Entry tags:

Δ complete, Δ threads, → benny carmichael, → logan blackwood, ∞ 2000: 04, ◦ eaves/carmichael offices

RP: Benny, meet Logan
Who: Benny Carmichael & Logan Blackwood.
What: Introductions: business and personal.
When: Monday 29th April 2000.
Where: Eaves/Carmichael.
Warnings: Implied NSFW, but not explicit until part two.
Completion Status: Completed in gdocs.

Eating breakfast, at the hour decided by the owner of Logan’s bed and breakfast, might be claustrophobic but at least it got him out of bed and dressed. He’d been in Tarrytown for under 24 hours, and his landlady had already asked him two dozen questions about why he was visiting, where he’d come from, how long he was staying and whether he knew anyone in town. Pulling a striped coat over his black t-shirt, Logan asked his landlady a question in return: directions to the nearest realtor.

After checking his bike was securely locked up outside, Logan strolled slowly downtown, pausing to read the menu outside Goosefeather and glance into the window of Pretty Funny Vintage. It wasn’t hard to find Eaves/Carmichael, and Logan barely glanced at the exterior of the building before pushing the door open. It was still early, so he wasn’t surprised to see only one employee inside, though it would’ve been a lot more convenient if said employee hadn’t been on the phone.

Sighing, Logan stuck both hands in his coat pockets as he waited for the conversation to end.

–

Since opening the office Benny had barely found a moment to breathe, or at least it felt that way. Between the normal morning tasks, the couple of urgent tasks set aside from the night before, and a string of phone calls that were largely tedious and repetitive, he wanted something to change the pace. Anything.

Unfortunately his change of pace arrived mid phone call. “Yes, Mrs Parker I absolutely must have the papers signed by you both…No, you cannot witness for each other…Yes, I do understand the particular circumstances, but these are legal requirements.” He looked up from the slightly absent doodles he was making on the pad set aside for just that purpose as the door opened and smiled automatically at the man who came through the door. His eyes did a quick assessment, at first to try and read what type of client he might be dealing with. Then ever so slightly more slowly. He swallowed reflexively. Hot clients were rarely a chore, although business would have to come first. At least in the office.

He caught the man's eye and mouthed an apology as Mrs. Parker continued her circular conversation. “Yes, certainly… no, although you could pay for a lawyer to witness if you are happy to invite them to your current- excellent that will work nicely.” He gestured towards the photos of currently available property with an apologetic look and a finger held to indicate one minute. “I will expect those by the end of the week and contracts can be exchanged. Yes, I'll be happy to pass those on. Please give my regards to Mr. Parker. Goodbye.” He tried not to sigh too heavily, made a note in the actual Parker file and stood, automatically buttoning up his suit and straightening his .tie.

“I'm so sorry for making you wait. Welcome to Eaves/Carmichael. I'm Ben Carmichael, how can I help you today?” He held out his hand to shake. He had let his voice loosen slightly from the formality that the stuffy Mrs Parker seemed to bring out in him.

—-

Whether it came of being a kelpie or a less supernatural blessing, Logan had a sixth sense for when he was being checked out. Even if he’d been distracted, he’d have felt the eyes on him, and on this occasion, he was paying enough attention to catch the slight bob of Adam’s apple. Feeling that his morning was decidedly looking up, he flashed a brief grin, gesturing away the apology as unnecessary.

Aware he was still being watched, and happy to provide some visual amusement to what sounded like a very boring phone call, Logan stepped closer to the photos, immediately discounting the cheaper half. Tarrytown might be more expensive than the smaller towns where Logan usually chose to live, but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it. One of the only pieces of advice his mother had ever given him about living among humans was to invest as wisely and as often as possible.

Hearing the phone call finally wrap up, Logan turned back, tongue darting out to wet his lower lip as he allowed himself a return gaze more obvious than the one he’d clocked Ben giving him. He took Ben’s hand, grip firm and steady. “It’s fine,” he promised. “You’re the only thing on my to-do list today, I’ve got all the time in the world.” He raised an eyebrow, well aware there was another meaning that could be read into the words. “I’m Logan, and I’m hoping you can help me find a house.” At least, that was where they could begin.

–

Oh this guy is going to be dangerous. For my libido if nothing else. Ben thought. He didn’t immediately return the flirtatious look, but allowed his lips to curl slightly towards a smirk.

“I can absolutely do that. Did you find something you like the look of or did you want to tell me about your house requirements and preferences?” It had been a while since he had been so forcefully reminded of just how close to flirting some of his stock phrases were. He tried not to flirt at work. Tried.

He had noted the accent, which seemed somewhere Canadian, but he couldn’t have even made a guess at where on his best day. “If you're moving in from out of the area I'm happy to help you narrow down by area, style or size of house, proximity to downtown or the lake,” he said and paused slightly trying to get a read on the human vs Supe scale. “Oh, and renting or buying?” he added, blushing slightly that he hadn't asked at the outset and unable to come up with a delicate phrasing for asking about supernatural needs that didn't also sound like asking for very specific sexual preferences.

—

It would’ve been so easy for Logan to say he’d certainly seem something he liked the look of. Almost too easy, really, so he contented himself with another look down Ben’s chest which ought to communicate the same sentiment. He did snort at the stress laid on house requirements and preferences, quite enjoying the effort Ben was putting in to keeping this semi-professional. “I prefer to have you show me properties you think I might actually be interested in,” he answered. “After all, you’re the expert.”

Sliding his coat off, Logan moved to drape it over the back of the chair opposite Ben’s desk, but didn’t actually sit down. Neither his trousers nor his t-shirt were as tight as they would’ve been if Logan had gone looking for this encounter, but that had never stopped him showing off. “I don’t need anything massive; it’ll be just me living there.” He glanced down at Ben’s hand, not because seeing a ring there would’ve stopped him, more to give Ben permission to check that Logan’s own ring finger was currently bare. “Not too close to downtown, and I’ll need a garage for my bike. By the water would be nice, but not absolutely a requirement.”

Despite having been in Tarrytown less than a day, Logan shrugged. “Buying.” Even if he didn’t end up staying, a house in a growing supernatural community could only be a good investment. As long as he left it long enough, he should be able to sell for a profit. Sensing what Ben’s next question was likely to be, Logan also outlined his budget.

–

He clocked the glance at his ring finger, but managed to force himself not to return it by sheer force of will. The removal of the jacket on the other hand definitely gave him slight pause to admire well crafted arms.

“Near the lake is obviously a popular option, and many of those houses are larger,” he mused aloud as he mentally checked through currently available housing. “Not all though. And there are multiple areas accessible to the public if I don't find you anywhere right on the lake. This property is a couple of streets away and has a slight lake view from the loft conversion,” he said indicating one set of photos. The lake view was very slight, and mostly because of a break in the trees, but it wasn’t the top end of the budget so there was room to move. He was trying hard not to dwell on the word bike, because it was conjuring some very unholy images in his mind.

How to bring it up. “Are you against an appartement? We do have some, although I don't believe any have garage parking.” They certainly hadn't when he had been looking. He gestured them towards the desk so he could make notes. He used the need to grab a new client form to twist in a way that emphasised his waist, entirely incidentally of course. He took the opportunity as he turned back to finally look and note the lack of ring on the man's hand. Not that a ring or lack of one was an absolute indicator in his experience, but living alone likely was.

The form had been updated since the version he had given Emilia and now included the line “special considerations: disability/ supernatural/ other”, but he didn't pass it across right away. “Paperwork is unfortunately necessary, and this way I won't forget anything important,” he said with a slight emphasis on the anything. He quickly started making notes for info he had already been given. It was hard to concentrate with this man in particular watching him and his skin felt almost alive with awareness of his proximity and gaze.

—

The word ‘popular’ brought a thoughtful hum from somewhere low in Logan’s throat as he looked over the property he’d been offered. He’d never bought property in an area as built up as Tarrytown. Usually, he stayed further out and only came into town for work or other business. But he hadn’t come all the way to New York to do the same things he’d always done. “Do you live here, as well as working here?” he asked, pairing the question with a smile. It was a legitimate business concern, but Logan was certainly also going to file away the information for personal reasons.

When Ben nodded to confirm, Logan leaned forward a little. “Tell me, do you think I’d be missing out if I lived a little further away? Missing the -” he paused, searching for a word - “Tarrytown experience, I guess.” He had no idea whether Ben, himself, was something supernatural, nor how much of Tarrytown’s population were or weren’t. “It’s no hardship to ride in regularly, but I don’t know if that would defeat the object of moving here.”

Taking a seat, Logan stretched his legs out under the desk, boot nudging against one of Ben’s shoes and conspicuously not moving away. “I haven’t spent much time living anywhere crowded,” he explained honestly. “I don’t know that I’d love it.” But, depending on Ben’s answer to his question, it might be worth it. Especially if people were going to regard him as an outsider if he didn’t actually live within the community.

Paperwork was definitely not Logan’s area of expertise, but he eyed the forms without rancour. “This is why I need a professional,” he teased lightly. “I talk, you turn it all into nice neat paperwork.”

–

The timing of the question caught Ben off guard, even though he was expecting some sort of enquiry of the sort at some point. It certainly seemed to be about more than flirting too, which was proven as Logan continued.

“I do live in town, but I've not been here too long,” he said. “I took over the primary running of the business only a couple of months ago. And I'm having rather the opposite problem. I'm used to living in a bigger city, so this seems quiet to me,” he said with a general gesture. He drummed a finger lightly on the desk and pondered.

“I think it depends if you want or need to be away from people as much as possible, or just the illusion of it. Personally I wouldn't live further out, but if you want some guarantee of space you might want to. On the other hand there are some properties with slightly larger grounds, higher hedges and fences, or larger amounts of tree coverage that give you some privacy and the illusion of being further away while still being close to the town itself.”

As for community. “I think if you're planning to show your face at community events and local venues you could still get the experience. It's small enough that we have to go to Sleepy Hollow too if we want some variety in certain areas. Or even NYC. And living outside a bit might exempt you from HOA aesthetic appeal rules about grass and such like.” He rolled his eyes. Homeowners associations were something of a personal pet peeve. “They are at least welcoming to near enough anyone as far as abilities, orientation and so on. Encouraging even on the first point.” It was still a little bit couched in polite terms, including in promotional information, but obvious enough to most who wanted to see it.

He didn't move his foot or startle when he found Logan’s against his own, just let it rest there, feeling like it was burning a wave of heat up his body.

“I can give you options,” he said. “A few different points in the distance scale.” So many ways to phrase it had been rapidly discarded for propriety. And the result was slightly disappointing to Ben's ears.

—

Logan had hardly been fidgeting, but an extra stillness settled over him for a moment. Eaves/Carmichael, Ben Carmichael and Ben had ‘taken over’ the running of the business. That sounded like someone related to Ben was no longer available to run it. But they could simply have retired, so Logan didn’t offer his condolences, though he did think about it.

“Which bigger city?” Logan asked, for no reason other than simply curiosity. “I’ve worked in cities, but always lived further out.” Those cities had been (majority) human, though. Logan had no idea what it would be like to live around other supernatural entities. Logan didn’t think of himself as someone who was taken in by illusions, but in this case it might be more convenient. “I’d have to visit them to know,” he decided, without a trace of apology. This was Ben’s job, and it was hardly as if Logan expected him to object to spending more time flirting.

He did laugh, though, at being told it depended what he planned. “You’re vastly overestimating how much forethought I actually put into this.” Mostly, Logan had decided to come and see what Tarrytown was all about. “Don’t worry, though, I’m not going to flake out on buying a house. Once I decide on something, I’m very determined to follow through.” He let his voice dip into a throaty burr on that last sentence.

It wasn’t hard to guess what ‘abilities’ meant in this context, and Logan ran a finger around the collar of his t-shirt. Also not included in his ‘planning’ had been whether or not he was going to tell people what he was, or even whether he was or wasn’t human. “So I’ve heard,” he said at last, not quite committing either way, but at least implying he had an interest in such things.

Grinning, he nodded. “I like options.” In all things.

–

“Oh, only Rochester, it’s about 5 to 6 hours north depending on traffic. I could have moved away, but I knew I’d need a New York realty licence eventually and they don’t accept transfers, so that was easier.” His smile weakened as he thought of his Aunt Ruth. “Happened earlier than I expected, the move, so I’m glad for the experience I got.” He sucked in a breath and shook off the slight wave of sadness and smiled brighter again.

It was nice to hear Logan laugh, clearly he was having a good time. Could be a better time. his brain chimed in unhelpfully. He laughed too. “Okay. That is good to know,” he said with an amused nod. “Don’t worry about if you change your mind. Perils of the industry unfortunately. People change their minds or their circumstances and things fall through. I’m not encouraging it,” it did eat into his commission after all, “but I know it happens sometimes.” And thankfully, as annoying as the minutiae were the Parker sale was unlikely to fall through and would also make a tidy sum for the firm at the same time. “I appreciate your determination to see things through to the end though,” he said as his eyelids lowered slightly, his voice also dropping and becoming ever so slightly breathy.

He nodded decisively. Options were excellent. In so many senses. “How about I pull some of our current properties to give you an idea of what you can expect for your budget and give you an idea of the spread of options you have in the area? A sort of sample of what’s available and then you can help me narrow down what you like and I can arrange some viewings.” Benny knew that the whole spiel was full of innuendo, but he really didn’t want to work around it any longer, and none of it was inaccurate. He waited for agreement and then passed Logan the new client form. “If you could fill in your contact details while I pull some sales packs. No need for everything as long as what you give me is reliable.”

—

Seeing the smile weaken confirmed what Logan had already been thinking, and the words only hammered it home. People didn’t usually retire ‘earlier than expected’ unless they were ill, or worse. He reached across the desk, settling a hand on one of Ben’s and giving it a small squeeze. “I’m sorry.” Whatever had happened, it was clear that Ben was hurting over it. Logan didn’t expect to be able to make that any better, not as a complete stranger, but that wouldn’t stop him offering what sympathy he could.

Though he didn’t see much likelihood of changing his mind or his circumstances falling through, Logan nodded. Even if he could have explained in such a way as to convince Ben, it seemed a waste of effort when he could just convince him by buying the house that he intended to buy anyway. Instead, Logan focused on the way Ben’s voice had changed, shifting in his chair as the tone seemed to become a preview in his brain of how Ben might sound later. “And I appreciate you enabling me to make a decision so quickly,” he answered with a smirk. He hadn’t intended to get anyone laid as his very first act in the area, but he wasn’t going to turn his nose up at good luck when it offered itself so temptingly.

Evidently, Ben’s efforts to keep things professional were on their way out the window, if not already long gone. In response, Logan let his boot slide a little higher up Ben’s leg, until it was nudging at the muscle of his calf through the well-tailored suit trousers Logan really hadn’t had enough time to fully appreciate. “A sample of what’s available sounds extremely promising,” he agreed, eyes glittering with humour at just how unsubtle they were being. “You’ll find I’m not an unreasonably picky client to work with.” Finally releasing Ben’s hand, he accepted the pen and the form, jotting down his cell phone number. “I’m staying at the bed and breakfast,” he added. “Do you want to drop the options off there, or can I save you the trouble and come pick them up?”

–

Benny did flash Logan a smile of thanks for his sympathy. He had received sympathy from nearly all of his aunt's transferred clients, and rather a lot of the newer ones besides. The town was small enough that news travelled fairly fast, so anyone who had been here for a while had heard the news before he mentioned it.

He gave a little shrug at the compliment and implied buying promise. “It's what I'm here for.” Despite the evidence that it was currently just a smokescreen for poorly veiled flirting, he really was good at his job and wanting to sell folks houses. Or at least rent them out.

He had to fight incredibly hard not to visibly react too obviously as the foot crept up his leg. His jaw lowered slightly as his mouth wanted to open, and his eyelids fluttered just a hint even as a tiny flag in his mind hoped he hadn't misremembered Logan’s shoes as being clean. He had been wondering if he could pull the info packs for a few properties on the spot and was distracted from his attempts to get together a chain of thought again by the comments.

“Right, umm, I think perhaps coming back here might be best,” he decided after a split second of remembering both the levels of gossip and nosiness of some of the B&B owners he had encountered. “I'm not sure which of the places you're at, but some can be very particular about people having guests over, even the sort with business cards and stacks of paperwork.” He had a particular memory of a lawyer in mind who had chased him down at his residence to try and speed things along. His landlord had been less than impressed. “I stayed at one of them when I arrived in town,” he added as an explanation. He was becoming flustered as his mind flicked through a host of scenarios of the two of them spread out over various desks and beds. Given he knew his own flexibility about things he couldn’t even restrict himself to one combination of lead and follow.

After several solid seconds of staring at Logan he jumped back into action with a start and pulled open his top drawer. “Here are my contact details and usual working hours. I have some flexibility to work around schedules,” he said, the spiel slightly on automatic. “I won't reply out of hours unless it's prearranged and this is not my personal line, so don't worry about the time you call. I will return messages when I'm next working.” He was very good at when to turn the forwarding of his office calls on and off, and kept his work cell on silent outside of office hours. He had learned that quickly as mobile phone use began to rise and demanding clients tried to take advantage.
___

Ben’s ability not to startle, giving Logan only a flutter of eyelashes for his troubles, ignited a deep curiosity to see just how Ben would react once there was no more pretending this was even a little bit professional. Would Logan still have to work for every reaction, or was Ben going to cut loose the minute he was away from his office? He licked his lips; both were very, very appealing prospects.

Frankly, while Logan would have taken Ben back to the bed and breakfast, going somewhere else did seem better, especially on the assumption that Ben didn’t have housemates or dependents to interrupt things. “Back here it is, then,” he agreed, glancing down at the card Ben handed him, then flashing another mirthful grin at Ben across the desk. “I’ll try not to turn up right at the end of your day,” he lied.

Though he was slightly disappointed not to get Ben’s personal number, it hardly seemed as though he needed it right this second, not when he knew where to find Ben and until what time. He gestured to the form he’d filled in. “That is my personal number. Feel free to use it anytime, I won’t mind.”

–

Ben raised an eyebrow. “See I was going to suggest you come towards the end of the day and I can give you a bit of a tour of the town into the bargain when I lock up,” he offered. “Not really a part of the firm’s service, but I’d like to show you what the town has to offer.” He smirked ever so slightly, eyes flashing with mischief and promise. If the tour was largely an excuse to walk to his apartment he didn’t think Logan would complain. Assuming he could get hold of Leo. He really hoped he could get hold of Leo.

Would Ben be using Logan’s number again for non-work purposes? Only time would tell. “I’ll certainly use it. If for some horrific reason I can’t find what I want to show you by the last hour of the day I’ll let you know.” He could let Logan know exactly what was going on later. Ben distinctly suspected he wouldn’t be put off by the fact Ben had a partner, but he by far preferred to explicitly check. He was going to have a busy lunch break.

“Oh, I have our standard client agreement for you to read through,” he said, pulling a copy from the relevant drawer as he belatedly remembered some of his actual duties. “No need to sign anything, just for your information at this point.”

“Otherwise I’ll see you later,” he said, standing and offering a hand. He really hoped he was going to be seeing a lot of Logan later.

–

“A tour,” Logan repeated, amused. He hoped this tour was going to take them from Ben’s office to wherever Ben lived, but if Ben felt like being a tease and showing Logan over the whole town, Logan would play along. Giving a low hum of approval, he nodded. “As I said, I enjoy options. I’d love to hear what you recommend.” Or, if not, Logan had plenty of non-verbal ways of testing the waters to discover what would be well received.

He raised an eyebrow, not sure whether the ‘horrific reason’ was supposed to be something as mundane as Ben needing to work later than planned or if he had reason to believe something might happen. He gave a small, casual shrug. “If not today, then another day.” He wasn’t going to lose interest just because he let Ben out of his sight for a day, or even longer.

Accepting the agreement, he let his fingers brush Ben’s, the touch barely there compared to the pressure of Logan’s boot against Ben’s calf. And then the calf moved as Ben stood and Logan rose with him, accepting the hand just as he had before. “I’ll be here in time for you to lock up, unless I hear otherwise,” he promised.

Sliding his coat back on to face the weather outside, he offered a final grin and a wave on his way out the door. A morning very, very well spent, as far as Logan was concerned.

---

Interlude: Lunchtime, a phone call.

Benny: Dials Pickup pick up pick up. Please don’t be in a meet- Hi babe. How are you doing?


Leo: Unheard


Benny: Yeah, good so far. I’ve run home to do some stuff over lunch. How’s your day going?


Leo: Unheard


Benny: You should stop listening to him, he’s an arsehole, even if he makes you good money.


Leo: Unheard


Benny: I mean I needed to pick up around the place anyway, but I may have a bit of extra incentive.


Leo: Unheard


Benny: So this guy came into the office this morning and Leo you should have seen him-


Leo: Unheard


Benny: I know, I know. I don’t need the fucking around at work talk again, I really don’t. He was just that… look he flirted like it was breathing and if he’d tried any harder I was gonna be spread out on the desk or jacking off in the back and neither is a good look!


Leo: Mostly unheard, muffled laughter


Benny: Yeah, he’s coming back at the end of the day. Said I’d give some property to look at and the tour of the town. You want to veto?


Leo: Unheard


Benny: Yes, the town is mostly my place. I really am going to pull some places for him to look at later though.


Leo: Unheard


Benny: Nah, he was pretty insistent he really wants to buy a place not just suck my dick. I’ve not got complaints either way, although Auntie might.


Leo: Unheard


Benny: Yeah. Love you too. We’ll talk later. Bye.

Carry on to part two