Love Myself [Open]

[Mona Shepherd]

Mona often wondered who the genius was that put a bar next to a pool. It seemed to her like it was just begging for some drunkard to trip over his feet and make a splashdown in the shallow end.

Sipping her daiquiri in the pool chair, the noon sun warming her bare legs, Mona could only tut her tongue at the thought. Liquor and water should never mix and she wondered why so many people were drinking already. It wasn't even after five, and she could have sworn there was a rule about not drinking until after five.

Not Mona of course. To every rule there was an exception and Miss Shepherd was just that. She was light on her feet and could handle herself. Besides, she'd been making eyes at the lifeguard for the past hour. It was all for naught if she fell in and he didn't budge from that perch of his.

Poor guy.

Mona was guessing his salary wasn't enough to for that diamond jewelry set she had her eye. Probably could even buy one earring. As much as Mona loved men, she had to save the goods for someone who could afford her.

When Daddy cut her off, Mona found herself struggling a little in the financial department. Sure she had a nice bungalow, lots of pretty clothes, and lots of other pricey fixtures, but most of her paycheck went towards the booze and party nights with her fancy high roller friends. She couldn't afford to keep waiting for her father or brother to develop a heart and pay her bills. She needed a someone to sponsor her, pay for what she wanted and in return she'd be as good as gold.

She was really looking for someone loaded, preferably already married so the word never had to enter the conversation. Just the thought of white lace made her stomach turn. If he was married, she could be certain he wouldn't be able to run too far. He'd be hers hook and line. The added threat of a wife certainly sweetened the deal. If she couldn't have him, his little was going to pop.

She set the daiquiri down next to her, pressing her red lips together to freshen her lipstick as she tied back her hair. Grabbing the sunscreen off the table next to her, she massaged the lotion into her legs and onto her arms. Luckily it didn't seem like she'd need to go far for a little help with her back and shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she began, turning to the person in the chair next to her as she sat on the edge of her seat, lifting her sunglasses to see them properly, "mind helping a girl out?" She held out the sunscreen for them to take.

Who could refuse her?

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[Open! Wearing what's in the banner!]

[harvey wolfe]

Baby I'm a bad, bad man

Harvey was tired.

Roxie and he had had a huge fight the night before. He'd lost his temper, furious with her constant button-pushing. He'd come home after a long and difficult day and found her lounging by the pool with one of his inner circle. Her hand was on his thigh and he just lost it. God, he loved her. And when things were going well between them it was better than any concept of heaven. But when they were going bad - when they fought - it was something else entirely.

To make matters worse, Sophie was mad at him too. They were going through another cycle of trying to ween her off the drugs. And, as usual, it wasn't going well. So he had taken the day off - from work, from home. He just wanted to get away from everybody he knew just for a little while. He hated fighting with Roxie. He hated it because she made him so damn mad he didn't even know what to do with himself - and he was afraid that, even now, she was conspiring to get back at him for yelling at her. It was maddening.

Even the bourbons hadn't helped much. Nor the sun. The Wolfe was miserable and irritable. He wanted his old Roxie back, the one who should be sprawled out across his chest right now sunning with him. But she was furious with him. She didn't want to see him right now - so he had taken off to escape from the wrath of the two women in his life. And he was feeling under-appreciated. Didn't they know that almost everything he did was for them? He put his life on the line to give them the life they wanted. And this was how they repaid him? With disrespect and anger and violence? Yes, violence. Sophie had been in a state when he left her, and he still wore the scratch on his cheek, by his eye, where she had clawed him while he tried to restrain her. When she got sick like that, she was prone to hurting herself. And he was trying to get her to just...to just calm down.

I'm sorry,

Harvey rose an eyebrow, lifting his sunglasses up and squinting in the noon day sun. He was shirtless, hoping some tanning might clear his head, and in a pair of navy blue swimming trunks. And the lady next to him was certainly a tall glass of water. Still trying to adjust his eyes to the bright midday sun, he sat up a little to get a better look at the woman next to him.

mind helping a girl out?

Still confused, he sat up fully and met her eyes questioningly. That was when she held out the sunscreen. A bit of a playful smirk tugged on his lips and he stood up, taking the sunscreen from her. Maybe a part of him was just as petty as Roxie. Maybe he was keen on getting some revenge of his own. Of course, he'd never go as far as Roxie. He couldn't. As angry as he was with her, he would never cheat on her - ever.

But that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of fun.

"I'm only too happy to help Miss...?" he replied, moving behind her and pouring some of the lotion onto his hands as he smiled down at her.

NOTES: so excited for this! | WORDS: enough!

[Mona Shepherd]

Mona was an excellent judge of character. It was a quality she prided herself on. And this fellow she was next to was real looker. She couldn't imagine why he was alone. Handsome catches were usually all scooped up by the time she got to them. Not that Mona minded. A lot of short, ugly men could be kings of countries she'd hardly ever heard of. It was always the handsome ones you had to look out for. Behind that pearly smile, there could be a mountain of debt. If a girl wasn't careful, she could graduate from the quickie chapel with a Mrs.

She slid her red hair from her back, holding it up so it wouldn't get in his way or caked in sunscreen. Scooting forward, she made room for the gentleman to help her. Rich or not, there was something nice about getting a good looking guy to put sunscreen on that tugged Mona's lips into a smile. She could pretend he was worth the effort, which made it more fun for both of them.

"Shepherd," she glancing at him of her shoulder. "Mona Shepherd." Her back arched at the cold lotion touching her bare skin. Soon she relaxed into the touch of his hands. It was like getting a massage, except she didn't have to tip at the end.

"Looks like some kitty clawed that mug of yours, handsome," she observed casually, having noticed a scratch near his eye. It certainly didn't hurt his look of course. Made him look a little more brooding. "I'd avoid taking a dive. It'll sting like hell."

Well that and she'd noticed he'd been drinking to. He was no dancer, Mona guessed. At least not one she knew. Then again, she wasn't asking his name. It kept at least a little mystery between them.

And Mona would have been horribly disappointed if a lug like him was named something like 'Darryl Shrimpton'. It'd put a damper on the mood for sure.

"A shame too," she sighed, a smirk on her scarlet lips. "You look like you'd be a good swimmer."

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[harvey wolfe! I hope I gave you enough! Thank you for joining! Wearing what's in the banner!]

[harvey wolfe]

Baby I'm a bad, bad man

Her hair was bright red.

It reminded him of the comics he'd read as a child. The adventures of Kit Carson's cowboys. There was on in particular that he had read over and over as a boy - almost obsessively. It had been when the cowboy he'd idolized had enlisted the help of a local barmaid. She had red hair like Mona's. Harvey had grown up in a family of blondes. His neighbors were darker, and he rarely saw them. There was nobody in his tiny life that had red hair like that - and he was fascinated with the barmaid in that tale.

Now as he stood behind Mona, he found himself thinking back fondly on those comics.

The woman pulled her red locks out of the way, but she missed a few strands. Gently, he brushed them over her shoulder so that they didn't get covered in cream. Maybe his hand lingered a little longer than necessary on her bare shoulder - but who was there to call him out on it? Certainly not his bitch of a sister or his seething girlfriend.

Pouring a generous amount of the sunscreen onto his hands, he began to massage it into the bare skin of her shoulders and back. He was meticulous with his job, making sure he covered every bare inch and that it was rubbed in properly. She was trusting him to protect her beautiful skin - and he had no intentions of letting any of it burn. Of course, he was a man too. So maybe he just liked the opportunity to touch a beautiful woman who wasn't snarling at him.

Shepherd, Mona Shepherd

The name didn't ring a bell, but he smiled down at her regardless.

Of course she flinched at the cold lotion, and he apologized.

"Sorry, my hands are warm though." he reasoned, the hint of a smirk on his lips.

Looks like some kitty clawed that mug of yours, handsome. I'd avoid taking a dive. It'll sting like hell

Harv tensed a little, feeling the sudden urge to go home and strangle the life out of his ungrateful brat of a sister. But that brooding only lasted a moment or two. He sighed and shrugged as he rubbed her shoulders.

"I guess I'll have to just lounge by the pool instead and keep you company then, Ms. Shepherd." he countered.

A shame too, you look like you'd be a good swimmer

Oh, it had been a little while since Harv had had his ego stroked. And he was susceptible to flattery after having the other women in his life be so scornful as of late. He lapped her compliments up and let his hands linger on her warm shoulders. He gave Roxie massages all the time and he'd been told he was quite good at them too. Ms Shepherd had a bit of a knot between her shoulderblades that he began gently working out for her.

"You're very perceptive. I am a good swimmer. I start my day with a few laps at my pool at home, actually. Helps clear my head." Harvey knew how Vegas women worked. They were a lot about the money, sniffing about for it. Dropping hints like that had never worked against him. "What about you? Planning to take a dip or just here to soak up some rays and make some new friends?" he teased, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

He was just teasing of course. There was no way he would ever cheat on Roxie. But that didn't mean that he couldn't entertain the idea or have a little fun while she wasn't around. She was so good at making him feel disposable when she wanted to - maybe a part of him vindictively wanted to make her feel the same.

NOTES: so excited for this! | WORDS: enough!

[Mona Shepherd]

Mona's mystery man seemed to be enjoying his job quite a lot, which made it fun for Mona. Sometimes a girl needed the right kind of attention, regardless of money. At least with this one she didn't know if he made more than a pool boy's salary. She could daydream that he was the king of Sweden and she was asking him to do work certainly beneath him, but oh so satisfying for both parties.

The prospect of having the mysterious man by her side for the afternoon, made her red lips curl into a smirk. She was pleasantly surprised that he began to massage her back and greedily relaxed as his fingers worked. Damn. He was probably dynamite in bed.

But Mona couldn't just go to bed with a man for fun. She needed a benefactor and unless her mystery masseuse was the king of Sweden, she'd have to pass for now. She'd definitely have to consider his offer if the crown jewels showed up on her doorstep.

She giggled at the heat from his breath as he spoke into her ear. A pool at home was a good start. He'd just bought himself a trip to the elevator if he was a good boy. Mona wondered if his bank account could win him a first class trip to her southern hemisphere.

"Those magic fingers of yours have persuaded me to make more friends this afternoon," she returned with a smirk on her lips as she glanced back at him. "One can never have too many, right?"

Mona didn't find herself making too many meaningful connections. She was good for a fun night out, but had little interest in making friends, especially outside the entertainment circles. Her need for a rich and powerful lover to take care of life's little annoyances like bills and taxes and rent.

"Since you and I are become quite the pair," she purred, still enjoying the warmth of his hands on her back, "is there anything I can do to brighten your day? A drink maybe?" Part of Mona wanted to test his palate for expertise. "Then maybe it'll be my turn to make sure you're protected from the sun."

Some kitten wasn't taking care of her tiger; Mona knew just the cure.

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[harvey wolfe! I hope I gave you enough! Wearing what's in the banner!]