Tweak

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Tweak says, "Tweak owns me!"

madison_avenue (madison_avenue) wrote in silverage,
@ 2011-08-01 12:46:00

Entry tags:

!log, don draper, lily evans

Who: Don Draper and Lily Evans
When: A hot August morning
Where: Sterling-Cooper
What: Don tries and fails to get some work done
Rating/status: PG / Complete

If he never heard the name "Lyndon Johnson" again, it would be too soon.

He had completed his idea. It was simple - beautiful, really. Just a young girl picking flowers, and the simple voiceover of a soothing voice saying "Lyndon Johnson. For her future". No mudslinging, no fear tactics, just haunting and lovely.

Until that ass of a PR manager decided to bomb the girl to death and blame it on Goldwater. It was disgusting, and Don didn't want anything to do with it. He let Campbell take over - the sniveling kid would bomb a hundred little girls if it meant getting ahead.

So Don took to his office, telling his new personal secretary Selina (who was on time for once - what a day!) to hold his calls for an hour. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. Something about the buzzing fluorescent lights held some sickly quality that he just barely couldn't ignore. Something about his office was too warm - and then, when he removed his jacket, too cold. He loosened his tie, and slumped in his chair, cigarette in one hand, a finger of rye in the other.

He wanted to go home. He wanted to see his children, play with that dog he had gotten for Sally. Betty he could take or leave, but he would let her perfume stay wafting in the house. He would eat some dinner that she had made - or, better yet, that Carla had made - and just be amongst his children in a quiet, comfortable home.

He sipped on his rye. What a day, indeed.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-01 09:38 pm UTC (link)

He regarded her for a while. She was certainly more subdued than their last encounter, though he wasn't sure what to make of it. Was she trying to be professional? Was she secretly seething? Remorseful? He was usually able to tell, but there was something...intangible about Lily. Something where he could never quite predict her next move. Maybe it was just that she was new, and he hadn't learned her tics yet, but he thought there was something deeper going on - like the way she held her hand, as if it were missing something.

He sat up, and decided that more than anything, he had work to do. He began transcribing ideas he had written on a cocktail napkin the night before to a clean sheet of paper. He didn't look at her as he said, "You needed a job. I gave you one,"

After a moment of scribbling, he took the bottle from the desk and poured himself another drink. He was certainly keeping those folks at Crown Royal employed.

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just_lily
2011-08-01 09:52 pm UTC (link)

"I needed a job," she agreed as she watched him and tried to work out what was between the lines. While she bristled at the idea of being a charity case, she didn't truly think that's what this was. There was something else; the question was, what?

"But you didn't need me," she continued. If he was going to dodge and toss out answers that weren't answers, he'd discover the mule in her blood. "So that's not the answer. There have to be dozens of girls with more experience that you haven't told to stay away," she pointed out. "I don't want you to think I don't appreciate the gesture, because I do," she added sincerely. "It just baffles me, and I don't like being confused. It makes me cranky."

She leaned back in the chair, mindful that she held herself so her wand didn't show -- she could leave it at home, but if Remus had been right about the Death Eaters ... well, she didn't want to get caught without it. "So it wasn't just my present state of unemployment," she continued. "Which makes me wonder what it really was."

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madison_avenue
2011-08-05 08:39 pm UTC (link)

Don leaned back, drink in hand. At the same time that he was infatuated with Lily, there was something about her. Something he couldn't put his finger on. Something that spoke of a spoiled child who needed to be sent away while she calmed down. Blazing just behind her eyes, there was a youthful, impulsive fire. It reminded him of someone.

"What do you want from me, Lily?" he finally asked after several moments of silence. "I gave you a job, I've done my best to avoid making you upset, I made sure you were stationed at the office furthest from mine. What can I do?"

With another swig of his drink, he waited for his answer, his wheels turning ever faster. She reminded him of someone, that much was clear. But who? Where had he seen that reckless blaze before?

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just_lily
2011-08-05 10:54 pm UTC (link)

She wondered if he was being deliberately obtuse, or if he'd rather avoid the question and prolong her presence here. Maybe it was something about her that inspired that sort of behavior; James had certainly taken to playing avoid-the-real-answer games when he was up to things he knew would upset her.

"That's just it," she said. She could retreat, she knew, and bring this around another day, but she saw no point in it, and it would gnaw at her if she didn't at least press a little. "You made it perfectly clear during my interview," she fixed her emerald gaze on him intently at the word, "that we had no further business, and that you didn't want me here. Two days later I wake up to find that I've been hired here. You're the only one who could have done that, because until I started work here, I wasn't on anyone's radar." Except, maybe Joan's, but she certainly couldn't see the woman going over Draper's head.

"And now you're claiming that you're making concessions for me, trying not to upset me, keeping me as far away from you as I can be while still being in the same building, on the same floor, so you'll understand why I'm very, very confused by this. I'm getting extremely mixed signals here, and I don't know which set to follow.

"All I want to know is why. I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't beg you for a job. I didn't even ask you for one. But here I am." She thought about reiterating that she did appreciate the employment, and honestly she just wanted the answer to that one question: why. What were his motivations? Why had he told her to go away only to draw her back in?

She studied his face, meeting his eyes boldly, the set of her jaw indicating she had no intention of leaving without getting what she'd come to get, and she waited.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-08 06:29 am UTC (link)

OOC: Sorry I'm responding with all the speed of a turtle. It's been a busy week. >_<

Don sighed heavily. Honestly, he didn't know what to tell her. Why did he hire her? Did she want the honest truth, or just something that sounded plausible? The truth would probably take the rest of the afternoon to tell, and he wasn't entirely sure he knew it. Part of it was that he felt sorry for her - though not in a pitying way, just that she was clearly a girl who did not deserve this chaos thrust upon her. The other parts...well, it was one helluva web he had spun, wasn't it? He decided to go for partial truth.

"Lily, I saw that you needed a job. Outside of this office, I don't want to see you. I can't. But we had open positions to fill, you needed a job, it was as simple as that," he sat up, placing his hands on the desk. "I don't know what else to tell you,"

Mostly he didn't. He could tell her so many things. He saw a bit of his young self in her, or that she had a fire that was so rare in anyone he knew, that she reminded him so desperately of someone, or that frankly, he liked to see her around the office. His body language displayed a firm, "that's that", though behind his eyes the wheels turned ever faster.

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just_lily
2011-08-08 01:25 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," she muttered. She had a feeling she'd have better luck chasing a wild goose than actually getting anything solid out of him. To her ears, he was just rephrasing the same response, and she had a feeling no matter how hard she pushed, she was just going to get more of the same.

Since they both had work to do (she assumed he did, at any rate; she knew she did), she reasoned it was prudent to abandon this particular war. She'd just have to accept that he was insane or extremely contradictory and leave it at that. Nothing else made sense, and she was tired of the implication she wanted into his pants.

"Well, thank you," she replied as she rose. "Suppose I should go get back to work. It would be a shame to get myself fired in the first week." She tugged at the hem of her skirt before she turned away toward the door, folder in her left hand, fingers of her right curled loosely. "Have a lovely day, Mr. Draper," she replied.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-10 11:30 pm UTC (link)

He, again, had this sudden urge to call her name as she left. To keep her in his office for no reason. As with the last time they had this conversation, he had nothing to say. No need to keep her in the room - at least, none that he could articulate. So with a keen sense of déjà vu, he said her name again. He gritted his teeth together with self-loathing, but was able to recover more quickly.

"Lily...are you enjoying working here?" he asked. He was genuinely interested. A girl like her - though they did roam the halls - working here was rare, and even more rarely did they seem to like it. They kid themselves that the men they worked for didn't only see them one way, but it was an interesting perspective to Don. At least, for the time being.

He had sat up by this point, his free hand hovering just above the desk, as if he were about to make some movement. His expression was of mild curiosity. Frankly, he was too tired to display the wide range of feelings inside of him, ones he couldn't pinpoint from one second to the next.

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just_lily
2011-08-10 11:38 pm UTC (link)

She had the keenest urge to bang her head against the wall a time or two when he detained her. If he wasn't so completely contradictory in words and actions, it would be one thing, but he was. He was pushing her away with one hand while drawing her closer with the other, and she reasoned when this -- whatever it was -- eventually came to a head, it was going to be one hell of a day.

And he wanted to know what she wanted from him. She had an urge to turn the question back on him, but instead simply pursed her lips. She turned to regard him, intent emerald gaze playing over his face before flicking briefly to his hand.

"So far," she said. "I haven't completely found my footing and there are things that I'm sure I'll have to acclimate myself to to truly enjoy, but it could be worse. I ... have never held a job like this before, and I find the work interesting if not particularly engaging." It kept her busy, even if it wasn't particularly stimulating. She was a bright witch, and she'd had grades enough to pursue nearly any career she wanted. Teaching, being an Auror, going into experimental charms, taking on an apprenticeship to obtain her potions mastery ... anything she'd wanted, after the war.

So typing didn't exactly strain her brain or engage her creative side, but it was a job that paid well enough for now, and it wasn't exactly as though she had the option to pursue the wizarding career paths in this world. "But I imagine once I've found my niche and can be trusted with more responsibility the work will become even more fascinating."

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madison_avenue
2011-08-10 11:58 pm UTC (link)

Don couldn't help but laugh a little bit. She didn't find the work engaging? He couldn't say he'd ever heard that one before, what with the constant whirl of female drama the steno pool seemed to be engaged in - not that he was really privy to much of that. He had just assumed as much.

"I'm glad," he responded. He glanced at her up and down once more, and as he brought the final dregs of his drink to his lips, it finally hit him who she reminded him of. He choked his rye down, and looked at her as if she were a ghost, if only for an instant.

He didn't know what to do, though he knew why he wanted her around and why he couldn't let her leave his office without his futile attempts to keep her around. He stuttered, "I-I-I..." for a brief moment before bringing a cigarette to his lips. With a long drag, he was calm again.

"Well I hope you get what you're looking for," he finally mumbled, half to himself.

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just_lily
2011-08-11 12:09 am UTC (link)

Well, that was a very curious reaction. Laughing, and then nearly choking on his drink. He was very, very vexing and she didn't know why she cared and that only added to it. Why should she care? Was it simply a matter of principle now, or was there more to it.

Her brows elevated as he stuttered, and she regarded him curiously. She nearly asked what she'd done or said now, but she didn't think anything she'd said (or done) had merited that. Her eyes narrowed briefly as she attempted to work it out before deciding it didn't matter. Not today, at any rate.

Still ... "Is something wrong?" She inquired, shifting to face him fully, crossing her arms loosely under her breasts as she watched him and tried to read his expression. She didn't comment on what she assumed were meant to be his parting words, though she reasoned the conversation was certainly winding down.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-11 12:17 am UTC (link)

He cleared his throat, looking for an answer. He wasn't about to tell her - no, if she disliked him now, telling her all the thoughts he was now having about why he was sketching her in the first place, about why he wanted her around but didn't, about why he hired her but avoided her...no, he couldn't explain. He coughed again, and offered a weak smile.

"Sorry, I just remembered something I have to do. It's..."

think think think think

"-my son's birthday this week. I forgot to get him a present,"

And that wasn't a lie. It was Bobby's birthday this week, and up until this morning, he had forgotten to get a present. He had remembered just as he walked into his office that morning. It seemed as good a cover up as any.

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just_lily
2011-08-11 12:25 am UTC (link)

Lily nodded. Her nostrils flared slightly at the mention of his son, because it prompted thoughts of her son. The one she didn't have yet but everyone from home knew about. The one who'd had a birthday yesterday. She was tempted to ask how old his son was, but that would be engaging in conversation that had nothing to do with work, and he'd made it clear they had a work-only relationship.

"You should get on that, then," she said gently, much of the fire drained from her. Maybe it was the reason. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe something she'd said or done had triggered the recollection for him. Either way. She wished her son was here, and she could have gotten him a present. Better yet, she wished she was home and working on conceiving her son, but that was neither here nor there, and was currently an impossibility.

Her eyes closed against the sorrow before she shook her head and turned again toward the door. She was curious about his life. His family. She had no reason to be, but somehow the idea of him having a son made her want to meet his child. Children, if there was more than one.

She paused at the door, but what was there left to say? Nothing to do with work, and nothing that was any of her business, and nothing that he wanted to hear. In short, they had nothing to say to one another. "Enjoy your day," she said instead.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-11 12:32 am UTC (link)

He noticed her soften, which prompted him to do the same. He had no idea why, of course. Maybe she was remembering a little brother, still over in England. Either way, it helped to absorb some of his shock. He straightened up, and took another quick drag. He was feeling less frustrated, now, and almost wanted to be charitable to her.

"Lily?" he said again, though this time he had actually planned on a follow up. "If you're not busy with whatever Pete's got you doing, would you mind picking his present up for me? FAO is only a few blocks away, and..."

Again, he cleared his throat. Again, he took a sip. "If you wouldn't mind, that is," he added. There was no sense making her. He knew very well how she felt about him. Really, it would've been best if she said no. That would put an end to all this nonsense, this yearning for something he wanted to recapture but simply could not.

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just_lily
2011-08-11 12:37 am UTC (link)

"Nothing I can't catch up on," she assured him. She wouldn't mind taking a little walk, either, and she was catching on that shopping for them fell under the unspoken list of assigned duties. "Does ... is there any preference? What sort of things does he like? How ... how old is he?" That would at least give her an idea of what sort of things to aim for.

It made her wonder, too, what Harry had liked. Or would have liked. What sort of toys would she and James have been buying their son? Granted, the wizarding world had a whole different set of toys, and she wondered what would happen if she charmed whatever she bought to do something unique.

Maybe if it was possible, she'd do that. Color change charms were simple enough, and the idea of them trying to figure out how the toy was doing something unusual amused her.

Moving back toward the desk, she waited for any follow-up instructions on what sort of gift she was purchasing. Perhaps she should keep engaging. Perhaps she should have said no, pointed out that Don had legs and could walk there himself, but ... maybe whatever was going on was mutual in the sense that neither of them seemed willing to either confront it or let it go.

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madison_avenue
2011-08-11 12:47 am UTC (link)

Bobby had mentioned something about GI Joe, some kind of "action figure", whatever that was. He was sure that had already been purchased and wrapped, though. What did Bobby like? He watched Johnny Quest as often as he could. Always talked about being an astronaut. That was as much as he could remember, and that was more than half a year ago. The last time he had seen Bobby was two weeks ago, when he and Sally stayed what seemed like the shortest night Don had ever known at his apartment. Sally was getting to look just like her mother. At this thought, Don cleared his throat, deliberately not looking at Lily.

"He likes science fiction," Don finally replied, "Aliens. He's turning eight,"

Don glanced back up, hoping this wasn't flying over her head. "But I trust your judgement,"

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just_lily
2011-08-11 12:53 am UTC (link)

"All things considered, that's remarkably brave of you," she replied in regard to him trusting her judgement. Then again, she wasn't the sort to drag kids into the middle of ... anything, and she wasn't going to take out whatever this was on his son.

"But I'll see what I can do." She wondered if the boy liked to read, and bet not. Kids never seemed to actually like reading, so she'd stick on the safe side and see what she could find for an eight year old alien-lover. It wasn't something she was horribly familiar with, but she was also remarkably charming and she was certain anyone in the store would be happy to help her out.

Plus, she'd use her judgement and then she'd see what Don thought of what her judgement had wrangled, and that was bound to be another interesting encounter. "If I try to leave now are you going to call me back again?" She asked with perhaps the faintest teasing edge to her voice. "Or am I free to go this time?"

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madison_avenue
2011-08-11 12:58 am UTC (link)

Don didn't manage to suppress a smile at her teasing. He was sure she was getting annoyed with him. Hell, he was getting annoyed with him. He stood, and went around his desk to open the door for her and usher her out.

"Thanks, Lily," was all he said as he did so, thankful Selina wasn't at her desk to see him. He didn't meet Lily's eyes, feeling ashamed for some reason he couldn't articulate. He knew she would find something good for Bobby - women were always much better at this sort of thing. He had a fleeting thought that it would be nice if they met someday, but he pushed it out of his head as quickly as it had arrived. He didn't need to complicate things any further than they already had been.

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just_lily
2011-08-11 01:02 am UTC (link)

"You're welcome, Mr. Draper," she replied as she let him usher her out. She honestly had no idea what she thought of the whole encounter, nor where it had led, and she reasoned that she'd wait until he wasn't in his office to drop off the gift to avoid any further interactions for the day. She'd also leave the receipt in case it wasn't a suitable gift and he could return it or exchange it or however those sorts of things worked here.

Offering him a little nod, she retreated toward her desk to drop off her decoy file and get her purse before she headed out to take her time selecting a toy for his son. It was odd, no matter what was she looked at it, so she decided to just let it lie for now. Later, she'd poke and prod and analyze and second-guess and ascribe meaning to things that likely had none, but it was enough for now to get out of the office and put her mind to something else for a bit.

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