Playing Cat and Mouse (Kate)

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick flipped the cream colored card in between his fingers. It was the size of a business card and completely blank other than a silver scribble on one side of it. He stopped twirling the card and stared at the shining writing.

He was sitting at home with the lights off, the only light that of the orange coast horizon. It was dusk and the sun was setting on the Friday evening. He looked at the card one last time and picked up his Blackberry, dialing the number that lay on the card.

Ring...Ring...Ring...

Nick thought about Damien's warning about this girl as the phone rang. The Jester had said that she was dangerous, which he knew, but Nick couldn't help the curiosity that grabbed at him and drove him deeper and closer to wanting to meet with her. He waited for the blonde haired girl to answer on her end. She had given him the card with simple instructions.

"Call me when you wanna play sometime."

Oh, he wanted to play and he would be on the top of his game this evening if she decided to play cat and mouse with him. No more of that bullshit where he was caught off guard by the girl's personality, he was going to go search and take what he wanted, he was the hunter and she was his prey.

When Kate answered he would reply with who it was and where they would meet to start their little charade.

[Kate]

Life had been rather interesting lately. Damien's announcement, Mathew, Adrian and her hooking up. Hooking up as in dating. However, when Kate got the phone call she had to be interested in what was going on. Going to a club with a friend didn't mean a thing. Damn, it had been a long time since she had dated anyone. It was a little weird to have that feeling.

The club he named was The Waterfall. Apparently a sister of it's twin back up in New York. Kate was dressed more formally than she had been. When it came to dressing up and dancing, she really knew what to do. The female had on the little black dress, saucy and flirty as was normal. It ended mid-thigh and was strapped around her neck. A thick silver belt (yes real silver woo) with several links was tightly cinched about her waist. The back was low, but not low enough to show her tattoo on the small of her back. Hair in curls, black heels, and she had opted to switch her car out for something fancier. She didn't know what it was, but it was fast and it was black. That was all that mattered to Kate.

One of her boys dropped her off at the door. She began to peer around, searching for her friend from the music room.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick arrived at the club he had chosen with finesse. He sported a tux blazer with larger fins, a white button down dress shirt, black slacks that matched with his jacket, and dress shoes. His suit looked like it was straight out of Casino Royal, minus the bow tie. Nick didn't think he needed to be that classy, and was surprised he wasn't that overdressed compared to the other night prowlers.

He entered the building from the back door, and immediately hit a crowd. The music was loud, but it didn't faze him because he was used to the loudness of his headphones and drums. Nick scanned the crowd looking for Kate, trying to find the needle in the haystack. He didn't care how the night turned out, he was in it for the thrill of something new and desirable.

[Kate]

He wasn't standing out front like she had thought, so Kate made her way into the club. Didn't need ID at the front, pretty girls got in all the time. There were all sorts of people in the club, and she fit right in with her party dressed. People were in all sorts of formal to causal wear at the club. You wore what you could move in and still look good. You worked what you had after all.

Several people were looking her way as she walked past them. The first place Kate was stopping at? The bar of course! She was Scottish, through and through after all. The girl could drain a drink faster than you could say uncle! The blonde ordered herself two shots of vodka, and the second was not for Nick. She quickly downed one after another with a wink to the bar tender. Still, no one had asked for ID. And even if they would, she was a McHallin. Nobody said no to a person with that kind of money unless they were trying to start trouble.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick continued from the back of the club, walking past the dance floor.

Hm, I don't think she'd be dancing just yet.

And then he guessed it. Kate was talking about alcoholic drinks last time they spoke. So Nick snaked his way through the crowd, towards the bar to see if she was there. His sparkling night blue eyes scanned the bar from left to right.

He almost skipped her, but his eyes couldn't miss her blonde hair and physical features. He approached her like he didn't know she was there and sat down on the bar stool next to her, still attempting to be oblivious. He glanced at her part of the table and realized she had already begun drinking. Nick motioned for the bartender.

"Could I get a dry martini, three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel?"

He still decided to ignore Kate as he ordered his drink.

[Kate]

He slid into the seat right next to her, and just plain ignored her. One eyebrow lifted, and Kate lifted her hand for another round of drinks. The blonde smiled to herself as they slid straight toward her. She lifted one, and threw it back straight down her throat. The pale woman looked at him, one emerald orb just staring.

"Nice way to say hello."

She was here for a bit of fun. But she felt weird. Adrian Hanlon... her boyfriend. There was something very wrong with her being here, and it just didn't sit right. She had made a promise to be here, once upon a time. And now that she was here, she wished there were other people here as well.

"I should warn you that I'm taken. I'm here to make a friend."

There, up front and out loud. She felt better, because things would be clear. Kate was a flirty person, but there wouldn't be much with physical contact other than some dancing. Nothing of that sort.

[Nicolas Constantine]

The bartender arrived with his drink and he took a sip before she said anything.

"Nice way to say hello."

Nick smiled an evil grin as he turned to face her.

"Allo, love." he said in his best Cockney accent.

He took another sip as he just looked at him.

"I should warn you that I'm taken. I'm here to make a friend."

Nick thought it was smart of her to come out straight with it, but even he knew that she wasn't the most faithful of partners. But Nick wasn't there with a goal of sleeping with the girl, he came with the notion to take the night as it came, and friends were definitely a good thing to gain.

"Of course, don't be expecting that every guy is after your... goods, for lack of a better term." he said as swirled his drink around in its glass, sizing her up.

[Kate]

What was this now? Kate chuckled, and downed the second, or fourth depending on how you counted. Did she think everyone was out for her goods? Of course not. Be it tended to be the end result. She was pretty, and guys liked pretty things.

"I never said you were. I just like to keep things clear Nick."

The funny thing was? Kate's rep came from when she wasn't in a relationship. She flirted, slept around, and did what she needed to fill that hole in her heart. Fill the empty spot that Damien had created. Bastard. Funny thing was, Kate was the single most faithful partner. She stuck to her guns, and didn't cheat. Had never cheated. Had just slept around outside of relationships.

"And it would be rather refreshing to have a guy friend who didn't try to get in my sheets. I'm rather hoping you'll be that friend."

She could hope, really hope. Maybe rebuild her friends. Have some friends for once. She had Linda, who was her best friend, she had Mathew... sort of. And Adrian. But she wanted friends.

[Nicolas Constantine]

It seemed like all the girls just wanted Nick to be their close guy friend, nothing more. It ended that way with Sam, and he was beginning to think that maybe that was his role with girls. Yes, he did want something more, but perhaps he just had to wait for the right one to come along.

On the other side of things, he was a bit flattered that she wanted him to be her friend, despite the things that Damien had said about her. He could get both sides of the story if he wanted.

"Ah, don't worry about it, I'm great friend material if I do say so myself." he smiled and chuckled.

Nick threw the last part of his drink to the back of his throat and motioned for the bartender to refill his cocktail.

"And who knows, maybe you could then introduce me to some pretty friends of yours." he joked.

[Kate]

Kate smirked just a bit, listening to what he said. The pale girl turned to look at him, on elbow on the bar. She was relaxed for the moment, just calm really. Maybe it was a bit of the booze. Maybe it was just feeling comfortable.

"To be honest Nick. I don't have many friends. And the people I thought were friends are showing their true colors. At least, if you saw the Weekly Whammy."

There wasn't even any hate in her voice. She was over it. There was just fact, a statement. He had to have seen it. The girl smiled at him calm as could be. One eyebrow was lifted, but she was suggesting that she had been friends with Damien, and look where it landed her.

"I have one hot friend, but considering she's the school captain and eats men for breakfast, you might not last long."

She laughed a bit. There was a ton of warmth in her voice when it came to speaking about her best friend, Linda. Kate loved the girl like a sister.

[Nicolas Constantine]

"Yeah, I saw the Weekly Whammy. Wasn't the nicest program, poking fun at you and Adrian, and a Gabriel. But I seem to be on good terms with Damien, so I didn't have much of a problem."

Truth be, he didn't really care what the media said, it got things wrong or was scandalous all the time.

"I have one hot friend, but considering she's the school captain and eats men for breakfast, you might not last long."

"Ha, sounds like a barrel of laughs, this one. If you introduce me, make sure she doesn't bite me... hard..." he added a jokingly sensual tone at the end.

[Kate]

Friendly terms with Damien? Well, if he wasn't a girl then he wouldn't have much to worry about. Kate wasn't out to ruin his life after all, unless he started shit again. Then it would be a whole different ball game.

"Well Linda would be a biter, I'd bet on it."

What other friends did Kate have? Girls? No... in fact most girls and Kate did not get along in the least bit. They were catty, she was catty, and it usually ended in a cat fight. The pale girl smiled just slightly, that eyebrow relaxing as well.

"I can make no promises, because I couldn't hold her back even if I tried... She's frankly, a tank and could break bones with her pinky."

Yeah, there was no way in hell Kate could ever stop the Bone Dragon. Just no way in hell what so ever. The bartender looked at her, wondering if she wanted another round. Kate shook her head slightly, deciding to wait.

[Nicolas Constantine]

"Linda, the Pillar? Oh, I haven't met her yet. I haven't met her or Matthew yet, out of the Pillars. And if she's as strong as you say, she probably is a biter..."

Nick had met Damien on a couple of occasions, and he had disturbed Matrim on one. Apparently he was now facing Matrim in a boxing match and Damien was advertising it.

"So I probably wouldn't mind meeting her, if you'd introduce me sometime, who knows, maybe she might not bite as hard if you do it."

He took a gulp from his third drink.

[Kate]

Kate swiveled around in her stool, looking around the club suddenly. They were playing a song Kate hadn't heard before, but then again she didn't listen to the radio much either. It almost felt like prom... The blonde smiled at Nick, chuckling under her breath.

"Well, next time I have a party at my place, I'll give you a call. They tend to run pretty late."

The blonde leaned back in her chair, putting her elbows on the bar top behind her. The bartender coughed, and scowled at her, she just smiled over her shoulder at him. No one was telling a McHallin what to do here, least of all the last McHallin left. She would be the last of her name, and her children would have different last names. Oh well. Not her fault she wasn't born a boy.

"Is the club scene anything that you thought it would be Nick?"

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick swiveled around on his stool, just like Kate, but he wasn't copying her on purpose this time.

"Eh, yeah, drinking, dancing, talking, its the same as in movies. Except we're dressed a tad fancier than I would have thought for a night club, but what do I know." he smiled over at Kate.

She was definitely beautiful, and now that they had spent time together outside of school, she seemed less dangerous too. Maybe Damien was wrong about her. Maybe he had some unknown vendetta against her that he played off as heart-breaking.

Nick leaned in closer to Kate, eyes shinning dully in the dim club light.

"So, tell me Ms. McHallin, what does Damien have against you? If you don't mind me asking."