[b][color=9e0039][h1][center]Calvin Lovegrove[/center][/h1][/color][/b]
[color=9e0039][h2][center]Club Carousel[/center][/h2][/color]


Calvin watched silently from the window as his “partner” followed Emerald, whose name was slightly misleading in this moment, as she more heavily resembled a sparkling amethyst. 

He let loose a deep sign and a giant plume of smoke escaped his lips. “Ah…so this is your idea of ‘discreet’.” He leaned back in his chair. “Sloppy.”

There was not a chance in hell that Detective Gallagher would be able to deduce Calvin’s features, as the wash of neon light around the window rendered him a pitch-black silhouette in the corner. This was his chance to observe just how close Ashley was to this case.

It was not long before the red-haired hostess returned with Cal’s rum and coke, which in this moment could have been seen as a water pump in the middle of the desert for him. He grabbed the drink and took a light sip. “Perfect. Thank you.”

The hostess gave him a half-smile. “I asked them to make it extra special.”

Cal rolled his eyes. [i]That’s what she tells all of the desperate sods. How fucking special can a rum and coke be, exactly?[/i] “Wasn’t that sweet of you.”

She folded her arms. “Somebody hurt you?”

Cal chuckled. “Good guess.” 

“Would you like some help with that?”

After smothering the poor woman’s face with smoke and inducing a light cough, Cal jammed his cigarette into the ashtray next to him. The proposition came a bit as a surprise. He eyed her up and down and furrowed his brow before glancing at Ashley and Emerald. It embarrassed him how close he was to giving up on his work for the night and indulging in this woman.

“Maybe later.”

The hostess smirked. “I am easy to find.”

Cal exhaled a hint of a laugh through his nostrils and slowly nodded, though his eyes were now fixated on the jaded detective and fallen angel near the front.

He carefully watched the way Ashley looked at Emerald. It was as if he had no faith in Detective Gallagher at all and was waiting for his cool exterior to crack at any moment.