from, but death had never really scared her. It was losing people she loved that did. Even if she had chosen for the most part to be alone. It was just an easy way out. "I still feel as if you're not telling me something. Especially in regards to the deck of cards. It's admirable, and a little hot that he did take you both as a package. If you knew what you were getting into though, the disappearance... Well, it's hard, but perhaps expected? And if he comes back... would you try and pick things back up with all three of you?"
Flynn fought off the urge to light up another cigarette. He was the sort of person that liked to have his hands occupied. "You don't think the reference to a deck of cards was him being able to just do a really good party trick?" he asked with a smirk and cleared his throat. "You're right, though. Remy's... not normal. He has abnormal abilities in certain areas, so to speak. They can make him really quite dangerous, and I guess that was part of the thrill. It was always expected at the back of my mind, though. I got used to having him around and... there was some crap that went on while we were together that made us all pretty vulnerable, and more reliant on each other than we probably normally would have been. But I never really completely saw it as a committed relationship. It wasn't, how could it be? I just figured it could be not committed and he still stick around. According to his best pal, he has a history of just upping and disappearing anyway."
Lara pointed at him. "I did for a brief moment, but I've learned to expect the unexpected. Monty Python can be educational. He really does sound as if he should be able to take care of himself, and yet... If there are forces stronger than your abnormal Cajun, no wonder he got into trouble. I'm very sorry that you've experienced pain before with him, and it speaks volumes if he did manage to stick around before regardless of his history. Still, we are all capable of being creatures of habit, and eventually our habits catch up with us." She reached out to take his hand, pulling it against her body as she smiled at him. "Are you feeling rested now, Mr Hunter?"
Flynn shot her a smirk and cleared his throat, looking down at where she had his hand pressed against her. "Is this your way of telling me I'm still on the clock, Lady Croft?" he asked in amusement. "And there most women would be expecting mates rates after a deep and meaningful like that."
"Not exactly, just my way of telling you it's okay if you need a little something to do with your hands. I recognise the restlessness even if I'm not a smoker." She raised an eyebrow as she gave a soft snort. "I wouldn't ask such a thing. You earn every cent of your rate, and I intend to pay full price. I don't need you doing me any favours."
Flynn held his free hand up, wriggling his fingers. "You call the shots, my lady," he told her with a laugh. "My nicotine habit won't affect me catering to your wants and desires in any way."
Lara started to laugh as her own hand finally found its way to his cock, and she gave it a squeeze. "Good to know you continue to up hold your standards. Now... about me calling the shots..."
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