Speakeasy, Doll - Ashton Irwin Fanfiction (Mob!5SOS)

Chapter 2

It was nearing two in the morning when the band finally took a break. Cass found herself leaning up against the bar, thinking to herself as she stared blankly at the floor. Something cold against her arm brought her back to reality. With a slight jerk, she turned around only to find a glass of gin on the table and Luke standing in front of her.

She smiled graciously. “I didn’t order anything, Luke.”

“On the house, Cass, friend of mine took care of the tab” he smirked, pushing the glass towards her.

“What friend?” she inquired, lifting the rim to her lips.

            The blonde tender motioned with a nod in the direction of one of the corner booths where three fellas sat. She instantly knew which one bought her the drink by the way he watched her while the other two simply chatted. She knew she was instantly tempting fate by smiling at him as he raised his own drink to her, but she did it anyway.

“He’s a Real McCoy, Cass, and I’m not just saying that” Luke commented, idly cleaning a glass.

She smirked. “Of course” she giggled.

            Slowly, Cass finished her drink, keeping an eye on Mr. Irwin the entire time. He seemed like a swell guy, but now definitely wasn’t a good time to go playing around with some mob boss’s son, especially a bootlegger.

“What’s eating you, doll?”

            Before she knew it, she was in the presence of the young mobster himself. He propped his elbows up on the bar, leaning back with such ease. He winked at her over the rim of his glass.

“Nothing a little gin can’t fix” she grinned.

He smirked, liking how her voice sounded.

“Cassondra, right?” he inquired.

“Who wants to know?” she fired back without batting an eye.

“You’re lookin’ at him” Ashton answered.

She admired his sharpness. “Cass” she said softly.

“What’s that, doll?”

“Cass” she repeated “everyone calls me Cass.”

He nodded slowly. “I like it.”

            Something about the way he looked at her made her ears feel warm and her stomach feel empty. Ashton admired her features up close, not even noticing when Luke came up to them with a couple of drinks and a mischievous grin.

“Another round, Ash?” he suggested.

“Yeah, yeah, sure” Ashton waved him off, his eyes never leaving the little songbird in front of him.

“Are you trying to give me an edge?” she teased.

“Nah, you look to good to be the type of girl to get tanked.”

She giggled. “Do I?”

He nodded. “How’d a pretty little thing like you end up working in a speakeasy?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Cass sighed softly. “Can’t pay rent with words” she shrugged.

“Times are tough” he nodded.

“Tell me about it, singing seemed like the easiest way to get a quick clam, you know?” she mumbled.

 “You need dough? Let me help you out” Ashton suggested nonchalantly.

He didn’t realize how that came out before it was too late.

She scoffed. “Excuse me? I’m not some quiff you can pay for a good time, buddy.”

“Oh, no, no, no” he shook his head “that’s not what I meant, really.”

“Hmph” she grumbled.

“I didn’t mean no harm, doll, honest.”

“Yeah, sure you didn’t” she huffed.

            Before he could say anything else, she was walking back up to the stage, signaling to the band. Damn. Ashton groaned and shook his head. That’s when he noticed the boys coming his way. Great.

“Ah, don’t get in a lather, Ash, she ain’t worth the glad rags she’s wearing” Calum snickered, his arm going around Ashton’s shoulders.

He could tell his friend had met his limit for the night. “Scram, Cal.”

“Don’t bother with the dame, there’s tons of others in this joint that’ll do flips for you” he went on, putting most of his weight on Ash now.

“I said beat it, Cal” he snapped, pushing his friend off him “Mike, get him home, will ya.”

“Yeah, alright” the other boy huffed, grabbing Calum’s arm and pulling him towards the door.

            Once they were gone, he leaned on the bar shaking his head. Luke finished serving a couple before heading back over to the twenty-year-old. He sighed, looking over at Cass who was back up on the stage, shaking her hips and belting out a hot tune.

“She’s a real sweetheart, Ash, she’ll come around” Luke mumbled, wiping down the surface.

Ashton just nodded, trying to figure out what to do about the girl who’d gone and made him goofy. He watched her for three songs, admiring how the light made her glow. Though he wasn’t really sure, he thought he’d caught her eye a couple times.

When she came off stage again, Luke met her right at the steps. Ashton didn’t know what he was telling her, but by the looks of it, she wasn’t hearing any of it. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as Luke tried to coax her towards the bar. He realized Luke was just trying to help, but the girl seemed to have allot of respect for herself, not like the other broads who try to get his attention.

            He looked around the room, noticing for once in a long time how hoppin’ Club 96 really was. The drinks were cold and the music was hot.

“Luke says you’re not a total pill” Cass said appearing beside Ashton “and I trust him” she admitted, refusing to meet his eyes.

            He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but right now was probably the only chance he was going to get to make up for his screw up earlier.

“What I said earlier came out the wrong way” he sighed “what are my chances of maybe starting over?” he inquired slowly.

            Cass stared at him for a moment, knowing fully well she could walk away and not have to worry about this bootlegger, but that would also mean going back to the cupboard of an apartment she was currently staying at with no heating and barely enough food to feed a mouse. She sighed thoughtfully before smiling at the fella in front of her.

“Everyone calls me Cass” she smirked.

A lopsided grin spread across his face as he took her hand. “Call me Ash” he winked, his lips grazing her knuckle.

She didn’t what it was about this mobster that separated him from all the others, but he managed to make her flustered, insulted, and flattered all within a few hours and honestly she would do it all again just to see that cute lopsided grin.

“Let’s grab a booth and split a bottle, doll” he suggested with a smirk.