[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]the man next to her is saying something but it sounds like white noise. lips moving but no sound filtering into her ears. instead, she's distracted, eyes drifting to the body that's approaching the bar.

oh.

an eyebrow raises for a moment, the only tell that she's surprised to see him of all people here. and it lowers within moments, settling back into its usual spot. and by then, she's turning toward him with a grin. "hey," she calls, a hand offering a little wave. should she feel a little sting over him not approaching her in the first place? probably not and if she did, she probably wouldn't notice.

the man she'd been bothering moves his hand to her waist, fingers wrapping around the exposed skin of her hip. a reminder to pay attention to him, a summoning back into his orbit and not finn's. she ignores it for a moment, head tilting to the side. "what're you doing here?" the man grumbles slightly but allows her to wait for a response, instead ordering them another round of drinks while she's distracted. at some point, his hand moves a little lower but she doesn't pay it any mind.

Finley Black

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]"rough day?" she's leaning a little too close to him, pressing boundaries until they snap. and the man next to her isn't that big of a fan but neither is finn, really. she doesn't notice the growing tension, oblivious to what's going on. instead, her grin grows slightly and she's reaching for her drink without hesitation.

her head tilts at the thought, as if it's curious he's even asking. maybe it's polite and maybe it's not but she's throwing a glance over her shoulder toward the man in question anyway. she's met with a mild look of annoyance, one that she diffuses with a wink. keep him hooked, keep him strung along. funny, she's doing the same to finn if she paid much attention.

"oh, this is james," she offers, turning back to finn. james sips at his own drink, observing the two with curiosity. he doesn't miss the way finn reacts to his hand wandering, not in the slightest. and perhaps to get a rise out of him, he lets it go a little further. giada ignores it, for the most part. she's used to being grabbed. it's nothing new.

glancing around, she's raising an eyebrow. "you're by yourself?" apparently it's just her that finds warm bodies to fill the spaces of her bed everywhere. it doesn't dawn on her that he's not that kind of person, not yet anyway.

her drink is finished and discarded, the next one already within her grasp. james has abandoned his, instead adding his newly freed arm to drape around her shoulder. a claim, even if he's lacking in the art of subtlety.

Finley Black

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]the lack of answers is odd, throwing her for a whole ass loop. she doesn't notice the palpable tension, chalking it up to something different. what that is, she has no idea. girl's a mess idk what to tell you. anyway, she shifts a little closer, voice dropping as if she doesn't want james to overhear her. realistically, she couldn't give a shit if he heard or not but it's fine.

"you okay?" she murmurs. there's hesitation, as if she's not expecting whatever the answer will be. and maybe he'll clap back with some snide remark or he'll even ignore her again but she's trying anyway. the chase keeps her hooked, keeps her from saying fuck it and going back to what she was originally doing. "knocking them back pretty fast, aren't you?" is she rubbing off on him? no, probably not.

james has no choice but to remove his arm from her. well, she pries herself out of it in favor of asking finn more questions but it still stings the man a bit. he rolls his eyes and turns back to his drink but the hand at her ass? yeah, it taps once against her and then retreats as well. a reminder that he's still here, that he's waiting for her to be finished so they can leave.

she ignores it for the most part, tucking it away for after she's done.

Finley Black

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]oh. that's, um, unexpected. she recoils from the tone, the firmness of it. it's different, foreign compared to their last encounter. and maybe it's because of something she doesn't know about or because of the man behind her but she's confused. her face twists into mild hurt and then quickly replaces hurt with confusion, as if she's not allowed to be hurt.

she says nothing at first, merely watching as he pulls out his wallet and puts a bill on the counter. fifty, too much for the three drinks he had. it sticks out, then, that he's about to leave. and there's no hesitation when she moves to leave, moves to follow.

"what is that supposed to mean?" she murmurs. james doesn't pay them any mind, newly absorbed in a conversation with the bartender. she abandons her drink and her new toy in favor of following finn, arms beginning to cross over her chest.

"why're you leaving?" she doesn't understand it. not yet, anyway. he's not giving her much insight, either.

Finley Black

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]"yes i'm serious," she doesn't notice the clipped tone she uses, the way it almost sounds like she's snapping at him. alcohol dulls enough to keep her ignorant in all senses of the situation. and maybe that's what's irritating her. it'd be easier to blame that than the simple fact that she doesn't like his tone or how quick he is to leave. huh, imagine that. the tables turned and she's not enjoying it.

"not know what?" it doesn't make sense. not enough for her to realize what's happening.

maybe she's being naive or playing herself or him but she's stepping closer, testing this tension between them. it's growing with each passing minute and she's not used to it.

"what's the issue?" her head tilts, expectant. as if she can make him look at her the closer she gets. and maybe she will or maybe he'll avoid just as she does. time to find out, she supposes.

Finley Black

[attr="class","giada"]

[attr="class","giada b"]

[attr="class","giada i"]the question isn't what she's expecting. the look he gives her isn't either. and while she's normally able to just roll with the punches, this one kind of hurts. it's a look she doesn't fully understand, one that isn't turned toward her. she's never seen the aftermath of her actions come back to bite her in the ass.

"i," she tries but words catch in her throat and she's stuck looking uncomfortable in the streetlight's glow.

silence falls for a moment, punctured by passing cars and the usual noises of traffic. seconds tick on until they become minutes and she's heaving out a sigh. face the music, you have to.

"yeah," she says it so softly it's difficult to hear at first. her eyes avoid him, instead watching the cars that pass. "i was." there's no use denying it. no point in beating around the bush. she was using him like she always does. taking what she can and then leaving. the same game played on a loop until it's all she knows. sometimes people understand it. they'll even play the game with her. and sometimes, like right now, they don't get it and she's left with the concept that she's taking a baseball bat to a heart.

Finley Black