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Tweak says, "nhl geography?"

Lily Evans (just_lily) wrote in silverage,
@ 2011-07-27 06:38:00

Entry tags:

!log, don draper, lily evans

Surprise!
Who: Lily, Don
What: She has decided she wants an explanation
When: Wednesday, around lunch time
Where: Where he works.
Rating: Low
Status: Complete

While Lily had let herself be chased off on Monday, mostly because she didn't feel like confronting him while she was feeling so very wounded at the idea he'd stand her up -- even if she did suspect that's how it was going to go -- she'd thought about the situation and decided she simply wasn't going to let that stand.It wasn't polite, really, to make plans and then break them without any word of explanation. He knew where she lived, after all; it wouldn't have been so hard to drop a note there for her.

But to the best of her knowledge, he hadn't. He'd simply not been there, and she'd received no explanation from him. So she'd left, she'd let it be, she'd entertained herself instead. But when she woke up Wednesday morning, she decided that no, she needed to hear from him the reasons. If he didn't want to escort her about, that was fine, but it was just rude to make that sort of decision and not inform the other person.

Lily was still having some trouble adjusting to the styles of the time, but she had bought a few outfits she found comfortable and not so completely weird that she couldn't survive in them. It made her wonder in a sort of abstract way if she'd still be here when the attire she'd shown up in eased into style, though she shied away from that thought. She'd be thirty-two in fourteen years, and she had no idea where she'd be at that point. Perhaps married. Perhaps a mother. Perhaps married to James and the mother to his children, but ... likely to someone else. It was depressing to think about, and she shook her head to try to chase the thoughts away.

After she'd dressed and done something suitable with her hair (she opted to leave it down, but she put a bit of a curl in it), she double-checked herself in the mirror before sliding her wand into her clothing and starting out for the day. She had a few places to check on applications, and a couple more to apply to, so it was nearly lunch time before she started back toward the welcome center -- though that wasn't her destination.

She instead stopped in at the Sterling-Cooper offices and made it clear to his secretary she wasn't going to take no, or 'he's not in' for an answer. He'd be in eventually, and if the secretary wasn't going to go fetch him for her, then she'd wait. He'd have to pass through the door sooner or later, and she'd be there if he didn't come out to see her first.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 07:40 pm UTC (link)

As he so often was at this time of day, Don was sleeping, two Alka-Seltzers and a gin and tonic fighting it out in his stomach. He slept dreamlessly, thinking only of the muffled sounds of traffic outside. He was in a state of unsettled peace - his life was collapsing around him, his job was becoming more and more difficult, but at least, for this moment, he could relax.

Which is why he swore when he was awoken by the desk phone's buzzing. He sat up, head hung down practically between his knees as Joan's dulcet tones filled the room.

"Mr. Draper, you have a Miss Evans here who insists on seeing you. Should I call security?"

Evans? The guy from BBDO? No, Lily Evans. His wife? What was she doi-

Oh, damn. It was that girl from the diner. He groaned, not responding to Joan. He placed his glass on the table, stood up straight, and flung the door open.

"Joan, hold my calls," he muttered, grabbing Lily by the wrist and taking her into his office.

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just_lily
2011-07-27 07:52 pm UTC (link)

Abrupt. So much about him was abrupt. Departures, excuses, and now his response to her presence. While she was not generally one to allow herself to be physically bullied, it happened so abruptly that she barely had time to react to his hand on her wrist before she was pulled into his office.

While she hadn't missed his request that Joan hold his calls, Lily didn't for a moment imagine he'd put up with her interrupting his day for long. But then, she didn't plan on staying long. She planned to ask her question, get her answer, and ... well, take it from there, though she assumed that would be the end of it and she'd be seeing herself out shortly after.

Then again, if he made it more difficult, or if he bullshat her, it might take a bit longer.

Once she'd freed herself from his grasp (assuming he did release her), she moved to sit on a chair or whatever surface seemed reasonable for sitting. "So did something come up on Monday, then? And you couldn't be bothered to leave a note?"

Well, she could be abrupt too, and she focused her emerald eyes on him as she awaited his response.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 08:01 pm UTC (link)

Don let go of her wrist after shutting the door behind him, and immediately made a beeline for the drinks. He poured a finger of rye into a glass, gulped it down, and poured another. He didn't look at her, not immediately.

At least, not until after she spoke.

He ignored her question, and moved behind his desk - the position of highest power in the room, at least to him. She probably didn't care, this girl, so "modern" or whatever she wanted to call herself.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, completely ignoring her question. It was not her place to be asking questions, coming up to his office as she did. The nerve.

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just_lily
2011-07-27 08:13 pm UTC (link)

Lily's brows elevated, and she wasn't sure if she should be amused or annoyed at the way he ignored her question. Granted, his question made her think he hadn't actually heard it, because she thought it explained fairly well what she was doing here.

Though really, what was she doing here? She wanted an answer, and she supposed in that intention, she had planned to at least mention his lack of manners if not outright chastise them.

She couldn't quite fathom the reasoning behind his behavior. They had gotten on all right, she'd thought. At least up until the end, and she still hadn't worked out what had happened to change the situation. She'd thought it had been her, but given how he was acting now ... perhaps it had been him.

With that in mind, Lily decided to play the guilt card first, to see how that went. She generally discouraged this sort of behavior in herself, but honestly, she thought he had it coming. "I just ... well, we'd had plans. I was wondering what I'd done wrong that you ... didn't show up when you were going to, and you didn't leave a note or ... anything. If you don't want to see me, I'd understand. It just ... well, it would be nice to know why." She did drop her eyes slightly, the fingers of one hand toying with the hem of her skirt as she waited to see how that went over.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 08:25 pm UTC (link)

The guilt did work, though he didn't show it. He was, of course, a man used to living with guilt, but that didn't mean that others couldn't pile on more as they saw fit. He took a sip of his rye.

"Think about it, Lily. I'm a thirty nine year old man. You're, what, nineteen? Twenty? That kind of thing just isn't acceptable."

"Despite what others in this office might tell you," he thought, giving a stray glance out the door.

He took another sip of whiskey, and after a brief hesitation, gulped the rest of it down. He hadn't been this agitated in a long time. It was just what he needed, wasn't it?

"You can't come around here again," he said, placing his hands on the desk for emphasis (and support), "There's plenty of people your own age in this city."

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just_lily
2011-07-27 08:39 pm UTC (link)

Lily was genuinely baffled by his explanation, if only because her mind hadn't been anywhere near the place his had gone. Confusion marred her features until she caught on, and then it was funny to her.

Then it wasn't funny as she wondered if she'd somehow presented the situation that way. But how could there have been a misunderstanding like that? She'd said she was engaged.

Haltingly, and stumbling through a couple of obvious lies. She closed her eyes, though he'd likely already seen the play of emotions across her expression. "I'm afraid there's been a bit of a misunderstanding," she began once she had something vaguely resembling composure.

"I'm not ... I'm not looking for anything, Mr. Draper. Nothing like what you seem to think, at any rate. I ..." Have someone. But she didn't, not if she was going to try to stick to that story. She didn't have anyone. For a moment, her eyes filled with sorrow before she looked away. "Well, at any rate, that wasn't what I was after. I'm sorry if I said or did anything to make you think that."

Though she supposed that explained his reactions well enough. All things considered, she opted to leave his guess at her age uncorrected. 19 was techncially close enough.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 09:16 pm UTC (link)

He sighed with frustration. He hated when women played innocent like this. It was maddeningly dishonest. Betty used to do it, Bobbie did it, and now Lily was doing it. What did she call all that flirting with him? The invitation to sit with her? Maybe they were more outgoing in England - he didn't care.

"Fine, Lily. I'm sure you're not," he said, placing a cigarette in his lips. "Next time you approach a man in a diner, just make sure he's a little more willing,"

He sat in his office chair with another sigh, placing a hand to his head. What a damn headache. He began filling out a memo Joan had asked him to fill out three days ago, simply for something to do. He did not excuse Lily, did not escort her out. He hoped she would just leave of her own volition.

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just_lily
2011-07-27 09:29 pm UTC (link)

Lily was confused, and a little hurt. Was that the only reason a woman would talk to a man? Since she didn't like being confused and hurt, she let the emotions bleed together until they'd formed angry. She liked angry better, because it didn't make her feel as vulnerable as hurt and confused did.

She wonder if yelling at him would accomplish anything but letting off some steam, and she figured that was reason enough. It might not have been fair, but then again, he was being awfully damn judgemental and insulting in the process.

"I don't know what the women here are like," she said. "But I was just trying to make a friend. You were the one looking at me, and I was just interested in talking to someone. I'm sorry you took that as me hitting on you, but I assure you that was not the case and maybe if your mind hadn't taken up residence in the sewers, you might not try to read things into perfectly innocent interaction."

Lily swallowed hard, aware of a flush of anger coloring her cheeks, but she was pissed. How dare he assume those sorts of things of her, and how dare he make her afraid to even talk to another person lest her intentions be twisted again.

"Boys and girls can be friends, you know, without there being any sexual nonsense in the mix. Maybe you should consider that," she concluded as she regarded him. She could leave, she knew. Should leave, really, and she did rise, though she didn't yet turn her attention from him in case he had anything to say to that.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 09:44 pm UTC (link)

He stood, regarding her. She was still beautiful - maybe even more so, now that she was angry. He walked around the desk to her, approaching her as closely as she would let him. He locked eyes with hers, and his voice took on a sudden, intense calm.

"Lily, please. You don't think that every man you know thinks about you like that? I'm sure you think you can be friends, but come on. Don't be naive. Maybe they're more shy to acknowledge it in England, but all of your male friends - of whom I'm sure there are plenty - are thinking about it. And I'm sure one or two of them have been brave enough to tell you as much,"

He took a breath and continued, "Of course there are men and women who can be friends. But not women like you. Not with men like me."

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just_lily
2011-07-27 10:06 pm UTC (link)

She was outraged. She was furious that he would stand her and tell her things like that. She made an incoherent noise, a sputtering of indignation and rage he would not simply imply but outright state that all her male friends thought of her like that.

The worst part was her inability to argue it. She knew it was true. Mostly, anyway. The ones who didn't joke about it looked at her when they thought she wouldn't notice. She also knew James' blatant attempts at her were the things that deterred the meeker ones. But she wasn't going to say that and concede the ground in this argument. Ground she didn't actually have if they both knew the truth of matters, but ground she pretended he held.

"Fine," she managed at last, emerald eyes blazing with fury and frustration. She wanted to hex him or slap him -- it was the least he deserved -- but she restrained herself. Just barely though, and her fingers curled loosely at her sides into half-formed fists.

She had no further business here, and she'd count this as a life lesson. Men were beasts, and she was better off without them. At least, better off without this one. "Have a pleasant day, Mr. Draper," she said stiffly before she pushed past him toward the door.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-27 10:18 pm UTC (link)

He could sense her anger at him. He almost anticipated a slap. At least it would bring some sense of closure to this whole thing. But no, she left him untouched, simply dangling there, wanting more than ever to...well, best leave those thoughts buried.

She turned, and he exhaled a small bit in relief. She would hate him, sure. Lots of women did. And in time he'd forget her, move on to some other woman. He always did. So it was a shock to him when he uttered her name almost under his breath.

"Lily".

He had nothing to say to her. No continuance of that sentence. The name hung in the air like smoke - he wished he could wave it away as if it hadn't happened.

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just_lily
2011-07-27 10:36 pm UTC (link)

She stopped, even as she realized it was against her better judgement. She should just go before he could add any more insults or truths she'd rather not hear to the things he'd already said. Staying, stopping, turning to face him, these were all Really Bad Ideas, but she did them all the same.

"What?" She prompted. What else could there possibly be? He'd already said they wouldn't be friends, she wasn't in a place to be his lover even if she'd wanted to and he hadn't already dismissed it. He didn't want her coming around, so what else could he possibly have to say to her?

Maybe he just meant to remind her to leave, or maybe he was repeating her name to remember he'd already set that bridge on fire if they ever crossed paths again. She voiced none of these thoughts, merely set her gaze on his to see if there actually was any follow up, or if she simply should have ignored the utterance of her name.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-28 06:12 pm UTC (link)

He stood dumbly for a few seconds, his cigarette practically half ash between his fingers. What was there to say? Drive the point home more clearly? Change his mind? Tell her some fairytale about a world where men's minds are completely unsoiled?

"Dammit"

"Lily. I'm sorry," he finally said. "I shouldn't have been so blunt with you."

And that was true. She was still just a kid. Kids didn't need to be talked to the way he talked to her. Still, he wasn't going to go much further than that.

But then, what to say beyond that? He was still speechless, and so drew his mostly ashen cigarette back to his lips to take a long drag.

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just_lily
2011-07-28 06:59 pm UTC (link)

She wondered if he really was sorry, or what he thought an apology would gain him. Clearly he wanted nothing to do with her so what was the point of an apology save to assuage his own mind. Honestly, she couldn't imagine he cared a bit about her state of mind.

"Perhaps that was the only way I would have understood," she countered, acid lacing her voice. "But you've made your stance perfectly clear. I'll not trouble you again." She fixed her eyes on his, anger and defiance mingling to hide the hurt there.

Why should she care, anyway, that someone didn't want to be her friend because he was like as not drowning in his own issues? She didn't, and that was that. She glanced once more to him before squaring her shoulders and turning back to let herself out of the office. If he wanted to find her, he knew where she was. At least for now.

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madison_avenue
2011-07-28 09:45 pm UTC (link)

He watched her leave, saying nothing. He had been told goodbye by plenty of women before her. Dozens. Why was this so difficult? Why was some redheaded English girl sticking in his brain so?

He sat with a heavy sigh back at his desk, finally ashing his cigarette. His stomachache from earlier was back with triumph, threatening to send the gin and tonic he had drank earlier straight back up.

After a moment, he paged Joan.

"Yes, Mr. Draper?"

"Do we have any secretary positions that need filling?"

"Three, Mr. Draper,"

"Thanks,"

The idea was insane - masochism, really. He'd sleep on it, and return to the idea tomorrow. For now, he wanted another gin and tonic, and a good afternoon's rest.

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