Tessa Gray (grayshifter) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-05-01 21:33:00 |
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While Tessa was already married (to two husbands, no less) and owned her own business, she was still very young. In fact, she had only recently celebrated her eighteenth birthday - a fact that was currently giving her grief. “I do have business with the owner,” she patiently explained to the large man at the door of the pub who was staring suspiciously at the identity card she had been given upon her arrival. “Uh huh,” he said dubiously. “And the fact that we have dollar shooters doesn't play into it?” “I assure you, I have no interest in any shooting unless it's with a bow and arrow.” The man didn't look impressed. “Wait here,” he ordered tersely, and closed the door to check with the owner of the establishment. *** Charles was doing his best to deal with the emotional aftermath of he, Erik and Clarke being parents then suddenly having the children gone. It had torn his own heart out, but Erik was a mess inside. He was doing all he could for his friend, but right now he needed a few drinks. He was surprised to see Tessa waiting outside the bar but not unpleasantly so. A ghost of a smile formed on his lips as Charles approached her. “Tessa. I didn’t take you for a shooter girl.” *** “I really am not,” Tessa said ruefully. She was not overly fond of the taste of alcohol, even in sweet drinks. She might sip at a glass of wine, but that was the extent of it. Which, she realized, did not explain her presence here. “I am waiting for the owner,” she explained. “His father is a client of mine and I require some additional information for documentation I am preparing in his behalf.” *** “Ah, I see,” Charles said as he looked at the door that was pointedly missing its bouncer. “And I assume they aren’t taking you at your word.” He tsked. No doubt the man was just inside the door wasting time before he came back out to tell Tessa to move along...if he remembered at all. “Can I be of assistance?” *** Tessa glanced at the closed door and considered. Normally she would not be a proponent of using magic to influence people to do her will, but in this case, she had a feeling she would not get very far without it - and she had much more to do before the afternoon was out. “Would you mind going in and perhaps...convincing him to let me in?” she asked. Charles was clever and charming enough he might not even need his particular skill set. **** Charles chuckled with a sly glint in his eyes. “My dear, I can do much better than that.” He winked at her then felt out with his mind for that of the owner of the establishment, intent on planting the suggestion that he should come outside. Meanwhile…”So how are Will and Jem?” he asked casually. *** Tessa felt the small pulse of...not quite magic, but that power Charles had such fine control of. She didn’t know what he had just done, but judging from the gleam in his eyes, she could quite confidently guess he was up to some sort of mischief. She only hoped it would not end in some sort of explosion, as Will’s bouts of mischief were prone to do. “Keeping themselves busy,” Tessa said, no small amount of pride in her voice. “Jem, as you know, has the addiction centre, and Will has gone into partnership with someone to open a training centre. You should come by for dinner again some day.” *** “Yes,” Charles said with another smirk. “Will had to get himself a rather pretty secretary in order to keep him organized. I’ve been meaning to twitch him endlessly about that. He went to such lengths to obtain someone who will make him look good.” Fortunately, Tessa would know that Charles was joking. He just liked to give Will the Pretty a hard time about his ego. *** And it was a good thing Tessa was secure in Will’s love for her, dalliance with Sara Lance aside. Otherwise, she might feel just a little insecure by Zatanna’s presence. “Tease Will all you like, but don't let Miss Zatara hear you call her an assistant,” she warned, her lips twitching. “She is extremely proficient in showing her displeasure.” *** “Actually I was speaking of Agent Hill, but point taken.” Charles smiled. Apparently, Will had managed to surround himself with pretty assistants to keep him organized. Why Tessa tolerated it was beyond him. Then Charles looked toward the door. “And you are about to receive your client,” he said a moment before the door opened and the man she’d come here to see came out looking slightly baffled. Charles looked back to her with a smug smile and winked. *** “Oh, Agent Hill especially,” Tessa said with a laugh. Will did have a knack for picking up beautiful women - how could he not, when he was so Will? And she would absolutely feel threatened, if he didn't look at her as he did: as if no one else existed for him. She glanced at the door just in time to see the owner walk out, and she laughed, both amused and impressed by Charles’s goin above and beyond. “Hello, Mr. Waterston,” she said, stepping forward. She gave Charles a small smile of thanks as she did so. “My name is Tessa Carstairs, and I am here on behalf of your father…” |