"Oh my god! This place is so lame! I mean, look at this, I'm sure they don't even know what is a margarita!"

"Maria! You're the one who insisted on coming here!" Liz replied to her friend, but totally agreeing. They had just entered a little nightclub, one of those smoky and smelly place frequented only by weirdoes of first type.

"Well, yeah! But I mean, how could I possibly know this was so... YUK!" Maria looked in disgust around her.

Liz gave Maria a look and raised her eyebrow. They smiled at each other before turning to the third of their threesome.

"Alex!" They said together, their voice like honey.

"No! Huh-uh! You made me drive you here, there's no turning back!" He backed away, seeing them approaching.

"Alex, please!" Liz pleaded, a smile in her eyes.

"Be the hero I've always known and rescue us, poor ladies in distress, from this awful place!" Maria added, dramatizing the situation playfully.

Alex sighed. "How could I ever refuse something to my ladies when they ask me that way! You sure know how to use me girls."

"Yes, we know, and we love it!" Maria wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We love you!" Liz added, grabbing his arms as the two girls begun to ravage his cheeks with kisses.

"Okay, okay! Let's just leave!" Alex chuckled.

"Wait! I need to go to the washroom!" Liz exclaimed suddenly.

"In this place?" Alex frowned.

"Emergency! The red alert..."

Alex made a disgusted face. "Okay, leave the details!"

"I'll go with you." Maria said solemnly, locking arms with her friend. The two girls left.

*******

Michael sat at in a corner of the bar. He didn't particularly liked the place, but there were some interesting point, like the way the lack of light created shadow on every faces, making them look sadder. He let his hand draw about everything that caught his eyes: the hand of that boy on his girlfriend's hip, that girl's hair falling lightly on her shoulder, that other girl's breast... He liked movement, expression of life under his fingertips. And suddenly, life itself past just by his side. He looked at the blond girl as she walked through the room, her hips swinging with natural sensuality. She stopped by the ladies washroom and waited as her friend, a petite brunette entered. Michael was drawn by the light she emanated.

*******

Maria waited outside the washroom. She couldn't wait to leave that place. People in there were so weird, in a bad way. She was deep in her thoughts when she heard a deep voice. She turned to see a tall man with spiky hair.

"W-what?" She asked, locking eyes with him. She didn't even noticed her legs going weak.

"I said, I want to paint you." Michael repeated calmly, in eyes deeply into hers. Seeing her confusion, he added: "I'm an artist. I paint people. I'd like to paint you."

"Paint me, huh? What kind of painting do you do?" She asked cautiously, not wanting to admit herself she was thrilled by this stranger and the intense way he looked at her.

"I do every kind." He replied simply, hiding a smile at the thought of the ideas she was probably making. He handed her a piece of paper. "Here, don't call, just come." He said before leaving.

Maria stayed there, looking at the paper where he scrawled his address. She was so concentrated on it she never noticed Liz getting out of the washroom.

"What's this?" She asked, taking the paper from Maria's hand.

"Oh, it's hum... Liz! You wouldn't believe what just happened to me! I met an artist and he want to paint me! Oh my god! Liz! If you had seen him, he was so awesome!" Maria started babbling excitedly.

"You don't plan on going, do you?" Liz asked cautiously.

"Why?" Maria was pulled out of her excitement.

"Maria! You don't know that guy! He may just want to, you know, do some other things than painting with you! It could be dangerous. Tell me you're not going to just let that happen!"

"No... No, of course not." Maria replied, not quite convinced herself. Liz frowned.

"Let's just leave."