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[color=darkgray][b]"So, anyway, that's pretty much how I lost just short of three million dollars by sailing my boat before it was insured. Could I afford it? Of course I could. Was it a pain in my ass? Fuck yeah it was..."[/b][/color]

If there was one thing Lolly had learned throughout her time in LA, it was that the richer a guy was, the more soul-drainingly boring his conversational skills became. And this guy she had found herself nestled in a corner of an expensive-looking futon with was the worst of the sort. She had discovered over time that money seemed to find a way to bleed into every conversation, every gesture, of the upper class gentlemen of Los Angeles. Once she had made a game of it in her head - to try and find out for herself what the most obscure link between random subjects of conversation and money these wealthy men could make. It had amused her to great extents to hear some screenwriter divert a chat about species of duck to a discussion revolving around the cost of his recent 5-star trip to Venice, and the exotic cuisine he had tasted there. Pathetic. She had long-since grown to despise both men and women of this kind.

One would never guess as such, however, if they were to watch as Lolly seemed to hang onto every word her companion was saying - her features displaying nothing short of genuine interest and naivety as she listened to him speak. Conversing with the rich was an art form she had long-since mastered. Make them feel special; assure them that their money does [I]indeed[/I] make them more important than everyone else around; and, more than anything, encourage them drone on for hours about themselves. They love that. 

However, despite her obvious talent in the field of charming the affluent, there was only so much a girl could take of this mind-numbing chatter. The only reason Lolly had even started talking with Mr Rhodes was that she had heard he had connections to some of the biggest lawyers in the area, but after at least an hour of listening to him brag about his achievements in life, she had come to the conclusion that she was going to get nothing out of him - no matter how many times she subtly tried to sway the conversation with a vague remark and a twirling of her hair. [I]God, she needed a bump.[/I] 

This was not that kind of party, though. It was almost like a dinner party without the [I]actual[/I] dinner, much to Lolly's dismay. She hadn't eaten since before her shift at the diner that morning, despite her roommate and colleague Darcy's insisting that she had at least a bite of one of her last customer's leftovers. Of course, she had refused - something that she was cursing herself for now as hunger gnawed at her stomach. 

Plastering a smile on her face, Lolly gently removed the hand resting on her thigh that had slowly been moving its way up for the past hour. The hand was soft - too soft. This guy had never felt a day's work in his stupidly easy life. A wave of resentment threatened to shatter the charm she had slowly built throughout the conversation, but she pushed it down.

[color=FF69B4][b]"Mr. Rhodes... Dave...it really has been a lovely evening, but I’d better be going." [/b][/color] She fluttered her lashes, offering no further explanation as she rose from her seat that had been practically on top of the man.

[color=darkgray][b]"Leaving already? And without me? But we were getting along so well, sweets." [/b][/color]The too-soft hand now gripped her own, a firm grasp that promised to tighten if she were to try and pull away. Of course, no one else in the room was paying attention to the exchange - rather, they were all far too immersed in their own shallow conversations to even notice. Lolly grit her teeth in annoyance, but her smooth expression never faltered.

[color=FF69B4][b]"You're right, of course. But maybe we could get to know each other a bit more some other time? I really have to be somewhere soon." [/b][/color]She didn't fail to notice the spark of anger in Dave's eyes as he made no move to let go of her hand.

[center][color=darkgray][b]"And where's that? You don't wanna leave me hangin', do you, Lols?"[/b][/color]

[color=FF69B4][b]"The Pit." [/b][/color][/center]
It was always Lolly's go-to escape route whenever she grew tired of whoever she was talking to at the time. No self-respecting upperclassman would risk tarnishing their reputation in such a shithole. She knew that, and recognised the familiar thinly-veiled disgust that pulled at Dave's features as she mentioned the name. Apparently, though, he was [i]really[/i] desperate.

[center][color=darkgray][b]"A girl like you? A place like that? Alone? No chance. Tell you what, I'll take you there and then I'll take you home, huh?"[/b][/color][/center]
It took every ounce of Lolly's self control not to laugh in this guy's face. He wouldn't last an hour in the Pit. Still, she didn't have the energy to argue for her independence any longer. May as well get some free drinks before she ditched him and his infuriatingly arrogant rhetorical questions for good. So she allowed a beaming smile to light up her features, giving Mr. Rhode's hand a gentle tug as she nodded as enthusiastically as she could.
[center]-----------[/center]
Lolly's suspicions of her companion's reaction to the Pit had been absolutely correct. She tried not to smirk at his horrified expression as she guided him past the growing queue outside the place she had grown to love, instead offering small nods of the head and winks at those she knew as she made her way towards the door. She was perhaps a little dressy for the likes of the  Pit, her [url=https://imgur.com/EpsoXGS]outfit[/url] drawing the attention of quite a few of the strangers she passed, but she didn't care that much. She knew she looked good. The bouncer, Rig, had by now become used to Lolly arriving at the entrance to the bar with some terrified rich guy in tow, and let the pair in with a knowing chuckle. Lolly knew for a fact that Rig would make sure that Mr Rhodes would be leaving this place with a significantly lighter wallet.

Lolly’s eyes scanned through the haze of smoke and flashing lights to search for anyone she recognised as she wove in and out of the small groups dotted about the place. She wasn’t looking for any help, but rather the knowledge that there was someone she could join as soon as Mr Rhodes retreated. She could almost smell the disgust rolling off of him. 

Still, the brunette had to give it to him - he hadn't turned and ran the second the dark, loud and murky atmosphere hit them as they entered. In fact, he made it all the way to the bar without so much as a stumble. She could tell by his guarded posture as they settled into a pair of barstools that he wouldn't be lasting long, though. Time for her to put her God-given talents to good use and drain his pockets before he made his exit. Biting her lip and leaning in, her signature move, she smiled. 

[center][color=FF69B4][b]"Aren't you gonna buy me a drink?"[/b][/color][/center]