Sweet Venom [✓]

03

He didn't quite know how to react as she pulled away from him. For starters, she ran across the ballroom, dramatically pulling at her classy up-doe'd hair, letting her curls unravel as she addressed the chaos.

"This wasn't the plan," She yelled, glancing back at him, as he slowly too, came closer, lips pressed together. "This is all a terrible mess."

He came and stood behind her, teetering over her in all his six-foot-something glory, jaw ticking impatiently, as he attempted to console her, rubbing her shoulders. She denied his touch and shrugged his fingers away, proceeding to glare at he who was now examining the gun in his hand with utmost fascination.

"Put the Godamn gun away." She hissed, lowly, kneeling to check the victim's pulse.

"Relax," He scoffed, shooting a grin their way, "I only shot his leg, he'll live."

•

•

•

Smoke was forming creative swirls in the grey shadows, which was only partially lit by the rusted bar lights. Every shade of amber and rose liquid in their upside-down bottles was lined up along the wall; every vice that Daniel had been known to abstain from.

His fiancée disliked the idea of her future husband becoming wild and intoxicated; after all, he was set to marry into a privileged family. It implied that some obligations existed, such as maintaining appearances and taking care to avoid projecting a negative attitude toward continuous sobriety.

Hundreds of boisterous conversations were taking place in the bar, contending with the loud 90s hip-hop music that was playing in the background. There were mostly men and young, senior college students in the crowd.

Daniel found his way through the warm bodies to order a drink —a lemonade with a salt rim and before the drink was poured he felt someone melting their body to his from behind and he knew she had arrived.

Evalyn gave me a cosy, friendly hug. She smelled clean, like spring and wild flowers; submerged in wintry frost.

"This place hasn't changed much." Evalyn mused, unzipping her leather jacket and seating herself in the bar stool beside him.

She glanced around nervously, hoping that everyone was too busy doing their own thing to actually recognise her, what if the paparazzi had followed? This wouldn't be the first time they'd done that. Because of them she'd had to re-enlist a team of individuals that her father had once used, to ensure the gates of her community were guarded.

"Nothing has changed much since you left." Daniel muttered, swirling the lemonade in the glass and peering at Evalyn, under his lashes.

"I'm afraid you're gravely mistaken," She smiled, "You're engaged to Natalie Monique, the Senator's daughter, my friend that's a huge change. But really, how did you land her? Didn't know you were her type."