"What's your story?" Julian asked as he and L sat in a booth at a lively bar downtown.

"I'd rather hear yours," she said, feeling as though the entirety of the night had already been about her. The two found themselves across from the other with a beer bottle in front of each of them and a cigarette in both of their right hands. L knew she was generously more buzzed than the man in front of her.

Though Julian had never opened up about his past to anyone, but he wanted to know if she'd judge him strongly by what he'd been through in contrast to her seemingly luxurious life, so Julian spilled his guts — telling her of his parent's divorce when he was young and how he nearly had to vie for himself most of his life, providing a dreary past that led to such a lonely present in which he separated himself from that life. The only people outside of his family that knew about his past were the friends he went to school with while it was happening. Julian never talked about it since, but something about L accepting him into her life gave Julian this sense of security talking to her.

As L listened, she took sips of the beer to fuel her buzz. Julian asked about her upbringing, and she told him about how she was pulled into her parents' prescription drug business. Though it sounded admirable from the outside, it really only consisted of materialistic people re-branding cheap medication to sell for millions. She felt kind of odd saying it to someone who was so estranged to the lifestyle.

"Oh, so pretty much same as mine," he joked.

The two laughed it off, sipping their beers. And, it made her realize that neither of their pasts defined them in anyway whatsoever. It didn't matter what either of them had been through. All that mattered was it somehow brought them together, and there they were, sharing themselves with one another.

"I take it Erica didn't like me too much," Julian said, watching her reaction as he took another sip.

"She's just really judgmental," L defended.

"And Jen," Julian added, taking a drag.

"Also judgmental," she continued.

"What about you?" he leaned in, inquiring about her thoughts about him, wishing he could cancel out the bar music. There was nothing he wished for more than to be able to stop the turn tables and just listen to her voice — her honest, though alcohol-fueled, voice.

"I wish I could just get away from it all," she said honestly, "I'm tired of everyone I know."

"How do you feel about me?" he asked, reiterating his question, playing on the suspicion that she was inebriated enough to be completely honest.

"You're real," she said, "You're like no one I've ever met before. Even when I'm not at work, I'm still told how to act, how to dress. My days off are scheduled with meetings and parties. You seem so free," she gushed, showing how much she admired him and his lifestyle, "You're your own person and not the product of everyone around you."

Julian took pleasure in her answer, feeling more confident about himself at her words. He wanted to tell her she could just leave everything and stay with him, but he knew that'd be too forward.

"And, what are your thoughts about me?" she asked inquisitively, wanting to know if he really only thought of her as some desperate bimbo as most guys at the parties perceived.

"I think you're lost," he said, eyeing her, "I think you're stuck in a society that you don't know how to escape from. You're surrounded by people who try to make you one of them when you know you just don't belong. You want to get away from it all, but you don't know how to." She nodded, terrified by how accurate he was. "Or maybe you're scared of what everyone will think if you do," he said at the risk of sounding harsh. She responded only by taking another swig of her beer.

They must have sat there for hours talking about their lives and what they both truly wanted to do while having a beer now and then as to not lose their inebriated states. L learned that Julian wanted to be a musician and spent his days writing music. Julian learned that L would have traded anything to just work a normal nine to five job. The harder liquor had left their systems, and they were both in a comfortably warm state of mind. Julian politely excused himself to use the restroom, breaking the seal for the night.

"Can I get you a drink?" a man, who seemed to be waiting for Julian to step away so he could slip in, came up to L as if on cue as soon as her date disappeared down the back hall. His hair was buzz-cut, and he wore dress slacks and a silky lavender button-down. He looked much too over-dressed for a bar as if his appearance was his only offering at getting a chance with a girl.

"No thanks," she declined with a courteous smile.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me," he apologized, motioning to his chest with drunken emphasis, "My name is Carl."

"L," she replied shortly, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Okay, now that we got the formalities out of the way," Carl said, "can I get you a drink?"

"No thank you, Carl," she repeated, "but I appreciate the offer."

Julian came back to find L's petite frame still sitting in the booth, a man drunkenly leaning on the table talking to her. Julian's face fell, assuming they were flirting. The guy was better-dressed than he was, and Julian could tell he must have been a smooth-talker to match.

Julian lingered close, his back nearly against her booth seat as he lit up a cigarette to eavesdrop. The man was busy talking about how he'd never seen a girl so beautiful before. Julian felt almost ashamed that he didn't have the confidence to outright say that to her and knew it could have cost him his chance.

"I'm kind of here with someone else," L said with uncertainty as if it was a question she was asking herself, for she wasn't sure how Julian viewed her. Julian didn't know whether to feel good about her answer or heartbroken with the way she said it, as if she was open to leaving with another guy if given the chance.

"The guy you were sitting with?" the man laughed incredulously, belittling Julian. Julian looked down, taking a drag, his back still turned towards the two. Julian began shaking, scared that she would realize she was too good for him. "There's no way you're actually with that guy," he continued, still laughing, hoping to change her mind.

Julian heaved a deep breath, feeling as though he needed to make a move or he'd lose her — if not to that guy then to someone else. Before he had the courage to, he froze with the realization that he didn't own her. She was free to talk to anyone she wanted to. He shook his head and walked over to the wall off to the side, leaning back against it and taking drags of his cigarette, not knowing how to handle the situation that he had no control over.

As Julian put out his cigarette in the ashtray on top of the nearby payphone, he took in a deep breath, bracing himself for rejection as he noticed L coming over to him.

"There you are," her eyes twinkled as she walked up to Julian, placing her hands on his waist.

Julian forced a smile, knowing she was just being nice before she dropped the bomb that she was leaving with another man. Julian nervously kept his arms dropped at his sides, wishing he could just tell her how he felt about her but knew it was probably too late. That other guy had already beat him to it.

"What's wrong?" she frowned, seeing his expression.

He shook his head, not wanting to say anything and hoping she'd just brush it off. And, he realized that was his problem; he couldn't figure out the words to say. Usually he was so good with expressing his emotions within his lyrics, but there was something about L, and he was scared he would mess up things between them. And, god, did he wish there was something between them.

L gazed up at him with concern, and his blank stare softened, seeing she was truly worried about his altered demeanor and knowing she wasn't leaving here without him.

After talking to that guy at the table, L saw how different Julian was than any other guy she'd met. She actually wanted him, and the way he never made a move on her only fueled her more in going after him.

"Last call!" the bartender's voice hollered over the music. It must have been nearing three in the morning. Julian began getting clammy, scared that their night together was nearing its end and that he hadn't made his move. He didn't know how to. He had no idea how she felt about him. Even though they'd talked all night about their lives, where'd they'd come from, and what they wanted to do, she was still a mystery to him.

L softly tugged the sides of his denim vest, urging his towering body to lean in. "Can we go somewhere without sleazy guys in lavender tops?" she giggled into his ear, knowing that he'd probably seen her getting approached by the scumbag earlier.

Julian exhaled a laugh through his nose as he pulled away, and his hands finally found their way to her waist. He marveled at her with the confirmation that she truly must have thought he was something else. He could have taken her home then, but he didn't want her to think he saw her like the guys she was used to. And, he knew it wouldn't be right in their drunken states; he didn't want them to end up like his other one night stands — he wanted them to be something more.

He licked his lips before sinking his teeth into his bottom lip, studying her in deep thought. He wanted to do something special. He wanted to share something with her that no one would have shared with her before.

She found herself glancing at his pouty lips, wanting to know how they'd feel against hers. She sighed inwardly, snapping out of her thoughts, forcing herself to look back up into his eyes.

"You ever been to the beach?" he asked, an eager smile tugging at his lips and his eyes narrowing playfully at the inebriated girl. Gazing up at him, she shook her head slowly, surprised at the inquiry. She hadn't set foot in the sand since she was a little girl in California. Ever since moving to New York and taking over the family business, she's never even seen the water. Even trips to islands were riddled with business meetings and convincing companies to sign contracts.

The smile on Julian's face grew as he spun her around, his hands still on her waist as he led her through the crowd. She grinned dumbly as she placed her hands atop his, not wanting his hold to leave her.