This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things [NIIIIIX]

[Tally]

Val nearly skipped down the hall back to the bar.  Gen was going to be making him drinks?  This could be fun!

He hopped up on the bar stool.  His mind was bursting with questions about the meeting with Chapel, but he knew when to ask and when to keep quiet.  All he really needed to know was anything that impacted his job, and he trusted Gen to tell him that stuff.

"Surprise me!"

[Nix]

Gen made them each a salty dog, which was basically just gin and grapefruit juice with a salted rim. He held up his glass after sliding the other over the counter to Val. Gods, he just wanted to throw Val on the bar and fuck his brains out...

He cleared such thoughts away and grinned. "Well here's to your health Valentino." He said raising his glass a bit more and nodding towards his employee.

[Tally]

It was nice to sit on the other side of the bar for a change, and Gen seemed to know what he was doing.  Val could almost forget about the job ahead of him.  He was pretty good about pushing things to the back of his mind when he needed to, but he never truly escaped, and he wouldn't want to.  Willful obliviousness didn't strike him as a worthy resort.

"To the health of everyone on the Cancer."  He clinked their glasses together.  If he failed, it was more than just his own safety on the line.

[Nix]

That made Gen smile. Sure it was a sad little smile, but that line reminded him why Val was the best person for this job. Their glasses clinked and Gen took a swig of his drink before setting his glass down on the bar. "I'm thinkin' of not opening tomorrow. We can get shit done together that way, concentrate on the important job."

He knew Val was strong and could handle his shit. He knew it, but he was fond of the kid. Part of him just wanted to hold Val close and not let him go; especially not go anywhere with Zebel. Gods did he want to fuck him.

[Tally]

Val downed half of his drink in one long gulp.  It radiated a warmth through his chest and he closed his eyes until it faded.  "Not the whole bar right?  Just the upper deck?"

He rested his chin on his hand and contemplated turning the conversation away from work.  Talking about the job wouldn't have been his first choice.  Still, it was Gen's show.  He'd let him direct things.  If he wanted to talk work, they'd talk work, but nothing could have stopped Val's mind from wandering tonight, especially not if they were getting drunk.  He was way more interested in marveling at how ripped Gen was than planning ahead for the job.  Val kept in shape, but he'd never been prone to bulking up.  Not like Gen was.  His arms were huge!

[Nix]

"It won't matter too much if I close the whole bar for one night." He finished his whole drink in one last gulp and set up the glasses for a second round. "Let's not talk about work anymore tonight though." The older bar tender pushed the second drink over to Val and smiled. "You tell me something instead."

[Tally]

"Tell  you something..."

Val mulled that over, turning his glass in a slow, idle circle.  Tell Gen something, huh?  Hm.  His mind came up blank at first.  For all his questionable work, Val was pretty much an open book—or, he liked to think so at least.  Keeping secrets wasn't really his style.

"Oh!  Did you know Chapel goes to fortune tellers?  It was a rumor I  heard."

[Nix]

Gen had to chuckle heartily at that. "I happen to know that is a fact. Sometimes it is even a good thing that he does." Like this case at hand.

"Val, tell me somethin' about you." He took a sip from one of the next round he had set up and leaned across the bar, smiling at the younger man. It was a smile he had never directed at his employee before, the kind of sexy smoldering smile he used on the ladies or lads he flirted with. "Somethin' ya think I don't already know."

[Tally]

Val huffed.  "You seem to know everything before me, though..."

His eyes trailed around the room as his mind wandered, searching for something about him that Gen wouldn't have found in the no doubt extensive background check he did on Val before hiring him.  Heck, he should probably be asking Gen for this question.  Bet he'd get some interesting answers.

Then his eyes drifted back to Gen and he caught that smile.  He opened his mouth to say something and only stammered, a flush rising on his face.  Dang, he always blushed to easily.  So not smooth.

"Uh..aha, I think um...you know everything you need to."