I was so intrigued by the girl that when I got up, I didn't even notice my cigarette was stolen. I simply strolled through the flashing lights and dancing bodies like the expert I had become at doing so, making my way towards this whining newcomer to see what the problem was. As I came closer to the scene, I ran a hand through my curly hair as if I was slicking it back. Really, it was more of a nervous habit than anything else considering how my short locks simply bounced back in place anyway. I didn't bother buttoning up my shirt, but I did pull the sides in a bit to cover most of my torso. Since I was feeling rather giddy, I even put on a smirk at the corner of my mouth. It actually wasn't all that hard to smile once I started to hear her nagging voice again, that along with how hilariously small she looked compared to the jacked guard who looked about a foot and a half taller than her. In spite of the size difference, she was definitely the one dominating that argument.

"You said you're security for God's sake!" the girl stated, an incredulous look in her eye towards his barely-existent outfit. "Can't you do something?"

The guard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ma'am, I keep telling you the club is all-inclusive. I can't just kick people out if they're not hurting anyone."

"So, what then?" she snapped. "You're just gonna wait until they do hurt me?"

Before the guard could come up with another useless retort, I stepped in front of the two of them, grinned at the girl and asked, "What seems to be the issue here, Karen?"

The girl shot me a confused look, either wondering why I called her that or trying to figure out if I was high. Based on the situation, I knew that interacting with her wasn't going to be magical or anything, but meeting eyes with her was really something. I'm not saying she was super pretty, though. She had a narrow nose, thin lips, and an angular jaw. There were pinkish-red acne scars on her temples that could have been easily hidden behind makeup, yet she wore none. Quite a marvel for a woman who looked to be in her early twenties. The most inviting part of her face was those round, light green eyes of hers. They burned with fury as she looked me up and down. "Excuse me?" she barked, an eyebrow shooting upwards at comical speed. "Who are you?"

"It's Zane," I answered. "I'm a regular here, and I might be able to help you out if ya tell me what's goin' on."

She continued to eye me for a moment, likely wondering if I had some ulterior motive. I didn't blame her since I was just some random guy. After thinking it over, she pursed her lips and looked around, crossing one leg over the other. "Okay, so I really have to use the bathroom, but there's only one here." Her eyes got big when she clarified, "And it's a unisex, public bathroom! I walked in on two naked men making out by a stall! I'm not going in there until they're out and no more of them come in!"

I chuckled at the thought of her reaction to seeing that, and then I looked up at the guard who stared back at me with a miserable pair of "help me" eyes. I nodded my head towards him and assured, "I'll take it from here, chief." He smirked with relief and slumped his shoulders, turning away from us and making his way to the front door.

The girl winced at the back of the man's skin tight pants and looked away as he walked off. She crossed her arms in discomfort and shook her leg as she continued to look around in disgust. It became obvious to me at that point that the girl had never set foot in a club before. Upon realizing that much, I asked her, "So, what brings you to The Inverse?"

"I just told you," she blurted, squeezing her arms and legs together even tighter. "I've been holding it for like, an hour now! I just thought I could make it home in time before it got any worse, but I can't! The house is still another fifteen minutes away and this...'place,' was the closest building I could land on to go." She looked around and rolled her eyes with a groan. "I had no idea it'd be like this though."

I understood her concerns. If I were a girl, I probably wouldn't want to share a bathroom with dudes in it either. Especially naked dudes. Still, I couldn't suppress my need to make fun of her a little more. I shrugged with a widening smirk and added, "It's just a couple of guys makin' out. What's wrong with that?"

"I wasn't saying that was wrong!" she groaned as she stamped her foot. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Relax, relax," I quelled, moving my hands up and down with a chuckle. "I was just jokin' around. I hear ya loud and clear. I'll help ya out."

"Really?" There was a hint of relief in her eye as she blinked away some of her frustration. The expression on her face became a bit softer as she bounced her leg around a bit more. Her eyes darted around as if trying to make sure no one was listening, and then she stepped a little closer to me. "So...are you like, the owner or something? That guard seemed to know you."

It wasn't unusual for people to make that assumption about me. I went there so much and got away with so much that the other regulars often thought I owned the place, too. "Nah, I'm just a regular," I reassured her. "They've just, uh, gotten to know me here." All I was missing with that response was a cheesy wink.

She knit her eyebrows and leaned in a bit. The inquisition on her face told me that my vague answer worked. Even she wasn't immune to mystery's charm. However, I could tell she wasn't the type to fall for it immediately, proving me right by shaking her head with a frown. "Look, whoever you are, can you just do what you're gonna do so I can finally go?"

Since I had to mess with her one last time, I picked at my ear and added, "Well, I haven't heard that p-word from you yet."

An infuriated smirk shot from a corner of her mouth as her brows contorted in a way that I'd expect from a cartoony villain. Her face turned bright pink as she yelled, "P-word? You mean like pee? As in what I'm going to do all over this floor right now if you don't—"

"Alright, alright!" I interrupted with a cackle, making my way towards the hallway to her left. I paused for a moment in front of her and looked into her raging gaze. I put on my most comforting smile and added, "Hang tight. I'll be right back."

The girl's expression sank into a subdued pout. Her foot bounced faster as she averted her gaze. "Please hurry," she demanded.

Before I walked off, I pat her on the shoulder and left her with, "See? That wasn't so hard." I caught a glimpse of her eyes darting to mine once more. They were a lot less angry and more fascinated. I could tell what she was thinking at that point, besides her bladder, of course. She was definitely trying to figure out what I was going to do and whether or not it would really work. Then, she would start wondering more and more about who I am to the point of asking me questions once I got the favor done. Sure, she was more headstrong than the rest, but that was just part of the fun for me. After gaining that curiosity, I knew I had her.