Conner Reece (reece_con) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2012-10-17 01:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | day six, reece, reece and susanna, susanna |
By No Means Better
Characters: Reece and Susanna
Setting: laundry room, late afternoon
Reece walked Kasper to her room, watching to to make sure she was in it safely before heading back to his room to shower from his work out and change out of clothes that weren’t puke stained. When he headed back down to the laundry with his shoes and shirt he was back in his standard uniform, unbuttoned white henley and jeans, as well as his work boots which he liked better than the sneakers they’d given him anyway.
Once he was in the laundry didn’t really look up, tossing the puked on clothes and shoes all in the same washer at once.
There was only so long that Susanna could walk around her room reading, and as it neared toward noon, she realized that she hadn’t eaten anything. She went to the kitchen for a quick bite, taking it back to her room to eat, not wanting to really socialize since she hadn’t quite decided how to handle whatever issues she might face with Ryan being in the stocks. After eating, she finally accepted the fact that she just couldn’t put off doing her laundry any longer. And so, she bundled it all up in a sheet and headed down to where she knew the laundry room was.
She’d been there for awhile, having already switched her laundry to the dryer, and she was sitting cross-legged on one of the driers not in use when she noticed Reece come in, glancing up from her book. He seemed utterly focused on what he was doing, and she waited until he closed the lid to speak. “What, not even a ‘hello’? You’ll make a girl think she’s invisible,” she said in a lightly teasing tone.
He didn’t look up when she first spoke, putting the detergent into the washer instead. “Funny. You could say the same about yourself.” He dropped the lid on the washer and hit the button before he leaned on it, looking at her. “Did you need something?”
“Have I made you feel invisible?” Susanna asked as she marked her place in the book with a scrap of paper. “No, I don’t need anything. I think I’ve decided to just pretend I’ve no needs at all. Easier to keep from upsetting anyone that way, although I’m getting the impression that I’ve managed to do so anyway,” she mused aloud. He certainly seemed to still have a chip on his shoulder.
He rolled his head a little, still leaning, arms spread, hands flat on the washer. “What makes you think I’m upset. I don’t care.” He had something better in his back pocket didn’t he?
One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose at that. “Really, Reece? Because everything from your expression to your tone is just telling me that you’ve got a massive chip on your shoulder toward me.”
Reece looked like he was considering it, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the washer as he watched her. Slowly he shook his head. “Not at all. Way I figure? You were supposed to impress me and I’ve barely seen you. So either you don’t care enough to impress me, you can’t think of a way to, or you are very comfortable with where Ryan is right now.”
Susanna’s brows rose at the different possibilities he laid out for her lack of effort in impressing him. “I’ve had much to think about since we last spoke. I haven’t got out much,” she admitted. “But what do you mean, I am very comfortable with where Ryan is right now? I’m not at all comfortable with that. It’s disturbing on many levels, and if he’s been doing things he ought not to do, I want nothing to do with that.” It was, in all actuality, the truth. Though she didn’t really care what Ryan got up to, she did not want it affecting her chances at freedom.
“Sarcasm princess,” Reece pointed out before shaking his head. “I didn’t think you would be, but...well you made that choice. And here I thought only I had terrible taste in the opposite sex.” Which was his normal track record and so far it was proving the be the same here.
“Oh,” Susanna said softly when he pointed out he’d been sarcastic. She hadn’t caught that, which annoyed her a touch, though she didn’t let it show. She wrinkled her nose at his next words. “Certainly not. I have a terrible track record. It’s why I’m...” she trailed off, pressing her lips together in a thin line and darting her gaze away. She really didn’t want to open the door to that conversation, and she was holding out hope that he would continue his trend of not asking questions.
Reece waited, expecting her to say something else but when she didn’t, he tapped his fingers along the washer, listening to the hollow echo despite the running machines. “Why you’re what?”
Damn him. Susanna breathed in deeply as she looked back at him, holding his gaze for a few beats before answering. “Why I’m here,” she answered simply.
He waited again then rolled his hand waiting on her to do something more. “Where? In the laundry room doing laundry?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m doing my laundry because I have terrible taste in men,” Susanna shot back, voice thick with sarcasm. It was the first time that she’d actually felt he was being utterly stupid. “Why I’m in prison. However they dress it up, this is still a prison.”
That she dropped that tone on him made him smile slightly. “And here I thought we were talking about Ryan. So what did happen?”
“No, we were talking about our taste in partners, there was no specification of the time frame,” she retorted with a stubborn tilt of her jaw. “As for what happened - I do not remember that night, it’s... a big, dark blank in my memory. But even before then... I have always had a tendency to go with precisely the wrong men. Abusive, dominating men.”
Reece ran his tongue over his lower lip while she spoke, then wiped it away with his thumb. “You don’t have to lie to me. I’m not going to tell your secrets.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “What made you pick me?” Because he was hardly either one of those.
“I’m not lying,” Susanna stated simply, frowning. The faintest of grins graced her face at the question, and she tilted her head as she considered it. “I’m not sure. I didn’t intend to sleep with you. I’m not certain what I planned when I brought you the alcohol. It was simply meant as a thank you for the cigarettes. Perhaps it was simply hormones, seeing you in the state of undress when you opened the door. You’re a very attractive man, Reece,” she pointed out.
“It never once crossed your mind? You just showed up with a bottle of alcohol, expecting nothing?” he asked. That was surprised. He smiled at the compliment, nodding a little. “I’ve heard that before.”
Susanna laughed very lightly at that. “Hmm, it may have crossed my mind, though it wasn’t the intention. I’d requested a bottle specifically for you, and I was excited when I saw that it was actually provided, even if it was with the bar for the whole community,” she explained. “So bringing it to you then was more impulse out of an excitement to share than any ulterior sexual motive.” She smiled at his acknowledgement of the complement. “I’m sure you have. It’s the truth, and attractive people tend to hear that they are so.”
“You requested that for me?” he asked smiling a little. He still had it, sitting on his desk. “It’s not like I hear it every day but I know I get by.” He wasn’t the best looking, but it wasn’t like he had trouble in that department. “I’m assuming you’ve heard the same about yourself.”
“Yes, I did,” Susanna answered with simple honesty. She smiled at his words but didn’t comment on it further. “Naturally. As a dancer, I’m accustomed to hearing both compliments and critiques as to my appearance,” she answered.
“Dancer...that explains the shoes then,” he said nodding towards her feet. “Don’t let anyone critique you. I’ve seen it first hand, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” He certainly had been impressed. “So where does this leave us?”
Susanna glanced down at her feet, her expression lighting up just a bit. “Yes! I requested a pair the same time I requested the Jack Daniels for you, and they finally arrived today. I’m breaking them in before I try dancing in them,” she explained. She merely smiled at the compliment. People could critique her appearance all they liked. She’d never let it bring her down because she was confident in her appearance. “That is up to you, to be perfectly honest. I am planning to stop in to see Cal after I’ve returned my laundry to my room. Because you were right, it was irresponsible of me to sleep with anyone unprotected, and I’ve no intention of doing so again,” she explained. Perhaps it was oversharing, but considering they’d slept together, she had no shame in being perfectly honest with him on this front.
“You plan on dancing?” Reece asked, impressed look on his features. He might actually be interested in seeing that. He wasn’t making promises of sticking around for long, but watching some might be interesting. “Not up to me. I’m not the one playing the game,” he pointed out then nodded. “Good for you I suppose, being responsible. I’ve already been by the clinic once today and would rather not do that again.”
“Absolutely. I miss it, more than I can possibly say,” Susanna answered. Dancing was like breathing to her, it was the only thing that truly mattered to her. “I’m not playing any kind of game. Perhaps... I may have a tiny bit the other day, but I never set out to do so. But, you should know - I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t... I had my chance at that. But I did enjoy your company, and as I told you that day, I would gladly enjoy your company again.” She wasn’t going to throw herself at him or beg him, but making it clear that she was still interested in him she could do. “I’ve not actually been in there yet, though I certainly don’t want to make a habit of frequenting it.”
“A tiny bit? That was a show and a half. And I’m not going to bother with that. Especially not with the cowboy.” Everything about Reece’s tone and look said he was serious. Leaning back from the washer he tapped his fingers along the metal again, looking at his hand instead of her. “I’d have a hard time saying no,” he settled on, instead of giving her more. Sure he had his sights set on Mojo and whatever chase she was giving him, but if Susanna showed up to wake him up another morning, he’d be slow to turn her away. “My first visit and not for my own accord. Helping a girl down there.”
There was no misunderstanding Reece’s meaning there, and Susanna quirked a brow at that. “So it’s not the issue of monogamy that’s in question, here? It’s Ryan specifically?” she still asked, wanting there to be absolutely no question about it. She smiled at his words, happy to know that, though she didn’t comment on it. “Well, aren’t you just a knight in shining armor,” she teased lightly. After a moment, though, she turned serious again. “Reece,” she began. “I handled the whole situation poorly, and I am sorry for that.”
Something in Reece’s features twitched at that. “Part of it’s him. Another part has to do with being dangled in front of him like bait. I don’t fuck with pretty boys on purpose and as cute as you are, you’re not going to make me start.” He sure as hell wasn’t lovesick enough for that. “It’s if you’re going to keep it casual, keep it that way, not bait me to be more then yank it away. I’m not a fan of bullshit.” But he’d been over that with her. He rolled his eyes at the knight comment. “She beat the crap out of another girl and then passed out and puked on me. It wasn’t really a knight thing, more a thing that needed to be done and I was already holding her, already had puke on me.” When she apologized he shook his head, waving her off with one hand. “Don’t do that. Don’t apologize. I don’t care if you’re sorry. I care if you do it again.”
Bait him to be more? She mentally scoffed at that, not believing that she’d ever once implied that she wanted anything more than casual with him. “Understood,” she said simply in response, not about to go around and around about it. “Ahh, well then, knight reference has been retracted,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes just a bit. “All right, then. I won’t apologize again.” And she would do her best not to flaunt anything with Ryan in front of him, too, but she didn’t feel the need to specify that.
“Good. I don’t want to ruin my reputation,” Reece said, smirking but it didn’t reach his eyes. His washing machine finished its cycle and he pulled his things out, tossing them in a nearby dryer after inspecting them for puke. Closing the dryer he looked over at her again and hitting the button for it to start. “So we’re on the same page then?”
Susanna laughed shortly at that, shaking her head. “I’ve a feeling mine has already been damaged,” she admitted, though she couldn’t be sure on that point. Ryan’s indiscretion combined with the blatant display they’d shown the other night had to have reflected poorly on her, she was convinced of it. “Yes, we are,” she confirmed.
Reece didn’t comment though he knew he was in part to blame for that. He hadn’t liked being a toy and had lashed out, while not harsh, he’d been less than gentle with describing her. “Keep your private stuff as private as you can and it won’t matter what they say,” he wound up telling her before pushing off the dryer. “I’ll let you get back to your book. No sense in sitting here waiting for four things to dry.”
“I’ve every intention of doing so,” she said softly. When he essentially said he was leaving, Susanna had an inexplicable urge to ask him to stay, and she really wasn’t certain why she wanted things to be good between them, but she did. “Of course, though Reece? Might I ask a favor?” she began, waiting for a response before specifying what the favor was.
Reece was ready to leave, only slowing when she asked the question, stopping to look at her with his arms crossed over his chest. “You can ask. I won’t make any promises that I can help.”
She wanted to laugh at the way he crossed his arms, but she merely smiled faintly. “Of course. It’s just... Well, they also gave me a ballet bar, but it needs to be assembled, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the slightest clue how to go about that. I would understand if you weren’t inclined to help, but I would be extremely grateful if you did,” she explained.
He considered that for a moment, wondering if it was some sort of ploy to sucker him in. There was a retort, something about Ryan on the tip of his tongue, but Reece swallowed it back. “Yeah I can probably help with that at some point. Just remind me.”
“All right. Thank you,” Susanna said with a soft, genuine smile. She would wait until tomorrow, she thought. Her dryer signalled the end of its cycle then, and she unfolded herself to slide down, grabbing a basket to her.
Reece hesitated for a moment, watching her move a little too closely before he took a step back. “I’ll get out of your hair. Good luck with the Doc.”
Susanna didn’t say anything more to that, though she did want to tell him that he wasn’t in her hair. She just felt like it would be best to leave things be for the moment. She glanced at him once more, giving him one last small smile before he left.