hot_guitarist (hot_guitarist) wrote in btvsal, @ 2010-08-17 21:48:00 |
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Current location: | Avarice |
Current mood: | happy |
Entry tags: | jack delany, natalie mcguinness, place: la |
Making It Official
Who: Jack and Natalie
Where: Avarice
When: August 17, Evening
This was possibly the most nervous Natalie McGuinness had been in years. As the lead vocalist in one of the most popular rock bands in the world, she didn't think much would faze her anymore. But since she'd been floored by the expert charms of Jack Delany, she'd been nothing BUT nervous. They'd hung out a few times, flirted... but still hadn't had an actual 'date'. Which was what tonight was all about. They were meeting at their 'usual' table at Avarice, but this time with the agreement that whatever happened, happened. Neither seemed the type for a typical 'date', and figured this would be easier for both of them. Tonight she wore a flowy black dress that clung to her hips and actually became a corset from the waist up, lacing up between her breasts. She smiled and waved at a few fans who walked by, just wanting to get a closer look at her, as she waited for him to arrive.
For the first time in his god forsaken life, Jack was on time for something. This was a man who would probably be three hours late to his own funeral. He had been late to his own wedding so long ago, after all. Why not? Anyways, right on time, he walked into Avarice, wearing a pair of dark jeans and a blue button up shirt that was unbuttoned for the first couple of buttons. This was about as nice as he got, OK? He grinned at Natalie as he sat down at the table with her. "You look great tonight," he said to her.
"Wow. And you clean up pretty well yourself." She joked, giving that little grin that somehow combined world-weary snark and girlish innocence. "So... is this as... exciting but awkward for you as it is for me? Seriously?"
"You're damn right I do," he said back to her with a smirk. He knew he did. What of it? "And yeah, kind of, actually. Seems like neither of us do the traditional 'dating' thing that well."
"Well, the good part there is that neither of us are going to be expecting lilies and a picket fence, you know? We both have baggage, and we both... have been around a few times." Oh honey. You have no IDEA how much Jack's 'been around', do you? "Anyway." She reached over and set a hand atop one of his. "People are already talking anyway... may as well confirm it for them, hm?" Which was HER way of semi-asking him if he'd... made his decision.
"We both have baggage..." he repeated with a slight chuckle. That was definitely the understatement of the year with him. "Yeah, people will do that, though, they'll talk. Seems to be the one thing you can depend on." He smiled at her. "Yeah, I think we should confirm it now." And also confirm that this was the longest he had ever been around a woman without getting laid.
"I know neither of us have much luck with doing the dating thing, so... let's not set ourselves up for failure here: we know we're both going to probably do and say things that annoy the hell out of the other one, and.. I don't think it's fair to either of us to expect the other to get too serious too quick..." Gee... think she'd been through this shit before? Anyone?
He arched an eyebrow at her and then nodded. Good, then he didn't have to suggest anything like that and look like a complete jackass. "You're right. I'm just...not used to it being a woman to suggest that instead of it being me and having something thrown at me."
"Well... I'm not suggesting you go out and keep nailing half the female population of LA... all I'm saying is, I don't expect us to be moving in together, planning a family, etc. All I ask is that you respect me enough to not make me look like a fool while you...." She looked for the right wording, and winced when she couldn't find it. "Do what you're best known for."
"I...actually wasn't intending on going out and nailing anyone else at the moment, but thanks for the vote of confidence," Jack said, half joking. OK, so he really wasn't planning on doing it. That part wasn't a joke. "Natalie, I don't want to make you look like a fool. That's my last want right now."
"Don't take that personally, Jack. I have HORRIBLE luck with dating. S'why I never tried to go out with Remy. He's a great friend and a great bandmate... and with my luck, I'd ruin that. Just like I don't wanna see US ruin this before it gets started. So..." She smirked, catching herself mid-ramble. "How lame is this? Vampires, Werewolves, and demons don't faze me one bit... but talk about dating and I get all nervous."
"Getting nervous while talking about dating happens to most people," he said with a shrug. "Sometimes it's easier to accept that a vampire is real than to talk about how one person managed to screw you up royally for almost twenty years." Oops, were they talking about him?
"We really DO have a lot in common." She laughed bitterly there. Sure, she was QUITE a bit younger than he... but she had lived as hard of a life. "You know... I never got to tell you: if she's interested, I've been thinking of trying to spend some time with your daughter. She... seemed to really like me, and while I know I'm only five or six years older than her... if you and I are going to be together, I'm sure she'd like to feel like she's part of that."
He grinned. "She probably would like that, actually," he said about Mere. The girl did like Natalie's music, and, when he mentioned that he was somewhat dating her, didn't seem adverse to it, which was a good thing from Mere. Of course, she continues to react kind of weird to her mother, so was it really shocking that she might be able to get along with Natalie better?
"Good. She seems like a nice girl. Just maybe a little..... uncouth?" She said with an apologetic grin. "Not that I'm insulting her though, I swear. And hey... the bright side of all this happening NOW is that when we start touring, we'll actually be able to see each other whenever we want, since we're touring together..."
"Well, she was raised by me alone, so we're just lucky that she knows how to talk and stuff," Jack pointed out with a slight grin. Well, he had a point. "And yeah, at least we work together in such a way." This might work out pretty well, actually.
"So, looks like we've both been having some things to celebrate..." She said with a sweet grin that looked almost... out of place on a girl so pale, gothy and tattooed. "Your album has been selling extremely well, and our new one has sold more in the first week than the last one did in a month..."
"Then we definitely have something to celebrate," Jack said with a grin. He flagged down a waitress and ordered himself a beer. He wasn't going to drink himself into a stupor or anything (well, that wasn't his intent). "What do you want?" he asked Natalie.
"Beer's good for me too. Whatever kind you're having." Well well... a beer girl? Maybe Jack HAD found his dream girl, hm?
He grinned and ordered whatever the house had on tap (he wasn't terribly picky about what beer he was drinking). "Never would have picked you for a beer drinker," he teased.
"Please..." She giggled, taking her drink. "My father was a bartender, and I practically grew up in a bar. Beer's like coffee to me." Lookit all these layers we're learning about Natalie, hmmm? "By the time I graduated high school I was drinking like a pro."
"Really? You're dad was a bartender?" Well, he actually didn't know all that much about Natalie, OK? "At least that's more respectable than having two hippies as parents. I'm pretty sure that I didn't wear shoes until I was enrolled in school."
"I like to think our parents, intentionally or not, shaped us into who we are." She said, rather diplomatically. "Heck, my parents actually got me into the music I love, and without trying, ended up getting me interested in singing!"
He grinned. "Now that I agree with," he said. His parents had believed in free love, after all. Was it shocking that he had basically practiced the same thing for so many years? "Mine introduced me to a lot of good music, too."
"You know..." She said then, with a thoughtful little lilt to her voice, "You're surprisingly easy to talk to. I don't mean any disrespect, but you're just... much more sweet and nice than your reputation would indicate."
He chuckled. "Well, I can't be offended. I did build that reputation." He took a sip of his beer. "It is amusing to see you be surprised by it, though. You're quite the nice girl, yourself."
"The best part is though... I don't try NOT to be! Just... nobody really tries to get to know me. Remy gets most of the media attention, since he's so charming, and has the whole 'tortured rehabbed soul' thing going... I think they feel I'm just nicer to look at." She admitted, not really offended by it.
"Well, that's too bad for them," he told her, then smiled, "but very lucky for me." Because if someone else had noticed her, then they wouldn't be sitting here together now, would they?