Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

[russ]

Social anxiety was not something that Russell often fell victim to; he prided himself on the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone: anywhere, anytime. It was sadly ironic that when he was most desperate to seem interesting, he found his throat dry and his mouth parched. Fortunately, the attention-worthy appearance of this woman was more than enough to face the unfamiliar anxiety head-on. Maybe worth even more, but that was on the account of something more substantial than a pretty face and an underrated sense of humour.

Playing into her coy little trap, his brows raised slightly again as he leaned in too. His interest was peaked by the subtle performance, and after a very brief moment of confusion he realized she was kidding him. Laughing in spite of himself, Russell felt so lame for believing her at first. He didn’t think it was all that personal of a question, but the truth probably would have made him believe her even less… and think her a little crazy, too. But that was for a fact that he never imagined would ever come up again since his great-grandfather passed away.

Overly conscious at this particular point in his life not to push a person for the truth he sought in everything and everyone around him, Russell allowed her an easy break and didn’t make a joke to avoid anything about himself that might have her think differently about staying in her seat. Without the precaution of getting some weights to rest in her lap to keep her pinned down, Russ grinned to himself thoughtfully. [white] “Oh, well, that’s not vague at all. Okay… if you go by technicality, I’ll be six next year.”[/white] It did occur to him that she a tad older, her mature undertone was only emphasized when he found out what she did, so if she wanted to know his age he was going to make her work for it. Trying not to allow her the time to make heads or tails of this, he continued, [white]“As you know, I’ve been moving around quite a bit and I do the odd jobs to finance my little expedition. Mostly stuff involving heavy lifting… no, it’s great really because it builds up muscle tone for when I have to resort to selling myself on the streets.”[/white] He nodded, allowing her a moment to realize he was obviously joking despite his almost straight face. [white] “I’m hoping it’s making me a little more focused-- not the prostitution, the traveling -- I’ve really gotten into the idea of being a photojournalist and making this routine. I guess that’s not a far cry from a liberal arts major, but then nothing really is from something so general. Anyway, that’s the reason for going to hell and back. See new things. Meet new people.”[/white] Finally starting to display that one trait people most readily associated with him, Russell nudged her with his elbow almost entirely relaxed.

With a grin, his tone changed slightly with more earnest, but he did not lose that light air he was so frantically scrambling around in the dark for,[white] “I wasn't really exposed to a lot, growing up. I lived in a fishing community up north -- also not a place a hell of a lot of people leave. But not for being a city like New Orleans. Don't get me wrong, it had its virtues. I'm a pretty accomplished sailor because of it, but it probably wouldn't keep me on a horse, I'll tell ya.”[/white] He grinned, but he really did feel a little self-conscious that she went for that type. He would not even know where to begin fulfilling those fantasies. [white] “So, nothing terribly exciting, but it seems to have been enough to get you out on the town again.”[/white] Yes, remind her that she came here willingly before you have to get the weights. [white] “Even without me buying a cowboy hat.”[/white]

[and on that note I just had to make the guy younger because I realized the year I made him born didn't have a leap day. XPP I feel reeeeeeeal smart now. But considering the brooding he seems to be fall into so easily, it's for the best. Besides, I kind of liked the idea of the pushin'-it age gap.]

[helena]

((Blah, sorry in advance for the suckiness here; Jay gotses the flu and it’s making her ability to speak English a bit stunted. XD But gah, I so forgot for a minute that Russ was younger than Helena. She juuust might start calling herself a cradle robber in the near future…LOL))
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Laughing at his reaction to her Stetson comment, Helena couldn’t help but lean forward and give his arm a good pat. “Don’t worry; I’m only vague when I don’t have anything interesting to talk about. I went down to Texas because it seemed like the area needed my expertise. I guess I got a bit tired to dealing with all the politics of hospital life.”

Setting back in her chair, the doctor couldn’t help but shake her head at the thought, memories of those ‘lovely’ encounters with various hospital coordinators coming to mind. Other than the fact that she fell into the Hunter crowd, there was some truth in what she said. She’d become a doctor to help people; to make sure that the mistakes that she’d done in her past weren’t repeated by other young, impressionable girls. But, after a few years working in the big city, she knew that such lofty dreams weren’t possible.

In more ways than one, the realization that there were indeed monsters in the world had given her a lot more to work with. Wasn’t that just a bit twisted?

Shifting a bit so she could cross her legs and play with her drink, Helena listened to his little story with evident interest on her face. When he mentioned that he was six, she gave him a teasing moue of her lips, then laughed when he ‘confessed’ to selling himself. She was quite thankful to that obvious pause, because with that straight face of his almost had her becoming a bit alarmed.

It was the talk of his future plans that had her nibbling on her straw in thought. Liberal arts major? Oh, hello wonderful fact that her date for the evening was younger than her. Oh gah, that mental comment about skipping the social niceties and getting down to the smooching was just wrong now, wasn’t it? Oh, gah, don’t blush! Don’t blush, for all that’s holy!

Thank God that he went and mentioned her supposed cowboy hat fetish, or she might have started a mental panic right there. Another laugh escaped her and she nudged his elbow right back, grinning as she played with the plastic sword. “Stetsons are overrated anyway,” She said, laughter still evident in her voice. “It’s mostly the guy wearing it that’s the real appeal. But hey there, Mister; you make me sound like some hermit locked up in an old house. Do I look like a scary old cat lady to you?”

She paused for a moment, a bit surprised at how easily the comment slid off her tongue. Wow, the last time she’d tried the flirting thing, the man in question had thought her insane. She actually sounded like a human being this time! Go her! Emboldened by the fact that she wasn’t about to scare Russ off, she found herself relaxing even more.

Another amused sound escaped her as she pictured herself with a crazy bun and a horde of cats miling about at her feet. “Okay, but away from that mental image and back to your much more appealing self. You said you were interested in being a photojournalist? That’s great! I can already tell that I’m talking to a future Pulitzer-winner here.” Picking up her drink, she slid her napkin toward him. “Go on, sign it, so I can tell people that I went for drinks with someone famous.”

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[russ]

((Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem for him. And feel better. Like I said, take it easy.))

Heart aflutter with Helena’s subtle contact, only talking about his ‘story’ provided the proper distraction from grinning like a giddy idiot. It was a total mystery to him what the heck a beautiful woman of her stature would be doing hanging around a guy like him. He knew he could be good for a laugh, but to go out of her way for it? It seemed unlikely. But there she was, listening intently, sending all the right signals to encourage him. What he would give to be that straw right now. Or the hem of her dress resting gently against her crossed legs. Hell, even the fleeting laughter that brushed across her lips. A sense of humour was about the only dignified escape for a poor guy trying to impress her.

He almost regretted giving her a chance to speak, because the moment she took over the conversation he felt like retreating back into himself with a boyish grin and shuffling his feet in response to her attention. This inevitable smile crossed his lips, but he prayed that the cat lady query that provoked it was rhetorical. Answering truthfully would have had him tripping over his words, pouring out endless compliments that would surely make her think twice about sitting with this guy so much younger than her. A guy unable control himself was certain to be a turn off. Even to as nice and forgiving a woman as her. So he was not about to correct her assumption by saying that her in an old house with cats was not exactly the mental image he was entertaining at the moment. Not when he was using his mercifully subtle peripheral vision to focus on her legs.

His eyes flashed up to hers to figure out if she was teasing him with the mention of the Pulitzer. Without settling on an answer, his attention dropped to the napkin being pushed towards him and he could feel his cheeks burn. Now was not the time to give in. Grinning, he looked back up. [white]“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll start having to carry a pen with me. I’ll be right back.”[/white] He said, standing again to walk to the bar.

Breathe. Honestly, he felt like his words were about to choke him when he tried to speak, and there was no question why as he easily ordered two shots of Patron and a pen. While the bartender filled the glasses, Russ jotted something down on the napkin and folded it to carry back with the shots.

Setting the glasses down, he subtly pulled his chair a little closer as he sat back down and locked her gaze with a smile. He was silent a moment, which might seem like he was trying to build the anticipation, but really he was calming his nerves. Raising the folded napkin betwixt his index and middle finger to hover before her face, he raised his brow playfully. [white]“So what do I get for this?”[/white] He asked, pulling it back slightly, but not breaking his intensely focused attention on her amazing eyes.

[helena]

As she glanced up to look at her date for the evening, a trill of excitement ran through her. There was such a…heated look in his eyes, in the way that he held himself that she couldn’t help a faint blush from appearing on her cheeks. He was looking at HER like that? Maybe she was wrong, and he was taking a peek at some beautiful blond bombshell behind her?

Quite covertly, she pretended to reach down and adjust her shoe, while peeking through her bangs at the table behind her. Okay, so unless he was giving some warm fuzzies to a group of college guys…yeah, he was really looking at her. Her! Oh, she couldn’t get over that.

Helena Nicodeau, post-teenage years, was a bit of a stick in the mud. She lived, breathed and bled for her job, and any other tiny place left in her psyche was pretty much too exhausted to do anything but wave feebly. But Russ…he was looking at her as if she were an actual desirable woman.

Wow. Just…wow. Was that a surge of pride that she felt? And did she just relax even more, her own interested smile sliding onto her lips? Well, this certainly hadn’t happened in a very long time. Sure, some of the Hunters that fell into her clinic fawned and flirted with her, but she knew it was all for show; they didn’t see the difference between her and the next big boobed girl standing ten feet away.

Oh, be still her heart, she was actually desired. Okay, so without doing too much to freak him out, she was going to return the favor!

…Or not. Oh no, he was running away! He was going to the bar! Had she smiled too much? Blushed too red? Laughed like a hyena? Gah, she had the tendency to break glass when she got really nervous. Was he going to the bar to get a strong drink so he could get up the strength to tell her to go away? Oh no, maybe he was—

With a sigh, Helena let her forehead drop onto her palm, thankful that Russ’ back was turned. “Sheeze, Helena, get a hold of yourself,” She muttered, taking another gulp of her drink. “Stop analyzing everything, for crying out loud. He might be making you want to start drooling on your shoes, but—OH HI!”

Her head whipped up when Russ sat back down, and a smile instinctively flashed onto her face. Oh, please say he hadn’t heard that last part! Right, think, Lena; what was he saying? She blinked down at the pen in his hand, then at the napkin, before shaking her head with another laugh. Ah man, this was definitely an interesting night!

“What am I gonna give you?” She repeated, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm…well, I suppose I could give you money, but that’s probably too cliché. So, let’s see…what would be suitable payment for such a valuable gift?”

A familiar tune began to play off to the side of the room, and another delighted grin lit up the doctor’s face. Sliding out of her stool, she rounded the table and stood in front of him, holding out a hand.
“How about I show you how to jitterbug instead? It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Without waiting for him to respond- or back away, for that matter; she was using up the last dregs of her courage for this one- she slipped her hand into his and gave him a gentle tug. The path onto the dance floor was a windy one, so with a few squawked ‘excuse me’s!’ and his hand tucked securely in the small of her back, she managed to lead him to the edges of the crowd.

Facing him again and grinning from ear to ear, she started to swivel on her heels, moving to the music. “Okay, so truthfully, I don’t know how to jitterbug,” She said on a laugh, leaning toward him to be heard over the sound of the band. “But just move to the music anyway! Shake that bootie!”

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[russ]

How fortunate Russ was that the structure of his face was naturally intense. It often masked the anxiety he truly felt. To be so forwardly offering himself for what he thought was coming his way, his stomach was flipping over itself and encouraging him to immediately take both the shots he brought back to the table. He tried very hard to concentrate on those femininely striking eyes that made him feel like he might vomit at any moment, but he could not allow his gaze to fall to what he really wanted. No matter how much the finger tapping against her chin highlighted her lips, like a pointing beacon to make him desire her mouth more.

Clearly, torture was not what he had in mind for ‘payment’. Taken aback when she stood, Russ’s eyes went slightly wide, as his gaze dropped to her hand. Realization of what she wanted him to do slowly crossed his face, but not nearly in time for him to beg her to let him stay seated. With a grasp on his hand that left him too speechless to argue, he was drug to the dance floor with a worried expression. Great… this was it. In a few moments she would be gone. She would finally see how ridiculous he was, laugh in his face, and leave.

He didn’t feel like a spotlight was on him, necessarily, since there were many other people out there having fun to the music, but he was quite sure that table of women nearest them was laughing at him, as Helena turned on him and admitted that he was out there to look even more foolish than being taught a new dance. He looked down at her feet uncertainly. He was so absorbed with the physical challenge before him that he didn’t even notice her leaning towards him. Swallowing, he consciously decided that if he was going to make her run away laughing to tell her closest girlfriend about the outrageous sorta-date that she just had, he might as well be said to at least put an effort forth.

With stiff hesitation, he began to move, but the music was too fast to look at all like he was enjoying himself. He really wasn’t, he was sure he was about to die, but he was sincerely glad to be out there with her. So suddenly taking her hand with a snap impulse, he spun her about and tried his best to imitate a couple that were hopping all over the place in the middle of the dance floor. He wasn’t about to flip Helena, but at the very least he could seem more energetic. Pulling her into him, he anchored his hand against her back for a moment to do some little rocking motion before spinning her away and twirling with such enthusiasm that he could not help laughing. [white] “How long you gonna let me look the fool before I pass the humiliation test?”[/white] He joked, leaning as Helena had done to speak over the music.

[helena]

Well, it was a very good thing that Helena wasn’t a mind reader like her friend Imaya pretended to be, or she would have been very sad at the fact that Russ linked her eyes to the act of vomiting. For a second there, when she was standing in front of the man, she’d hesitated, wondering if her move was the right one. The poor guy looked so…stiff, so nervous for a moment, that she wondered if she’d broken some kind of semi-date rule. Was she not supposed to be so outwardly friendly? Was she supposed to play hard to get? Not ask so many questions, or talk so much?

Darnnit, she didn’t remember this kind of thing being so hard when she was younger! Well…then again, those nights really revolved around how many tequila shots she could pop until the guy next to her looked like Brad Pitt.

The next time one of the female hunters that passed through her clinic asked for a girl’s night out, she was going to take them up on it. Whoo!

She instantly felt horrible when she saw the uncomfortable look on his face, and the stiff way that he held himself. She’d really blown it this time, asking the poor guy to dance. Darn, she’d been so sure back at the table that it would be fun! They didn’t know anyone in the room, so who cared if they looked retarded? She couldn’t even do the macarana without looking like she was having a seizure anyway, and they were standing on the outskirts of the group, so they wouldn’t knock into anyone by mistake. She just wanted to have some fun; pretend that the really handsome guy she’d met in the park was really interested in her and the night would turn into some kind of adventure. She wanted to cut free of the little rut she’d fallen into, with the clinic and her afterschool activities…she wanted to do something different. Why not some dancing with a really, really cute stranger?

Leaning forward again, she steeled herself to apologize, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. She would say she was sorry, ask if he wanted to go back to their table or somewhere else, pray that he wasn’t about to call off the rest of the night because of her poor decisions…

But she never got the chance.

A surprised squawk escaped her, when Russ took hold of her hand and spun her around. The sound quickly turned into a delighted laugh when he started hopping her around the room with the other dancers, and an ecstatic grin when she found herself twirling and dancing around the floor. His hand on her back had her pressing up against his front, which caused all kinds of fireworks to go off in her belly. Was it the spinning making her dizzy, or something else?

With another laugh, she leaned forward to reply to his question, keeping her hand securely on his shoulder. “Are you kidding me? Humiliation? You’re great! We’re really jitterbugging! Tell me that you aren’t having a little fun?”

She broke off when he twirled her again, spinning back into him with a little kick to her leg. When the song began to slow down, she wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned up at him.

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[russ]

It was true that Russell was beyond nervous, considering he really wasn’t that great of a dancer, but it was not because of the nameless faces surrounding them so much as easily the most beautiful one to be found looking right back at him. Knowing what little he did about her, her ‘rut’ was surely the only thing that kept him intriguing to someone as amazing as her. Really? What did he have to offer? An attempt was all he could manage. The only true failure was not trying at all; he was damn well gonna try. That had to be impressive by its own right… hopefully.

He thought he was doing pretty well. That was, provided, that she was making sounds of enjoyment and not surprised dismay at him exerting control over the momentum of her body. He might have been a lithe form, but he was not a weakling… at least, not compared to regular old human beings. At this point in his life, he considered that pretty good… that was all there was to be compared to, naturally. It was a quaint thought; at the very least he had some standing with her. Being the same species had to be a head start. Of course, if she was expecting Brad Pitt she was going to need more than a couple drinks in her.

The energy she had was infectious, and Russ did find that, for as ridiculous as he was sure they looked sadly mimicking others on the dance floor, he was having fun. At least, he was having fun with such a perfect excuse to hold her hand and watch her move. That was such a treat that he would just as soon have her dancing by herself.

Of course, it served to enhance his nerves, reminding him whom he was with. When she took the music’s cue to step against him and wrap her exposed arms around his neck, he thought he might about die again. Trying to resist freezing, her proximity (if being pressed into someone could be considered a given proximity), he knew his reaction would not be so subtle when he quietly, albeit deeply inhaled and stared down at her smile blankly.

Swallowing, he finally nodded and followed her lead by hesitantly resting his hands on her waist. [white]“I am having fun, with you.”[/white] He did not have speak so loudly now with gentler music, allowing him to do the sort of ‘dancing’ he was much better at. When gentle rocking passed as dancing. [white]“I’m glad you decided to show up, you know. I wasn’t entirely sure you would. I hoped you would. Lots of women wouldn’t though. I’m lucky that you’re the exception.”[/white] Now who was babbling? Well, he hadn’t really been expecting to come so close to holding her so quickly. Talking helped distract him from the reality of his fortune. Realizing that he was reading the plays from her own book, he cleared his throat with a masculine grunt and looked away ‘casually’.


[sorry if that was crap; haven't written in a few days and just trying to catch up regardless of focus. >.<]

[helena]

Good lord, this was really turning out to be a great night! When was the last time she’d been able to go dancing with anyone but the mop in the clinic break room? With another laugh as she swayed to the music, she couldn’t help but lean back a bit, a euphoric feeling coming over her. Most of the time, she was so worried about her little ‘public syndrome.’ She was constantly wondering if she were babbling, if her face were about to melt off her cheeks, or if the other poor soul in question were about to run away screaming…but right now?

The only thing she was wondering was how she could pay the DJ to make sure that the song would never end.

Locking her fingers behind his neck, she couldn’t help but beam at him when he admitted that he was having fun. It was always such a good thing when a ‘date’ didn’t end up with the other party wishing they could flee. She’d been a bit concerned for a minute there, when Russ looked like he was more than a little uncomfortable, but she chalked it up to dancing. What was it with men and the dance floor? People were too concerned with listening to the music to care about what others looked like.

…At least, that’s what she hoped, given the fact that she probably looked like a penguin on drugs most of the time.

“Well, it has been pointed out to me that I’m not ‘most women.’ I fall under a different category,” She replied with a little grin and a dramatic roll of her eyes. He’d probably already figured out that she was a bit on the odd side, the poor man. “But I have to say, Russ, that this is one of the best outings that I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for dancing with me. This night’s turning out to be really great.”

And it would be better if she could grab the cute younger guy and chuck him into her bed, her libido chimed in. With a little cough as she did her best to tamp down on the sudden blush that attacked her ears, Helena just glanced down at his shirt. Time to recite the table of elements again, she thought with a mental snort of amusement. It really wouldn’t be a good idea to give into the oh-so-freaky Helena the Wonder Slut.

The song ended and unwinding her arms from Russ’ neck, she took a step back, clapping with the rest of the dancers. The composer declared that the band was about to take a break, and clasping her hands behind her back, she turned back to her companion.

“That was fun! So, Mr. Russ, what would you like to do now? Get another drink, or take a walk, perhaps?”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

Determinedly keeping his eyes off of Helena, Russ racked his mind and decided to list off the limited things he knew about baseball. He actually hated the sport, but with mental control over his body cut off at the neck by feminine hands gracing his skin, he could focus only on the stereotypical things boys were told to think about in high-pressure moments like these. And with all elements about her combined, Russ wasn’t sure if he could stand knowing one more remarkable thing about her. That radiating expression on her face just made things so much worse. He knew she hardly knew a substantial thing about him, and when she did learn about him… he feared that interest would quickly fade.

‘Not most women’ was an incredible understatement. But with her response to the statement, he had to wonder if she took that as a bad thing. Anyone who would tell her that and mean it negatively didn’t deserve her anyway. And lucky him that she, or they, should apparently think so too. At least, he liked to believe if she was out there with him it was because she was available. Though, with a woman like her, he had to wonder if it even mattered. He could only imagine one way he might enjoy her company more.

No! Baseball. Homeruns. Hot dogs. He doubted his self-control far too much to allow himself thinking about her. An incident would certainly turn this ‘great’ night into a terrible joke she would laugh about with her girlfriends for years to come.

Smiling weakly, Russ at least appreciated her enthusiasm. She had to have some pretty rotten experiences if he was able to top her list when he felt so pathetic. But then, from the sound of it, she didn’t have much to compare it to. That just made him feel worse. But he was pretty sure she meant it as a compliment. He just hoped he would be able to achieve the same results without having to dance. As much as he enjoyed having her close, it was a little relieving when the song did end and she released him. One obstacle overcome, he gave his shoulders a mild shake of the nerves she evoked in him.

Managing a smile down at her, he nodded, perhaps just a tad too enthusiastically before he realized that he really hadn’t answered her question. Like it really mattered. He’d be fine with just standing there hearing her talk. [white]“I could probably use some fresh air.”[/white] An impish grin dared to cross his lips. [white]“But I’ll only go for a walk with you if I get to hold your hand.”[/white] To avoid the sudden flush of heat daring to crawl up to his face, he looked away and shrugged nonchalantly. [white]“Choice is yours.”[/white]

[helena]

Helena just managed to bite back a chuckle when Russ proceeded to portray a bobbing head doll. Darn, men and the dancing…wasn’t it the feminine side of society who was supposed to be so self conscious? Guys were supposed to be the ones who rolled out of bed, combed their fingers through their hair and flipped convention off before sauntering off to work. Women like her were supposed to fuss, worry and turn a bright shade of pink when they did anything that singled them out.

…Which is exactly when the ‘OH NO!’ mantra started in her head. Had she just forced the poor man to do something he didn’t want to? Had she just ruined the night by asking him to dance? What if he hated the club? Or if he was having a horrible time? It had been so darn long since she’d actually allowed herself to be away from work that she didn’t think about what he might be feeling! Oh gah, she was a selfish woman! A selfish, selfish woman!

Pressing the back of her hand to her now pink cheeks, the doctor did her best to calm her mind. Russ didn’t look like he was chewing razor blades, so maybe that was a good sign? Okay, Lena, just don’t start freaking out, she told herself with a mental smack. Maybe he was just…hot, or something? It was pretty sticky in the club, despite the air conditioning. She was just overreacting. Again…and thank all that was holy that she was doing so in her head.

Just when she was about to turn around and give into the urge to apologize, Russ proceeded to throw her off guard for the umpteenth time that day. He wanted to…hold her hand? Surprised, she could only blink at him for a second.

Great way to impress the date, she inwardly sighed. Let’s look like a tuna some more; that’d DEFINITELY make him want to ask for a second outing. Regroup and conquer, Helena!

Yeah…it really was sad that she had to keep telling herself that. She definitely had to get out more.

“Well, that’s an easy choice,” She replied, moving forward so she could slide her hand into his. A shy smile graced her lips as she nodded toward the exit, and a little pathway that had formed in the crowd. “We’d better go before we get locked in here again.”

Once safely navigated through the sea of people, she couldn’t help but glance down at their clasped hands, twitching her fingers against his. Well, wasn’t tonight just full of surprises, she thought with a little smile. Who would have thought that a random stop in the local park would end up in a night like this? There she was, having drinks, dancing and mentally going insane over a handsome stranger, AND she wasn’t babbling like a fool! Oh, but she could definitely get used to this.

For a while, they walked, enjoying the brisk night air. The moon was full, there were no clouds in sight, and the stars were practically wink-winking them into what was quickly becoming one of the best nights of her life. Finally, with a little surprised laugh, she nodded at a small brick building at the end of the block they’d been walking on. “That’s where I’m staying,” She said, slowing her steps down a bit. “It’s really a friend of mine’s, but I’m townhouse-sitting until she gets back from her trip. It’s supposed to have all sorts of history to it; some even say that it’s haunted. But, so far, all I’ve seen are creaky pipes and newlyweds next door who don’t know the definition of ‘private.’”

She stopped when they reached the iron gates that marked the path into the small building. Glancing down at his hand in hers, she felt her face begin to heat. Okay, so…crap, what now? What if he thought that she’d been leading him to her place, because she wanted to get away? Foo, there went those nervous questions again.

“You could come inside, if you want,” The words came out before she could invoke common sense, and she nodded at the iron gate beside them. “Have a cup of coffee…or, maybe you can help me find that sneaky ghost?”


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((Hey, I hope it's alright if I moved things along a bit. I figure that my next post will be the freak-out dramaaa. If it doesn't work, lemme know! ))

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