| Figure of Trust |
[19 Aug 2008|04:07pm] |
After the binge of the other night, Rebecca made herself stay late at work, poring over proposals for the next telethon effort the foundation would be making. There was an espresso machine on the table across the room, the one she usually kept at home, and a small cup of the strong black liquid sat on her desk near the papers she was lookng over. It had gotten dark a little while ago, and she supposed that after another hour or so, she would have to have some food ordered in.
Still, it was good to be alone for a bit, especially at the end of a long day. Simone had gone to retrieve some files relating to previous efforts. There was a lot to be done before a televised plea for funds, even more so than for a dinner, and it had to be something guaranteed to catch the public's eye. She would come up with something. She always did.
The Englishwoman set aside one small batch of papers, drank some espresso before picking up the next. Thank God for caffeine.
Avery was standing underneath a streetlamp outside of Rebecca's building. The orange light cast across his features as he tapped his foot nervously, deliberating internally.
On one hand, he needed a reassuring presence. On the other, he didn't want to scare her. The vampire could only imagine what he looked like.
He began to pace a little, until something caught his eye. A window, and a flash of red hair. Rebecca. "What light through yonder window breaks?," he murmured. The quotation was strictly ironic, as his feelings for the woman were platonic.
She looked busy. Perhaps he should leave and come back another night. Despite this thought, Avery still vacillated on the sidewalk.
Rebecca was talking to herself in a low voice, practicing a possible pitch for the upcomingevent. It wa a habit she had, working out in private what she could say to properly motivate potential donors to get out those checkbooks or dig deep into their pockets. It all depended on what mood she was trying to strike, what tone.
"In closing, I can only say that so many are in need, even in this prosperous city. We at the foundation appreciate every donation that comes to us, and if our efforts are to expand to make the lives of young people better, we require..."
A movement out on the sidewalk caught her attention, and she paused in her recitation because the hour was just late enough that break ins had been known to happen. Rebecca look closely at the window, took a step towards the glass, then stopped, a bit startled.
Avery.
Her heart did something that had nothing to do with the coffee she'd been consuming, and she dropped her gaze to the papers in her hands to pull herself together. He'd said he might come by, after all. Not unannounced, necessarily, but still, he was here. Or rather, there, really. Rebecca paused, looked up from her sheaf of papers again. Avery. She smiled through the clear surface of the window, walked out of the office so she could go buzz him through the door.
( Admittance )
( Just Say No (Adult Content: Mild Sexuality) )
She covered her mouth with her hand because if she didn't she'd call him back to her. But he'd managed to hit her right where it hurt, in her vanity, and her spine stiffened that single extra notch. She was proud, proud and vain and arrogant, and she wasn't going to allow some boy to see how close she was to doing something even more inappropriate than kissing him.
"I'll recover," she said, once she felt like her voice was under control. "I'll call you in a few days, when I'm less busy. You still owe me that dinner."
Her mother had not raised a savage. Civillity was all she had sometimes. Especially at night when she crawled into her bed alone.
He'd liked it, damn him. It wasn't fair.
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amused
rejuvenated
contemplative
working