Something's Scratching its Way Out (Hector) (Fast)

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

How long had she been nursing the same bottle? Had to be at least an hour. Olivia continued to swirl the brown liquid around and around the bottom of the glass unwilling to take the final swig for it meant she would be compelled to buy another. She was almost proud at the way she fought back temptation. How she’d tried to pace herself between drinks and at least eat something every so often. Not that it mattered; Olivia Athos was sort of a bottomless pit when it came to alcohol consumption. Her tolerance level would make frat boys jealous and give even the most alcoholic of alcoholics a run for their money.

Well, that was just it. Olivia was an alcoholic. And while she’d never admit it to herself it was the truth. Ever since she found her husband cheating on her with some tattooed slut she’d been slinging back the bottles. No one at the office knew, her family didn’t know, even her partner had absolutely no clue how bad her situation really was. She was functioning. She didn’t show up to work drunk or hung-over. And most importantly she hardly ever drank with others. Olivia was a solitary drinker.

On this particular Friday night she’d finished writing up her reports a little early and decided to head to the bar before packing it in for the night. She was on duty tomorrow morning; a simple patrol job on the outskirts of the city. But, a few drinks couldn’t hurt, right? She finally garnered enough courage to tip back the rest of her drink. As soon as it was gone she could feel her insides burning for another. Her mouth watered and her hand slowly rose to signal the barkeeper. One more, just one more, she thought. Then I’m calling it a night.

The bar was abuzz with patrons, mostly a collection of recent twenty-oners trying to get plastered on girly drinks with umbrellas and straws. There was some rock music pulsing in the background and the faint sound of the sports channel chattering about the latest Yankee’s scores. Olivia groaned to herself, having failed for the fourth time to catch the bartender’s attention. Slouching her shoulders, she figured it might be for the best. That was until she saw a shadow fall over her shoulder.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Being mayor and reigning mafioso was far harder than Hector had expected it to be. Dating Penelope on top of that (she may be a woman but she certainly had her childish moments) had put Hector under a little too much pressure for him to handle. Turning to his old friend, alcohol, was a natural decision. With his plastered all over the city now, Hector had a hard time choosing which bar to go to. One on the noncommital side of town, the side of New York that didn't seem like it was part of the city at all, was the one Hector decided to settle on.

Too many thoughts in his head to deal with, too much pressure, he needed a bottle of whiskey. The cheap kind that burnt going down and stung for hours after. He just needed something to get rid of everything. Hector was aiming for a drunken stupor or, at the very least, a drunken haze where everything melted away or was pushed back. It wasn't a healthy goal, but it was what Hector needed. He had to get out from under everything, the title, Penelope (though he didn't mind the position) and his true job...it was all too much right then.

He was suffocating.

Entering the establishment down for him, Hector made his way to the bar. It was crowded, people shoved in next to each other with abandon. There was one seat open, next to a young woman. Hating that he wouldn't be drinking alone, Hector walked up to the woman, his person casting a large shadown over her.

"Excuse me, miss. May I have that seat next to you?" Hector felt it was only appropriate to ask her permission. He was going to ignore the skinhead on the other side.

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

The shadow had a name. A name and a face that not only did Olivia recognize but also gave her a slight shiver. Mayor Hector Tormei;, a tall, strapping man with power, prestige, and an air of darkness .Olivia was still recovering from the polite way in which he asked before sitting; it wasn’t exactly the typical New York way. Most would have just shoved her aside and starting slurping down shots without a care. Still attempting to catch the attention of the bar tender, she half-turned to face him, nodding a “yes” with a small smile. Could you say no to the mayor? Not that she wanted to, she didn’t mind if he took a load off and bought a few rounds for himself. Hell, every human should have a night of drinking to relax after a long week, he was no exception.

”Of course.” she muttered, her eyes darting from him to the bartender and back. Act casual, she told herself. He may be mayor but, he’s also a person. Don’t make a big deal of it. Don’t ask him how his day at work was. Don’t be stupid, he signs your paycheck, after all. She wasn’t nervous per se, but, she did feel a little jumpy around him. Although, she’d been feeling like that a lot lately, especially while juggling two major cases and the re-emergence of her ex into the city.

He was too busy talking to a group of college chicks who were probably underage, who just happened to have tight shirts and large breasts, to pay attention to mid-twenties detective Athos who was not going to hop into the sack with him after six apple-tinis. What the hell was the appeal of an apple martini anyway? It’s like sour apple drink mixed with alcohol so that you can’t actually taste the alcohol. You might as well we slurping down a sour slushie at the seven-eleven. Olivia liked her liquor hard and strong not dainty and colorful. Any other colors besides, white, brown, pink, and burgundy did not make it near her lips. These things were electric fucking green for god’s sake.

Growing annoyed by the bartender’s apparent blindness she muttered, “Fuck, what does a girl have to do around here to get a god-damn drink?”

Olivia smoothed out her black tank top, it was form fitting but, not in the same way as those girls by the bar. Instead, it was attractive not trashy and looked professional, yet casual, over her pair of dark wash jeans. Olivia didn’t think you could call what those girls were wearing jeans, there were far too many holes in too many places. Her badge and gun were at her hips, nicely concealed to the untrained eye. She could have left them in the car but, always felt safer with them around. You never knew when trouble would find you, and trouble always had a way of finding Olivia Athos.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Hector slid his large form onto the considerably smaller stool, leaning his forearms on the bar, looking over the selection. The woman beside him seemed to be in a fair amount of internalized distress which didn't bother him in the least. What did bother him though was the bartender being rude to both him and the young woman. Rapping his knuckles sharply against the bar and speaking in a firm, commanding voice, Hector got the bartender's attention. He ordered himself the strongest brew in the bar and ordered the young woman another glass of whatever she had been having. The looked her gave the bartender while they were being served ensured that they wouldn't be forgotten again.

"Manners have gone downhill in the city," Hector said musingly before knocking back a shot. He grimaced as it went down, like tar coating everything it touched. His mouth sang and his throat felt like it had been scraped raw with a shot of crushed glass. Exactly what he had needed.

Hector looked over at the woman; she seemed to be the only thing of interest in the area. He got the feeling from her that she was on his payroll somehow, a public servant in some capacity.

"Hector Tormei," He said after a pause, extending his hand to shake hers. It was informal, it was polite. It was something to do.

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

Although she didn’t show it, she was happy, no ecstatic, when the Mayor managed to grab the attention of the bartender. He used that authoritative tone that she’d heard oh so many times in his commercials and during press releases. It was stern, commanding, and not something you would forget. She couldn’t have agreed more when he mentioned that manners these days had completely disintegrated. “Thanks for that.” she smiled, tilting the bottle in his direction to indicate her meaning. She took a nice swig of her beer while Hector downed a shot of something that smelt strong enough to burn through the bar if even a drop was spilt.

He introduced himself, holding out his hand toward her. Not that she needed the introduction, but it was polite albeit unexpected. She reached her other hand, the one not clutching the bottle, and firmly shook his. It was strange seeing him outside of the state offices. He seemed a lot more impressive up close. His eyes deep and intriguing; they were so expressive and yet mysterious. She softly retorted, “I know.” before offering her name, “Olivia Athos.” usually that was followed with a NYPD but, she was off the clock. If he asked she’d tell him but, she wasn’t about to offer up all her cards straight away.

She wasn’t going to make a big deal about having a drink with the mayor because, one, technically she was having a drink next to the mayor and not with, and two, it was absolutely unprofessional. If she had to give a third reason she’d probably say that it wasn’t a big deal in the first place but, her heart palpitations would be lying. Olivia couldn’t place the chill that was running up her spine, there was just something. She shook it off figuring it was just some left over emotions from dealing with some tough cases. Her face remained calm and cordial as she asked ever so casually, “What brings you out to the boonies tonight?”

This bar was literally on the outskirts of the city. She pegged him for a more… high class sort of neighborhood. But, to each their own. Olivia couldn’t afford to drink at those “classy” bars not on a detective’s salary. She wondered if this was a usual place for him, but judging by the bartender’s rather lackluster response she guessed it wasn’t. You didn’t need to be a detective to figure things like this out, it was just common sense. Olivia often wondered that if people spent more of their time thinking and less of their time fucking around like a bunch of monkeys if more would get done in this city.

Taking another swig from her bottle, she grabbed the bowl of pretzels and slid it between them. It was a peace offering of sorts.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Hector continued to sip at his drink, slower now. It still hurt going down but it felt a little different after the initial shot. The bite was tempered a bit. The woman beside him was off, he could sense it. Something about her was different, like she was on edge, a human radar. She was judging him, not a new event. Hector was used to being judged, it came from being in front of a camera all the time it seemed. The way she introduced herself too; Hector was used to reading people. It kept his work safe and secure, his real work that is. One didn't rise to the top of the underworld without learning how to read a person in a relatively short amount of time. He didn't read her as a threat, simply someone who was overly curious who hid that curiosity.

History told him that only a handful of people did that; police officers, government workers, journalists, and loan sharks.

"I needed a change of pace," Hector answered simply, dipping his hand into the bowl between them. He accepted her olive branch, it was a friendly meeting now. Formalities were done with now, they were just two people in a bar. "It's easy to get tired of the high life when you have to live it under a microscope,"

Hector flagged down the bartender again and ordered a basket of buffalo wings. Why not make the night a complete binge? He was drinking crap whiskey, he could eat fried wings that would most assuredly put him in an early grave. "You're welcome to join me," He told Olivia after the bartender went off with the order. No hesitation this time, just simple obedience from the employee.

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

Although she expected him to be stiff and stern she was pleasantly surprised by his casual nature. Sipping at her bottle, she nodded at his statement about being under a microscope. She read the paper and listened to NPR, some of their accusations were a little farfetched and overly analytical. Olivia was happy she didn’t have a job like that. It was enough to dodge bullets and break up knife fights; she didn’t need the press breathing down her neck.

“I can’t imagine,” she grabbed a pretzel, “I think I’d go insane.” Olivia greatly hoped that the mayor wasn’t in a solitary mood. Because she was very interested in chatting him up a bit. It wasn’t every day you met a man like Hector; so filled with secrets and hidden agendas. However, at the current moment she was less interested in that and more interested in having a good time. Nothing crazy, of course, just some human companionship. And what was better company than the freaking mayor of New York? He’s got to have some fun stories to tell.

It became clear that Hector wasn’t about to tell her to shut up, having ordered a basket of hot wings and offering to share with her. It was official; Hector Tormei was a god damned mind reader. Olivia, while enjoying the salty pretzels, had been craving something with a little more spice. She nodded, “Thanks.” She wasn’t exactly sure where to start. How do you act casual around Hector Tormei? Do you ask about work? Do you ask about his family? What? Her thumb ran up and down the bottle slowly, her brain moving quickly between possible topics.

Her eyes wandered around the bar nonchalantly; relaxing her shoulders she took another sip. “Well it was Gilbert Parker who wrote, ‘I am only myself when I am drunk. Liquor makes me human.’ I think we all deserve to be human once in a while. Even mayors.” she half chuckled, swirling her bottle between her fingers.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

"I think it would be rather tragic if mayors weren't human all of the time," Hector smirked. She must read regularly to pull that quote out of her hat. With the city under his thumb, even if he was using it for purely selfish reasons, Hector stilled maintained a sense of loyalty to his hometown. He wanted to do right by the city, especially when that meant that it would benefit his private life as well. It hadn't been hard doing both, living two completely different lives came easily. He had already been doing so when he just ran Scribe, the transition to mayor was not a difficult one thanks to that. Hector had to be creative at times, to avoid the press, but other than that....

In fact, it was easier at times.

Hector's stomach churned slightly when an over-perfumed waitress brushed against him to grab her tray of beer before tottering off. Hector brushed his arm as if to brush off her contact. Ever since that moment with Penelope, female companionship had left a bad taste in his mouth. They weren't even a committed couple yet and Hector was wary of straying. He simply didn't want to. This Olivia though...Hector saw her as one of the guys so to speak. She wasn't a woman, available and alluring, just a person.

A person he was sharing a basket of hot wings with to comiserate the evening together.

"Do you read much?"

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

Olivia wasn’t sure what to make of Hector and to be completely honest at this moment she didn’t really care. The alcohol was beginning to calm her and for once in a long time she was alright with the idea of relaxing. She’d worry about profiling the mayor later; right now it was time to drink and be merry and all that jazz. It may have been the fact that she was so overjoyed that Hector had yet to make a pass at her that made her so calm. Usually, she was berated by men about her eyes, her breasts, her hips, her lips, all that. It was nice to have a man who wasn’t eye raping her or making sexual innuendos right off the bat. It was refreshing.

She smiled in response to "I think it would be rather tragic if mayors weren't human all of the time," at least he had a sense of humor. That was more than she could say for most of the politicians in this town. She’d interviewed a fair share of them and most were unable to separate work and play. Or, seemed to play during work and work during play. It was a complicated business, politics. It made her nauseous just thinking about it.

“I always have a book on my night stand.” she turned on the stool to face him. “I try my best to finish one a week but, work sometimes gets in the way.” the truth was that she’d read more case files before bed in recent weeks than novels. Actually, if not for her insomnia she’d never have finished half the books that now rested on her shelves. She was quite a fan of Conan Doyle, Shakespeare, and Gaiman. It was nice to get lost in something after a long day on the job.

“What about you? Do you have time for a little light reading?” she sipped at her beer, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the hot wings. She’d offer to grab the next bar snack if he was still hungry. It was only fair to go Dutch on these type of things.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Hector hooked his finger in an ashtray sitting on the bar and drug it over to him. He reached into his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes and tapped the case against the palm of his hand. He pulled out one tightly wrapped cylinder and raised it to his lips. Poising it between his lips he struck a match from a pack left on the bar for forgetful smokers and lit up. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, Hector sipped the paint thinner in his glass after the initial puff.

"I own a bookstore, I try to read everything I shelve," Hector enjoyed reading. It was one of the only ways he could unwind it seemed. He didn't need to go anywhere to read, he just had to have a light on. He read in bed most of the time, reading glasses perched on his nose. Hector hated the fact that he had to wear spectacles to read but it was better than not reading at all. "I find books to be the perfect escape at the end of the day. I indulge whenever I get a chance too,"

Hector's glass was emptied with his next swig and the bartender hurried to refill it. Hector's first impression was still fresh in his mind then.

"So, Olivia, what do you do for a living. You already know my profession,"

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

Olivia wasn’t surprised or even bothered by the fact that Hector Tormei was a smoker. Hell, most of the guys on the force smoked after hours and some during hours. While Olivia wasn’t about to ask for a light, she wasn’t against others charring their lungs. Who was she to judge anyway? She drowned her sorrows in alcohol why shouldn’t someone else burn them away? Was there really a difference? She didn’t take the time to think about it; instead she waved down the bartender who seemed to be a fair bit more enthusiastic since the mayor’s arrival. Olivia ordered a glass of bourbon deciding that she didn’t want to go home after all. At least not right away.

“I had no idea.” she picked up a pretzel, “Shelve anything particularly good recently?” Olivia bit the salty snack. It would be nice to have a new author to read. When she wasn’t working, Olivia enjoyed curling up with a good book… or even a crappy book. Anything to keep her mind occupied. Although, she much preferred to read something well-written. She couldn’t help but agree with his escape theory for it was exactly how she felt. Could she actually have something in common with the mayor she so often disliked? Dislike was a harsh term.

Perhaps it would be better to say: Could she actually have something in common with the mayor whom she constantly pictured as a corrupt son of a bitch with a hidden agenda? But, then again, Olivia had grown the think that of everyone. As of late she felt it better to be proven wrong and have her pride broken than not be prepared and have her heart broken. That was never going to happen again.

A glass filled with several inches of a golden colored liquid appeared at her fingertips. Taking a sip to quench the craving she listened to his question concerning her occupation. It was a pretty simple question, one that was often asked when getting to know someone. However, it seemed to carry so much weight at this moment. Pushing aside the sinking feeling in the pit of her chest she responded simply, “I’m a detective.”

She took another sip.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Hector wasn't too surprised to learn that Olivia was a detective. He had gotten the feeling that she might be involved with that sort of profession early on and his suspicions were simply confirmed. "A few, rare first editions but that's about it. Nothing unusual or fascinating," He chose to answer her first question before addressing her response to his inquiry. Hector still had to decide what to do with the fact that she's a detective. It made him, in an obscure way, her boss even though he most certainly wasn't the police commissioner.

He decided with a swig of his drink, that it really didn't matter.

"I've a great respect for the detectives of this city. It's crawling with criminals," Hector said truthfully. He wasn't lying about anything right then. It was crawling with criminals, irony would have it that he was one of those criminals. "You're all doing a wonderful job. I'm trying to put in a pay raise for you all but the council's fighting me on it,"

A basket of hot wings appeared in front of him then. Hector nudged the basket so it sat between them and tucked in. He had to stop every so often to wipe the hot sauce out of his goatee but enjoyed the spicy treat none the less. "Help yourself, Olivia,"

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

It was always nice to hear a little praise, especially when it came from the head honcho himself. But, Olivia felt an odd twinge that he’d said it to many people before but, substituted their particular career in the blank. He was a politician after all and if there is someone in the world that’s going to lie or twist the truth it’s a politician. Sometimes, they were worse than criminals. This was in due part because they were harder to catch.

“It’s nice to hear,” she lowered her gaze, “But, I think we all know that the state the economy is in that the NYPD is the least of the city’s worries.” Olivia didn’t want to discredit his comment or the sincerity in his voice, because he did sound very sincere, but the state was losing money and fast. Pay raises were a rarity even without the times being what they were. “But, it is what it is.” she took another sip of her bourbon. “Most of us aren’t in law enforcement for the money. Well, at least, I’m not.”

A steaming plate of hot wings was slid across the bar toward them. Immediately, a waft of spice hit Olivia. Her stomach lurched and gurgled with delight. The moment he offered she was tempted to dig right in but, she hesitated, showing some manner of restraint. Only after Hector had finished his second wing did she dare indulge. “Thank you.”

There was seriously nothing better than a beer and some bar food after a long day. The chicken warmed her senses, clearing out her nose and burning her throat on the way down. But, it was incredibly delicious. Taking another sip from her glass to wash down the spice Olivia wondered what to say next. The last thing she wanted to do was make the man uncomfortable, which she feared was unavoidable given that she was a detective and he a politician. The two never really seemed to mesh all to well since both parties usually assumed the worst from the other.

“Politician, bookshop owner,” Olivia smirked, “Do you have any other hidden talents?”

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

Hector finished off his third wing and wiped his hands. He was going to let her help herself to whatever she wanted before continuing on. Mobster or not, he had manners. The evening had turned out to be a perfect remedy for the stress. Banal talk about nothing important, bad booze, and spicy food. It wasn't the best wing he had ever had but it was good enough to clear his sinuses and sting his lips. Paired with that turpentine they called liquor, he would be surprised if his stomach lining was in tact in the morning.

"Well," Hector started, motioning for the bartender to bring him a bottle of beer. He was obeyed without hesitation or question. Taking a sip from the chilled bottle, Hector debated whether or not he should tell her his favorite past time. Figuring he would probably not see her again and if he did, it would probably register as a strange comrederie. "I tap dance,"

Not many people knew that he could tap dance and Hector assumed they simply didn't care. Who would care if the mayor was a soft shoe? Nobody. It might make for a quirky newspaper article but that was about it. Meg was the only person in his life that had any tie to that side of him and that only because she was a dancer herself.

[DETECTIVE OLIVIA ATHOS]

Olivia suppressed a laugh and instead smiled, her eyes glinting in the dim bar lights. Tap dancing. Hector certainly was a complex man with many secrets; Olivia just hadn’t expected tap dancing to be one of them. She found it particularly odd that his mention of tap dancing only made her like him more. She was beginning to understand why people gravitated to the smooth talking politician. He was real. Or, as close to real as a politician can get.

He was alluring. He was enigmatic. He was… inscrutable. Olivia reached for another chicken wing her eyes never leaving Hector’s. In the far recesses of her mind something was scratching at her. There was a red flag flying up a pole and a siren blaring to get her attention. Maybe it was the alcohol, or his smooth, charming tone, or perhaps it was the very mention of tap dancing but, Olivia Athos felt her guard drop. The proverbial walls had crumbled and she suddenly did not feel any need to question his motives, to wonder if he was telling the truth or not, and she certainly was not contemplating whether or not he was a crook.

Olivia for the first time in a long time felt like Olivia.

“I can do a lot of things, but I have to admit, I am absolutely rubbish at dancing.” she finished her bourbon, “When did you start taking lessons?” The question felt easy. It was neither demanding nor assertive, it was calm and friendly and not at all like the interrogations she had conducted earlier that evening. Olivia pushed the glass away, feeling a slight buzz but, nothing major. After all, she’d only had a beer and quarter and one glass of bourbon. This was hardly a heavy night for this veteran drinker.

Dear god, was Olivia actually enjoying herself? What on earth is this world coming to?