It had been exactly a month since Juliana had moved to Bayfield. She’d managed to find a decent job already at a travel agency that will allow her a foot in the right step in hopes of having her own travel agency one day. It would be much better than working for someone and after all she had a bachelor’s in business.

Managing to find a babysitter tonight for her daughter, she had gone to of the local clubs she had passed along her way to work one day. Everyone needed a night off sometimes and she desperately needed some time away from everything in her life.

She was wearing a rather slinky black dress with small straps to hold it up, skirt not even reaching her knees. Wavy brown hair coming to just below her ears was let lose and gelled to make it a little extra wavy. Emerald green eyes were focused on the bar as she walked towards it with a sway in her step.

Sitting down at the bar she asks for a beer and the bartender had one to her in a few minutes. The music was loud and she turns to watch the people dancing on the dance floor. Wasn’t the best place to relax in her opinion, but better than nothing.

Kriss was armed. It wasn't that he was nervous was a habit to be armed. Kriss was a cop and therefore carried the habits of a cop. Yes, that included the tendency to be an arrogant son of a bitch and a professional asshole. Tonight he was pretty carefree. He wasn't looking to pick anyone up because he had a boyfriend and he could be a good boy and be loyal to Ziggy.

His shirt was a sort of fishnet thing the went all the way down his arms to his knuckles but only covered above his nipples on his chest. Of course he had his nipple rings in and his tight leather pants on. He slid into the bar, leaning n the bar counter with his elbows on it, stretching out like a cat.

What to drink, what to drink... Kriss looked to the lady beside him with a smile but near did a double-take. She looked like she could've been... his sister? And Kriss looked almost exactly like his father, so she might have seen Christopher in Kriss.

She didn’t notice the guy that sat down next to her until she turned her attention away from watching the people dance. Emerald eyes fixated on him probably the same way he had his eyes fixated on her. He looked like a younger version of Christopher, which was more than enough to make her edgy.

Realizing she was staring, she turned her eyes away from him finally and took a drink of her beer.

”Sorry for staring. You look like somebody I knew.” Somebody she wished she never known. She had to kind of shout it as the music was playing loudly. What was it with clubs and playing loud music? Are amplifiers really necessary? Fingers ran through her soft wavy brown hair nervously, still sneaking glances back at him. It was hard not to stare. He looked so much like him.

"Yeah I know, you do too." he called over the music. He turned to the bartender and also ordered a beer.

"So, what's your name? I feel like I should know you."

”Juliana.” She didn’t think she knew him, but like he said she felt like she should know him to. After all it was like looking at her father once again which caused her to get goose bumps. A shiver ran up her spine.

”What’s your name?” She asked back.

"Kriss." He said, turning back to her once more. He offered a hand, casually.

She stuck out her hand as well to his offered hand and shook it before returning it to griping her glass. Eyes never leave him though. He just looks way too familiar. But she doesn’t know a Kriss. In fact she shouldn’t know anybody in this town yet, besides her co workers. She’d been too busy to get out and socialize.

”Come here often?” Perhaps some idle conversation will help her mind get off the idea that she knows him.

"Sometimes. Business and pleasure," he simply said. He caught bar fights every once in a long while that entertained him. He sometimes had people to take care of in this part of town.

"You?"

”Business?” She couldn’t possibly think of what kind of business would be done in this kind of place.

”My first time here. Just moved here a month ago.”

"Yes, business. Though business technically is my pleasure..." A smirk. His drink hadn't come yet.

"Where were you born? Britain?" She had the accent, after all. So did he, mixed also with that German accent. He sounded somewhat like his German father.

”Oh.” That was all she was going to say on the subject of business being pleasure. She wasn’t going to push to far into that subject.

”Yes. I was born in Britain and by the sounds of it you aren’t too far off from that either.” Eyes looked him over again. Why did he look so much like Chris? It was kind of creepy. More than creepy when he started talking as his voice was similar in that aspect as well.

"Oh? Don't assume the worst." His smirk turned more humorous. "Officer Krisstopher Maxwell." His drink finally came. He slipped the money to pay for it on the bar counter.

"Yeah. Born in Britain. Don't know where, though. Never cared to know and moved too often to be sure, I guess. My father was sort of in and out of the house, you know. Typical man-whore. It's not like I doubted it for a second." A gentle shrug and he tipped his glass to drink a little.

A police officer. Well that made her a little more comfortable then. A lot more comfortable actually. After all police couldn’t really hurt people could they?

”Juliana Forstner.” She stated her name in return.

”I lived just outside of London. Lived there my entire life up until a month ago when I moved here. I understand that part, about your father. Mine was the same way.” Just talking about him made her nervous and yet hateful at the same time. He hated him with a passion, but yet at the same time she wouldn’t have Chrissy around if he hadn’t been around. She loved Chrissy with all her might and can’t imagine a life without her anymore.

”In and out, never know when he would show up.” That was spoken a little more hateful that time around.

"Mm. Lot of fathers are like that these days, aren't they? It's a pity."

But Kriss wasn't going to let the topic go just like that. He was curious. He was just being very subtle about it.

"You really didn't like him, did you?" He could tell by the tone of her voice.

”It seems like it. A real pity.” She took a sip of her drink and cast her glance away from him finally to look at the dance floor once more.

Her eyes went back to him as he spoke about her father. Eyes cast downwards towards the bar counter. She could feel the hatred boiling within her, but did not show it.

”No. I really didn’t.” Her voice was lower than it had been before, signaling that she did not like the subject at all.

He shrugged, took a sip of his drink.

"I know where you're coming from, kid." Another shrug.

"This conversation is rather... taking a turn for the darker, isn't it?"

Another sip. Not that Kriss minded darker, but his new acquaintance sounded... sort of frail and not willing to talk much about this subject.

"What's someone like you doing here?"

She didn’t reply to his first comment but did on the second as she finished her drink.

”Yes it is.” The bartender came up to her and asked if she wanted another drink.

”Just a glass of water. Thanks.” She couldn’t have too many drinks or Christa would most likely comment once she got home. The kid was pretty good at finding out stuff, even when she was trying to hide it from her.

She thought over his question while the bartender gave her the glass of water.

”What do you mean someone like me? What stereotype did I fit into?” She questioned him wondering where she had been classed exactly in his eyes.

"Whoa, now. Second time you've assumed the worst."

Kriss gave a shrug. He didn't care.

"I just mean you sound... like someone who doesn't fit in with this whole fucking trashy crowd, y'know? You sound like someone I know, and it's not a bad thing."

Took another sip of his drink and it was gone. He asked for another and paid for it.

"You're pretty. You look delicate. Elegant. It was supposed to be a compliment."

”Oh.” That was all she could think to say after he spoke.

”I’m sorry. I guess it’s just a habit to assume the worst. I didn’t mean to sound rude.” She rested her elbows on the bar counter. The only compliments she got were usually from Christa. Her boss was a complete jerk, always pointing out the flaws as she worked every day rather than the countless good things she did to help out around the agency.

”You sound really familiar to.” The fact that he looked and sounded quite similar to Chris still had not gone completely in the back of her head.

"Yeah. Don't I know the feeling..." he'd almsot murmured that, but decided to keep his tone audible.

Sip.

"Every British bloke sounds the same, after a time."

Too bad it wasn't as simple as that.

She shrugged.

”I suppose so.” Though voices can only get so much alike before it’s kind of scary how similar they are to someone you know.

She sipped her own drink and looked away from him and up at the clock behind the bar. Christa would be in bed by now if the new baby sitter was doing her job right. Even hiring a baby sitter had made her a bit paranoid. What if something happened while she was gone? Juli didn’t have a cell phone, she couldn’t afford one. Great. Now she was making herself anxious again, praying that nothing was going wrong and she didn’t even know it.

"So..." sip, "you never answered my question. Why someone like you is hanging out at this bar." He rested an elbow on the bar counter, turning his head so he was looking at her face clearly, examining it with his piercing gaze.

”I don’t know. Just thought I’d get out for once.” Which she couldn’t decide yet if it was a mistake or not. Bars weren’t really her place and she was not talking to someone who sounded so much like the person she hated most her emotions couldn’t even figure out if she should hate him or be glad that she’s met another British person in a place she least expected.

”To tell you the truth I don’t come to bars often. You know of anything fun to do around here? Perhaps maybe something that’s kid friendly?” Of course she needed to make sure that Christa might be able to join in on the fun rather than being left at home with a stranger for hours on end.

"Makes sense." Real conversationalist, wasn't he? He finished his second drink. There was a faint hint of a smile starting to appear on his lips.

"Fun things to do... that are kid friendly?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not exactly sure, see." Being that Kriss was never really near kids...

"Huh. I'm drawing a blank. Unless you'd go see a movie, or something." Shrug.

She nodded as he restated the question. She was pretty sure that’s what she said.

”Alright. Was just curious. A movie does sound good though.” Perhaps that could happen sometime soon over the weekend after homework was finished.

"Depends on which movie you go to see."

And Kriss ordered another drink.

He drinks a lot, see.

Was this conversation dead? Kriss wasn't a good judge of that.

”I see.” She looked back at the clock and saw that he was taking another drink. How many had he had so far? Juli was growing more anxious to see how things were going at home and wasn’t particularly interested in seeing if this man changed once he had too much alcohol in his system like some people do.

”I should be going. My daughter’s going to be wondering where I’m at and no doubt bugging the babysitter.” She stated as she stood up and left a tip for the bartender.

”It was nice meeting you.” She then started walking to the door.

He looked to her as she stood. Apparently the conversation had died. Well, then.

"'Kay, then. See ya, hon."

He gave a little wave of his fingers.