lennox archer 🏹 legolas greenleaf (ofmirkwood) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2017-10-20 09:59:00 |
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They’d made firm plans for Friday at five o’clock, and Alee had been looking forward to them ever since. Although there had been a learning curve on their shopping trip just two days before, Alee had settled back into what was reasonably normal. Sometimes when she thought about the socioeconomic disparity between them it still nagged at her worry, but Lennox didn’t seem to have thought twice about the matter since swiping that credit card. She had worked Friday morning at the garage in town, digging her hands into motor oil and grease until she was up to her elbows in filth. It was what she loved to do, though, and it made the time pass quickly. It didn’t hurt that it put a little money back into her pocket, which she planned to use to help Sarah out with the added expense of having a second person living in her home. She still refused to be a layabout or an imposition, no matter how many times her sister told her that she didn’t need to go out of her way to help. By mid-afternoon, Alee left the garage, knowing that for this dinner date, she couldn’t just half-ass her look. She scrubbed her skin until there were no more traces of grime, her hands taking the majority of the work. Her nails were a wreck, she thought, so she took the time to painstakingly manicure them, slow and precise just as one of her sisters had taught her when she was younger. She wasn’t usually one to take the time to style her hair or make certain that every swipe of her make-up was done to perfection, but that afternoon, she sat in a towel in front of a mirror for nearly an hour before she was satisfied with the outcome of her appearance. Getting dressed, it turned out, was actually the easy part. Her finishing touches set off the glamorous look that she hadn’t been sure she could pull off until she looked in the mirror. By the time she was ready, it was just a few minutes shy of when Lennox had said he would arrive, and she purposefully ignored any further glances at her reflection as she headed towards the front of the house. This might not have been a normal thing for her...but she had to admit that it was kind of nice to actually get dressed up for once. -- Lennox was surprised to find that there were still a good number of nerves making his stomach flutter. He had thought he was too old for those shenanigans, but apparently he was wrong. He fiddled with his cufflinks nervously -- a pair in the Batman symbol in hopes of making her laugh -- as he headed up to the front door of her sister’s place. The cufflinks were the only things out of place, everything else about his outfit high end and designer, from his shoes to his Armani suit, though out of sight beneath the shirt and tie were two of his most-worn necklaces, one of onyx beads and the other a chain with an arrow pendant. He forgot his nerves when she opened the door. His brown eyes widened dramatically at the sight of her and, for just a second, he was speechless, taking her in. He’d known she was beautiful, of course. That was never in question. However, this was something else. “My God, Alee…” he breathed finally, an awed sort of grin cracking his stunned expression. -- She didn’t actually pray much anymore, but she’d ardently hoped that she wouldn’t fall flat on her face in the heels she was wearing. They were beautiful, but not her normal footwear. Even still, Alee was generally nimble on her feet, so when she went to answer the door, she was the epitome of grace. When she opened the door she was smiling bright, momentarily quieted as she took in the view. He was sharply dressed and though she always found him attractive, in that moment there was something…different about it, like she was seeing him with fresh eyes after having gotten used to his more casual attire. Her transformation was still more stark, but his was no less impressive. “Do you like it?” she asked with a small smirk, doing a little turn so that he got the full view, “It’s new.” She was being playfully ironic, as he had not only - briefly - seen her in this dress before, but had paid for most of what she wore, aside from the cropped leather jacket that she wore and had rolled the sleeves up on. A light, natural flush graced her cheeks when she added, “You look especially handsome in that suit. I’m seeing the appeal of fancy dinners now.” -- He chuckled, the shock wearing off with the help of her humor. “You look absolutely stunning, Alee. And that’s not even a strong enough word for it.” He captured her hand and kissed the back of it, letting his lips linger as the memory of her, changing back in the dressing room when he’d snuck in, resurfaced momentarily. Yes, he liked this dress for a couple reasons. “And you chose the green one. It was my favorite.” -- It pleased her more than she wanted to admit to hear his approval. She knew that he still liked her in ragged jeans and worn t-shirts, but the fact that she had impressed him was a memory she would hold onto for a long time. Her fingers wrapped delicately around his when he took her hand, pressing a gentlemanly kiss there. “I tried them all on again,” she confessed, “But this one brought out the green in my eyes.” Surprisingly, it was also the most modest of the three, and she thought she might do better to ease into such dresses as her comfort with skirts in general grew. She held onto his hand, reaching to his wrist and noting his cufflinks, which made her laugh. Alee didn’t even try to stifle it, as it was a free and heartfelt sound, tapering to a hum and a grin, “Please tell me that your car converts into the batmobile.” She wasn’t being serious, but the amusement lingering in her eyes was apparent. -- “Wouldn’t that be awesome?” he agreed, wrapping his arms around her. “Sadly, it’s just a regular car.” His arms circled her waist and he tugged her close, peering down at her with something akin to adoration. “You’re right,” he said more quietly. “It does bring out the green in your eyes.” He tipped his head so his nose bumped hers playfully before he stole a kiss. -- “Bummer,” she replied, though by the smile that lingered at her lips, she wasn’t incredibly put out by the fact. If his car had such features, it would have been above and beyond expectations. Still, the cufflinks were a nice touch. They added a fun detail to the more ostentatious parts of this evening. As he pulled her close, she easily stepped into his embrace. They just seemed to fit together, she thought. He might have been quite a few inches taller than her, but her heels at least made it so that he didn’t have to lean quite so far to find her lips. She didn’t worry about her lipstick, having specifically picked a color and shade that was supposed to be long-lasting and smudge proof, even though it was delicate on her lips. She pulled back just enough to inspect, grinning widely, “I’ve never really had a need for smudge-proof lipstick before, but...it works.” She kissed him again just to prove the point, though she added soon after, “We’ll be late if we stay too long.” -- He stole another kiss, his fingers entwining in her hair. “Mm. It does work rather well. If I weren't hungry I might have to test it out further and skip the dinner…” His hand playfully cupped her bottom to emphasize his point with a wicked grin, but after kissing her forehead he released her. “Come,” he instructed, taking her hand and weaving his fingers in hers to walk her to his vehicle. -- She laughed as he pulled her closer, his hand sliding over her in ways that were dangerously distracting. Even still, he seemed inclined to follow through with his promise for dinner. It was a bit strange to think about how comfortable she’d gotten with him in such a short period of time, but she figured that intimacy would do that in most situations. This was her first entanglement with it, but she was taking things a day at a time. Thinking about it in the long-term was something she tried not to do too often, afraid of jinxing herself. That solitary word that he uttered struck some chord with her. She was naturally independent, and didn’t really do anything that was demanded of her unless she wanted to. Even still, as his fingers wove with hers, there was a curious pang somewhere in the region of her heart. A deep, soothingly familiar voice lingered at the edges of her mind, almost out of reach, “Follow.” Her feet kicked into gear, pulling the door shut and locking it behind her as she trailed just behind Lennox on the way to the SUV, “You know, I only follow because I want to,” she told him, trying to shake off the feeling that had hit her just moments before, “I can be kind of stubborn.” -- “You?” he teased, smirking. He unlocked the SUV and opened her door for her. “I would never have guessed.” -- She grinned, but still reminded him, “You haven’t actually faced much opposition from me at this juncture of our relationship. It seemed fair to warn you.” She liked that she didn’t have to make all the decisions. Giving someone else a little bit of control was almost a relief, except that she knew that would only go so far before her independent nature would kick in and she would reel back on something. Still, there might be a point when he told her to follow and she refused. Alee was more than happy to follow with plans that she approved of, but she could sometimes be contrary. -- Once settled in the driver’s seat, he gave her a soft smile. Turning the engine over, he told her, “I can be… bossy is the nicest word others have used for it. But you can always tell me know if I cross a line. I don’t bite, unless you’re naked.” The smile was replaced by a smirk as he headed out of Sarah Grant’s neighborhood with her younger sister in tow. -- “I can’t promise that I won’t bite while clothed,” she told him with a matching smirk on her lips, seatbelt pulled across her chest as she sat as lady-like as she could in the seat of the SUV, “I just know myself, and eventually I’m going to disagree. Saying please can go a long way. I know that I always have a choice, though.” She settled in for the drive, ready to leave Dunhaven behind while they headed for the city and all the decadence that could await them there. -- “I'll try and remember that.” Playful ribbing and flirting continued as they headed up to DC. At the right time of day, the drive could be as short as thirty minutes, but at the worst it could take almost an hour. This evening, with rush hour traffic (though most of it was headed out of the city, rather than in) and the early end of those flocking to the city from smaller towns for Friday night fun, it took them almost forty-five. At one point, there was a bit of construction that slowed things, but rather than be frustrated at the minor delay, Lennox took advantage of it. He was already driving with only one hand on the wheel, relaxed, the other on her thigh. Without a word of warning, the only change in his expression was a glint in his eye as he moved his hand from the safe spot on her upper thigh to the more taunting spot on the soft skin of the inner. He slid it up, under the short dress and into her panties before she could protest or stop him. That teasing lasted several minutes, a thrill of excitement jolting through Lennox at the control he held. Alee was not allowed to retaliate in kind (“You can't distract the driver,” he chided with a smirk) and he didn't let up in his torture of her, one hand on the wheel and the other deep between her legs, until he had her nearly begging for mercy. Even though there were ten minutes left of their journey when he pulled his hand back away and she readjusted her clothing, Alee’s breath was still a little bit heavy when they reached the restaurant. Lennox wondered if it was now because of excited nerves. It was no small act to take her here, and she knew that without needing to grasp the measure of his wealth. The inside of the restaurant was absolutely decadent, the two seated in a prime spot and a small table across from each other. Nearby, but not so close that they couldn't hear to talk over it, a piano was being played live by a skilled musician. The menus here had no prices and had names that sometimes tripped Alee up. Lennox helped with a few of them, and helped her select, though he didn't push her one way or another. However, she did defer to him on wine selection, Lennox struck by the fact that she was carded and he was not, though he said nothing and let none of it show on his face. Lennox ordered a house specialty version of eggplant parmesan and Alee the chicken piccata pasta -- but not before asking an almost unseemly amount of probing questions of the waiter about the source of their poultry and whether or not it was cruelty-free. This consideration touched Lennox and he had a hard time hiding his amusement from the waiter, the man having an equally hard time hiding his exasperation. Once they’d ordered, each with a glass of wine poured before them and a basket of bread with a saucer of seasoned oil to dip it in off the the side between them, they turned to conversation, that reminder of their age disparity having been pushed out of his mind by her demands of the waiter. The conversation was light at first. The two spoke frequently enough, or texted at least, but the conversation still began with the trivial things: how her day went, how his went, a little on a conflict between two trail guides who were in a relationship -- emphasis on the past tense -- and how that was now causing trouble. They talked about his plans for winter promotion of the camp, to get tourism in on what was very decidedly the off season; he was doing impressively well right now with fall tourists wanting to see the leaves change, considering how new the camp was, but it wasn’t going to last. The meals arrived and they switched to talk of Alee’s riding lessons -- he’d given her another, but Lyllianna had done any others -- as they ate their incredible entrees. Even Lennox had to admit her chicken dish looked delectable, though he didn’t ask for a bite. As a pause in the conversation presented him the proper opening, Lennox swallowed a sip of wine and reminded himself there was no reason to be nervous. “Alee, I wanted to ask you a question, if I may?” -- She wasn’t used to a lavish lifestyle like this. She was perfectly accustomed to fast-paced and that part was much easier for her to adjust to. Everything she’d done with Lennox had been faster than she had originally thought she would go with anyone, and yet...she didn’t regret finding out what she’d been missing. She didn’t have any plans to stop. Dating Lennox was exciting and new, and even if she had to learn which fork was most appropriate to use at a plate setting, she felt like this was a different sort of adventure. Alee raised a brow as he inquired if he could ask her a question, and finished the bite of pasta that she’d taken before she answered as she figured etiquette would demand, “Is it a very serious question?” She smiled softly as she picked up her glass of wine, “You can ask me anything, Lennox.” She didn’t have to agree or reveal whatever he might ask of her, but she wouldn’t prevent him from speaking his mind if he had a query. -- His smile then was a little weak with the embarrassment of his nervousness. It felt silly to be this wary with her, considering all the intimacy they'd shared, but this was a request of an entirely different sort. “No, it's not serious. But also yes. I have a wedding to attend next Saturday, here in D.C. I know it's… short notice, but I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me.” -- She sipped her wine and took note of his smile. He wasn’t usually nervous, so whatever he was asking her was… important. As he spoke of the wedding in D.C., she remembered hearing the town abuzz with news of it, her sister having gone to a wedding shower just recently, “I’d love to go. Is it the one everyone in Dunhaven is talking about?” -- The nervous pressure in his chest deflated with the relief that she said yes. Now he could be nervous about such a public event -- something he'd always been uncomfortable with, though he'd perfected the art of the public face -- as well as the implications of attending together in such a small, gossipy town. “I'm not sure,” he answered, thoughtful. He didn't go into the actual town often. He preferred the sanctuary his reclusive habits provided, though it, of course, only increased their fascination with him and desire to gossip about him. “I suppose that's very likely, though. The groom, Alex Nikolaev, was the architect involved in my restoration of the camp, and we're friends now.” -- “My sister works with the bride, Annie,” Alee told him after confirming the detail of the groom’s name and his association with Lennox, “Sarah went to the bridal shower. I suppose I could’ve gone and no one would have cared, but I didn’t feel like it was...appropriate or necessary, without knowing either bride or groom. Attending the wedding as your plus one is something I’m more than willing to do, though.” She smiled, thoughtfully, and added after a moment, “This kind of leads me to something I’ve been meaning to ask. Sarah is going to be at the wedding, and I think...it would be nice if you met her before that event. She’s asked if I would bring you around for dinner some night.” Although Alee was just as nervous about asking him to meet her sister, she thought she hid it rather well, even if she did take another drink of her wine, hoping that his answer wasn’t a vehement no because that would make things complicated at the least. -- “I--” Her question caught him off guard. He had a bite of food part of the way to his mouth, but set the fork back down. The nerves were back, but he better concealed them this time. They'd been dating now just over a week, eight days to be precise. Though inviting her to the wedding had seemed a hurdle he could overcome, the idea of meeting her sister seemed insurmountable. He concealed his fear, though he couldn't hide the way it stressed him. He could make the reason seem different, however. “That only gives us a week before the wedding,” he excused. “I have a lot to do before signing off from the camp for a full weekend, to make sure everything will run smoothly without anyone needing to call and interrupt me. I was going to suggest I get us a hotel room and we could stay together, see tourist things up here…” -- “We can do all of those things, but it doesn’t seem like a huge concession to take two hours or so to meet my sister,” she pushed a noodle around on her plate and then set down her fork altogether. This wasn’t a fight and she didn’t intend to turn it into one, but it was also important to her and she wasn’t likely to give up the subject without at least trying to make her case. “I know you’re busy, but you make time for me, don’t you? This is my sister, Lennox. I’m living with her right now, and meeting her at a crowded, fancy event that we all just happen to be guests at feels...cheapened.” She bit the inside of her lip and after a moment, she added, “I know that we haven’t been together that long. I realize that. I’m not asking for a bigger commitment. It’s just an informal dinner. There’s nothing more important to me than my family, though. You’ll see her at the wedding. What’s the difference in a few days if it avoids hurt feelings?” -- The fear of commitment warred in him against the desire to make this special girl feel happy and loved. “I can promise to try,” he agreed, browed furrowed, though it would only serve to give the impression that he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to fulfill her request, not that he was afraid to do it at all. He knew she was right, after all. Would it make a difference to wait? He was going to meet her one way or another. “Will that be enough? If I try my best? Will you be angry if I’m not able to get free?” -- What he suggested was reasonable, and Alee knew that even if she was still determined that just biting the bullet and getting that first meeting over with was the best course of action. She didn’t want things to be awkward, and she wanted Sarah to feel as though she was kept in the loop. Alee had swept into town and started all of this very quickly, and if her sister was a little worried, she probably had a right to be… but it might go a long way to smooth things over if Lennox could make an appearance and be the gentleman that she knew he could be. She gave a slow nod, finally adding, “Just try, Lennox. Let me know if you’re able to have dinner with us. If not, it sounds like after tonight, you’ll be so busy that the next time we’ll get a chance to see each other will be when we leave for the wedding.” She sounded appropriately forlorn at that thought, with the wedding at just over a week away, and took another sip of her wine. -- Lennox realized that in his eagerness to escape the binding nature of commitment, he hadn’t thought it through. If he was going to be too busy, he wouldn’t be able to see Alee at all, either. Perhaps he would find a way… It was going to happen next Saturday if he didn’t, after all. He nodded. “Possibly,” he agreed reluctantly. He pulled his phone from his pocket, deciding to stop being a coward, and pulled up his calendar. He really did have a lot he planned on doing before the wedding so that no one would bother them in D.C. Fortifying his nerves, he asked, “Would Thursday night work?” -- He didn't initially seem happy about it, but he agreed that it might be possible. She waited patiently as he pulled his phone from his pocket and presumably checked his meetings. She had no doubt that he actually would be busy, but she didn't feel like she was asking any great concession. With a date in mind, she grinned widely and nodded, “Thursday should be perfect.” With that agreement, she took out her own phone, a small smart phone that was the cheapest she could have possibly bought. She'd bought it in a Walmart in Arizona, and it had a crack along one edge of the screen from having been dropped one too many times. Even still, she brought up her own calendar and wrote in the date, “There,” she said, stowing the phone away, her smile still luminous enough to rival the summer sun, “It will be great. I promise. Thank you for making the time. I appreciate it and I know Sarah will too.” -- Lennox eyed the phone with some scrutiny. Was that really what she used? He could see the crack in the screen and the obvious signs of cheap technology. His immediate instinct was to ask about it and even criticize it, but he stopped himself. Now was not the place or time. Her smile made everything worthwhile. He loved that smile of hers. The corners of her blue eyes crinkled and it seemed as though she almost glowed. Reaching across the table, he took her hand so he could kiss the back of her fingers. “Of course. Anything for you, pretty girl.” -- She allowed the sweet gesture, the nickname that he graced her with becoming more familiar and endearing. Alee didn’t know what was going to happen between the two of them ultimately, but she liked the way that she felt when she was with him. She liked the attention and she found his company to be interesting. Lennox challenged her, and maybe she pushed him a little out of his comfort zone too. It was all new and exciting, but some part of her felt almost dangerously attached after their short rendezvous into this relationship. They’d both asked something rather serious of one another tonight, but with the matter of the wedding and the dinner with her sister settled, they returned to their meals. Their conversation lightened a little again as they discussed her plans for lessons, the work that she was doing in the local garage, and aspirations that she had for one day doing full restorations on classic cars instead of just tuning up engines. She finished her glass of wine, but turned away another, switching to water instead. They took their time, talking and laughing as they finished their entrees and accepted the dessert menu for something to share, Alee insisting that she couldn’t possibly eat a whole dessert on her own. By the end of the meal, she’d almost forgotten that she’d been nervous to come into this upscale restaurant, fearing that they would be able to sense that she was born and bred lower class. Lennox put her at ease. She was happy that she was able to let him treat her to this without worrying about the bill, turning a blind eye when the check was delivered this time, unlike the shopping trip. Their relationship was going to be built on learning curves, she thought, but this one wasn’t so bad… and it was going to be one hell of a ride. |