Caroline Elizabeth Beaufort (blessyourhearts) wrote in oblivion_rp, @ 2010-02-06 22:55:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | 2009-12-27, alexander, caroline |
Who: Alex and Caro
When: During the blackout
Where: Circean Delight
Caroline had been in her room, getting ready for her shift at Cult of Dionysus when the lights flickered and then went out entirely. It was startling, but Caro kept her cool as usual - she just grabbed the flashlight she had in her cabin, put the finishing touches on her makeup with the aid of the light, and headed upstairs. A passing crewmember had told her everyone was gathering at Circean Delight, so she went there and was immediately put to work behind the bar, slinging drinks for the congregating passengers. A lot of them were grumpy when they came up to the bar, but Caro was nothing if not skilled. Everyone who came up to her got treated to genuine Southern charm and left with a smile to go with their drink.
"There you go, Mr. David," she said with a bright smile as she handed two sidecars over to an older gentleman. "You take these and tell your beautiful wife over there that the shade of blue she's wearing just makes her glow." The pleased old man told her he would and pressed a 'little something' into her hand before shuffling away. Sliding the tip into the back pocket of her jeans, Caro turned her attention to the next customer.
"What can I get for you, sugar?"
Alexander had thought about just going to sleep when the lights flickered and went out, but where was the fun in that? There wasn't any, so when he went out in the hallway, contemplating spending some time with his sister or father and bumped into someone heading to get some drinks from the Circean Delight, he figured he'd go there first and see if anyone knew when the lights would be coming back on.
He ended up behind the older man and when Caro spoke to him, he couldn't help the little grin that flickered over his face. 'Sugar'. That was cute. "Surprise me." he said as he leaned on the counter top in her direction. "Bartenders always have that gift of knowing what their customers like, right?"
"Well, I'd sure hate to disparage any of my fellow bartenders," Caro said with a warm little laugh, "but in my case, you happen to be right." She made a little show of it, taking a step back and crossing her arms to study him. Tall, toned, cute. Dressed comfortably, so she eliminated anything frou frou or pretentious. "I think you're thirstin' for a beer, darlin'," she drawled, not needing to play up the accent for the thick Charleston honey to nearly overwhelm her words. "Simple, uncomplicated, but mighty tasty, and nice and cool." She pulled a pilsner glass from the rack of clean ones, tossing it up with a little flip - she was allowed to show off just a little, might as well entertain herself along with everyone else - and set it on the bartop. She pulled a frosty bottle from the cooler and cracked it expertly, pouring it into the glass with a minimum of foam. "Wittekerke," she said, sliding it over to him. "Belgian, and if I'm right, your new favorite." It was a citrusy wheat beer with hints of spices, very light and crisp, which made it perfect for a warm night when the power was out.
She was smart enough not to hand him something dumb and fruity and that pleased Alex. Beer was always good so he wasn't about to turn down one. He hadn't ever had the one that she handed him, but he was definitely willing to give it a try. "Beer is good." he said, flashing her another little grin. The more she talked, the more he wanted her to talk. It wasn't very often that a guy from Philly got to communicate with a girl who sounded like she was straight out of the country. It was somewhat sexy in it's own little way. "Thanks." he said, handing over some cash for said beer and picking up the glass. A little sip proved her statement to be true. Letting his tongue trail over his upper lip to erase the trace of liquid from it, he nodded a little. "I think you're right. Possibly my new favorite."
"I'll add it to my score," Caro said, pleased that he liked her selection. She prided herself on being a good bartender, so when she got a hit it made her happy. She slid the money back his way, wiping the bar down with a quick swipe of her rag and drawing up a Budweiser for a fellow bartender as he breezed past with his hands full of drinks. "Drinks are on the house tonight, sugar," she told him with a smile. "Since our shiny new boat's had a little electrical hiccup and all. So you just relax and enjoy it with our thanks for bein' such a sweetheart and not throwin' a hissy fit."
Alex smiled at her and then slid the money right back across the bar towards her. "Then keep it for a tip." he said. "Since you're working so hard and doing such a good job and all." He figured it sucked having to work in the dark anyway. The girl deserved a little bit of a tip for that. "Guess you'll be stuck behind the bar all night if they don't get the lights back up and running pretty soon, huh?"
"Well now," Caro said, putting a little more belle in her voice as she accepted with a smile, "aren't you just a sweetheart? Much obliged, darlin'." She shrugged, glad she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail just in case she was stuck behind the un-airconditioned bar for hours. "Well, seein' as how we're gettin' paid for our time behind the bar," she said cheerfully, "I sure can't complain, now can I? Besides, I love meetin' all ya'll passengers, and I'm sure our engineers are workin' just as hard as they can to get everything back up again."
Well wasn't she a ray of sunshine? Alex wasn't sure he could feel the same if he were the one back behind the counter. He'd probably have gotten bored about fifteen seconds behind the bar in the dark. "Well at least you're not angry about it." he said. "Makes it easier to talk to the bartenders that aren't pissed about being behind the bar." There were a lot of those back in Philly, but he wasn't going to say he knew that. Not looking like a drunk was the operable thing to do.
"I imagine people like an angry bartender about as much as they like an angry drunk," Caro said, laughing. Her conversation was a bit interrupted as she paused to make drinks for others, giving them a little attention before sending them on their way. Thankfully, it seemed the rush was slowing as people went away happier and with free booze. Good customer service plan, in Caro's opinion, even if they'd been told to use bottom-shelf whenever they could. "Plus, I suppose it's a bad career choice to work behind the bar if it makes you angry," she teased, winking at him. Finally free of customers, she leaned over the bar to extend her hand. "I'm Caroline," she introduced. "Caro, if you like it short and sweet." Both name and actual height, actually.
"True." he said with a nod. "Well, I'm not an angry drunk. Nor do I believe it would be a good thing for a bartender to be a bartender if it aggravates them." Taking the offered hand, he gave it a warm little shake. "Alexander, but Alex works for short and sweet too."
"It's surely a pleasure to meet you, Alex," she said as they shook hands. "So tell me, where are you from? Are you enjoyin' the cruise so far?" Sure, it was only the second day, but there'd been plenty of time in two days to get a good bunch of exploring in. Caro had done quite a bit of that herself with the advance time they'd had before taking on passengers.
"Philly." he told her with a grin. "And yeah, totally. It's an amazing ship." Despite it's electrical issues. "A lot to see. Doubt I'll even get to see it all by the time the cruise is over. There's still stuff in my room I'm finding awesome."
"I knew you were a Yankee the minute you opened your mouth," Caro teased him, "but I won't hold it against you. There sure is a lot to see on the ship, I can't argue that. I've seen a goodly deal, but I have no illusions that it's just the tip of the iceberg." She winked. "And now let's hope it's not bad luck to talk about icebergs on a cruise ship."
"Well I won't hold it against you that your a southerner." he smiled. "I actually quite like the accent, so I can't really hold nothing against you." He figured she was right about the ship. The iceberg comment made him think of Titanic and that was definitely not something to think about when you were on a boat in the middle of the ocean. "Yeah, seriously. I'd rather like to get back home eventually."
"Bless your heart," Caro said with a sweet smile. "You can't help it if you were born in the wrong state. I sure do appreciate the compliment, though I can't take credit for it." She chuckled, making up a vodka tonic for another customer. "Now, you know nothing untoward will happen. You'll find yourself wishing it had lasted longer when the time comes for you to go home, I'll bet."
"Probably." he nodded. "Having fun is a lot better than working all the time." he admitted. Whether he loved his job or not, working was never fun. It was hot. Hot and fiery. But that was besides the point. "I'm a firefighter." he explained with a smile.
"My goodness," Caro said, "you'll have to come see me another night when the drinks aren't free so I can get you one on the house. Back home, we always take care of our boys in uniform and I don't suppose it's any different in international waters." She'd been raised with a healthy respect for anyone who put their life on the line in defense of another - firefighters, policemen, soldiers. Honorable professions, all.
Alex smiled at her. "That's sweet." he said. "Nice to know we're appreciated." And it was. Getting free things didn't matter so much as the recognition that you were doing something worthwhile, something respected. "So, where's 'back home'?" he asked, not really caring if it sounded tack to ask. South he figured, but where?
"South Carolina," Caro said with a proud smile. "Charleston, to be specific. One of the most beautiful cities in the country; you should go visit if you've never been." Of course, she'd been to New York once before deciding the South was where she belonged, but hey, everyone loved Charleston. Disliking the city was unheard of.
"Nice." he said with a grin. "I might just have to visit. Even if it's to hear a lot of people talk the way you do." It was that cute little accent that made her more adorable to him than just the way she looked. "Ever been to Philly?"
"Flattery will get you everywhere, darlin'," Caro told him with a playful little wink, taking an order for several longnecks. She flipped the tops off with practiced twists of the bottle opener she kept in her back pocket, sliding them over with a smile. "I can't say I've ever been north of the Mason-Dixon line," she confessed, "save one trip to New York City."
He grinned at that. "What took you all the way to New York?" Alex questioned. He was curious what a girl from the country would find appealing about the big city life. It would have been interesting to see though, that he could admit.
"Oh, nothing more than a little vacation," Caro said, waving a hand. "See the sights, you know. Mama said New York was one of those places every girl had to see at least once. I loved the museums, but bless their hearts, New Yorkers wouldn't know a good time if it reared up and bit 'em on the unmentionables. There is no need for someone to be in that much of a hurry all the time."
"So what's your idea of a good time then?" he asked. "If it's not museums and city lights and a crowd that wants to push you out of the way." Alex knew he was probably holding her up from her work, but she hadn't complained yet. Maybe that was a good sign.
"Oh no, I adore museums," Caro said, shaking her head. "Charleston has an incredibly rich history." She gave him a slightly self-deprecating smile. "I'm a history geek, but I also like going horseback riding, dancing... I'll never say no to a good game of poker, either," she said with a grin. "What about you?" she asked. "What do big-city Yankees do for fun?"
"Dancing? And poker? Nice." he smiled. "Can't say I'm much of a dancer, but I can play a mean hand of poker." He wondered if he should ask her out sometime to play poker. But why? She probably wouldn't take him up on it and it wasn't like he had the best of luck with the ladies anyway.
"Well then," Caroline said, looking pleased, "I'll have to make sure I have a deck of cards on hand next time I see you; we'll have to see if you can put your money where your mouth is." She couldn't really come right out and ask him on a date - a lady never did the asking - but she certainly could hint.
That got a grin from Alex, one that he couldn't have hidden if he tried. "Maybe you will." he said. "Course that means that I'd need to invite you out to play cards sometime... if you're up for it?" he said. Trying to gauge her reaction, he watched her closely to see if he was too forward.
"I'd surely hate to relieve you of all your hard-earned money, sugar," Caro drawled with a slow, delighted smile, "but if you insist, it would hardly be mannerly for me to refuse, now would it?" Thank God almighty he seemed to be catching her hints. Or he was oblivious and into her anyway, but she wasn't about to squabble over a tiny distinction.
Alex couldn't help but smile a little wider at that. "I don't know about all that." he said. "You never know. It might be your hard earned cash that I relieve you of. So um... yeah... well... I could give you my room number. Or you could give me yours and we could figure things out." he smiled.
"Oh, they put us down in the very bottom of the ship," Caro said, "which is great for sleeping in but it can be quite the maze. But if you want to give me a call, darlin', I'm on B deck, number 2475." As she spoke, she'd grabbed a bar napkin and a felt pen and was scribbling her name and room number on it for him. Capping the pen, she slid it over. "I'll look forward to hearing from you, then. Even if it's just to empty your wallet."
Alex smiled at that and tucked the napkin into his pocket. "So lemme see that pen and I'll write down mine for you too." he said. "Then you don't have an excuse to be a stranger and you'll probably find mine a lot faster too. Never claimed to be good at directions, but I can definitely give it a go." And he would. Playing poker with the pretty little southern belle was definitely a decent way to spend a night.
Caro handed over the pen and a fresh napkin so she could keep his information in turn. "Down South, there's no such things as strangers, honey. There's just friends and people we haven't met yet." She had to pause to sling a few more drinks, this time a round of shots for a group of twentysomethings that had the looks of potential rowdiness - she made a note to keep an eye on them - and took his beer glass back to give him a quick refill. "There you go, sugarpie," she said as she handed it back. "I'm quite sure that however we work it, we'll manage to find each other."
Sugarpie? Well that was interesting. And cute, in a southern sort of way. He wasn't sure how fast he'd get used to the cute little nicknames, but hey, that was part of her charm. "We'll find each other." he said with a nod. "You can count on that. I guess I should let you get back to your work before I get you in trouble, huh?" Alex questioned.
"Oh, I'm sure the management here is mostly interested in keeping our guests happy," Caro said, waving her hand. "And if that means I had to chat with a particular gentleman to prevent a fit..." She gave him her best innocent smile. "But as much fun as you've been, it looks like they're getting a mite swamped down on the other end; I should probably go lend a hand."
Alex nodded. "Alright." he said. "Guess I'll just get going and what not. But I'll see you soon for poker and we'll see who ends up losing their wallet." he grinned.
"Indeed we shall," Caro agreed. She smiled back and gave him a little wave. "Have a great night, Alex," she wished him. Time to get back to work. Eyeing the crowd at the other end of the bar, she headed off to dive into the rush.