8014/Its Beer o'clock somewhere.

Its Beer o'clock somewhere.
Date of Scene:	23 June 2019
Location:	Josie's Bar, Clinton
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Witchblade, Ghost Rider (Blaze)

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Witchblade has posed:
It's been a long day. To be fair, they're mostly long days. Being a detective in New York is hard enough. Then you add in the strange things that go bump in the night...

Sara has her own ways of dealing with that, though. No one ever claimed they were healthy, but they're coping mechanisms at least. Once the passed in the last of the day's reports, she headed out to the bar, claiming a stool and ordering a beer and some loaded french fries that she can pretend are a meal.

She's about halfway through both at the moment, glancing up now and then at the baseball game playing on TV and wrinkling her nose.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny Blaze had a long, long day. He had just finished sending an escaped demon back to Hell. But unfortunately, this demon was a demon of pride, one of the most dangerous of all. Gave the Rider a hard time because it was no coward, but he got it done either way.

Walking into the bar with his leather jacket looking a little bit on the torn up side, with a dark red shirt underneath and black jeans, Johnny walks in looking like the badass biker he always does. He finds a spot next to Sara, ordering himself a whiskey and some regular french fries, non-loaded.

Not everyone is hardcore like Pezzini.

But despite his more roughed up appearance, Johnny is very clean-cut.

Witchblade has posed:
"Aw, come on!" Sara grumbles at the television, shaking her head. "Bullshit call, ump." She looks over as Johnny takes a seat, tipping her chin up in acknowledgement before she takes another sip of her beer. "Sorry," she apologizes half-heartedly. "Long day." A beat. "And it //was// a bullshit call."

It doesn't so much sound like she's actually sorry as that she knows Josie isn't going to let her finish her fries if she starts a fight with another patron. And they're good fries.

She starts to look back to the TV, watching the game, but something tugs at the back of her mind. A familiar whisper from the blade at her wrist, though it's unspecified just yet. Just enough to make her shift in her seat, stiffening a little bit as she tries to pin it down.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"OH BULLSHI-" Sara takes it from there, and Johnny doesn't seem to mind Sara's eruption of emotion, apparently finding it rather amusing. "Hey, I don't mind. I'm just happy to find someone else passionate about Baseball. It was a shitty call." Johnny seems amused at her for a minute as soon as his fries and whiskey arrive.

"Thanks Jo." and he gives her about a fifteen dollar tip for being really quick about it, something that Josie seems to appreciate.

But he hears that tingling in his soul. Something was off. And nearby too...the Spirit of Vengeance within him was getting angsty. "Johnny." he introduces himself. "Johnny Blaze." he offers her a hand to shake.

Witchblade has posed:
"Sara." Sara turns to take the offered hand, smile wry. "Been a mess all night long, honestly." As she turns to take his hand, her jacket falls open enough to should a gun under her arm and a badge at her waist - not a huge surprise, given Josie's clientele.

"Nice to-" At the physical contact, that nudge in the back of her mind turns into a bright red flash, startlingly strong. Instead of a firm grip, it's just a brief touch before she drops her hand, shaking her head to dismiss it.

"Sorry," she recovers quickly. "Realized I still had delicious cheese substitute all over my fingers."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny looks at Sara as he touches her hand. The physical contact warm, but she's not the only one who gets red flags. It takes Johnny to literally hold back Zarathos from kickstarting his transformation to avoid anything bad. "Hey, I get it."

Johnny gives her a smile nonetheless, and after he realizes that she's the anomaly, Johnny takes a deep swig of his whiskey. "So, NYPD huh?"

Might as well start the conversation.

Witchblade has posed:
"Ten years," Sara answers with a small smile, taking another sip of her beer. The Witchblade is still muttering at the back of her mind, but she's really not feeling like a fight just now. So as long as nothing that sets off her //regular// instincts happens, she's just going to ignore it for now.

"Right out of school. Dad was a cop, and I pretty much always knew that was what I wanted to do with my life. Make a difference. Clean up the streets. You?" she asks, looking over with a playful quirk of her brow and another of those little smirks. "Crash test dummy?"

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny gives a small nod at Sara as she claims she's been a cop for ten years, fresh out of school. "I hear you there. I dunno, I was going to go up to the academy and be one of the boys and girls in blue but...nah. I was a stuntman for a while. Rode motorcycles and jumped the stuff they said couldn't be jumped. Made my dad proud. I was only a crash test dummy on Tuesdays, when I had a bit too much to drink the night before."

At least Johnny has a sense of humor, considering how he smiles to her, eating some of his french fries.

He didn't seem nervous or even hesitant that people would be if they were right next to a cop. Must mean he's one of the good ones, with 'good' being operative. "A cheesy next question is 'come here often', so I won't ask that. You a native New Yorker?"

Witchblade has posed:
Sara laughs, smile flashing broader for just a moment. "Yeah, I do come here often," she admits. "It's on the way home, Josie doesn't put up with people picking fights. I mean, sometimes that's a downer, but most times I know not getting into the fight is a better option," she winks.

She goes back to picking at her fries, keeping a weather eye on the game on the TV. "Born and bred New York," she nods in agreement. "Honest truth, if I wasn't going to be on the job, there's a solid chance I'd be one of those New Yorkers who never bothered to learn to drive," she grins. "I'm guessing you're not, doing stunts and all that."

She gestures toward his jacket with a fry, quirking a brow at the damage. "Been doing some stunts tonight?"

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny seems to smirk a bit to her as she speaks. "Well hey, keeps you from losin' if you don't fight. Though I guess there's always verbal fighting." He chuckles.

"Nice. I was born in Illinois. Not native, like you, but...hey-" then he's just dying laughing at her possibly avoiding ever learning to drive. "Wouldn't that be ironic? If you didn't learn, you'd be the only cop in the city who didn't know." clearly he's just poking fun.

At the gesture to his jacket, he shakes his head. "Oh no, no. I haven't done stunt work in about eight years." if she looked up Johnny Blaze, she could probably see all of his wildtastic stunts that made him a household name. "Had a bit of a disagreement with some unpleasant folk on the way here. We got it sorted though, officer." he gives her a smile and a wink.

Witchblade has posed:
"Looks like," Sara smirks, leaning back in her chair to get a look at the back of the jacket. "No blood, so it can't have been too bad. And it's detective," she adds, raising her beer bottle in a sort of salute.

"What brought you to New York then?" she asks after a sip. "Can't imagine there's as much stunt work. But you're out of that, so..." She squints a bit, speculative. "Decide to get out while you still had the use of all your limbs and...open up a custom bike shop?"

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny smirks. "Not Sara or any other cute nickname I could come up with that pretty much means 'badass'?" Johnny might be one of the first people to meet Sara and flirt, but remember that she can handle her own damn self. Most of the time, anyway. "Well, I wanted to start fresh."

Plus there was a great deal of takin' souls and diggin' holes to be done here.

"I'm still saving up to start my own bike store, but for now, I work at an auto and body shop across the street as a mechanic. I get some pretty good pay. So if you want your ride a little bit faster, I'm your guy." he smiles at her.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" he downs the rest of his whiskey and orders another.

Witchblade has posed:
Sara laughs. "I'm pretty sure if you take badass and make it cute, you're defeated the purpose," she points out. "Thing is, I busted my ass to make detective, and I get enough shit about it on a day to day basis, so. You could say I'm a little touchy about it."

"Who's got time for fun?" she asks to his last question, grin crooked. "I go to work, I get a drink and something that passes for food, I go home and pass out. Everyone knows detectives don't have fun. We just live for the job. It's why we all die of bad livers from drinking too much."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"I dunno, you're looking pretty good I gotta say." Johnny quips in response to her joking about go home and drink until she drops. "Well, sounds like a mechanics life. We're grease monkeys all day long until, well, we decide to go to a bar, get some company, and get invariably drunk." He winks lightly at her.

"Hey, I ain't questionin' your ability to be a detective, and it doesn't look like you went off looks to get there either." because she's athletic. "so...heres to you earnin' it." he downs his drink.

Witchblade has posed:
"You seem like a smart man, Johnny Blaze," Sara chuckles, finishing her beer and waving Josie over to order another. "I //do// have a bike," she admits. "Easier to park in the city than a car. And it's not like I do a whole lot of moving furniture or something that needs the car. For those times when I need to get somewhere faster than the subway or a cab."

"I do catch the occasional baseball game," she nods toward the TV. "When I get a chance. Sometimes my sister's in town, she drags me out for...Hell if I know. I feel like I've been too old for clubs my whole life, but Julie gets a kick out of it."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"Only on Sundays." Johnny smirks a bit though he seems to be very interested when she claims she owns a bike. "Oh? Well then, welcome to the club. If you need it modded or just a tune up, let your boy Johnny know." he grins a little bit.

"When I find time, I like to go to baseball games and the occasional hockey. I find that I'm a bit of an outsider when it comes to clubs....never had anyone worth going with." then he seems to smile at her.

"But, well, if you're not busy tonight." okay, NOW he's flirting.

Witchblade has posed:
Sara lets out a surprised laugh, grin flashing. "Nice play," she grins, shaking her head. "But no way in hell I'm going to a club. Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass that shit is?" she asks, turning to gesture to her jeans, t-shirt, and jacket.

"First, you have to get dressed up. Which is cool and all, but let me tell you, it takes time. Then you go wait in line for someone to decide you're good PR for them to have in their club. //Then// you give them money for the privilege of going in for overpriced, understrength drinks. And it's so damned dark and loud that you can't actually tell if anyone is worth the time until you get them outside." She takes her new beer from Josie, nodding her thanks and taking a sip before she looks back to Johnny.

"I recognize that I probably sound like I'm fifty-five," she smirks. "But you are //way// to late in the day to have a chance of getting me to walk into a club."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"mid-thirties, actually." Johnny corrects when she says with amusement about sounding fifty five. "Hmm..but I suppose you have a good point. Not much one for dancing anyways, not unless you want to see a chicken with the head cut off." he chuckles just a little bit.

"Counter-offer then-" and then he's given another whiskey too, as if Josie was just so amused by their conversation that she wanted them to stay.

"How about we pick a day where we're not busy, I know, Impossible-" he grins. "And we do something simple. Walk in the park?" Hey, it was small and simple and they could run off if they're jobs needed them (particularly for Sara)

Witchblade has posed:
"Let's be real, no one's actually dancing at clubs. They're either bouncing, or they're rubbing up on each other. And hey, don't get me wrong," Sara raises a hand, "Whatever gets you off. But it ain't dancing."

She considers the offer for a long moment, sipping at her beer and tapping her fingers on the bartop. In the back of her mind, the Witchblade still scratches, both curious and suspicious. That //should// be a point in the 'no' column. But Sara didn't make detective by ignoring those questions.

"Walk in the park," she echoes, speculative. "All right, mister Johnny Blaze. One walk in the park."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
And hey, Johnny was curious about Sara as well...what this sense of his is finding within her. Bonded to her...maybe there's more to both of them than meets the eye? Plus he was genuinely attracted to this rough and tough detective. He seems to chuckle at her words. "Well, if we went dancing, I don't think there'd be rubbing. I tend to like to get to know people better before rubbing." of course, this is a joke, and his tone screams it.

But when Sara agrees to go on a walk in the park with him, Johnny is internally cheering something along the likes of 'YES! THANK YOU JESUS' but outwardly, he remains cool and collected. "Its a date. My schedule is pretty flexible and chaotic, much like yours is I imagine, so I figure a safe bet could be that we have another drink, and see what we can do after, or I try to barter for your phone number and we pick a day." he seems to wonder what she would prefer.

Witchblade has posed:
Sara reaches into her pocket, pulling out a card that says NYPD along with her name and number. "Use this responsibly," she warns, teasing. "You start calling me about something going bump in the night in your bedroom, I'm not going to believe you when you've actually got a problem."

"Also, if I have to come bail you out, you better have a //really// good story." Which is not to say that she won't, apparently. If nothing else, she'll want to hear the story.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny accepts the card, looking her in the eyes as she warns him. "Well, I don't scare easy, so don't worry. But if the neighbor is doing his Norman Bates impression, I'll let you know." he winks at her. "And trust me, trust me, I don't get in trouble with the law....often, anyway. I know you won't bail me, but I'll at least have a good story to tell you if you bring whiskey." he chuckles a little bit and he pockets the number.

She'll hear from him.

"Though its a two way street, don't you know. If you think there's a ghost in your police car..." he's just havin' a blast, isn't he?

Witchblade has posed:
"Oh you do vehicle exorcisms?" Sara arches a brow, smile wry. "What's that run at the mechanic's shop? All labor, or is there a materials cost on that one too?"

Normally, that would be a joke, but given the whisper in the back of her mind, it's something worth following up on. Might explain why the Witchblade seems to have an issue with this guy. Some sort of...lingering ghost, maybe?

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"Heh, only sometimes. Though usually it just requires a good kick to the trunk." Johnny smiles just a little bit as she asks. "Eh, usually its free." A ghost? No, not quiet. Though even the Rider is curious about Sara. "Speaking of strange cases, do you usually have to solve anything outside the norm of work?"

And so it begins.

The slow investigation about what they are.

Witchblade has posed:
That question earns a hearty laugh from Sara, rueful. "Boy, you don't even //know//." She finishes off the last of her fries, reaching for a napkin to wipe off her fingers. "All the time, actually. Kind of have a rep for handling the weird stuff. You ever come across a possessed car, I'm probably the one that had to figure out how it got a corpse in it in the first place."

"Thing is, I'm still a cop, you know?" Sara rubs her thumb along the label of her bottle, pensive, "We deal with stuff after it's already gone wrong. Don't usually spend a lot of time figuring out the why of the weird."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny looks at Sara as she laughs, taking care of the last little bit of his own fries, but he still has a few bites left of it. He seems to be quite amused at Sara as she speaks about her strange reputation for, accordingly, taking on the strange cases.

"Well hey, the important thing is is that you try. Not many people try, ya know? most people just shrug or try to leave it be. You're one of the better ones for at least trying. But...maybe, you could find out why." he smiles to her.

Witchblade has posed:
"Sometimes, I'm not sure I want to know the why," Sara admits, shaking her head. "There's some ugly stuff out there. I mean, that's not even just the weird cases, you know? There are some things that people do that you don't want to know the why of."

She sobers a bit, taking a longer sip of her beer. Those are the thoughts that drive detectives to drink.

"Sorry. Bad memories. I appreciate the sentiment though," she says with a wry smile. "The why of the weird always seems to be a lot...bigger than a junkie knocking over a bodega for drug money."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Yeah, that stuff is rough. But at least she doesn't have the Ghost Rider...the demon who hunts down the murderers, the rapists, the defilers and gives them their one-way ticket. He's seen and done things that would make the hardcore people lose their minds.

He sips on his whiskey, and he doesn't say anything for a little bit. "Its okay. You know, if you...ever want to talk about it to somebody. I'm here." Johnny says with a small smile.

Witchblade has posed:
"I wouldn't even know where to start talking about it," Sara shakes her head. "Full disclosure? I go to church when it gets to be too much. Not saying I'm a Bible-thumper," she adds, raising her hands. "Far from it. But sometimes when things are really bad, it just...helps. I figure if all the crap out there is real, then some of the good stuff ought to be real too."

"Besides," she smiles crookedly. "I kind of figure talking to another person or a shrink or something about it isn't really going to fix it. But hey, if the big guy is listening, he's got a little better chance of doing something about it."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"Yeah well...I go to church to after some of the things I've seen...been around for." Of course, he leaves out the helpful information that 'I helped keep the devil off of Heaven's gates once or twice' but...hey. "But, from someone outside of your circle? He's listening."

Johnny seems to smile a little bit as he says that. Of course, he's not Zealot for the Almighty, but...hey, when you see it, you gotta believe it.

He looks at Sara though with a small smile. "It won't fix it, but it might help alleviate it. But hey, offers an offer."

Witchblade has posed:
"I'll keep that in mind the next time an ugly one comes across my desk," Sara smiles crookedly, lifting her bottle once more. "Figures a stunt driver would have a healthy appreciation for the almighty. What's the closest you ever came to meeting him?"

Boy, there's a loaded question.

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Talk about a loaded question.

a counter question could be 'Alphabetically or chronologically?', but he seems to clasp his hands together and he appears to be in thought. Was it that much of a loaded question? No. But...it was one that Johnny has found himself on. With the Ghost Rider, he's basically immortal. But even with such a powerful demon within him...

Johnny finally picks his moment.

It was one of the last shows I ever did. The gist of it was that I had to essentially jump over about...six helicopters? Maybe it was 10..." he shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. I made the jump, but I biffed the landing. I remember my bike rolling underneath me until it practically zipped away, my face smashed against the ground and I thought my neck shattered. I skipped along the ground like how someone would skip a rock across a lake. I was fine though. Just a few bruises. So...someone is definitely looking out for me that day."

and it wasn't God.

Witchblade has posed:
Sara's had more than her share of incidents that should have left her dead. And like Johnny, she has her own partner that keeps her in fighting shape. So far, at least.

She shakes her head at the story, whistling low. "No shit," she agrees. "That'll make a churchgoer out of anyone with sense. Part of what convinced you to give it up?" she asks. "Seems like the sort of thing that'd be a hell of a draw on your average luck."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny gives a small nod to Sara as she speaks. "One of them, yeah. Back then I had some family. No kids or wife or anything like that, but it was my father figure. He got sick. I gave it up to help take care of him." and of course, he sold his soul to Mephisto in exchange for the spirit of vengeance, becoming Ghost Rider.

"But...well, he's long since passed. I came to New York to try and start fresh. But there's still a few people who see me and say 'Johnny Blaze, the stuntman!' and well, thats life I guess. The Devil's Luck." perhaps that was a bit of a hint.

Witchblade has posed:
"I was always curious about that saying," Sara admits, smile crooked. "How come the devil's lucky? I feel like the devil should have crappy luck. Like the saying //should// mean that it's not lucky at all, but actually just...manuevered into being that way."

"Sorry to hear about your loss, though. It's always hard when the people we care about move on." Another swig from her bottle and she glances to the game again. "Damn, this is a //crap// game. Good thing you showed up to distract me from it, or I'd owe Josie a new TV by now."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny Blaze seems to smile a little bit as Sara admits that she was curious about the Devil's luck. "Considering what he's up against" the Almighty "one would think that he'd have the worst luck of all. But...hey, he's a crafty one."

He would know.

"Its fine. It was a long time ago...but thank you. and, well, I'm always happy to help distract. Though you can admit you just like my eyes." he's just being playful now, and its obvious he's not being very serious. "You have any family in the city?"

Witchblade has posed:
"I admit nothing," Sara maintains, wry. "But no family that I see much," she shakes her head. "Dad died when I was still a kid. My sister...Julie's a bit of a problem child. She's done some modeling, but she's also done a lot of partying and getting herself into trouble with things she shouldn't do. My mom's still around but..."

She pauses, tapping a finger on the bartop. "Honestly? I think I remind her too much of Dad. We were never the closest, so I don't see her a whole lot. You?"

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
"I understand." Johnny says, though he does give her a small smile. "Though I'm surprised if you haven't tried for modeling. I mean no offense or irritation when I say that you are extremely beautiful." Of course, he seems to nod a little bit. "Sorry about your father." he admits.

When asked if he has any family, he shakes his head. "I have a brother somewhere around here. Name's Danny. But...my parents dropped me off at the doorstep of my grease monkey life without much of a second thought. Can't say I ever knew 'em."

Witchblade has posed:
"I was gonna be a cope from the time I was old enough to know what my Dad did," Sara grins, shaking her head. "I've heard it before. Not my scene though. Standing around all day doing nothing but looking pretty, then schmoozing a bunch of self-centered pricks all night? Definitely not the right fit for me."

"That is not to say," she adds, raising a finger, "That I've never used my looks to get through an obstacle." He lips twitch again, caught between amusement and less pleasant memories. "Not in a while, but when I was younger? Hell yeah I'd put on a short dress if it got me into a closed room."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny seems to smile a little bit. "Well hey, its not my kind of scene either. I was always with the bikers and the tough ones. I judge a woman by her ability to both take care of herself and how she treats others. You don't need guys, or girls for that matter, to dote on you all day anyway." he gives a slight nod to her.

Then she raises a finger and admits that when she was younger, she used her good looks and short skirts to get through certain barriers. "Long as you didn't do anything you regret to get there. No reason playing the game if you lose in the process."

Witchblade has posed:
"Amen to that," Sara raises her bottle to the idea of taking care of herself. "I get that's what some people are looking for, but personally, I think it's exhausting. Hell, department's lucky I keep a cell phone," she smiles crookedly, taking the device out of her pocket to give it a shake. "People now act like if you don't respond immediately to a text, you've insulted their mother. Which is crazy, because it used to be leave a message on the answering machine and leave it at that."

She snorts, shaking her head as she drops her phone back into her pocket. "Cell phones are great for some things, but I do not need an electronic leash."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny seems to smile at Sara. If she was perceptive enough, she could see the seeds of romantic attraction in his eyes. Clearly he likes her. "Yeah well...with this new age of pure electronics everywhere, its like if you don't answer your phone, you've committed the ultimate crime."

he seems to chuckle a little bit.

"Well, I promise I won't blow up your phone or get upset unless its like...'this is a humongous emergency and your in danger' kind of emergency. Otherwise, I'm pretty old fashioned. If I want to see you, I'll just do it face to face. But I guess phones are nice to kinda make it less of an effort." he shrugs. "But you're right. Nobody needs an electronic leash."

Witchblade has posed:
"I'm interested to hear about this emergency that's put me in danger," Sara chuckles, setting down her bottle. "But if you hear about- What's the name of the car, the Stephen King story? Not Carrie, is it? Carrie's the kid with the crazy mom and the prom and the blood and all that...Christine!" she snaps her fingers.

"You hear there's a Christine terrorizing the streets of New York City, you give me a call," she grins. "Although now that I've said that out loud, I feel like I've summoned it into the universe. At least I'll only have myself to blame."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny just chuckles. "I don't know. It hasn't happened yet." he gives Sara perhaps a gentle nudge with his hsoulder ash e briefly looks up at the game, then back to Sara just in time to chime in with his own 'Christine' when she says it.

Great minds think alike!

"I'll probably be able to handle it myself but hey, we all have our hidden talents." another hint. Did he know? Did he feel the presence within her as she felt the presence within him?

But when she claims that she's cursed it, Johnny knocks on the wood of the bar. "There, now it won't happen."

Witchblade has posed:
The physical contact is enough to set off the Witchblade again, causing Sara to shake her head as she tries to dismiss it. The damn thing is worse than the department cell phone for interrupting perfectly pleasant moments. Nothing else about this guy is setting off alarms. Not even the usual terrible life choices alarms that she gets herself into.

"Your lips to his ears," she chuckles, pointing upwards. "All right, Johnny Blaze," she says, smile crooked. "I should be getting myself home if I'm going to be back on the beat in the morning. But you've got my number. Give me a call some time. I might even pick up the phone."

Ghost Rider (Blaze) has posed:
Johnny just smiles at her, and of course, the Ghost Rider also gets up in arms a bit because the Witchblade got up in arms. Ah, this will be very interesting indeed. But as Sara announces her departure, he gives her a warm smile and he chuckles.

"I look forward to it. Maybe I'll get lucky." he seems to be rolling with her playfulness or humor. He assumes she has a ride home unless she asks. Because if she looks outside, that legendary-looking motorcycle is Johnny's. Not that she's into it but hey, it fits two. "Let me know if you need a ride home." he smiles lightly, before sipping on his drink.

Witchblade has posed:
"You never know," Sara grins, putting out money for Josie as she hops down from the stool. "Thanks, Josie," she calls back over the bar. "I'm sure I'll see you soon."

As she gets closer to the door and catches sight of the bike, she whistles, adding over her shoulder. "Nice bike. Should've led with that." She winks, and then she's out the door, headed back down the street.