2019-08-03 - Can I Get A Ride?

Last call was brutal.

Somehow Zoiya managed to get away from the handsy customers and now faces the prospect of walking the two miles home, thanks to her bike needing some work. It's warm outside, and thankfully not raining, so she's wearing a pristine white tank top, some jean shorts and sneakers. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, which makes her look younger than she is, if you looked past the ink that covers most of her body.

She knows she shouldn't do it, but she sticks her thumb out when headlights approach. She's already tired from shaking her ass all night, getting home quicker would be nice.

He knows it's not his job any more but taking an after hours cruise around this part of town is something Vince has done since he was a patrol officer. He doesn't do it so much to pad his arrests so much as he does it to just make sure people get to where ever it is they're going next safely. When he sees Zoiya with her thumb out he frowns, hitching is dangerous, but at least he seems to be the first car to stumble upon her.

He hits his lights so that the scene is briefly flashed with red and blue before pulling up beside her, just something to let her know he's a cop and not some creep. Well, at least he's a cop. He lowers the passenger window as he pulls along side her and says, "Hey, everything okay?" As he talks he looks up and down the sidewalk taking the scene in.

"Shit."

The blue and reds make her shoulders hunch, but she doesn't take off running. After six hours of dancing she probably wouldn't get very far anyway. She turns toward the car, taking a deep breath so she can profusely apologize, but then the voice asks if she's okay. Not what she expected.

Zoiya takes a few steps closer, leaning down to gaze in the passenger window. "Yeah, just walking home and figured I'd try for a ride, you know?" Hazel eyes shift to take in the quiet stretch of road, it's been pretty empty thus far. Fortune favors the bold. She looks back at Vince, shrugging. "Think you can spot me a ride home?"

Vince nods when she explains her situation and says, "Sure thing. Hope on in." He clears off some papers and pens from the passenger seat and tucks them away in the glove box.
"My name is Vince, by the way. Excuse the mess, I'm not used to passengers," he adds with a bit of a laugh. "So where am I dropping ya off?" If she looks she'll spy a badge attached to his belt and it looks legit. The car is definitely a cop's car, clean enough and smells like fast food. There's also a radio built into the dashboard, which he motions to when he asks, "I'm guessing you don't normally walk? If you're having car troubles I can have you towed to the nearest garage if you want?"

Zoiya pulls the door open, sliding in, putting her purse on the floor between her feet. "Thanks. Hey, this is a first. In a cop car and not in the back seat with cuffs on." Is she kidding? The smile makes it pretty hard to tell. She holds out a hand toward Vince. "I'm Mae, nice to meet you, and don't worry about the mess. Really."

She takes a deep breath, glancing around, because one should always be familiar with their surroundings. She leans back in the seat after, getting comfortable. "I live on Elm, but if you could drop me off at the diner, I'm half starved from work and if I don't put something in my stomach, it's gonna try to eat me from the inside out." She glances back toward the Cabaret, lights lonely on the outskirts of town. "I walked to work tonight, actually. I have a motorcycle, and I need to get it fixed. I think the fuel line is fucked."

Vince laughs at her joke and smiles, "Nice to meet you, Mae. And there's a first time for everything, am I right?" Once she's in he puts the car in gear and starts down the road. He nods when she mentions the diner. "That doesn't sound half bad, actually. You mind some company? They still on the dinner menu or think I could get some pancakes?" He asks as he check his watch to confirm the time.

"Sucks about your bike. I'd offer to take a look but I'd probably just bust it worse. Mechanical things aren't my forte, you know?" It's a bold confession but he's okay with it. "You work at the Cabaret? I haven't been there in years. When people find out I'm a cop it tends to freak them out, you know?" As they chat he cruises down the street heading for the diner and what he hopes is a nice big plate of pancakes.

"I don't mind company, and I think we can get pancakes. I haven't tried those yet, so two firsts. Mom would be so proud." Zoiya shifts a bit, turning her knees inward so she can watch Vince as he drives. "I'll even pay for your breakfast because you're doing me a solid."

"Yeah, I got the name of a few mechanics in town. I'll get it taken care of, probably tomorrow or something. I can't keep walking to work, I'm gonna be eating my weight in food to keep up with my metabolism." A slight smile twitches the corner of her lips. "I do work there. Not a waitress, I'm a stripper." Go for the shock factor, get it out there so it's not a thing. "I don't get freaked out by cops. Am I more wary around you guys? Yeah. Our kind don't usually have the best of reputations." Street lights, buildings, people. Everything looks so normal.

"Hey, I'll never turn down free pancakes," Vince says with pat of his stomach. He doesn't seem phased when she says she's a stripper. He just nods and continues driving. He does shrug and sigh when she mentions being wary around cops.
"Yeah, I get that. It sucks, but I get it. Truth be told most of the strippers I've met in my life are pretty decent people. They have their monkeys on their backs just like the rest of us but decent people overall, you know? It's the assholes that work behind you that tend to bother me. Predatory assholes who will do anything to make an extra buck." He sighs again and then realizes that this might come off as a bit of an extreme reaction, especially from a cop, and adds, "I dated a stripper way back in the day. Like a million years ago. I'm hoping things are better now then they were then." Arriving at the diner he pulls into an empty spot near the front door before getting out and heading in.

"Smart man." Zoiya watches her words get a reaction, her hand coming up off her lap to brush a curl from her bangs back behind an ear. She lets him talk, and since they're close to the diner, she leans in to pull her purse up to her lap. "I mean, the same could be said for people in general. Most of them are pretty decent, then you get that one asshole who ruins it." She is the asshole in this case, but why would she reveal that to a detective in a cop car. "Yeah, I don't think you'd like my boss, but that's how it goes sometimes, yeah?"

The smile that has been threatening to bloom on her lips is suddenly there, and she resists the urge to reach out and drag a finger down his arm. Flirting could lead to trouble. "You don't look a million years old, honey. I mean, they're fine for me, mostly because if someone does something I don't like, I make sure it's a one time occurrence." The car comes to a stop and she gets out, shutting the door as she approaches the diner. She can already smell breakfast inside, her stomach making a noise that could be embarrassing, if she could be embarrassed.

"Kind of you to say," Vince says when she comments on how old he looks. It's here that he allows himself to look over at her, really, for the first time. His eyes taking her in and him suddenly being aware of just how large that age gap probably is. "I don't even want to think about how old you were back when I was dating Stella." He gives her another sidelong glance before popping out of the car and heading into the diner.

"You may regret offering to buy me breakfast, I'm thinking I could destroy a fat stack and a plate of sausage and bacon. And eggs. Christ, can you smell the eggs back there?" He takes a long whiff and gives a whistle to show how pleased he is. "And you are not wrong. Most people are pretty decent. Just gotta watch out for that one asshole. I mean, I've been called that asshole from time to time, but what are you gonna do?" Once they're seated inside and their orders are placed he decides to ask a bit of a personal question.
"So, Mae, let me ask you this; if I had been a creep what was your out? Mace or a knife? I'm thinking you're not a gun girl, right? You don't have to tell me, just idle cop curiosity. You'd be surprised how many assholes we have to rush to the ER with a knife would to their thigh," he finishes with another laugh.

Zoiya curls up in the booth, rolling her eyes at Vince. "I'm pretty sure I have dated, or at the very least had a dalliance with men older than you. I mean.. depending on how old you are." She glances at the menu, she's pretty familiar with it by now, despite her being new to town. Hazel eyes drag back up to take in Vince when he mentions she might regret buying him breakfast. "I doubt I'll regret it. You saved me over an hour, and now I won't be bored while I eat. Yeah. Pancakes, bacon and eggs.. I'm gonna get all of it."

His personal question doesn't seem to surprise her, she gives him a look, her lids hooded. "If you would have been a creep, I'd have offered you some ass, and when you were at your most vulnerable.." A smile creeps across her lips. "..I'd have throat punched you, rolled you, and took off." She is probably being more honest than she should be, but she's at ease at the moment.

Vince makes an 'oooh' face and shakes his head. "After you got a look inside my wallet you probably would have come back and kicked me in the nuts. I mean unless you have a lot of use for eight bucks, an expired condom, and a punch card for a free coffee at the Gas Shack. And I got the wallet when I was a teenager, it velcroes, so you wouldn't even be able to hock that for anything worth a shit. Guess it's a good thing I wasn't a creep, huh?" When the waitress comes over Vince orders one of their deluxe breakfasts and a cup of coffee, black.

"I will say, that plan came together awful fast. I hope you haven't had to use it too often. In your line of work though I guess creeps are just a fact of life though, huh? Don't know the difference between a stripper and a hooker. As for how old I am, well, I'm sitting here eating breakfast with a beautiful woman and I can't stop talking about getting kicked in the nuts or being a cop. And why is that? Because I have no idea what passes for entertainment with people your age. I mean...is Britney Spears still a thing? So, yeah, I'm that old." He's glad when his coffee arrives so he can shut his mouth for a few minutes and sip on that.

After hearing the contents of his wallet, Zoiya laughs out loud, apparently not worried about being loud. "I probably would have, yeah. I'm glad you weren't a creep though. Gets old dealing with creeps, because sometimes, even I want things to be simple and easy." She turns to order, the only difference being two large glasses of orange juice instead of coffee.

She watches Vince for a few moments, pressing her lips together so she won't smile or giggle. It works right up until he mentions Britney Spears. That makes her giggle, inked fingers unwrapping her silverware before she responds. "You're as old as you feel, and you don't look bad babe. Trust me, I've an eye for these things." Both of her juices are delivered, and she pops a straw in one and sucks on it. "I mean, entertainment for me is watching television on my days off while I eat cereal. Or dancing, I like dancing, it's why I actually got into this work." Not the only reason, sure.

"Oh god, don't say that," he says as he reaches around and presses a hand to his back. He's laughing though to show it's a joke. Mostly. "I watch TV when I can. It's a lot easier now that you can stream everything. Anything you want to watch at the click of a button. And they say this isn't the future, right?" He downs more of his coffee before motioning for a refill from the waitress.

"I can't say I'm a bit dancer. I'm all ass and elbows. I tend to clear a space around me, if you know what I mean. Not very sexy to watch. Were you always into pole dancing or was there another type of dancing that got you into things? Not that there's anything wrong with pole dancing. I can't even imagine the strength you must have in your thighs to make those moves happen." Before he can start rambling too much again breakfast arrives and Vince does his best not to salivate as he begins digging into his pancakes and eggs.

Zoiya picks up a piece of bacon before she wades into the conversation, nibbling on it like she's dainty or lady like. She's not, it just sucks to talk with your mouth full. "Yeah, my roomie got us Netflix. I can't really watch normal television because I'm at work a lot. I catch shit when I can, you know?" She takes a bigger bite of her bacon, chewing before she speaks up again. "I can teach you some dance moves if you want, it's pretty easy to just move with the music if you have some pointers." She pulls her juice closer, sucking at the straw. "I was working in a burger joint, and a girl told me about a place she started dancing at. I was eighteen." She averts her eyes as she tells the story, clearly the memories aren't great. "Been doing for six years now, and I'm not humble. I have moves, and I can get the job done. I take home good money every night I work." She glances down at her thighs and grins impishly. "Poles are easy, great cardio too."

Vince laughs when she offers to teach him how to dance but he nods and says, "Hey, I'm always up for new experiences. I'll just apologize in advance for stepping on your feet." He listens to her story and nods. Clearly it's a sensitive subject and he doesn't want to press her on it. He smiles when she says she has moves though. Of that he has no doubt.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of shocked we still have strip clubs. A friend told me not too long ago that he thought they were gonna go the way of the video rental store because of all the online sites women can dance on now. Comfort of your own home, no creeps to deal with in person, the house doesn't take a cut of your pay. For me though? There's nothing like a good club or bar. Nothing will ever replace the ambiance. I guess it's different with a bar than an online strip site though. If I drink alone in the dark in my apartment I'm just a sad alcoholic." He shrugs and shovels more food into his mouth. As he chews he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card. It reads Detective Vince Bishop and it has both his office and cell number printed on the bottom. He slides it across the table and says, "Anyway, if you ever need anything feel free to reach out and give me a call. If a creep ever follows you home or someone fucks up your bike or whatever, you know?"

"If I'm a bad teacher, you'll step on my toes. I am a half way decent teacher, so if you do it, you're just trying to rile me up." Zoiya flashes a grin in is direction, jumping on the subject change like a five year old trying to get a piggy back ride. She leans an elbow on the table, the slight smile staying as she listens quietly. She can be a good listener. "I think clubs get a lot less attention now. The introverts can stay home, see skin, do whatever they want and not be judged for it. Then we have those who like to smell the perfume, touch soft skin, and feel involved in it. I didn't think this place would be good for this type of business, but I'm making decent money."

She pulls the card closer, gazing down at it with pursed lips. She takes a sip while she reads it and then she glances up at Vince. "Might need a ride again, depending on how hard the fix is for my bike. I think I can handle creeps, but I'll never say no to good company." She picks up the card and tucks it into her purse, pulling out lip liner. She writes her number on a napkin and slides it toward Vince. "In case you wanna dance, bullshit, or be a creep. You know?"

"There ya go, the smell of alcohol and perfume? That brings back some memories." After wolfing down the last of his breakfast Vince leans back in his seat and snags a toothpick from the nearby dispenser. "And I've been thinking of moonlighting as an uber so, please, feel free to ring me up for a ride any time." He slips the napkin off the table, folds it up, and pops it into one of his pockets nodding with a smile. "Hey, I might just take you up on one or all of those options." Looking at his watch he sighs and shakes his head.

"I hate to be a buzzkill but I should try to get at least a few hours sleep before I have to be up at the ass crack of dawn. Thankfully Elm Street is on the way to my apartment so I can drop you on the way if you still wanted that ride home. And if you get the bill I'll drop the tip, seems only fair huh?" He says before dropping a $10 bill on the table between the salt and pepper shakers.

Zoiya gets to her feet, quirking a brow at Vince. "Uber huh? They paying that bad around here? Shame." She picks up her purse, fishes out money for the bill, dropping it near the ten before she follows Vince from the diner. "Yeah, you can drop me off, I need to get some sleep too, because tomorrow is another work day, you know?" She grins at him as they step out into the parking lot, shifting to get into the vehicle. "I got lucky tonight, good breakfast, no creeps. Maybe this town isn't so bad."