Small distractions

Who: Jakob and Lila
When: Evening
Where: The Kitten Club

It had been a quiet New Year's Eve for Lila - she'd worked longer in a busier club, but when it all boiled down, it was the same thing. She sang and danced and went home to her mother, to sleep and do it all again the next day. Things were quieter tonight; most patrons were either nursing the remnants of last night's hangover or quietly working on the next, downturned faces looking for answers at the bottom of a highball - or perhaps trying to forget the questions.

She'd just finished a set, slow, smoky jazz numbers chosen to fit the mood in the place. The dancers on after her would lighten things up, and then she'd go on once more to close everything up. And while she'd normally spend her time backstage between sets, she was in the mood to people watch a little. Making her way to the bar, she asked for her tonic (sans vodka or gin) and settled on a barstool.

Not three seats down from where Lila sat was the standard police presence that could usually be found in the Kitten Club; the sort of police who wouldn't do much about any kind of trouble until after a body had hit the floor. Jakob knew better than to even dream of interfering with the affairs of the men who ran this place, or least of interfering directly. He was having a low-key evening of his own, ignoring the day's work spent checking out the odd body here and there that had turned up after the holiday revels, and the best way to do that was right here.

No gambling tonight, though he did have the numbers for the horse races laid out to one side of his seat at the bar. But throwing dice at the Drake would inevitably mean that someone would want to talk to him about the state of things, and he'd made his resolution to go just one day without throwing his wrench into the cogs of the city's organized crime. Instead he just sat with a curious, cold smile; a drink in one hand as the other toyed with a deck of cards on the bar top. He'd been working on his cuts again, but there was no challenge to choosing what to draw on his own. To his left was an empty seat, to his right two more, but past them? A lovely little diversion. Tucking his deck together neatly, Jakob turned to look Lila's way as he tried (and failed) to put some warmth in his expression. "Compliments on the set, miss," he praised faintly, raising his vodka her way in salute.

It took Lila a moment to realize she was being addressed, but considering there wasn't anyone else out who'd just done a set, it had to be her. She looked over, polite smile firmly in place. "Thank you," she said with a small nod. "Though it's an easy crowd tonight. Too much indulgence last night, I think." His eyes gave her pause; they were so cold, not even the smile helped much. She thought she might have seen him around before, though she didn't know who he was or what he did - if she had to guess, something crime-related. Surely no one who wasn't hip-deep in the nefarious would have eyes like that.

"Don't sell yourself short," Jakob argued casually, turning in his seat to face her more directly, "Easy crowd or no, you sounded wonderful. I just hope there wasn't so much indulgence that no one else enjoyed it. Myself? I was sober as a priest last night, some of us don't get the holiday off." Not much of that was true; he'd been fairly drunk last night, and since none of the bodies were reported to the station until this morning? Jakob hadn't been working in any official capacity. He'd just been doing his side business, keeping an eye on things for his 'other' employers. "Were you on last night, as well? My captain was here for the festivities, and he swore the show was wonderful." In truth, Jakob had been here for part of it himself, he recognized Lila from the revelry, but had needed to go check in at the Drake long before she'd finished her show.

"Until we closed," Lila confirmed, nodding. "I'm one of those who works holidays, too." Save a few; she managed to keep Christmas and Easter to herself, at least. Some days were supposed to be spent with family, not singing in a club. It was dangerous in this town to ask what someone did, she'd learned, but she couldn't help the question as it slipped out. "Your captain?" That meant police, she thought, unless perhaps he worked on a boat? "I'm glad he enjoyed it."

Though he'd be loathe to admit it, Jakob would've agreed with Lila on one count; some days were automatically spent with family, if you had one. He'd visited his parents earlier that day, forcing himself to keep from chiding his father for refusing to speak English during his visit and ducking out the moment after giving his mother some money for their living expenses. "Captain Fairchild, yes. He's a regular around here, sometimes with his wife when he has no other choice," Jakob joked, feigning a look of self-awareness a moment later and 'tsk'ing at himself with a sip from his glass. "Forgive my manners, miss," he went on, setting his drink aside to offer a hand towards Lila, "Detective Hollis, Jakob to my friends. Not here in any official capacity, I assure you."

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with him," Lila said, shaking her head. Then again, she didn't really know many of the patrons at all, regular or no; she didn't spend much time out in the bar. "Though perhaps I'd recognize him if I saw him." She likewise set her drink aside so she could reach out and take his hand for a brief shake. "Lila Turner," she introduced herself. "It's lovely to meet you, Detective." Despite the fact that everyone knew being a cop didn't automatically mean one was clean, Lila couldn't help the instinctive relief she felt when he introduced himself as such. "I hope it's not too forward of me to wish you a quiet evening."

"If it is, more people should be so forward," Jakob teased, his grip gentle when he felt how soft Lila's own hand was. "So far, your wish is coming true. There were some... situations to tend to around town, but nothing worth sharing." How did such brutal men as the owners of this club lure in so many delicate women? Technically, Jakob knew the list of answers, and none of them were pleasant. "I'm sure tomorrow will be a return to normal, at any rate, so..." he trailed off, nodding at Lila's glass and reclaiming his own, "Here's to the calm while it lasts. And to celebrating while everyone else recovers." He fell silent long enough to finish his drink, setting the empty glass aside and shaking his head at a barkeep who moved to refill it. "I don't suppose you'd be so kind as to humor me for a moment, would you?" he asked of Lila.

"And may we have a little extra reprieve," Lila added with just a touch of her dry humor, "while those who celebrated today recover tomorrow." She sipped while he applied himself to finishing, returning easily to the comforting silence of her own thoughts. Which were mostly along the lines of the eggs and milk she needed to pick up at the store, sadly. Her head tilted curiously at his request, and she set her drink aside again to more fully face him. "My pleasure," she said politely. "What would you have me do?"

Jakob smiled thinly, tapping his deck of cards together neatly on the bartop before he fanned them out for Lila in a smooth motion. "Pick a card," he offered, grabbing his freshly poured drink and taking a sip as he watched her carefully. Working in a cabaret, she had to have seen a few stage magicians before, but Jakob never passed up a chance to practice both his perception and his deft touch. "Replace it once you do, and of course, don't tell me which you chose."

It was true; Lila was no stranger to card tricks, but that didn't mean she was tired of them. Quite the opposite, actually - she was usually easily charmed, and she never asked to know how it was done. She liked thinking there was a little magic in the world. "All right," she said with a smile, reaching out and touching a few cards before finally selecting and pulling one. Memorizing it - the three of spades - she slipped it back in the deck and sat back with an expectant little smile on her face. "There."

He didn't seem to be watching the deck when she returned the card; Jakob's eyes were fixed on Lila as he smiled patiently, but he'd watched the angle and felt the slight shift of the deck. He sat back with a little huff for show, snapping the cards from one hand to the other in a chain of cards that was all for show, really. A simple distraction to let him catch glimpses of color and settle a hand where her card had been, then Jakob worked the deck together with the ease of either a magician, or a gambling addict. He had the spade where he wanted it, could slip it easily to the top when ready, but he wasn't done yet. Peripheral vision watched for flickers of the numbers on the cards as he shuffled, working the deck expertly and finally smiling in satisfaction.

Sitting forward, Jakob made a show of turning over the top three cards on the bar in front of Lila, revealing the three of hearts, diamonds, and clubs in turn, then looked to her thoughtfully. "Was one of these it?" he asked with feigned apprehension as he felt the spade he'd slipped from the deck during a tilted shuffle.

Lila watched the shuffling cards with fascination; she could manage a decent regular shuffle, but didn't have the coordination for all the fancy stuff. She was leaning forward in anticipation by the time he selected three cards and laid them down, but the smile on her face turned to a sad little frown when none of the cards were hers. She felt bad for him, that it hadn't worked, and considered lying for a moment. But that wasn't her way, so she instead just shook her head with a small smile. "I'm sorry," she said gently, "but no, none of those are mine."

He sighed softly in disappointment, head shaking to displace unruly locks of dark hair as Jakob turned back towards the bar. "I practice enough, you'd think I might manage by now," he muttered, reclaiming his drink and smoothly slipping the palmed card onto the bartop. He had his glass halfway up before he blinked in surprise, reaching for the card. "Now this is a strange coaster," Jakob murmured, turning it over and flipping it Lila's way, "And an orphan from it's brothers, I'd guess." He gave another smile, this one actually linked to a flicker of warmth in his eyes as he felt a little tingle of pride for the trick.

"I'm sure it'll come to you," Lila had begun encouragingly, pausing when he wondered aloud about the coaster. At his wondering look and subsequent flip, she glanced down. It took her a second to realize she was looking at her card, and then delight bloomed in her face. She laughed as she picked it up, favoring Jakob with a bright smile. "You knew where it was all along," she said, chuckling. "That's good; I've never seen one like that before."

The smile, the laugh, the flash of appreciation in her eyes... Normally Jakob just felt smug in the moment after a trick, and he still did, but there was something else here. It felt almost like drive, inspiration, some push to earn that expression from Lila again, and it confused him. His conquests were only ever just that; small victories to point at and know he was better. Jakob did his best to ignore that desire, wondering if he should stay and see her next set at the same time as he gave a modest bow of his head. "Some nights I work late at the station, and our radio is... well, decrepit's a nice word for it. So now and then I entertain the others and myself, it's a fun little trick to toy with."

"I'll bet they love it," Lila said in amusement, still pleased at the way he'd fooled her. "I tried to pick up a few tricks before, but my fingers just don't seem to work that way. I suppose we've all got our little talents then, don't we?" She'd stick to singing and dancing; it hadn't led her wrong yet. Well, if one loosely defined 'wrong.'

"I could teach you," Jakob offered, figuring it'd be a nice way to reconnect with her in the future until he got past his fledgling fascination, "Not all of it is about quick hands. Some of it's misdirection too, and that can be taught to anyone who pays attention enough to learn how to aim attention." Which Lila may not have been good at either; Jakob had seen plenty of eyes on the young woman when she'd been on stage, and maybe she liked it. But a good performer could also redirect the focus of the crowd, and he had yet to see her do so.

"It's kind of you to offer," Lila said, smiling. "I'd hate to take you away from your work, though - or any well-deserved rest. I know it must be challenging to be law enforcement in this city." Any city, really, but this one in particular. "I don't know if I'd be any good at misdirection," she confessed somewhat sheepishly, taking a final sip of her drink before setting it aside with a smile for the bartender.

Some of his enthusiasm died there, for certain. To Jakob, people were either opponents to best or flitting distractions, and Lila now neatly fit into the latter category. But there was still something compelling here, some unknown that he felt would draw him back some night to watch her up on her stage again. Perhaps it was her innocence set against this backdrop of sin, that was definitely an intriguing contrast. "There's very little that pries me from my work," he assured her, head shaking, "But my leisure? Well, I spend it here, sometimes I visit the Drake Hotel as well. If I happen to be here? Take a chance, let's see what you're capable of. Don't say no just because you don't know yet."

"All right," Lila acquiesced after a moment spent observing him. "If you're sure it won't be a trouble, I'll give it a go. Never let it be said I give up on something before I've tried it." Even if she still didn't think she'd be any good. She just always felt so bad about lying to people that it came through loud and clear in her face, or her voice, or any of the ways someone looked for in a liar. But who knew? If anything, maybe she could pick up a trick or two to entertain her mother at home.

"No trouble at all," Jakob answered, shaking his head, "You might even surprise yourself. And any distraction at night's always welcome. Sometimes I work well into the evening, after all." Sliding the rest of his drink forward, Jakob nodded curtly to Lila. "Speaking of, I'm due to check in at the station, sadly. We're waiting for some results from forensics." Which was a boldfaced lie spoken with the ease of truth. In reality, even the minor trick he'd done for Lila now had Jakob itching to work a con, maybe bleed some petty cash from the tables at the Drake.

"And I'm due for another set in a few," Lila said, finishing her drink and returning the glass to the bartender with a smile. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, Jakob," she said as she slid off her seat and smoothed her dress free of wrinkles. "I hope your results are the ones you're looking for." What else could one really wish a police officer? She hoped he avoided being shot? Too macabre.

"They tend to be," he noted with a nod and an appreciative look up and down the length of her dress, "We serve and protect." He wanted to linger and listen, but if things had gone the way he wanted? She'd notice him in some capacity. So it was off into the night, off and out in search of a game, some odds, and as always for Jakob? Something he shouldn't be doing.