Arrow (arrowroro) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-10-18 19:10:00 |
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Entry tags: | ~ro clark, ~roman skye |
Charity is its own reward
Who: Ro and Roman
What: Charital events and afters
Where: Event venue, hotel suite
When: Backdated, the weekend after this
Ratings/Warnings: Implied adult themes
Ro had hired a car to take her to meet Roman. She could have driven herself but it seemed like too much if she was going to be drinking. An Uber would have been practical but Roman had explained this event was on the higher end side and she didn't want to climb out the back of somebody's Honda. This wasn't the first time Ro had accompanied a man to an event like this and she had an idea of what was expected. She was mostly sure Roman hadn't asked her just for appearances but there was a standard to be kept. She'd hired a town car to bring her down so when she appeared, it was from the backseat of a sleek black car.
There was a flash of back high heel with a signature red sole and then she was walking up to the entrance. She was wearing what at initial glance was nearly a tuxedo. A close fitting black suit with a shiny tuxedo lapel and decorative buttons at the cuff, that she tugged into proper position after the car ride as she walked up. Beneath the jacket was a crisp white shirt, with the top buttons opened to mid-sternum. Flashes of tattoos, colorful bird feathers, a pattern of stars in the shape of the Big Dipper, or a mechanical heart peeked out between the open fabric. Her hair was styled to gain some height and Ro's makeup was deceptively simple but expertly applied with an emphasis on eyeliner and a bold red lip. Overall, she'd say she nailed it.
Roman eased the black Navigator into the line for Valet. Why try to fuss with parking when it was much easier to let someone do that for you? Plus it only cost a twenty dollar bill for that experience to be avoided. Once he paid the valet and surrendered his keys, Roman took a few moments to check his hair and suit in the reflection of the tinted windows.
And then he was on the prowl for his date.
Of course Ro was a vision. Whether it was in a tuxedo made for a woman or more casual garb, she never could seem to get it wrong. “Ah, Arrow,” Roman chimed, offering her his most charming and confident smile. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
He offered her his arm for the sake of the entrance. “You look stunning, by the way.”
Ro slipped her hand into the crook of Roman's elbow. She never had corrected Roman from the Arrow intro so he still didn't know to call her Ro. Her own little punishment for Roman coming off like a dick that first conversation - even if she had slept with him that first night.
"I said I would do arm candy. This is the way I do a little black dress." She grinned. "I like your suit."
He took a chance to look her over again, noting the LouBoutins that someone without their taste may have not instantly recognized (how could you overlook that signature red) and drinking in her perfect lines all the way up to the way her hair parted. He could see shimmers of color here and there from her tattoos.
“Thank you, I got it in Italy,” he murmured. The front of his coat opened to reveal the vest that complimented the rest of the suit, withdrawing an envelope out of an inner pocket. He led Ro to the door of the event, set the envelope down on the clipboard of the bouncer and he drew her inside.
The Stirling Club was always posh no matter the event. Music played, appetizers on silver platters or flutes of champagne were carried around.
Down the steps and to the left was a long stretch of tables and a podium for the speech later, to the right were smaller booths set up for raffle prizes.
Ro appreciated the sudden reveal of Roman's vest. The three-piece suit had fallen mostly to the wayside in modern society. What a tragedy. They were magnificent. She wanted one. Roman wore it perfectly.
She reached out and snagged a champagne flute off a tray as it passed. "So what are we trying to accomplish tonight? Besides charity."
“Well,” he began casually, glancing around at the party and the people on the main floor. He studied their faces, saw a few he recognized from a few business ventures, and then his attention would go back to Ro. “I had the idea that I would spin you around a bit on the dance floor, we would eat tiny food and have a bit of champagne and then you’d let me treat you to a real night out. Maybe some room service. If that’s alright with you, of course.”
A sound caught his attention. Roman turned to look and managed to catch eyes with someone. He smiled, wiggled his fingers in a wave but looked bored after that was done.
“I usually can handle about an hour or so of this and then I get tired of it.”
Ro looked at who Roman was waving to and smiled across at them, all teeth and insincerity. "I love room service. Is there a silent auction? I want to bid on something. Then maybe we can find a game to play to make this interesting."
He nodded, motioning in a direction of a few long tables with items placed upon them, and paper to sign your name on. “I believe that’s what you’re looking for. Let’s find something worth our time and then we can find a game. I’m intrigued to know what you have in mind.”
"There's always something. For example, have you ever wanted to know exactly how many of the people you meet want to sleep with you? Though knowing you, you probably think it's everyone."
Ro examined the offerings. A signed photo of the Raiders held no interest. Some of the other memorabilia and casino getaways also failed to pass muster. After careful consideration, she also passed on the spa trip. In the end, Ro bid on a "romantic Grand Canyon helicopter ride." It was very generous. She did appreciate charitable endeavors.
Roman chuckled at her jab, shrugging his shoulders. “Honestly? Sure, why not.” He was grateful he couldn’t read minds though in some context he would’ve been perfectly fine with the knowledge of how to gain the upper hand without having to do all of the work. Digging into people for the purpose of discovering their worth could be taxing.
Along the tables of things they went. He didn’t see much of any interest to him, though when she stopped at the certain item to put down her name, his eyebrows lifted a bit. “A helicopter ride, hm? Interesting choice.” Especially considering it boasted romantic.
"I kind of operate in a very narrow niche. But I'm open to suggestions." She'd explained to Roman what she was last time, since he knew Noah. Her powers were really only designed for one thing. "If you just want to talk shit about people, I'm also your girl. I'm here for a good time."
Ro capped the pen and straightened up from the table. "I love a good view and I've never been to the Grand Canyon." Never got around to it somehow.
“Narrow niches are not bad things,” he commented, nodding. “It defines your boundaries, tells you when you’re moving too far or too quickly.” The context of what her abilities were were not lost upon him, but that didn’t mean he had to treat her the same way he’d been treated by his own family for his whole life. Like an arm piece only. An accessory.
“The Grand Canyon is spectacular. I recommend it highly. Make sure whomever it is you choose to accompany you anticipates the majesty. Especially from that view.”
"Why, Roman," Ro said with a mock gasp and a little poke to the center of that vest, "are you trying to get me to take you?"
He laughed softly, shrugging. “I mean, I wouldn’t turn it down, but are you sure you want to be stuck in a helicopter with me?” Roman offered a playful look. “I promise it would be an interesting vacation.”
Ro grinned wide, all crimson lipstick. "The better to throw you out of, my dear," she teased.
“I’ll pack a parachute if you win,” he winked, taking her fingers gently into his own. “What else looks interesting?” With that, he stole a glance around the room. “Would you like to dance?”
Ro drained her champagne flute and set it on a little cocktail table where it could be easily collected by the wait staff. "I think I could do that." Then, just a little and just for fun because what else was dancing for, she felt for Roman's attraction and nudged it a little bit forward on his mind.
“Oh good, my chance to shine,” he chuckled, guiding her along easily. There was no doubt he was attracted to her, and felt a bit more so as they headed toward the large area designed for vertical movement to a beat.
“And if you decide you’re tired of the party, we can leave. Only after the silent auction is over, though. You have to be here in person to get your vacation prize.”
Roman stepped onto the polished floor and made some space for them, drawing Ro close. He kept hold of her hand, his other going to her hip, and he guided her along.
Ro's free hand went to Roman's shoulder. She kept as close to him as possible, the gap from the undone buttons on her blouse occasionally shifting to reveal a new flash of skin. Boarding school in the '50s had turned Ro into a proficient dancer. Not in the modern way but in the old way people used to turn around the dance floor. She could move and she didn't have to look at her feet.
"Having fun?"
“With you, yes. Here at this function, not really.” He’d hated social events, loathed them, since he was a boy yet it was expected of him to attend them. And so, he did. Habit was hard to break.
Expertly, Roman guided Ro around. The old-school way of dance was preferable. He didn’t carry much for the modern day twerking moves the youngsters did these days.
"Then why come?" Ro asked. "If it's just about the charity, you could have sent a check. Why do something you hate?"
“It’s to be seen as a contributing member of this type of society,” he explained. People like these could become suspicious if one of their own didn’t appear in public. He wasn’t a recluse, just exhausted from being paraded around. “And, I enjoy socializing with you and seeing you dress up fancy. Can you blame me?”
"For me? Never. I'm great and I'm rocking the hell out of this suit." Ro had to tilt her head up a bit to talk to him in this position, exaggerating the lift of her eyebrows. "For the rest of it? I don't know, I've never been a contributing member of anything." She paused and then added, "I do have an ACLU card somewhere, if that counts."
“You certainly are,” he laughed softly, nodding at her in agreement. She was a statement. None of the women here would be so bold with a choice of attire but then that was what he found attractive of Ro, she wasn’t afraid to be herself and push the limits a bit.
“Society likes to cluster people together. When you have an affluent reputation you’re subject to far more scrutiny by your peers. If you’re too much of a recluse they turn on you. They’re going to turn on you anyway, but I like to be in charge of my image.” Then Roman nodded. “It absolutely counts.”
Ro let go of Roman momentarily to push up the sleeves of her jacket and reveal the colors on her skin. She raised her forearms up to show Roman. "I also like to be in charge of my image. You could always try it my way."
He let Ro go as she pulled back, curious. The dancing ceased. When the colors on her arms were revealed, his eyebrows arched. “What do you mean? Get tattoos? Or throwing caution to the wind?”
Ro shrugged and smiled. "Six of one, half a dozen of another…"
She certainly was a firecracker, he would give her that. “I’m not sure I know how to do that. I’ve been groomed for this…” his hand waved in the direction of those around them. “Not that you aren’t refined, but you get what I mean, don’t you?”
For the first time in quite some time, Ro thought of her mother. She'd expected Ro to use her powers to find someone wealthy to take her of her, the same way she had. Her mother expected her to be lovely in the exact way men liked and didn't understand when Ro was not. That was many years ago now.
She slipped her arms around Roman's neck. "I do. But you know what I said? Fuck that."
He admired her spirit. Roman knew what Ro was, and while they’d hadn’t discussed the logistics he assumed she was far older than she appeared. Her arms around his neck were comforting, his own slid around her to draw her close.
Roman chuckled. “Well, that’s a great attitude to have but I’m not sure I know quite what to do.” How did one just go fuck that and do the opposite? The idea itself seemed unpleasant. Rules were in place - some to be bent, others broken, but certain ones you didn’t supercede authority on.
"What feels good or will make you feel good?" Ro asked. "I usually start there."
“Probably getting out of here,” he confessed. That was a good place to start. “But not without your helicopter ride.” She seemed to want that and leaving now meant it was forfeit if she did happen to snag it. “Would you care to go see if they’ve chosen a winner?”
They hadn’t chosen a winner yet and there was a bit of a wait for the results. At one point during the time before the announcement, Ro grabbed Roman's wrist to stop him from taking a custard tart off a tray. "Don't eat that. Those are from frozen."
In the end, Ro didn't win the helicopter ride, fact that made her red lips turn down in a frown. Instead, since she'd lost, she produced a wallet from some pocket somewhere and made a donation to the cause. Ro hadn’t been lying when she said she liked charity.
After that it was just a brief wait for the valet and then she was in the passenger seat of Roman's car and the rest of the night was before them. "So," she said as they pulled away. "There was talk of what feels good and also room service?"
The rest of the evening progressed with disappointment - custard tart and helicopter ride - but after everything the seats of the Navigator were comfortable and giving. Plus they could recline and warm, which was a perk.
“I thought we would try somewhere new,” he began, easing the SUV away from the valet booth and toward the road proper. “Have you ever heard of The Nobu Villa?” The hotel boasted Japanese style luxury and topped the monetary charts for a whopping thirty five thousand a night stay. He’d been aching to try it out to see if it was worth it.
"I've heard of the restaurant Nobu." If there was something else in Vegas besides that, Ro wasn’t familiar with it. She was busy a lot and Vegas trends were sometimes a lot to keep up with. "Is there sushi?"
“I am sure sushi is on the menu,” he assured her.
The black vehicle pulled into the valet at Caesars. Once the pair of them were out of the car, Roman offered Ro his arm and led them into the casino but through and to the hotel lobby. They didn’t have a reservation but the lawyer talked his way into the room, dropping the American Express Black card down for the girl.
She slid it to confirm it was valid, handed it back, and gave them the room key.
“Enjoy your stay,” the hostess smiled, nodding at them. “Thank you,” Roman said, turning to Ro. “This way.”
Before too long they were standing in front of the door leading to the suite. The floor plan itself was a whopping ten thousand or so square feet. Plenty of space to stretch out.
He held up the keycard and the lock clicked. Roman got the door for Ro, and beckoned her inside first.
Ro whistled as she stepped inside. The space, rather than simply being a hotel room, was larger than a lot of houses she'd been in. It was expansive, done in neutral tones with Japanse-inspired elements and occasional steps down into the various areas.
"Why Mr. Roman, you do do things properly, don't you?" She went immediately to the glass separating the suite from a large terrace. Outside the faux Eiffel Tower at Paris, Paris glittered.
"I do love a room with a view," Ro said with a smile, turning back to him. Then before she could stop herself added, "How many people do you think have fucked on the pool table?" She nodded at the pool table she'd passed on her way to the windows.
The door slipped closed behind himself.
“I do the best that I am able, which is what you and I deserve.” No more and no less. Being able to utilize his affluence a bit made things easy. He followed Ro to the window separating them from the terrace. From there they would be able to get a good look at the Strip and all of the things happening below.
Turning to the pool table, Roman would study it and then turn back to her with a grin, “Not quite enough.”
"Promises, promises." Ro reached out with her powers and again nudged Roman's desire to the front of his mind. Something to whet his appetite without actually touching him.
"Why don't you take care of arranging food? I'm going to take a bath." Already she was looking for the main bathroom, shedding clothes as she went.
As much as he wanted to comply, he found himself hungry for something else entirely. Food felt second place to the surge of desire but Roman lifted his hand and waved it. “Sushi for the lady, then,” he murmured.
The complimentary bottle of sake was noted. He found the information for room service, ordering a variety of things. Whatever it was came in a bit of a rush, frankly he didn’t care what arrived right then. The call was disconnected as quickly as it was started, and like his friend he began to shed layers much more carefully. The suit was pricey, after all.
“Did you find the bath?” He called, wandering along to find where Ro went.
"Back here!" Ro's clothes made a breadcrumb trail through the suite where the last bits of what she'd worn under her suit were on the floor in the main bedroom. The entrance to the bath was through there. A large round tub clad in what looked like bamboo was the focal point against the far wall. The tub was deep and had taken time to fill. Ro was just stepping into the warm water and bubbles she'd added from the amenities as Roman walked in.
By the e time he reached the bathroom, he could smell the clean and fragrant aroma of her bath water. He’d stepped over her clothes while being bare already himself. It didn’t matter what lay ahead and how impatient he felt, he always took care of his clothes.
He watched as she climbed in, moving to join her. The water was the perfect temperature, relaxing instantly. “Bubbles. Feeling fancy, are you?” He laughed softly, patting around some of the bubbles, sending a few flying into the air.
The water was warm and smelled amazing. Ro sank into it with a sigh. The bubbles meant that most of what Roman, sitting across from her could see was the occasional flash of ink as she moved or stretched, a shadow of cleavage, and red lipstick. "When in Rome…" she trailed off and grinned across at him.
A soft chuckle coupled with a nod would serve as the reply. Roman closed his eyes and relaxed, the warm water soothing overtired muscles and aching joints. “Sorry you didn’t end up with your helicopter package,” he murmured, opening one eye to peer over at her before lifting a hand out of the water and extending it toward her. His other eye opened slowly, “But I do know a gentleman who operates a helicopter company, and he owes me a favor. If you ever want to take someone on a chopper, I’d be happy to arrange something for you.”
Ro took Roman's hand, moving closer in the ample tub and making a small wave in the bubbles. She didn't need Roman to throw his money around at her. Sure she liked the nice things. Liked the pretty hotel rooms and the sparkling. Liked the satisfaction that came with things that made her feel good. But she would have been happy with something cheap but delicious to eat and a night somewhere less extravagant. There was more than one way to find satisfaction. But if Roman wanted to spend it this way on her, she wasn’t going to object.
"You know I love a view. I'll keep that in mind."
All he knew was lavishness. He’d been reared to believe that every dollar mattered when it came to impressing someone else. When you had oodles of disposable income the way he did, it was no large deal to throw a few grand around for a good time. Constantly he chased that high of happiness and satisfaction; for as smart and capable as he was, Roman didn’t understand the correlation between money and being miserable.
As Ro came close, Roman sat up a bit straighter. He kept hold of her hand until she settled and then he let go so as to wrap an arm around her.
“Who doesn’t love a good view?”