innocence is BORING {melody}

[LIZZIE SPENCER]

Lizzie was quite possibly the best New York wanderer/explorer that there ever was. She went out of her way to discover something new. She could get downright disrespectful when she really got into wandering. On more than one occasion, she'd run into people or pushed through couples or knocked hot cups of coffee onto a nice suit. More often than not, she'd apologize as she continued on but there were the moments where she was much too focused to worry about saying sorry.

Today was like any other day for exploring: a calm Sunday where nothing was really going on. It was one of those rare New York days where the streets weren't nearly as busy and people weren't rushing about with their briefcases. Yeah, Sunday was Lizzie's favorite day of the week. She just loved Sundays. Lizzie didn't have to worry about ducking and weaving today, that's how roomy the sidewalk was. It was going to be dark soon and she knew she'd have to catch a taxi eventually, but there were just a few more buildings she wanted to check out.

Like that one! Oh, it was lit up like a Christmas tree! Or perhaps not... maybe it just seemed bright because all the other buildings hardly had any lights. That wasn't what mattered, though. It had caught her eye immediately and for some reason, she just had to explore. Luckily, she actually noticed people flashing IDs at a rather scary looking man guarding the entrance. Any other day, she would've strolled right up.

However, she clearly had to be a certain age to get in. Nineteen was plenty old! Shifting on her feet, Lizzie looked around rather nervously, wondering how she'd get by the guard. It would take some sneaking and she wasn't feeling particularly ninja-esque today. Oh, if only she knew somebody! Lizzie, without a doubt, had to get in there. Or else her curiosity would just kill her.

[MELODY JAMES]

Sunday was a glorious day for picking up guys. Most of them would go to a bar and have their last good drink before work started up again and most of them were businessmen. Ah, businessmen. When you loosened them up a bit with some brandy, they had the sex drive of a teenage boy. Which for Melody, was never a bad thing. She put on her best heels and a smidge of makeup before finding the most risque outfit that held the line between sexy professional and trashy slut. Oh! Melody hated that word! It was a crime against nature to call someone who makes love with people a slut. She was just helping keep the men’s stress down. She liked being helpful in a way that also let her have fun. She was no a slut, far from it.

Most of the people who called her that were stuck up rich women who caught their husbands at her work instead of in bed with them. Or virgins who were too naive to see the beauty of sex. As Melody strutted down the street she spotted on hanging outside one of her favorite boy shopping stops. Down the Rabbit Hole. Why her shy but curious attitude, Melody had no doubt that this girl was one of those poor lost lambs. She walked over to the girl and flashed her a dazzling smile.

“Listen,” she said “Take this and flash it at the bouncer. He never really looks closely.” She handed the girl one of her many fake IDs and motioned for her to follow. Melody walked up to the bouncer and smiled. “Hey Z,” she said cheerfully.

“Hey Mel, who’s your friend?”

“Just a newbie. I’m showing her the clubs.”

“Okay. Have fun girls,” he said with a wink.

Melody was glad he was the security today. Z was one of her many options so he was easy to play with. Melody sat down at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. She never drank hard liquor in front f professional men. “Want anything?” she asked the girl. “I’m Melody by the way. You don’t have to tell me your name. I like helping the anon.”

Outfit: sexy professional

[LIZZIE SPENCER]

Lizzie hadn't been standing there much longer, coming up with nonsense plans on how to get in, when there was a girl at her side. Startled, Lizzie thought this to be one of those 'don't talk to strangers' moments. But, she was smiling so prettily and she looked quite nice; oh, and her outfit was just wonderful! Lizzie took whatever the girl was handing her without really looking, smiling back, hoping it was an obvious enough 'oh wow, thanks!'

Following after the girl, Lizzie glanced at what she now realized was an ID. However, it wasn't hers and the face on it looked nothing like her. Wondering how in the world this could help her, Lizzie glanced back up in time to see the girl conversing with the guard. Z? Why, that was an interesting name... Lizzie focused on smiling and seeming grown up, hoping this man was at least a little blind so as to not notice the difference between her face and the one on the ID.

He hardly even glanced at the ID before waving her in after the girl, whose name seemed to be Mel?, and Lizzie smiled, again going for the 'oh wow, thanks!' sort of thing. She followed after Mel, certainly not wanting to get lost. Sure, she was a great explorer but it was easy to get confused in a place you'd just stepped into. Tucking the ID into her pocket, Lizzie sat beside her guide at the bar. "Oh, Mel is short for Melody!" Well, that made sense, didn't it?

Lizzie glanced to the bartender and at all the bottles behind the bar. Best to play it safe... "Just water, please." Lizzie looked out at the rest of the room. It was a lot of flashing lights and pounding music and people dancing (or was it dancing? it wasn't any sort of dancing she'd ever done). "I'm Lizzie," she said, turning back to Melody. Lizzie grinned, currently feeling as if it were Christmas morning. "Thanks so much for helping me. I just couldn't have given up on getting into this place..."

Lizzie paused, looking around again. "Uhm... this will sound rather foolish, but... what exactly is this place?" She couldn't help the blushing; it was practically expected for her to be embarrassed over not even knowing a thing about somewhere she'd wanted to get into so badly.

[MELODY JAMES]

Melody let out a giggle as the girl made the connection. She was a bit sad when the girl didn’t order anything alcoholic. Oh well, she could still have some fun. This pretty girl was obviously new to anything that had to do with partying and dancing so Melody had a clean slate.

“I'm Lizzie,”

“Lizzie! What an adorable name!” she gushed. Lizzie really did fit the little dear perfectly. She looked so sweet and innocent. Melody could have Lizzie use that to her advantage if Melody taught her right. So many men to lure and so little time. Melody took a brief look around and spot two or three men who were single, well-dressed and looking for Melody’s favorite kind of stress relief. She was certain she could get the innocent Lizzie to flirt with them and maybe even share a kiss or two. She wasn’t expected much more though. This girl was terribly uneducated in the field of love.

"Thanks so much for helping me. I just couldn't have given up on getting into this place..."

“Oh, it’s nothing hun. I love to help out the newbies,” she said over the music. She winked to the bartender and he smiled at her. Then she pointed to Lizzie when she was looking away and the bartender nodded. He readied Lizzie’s glass.

"Uhm... this will sound rather foolish, but... what exactly is this place?"

“Oh hun, you’ve been terribly deprived! This is a dance club. Maybe after I finish my drink we can dance!” Melody took a small sip of her glass and watched the bartender do his work. It was an interesting job really. She thought about getting it herself but giving up dancing didn’t seem worth it. When the drink was ready, the bartender coughed to get Lizzie’s attention. He set out the glass of innocent looking water and walked away. He causal left Melody’s pill box on the counter and she slipped it back into her clutch. She figured a pill with a smiley face on it would be perfect for the darling Lizzie.

[LIZZIE SPENCER]

Lizzie spun around on her stool a bit, swinging her feet. This music wasn’t anything she recognized. In fact, there weren’t even any words. It was just kind of loud… noisy stuff. It wasn’t absolutely terrible. Just different. Lizzie smiled brightly, “oh, thank you! It’s short for Elizabeth.” She paused before laughing out loud. “Oh, it’s a nickname! Like Mel was a nickname for Melody.” Lizzie wasn’t quite sure why she found that so interesting… just that she did.

Sitting still in such a new place was awfully boring. She was just about ready to ditch her seat to wander around when Melody spoke again. Lizzie really couldn’t stop smiling; it was quite exciting finding new places. “That’s so sweet of you.” There weren’t very many people that nice in New York. Lizzie had learned that the hard way and she still was. People just didn’t like having their space invaded on. “It’s not often that I find people as helpful as you.” Oh, but that was a bit rude. She couldn’t forget all the strangers that had been kind.

A dance club? … Well, that did make sense. People were dancing and the music seemed easy enough to dance to. She wasn’t much of a dancer. Sure, there was ballroom but Lizzie was sure that wouldn’t work at a place like this. “Oh, I see…” She commented slowly, looking around again. Lizzie was much too fascinated by it all to worry about something as simple as a glass of water so when the bartender (who looked almost as scary as the guard had) cleared his throat to get her attention, she was almost confused.

“That sounds lovely!” She exclaimed, ignoring the glass on the counter. She wasn’t thirsty just yet, anyway. Not entirely sure how long it would take Melody to finish her drink, Lizzie slid off of her stool, wanting very much to be on her feet. Until she could explore the club, she’d just bounce on her feet and wait to dance. Sitting around and worrying about things like drinks seemed so dull compared to dancing and discovering new things. Hopefully, Melody wouldn’t take too long…

[MELODY JAMES]

Melody was fairly certain tonight was going to be more fun than usual. She always took pride in showing the party life to poor naive children who hadn’t even dreamed of this much fun. She was doing a service really. Like when Seniors in college adopted a freshman and took them out and about. Though she wasn’t sure if the girl was old enough to be a freshman in college. Not that it mattered, it was just an analogy.

“oh, thank you! It’s short for Elizabeth.” She paused before laughing out loud. “Oh, it’s a nickname! Like Mel was a nickname for Melody.”

“Oh! Elizabeth! Like the queen,” Melody commented. She added a sultry smile and gazed at Lizzie in the low lighting. She had a pretty face for sure. One that would catch the eye of any guy. Though Melody wanted to make sure it was the right guy. She was respectful of the virgins losing it to someone they loved. She felt a bit protective of this girl Lizzie. She seemed innocent enough. Almost like a mouse. Mice were easier to prey on by a few wretched vermin she knew hung around these parts. She’d keep a watchful eye on anyone who approach Lizzie. “You certainly have the looks of a queen,” Melody said offhandedly before downing her drink. It wasn’t much but she liked the buzz.

Melody smiled when she saw that Lizzie was up and ready to dance. She took notice of the untouched water but let it go. Maybe Lizzie was one who could loosen up by command. She softly wrapped her hand around the younger girls wrist and playfully led her to the dance floor. She went straight towards the middle and everyone let her in. It seemed like they all wanted to make contact with her body, even if it was just for a minute. Melody liked that feeling: being wanted. When she was on stage at the Sahara, the greedy but adoring looks of her customers was like a different kind of drug than any she’d ever tried. She wondered if a film star felt the same way. If Melody had any talent besides seducing people and making love, she’d probably try for that as a career. But alas, no such luck.

She took a second to make sure Lizzie hadn’t ran away in fear. Sometimes she found people were overwhelmed by the closeness of this kind of dancing. The girl seemed alright. Maybe even enjoying herself. It made Melody’s smile brighten.

[LIZZIE SPENCER]

Lizzie wondered if most people grew tired or annoyed with the lights and music of this dancing club. She only wondered this because she was thoroughly enjoying it; the atmosphere was upbeat and fun. It wasn’t something she always found in New York. Usually, it was quiet museums or calm enough parks. Boring places! Lizzie loved this dancing club. Were there more, maybe? Perhaps less crowded, though. Oh, and none of that ID nonsense. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have such a helpful guide like Melody at those places.

Lizzie could feel herself beaming at the comment. Like the queen! Oh, that had to be the sweetest thing anybody had ever said to her. Well, it was until the following compliment. The looks of a queen! That was without a doubt the sweetest thing anybody had ever said to he. She was almost blushing this time and along with the bright smile, Lizzie was sure she must’ve been glowing. “Thank you!” she gushed, “that’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever received!” (She wasn’t complimented very often, anyway. It was usually a back-handed ‘wow, Lizzie! You managed to dress yourself normally today!’ This is Lizzie we’re talking about, though, as she usually took even those half-insults sincerely).

Partially paying attention to where Melody was leading, Lizzie also took the opportunity to look around some more. Somehow, the club seemed much more interesting when she was moving. Maybe it was that she could see more. Or that the closer they got to the dance floor, the louder the music was. It was as if she could feel it throughout her entire body. “Wow,” she exclaimed louder than she felt she’d ever spoken. “This is so great. It’s like I can feel everything.” Looking around, her eyes lit up with wonder, Lizzie hardly noticed people letting her and Melody right through. If she’d been paying attention, she surely would’ve wanted to thank them for being so polite.

Finally looking back to Melody, Lizzie started to move with the music. She wasn’t quite sure what she was doing but it was better than just standing around. “I absolutely adore your dress, by the way.” Lizzie said, again speaking a bit too loudly but wanting to make sure she told Melody before she forgot.

[MELODY JAMES]

“Thank you!” she gushed, “that’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever received!”

Melody giggled at the girl. “Really? You must have some shy friends! If you stick with me, I won’t be only one telling you it. Trust me!” she yelled over the music. She loved feeling the bass in the floor and the music in pounding in her ears. It was the way Melody made sure she was having a good time. If she went to bed with a ringing in her ears then it was a good night. If she didn’t remember getting home at all, then the night was amazing! Most people found this silly but to Melody, it was better than any high. She danced and twirled with her new found friend. Lizzie. It was an innocent name for a sweet innocent girl. If Melody had the name she would go by the full name. It sounded more sexy and sultry. She found a guy to dance with and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Wow,” she exclaimed louder than she felt she’d ever spoken. “This is so great. It’s like I can feel everything.”

“Best part of a club,” she yelled back, “the music.” She began to grind against her partner and let his hands feel her curves. She closed her eyes and let the music control her dancing. This was what she did at work. Well, except this time she had a man instead of a pole. Though they were about the same. Guys didn’t dance much and the ones who did were usually not ones who would go home with girls.

“I absolutely adore your dress, by the way.”

“Oh thank you darling!” she exclaimed. She twirled and winked at Lizzie. A rather attractive guy kept “accidentally” bumping into her. Lizzie seemed oblivious to the meaning of this. Melody chuckled inwardly and pulled Lizzie close so she could talk in her ear. “You should dance with him,” she said just above speaking level. She nudged towards the guy before she was pulled back by her handsome partner.

[LIZZIE SPENCER]

Were her friends all that shy? They had always seemed rather loud and energetic. Even when gossiping and telling secrets, they weren’t very good at keeping their voices low. Lizzie had never understood them and she had stopped trying at some point. Gossiping just didn’t appeal to her. So, she simply shrugged in response to Melody’s comment. However, the last bit intrigued her. Who else would compliment her if they hardly knew her? Complete strangers were either rude or polite but rarely were they actually nice. Lizzie smiled, glad to know that there were more kind strangers out there than she thought.

Lizzie couldn’t have danced like most of the crowd was if she’d tried. Her dance lessons had always been the ballroom sort. Slow and even… not at all like the fast-paced movement of the… club goers? clubbers? She wasn’t sure what to call them. She did heartily agree with Melody on the best part being the music. She couldn’t think of anything more wonderful than this right now. Why couldn’t all music be this loud? Melody had found somebody to dance with; Lizzie wondered if she knew him with how closely they were dancing. Surely you wouldn’t dance like that with a complete stranger. Then again, it wasn’t Lizzie’s place to say anything as this was her first time at a club.

Somebody kept bumping into her and while Lizzie was waiting for an apology, she again couldn’t be sure if this warranted one. Perhaps there was some rule at clubs where it was okay to bump into people. The dance floor was rather crowded anyway; it could simply have been an accident. That didn’t seem the case, though, as Melody pulled her closer so she could talk without raising her voice as loudly. “Dance with—?” Lizzie started before realizing Melody had meant the very same guy that had been bumping into her. “Oh!” Well, that was a bit embarrassing. Here he was, trying to get her attention, and she’d been ignoring him. How rude!

So, she turned to him and smiled both brightly and apologetically. “Hi!” she said loudly, “sorry about… well, uh… ignoring you, I guess.” Not that she’d been doing it on purpose. He shrugged and smiled before taking her hand and twirling her. Wee! She giggled and decided dancing could come before learning names just this one time.