As dives and dancehalls went, Valentinian did think the joint wasn’t all that impressive. Three dumb bouncers at the front. Two of the men looked like what everyone expected bouncers to be like. Nearly as tall as Dave, but much heavier, with bulk making up for the lethality his first mate brought to the table.
The third one was the dangerous-looking one, at least to Valentinian. Shorter than Valentinian and skinny. Wiry in ways that suggested he would be a mongoose to the other two men’s sluggish bears.
Not that Valentinian was planning to start trouble here tonight, but you never knew on a strange planet.
He had moved his shock pistol to a shoulder holster under his jacket back on the ship. Here, it just got an eyebrow raised, but nothing more. Which told Valentinian what kind of joint this was.
Not that he had any doubts. Tartarus City had a reputation as a hard place. Carrying a shock pistol wasn’t illegal, nor would a stunner be. Only something heavier would cause the bouncers to refuse entry.
Which just meant that they had superior firepower on call, if they thought they needed it. That thought actually brought greater peace to Valentinian, although Dave remained twitchy. Not enough bar fights in his time, obviously.
They ended up at the bar first, where they got translucent, plastic cups of thin, watery beer that still cost too many Solars. Again, Valentinian wasn’t really surprised. Places like this made their money at the bar, not the front door.
Water down the drinks and add some salt as well to make you thirsty. Free salty snacks. Play the music loud and energetic, to get you dancing and sweaty, so you needed to buy more. It was a scam, but a legitimate-enough one.
Valentinian just knew he was just too cheap to hang out at places like this for fun. He preferred the quiet dives where the drinks were honest and the pretty people elsewhere.
He led Dave to a side wall and found a booth up on a head-high, elevated walkway over the room, with a good view of the dance floor and the stage. He had seen Solaria Femina practicing their routines in the cargo bay, but never with all the right lighting and sound gear. To say nothing of the costumes he expected.
It would be a fun night, assuming no trouble. And even Nash wouldn’t be stupid enough to show up the first night and start trouble. He’d need time to scout the ground. Heading home later, maybe. More likely tomorrow.
“So we just sit here?” Dave ask/yelled over the thumping earthquake of the song playing.
“I am,” Valentinian called back. “Feel free to go down and dance, or drink some more. I’m only buying the first round.”
Dave grinned at him and sat back, looking like a just-fed lion surrounded by hyenas and rabbits. Valentinian wondered where that put him, but not too much. If Dave wanted to get laid, he knew the way back to the ship, and the codes to open the airlock.
Hopefully, the man would have the sense to get a room in town, rather than bring a date back to the ship, but they’d burn that bridge if it became necessary. Dave had been good crew, so far, so Valentinian wouldn’t begrudge the man blowing off some steam.
He just didn’t want to deal with the bimbos on the dance floor. And he was too cheap to find a professional. At least tonight. Give him another month or three surrounded by all those gorgeous teenagers and he might be chasing after the cook, Hiranur. She was the nicest to be around of all of them anyway.
Valentinian felt old. And Dave struck him as a rookie. It was a weird reversal of the normal flow of things. Especially since Dave had kids his age.
But he supposed it was the light-years, and not the seasons that counted. Dave had apparently been pretty sheltered for a long time, which didn’t surprise Valentinian. The Caelons were an insular group, and Valentinian had no doubt the man had been one of the Dominator’s Assault Cavalry troopers. No other branch had that way of walking, proud and arrogant in their utter disdain for little people.
Not that Dave had ever pulled that shit, but it was in the eyes. The set of the shoulders. Even the way the man walked.
Killer.
Even the girls around here picked up on it, going out of their way to walk by and smile at the big man. Valentinian was used to being the center of attention with lots of pretty girls, and he got his share of looks, but they had a hunger in their eyes when they looked at Dave.
Valentinian shrugged and decided that he might be getting in Dave’s way. Chasing off the girls who might be of a mind to just walk up and slide into the booth to breathlessly introduce themselves. It had happened to Valentinian more than once.
Dave would probably be shocked out of his mind the first time some girl did it to him. Valentinian slid to the edge of the booth with a grin.
The big guy needed a little R&R.
“What’s up?” Dave called.
“Nothing,” Valentinian replied. “Just going to scout the joint and hit the head before there’s a line. Maybe find Madame Cleray and say hello.”
“I’ll come with you,” Dave suddenly looked uncomfortable and started to join him.
“You stay here,” Valentinian waved him back. “Save the table and keep an eye on the crowd. And don’t let too many pretty girls seduce you.”
He liked the way Dave’s face blushed. The man probably had no clue how badly he might carbonate the hormones of some of these women. Impregnate them just by smiling their way with that lion face of his.
Valentinian laughed to himself and aimed for the front of the building, next to the main bar off to the side of the stage. Take a leak first and then go find their employer.
At least tonight would give him some time to relax.