Who: Alana and Aphrodite Carmen Summers What: Investigation Where: Jube Hotel When: Monday, Oct 13 Warnings: Alana's normal language issues. Blunt discussion of Aphrodite's favorite topic/domain/hobby.
Aphrodite had not forgotten she had agreed to help D, she had just been busy with things. It was only now, on a rainy day like today, that she dragged herself to the Jube Hotel to find the girl she had to work on. What was her name again? A-manda? A-shley? A-lana! Pleased, she cast a bright smile at her reflection on the elevator doors. She had to look her best, and while it was raining, she had her jacket opened to reveal the pale dress beneath and her hair was still perfectly in place.
As the doors opened, she adjusted the purse on her shoulder and walked out with a bounce in her step. It was quiet but her target was easy to spot, sitting alone behind a desk. Glancing the girl over, she shrugged her shoulders dismissively of the woman's looks and approached the desk wordlessly.
Alana's own hair was down at the moment, her concentration seemed to be on the computer before her. She was dealing with emails that had been forwarded to her in her bosses absence and it seemed like everyone was using this as an excuse to bitch about the small things. She was seriously ready to take a hammer with her and just start hitting people on the head. It'd work well enough.
Realizing someone was coming down the hall, she gave a quick glance, then back to the screen. Well, she wasn't staff. That could be good or bad, depending on her temperament. Saving the draft for now, she twisted in her seat to face the blonde and gave a polite smile. "Hi, can I do something for you?"
"That depends on what you're offering, Alana," she said simply, extending her hand. "Carmen Summers, I'm a friend of Mr. Wood. How are you?"
Blinking, Alana stood and shook the woman's hand. "Doin' alright. Surprised D would send someone ta my work... unless ya needed a favor of some kind?"
"Oh no, he didn't send me here. We were catching up and he mentioned you, the vacation, where you work," she dismissed it all with the wave of her hand. "I just had to see the girl who had my D's eye, that's all." Another glance at the woman and she twisted her mouth to the side. Upon better inspection she was somewhat pretty. "Busy?"
"Nothin' that can't be put on hold," she smiled, gesturing to the chairs and a couch. It'd be easier then with her behind the desk. "Can I get ya somethin' ta drink? Coffee, tea? Water? I've got the kitchen on speed dial too," Alana offered, only part joking. Really, there was an endless number of choices if the woman was willing to wait.
"I'm fine," she said, settling down on one of the couches and turning her head up to the ceiling. She had been surprised by the class of the place. With a slight hum, she glanced back at Alana and smiled, patting the spot next to her. "Tell me about yourself," she started kindly, trying to get her comfortable.
Taking the seat, Alana leaned back and crossed an ankle to her knee as she rested her hands in her lap. Something about the whole set up felt like some kind of joke. While she could understand that D would mention the trip, and who he was taking with him, she wondered if Carmen hadn't somehow gotten the wrong impression about their relationship. That, and the idea of being interview seemed like something a parent would do to their high schooler's prom date. But, she'd play along for the moment. "Not a lot to tell. I work here for Jube after his other secretary disappeared on him. We'd met a few times before and when he caught me half ready ta beat a guy up for pullin' a prank and stealin' my tool belt, he offered me the job." She smirked at the memory, knowing how that sounded. "How is it that you know D?"
Tool belt? She quirked a brow and found herself staring. This was going to take some work. "We have a long history together," she answered once the initial shock of the less-than-feminine memory was revealed. "Partners in crime, I believe you could say," she said with a wink. "And I hadn't seen him in years, but I just moved to Miami and we found each other so we took our time in catching up. Just the way he mentioned you I thought that perhaps there was some serious dating going on?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.
What was so shocking about a tool belt? Plus, it was made for her by a friend. She was a wee bit possessive of it. Though the idea that D and Carmen were partners in crime quickly translated to ... a more personal relationship. The wink didn't help. That seemed no surprise. Her eyebrows went up at the description she claimed D to have made. "Not with me, not that I'm aware of. We were datin' for a bit after meetin' at his club, but when he told me he wasn't exactly of the one woman, one person, type of guy..." She shrugged. "I've got no issues with friendship with him, but I'm not exactly lookin' for some quick lay either." Alana tilted her head as she peered at the other. "What exactly did he say?"
"Oh." Well, that didn't work. Going for complimenting and now she was the one having to find a cover story. What would D say about someone like her? "Well I guess he really didn't say much," she began. "Not about dating, but I assumed from how often he brought you up that there was something more than a friendship." She actually pouted after a sigh. "Just a friend? Really?"
"Just a friend," Alana confirmed, though seeing the woman's face made her want to say more. D knew it was friendship and where she drew the line, so he couldn't really be expecting something more, right? If Carmen was here as some go between, Alana would be smart to make the best use of it. "Look, I'll be blunt. D wanted sex, and I'm a virgin. Every other fuckin' guy I've ever dated seemed ta want nothing more then ta get into my pants and when they couldn't get there, they went elsewhere for it. Same thing with D. He was just more honest 'bout it and for that reason, I'm willin' ta keep up friendship and have a good time, but he knows I've drawn a line and he knows what would need to be done for me ta cross it." They'd had a discussion about it and everything. Kinda. Shifting, Alana turned slightly to the side and propped her head up on one arm along the back of the couch as she watched for the others reaction. The mortal didn't exactly keep a filter on her mouth.
That had been unexpected, but she visibly relaxed, leaning over a little like a gossiper. "You're a virgin?" she asked quietly. "In this day and age? Really? Why?" She had to know why anyone would deny themselves such pleasure, and it amused her to hear the explanations. They were always so droll.
Alana's eyebrows went up. "In this day and age? Why the fuck not?" Oh yeah, she'd gotten into this discussion before, but she kept her voice down almost just as much. "All the STDs goin' around, people lying left and right, the fact that pregancy can happen as easily as it rains?" She shook her head, the last one almost making her shudder. "I'm not waitin' for marriage like some people do for religous reasons or anything, but I'd like the guy to at least be worth it... Not look at me like some piece of meat ta drool over one night then throw out for the dogs the next."
"Hmm," was the only sound to escape for a few moments. She was surprised to say the least, but more disappointed than anything. Why all the concern? Just do, enjoy, live, but of course there had to be the people who ruined the party for everyone else. "I suppose those are valid reasons, but only to someone who has never actually experienced the joy of coupling," she said passionately. "Nothing else compares to feelings you get when sharing your body with another. Nothing. All it really takes is a little skip past your boring reasons to have a taste of ecstasy." Another sigh, this time wistful, and she fell back on the couch, looking quite pleased with the idea of all she had described.
That was almost amusing right there. The smirk on Alana's face showed it as well. "Uh huh. And one little fuck up and that brief moment of ecstasy can mean a lifetime of trouble. There's plenty of fun that can be had without the risks, and without tryin' ta figure out if the person you're with is act'ly gonna be a good lay or not."
"That's the beauty of this day and age, there are plenty of ways to...protect yourself," she said dismissively. "You seem like the kind of woman who would be up for a daring new adventure. That's exactly what sex is. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's really good, and other times you'll forget who you are because it was amazing. You just have to take the first step."
Take the first step and watch as she falls down a deep ravine.. Yeah, that wasn't likely to happen. "Alright, then look at it this way. If you're willing to give yourself to any guy that looks good or makes you laugh for a few minutes or whatever, then what do you have to offer to the guy that really sparks your interest? Sex? Nope, that's gone to however many other guys before him and kinda takes down the value of it. And if he plays by those same rules, how do you know that you're more then a source for a fun fuck?" She shook her head. "Other chicks can play by whatever rules they want, but I'm gonna hold myself to some standards, and they're that much easier to define if ya don't involve sex."
Everything the woman said went right over her head. Virtue? With sex? More than just that? She nearly stuck her tongue out in disgust, this conversation was giving her a bad taste of a difficult mortal. "There's nothing but sex in this world," she said simply, leaning forward and placing her hand on Alana's knee gently. "It is the only way to truly learn who your partner is."
Alana leaned forward slightly in return, lowering her voice as she looked Carmen in the eye. "Then let them be a partner, and not just some random stranger."
"How much do you have to know about someone in order to consider sleeping with them?" she asked, her eyes sparkling in mischief.
She considered, her head tilting ever so slightly in thought. "To consider sleeping with them... I'd have ta know enough to trust them."
"So tell me, who do you trust?" She was speaking slow but kind and her hand was still resting against her knee, fingers lightly turning circles across the pants as she waited for her question to be answered.
"In the sexual sense or in the all encompassing sense?" She didn't want to make some comment and have it turned against her. The hand on her knee wasn't unnoticed, nor the motion it was making. She stayed still, letting it be for now.
"I assumed that they would be the same if you were to accept sleeping with someone," she said softly, drawing her hand back and letting it rest in her lap with a smile.
She arched an eyebrow. "I trust my parents and sister, but I wouldn't sleep with them unless that's exactly what it was." Leave it to Alana to let things fall literally. "But someone I'd trust enough to sleep with?" She shook her head. "No one right now. Maybe one or two I'd consider considerin', but that's as close as you get."
Rolling her eyes at the first comment, it took her a moment to manage a response to the last part. "You should come by my shop sometime," she said, moving on quickly to something else. This was going to take more work than a conversation but doing it here, at a hotel, when she had a lingerie boutique? Now that was the perfect setting to get the little mortal to cave.
Blinking, to say she was confused by the change in topic would be a minor understatement. What? Did she have a parade of hot guys she thought she could throw at her or something to prove her point? "Alright, what's it called?"
"Aphrodesia, it's a bit of a walk from here but all you really have to do is follow Coral. You can't miss it, the display will draw you in," she said proudly. While she may not have been the one to set up the window it was she who had hired the worker. That was enough to take full credit for it.
"Aphrodesia... Are you the one throwin' the party that D's bar tending?" she asked, thinking the name and address sounded a bit familiar, though she still hadn't bothered to go and look at it yet. She'd do it when she went for the party.
"Oh, so he mentioned me?" she asked, smiling brightly. "Yes, I had to hire the best bartender in town for my party, naturally. Did he invite you?"
"Yeah. Promised free booze and everything," she grinned. "He never gave a name though, just a short note saying he'd be there and I should stop by. Did ya have a date picked?"
She nodded excitedly. "The twenty fifth will be the night of the opening party. I've been putting signs up where I can." Not true, but she was paying Val to do it, close enough. "Guests are encouraged to touch and try on," she added with a smirk.
"Touch and try on?" Now Alana was confused. "What kind of shop do you own anyway? D never said." Though she was starting to think that had been part of the idea.
"Oh, it's just an exotic boutique," she said dismissively, realizing that she may have said too much. "Well, I should go, I have some things to do," like finding someone to bed. "Here," she pulled a card out of her purse and handed it over. "Call me."
Call her? About what? She took the card though and looked it over, ready to stick it in her wallet as she stood up to see her guest out... er.. to the elevator at least. "I'll prob'ly see ya at the party." She smiled. "Tell D hi for me when ya see him."
"Of course, of course, but I'm sure you'll see him before me," she smiled as she stepped into the elevator and waved. "I'll see you later, Alana."
She had more faith in that then Alana did. She waved back as the doors closed, then shook her head as she walked back to her desk. Oh, D would hear about this.
Summary: Aphrodite goes to see Alana as promised, and tries to dig the virgin out of her rock. At least she gained some insight to the Alana mind.