Love and Leather

Chapter 1: Ciprianis Diner.

Word count: 1.1k

1981 Los Angeles was a whole other world. The people were colorful, the hair, the clothes, the language, their actions all of it was a dose of bad fashion and a mixture of cocaine; it was a wild cocktail.

Ciprianis diner was the go to on the sunset strip. In one corner you had the high school kids who just scored there first tabs of LSD, across the diner at the bar you had the every day joes who came in after working down at the docks to have a ice cold beer and a hot meal. On the other side you had the misfit punks who were flicking there food at the unsuspecting white collar worker.

And unfortunately for me, I had to take care of them all.

"Vanity, hey doll face wake up!" I snapped out of it and moved from the counter, "Yes Rubio?" I turned around and talked to the cook, "Orders up, table six." I smiled at him and took the plates.

Table six, my white collar workers also known as my big tippers and the most pervy ones in the whole joint.

"Gentleman here is your food." I said as I placed their plates down, "Thanks sweet cheeks how about you give me a little dessert afterwards." He said and smacked my bottom,

I grabbed the knife and stabbed it into the table, the blade at the tips of his fingers, "Touch me again and we're gonna have a problem." I warned him and he glared at me and I walked away,

"Bitch." I heard him and I smiled.

"I'm taking a ten Margie!" I told her and she nodded.

I grabbed my coat and walked out to the back alley way and reached into the pocket and pulled out a cigarette. I put it in between my lips and lit and slowly took a drag in.

"Jerks." I said out loud as I exhaled, and wiped a rain droplet from my forehead.

"Vanity! Need you sweets!" I turned my head and Francisco stood there by the door, "oh common let me finish my smoke first! I just lit it!" I begged him,

"Sorry Vanity! Girls got a difficult one in here and don't want to take him!" I sighed, "Yeah, I'll be right there." I told him and he went back inside. I took one more puff then flicked the cherry off and went back inside.

"I'm not taking him! He's a total dick! He freakin asked me when my shift was over and if we would take a trip to my car." Tonya yelled while walking into the kitchen with Lucia, I finished washing my hands, "Van gots him." Francisco said and I smirked, "You're welcome ladies." I told Tonya and Lucia, "Love ya girly!" "Good luck!" I chuckled and walked out the door.

I saw him sitting there at table 13. I chuckled to myself, how unlucky of me.

I walked over to him with a pad and pen, "What can I get you, guy?" I asked him and he looked at me.

He was holding a bloody tissue to his nose, had sweat dripping down his face and his hair was a mess. I couldn't tell if that's how he styled it or if he just had a rough night.

"Jack and coke." He said and I could smell the booze on his breath. "Um, how about some coffee." I told him, and he shook his head, "Give me a damn jack and coke!" He shouted and everyone in the diner looked at us. I turned my head to look back at my co workers and they were huddled together while staring at us.

"You just come from the Starwood?" I asked him and he nodded.
"Nikki Sixx, I'm in the band London." He said and I scrunched my eyebrows together,
"Never heard of you...now how about a coffee to sober you up? And some food." I told him and he sighed and glared at me. His green eyes pierced through my brown ones,
"Fine, I'll have the pancake breakfast."

"Dude holy shit! You're Nikki sixx!" A scrawny teen with long black curly hair pushed past me and sat down at the booth.

"I'll have blueberry pancakes." The lively kid said and I just walked away and put the orders in.

"He's like mysteriously hot." Tonya said to Lucia and I chuckled.
"Weren't you just complaint about him? That guy has bad news written all over him just look at him." I said while butting in,
"Yes, but that doesn't mean he's not attractive." Tonya clarified as the girls continued talking to each other and I took the food out to him.

"Here's your food." I said while putting the plates in front of them, but they paid me no attention as they were discussing a band. "And your jack and coke." I said and he finally looked at me as I sat down a cup of coke and a small pint of Jack Daniels.

He unscrewed the cap and chugged the whole bottle without flinching, "Whoa." The teenager and I said in union. "Thanks babe." He said to me and I stuck my nose up at him, what an entitled fucker.

"He's coming this way!" The girls scurried away and I turned around and faced him at the register.

"You should come see me and my band play." He said,
"No thanks." I said as I punched in buttons,
"Not the band I was with tonight, but my new one." He tried explaining,
"Thanks but no thanks, your total is 23.64." I told him and he handed me 40$, "Keep the change babe." He said,
"uh okay..thank you.." I told him and gave him a small smile, he flashed his pearly whites too.

"Aren't you suppose to be wearing a name tag?" He questioned as his eyes didn't leave the low cut white shirt I was wearing.

"My eyes are up here." I responded as he finally glanced up at me, a smirk on his lips as I shook my head. That's an awful smirk.

"Okay, fine, but what's your name?"

"It's Vanity."

Nikki laughed a bit, "Like the mirror?" I rolled my eyes. That's not an original joke anymore.

"Okay, Vanity...what's your last name?" He questioned.

"It's Vanity Blackwood, is that better?" My attitude seemed to catch him by surprise as he chewed on his bottom lip. He seemed to be thinking, or almost making a mental note of my name.

"Alright Vanity Blackwood...I'll be seeing you." Nikki spoke, extending his arm out for me to shake his hand.

I stared at his hand for a moment, it looked dirty and his knuckles were scraped along side the chipped black paint on his nails . I shook his hand anyways, "Find me when you make it big rockstar."

He smirked, nodding as he took his hand back,
"Hey Tommy! Wait up man!"