Singing for new patrons at the Eel

Excited by having a new face in the audience (and a perfectly sculpted pair of buns in a seat), Lorelei took extra care with her appearance for the evening's performance. The bar was just full enough to make the evening pleasantly mixed yet intimate, allowing Lorelei the freedom of moving easily through the crowd. The stage was nice, but she loved interacting with her audience.

By the time Gammon entered the Eel, Lorelei was in full swing. She shimmered in a clinging emerald gown under the spotlight, her hair swept to the side and cascading in luscious curls down one shoulder. Her head tossed back, she belted the final verse of a ribald Risan song, her cheeks glowing with excitement.

Gammon was no slouch himself. His hair was artfully disheveled, hanging just over one brow like maybe he was in a brawl or doing something else particularly manly, like fixing a car. In the rain. He wore a shirt that was probably meant to be looser, but clearly showed his every torso muscle line. It also had a substantially low v cut in it that both made him look like he wasn't trying to look good...and also gave a glimpse of blonde chest hair. His pants, as usual, were fitted very well to him.

He had made a point of not coming early, but he also didn't want to miss the performance and he'd made an appointment with Etilen, so he arrived fashionably late, and as Lorelei was still singing, watched her with a certain arrogant saunter to his body language, leaning against the door frame -- conspicuous but polite.

Val Etilen sat at his usual place at the bar, taking great pleasure in telling anyone who approached him that he was waiting for a friend. He knelt on a barstool and leaned over the bar to pull himself a drink. Might as well take advantage of the absent bartender and malfunctioning hologram.

Lorelei noticed Gammon and winked, finishing off her song. The audience erupted with applause. "Thank you, darlings!" the singer grinned, weaving through the crowd. "Looks like we were just joined by my newest friend," she waved her fingertips to Gammon, and several heads turned in his direction.

The tall Kriosian was practically slow-clapping when Lorelei turned the attention of the bar on him. He gave a slightly uncomfortable laugh and lifted a hand to wave meagerly to the people staring. Except for one very virginal-looking Vulcan ensign sitting with her fellows toward the back. He winked lasciviously at her. The table hooted and she looked away without a twitch. At least not outwardly.

He let his attention drift back to the singer, to whom he gave another of his cocksure grins. "If I knew what I was missing," he told Lorelei across the room, "I would have come early." And this time it was intentional.

Gammon glanced around for a seat and, finding Val at the bar, swaggered like a cowboy over to him, stepping easily over the stool with one leg raised and setting himself down. "I see you already have a drink."

"You can buy my second one. I'm having kanar," Val said with a grin. "I see you've met Lorelei."

"Kanar it is then," Gammon declared before frowning at the flickering holographic bartender who was serving a Ferengi at the other end of the counter. "Is that the only way to get a drink in this place?"

When Val mentioned Lorelei, the Kriosian gave another of his wolfish grins. "Oh, I met her. I'd like to do more than that, though."

Lorelei had charged into the last song of the set, a sultry human number that she so favored.

Val perched his chin on his fist and regarded the man skeptically. "I thought you wanted to spend time with me tonight."

"Who said anything about tonight?" Gammon asked cheerfully, still trying to get HJ's attention. "I'm playing the long game, young Etilen. These things are not to be rushed. That's why they call it the art of seduction."

He put his arm around the Bajoran's slender shoulders so that everyone at the bar could see they were spending time together. "Tonight, I'm all yours."

Val laughed. "Oh, boy... you know Lorelei's services don't come cheap, right? I mean.. she's worth it, don't get me wrong.. but you were always one to go for the low hanging fruit, if you know what I mean."

"I love fruit of all heights, my friend," Gammon replied, finally managing to get HJ's attention. The hologram twitched and flickered as it made its way to the Kriosian. "Kanar. And when Val Etilen here is finished, another one for him on me."

He didn't make any outward sign of surprise or dismay at finding out that Lorelei wasn't just getting paid for massages, although he had thought that might have been the case. He did, however, glance thoughtfully in her direction.

The Risan held the audience in thrall one her last fading note. She met Gammon's gaze across the bar as the music and her voice faded away. There was a moment's stillness, then the applause crashed like an enthusiastic wave. Lorelei blinked and smiled radiantly at the crowd around her, her shoulders dropping. "Thank you. I'll be back in just a little bit, so don't go running away," she purred. Picking up the train of her dress high enough to reveal a shapely leg in an impossibly high heel, she descended the stage and made her way to Val and Gammon.

Val recognized that look, and shook his head hopelessly, knowing there was nothing he could say to dissuade the man from his fantasies of seduction.  
"Oh brother.." he sighed, finishing his first glass of kanar.  "Well, listen, that woman is like a big sister to me, so don't yank her around too much, all right?"
When he saw Lorelei saunter over, he raised his new glass to her. "Gorgeous!" he surmised. "As usual."

"Thank you, my darling," Lorelei replied affectionately, leaning over to plant a kiss on Val's cheek. her heavy hair spilled dow her cleavage, brushing Val's ridged nose and almost making him sneeze. She glanced from Val to Gammon, "I hope I'm not interrupting. I didn't know you knew each other!"

HJ delivered the kanar to Gammon, who took a drink and relaxed just at the taste of it. Val got a sideways smirk. "From what I understand, she enjoys a good yanking around."

Which is when Lorelei headed their way and Gammon's smirk turned into a welcoming off-kilter smile. "Excellent taste, a superb voice, and legs that won't quit. I do believe you deserve a drink. What would you like?"

He patted Val roughly on the shoulder. "I've known Etilen since before he could grow a beard."

"This outlaw used to run supplies to us on Bajor. He's sort of like if Robin Hood stole both ways," Val laughed.

"I'll have a glass of Altarian Grand Premier." Lorelei perched herself on a stool beside them. "Robin Hood! Is that that human folk hero, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor?" Lorelei lifted her eyebrows, "The plot thickens! How's adventuring in a post-scarcity economy?"

"I did have several bands of merry men," Gammon joked thoughtfully before shrugging helplessly at Lorelei. "There's always scarcity. And there are always people willing to pay well for the right things. Besides, Bajor wasn't my only market."

He waved HJ over again. "The lady will have a glass of Altarian Grand Premier on me."

Val looked from under his brows at Lorelei.
"See what I mean? Are you sure your dad wasn't Ferengi, Gammon?"

Lorelei wanted to hear more about the bands of merry men, but conversation had moved on. She laughed at Val's comment, folding one leg over the other and leaning on the bar.

"I have my mother's word," Gammon replied with faux seriousness to Val. HJ, meanwhile, set Lorelei's drink in front of her. "Although it would explain my ears."

He lifted his brows at Lorelei. "And you two? How did you meet?"

Val shrugged. "Working on the station. Lorelei makes some fantastic beauty regimen baths. They keep me nice and soft, see?" he extended his arm across Gammon's lap so he could feel. "The environmental controls in Cardassian quarters used to dry out my skin real bad."

"I keep trying to get Val to work at the Two Moons instead of independent contracting - then he could have all the beauty treatments he wants," Lorelei chirped, then smiled at Val, "But as long as you're happy." She lifted her champagne flute to them both, "To new friends!"

The Kriosian dutifully brushed his fingers along Val's arm and nodded his very high approval. "Maybe I should invest in a bath with Lorelei." He tossed a wink in her direction, but turned his attention back to Val at the mention of working at the Two Moons.

"It would be considerably safer," Gammon pointed out, but added, "Sometimes a man just needs his freedom, though, right, Etilen?"