Stuck in Nowhere.

[charlene]

(for Mitch and PM to join)

Charlie sipped her drink and enjoyed the burn that worked its way down her throat and into her stomach. She was hiding out in San…again. This time thanks to a job gone terribly wrong. Working with thieves had its downside, and this particular instance had proven the worst of them all so far. With any luck, in a few weeks it would all blow over and she could come out of hiding.

No one would look for her here. Hell, few people would think of this tiny village as a place that the trend-setting Charlie Hart would even stop to take a second look at. And usually that would be the truth, but almost two years ago Charlie had shown up to find her ex, Keiran Doyle. And since that time, San had become a haven of sorts. ‘Of sorts’ because there were still issues here that she hadn’t dealt with and preferred to not think about.

Keiran came by and topped off her drink without even asking if she wanted it. He had been able to see from the look on her face she wasn’t in the best of moods and hadn’t bothered poking his rather adorable nose into her problems. Charlie appreciated that, considering she didn’t want to go into it knowing full well Keiran didn’t approve of her less-than-above-board activities. Not that he should lecture, having grown up with gypsies.

“Thanks,” she murmured as he disappeared again. Good lord, this was a mess. And she hadn’t even anticipated it. The client had contacted her with a wish for an item and she had found someone to acquire it. Only that someone had attempted to ‘acquire’ it from someone who was best left alone. And now Jacobin Mettinere knew that Charlie was the one who had started it all.

“Stupid Frenchman, updating his security, had no business getting it in the first place…and don’t even think about bugging me!” She snapped her head to the left and glared at the figure who had sidled up to her table. It was one of the house spirits…a ghost of an old man who had died right in the pub over fifty years before and never left. But Charlie had a strict policy…no freebies. She never talked to a spirit unless someone was paying.

The ghost shrugged and went back to his seat at the bar. Charlie found it funny when someone still living attempted to sit there. They inevitably got up and moved to another seat, finding something ‘uncomfortable’ about that one.

She let out a sigh and laid her head down on her crossed arms resting on the table. This was a nightmare. She was stuck in San with very little access to any of her usual funds. That meant no comfortable hotel room, no days of shopping, and very little else to do. Charlie wondered if Keiran would let her bunk in his extra room for a few days. She wouldn’t ask usually, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Perhaps,” she said quietly as she lifted her head and took another drink, “there is a lesson to be learned in all of this. Damned if I can figure it out, but it just might be in there somewhere.”

[mitch]

[W] For Some Language

---

For the better part of the evening Mitch had a few drinks before he started sitting down with the boys for some poker. He was the best poker player in the whole bar which people were simply amazed at his talent. Course they did not know the dirty little secret of how he is a great player they just praise him for it. They said he was a cheater for the most part but he proved them wrong. He was a master at card switching without having cards up his sleeve at all. So now people just accepted that he was a really good poker player and just a genius at that point. He did not care he took the credit and played against his fellow competitors who challenged him. For hours he has been sitting there playing his rounds and was the top money collector for the rounds. With a smirk he watched as the other players were looking at their cards. See he already took a peek at their cards and knew that no one even had a better hand then him.

When they all settled their cards down he slapped down his four of a kind in aces then smirked. He won the round then he banked out since he had enough of the card games for now. "Thank you gentlemen. I shall be here tomorrow if your willing to lose some more." He laughed a little which his poker buddies rolled their eyes but laughed. That is when he took his exit from the table. Digging in his coat pocket he pulled out a pack of smokes and a lighter then lit the end of a fresh cigarette. He walked slowly over to the bar which his eyes did run around the place. Mitch always dressed casual but nice, which tonight he had a normal white button up shirt on tonight. Dark blue coat over it with some dark blue jeans to match his outfit, normal black boots. His eyes were looking around for anyone giving him the time of day, meaning a woman.

He always liked to share his time after poker with some enjoyable female company. But he did not see anything to his liking until he approached the counter. His eyes were looking at Charlie from the backside so he did not recognize her at all. He was liking the way the girl looked though so he had to go and approach her at the bar and took his seat next to her. That is when he noticed it was his friend Charlie which the night has been proved to be better. Now he knew he would have fun with Charlie since she was a very interesting person indeed. Also they have done things beyond a friendship on some occasions which he knew he would not have to do an ice breaker. He didn't feel like going through all the trouble with the flirting and then trying to see if the girl would come home with him. He did not say a thing to her yet he just looked over at her.

Then his eyes and head turned to Keiran who was behind the bar for the night. "Get me my usual, my friend." He said in a nice tone which he knew his buddy Keiran knew the routine. Mitch liked to have four shots of straight up whiskey then switch to Newcastle beer. Simple tonic for him to get to his point of being drunk for the night. Enjoyable drunk not a complete retarded drunk, he hated when he got too drunk. Taking a small drag off his cigarette he pulled the ash tray closer to him then he smirked. "OH and....make sure the beautiful lady next to me has all her drinks on me tonight." He slide that right out of his pocket and he smirked off since he knew he had the cash to get drinks. Besides he was trying to charm his friend before he went turned towards her. Now that would get his attention, he was sure, so he smirked took a long drag of his cigarette. His first shot arrived which he took right away then he turned his attention to Charlie.

No, he did not know the relationship she has had with the good old bartender Keiran. Or else he would not flirt so openly in front of Keiran but he was flirting already, since he could. "Well, look who decided to grace us all with her radiating presence?" He smirked off then took a long drag from his cigarette again then ashed in the ash tray. "Long time no see Charlie. How are you? How long have you been here?" He wondered since he had not gotten a hello at all from her. If she had been here she should of came over to his poker table to say hello. That kind of damped him a little but he was sure it was some honest mistake. His friendly smile kept on his face as he looked over at his friend with his blue eyes. At least he ran into someone familiar for the night that he could relate to and have some intelligent conversation. He had respect for his friend, sure he liked the benefits, but he did have his respect. He does like to talk to her on a normal level instead of flirting her to death all the time.

[charlene]

From the moment she had entered The Sticks, Charlie had been so absorbed in her own state of misery that she had failed to take stock of those inside the small pub. But if she had spotted Mitch, she probably wouldn’t have approached him. Mostly because when he was in the middle of a game, Mitch used everything to his advantage. Her appearance would probably distract the other players long enough for Mitch to get a good read on them. And Charlie always suspected that the overly “lucky” Mitch was more of a skilled cheater than a skilled player…but she’d never rat him out. She recognized a kindred soul when she saw one.

So when someone among the living sat next to her, it was a bit of a surprise to see Mitch. Oh, Mitch. He was in a class by himself. When Charlie had first come to town to find Keiran, she had found Mitch shortly there after. Or rather, he had found her. Two players who were masters at the game had become friends until one fateful night when things had moved beyond “friendly.” Charlie had regretted it and tried to stay away, but the boy was just too delicious for his own good and once in a while she’d give in. The problem was that Mitch had too many girls wrapped around his finger and she hated the thought of being just another one. When you were used to being the one in control, it was hard to give up the reigns.

Her dark eyes turned to focus on Mitch, finding a bit of trouble doing so considering the amount of alcohol she had already consumed. Eventually she figured out which one was Mitch and gave him a smile. “Well, Mitch…always a pleas-shure.” Her words were slightly slurred already, a good sign that she had consumed enough to do something stupid. “I happened to get into town…oh…about an hour ago. Probably been in here drinkin’ since then.”

She stifled a hiccup and looked back down at her cup. Whiskey. Charlie always felt that if you were going to get drunk, you should do it right. And nothing beat some good whiskey when it came to knocking you on your ass. “Keiran’s been keeping my glass full but he’s too busy to keep me company. I didn’t see you when I came in, but it’s sure good to see you now.”

Charlie smiled in a way that was more of that of a cat playing with a mouse. She had been wondering where she would stay while she was in town, and as luck would have it…a golden opportunity had just presented itself. Mitch wouldn’t mind her crashing at his place and Charlie wouldn’t mind the company while she waited for this fiasco to blow over. Surely the Frenchman wouldn’t hold a grudge for more than a few days? After all, it was just a little misunderstanding and if something would go right in her world, someone more important would take her place on the hit list.

Living a life among the more questionable denizens of society meant knowing when to take risks and when to not. Right about now all her accounts were being watched and all the usual places she went. So she had fallen off the grid and retreated to San. Here she wasn’t well known and even fewer knew of what kind of work she was into. And as long she had a place to stay, Charlie could survive on what little money she had with her. A week, maybe less, and she should be okay.

“So Mitch…been keeping yourself out of trouble or finding yourself a way into it? I know things are rarely dull around you.”

She gave him a smile and reached over, gently touching his cheek. Mitch had a gift with women in the same way Charlie had on men. Usually they bantered back and forth, each wondering how far the other would go. Not tonight. No, tonight she knew how far she’d go and that Mitch wouldn’t put up a fight about it. The only thing in question about this night was how long before they left together.