the greek muse - Michael

T: about 10pm
P: a gentleman's club on the Southside

@Michael

The music that was blasting from hidden speakers wasn’t really decipherable. The lyrics sounded far while the base drummed through the air; matching the vibe of the club. Usually, a Wednesday night would be rather lifeless; only the locals coming for some well-earned entertainment, for the most part. However, this night seemed to be slightly different. She couldn’t place it, as she arrived with her duffel bag over her shoulder; a bag containing her outfit for her performance, and her dinner. ’’Took you long enough!’’ a young woman hissed at her, as she entered the dressing room to get changed. ‘’Well, I usually get my schedule a week in advance. It’s not my fault that Donovan didn’t give proper notice.’’ She answered. Silence then followed. Then, a few moments later, Clio was given the two-minutes-mark for her performance. She got dressed in what she always had considered one of her better get-ups; a blush body-stocking and a pair of waist-high panties that preserved her modesty while still showed just enough for most gentlemen to want to tip her by the end of the night. She touched up her makeup; a simple cat-eye-styled eyeliner and a gorgeous lipstick a few shades darker than her natural lip-shade. Her hair - cut to stop by her shoulders - had gotten natural waves in it from her being out in the rain earlier.

Out on the stage, a handsome man in his late thirties announced the nights entertainment - a muse from the ancient Greece; Tisiphone. The lights blacked out for a moment, as the man left the stage and a chair was placed on the middle of the stage while the sound of high heels clicking against the floor grew louder. As a spotlight locked on the stage once more, Clio was standing behind the chair; looking at the audience with a seductive smile on her lips, as her hips started moving - almost hypnotizing - to the rhythm of the music. As the music grew in tones and volume, so did her dance. Every beat was accompanied by her body’s movement. Every once in a while, someone would whistle or throw money at the stage. She moved to the edge of the stage, where she sat down and locked eyes with a member of the stag-party she had been hired to entertain for the night. His dirty-blond hair and green-ish eyes made her wink at him, before she with nimble elegance managed to get on her feet again; bending forward to allow him - and only him - to catch a glimpse of her cleavage, before she returned to the chair where she placed herself; touching herself lovingly and intimately on the outside of her clothes - everything a simply part of her routine; a routine that would carry on for almost an hour, before music silenced and lights blacked out; announcing that the dancer was going to take a well-earned break, and that she would return to entertain them in 30 minutes or so. Then, the stag-party was asked to point out the lucky individual that was going to join her on stage for the next part of the performance.

Clio - now slightly heated by the dancing - moved to the bar with a smile on her face, as she ordered a glass of water. She rarely did drink anything with alcohol, simply because she didn’t like the numbness that would follow. She looked around, only to spot the green-eyed dirty-blond-haired man she had looked at during her dance. She chuckled, shook her head and continued to drink the water she had ordered, while looking around; enjoying the vibe.

Outfit

“C’mon Mike, it’ll be fun!” his friend said, grabbing him around his shoulders as they headed into the line to the gentleman’s club. Michael was skeptical about entering a place like this, but the group seemed to think that it was a great idea, so he went along with it. They got one of the best tables at the front of the stage and ordered drinks shortly after. They talked and joked for a few minutes before the bartender came with their orders, giving Michael his gin and tonic. Then he turned his attention to the stage as a man presented tonight’s entertainment. The crowd was clapping and cheering when the stage turned black, only to get wilder as soon as the woman stepped on stage. Michael leaned back with his glass in hand, looking her up and down and forgetting any reason for not entering the club. The effect of the alcohol seemed to fade away as he just admired her, watching her dance sensually to the music. He locked eyes with her as she sat down by the edge of the stage, sending her a smile as she winked to him. The guys were excited from her getting so close to them and nudged Michael after they saw she sent him a wink. He knew that she was paid to flirt with all men, sending those irresistible glances to many others in the room, but it still made his heart beat slightly faster. He briefly looked down at her cleavage when she bent down, making his temperature rise. One of his friends whistled at her, making Michael look at him with a smile before he took another sip of his drink.

After the performance, they had to pick someone to join her on stage. “There's no doubt, it's got to be you Nate,” he said to the groom and a few guys agreed and nodded. “But she was clearly interested in you,” someone said, which just made him smile and shake his head. There was no way he was getting up on that stage. “She’s looking at you right now,” another one said, making everyone look towards the bar. Michael looked at her again for a long moment, wondering what they were getting at. He figured it was because he was one of the only single guys at the party. “Go up there, tell her we picked Nate and buy us some shots,” another said, handing a bill to Mike. Michael reached his hand to take the bill before he went up to the bar. He looked at the dancer when he thought she wasn't looking, then at the bartender as he reached the counter, ordering shots for the table. “Your performance was amazing,” he complimented her, turning his gaze to the dancer with a gentle smile, waiting for the bartender to prepare the drinks. “We've decided that the groom is going to join you on stage. His name is Nate,” he said, looking towards the group and pointing at the man in the middle who wore a different outfit than the rest of them. He then returned his eyes to her with the same smile on his lips.

she had noticed the snickering amongst the men in the stag-party as they had been told to choose someone to join her. Usually, there was no discussion; the groom, of course. The bartender chuckled at her, as he noticed her look back at the group maybe one too many times; looking away the moment they looked over at her.
It didn’t surprise her that they had asked the man she had seemed interested in to go inform her of their decision. What surprised her though, was his compliment as he had ordered the group’s drinks. She was used to the customers complimenting her, but usually it was words like hot, sexy or something like that. Amazing was a description she had not been involved in before. ‘’Why, thank you,’’ she answered, looking at the green-eyed man with a calm and gentle expression on her face. ‘’Nate, you say? Well then, let’s hope that Nate has as good a taste in dance as you,’’ she said, raising her glass to greet Mike in a polite manner.

‘’I’m Clio, by the way,’’ she said, reaching him her hand as she presented herself. The only reason she did use her middle name on the regular was that she wasn’t really a fan of her real name. most people didn’t even know what her name referred to, or pronounced it wrongly. ‘’I know it’s the groom joining me on stage but… Any requests? My routines are usually based on requests,’’ she said, smiling calmly at Mike before she looked shortly over Mike’s shoulder, to look at Nate. ‘’He looks like an ass-man.’’ She said, chuckling slightly before she shrugged her shoulders. ‘’Pardon my language,’’ she then said, reminding herself that here in Gaia, people had been more prone to being offended by such a language.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, looking from her to the bartender. He was interested to know more about her and her choice of profession, but he didn't want to come off as rude, so he didn't ask. The bartender placed the shots in front of Michael and he looked back at the dancer as she said she hoped Nate had the same taste in dance as himself, making him chuckle. “Trust me. He’ll be thrilled to bits,” he said with a smile, raising his glass when she did. He then drowned his shot and placed the empty glass on the counter, starting to feel the buzz from the alcohol.

“Michael,” he introduced himself, shaking her hand and sending her a slightly wider smile. “Are you from Greece, Clio?” he asked, thinking that she definitely looked the part. He looked back at the guys when she asked for any requests. He probably wasn’t the best to ask. The last time he’d been in a gentleman's club was in the 1860’s for a burlesque show and even that had been random. Then she said Nate looked like an ass-man which made him laugh as he returned his gaze to her. He was a bit surprised when she excused her language, considering where they were, but maybe she only said it because she knew he was an angel. “Don’t be,” he said, picking up the tray of shots with one hand. “I like when women talk dirty to me,” he said, teasingly, before he turned around and walked back to the table with the drinks. The guys immediately asked him what they talked about and when the break was over, the gentleman stepped onto the stage again, asking Nate to join him. Michael and the rest of the stag party cheered for him, excited to see the rest of the show.

‘’Good,’’ she said, as Michael had explained that his friend would be thrilled to bits. His chuckle was infectious, making her chuckle slightly as well. Did that mean that Michael had enjoyed the dance as well? It was the obvious reason, since he had also complimented her. Yet, she would surely never know - guests from stag-parties seemed to be a one-time-show. They rarely returned.
They shook hands and exchanged names, only for Michael to ask her of her origin. ‘’I wouldn’t know,’’ she just said, smiling calmly at him. in honesty, she knew her father to be British and her mother to be from Greece, but she knew nothing of them - she only knew their origins because she had tried to find them years ago; she failed.

They then both looked shortly at Nate - the groom - before sharing a short laugh. Her excuse seemed out of place, but she had learned it was better to be careful with the customers than to end up with a busted lip again. His answer, however, made her shake her head; slightly flustered. She didn’t answer him, but in a low mumble she sighed; ‘’I’m sure you do,’’, before she finished her glass of water and then moved back to the stage as her break was announced to be over.
Nate joined them on stage and the man announcing it all left. Clio placed Nate in the chair, facing his party-members, before the music started. The music had no lyrics; it was simply the tones of a violin that sounded in a symphony she had chosen herself; a piece about the Greek nymphs. In a gentle and elegant movement, her dance started. One thing became clear rather fast, though; she wasn’t scared of dirty tricks. She was sitting on his lap - facing him, with her legs wide opened - before her lips reached Nate’s earlobe. She whispered his name in such a soft and erotic manner that her voice almost sounded like honey, before she pressed her groin against his. Then, she was gone, just as fast as she had placed herself on top of him. she continued her dance, as sensual and enticing as ever; continuing for almost half an hour - looking back at Michael once in a while to show where her true interest was.

His mates were disappointed to hear that he hadn’t gotten her number as they'd encouraged him to. He knew that they only meant well, but he had a hard time believing that Clio was looking for anything serious. He looked back at the bar to see if she was still there, starting to regret that he hadn’t just asked when he had the chance.

He smiled at Nate’s reaction to the dance, wishing that he could’ve been in his position, but so did every other man in there. He leaned slightly closer to the stage as he watched the performance, feeling his heart skip a beat every time she glanced his way. The crowd was cheering loudly when it was over and Nate had the widest smile on his face as he walked off the stage. Michael drank a bit more of his gin and tonic as the guys were talking about the show, most of them with a feeling of it being over too soon.

An hour later they stood outside the club, waiting for taxis and saying their goodbyes, until there was only Michael and one of his friends left from the stag party. Michael glanced at one of the doors as it opened, and Clio stepped out, making him say a quick goodbye to his friend before walking towards her. “Hey,” he greeted with a calm smile. “I was wondering… would you consider going out with me?” he asked, looking at her with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Her vividly green eyes sought out the angel’s gaze every so often; an action that might be rather obvious - but her instincts had kicked in; she wanted something - she was on the prowl. Every fiber of her being demanded his attention, which it rather gluttonous devoured with every movement that had drawn his gaze to her. Then, as the dance ended and the groom was delivered back to his group - escorted by Clio, nonetheless - the announcement was made that the club now would end the evening’s entertainment and only be available for private sessions. Clio, however, did not partake in those sessions. She journeyed back to the wardrobe to change to the clothes she had arrived in; black skinny jeans, black booties, a black tank-top and a leatherjacket, accompanied by a massive knitted grey scarf to shield her from the cold night air and her duffel bag over her shoulder.

She left the club through the main entrance after being given her due wages for the performance, although Donovan once again underpaid her. His reason? The complete stag-party had left instead of being aroused enough to purchase private sessions. She didn’t bother fighting with him, so she just accepted being paid about half of what they had agreed. Whatever, she would be able to cover the bills at least. She just had to take some more shifts later on the month to be able to go grocery-shopping. The college-savings would have to wait… Slightly frustrated, she placed the money in a pocket on the inside of her leatherjacket, only to be somewhat surprised by a slightly familiar face approaching her. ‘’Hey there!’’ she said, trying to mask her frustration as she zipped up the jacket as she looked at the angel. ‘’Oh? Finally caved into the peer pressure?’’ she guessed with a teasing tone as she looked back at the friend Michael had just given a quick goodbye. Then she looked at Michael - directly into his calm eyes. She then reached down in her jeans-pocket and pulled up a rather old phone; one of those that opened up to have a mechanical QWERTY-keyboard and no touch-screen. It somewhat looked like a miniature computer in her hand. She opened the text-application before she handed him the phone. ‘’Enter your number, then send it.’’ She said, with a calm smile. if anything, she could change her number if things didn’t work out - or she could simply block him. she wasn’t the type to do so, but she surely had the means to do so.
‘’So… I guess Nate enjoyed the experience?’’ she asked, before she shortly gazed back at the friend, who seemed rather persistent in not leaving them alone. He seemed to be rooting for something - Michael getting her number perhaps? She wasn’t sure. Anyway, it was rather amusing to look at.

He looked back at his friend at her comment, noticing that he was watching them. His friend sent him a thumbs up as he looked at him, making Michael smile and shake his head. “It’s not like that,” he said, returning his gaze to her. He was genuinely interested in her, but naturally, they'd be happy for him if she said yes. “I just couldn't get you off my mind,” he admitted, looking into her eyes. He’d been mesmerized from first glance, but he was always hesitant about feelings like that and if it hadn't been for her walking out of the club this moment, he probably wouldn't have asked her out. He truly believed that if it was destined to be, they would meet again some other time.

He looked down at her hand as she took out an older phone, much like the one he had. “Great,” he said as he took the phone from her, typed his number in a text and sent it to himself. He handed her the phone again and heard his friend shout something, making him look over his shoulder. “Oh yeah,” he answered as he returned his gaze to her, wondering if it hadn’t been obvious. “We were very jealous of him,” he said with a smile, letting her know that they all thought it had been a great performance. He adjusted his sleeve a bit, looking down the empty alleyway ahead of them. “Are you going to walk home?” he asked, a bit skeptical of the idea. Southside was never a safe place to be on your own and there was often news about women disappearing or being murdered on the daily. It was only natural for an angel to ask, wanting to make sure she got home safely.

‘’Darling, it’s always like that,’’ she said, winking at him. She knew his friends had tried to make a move for him - maybe Michael was the odd one out that they tried to hook up with someone so he wasn’t that lonely; it was how it was most of the time at least. She didn’t mind the idea, as long as she wasn’t the one needed to warm his sheets whenever he thought it fitting. With their eyes locked in a gaze she had no idea was intentional for him or not, he stated he couldn’t get her off his mind. She smiled a crooked smile, although the blushing of her cheeks screamed that she indeed found the statement complimentary.

With her phone back in her possession, she saved the number and placed it back in her pocket. Then, she looked back at the angel, only to be interrupted by his friend shouting something. She chuckled with the same crooked smile as before, while she waved calmly at his friend before returning her attention to Michael. ‘’I’m glad,’’ she said, as Michael stated he had been very jealous of his friend. ‘’Too bad there wasn’t an encore then,’’ she joked, winking at the angel once more.
His question of how she was transporting herself home made her look at him slightly amused. ‘’Why? Are you scared that the big bag wolf is going to sweep me away?’’ she joked, crossing her arms. In honesty, she wasn’t scared of walking home at night. It was the price to pay for not owning any vehicle or a bicycle. Besides, she lived nearby anyway. She wouldn’t be risking much by walking. ‘’I always walk. It’s just a couple of minutes away anyway,’’ she said, smiling calmly at him, although she just now realized that he might be the big bad wolf in sheep’s clothing. ‘’By the way…’’ she said, looking over at his friend once more, ‘’you were a great audience,’’ she said in a low and silky smooth voice; almost purring at him before she winked at him, shook her head and looked down the alleyway. ‘’I better get going,’’ she then said, smiling at him with that same old crooked smile.

He took in a deep breath when she didn’t believe him, folding his lips for a moment. If it wasn’t his own wish, he wouldn’t have asked her out, but he suppose it didn’t matter. He smiled faintly when she said it was too bad there wasn’t an encore. “It’s a real shame,” he agreed. Her jokingly answer revealed that she certainly wasn’t scared of it, making him slightly more worried. “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if he did,” he said in a sincere tone. However, it was comforting to know it wasn’t a far walk and he certainly didn’t want to push anything.
He looked into her eyes as she told him that he was a great audience, sending him a wink that made him smile once again, only to get dragged back to reality by her next sentence. “Yeah, alright,” he said, trying to hide his disappointment from her wanting to leave. “Take care, Clio,” he said before he walked backwards a few steps, eventually turning around to greet his friend who’d been waiting on him.
_____________________________
The following Thursday, 7 pm, Outfit

It was a strange feeling, waiting for his date to arrive at the restaurant. The last time he’d been on an official date was with Erin’s mother, so he couldn’t blame his friends from thinking it was about time he put himself out there. The snow was falling slowly on the street in front of him, covering the road with a white layer, giving light to the dark evening. He’d chosen a reputable restaurant in Gaia, one that had been there for a long time. He lifted his gaze slightly when he noticed Clio approaching him, sending her a wide smile and feeling his heart beating faster in his chest. “Hey,” he greeted, giving her a short hug as she neared him. “How was your day?” he asked before he opened the door for her and entered the restaurant. The hostess greeted them before she led them to a table in the corner of the place, placing two menus on the table. Michael took off his coat to hang it behind his chair, revealing the navy suit he wore underneath. He’d been working as an FBI agent prior to this, still having the badge and his notebook inside of the jacket. He sat down and looked at Clio with an admiring gaze. “You look beautiful,” he complimented her, thinking that she was more stunning than he remembered. The waiter was quick to arrive at the table, asking them what they wanted to drink. Michael ordered a glass of wine and water for himself, watching the waiter for a moment as he left. “Have you ever been here before?” he asked as he returned his gaze to her, wondering how long she'd lived in Gaia.

It had been a couple of days since she had agreed on going out with the angel. Sure, she had been in doubt if it was a good idea or not, but she figured that the worst thing he could do was condemn her. If things went south, she knew where to go anyway.

Wearing a simple black dress that stopped at her knees, it would seem that she had chosen the modest and classic approach to the date, but that was not the case. The dress had a long slit that stopped right before the pantyline on her hip; showing off her long, olive-colored legs. The torso of the dress was tight-fitting and with a modest neckline that didn’t show any of her cleavage, as it followed her collarbone across her chest. The sleeves was long and made of a delicate lace, stopping at her wrists. The cold didn’t bother her as she was wearing a coat over her shoulders, but without putting it on properly, so the sleeves of the coat was hanging loose as she had not used them.

“Hi there, handsome!” She said as he greeted her. Of course, she smiled a gentle smile to him, as that was the polite thing to do. Anything else might have been considered too much.
“My day? Oh, nothing special, honestly. I’ve been spending most of the time in the tub; soaking,” she said with a little joking smile on her lips. Truth be told, she had been shaving every inch of her body, in case they were to share more than a meal and drinks. “And yours?”.

As they entered the restaurant and got seated, she looked at him with a slight enticing gleam in her eyes, as he spoke his compliment. “My, my. Already complimenting me? Shouldn’t you be saving some points for later?” She asked, a little jokingly. “But thanks. I appreciate it.”.
As soon as the waiter joined them, she looked at Michael with an entertained expression on her face. Wine? Oh well, hopefully he didn’t mind her avoiding alcohol. “Just some water, please. No citrus,” she ordered with a charming smile before the waiter left. Then, attention returned to Michael, as she started fiddling with the edge of the table cloth. She had a terrible habit of fiddling whenever she was just a tiny bit nervous. “I can’t say that I have,” she admitted, smiling at at him. “Is this the preferred dating-spot of yours?” She asked, with a crooked and yet teasing smile; wondering how many girls he had brought there in the past.

He raised his brow when she said she’d been soaking in a tub, immediately getting the image of that in his head. He got an alluring look in his eyes until she returned the question and changed his train of thought. “It was fine, I just got off work,” he said with a calm smile on his lips, looking down his attire before his eyes met hers. He’d been investigating a murder, so it wasn’t exactly an ideal conversation topic for a first date. Besides, he couldn’t tell her his real job - at least not until he knew that she wasn’t human.

He chuckled when she commented on his compliment, not thinking he’d have trouble gaining points from her. He doubted that he’d screw up that much, but nothing was certain. He had no idea what kind of person she was, and as much as he liked to believe that her dream career wasn’t to become an exotic dancer, he couldn’t exclude the possibility. He looked a bit down at the menu as she answered his question, hoping that the place would impress her somewhat. He had only been there a few times with friends, never for a date. “No... to be honest I haven’t been on a real date in years,” he admitted. It might seem hard to believe, but if he’d gone out to eat with girls since his ex, it hadn’t been because of a romantic interest in them. “So, Clio… tell me something about yourself,” he said, sincerely interested in learning more about her.

As they were sitting there - waiting for their ordered drinks to arrive, the talk turned into admitting stuff. She smiled calmly at him, as she found it hard to believe that he had not been on a date in years. Girls had to be swarming him, so what kept him from dating them? ‘’How come? I mean, women must be swooning over your green eyes and your charming smile.’’ she stated, complimenting him in the most subtle way she could. Then, he asked her to tell something about herself, making her chuckle slightly. ‘’Well,’’ she said, shrugging her shoulders. ‘’Let’s start off with something easy; I’m a freelance performer,’’ she said, smiling calmly at him. ‘’At the moment, the gentleman’s club is the only place that has me on a call-list, since I only just moved here.’’ She said, while she looked straight into his eyes.

‘’I’m saving up to go to med-school, but since the move took a huge chunk of my funds, I guess it’ll have to wait a while.’’ She then explained. She had seen enough pain and suffering in the world - she wanted to help, but she needed to get a degree in medicine before she could even be accepted to work at hospitals… ‘’What about you? You said you came straight from work?’’ she asked, keeping the proper posture by keeping her back straight and her hands placed in her lap. He seemed like one of those guys that wanted a lady on the street and a wild cat in the sheets. She wasn’t sure - but it seemed like that was the case.

He didn’t have a good reason, but she was right, it wasn’t because women lacked interest in him. Her compliment made him send her another one of those smiles she'd called charming, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. “Affection comes easy but love’s a rarity... I guess I just haven’t found the right girl,” he replied, fiddling a bit with a silver ring around his finger. How things ended with his last wife, hadn’t exactly made it easier. He leaned back in his seat as she called herself a freelance performer, wondering if that included other talents beside of dancing. He was impressed to hear that she was saving up for med-school, and he realized she probably wasn’t the only girl working in the gentleman’s club who was saving up for their studies. “That’s great,” he said, sending her a sincere smile. “Where did you move from?” he asked. The waiter approached the table with their drinks, then asking what they’d like to eat. “I’ll have the trout amandine,” he ordered before he handed the waiter his menu.

“I work in law enforcement,” he replied her. It was the easy answer, especially when he wasn’t sure that she was religious or believed in angels. However, he wanted to be truthful - in case this developed into something more than a single date. “But it’s just a cover… My profession is more complicated than so,” he admitted, looking into her eyes. It was easy to see from the look of someone’s eyes, whether they knew of the supernatural or not. “I’m an angel of the Lord,” he explained, looking at her expectantly. “An archangel,” he added. If she’d read the bible, she’d know that he was a warrior of God and as an archangel he had much larger concerns than the crimes of Gaia.

It came as a surprise to her when he started speaking about affection and love. Had they not just spoken about the fact that he had not brought any dates to this restaurant? What made her different form them? She noticed the fiddling with the silver ring on his finger, only to realize that the reason he had not brought anyone maybe had been since he had been through a loss - a divorce, or maybe even been a widower. ‘’Well, love is not rare, but it’s rarely seen a love.’’ She then said, only to realize how she must be sounding. She looked down at her hands for a moment, as she suddenly felt uncomfortable with even considering dating him; had he just lost someone? Her chain of thoughts was broken as he asked her where she had moved from, making her look at him with a little smile. ‘’I’m from London.’’ She said, as she had no other way of describing it. She had been couch-jumping for months before she had been offered a flat in Gaia, so she had really no place to call her home before moving. Then, the waiter returned with their drinks, ready to take their orders. Michael seemed to have an excellent taste, since he chose trout. ‘’I’ll have the same, thank you.’’ She said, without even looking at the menu.

The waiter disappeared once more, making her look at Michael again. ‘’So, you’re a cop?’’ she asked, but she was quickly proven wrong, as the man in front of her explained that he was actually and archangel. One of God’s warriors; a figure depicted in paintings, stories and even in the Bible itself. The Old Testament. The way he had looked into her eyes made her smile calmly at him. ‘’So, I take it that you are Michael Sanctius then? Are you here to tell me that I need to make penance? How does He feel about one of his archangels going on dates with a low-class exotic dancer?’’ she asked, clearly not ashamed about her social- or working status.
‘’I guess saying ‘oh my God’ in bed wouldn’t be well received then?’’ she then chuckled under her breath, shaking her head as she knew that it could very well be considered an insult, but she found it too funny to leave that comment unsaid.

She didn’t understand it. How rare true love was. The one that lasted a lifetime. Sure enough, love was everywhere and people fell in love all the time, but it wasn’t what he meant. He looked down at her hands as it seemed like she was thinking about something, anticipating her to tell him, so when she didn’t, he changed the subject. He nodded when she said she was from London, wondering what had made her move.
He immediately knew that she was familiar with the supernatural by her reaction. He raised a brow as he looked at her, not knowing what she really thought about the fact that he was an archangel. He nodded as she was correct about who he was, then briefly looking away at her next question. “I’m not here to judge you… and sure, my father doesn’t think I should go on dates, let alone with someone who promotes lust... but something in me told me to, call it faith,” he said, returning his green eyes to Clio. Him liking her had nothing to do with her profession, but he also knew that it might stand in the way of a possible relationship. If he started to fall for her, he wouldn’t want her to keep working there, to dance half-naked in front of strangers each night.

He took a sip of his wine, almost choking on it by her next sentence. It came rather unexpected. He coughed briefly against his fist while he put his glass down, but then his lips curled into a smile. “Yeah, no,” he said, shaking his head lightly. It was wrong of someone to use his father’s name in vain, but it wasn’t the worst sin. He placed his arm on the table, grabbing his glass of water before he took a sip of it, trying to cool down the thoughts of her in his bed. “You’re giving me all sort of thoughts I shouldn’t be having on a first date,” he admitted in a low voice and chuckled. However, he was happy that she didn’t change because of the reveal. He wanted her to be herself. “Have you met any angels before?” he asked, odds were that he knew the ones she’d met, but there weren't many on earth these days.

‘’I was joking, Michael.’’ She said, smiling cheekily at him as he said that he wasn’t there to judge her. ‘’Judging me takes more than inviting me out for dinner.’’ She then said, still looking a bit teasing at him.
‘’I promote nothing. I dance, and if men get lustful from watching me, that says more about them than me.’’ She then said, shrugging her shoulders. ‘’I’m glad you trusted that little something then,’’ she said, as he stated something in him had compelled him to ask her out.
The coughing made her smile slightly apologetic at him. She had a way of saying everything before thinking it through, so he either found it hilarious or insulting. His lips curled into a smile, leaving her feeling somewhat relieved. ‘’I’ll take that as a compliment,’’ she said with a triumphant smile before she took a sip of her water. He had seen plenty of how she moved to make a fairly honest prediction of what sleeping with her might be like. She didn’t mind. She had thought about him that way since she saw his gorgeous eyes.
Then, to change the subject once more, he asked if she had met any angels before. She looked at him with a crooked smile. ‘’None that I know of. Then again, I didn’t know anything about all of this until I… Nevermind.’’ She said, smiling at him. ‘’I’m fairly new in this part of life. Magic, different species. All that jazz,’’ she said, taking another sip of her water. Truth be told, she thought she had been crazy; that something had been terribly wrong with her. She couldn’t explain what she was, what she was capable of doing. She still didn’t master the transformation, which lead to her not wanting to shift most of the time anyway.

Michael usually carried a serious demeanor and he clearly hadn’t realized that she was joking, so when she said she was, he sent her a short-lived smile. He didn’t want her to think that he was judging her. Truth was, he didn’t know what to expect. She seemed so different than the women he had been with in the past, and perhaps that was the reason he felt drawn to her. Despite the biological aspect, she was right, she didn’t promote lust, but unfortunately that was why most men went into an exotic club. It was like a den of iniquity and he’d probably never understand why someone got the idea to create something like that.
He sent her a smile when she said she took it as a compliment, trying to change his train of thought by looking out the window at the street outside. He exhaled a sharp breath before taking a sip of his wine, looking back at her as she cut her own sentence off. “Until what?” he asked, wondering if she was about to reveal more about who she was. It seemed like she hadn’t known about the supernatural for that long, in which case he got slightly more worried about the fact that she lived in Southside. “But now you know about most species, right? Vampires, demons, werewolves?” he asked, mostly to be sure that she knew that vampires and demons existed.