I spy with my little eye. ||on hold||

Chapter Twelve

"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse."

-Edmund Burke

***

By the time we got to the bar it was already full of people, they were packed into every corner like sardines. I recognised most of them from the police station but there were a few who had probably come with their friends or just liked to hang out with cops because it made them seem 'cool'.

A sick feeling settled in my stomach and I swallowed down the bile that was rising in my throat. My palms were starting to sweat with nerves and I looked around for the others. I caught sight of them sitting at a table in the back corner, they were laughing at a joke Jason had just told and I caught myself smiling at them. However, when I looked closer, I could see it was all fake; their laughs were obnoxious and none of their smiles reached their eyes.

I pushed through the mass of people and made my way up to the bar. Back in New York I didn't go out much, especially not to bars, I'd had my fill of them when I was in college. Still, Mark had said it was okay to drink as long as I didn't get too drunk, we were still on duty after all. The bartender was a tall guy with platinum blonde hair and a lip ring. He smiled when he saw me; it was a kind smile, like he was greeting an old friend and not a complete stranger.

"What can I get ya sweetheart?" He asked with a slight southern drawl.

"Just a bottle of beer thanks." The bar was so loud I found myself almost shouting my reply.

"Sure thing," he nodded, grabbing a bottle from the fridge below the counter, "let me know if you need anything else."

I heard a chuckle and saw Lucas take a seat beside me. "I didn't take you for a beer type of girl," he commented, pointing at the bottle in my hand.

"What were you expecting, Pino Grigio and Sangria?" I replied jokingly. I plastered on a fake smile and subtly brushed my hair over my shoulder, revealing my tight top. Lucas noticed it instantly and I took a sip from my beer bottle, making sure to purse my lips. Francesca told me it made me look 'desirable'. I'm not sure about that but I definitely think I looked like I was doing a drunken duck face.

Apparently Francesca's advice worked because every so often I noticed Lucas' hand graze my thigh; he tried to play it off as an accident, he was grabbing his phone from his pocket or he'd gotten too close when he went to take a sip of his drink. I tried my best to flirt back but it was getting harder and harder; every time he touched me I had to resist the urge to pull away in disgust.

I quickly drank the rest of my beer in one gulp and ordered another one. It was going to be a long night.

***

Three bottles of beer later and I was finally starting to make a break through with Lucas. Once I was slightly tipsy I found it easier to flirt with him without having the desire to bathe myself in bleach. He was starting to show more signs of interest towards me the more I drank. His touches were also starting to get more frequent and less subtle. He found any excuse to touch me; my legs, my shoulders, at one point he even started stroking my hair pretending he was brushing something away.

"You seem kind of out of it tonight, is everything okay?" he commented and I realised I hadn't spoken in a few minutes.

"I think I've had a bit too much to drink," I admitted, "would you be able to drive me back to my hotel?"

"Yeah, sure," he nodded and stood up immediately, picking up his keys from the bar counter.

I hopped down off my bar stool and deliberately stumbled forward. Mark had said that it might make Lucas think I was drunker than I actually was. He caught me with ease and made a joke that I was lighter that I looked. I know he meant it as a compliment but it was a pretty crappy attempt at one in my opinion. Still, I laughed and thanked him for his chivalry.