Frankie Vallario (franklyscarlett) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2009-02-26 20:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | frankie, nate |
Saturday: 9/29/07
Who: Frankie and Nathaniel
When: Saturday night
Where: in town
What: dinner then dancing for their FIRST DATE!
Nathaniel tried not to worry that he might ruin this evening completely and have Frankie disliking him, but it was difficult. He knew it was because he had not been on a date in ages and that meant he needed to make up for lost time. Just for a change, he'd do something different, breaking through some of his self-consciousness. Frankie was a sweet woman and he hardly gave himself a chance to think of her as a potential someone because she took care of Kamea as well. With Starbuck's blessing, Nathaniel would see how things went. Slipping on his black leather jacket that had been in his closet for years without wear time, Nate went to slick his hair back with gel. It was obvious that he wanted to look younger than his age and he hoped he succeeded without looking too pathetic.
Time to head over to Frankie's room. He made his way through the tunnels and into the building, having little trouble finding the room. Nerves struck him heavily as he entered the hallway leading to her room. Play it cool, he told himself, and knocked on the door. Keys and money were in his pocket and he removed his hand so as not to fiddle with them in his anxiety. He waited for Frankie to open the door and when she did, she received one of his rare grins. "Hi," he said and his gaze fell to what she wore. "Wow, you look very lovely." This was a considerable reaction from him. Nathaniel forgot what it was like to have a woman dress up for him and he appreciated it - he hoped she liked his outfit just as much.
Standing in front of her like this made the reality of the situation sink even more and while that increased the nervousness he felt, Nate's smile remained. "Are you ready to hit the town?" he asked because right now, he felt almost ready for anything.
------
Frankie had been in a frenzied state most of the afternoon and evening. First, she panicked over whether she should keep her hair brunette, or go blond for her date. DATE! Crap, just saying it made her get all nervous. She was going on an actual date! With a nice man! Once the hair color issue had been solved, she had to decide how to wear it. Granted, it looked much better when down in loose waves, but they were going out dancing, and she didn't want it falling flat while they were out. So, she put it up in a super peppy ponytail. Next on the agenda, and definitely the most important... what the hell was she gonna wear! She fretted over it for days, actually, but now it was crunch time, she had to pick! It needed to be red, that was for sure. It was Frankie's favorite color, and probably the color she looked best in. She had a few options, but in the end, she had to go with this adorable polka dot number. It was totally Frankie's style. Ultra girlie, kinda vintage, flirty and fun... yep, perfect. Well, almost perfect. She'd have to wear a cardigan over it, because the dress was backless, and.. hello.. WINGS!
As she was inspecting her hair and dress for the millionth time, she heard a knock on the door. Frankie jumped a little. He was right on time, but his arrival had still caught her off guard. "Just a sec!" she shouted as she jogged across the room and threw open the door. She had a huge, excited smile on her face. Upon seeing him, she nibbled lightly on her bottom lip, "Hi." Hi compliment made her blush bright red. "Awe, thank you. That's very sweet of you. You look handsome... as always." She wasn't sure about the slicked back hair. Didn't look soft enough to run your fingers through it. But she figured he was trying to look nice for her, so the effort alone meant something.
"Uh, nearly ready. One sec." She left the door open and ran back over to her closet, dropping down to her knees as she searched the floor of it to find her favorite red heels. She was a good dancer and even able to dance in super high heels. These weren't exceptionally high, a few inches, but she loved the open toe and the ankle strap. She sat on her bed quickly and put them on. "I hope you're really ready to dance, because I am!" She stated as she stood up and grabbed a black cashmere cardigan. Finally, she snatched up her keys, cell phone, and a little clutch to put them in. "Ok, now I'm ready!"
-----
He waited as she went to find her high heels and slip them onto her feet, impressed that she'd be able to dance in them. They were sure to hurt her feet in the long run although the shoes looked good on her. After she finished, they exited her room and started to head in the direction of the school's entrance. "What kind of food are you in the mood for?" asked Nathaniel. While he had some blood earlier to sustain him for the rest of the evening, it would be good if he ate a little to keep up appearances. He paused a moment and extended his elbow slightly for her to take should she notice the gesture. Being out of the dating scene for so long made him unsure what was correct behavior; he didn't want to overstep propriety right off the bat.
"Most of my dancing moves are from the late eighties, so I hope you can teach me several modern ones," Nathaniel told her. "I have to get with the times completely." Another glance told him that he would like it if they danced closer together - it had been a while since he'd done so with any woman, and surely understandable that way. Breakdancing might be crossing the line and he felt too old to do that anyway. Now, for some small talk if he could think of any. "So, what music are you listening to? I didn't ask you before." He was curious because he'd be able to expand his musical tastes and maybe it was another topic to talk about with people. "I only listened to classical music for years when I was a doctor and I am returning to my old bands."
Nathaniel smiled at her and then produced a short stemmed rose from his inner jacket pocket. "Surprise." He gently slipped it into her hand. "It goes with your hair." This kind of gift was usual for his first date with women and it made a good impression, or so he thought. He touched her arm gently, opening the door for her and then again when they had reached the entrance. Traveling to the places might be a small trek if they took the bus, but they could cut to the chase by riding in a cab.
-----
"I'm always in the mood for Italiano, but no one cooks it like my mama and nonna, so how about Chinese?" She loved Italian food, but most the restaurants that claimed to have Italian food really just served the Americanized version of it, and she didn't want to be disappointed YET AGAIN. She always got her hopes up when a friend suggested an 'authentic' Italian restaurant, only to have those hopes crushed when the pasta was over-cooked and the sauces were all wrong. Plus, the house wine was usually crap, while the house wine in real Italian restaurants was usually the best!
She noticed the offering of his elbow and was immediately charmed. "You're such a gentleman, Nathaniel. Thank you," she offered somewhat shyly as she let her fingers curl into the crook of his elbow. Clove had had his moments of being truly adorable, but at his heart he was still very much an immature guy on the game. Grey was even less chivalrious. She had no idea if anything would come of this date with Nathaniel, but it sure was nice to be treated with some class for once.
"But the eighties are awesome! I don't think you should worry about having dated moves. The eighties are very in style again. That makes you cool. And if you start break dancing, I might just propose marriage." She loved eighties music, well, she loved almost all music. But still, one of her favorite singers/bands was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Who didn't absolutely love the songs I Love Rock N' Roll and I Hate Myself for Lovin' You, and then there was the truly awesome Do You Wanna Touch Me. Yeah, great band. "Um, well, lately I've been delving back into my Blondie albums. I love Debbie Harry. I totally dress up as her for each and every Halloween. She's amazing." She glanced over at him, "What are your 'old' bands?"
At the sudden appearance of the rose, Frankie melted just a bit. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her skin grew warmer to the touch all over (though it was already much warmer than a human's). "I.." she struggled for words, then just popped up on her tip toes and gave him a little kiss on the cheek as she took the rose from him. "You're sweet. I can see why Starbuck speaks so highly of you all the time." Since the stem of the rose was so short, she tucked it behind her ear. "How's it look?" she asked as they walked toward the main road where they could catch a cab.
------
Whatever kind of food did not matter to him, because Nathaniel would have anything she chose. "Chinese is good. I think I remember a place from my browsing on the internet. It sounds like you know where one is, right?" They could just look around although her having a place in mind made it much easier to get the evening going. He almost forgot what the atmosphere of a date felt like, how there was a gentle underlying tension brushed with anxiety and hope. If she got him to relax and enjoy himself, he had to see her again. Simple as that. The night was still young and he had plenty of time to make a good impression on her and have a good time.
"You're welcome," he said. The 'treat others the way you want to be treated' motto learned as a child applied and generally benefitted him with another person - unless, of course, they were rude and unpleasant to the bone, but he had met only a handful of people like that. Nathaniel had a slightly selfish reason for the gesture, too: someone else's touch. He was not a physically affectionate man with his friends and only touched them when they made the first gesture like a hug. Taking a break from medicine and becoming a vampire had caused him to be even more hesitant about taking the initiative, but tonight he tried to push the boundaries of his comfort zone. He needed to prove to Starbuck and himself that it was possible for him to be social and more open like other people. Besides, if Frankie needed a fun time, he'd give it to her.
The worry about having dated moves was not really the problem for him because the fear of dancing somewhere public was overwhelming enough. Ever since his bad experience in college, he limited his time out dancing. Going out with her doing this particular activity was a perfect way for him to get over it. Her asking about what music he liked dragged him away from that area of thoughts - it was a much more pleasant topic. "I'm afraid I only break dance when I have had way too much to drink," he told her. "Blondie is good... I tend to lean towards Depeche Mode, who're one of my favorite bands, along with Journey, Rush and Billy Idol. My music preferences haven't really changed since college. The addition of some classical music is all that's new."
Before they got into the cab, Nathaniel looked at Frankie in order to answer her question properly. The rose looked good behind her ear, but it was sure to fall out once she danced. "It's lovely. I think, in order to hang onto it when we go to the club, it needs relocation," he said and with a gentle hand, took the rose and slipped it before the band in her ponytail, which he hoped would be tight enough to hold it into place for a while. "I hope it's not uncomfortable. And my praise for Starbuck is just as high." He gave her a bright smile in thanks for the kiss on the cheek (which had been really, really nice) and held open the cab door for her before closing it, moving to the other side of the vehicle. The car started to drive, Nathaniel watching the street pass alongside them for a few moments. "The last time I went to a Chinese restaurant, it was with a couple of colleagues from work who did nothing except talk about sports and drink too much wine. Right now surpasses that evening a dozen times over. I can promise you I will do my best to think of interesting things to say."
-----
"Yeah, I know where one is. I haven't been out yet, but I asked around." She'd found out about some clubs and such too, and while it sounded as though Lotus was kinda hard to get into, she was confident that she could bat her eyes at the bouncer and wiggle her way in with Nathaniel in tow.
Frankie was an extremely affectionate person. But she often had to contain it when around humans. She loved to hug and be hugged, but then people just asked questions about the 'weird bumps' on her back, and she hated lying and saying she had some sort of spine problem. But with her family and supernatural friends, she was super huggy and kissed just about everyone. Her family was Italian. They didn't know much about physical boundaries. They gave double and triple cheek kisses, hugged people so hard they nearly stopped breathing, and were just touchy in general. She ended up with both hands wrapped around his arm, and even rested her head lightly on his shoulder for just a minute as a half-hug.
"Wait, so you do break dance!?" she asked, really excited by this revelation. "Nathaniel, you HAVE to show me! I don't think it will be possible for me to get you drunk, because vamps, weres and demons are so slow to get drunk. It's not fair." Frankie was weird in that she was a major lightweight, but she rarely had a hangover, and she could sober up quickly even after drinking a lot. Her body chemistry was such that it burned right through alcohol. "Depeche Mode is very cool. I wouldn't have pegged you as a fan, but you get some props for liking them." She didn't care too much for Rush or Journey, they were alright, but nothing she really cared to listen to on a regular basis. Billy Idol was cool.
She let him move the rose into her ponytail and said a soft, "Thanks," both for adjusting it and complimenting her. She leaned up in her seat once he'd helped her in the cab and told the driver where they were headed. By the time Nathaniel came around and climbed in as well, she had scooted back into her seat. He was looking out the window, kinda quiet at first, but then he made some conversation, which helped set her at ease. She knew she could be overly chatty sometimes, and she was trying not to talk non-stop around him. "I don't think there's any such thing as too much wine. I loooove the vino! Chianti is... well... it's the greatest thing ever."
They arrived at the restaurant, and Frankie peered out the window to have a quick look. "Doesn't appear to be dangerous. Hopefully it really is chicken and not cat or something. I don't wanna eat a cat."
------
He had little experience getting into clubs and the like, so Nathaniel needed to follow Frankie's lead. He doubted there would be any difficulty of them entering a club unless it was for famous people only. Maybe there was one like that nearby. Who knew? "Good to know," he said, a small smile appearing on his face. The physical affection she gave him threw him for a loop a moment although he settled into it easier than he thought possible. Everyone probably found it difficult not to like such a gesture from a woman.
Nathaniel glanced at Frankie, more than a little embarrassed. "Not in public." The next words out of his mouth came with some hesitation. "I feel as though I'm too old to do it now, but maybe one day." When they got to know each other more, he might, so he'd be sure he would not look like a fool when he did it. "I have found alcohol to be much less effective," he added, remembering the day after the murder. The change in topic was welcome and he gave her an amused look. "It's good to know I have one cool interest."
Wine reminded Nathaniel too much of blood now, but maybe that wasn't so much of a problem. "I'll have to try it one of these days." They exited the cab when they reached the restaurant, after Nathaniel paid the driver. Stomach swarming with butterflies, he held the door of the building for her and waited for her to enter first. The place was not too busy and a waiter escourted them to a table near the back of the room. Nathaniel gestured for Frankie to order her drink and he requested a tea. So, now they were alone and about to have dinner.
Some chow mein sounded good. "What kind of food do you usually order?" he asked her. "I'm a fan of chow mein." Was, actually, but he wouldn't say that. Anything with mushrooms was excellent as well. "Not to mention dishes with sweet and sour sauce." He was not going to share slightly odd facts about himself eating, that was for sure.
----
Frankie raised an eyebrow and had a devious little grin on her face when he said 'not in public.' "So, does that mean you'll give me a private show?" she teased. She was actually very naive in a lot of ways, but that didn't mean Frankie lacked a naughty side. She had always thought Nathaniel was good looking, but most of their interactions had included Starbuck and/or Kamea, so she'd never really flirted with him. It felt nice.
"There's this amazing label you need to try one day. I'll have Mama ship me some. She gets it from some friends of ours who go back to Italy a lot. They always bring back a ton of wine to give to people in our neighborhood." Frankie didn't live in any sort of 'Little Italy', but she did have a lot of Italian neighbors.. families who had been around for several generations.
Nathaniel demonstrated more of his gentlemanly behavior... paying the driver, opening the door, letting her sit first and order her drink first. "A diet soda, please," she said with a sweet smile to the waitress. She turned back to Nathaniel and smiled at him as well as she opened her menu. "I'm so pathetic, I always get the least authentic stuff... like the sweet and sour chicken. I also like fried rice. Ooh, and those crab rangoon things. Sooooo yummy. Do you like them?" she asked, hopeful he did.
-----
It had been a while since he flirted with anyone, or a woman he was potentially interested in flirt with him, so it took a moment to realize what was happening. When it came to women, he was slow on the uptake (just a little). This whole evening demanded him to do some things he had not done in a while - what did he have to lose? "If you like," said Nathaniel in an innocent voice. Maybe a hint of a smile showed for a moment, but his eyes were definitely twinkling. It turned out he had no problem flirting with her at all.
"That would be nice if your mother sent you some." He wondered if she meant that they'd try some together or she would give him a bottle. Surprisingly - or maybe not - he hoped it was the former. "My mother does the same with antiques. She loves them." Needless to say, the Antiques Roadshow had been very popular in the Wyatt household whenever he came to visit. He liked the idea of being in a community and staying there long enough so that everyone knew each other and got together to do things frequently. If only he could live in a place like that.
Her ordering not as authentic food didn't bother him in the slightest. "I wouldn't say I go for very Chinese food either," he said. "My brother Adam lives in China and he'd probably despair. But it's fun seeing his exasperated reaction." Brothers - Nathaniel and Adam disagreed on a number of things, but they each held a degree of respect for the other... even if they hid it most of the time. "I haven't tried crab rangoons, but you should order some if you like them. And I think I'll try them out."
----
Frankie responded to his short, innocent answer with a huge grin and gave his arm a little squeeze, "Good. I demand breakdancing, and I won't except anything less... but if you'd like to offer up more for this private showing, I wouldn't say no." She suddenly had a flash in her head of that lame scene from American Pie when the dorky guy did a little strip tease for the hot girl in his room. The thought made her giggle, even going so far as to put her hand over her mouth.
"What sorts of antiques... like, little collectables, or huge pieces of furniture? I love old furniture, because you just know it's all got some amazing story, just like people do when they've lived a long life." It was her dream to be a journalist and even a documentarian. She thought people were fascinating, each and every one of them, and she wanted to help them share their stories with others. Frankie hoped she'd one day be able to write biographies or something, not for herself, but for others.
"I didn't know you had a brother in China! That's so exciting. Has he been there a long time? I'd like to move to Italy and live eventually, at least for a few years. Surprisingly, I think my parents would be ok with it, even though they're usually so over-protective. I'm hoping Vinnie will come with me. It's been great having him here at school." She had mixed feelings when he'd first arrived at Halcyon, mostly because of the timing of his arrival. Her life was very chaotic then. But while she'd been exceptionally emotional, and they'd fought a bit, he had been a great comfort. He still was. She didn't care about school rules, when she was sad she always snuck into his room to stay the night. Sometimes you needed to be close to family, and Frankie did on a regular basis.
When the waitress returned with their drinks, Frankie ordered her food (including the crab rangoon) and let Nathaniel order his. They exchanged more small talk as they waited for their food to arrive, and they continued talking between bites of their yummy dinner. She found Nathaniel to be far more interesting than she ever would have expected. He was super smart, and while she already knew that about him, she had worried he might be kinda dull as a result. Sometimes overly intelligent people were boring. They did too much thinking, not enough talking and laughing.
-----
It had been a while since he flirted with anyone or a woman he was interested in flirted with him in return and he took a moment to think of what to say. Nathaniel smiled, more happy than anything else. "All right," he said. "I might be tempted to add to my performance." No doubt he needed to practice before he showed Frankie any of his moves. American Pie was lost on him, but he had no skill in strip teasing so in that respect it was similar. Being romantic was much more enjoyable than a strip tease - prelude for sex in a different way. He furrowed his brow slightly at her giggle and decided not to ask about it. It might be weird if he asked.
Nathaniel smiled as he remembered his mother's interest. "Both. More the collectables, though, but she has this old wardrobe she loves very, very much," he answered. A little of her love for antiques passed onto him - he prefered plates and silverware instead. "Furniture is fascinating and so is clothing. You know the high collared outfits in Elizabethan times? I can't imagine what it would be like to wear something like that. It would be fun to act in period dramas for the clothing." He grinned at her. "Maybe I can be an extra in one some day in the future." Acting was completely different from his career and area of interest and might be a good change.
They talked and ate, Nathaniel enjoying their conversation very much. He felt himself relaxing even more and before he knew it, they finished their dinner and prepared to head toward the club. The journey itself wasn't long and they saw the entrance in front of them. "So, you're going to work your magic on the bouncer, right?" he asked.
-----
Frankie had never really thought much about Nathaniel until he up and asked her out on this date. Yes, she had noticed how attractive he was, and she liked that he was someone Starbuck trusted completely, but until now she'd not really thought of him as someone to be interested in. That was quickly changing. They were flirting with each other, and it was great! They were also getting to know more about one another. She would have never thought Nathaniel would be interested in acting, because he seemed to be a relatively reserved man. "What sort of period piece would you be in? Like, some grand romance, or would it be some major drama thing where you're a king or something. I can see you as a king. You have a regal sort of look about you. I think it's 'cause of your nose," she tapped it playfully.
When they were done eating, Frankie was more than ready to shake her stuff on the dance floor. She hoped the club was as cool as it sounded, and that she was cool enough to get them in! As they approached the door, Frankie grabbed hold of Nathaniel's hand to stop him, and turned to look at him. "Ok, here's the plan. These bouncers are pretty easy to manipulate if you know what you're doing. You stay quiet and look bored but intense at the same time. You have to have this attitude as though you could care less whether we get in or not, because this club isn't good enough for you. And you should seem a bit like a dick too. I know that sounds weird, but it works for dudes. As for me, don't be weirded out, but I'm gonna flirt with the bouncer." She glanced over her shoulder at the dude, he wasn't terrible looking, but totally not her type. She wished she was able to show a little more skin, because that would work to her advantage, but she couldn't take off her cardigan, so she just tried to make sure the v of her dress was arranged properly to show off her boobs (even though they were small). "Great, ok, let's go."
She walked with authority right past the line, her tall red heels punishing the pavement below her feet. Frankie gave off loads of attitude, and her eyes locked right on those of the big bouncer dude. Moving into his comfort zone, she offered up a naughty sort of smile that practically promised she'd ditch her date at any moment and make out with the bouncer. He tried to stay aloof, but he was totally checking her out. The man glanced behind her at Nathaniel, trying to sum up the vampire, but then looked right back to Frankie. Frankie put a slight amount of distance between herself and Nathaniel, leaning in to whisper in the bouncer's ear. "Be a saint and let us in, because it will be much easier for me to ditch him in a crowded club than out here on the street." The bouncer raised an eyebrow at Frankie, and she winked at him in response. A second later, he opened the door and gave her a smile as he let the two inside. Frankie teasingly licked her lips, giving the man a look, then kept up her act in giving Nathaniel a bored sort of look as though she was seconds away from dumping him. Once they were inside though, and the door was shut behind them, she bounced like an excited child and giggled as she jumped up and gave Nathaniel a quick kiss on the cheek. "You were PERFECT!"
-----
The new situation for them both allowed Nathaniel to discover another side of Frankie that he'd never known before and the more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. Her energetic nature was hard not to like as well as her sense of humor - he could joke around reasonably well. "Drama, no doubt about it." He straightened his posture, a stern yet noble expression on his face as he started to quote. "To be or not to be... my girlfriend is afflicted by lunacy." Lame jokes were an art form. "I knew my nose would take me places one of these days," he added just as playfully.
Nathaniel listened to his instructions as they stopped in front of the club. Look bored but intense. "Right." That sounded easy enough, because he had plenty of experience with intense looks. "I will do my best." Appearing like a bastard was more of a challenge and he hoped he could manage that for her. Although her flirting with the bouncer was crucial to her plan, a tiny flare of jealousy rose in him. He followed her nonetheless with his expression in formation, walking as if he could break someone's pelvis with his shoulderblades alone.
Then he watched as Frankie interacted with the bouncer, remembering how his brother looked when attending certain family reunions and recreating his body language. Being Adam's brother was useful now and then, he had to admit. She succeeded and they entered the club soon afterwards. "Thank you. Emulating my brother helped. I think he'd be proud to know it got me into a club." His nerves hit him again, and he figured he needed a drink before he started to dance. "What do you say we order something at the bar before heading to the dance floor?" It was definitely time for a beer.
----
Frankie laughed sweetly at his joke and the posing. It was cute. She liked how he was able to loosen up like this. She couldn't say that she'd ever seen him all that relaxed. Still, if he was friends with Starbuck, he had to have a goofy side, because Starbuck was a total goober. "Take you places the way Toucan Sam's does? He just follows his nose," she teased. Frankie was a silly girl and also a bit of a pop culture junkie.
If she'd known that he felt slightly jealous over her pretending to flirt with the bouncer just to help the two of them get into the club, it would have made her very happy. It was a good sign! That meant Nathaniel liked her, right? Anyway, Nathaniel did a great job with acting aloof. Frankie was exceptionally proud of him. "You really should give that whole acting thing a try. I think you could be good at it. Though, it could just be that I'm an amazing director," she said in a voice that was totally over the top, and then giggled at her own silliness.
At his suggestion that they get drinks, she nodded enthusiastically. It had been cold outside, and she needed some alcohol to warm her up. Plus, Nathaniel, while looser now than he had been earlier, probably could use a drink or two to get his hips shaking. She walked in front of him, helping to part the crowd of people and forge a path toward the bar. Once there, she leaned over it and got the attention of a bartender by batting her eyelashes. Once he came over, she pulled Nathaniel up next to her. You had to look SINGLE and cute when in these sorts of places, or no one paid you any attention. "Vodka and Red Bull with a twist of lime. No ice." She turned back to Nathaniel, "What about you?"
----
Relaxed was not one of his most common moods, it was true. She happened to be a relaxing presence and got the benefits of his company when he was like that. At least she didn't mind his silliness, as lame as it was; it made him more confident to show that part of himself more often. "Oh yes. He's more colorful than I am, though. I could never pull off blue, orange, purple and yellow at the same time. Granted, he is a cartoon." Not all cartoons were color-coordinated and some of them were plain painful.
His liking her increased even more when she talked to him as cheerfully as she did. If she said he should try acting, it made him more tempted to do so to see how it was for him. "Maybe I should," said Nathaniel and grinned at her. "But you are a lovely director." He meant that in both ways, of course. They headed over to the bar and he waited for her to order her drink first before saying he'd like a simple beer. It might be enough to get him started - or at least the idea of him drinking alcohol would help him to relax a little more. Dancing in front of other people the previous time he'd done it hadn't gone very well, but things were to be different with a date, right?
They started to consume their drinks and he glanced around the busy club as he sipped at his beer. "Lots of people are dancing. Looks like we'll have trouble finding enough space... though if we dance just as closely as other people, it might not be a problem," Nathaniel said loud enough to be heard over the music. He had never danced like the people on the dancefloor and it might be a good experience if he did with Frankie. Very nice...
----
Frankie hoped he would continue to show this silly side of himself. She liked it. It set her even more at ease, because with some guys, she felt the need to be someone she really wasn't, but right now she was just being her. She put her hand to his chin and turned his face to see his profile, "I think we've got room for all four colors on there. I'm totally painting your nose eventually. I'll steal some finger paints from Kamea and give you a proper toucan beak."
"I'd come to your first theatre performance and sit front and center. I might even throw a bouquet of roses at your feet on stage!" She liked the little compliment he offered her. It was sweet. Nathaniel's sort of old fashioned presence was a nice change from the guys on the game she'd been around before. She liked his approach much better.
It was a busy club, but Frankie never had a problem with that... well, so long as no one stepped on her or anything. She didn't mind the closeness of the crowd, and she definitely wouldn't mind Nathaniel dancing close to her. She sipped at her drink. The alcohol warmed her right up, because it added fuel to her internal flame. Soon enough she was finished with her beverage and she placed the glass down, replacing its presence in her grasp with his hand instead, "Come on, let's show these people how it's done." She pulled him out into the center of the action, making sure there was room for them, but not so much room that it allowed him to keep his distance. While she still had ahold of his hand, she put it on her hip and started to move with the music and the crowd around them. A dance floor often reminded her of a flock of birds. Each bird was an individual, but it was as though they moved like one organism. Crowded dance floors were the same. Everyone moving to a shared pulse, their bodies having and ebb and flow to them.
----
He liked knowing that he was able to make people feel relaxed around him and such knowledge was even more advantageous on a date. Even if she didn't tell him, he could see for himself and it made him happy. His nose painted wouldn't be so bad if she was the only one who saw. "All right," Nathaniel said, "but just so you know, I'm painting you as a Smurf in return." She probably looked good with blue skin...or in any color... Time to refocus his thoughts. "And at least I don't have Cyrano's nose." His fangs were disfiguring as it was and most of the time they weren't that noticeable.
It helped to have at least one fan when starting in the biz, and he smiled gratefully. "I'll be tempted to give multiple encores." Another instance of his flirting with her - twice within the span of five minutes was impressive, coming from him. His way of flirting was somewhat subtle at times especially compared to his brother or other men, but he had learned to focus more on personality than attractiveness while complimenting. Simple as it sounded, when he was younger, it took a lot of work and to have the courage to talk to girls at all.
He drank the beer much faster than normal due to nerves and before he knew it, he was holding her and and walking out to the dance floor. Relax now, he told himself. Seeing her dance in front of him definitely helped and Nathaniel started to dance with her after a few moments. The music thumped loud enough for him to forget everyone except the two of them, the way she moved and how close she was to him. This was nice; it felt right to be with her.What that actually meant, he wasn't sure.
----
"A smurf! I love it. But only if I get to be Jokey Smurf. He was my favorite. His goofy chuckle and all the presents that exploded all the time. I loved seeing Brainy get all dirty with soot from opening them." Yes, she was a cartoon junkie. Frankie loved TV in general, but cartoons were especially fun, and she still spent many weekend mornings vegging in her PJs with a bowl of sugary cereal while watching her favorite toons. Just... well... now she did so with Kamea sitting beside her. And they'd both giggle at the same time. Frankie was such a little kid at heart, probably having something to do with how long she was gonna live. She was slow on the whole growing up thing.
Frankie raised an eyebrow at him talking about multiple, uh, anything. "Are you coming on to me, Nathaniel? Because, if you are, it's totally working." She gave him a wink. Frankie approved of his little play on words there. She was hopeful about these encores.
Nathaniel definitely had rhythm. The man could move! Sure, he needed to loosen up a bit more still, but he was doing great. He didn't have two left feet, so that put him miles above lots of other men, and at least he was out here dancing with her, some dudes refused because they were afraid of making mistakes.
She was having a great time dancing with him, but after a while she needed another drink. "Could you go get me another vodka and Red Bull?" she asked as she got up on her tip toes to talk into his ear. Once Nathaniel left to get her a drink, she continued dancing, only with a bit more of her crazy style this time. It didn't take long for the first douche bag to notice her and decide to grope without asking. What was it with men in clubs thinking it was ok to just sneak attack a girl from behind and start molesting her body? She suddenly felt hands on her hips that abruptly slid around her lower abdomen and pulled her back into a stranger. Frankie was sadly familiar with this sort of behavior in clubs, so she didn't totally freak out and get her flame on, though she did grow hotter as a result of being uncomfortable in some stranger's arms. She pulled away from the guy and turned to face him, offering up a scowl. The moron didn't get the message, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him again. The tips of her hair started to spark a little, and her skin looked flushed from the anger rising inside her. She was trying very hard to not hurt this man for being a dick, but her patience was wearing thin. "Look, dude, I'm here with someone else. Back off." She jerked her wrist away from him.
-----
"Jokey it is." He smiled as he remembered the part of the Smurfs she mentioned and agreed with her statement. "Yes, I found Brainy to be a little boring some of the time. When I was younger, I liked the others because they were different from me." Even as a child, he was somewhat of a geek with bugs and things. His cartoon watching days stopped long ago and he chose not to watch any television with Kamea. (Call him old-fashioned, but he prefered to play educational games with her.) Still, there was something to be said about getting in touch with the childlike side of someone. "You have to beware of the quiet ones."
And to think he had meant continuing to act for her. Perhaps he was subconsciously coming onto him, but now that she thought he was, it made it difficult for him to deny it. If it worked, maybe he shouldn't... Nathaniel looked embarrassed a couple of seconds before smiling at her again. Smiling in her company became easier more than ever now. "Yes..." If only he had a better statement to say to her.
He nodded to Frankie, more than happy to get her something more to drink and turned to head to the bar once more. He waited a few minutes for the bartender to focus his attention on him to actually take his order and he paid for it in exact change. Nathaniel blinked as he saw a man standing next to Frankie, or rather, with his arms around her for a few moments. If looks could do actual damage, the pervert would be sliced in three different places. "I got your drink," he said loudly as he walked over to her. She seemed understandably frustrated and he wanted to get that man away from her - besides, Nathaniel was the one who was on the date with Frankie. "Missed you, baby." It was not the type of words he said at all, but these times called for something different - he stepped closer, leaning in to wrap an arm around her waist and pressing soft kisses to the side of her neck. A moment passed before Nathaniel brought her closer to him, perhaps a little more than what was needed.
----
Sometimes the sly remarks made without the actual intention behind them were even better. Maybe Nathaniel hadn't meant for his words to be taken in a naughty way, but Frankie had picked up on the potential hidden meaning, and she was far from offended. Good think Nathaniel decided to let this accident work to his advantage. "Good," she replied just as simply as he had. "Because I'm having a great time with you." She thought it was important to get that out there. It should have been insanely clear that she was enjoying herself, but guys sometimes needed things spelled out for them. She didn't want there to be any mistaking that she liked Nathaniel and hoped they could do this again.
Frankie heard Nathaniel approach, and for that alone she was grateful, but when he put his arm around her and held her close as he kissed her neck, she wanted to turn and make out with him. She resisted, but the desire was there. The jerk coming onto her left after giving Nathaniel the finger, and when he did, Frankie turned in Nathaniel's arms and hugged him, resting her head on his chest, "Thanks." It meant a great deal to have him stick up for her. That was one thing that she'd always wanted Clove to do... but it never happened. He let people walk all over her, and while she was big on 'girl power' and all, she still wanted to know that he cared enough about her to keep others from being mean.
Pulling away from Nathaniel slightly, she took the glass from his hand and had a sip. "Ooh, strong one. Good job." She took a few more sips before taking hold of Nathaniel's hand and leading him away from the dance floor to a lounge section where there were lots of plush sofas in intimate little arrangements. She took a seat and let him plop down beside her. "I'm glad you scared off that guy. I was about this close to burning him, and that would be bad in a place like this."
----
With any luck, he'd have another one of those kind of comments that she found amusing. He couldn't count on that, nor did he want to count on it, so he relied on his manners to help him with everything. Knowing that Frankie was having a good time for sure made a world of difference and lifted his spirits even more. "I'm glad to hear that." The look he gave her was nothing short of happy. And thankfully his actions with her caused the man to go away as quickly as he hoped. Nathaniel rested a gentle hand on her shoulderblade as she hugged him, relieved that she had not been offended by what he did. "You're welcome. I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable," he said because he felt he needed to say it.
Nathaniel followed her to one of the sofas and took a seat by her side. Leaning back, he gave a slight nod. "Any man who thinks it's all right to just reach out and touch a woman... Definitely shady." He considered himself to be polite and because he usually made understatements, this was saying something. "This has been much, much better than the last time I went dancing with a couple of friends. The crowd was critical and laughed at my lame dance moves." He shook his head. "It scarred me probably more than it should." Being with her made things better - sitting next to her sent his nerves into happy overdrive and he tried his best not to let that show.
----
Nathaniel was far from making Frankie uncomfortable, and she shook her head, "No... not at all... I feel safe with you." She smiled sweetly at him, looking him in the eyes as she did. It was so great to finally go on a date with a gentleman. She hoped he'd ask her out again, because this was a wonderful change from the norm.
They went to sit for a while, which was nice. Even though the club was loud, they were able to talk some more. She would have enjoyed not talking as well, because after that kiss on the neck, Frankie had pretty much decided she wanted his lips all over her. Still, talking was good. She wanted to get to know him better, and he seemed truly interested in getting to know her as well. They talked for the better part of an hour, before she realized they should probably get going back to school.
With her hand curled through Nathaniel's arm, Frankie was escorted out of the club and back to TJS. She'd had a wonderful time and was really feeling like she was on top of the world. It was almost a shame she'd not had this opportunity with Nathaniel sooner, but they were together now, so it was worth the wait. He walked her back to her dorm room, and she was sorta hoping for a good night kiss, but it didn't happen. Maybe it was part of that whole gentleman thing... him trying to prove that he really liked her by waiting. She figured she could wait until their next date, because Frankie was sure there would be a next one.