spamalot } of rooftops views and good tastes

[tradedfireforname]

[After a lot more drinking, Laura eventually throws in the towel and returns to her room for the evening, probably to call her husband-to-be, leaving Nik and Marissa alone at the bar.]

Marissa: [sees Laura leaving] And I was just about to find her the right girl to earn that extra tip too. [refills Nik's drink]

Nik: Oh, she's very, very engaged. I think she was mostly kidding.

Marissa: [laughs] Don't worry, Just teasing. I saw the ring. Lucky girl.

Nik: Very lucky. Her fiancé is great. He's going to make her very happy.

Marissa: So, you had a married couple and an engaged woman who wasn't yours. [she eyes him with a grin] What's your story?

Nik: [he laughs] I'm just here to be a witness. The new wife is my sister, so when she and that idiot who decided he wanted to marry her couldn't wait a couple months, I said I was in.

Marissa: They knew what they wanted. Why should they wait?

Nik: So our mutual families don't kill them all.

Marissa: [laughs] You realize that they're going to want to know why you didn't stop them too. If I were you, I'd run.

Nik: I was bullied into it. They held a gun to my head.

Marissa: Oh yeah, that's so going to work.

Nik: [he laughs] They also know that I don't care.

Marissa: [laughs] Well, handsome, I'm about to clock out and I'm responsible for his tab. Can I get you anything before I send him the massive bill?

Nik: [he eyes her for a moment, before smirking a bit] Well, I could tell you to order the bottle of the most expensive stuff you've got, but then I'd have no one to drink it with.

Marissa: [thinks for a minute, looking at the clock. She's trying to make a choice, then grins] Well, if you're in need of company, I have about an hour I can spare. [she has a kid to pick up at that point]

Nik: [he grins widely] I can do a lot with an hour.

Marissa: [she licks her lips] Alright, handsome. But I'm picking the bottle. [she winks and goes to grab a very nice and expensive whiskey off the top shelf, putting it on Derek's tab and closing it off, then handing it to Nik.] Give me five minutes.

Nik: [he nods in agreement, before taking the bottle and looking it over. Then he shrugs.] Nice.

Marissa: [she bounces away, grabbing her register and going into the back while a new bartender comes out. Five minutes later, she's swinging a tight leather jacket on and walking over to him] Clock starts now.

Nik: Great. Let's go. [he grips the bottle tightly in one hand and hers in the other, gently, before leading her out to the elevator.]

Marissa: [she's good with following. Not going to complain with a man like this. She doesn't even need to ask his name because it's Vegas and all guys in Vegas are usually after money or sex, and she was pretty good with taking one and giving the other. Just not at the same instance.]

Nik: [doesn't come to Vegas for either, really, though he wouldn't complain about the second. Though if she is going to be drinking with him, she does get a name. He just waits until they're on the elevator and heading up to the roof to give it] Nik.

Marissa: [he would be the first in a long time not to try. But she smirked at that] Well, Nik. I'm Marissa.

Nik: It is nice to meet you, Marissa. You have excellent taste in whiskey.

Marissa: Work in a bar, you develop a very good pallet. Can't believe some of the crap I used to drink before.

Nik: [he laughs] Hey, just because it's expensive doesn't always mean it's good.

Marissa: Ain't that the truth. But here, guys buy you drinks all the time, you learn what's good and what needs to fuel a car.

Nik: Smart girl. [they hit the floor just below the roof, and he tips his head to the side, leading the way around to the stairs that lead up and beyond. Once they hit the roof, he finds a rock to keep the door wedged open and holds it open for her] After you.

Marissa: [she grins and takes a step out, leaning her head back with the breeze and the smell of fresh air high above the city] Now this is the best way to see Vegas in all its glory.

Nik: [he nods as he takes a few steps onto the roof, working off the cap of the bottle easily with one hand, before offering her the first pull] It's my favorite view, actually.

Marissa: [such a gentleman. She takes the bottle and takes a pull before handing it back] So you come here often then?

Nik: I like the canyons. So when I'm driving through I usually crash here for a few nights, just to blow off some steam.

Marissa: Well, you have good tastes. You just may survive in the world after all. [she was teasing looking around before walking closer to the edge of the roof]

Nik: [he takes a pull on the bottle himself, slowly following her, but not too close] So what do you do when you're not watching some poor sap celebrate the a rash and impulsive decision he may regret later. [though he knows Derek well enough to know he probably won't]

Marissa: [thinks on her answer a moment] I have a couple of hobbies. Life tends to keep me busy though.

Nik: Life is funny that way.

Marissa: What about you? I mean, driving through Vegas all the time, but that is definitely a New Yorker accent you're sporting.

Nik: [he nods] Most of my family is out on the east coast. We've been living there a long time.

Marissa: And you drive all the way out to pass through here for...?

Nik: Family. And I like to drive - well, technically ride, since it's a motorcycle.

Marissa: See, and here I was pegging you for a rebuilt muscle car. I'm a little disappointed.

Nik: [he makes a bit of a face, as though he hasn't considered it once or twice] Little too confining for me. I'm a wind in my hair kind of guy.

Marissa: Me too. [the red hair flapping in the breeze wasn't clue enough] That's what convertibles are for.

Nik: [he considers for a minute, before taking another pull and passing the bottle back to her] Maybe when someone gives me reason to. Right now, the bike works for me.

Marissa: [she hops away from the edge of the roof for her drink] Does your bike even fit two?

Nik: It does. Plus I have a side car, just in case.

Marissa: [she debates on that, then shrugs] To each their own.

Nik: [shrugs himself] I've just always been a bit of a lone wolf. [badumptish. only that's an inside joke that's mostly for him]

Marissa: You had that vibe, to be fair. But even lone wolves need to have some fun with others sometimes.

Nik: Sometimes. I still prefer my fun to be one-on-one.

Marissa: Like taking amazingly gorgeous bartenders up to the roof with expensive whiskey and amazing views? [she's not talking about Vegas there]

Nik: [neither is he] Something like that, yeah.

Marissa: [she bit the side of her lip, then sauntered over to him to take the bottle of whiskey and enjoy a nice long pull of it before she slid her free arm up around his shoulder and got nice and close] Well, you still have 40 minutes. What kind of fun are you thinking about?

Nik: [he takes that as permission to touch her, big hands sliding firmly to her hips and pulling her in closer] Well, I have a few ideas, but since you're the local, I may just defer to you and see what you recommend.

Marissa: [those are nice, firm hands. big too, against her small frame. She likey] See, things I have in mind take a lot longer than 40 minutes.

Nik: [he bites his lip for a moment as he considers] Mine too. A lot longer, actually.

Marissa: And you just had to roll into town on a day where I have work in the morning. [and no overnight babysitter]

Nik: Any chance you could push that hour? Just a little bit?

Marissa: I can't, handsome. Kind of a hard deadline I don't want to mess with.

Nik: Guess I'll just have to roll into town again sometime.

Marissa: Well, you already know which bar to come drink at.

Nik: That I do. So don't change jobs on me before then. [he doesn't think she'll have time to. He's probably going to come back as soon as Derek gets him back to Beacon Hills so he can grab his bike]

Marissa: If I'm not there, you can usually ask the others where I am. I have another job so I rotate between them.

Nik: [he nods] Noted.

Marissa: [he'll have to find her at her "other" job the hard way though.] So you know, the clock's ticking. If you're planning on kissing me.... [that smirk is all but begging for him to]

Nik: [he laughs softly at that.] Guess I oughta give you something to look forward to. [and with that he'll lean in and kiss her with just enough intent behind it to keep her interested. And he can be pretty relentless when he wants to be]

Marissa: [she sighs happily into that kiss. not the best one she's had, but very nice, and very much keeping her interested. Her fingers on his neck play in his hair as she kisses him back, playful and giving him a hint that she's holding back on really knowing what her lips can do]

Nik: [well, that is the name of the game when it comes to something like this. Save some for later. His hands stay right on her hips, keeping her there with a steady sort of pressure, but not wandering too much, as much as he would like to.]

Marissa: [she wasn't going to make it easy, Nik. She's leaning in nice and close, pressing her body to his, just relishing in the taste of his lips]

Nik: [easy isn't any fun. And when he knows he's coming to the end of his time threshold, he kicks it up just another notch, to see how she responds, if nothing else.]

Marissa: [she really likey. She's really wishing she didn't have to pick the kid up at this point because this man was promising to be a lot of fun. She accepted the raise and met that bet, bringing her teeth into play to run along his lower lip and tug on it just as her phone started to buzz in her back pocket with her timer. She pulled back regretfully] Sorry, Niky. Time's up. I gotta go.

Nik: [he sighs softly, before leaning back to let her go] Guess I'll just have to hope my timing is better next time.

Marissa: [thinks for a moment, and then uses her hand to pull him down a bit to whisper in his ear] Sundays I have off. You want to have some real fun, find me on a Saturday night and we'll see what happens. [she then nibbled on his ear and took three steps back, another sip of whiskey and eying him appreciatively.]

Nik: [he grins widely at that before nodding] Saturday it is.

Marissa: [holds out the bottle to him] Until then... save this for your brother in law. Hair of the dog cures all hangovers, and he's gonna be hurting.

Nik: [nods as he takes the bottle from her with a salute] I'm sure he will thank you.

Marissa: [she's hoping he will come back, but she's not betting on it. It was Vegas, after all. Promises weren't always kept.] See you when you find me. [and with that, sauntering off the roof and heading for home before her roommate had to leave for work]

Nik: [and he'll hang out on the roof for a while before eventually heading back down to his hotel room and crashing out]