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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 0:29:59 GMT -5
Nathalia was silent after his observation. She had never put it into those exact words in her mind, but he was right. In fact, that was probably the reason she enjoyed painting people so much, was to capture what she had seen in real life.
"I find you fascinating," she replied after a moment. "There's a lot to you."
She left it at that, letting him break the moment. She leaned back, checking the clock on the wall. "Twenty minutes from now, actually. One of the guys has the late shift tonight."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 0:53:01 GMT -5
"Thank you," he said simply, the smile returning to his face. "I find you rather intriguing as well. I don't believe I've smiled nearly as much in a month than I have tonight, with you. And that's only partially due to the drink."
He also glanced at the clock. "Twenty minutes, huh? Just enough time for me to finish my drink. Do you have plans after work?"
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 1:01:41 GMT -5
Nathalia bit the inside of her lip as he responded to her comment. She would have bet money that he would have clammed up, or gotten suddenly awkward when she said what she did, but he didn't at all. In fact, he returned the compliment and was asking about her plans. He really did fascinate her.
"Thank you, Roland," she said with a little nod. "I would sound too easy if I told you my only plans were to go home and read a book, wouldn't I? I have to close out the register, but you're more than welcome to keep me company at the bar," she added, getting to her feet.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 1:16:30 GMT -5
And he might have clammed up at such a comment had he been entirely sober. Quite a few girls had tried to analyze him and figure him out in the past, and he usually shut them out. He even shut out his own mother when she tried to figure out what was going on in his head. But so far, Nathalia wasn't trying to figure him out; she had merely commented that he was "fascinating." And the drink had put him in a good humor, so he was inclined to take the compliment as it was intended.
"I'd be glad to," he replied calmly. He got to his feet, standing up to his full height. He wobbled only slightly, then followed her over to the bar. "So..." he began conversationally, "Double O Seven? Does that mean I remind you of James Bond?" he teased.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 1:24:56 GMT -5
Nathalia was a fairly tall girl, perhaps on the tall end of average, thanks to long legs that she inheritted from her mother, and Roland was still a good height over her. She hadn't realized how imposing he could look if he tried when he was sitting down and smiling at her.
Nathalia laughed as she went behind the bar, caught offguard by the question. In the short time they had been talking, she even forgot that she had named her drink in his honor.
"So you did get the reference, I'm glad," she said, quietly laughing once more as she opened the register. "It was the way you asked for your drink, actually." Then she added, in a teasing way, "And of course you're mysterious and suave demeanor."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 1:35:12 GMT -5
Roland sat down on one of the stools and leaned against the bar with one elbow as he sipped his drink. "Yes, I did get the reference. I've seen a few muggle films, and that was one of them." He smiled. "I appreciate the comparison... I don't know if I'm really all that suave... as I said, you've caught me in a good mood. Or perhaps you've put me in one. I'm not actually sure anymore."
He took another sip, then set the glass aside. "So, since you're just planning on sitting home and reading," he said teasingly, "perhaps I could walk you home. Or... we could do something else..."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 2:40:03 GMT -5
"The person who introduced me to James Bond was the same person who taught me how to mix a drink," She said, a twinkle in her eye as she gave away a little to the question he had already asked her twice.
She was thankful she wasn't looking at him when he suggested doing something else because she couldn't stop the smile that spread on her lips.
"Oh?" Nat looked up a moment later, teasingly. "Did you have something else specific in mind? Reading can be awfully lonely."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 13:53:36 GMT -5
Roland's eyes met hers, and they looked to be an almost luminescent green color despite the dim light of the bar. "Well, remember the 'few things' I mentioned earlier?" he said, his smile broadening.
The two young witches who had been sitting at the bar were looking at him and giggling, but he barely noticed. He was completely focused on Nathalia. "I'm pretty sure any of those things would be able to distract you from your reading."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 15:54:50 GMT -5
"Well, I wouldn't want to prove you wrong, so I suppose we should test this theory of yours."
He seemed like the type that didn't like to be wrong... But then again, who did like being wrong? She had no plans tonight, and she was enjoying getting to know Roland.
She closed the register, and put the money in an envelope that she slid under the bar somewhere.
"I'll be free to go as soon as... Well speak of the devil." She nodded towards the door where the next bartender had just come in. It was still a few minutes short of the end of her shift, but it didn't matter.
"What d'ya know? I'm off now."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 16:12:47 GMT -5
Roland smiled and took a few coins out of his pocket to pay for the drinks and handed them to her replacement. Then he looked back at her. "Will I be insulting you if I also give you a really big tip?" he asked her.
His tone was light, but he was genuinely concerned. Despite appearances, he really didn't do this kind of thing very often, and he never wanted to make a woman feel uncomfortable or used in any way. Sometimes he wasn't entirely sure what the proper protocol was.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 16:25:19 GMT -5
Nathalia almost laughed, but she curbed it, noting the genuine concern in the question. Normally, she'd never say no to a tip, but it would be awkward considering what they both knew was going to happen.
"Keep your money," she said slowly, as if considering it. "And we'll consider the fact that you're distracting me from my book as my tip, all right?" taking money from him would have just made her feel like a hooker.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 16:34:15 GMT -5
He nodded, having figured that was how she would feel, which was why he'd asked the question. "Well, I consider it a compliment that you find my company preferable to reading your book. I hope I can entertain you just as well."
He held out his hand to her. "My place or yours?" he asked. He would prefer his own place, but he wanted to make sure she would feel comfortable. "I'm in the Twilight apartments."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 16:47:51 GMT -5
Considering that she had no idea if her mother was home, or if she had someone home with her, she prefer going to his place. Surprisingly, no one had asked her before. They all just assumed and took her home.
"Oh, God, really?" she asked when she heard where he lived. That made a clean getaway in the morning a little more difficult. "That's where I am, too. I have room mates," she added.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 16:58:29 GMT -5
Roland laughed lightly. "Small world, isn't it?" he said as he led her to the door. "Very well, my place it is. I live alone."
He opened the door for her--a gallant maneuver that he didn't normally bother with--and followed her out into the street. A light, misty rain was falling, and the street seemed virtually deserted. He moved closer to her, reaching out to touch her for the first time. He put one hand on her waist, and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Moving in close as if to kiss her, he looked into her eyes for a moment. "I'm really glad I came in to check out your drink mixing skills tonight," he said in a low voice.
Then he moved in and kissed her deeply.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 17:16:42 GMT -5
His words made her want to laugh. But it was the intensity in his eyes that stopped her from doing so.
"I'm glad you came in, too," she whispered, before his lips were on hers and she was, for all intents and purposes, rendered speechless.
She was year first to break the kiss, smiling as she did so. "It's getting cold out."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 17:23:23 GMT -5
Roland was actually feeling a bit warm, but he wasn't about to complain. "I think I can warm you up," he said, the crooked grin returning to his face. "Are you ready to apparate?"
His hand was still on her waist, and he moved the other one to take one of her hands.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 17:43:13 GMT -5
Roland also had the alcohol on his side to keep him warm. All nathalia could claim was a warm feeling in her stomach that he gave her.
She nodded, looking up at him through her lashes. "I'm ready," she told I'm, moving closer under the pretense of holding on. They both knew she didn't need to.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 17:52:34 GMT -5
His smile was soft as he leaned in to kiss her again. As he did, he concentrated on his apartment, so that as their lips met, they both apparated together. A mere moment later, they were standing in the hallway of the warm apartment building, just outside his apartment. He took another minute before he reluctantly broke the kiss.
Pulling away slowly, he smiled at her. "We're here," he said needlessly.
He pulled out his keys, and in a deft one-handed maneuver, he unlocked the door. "After you," he said, turning on the light and stepping aside to let her in.
His apartment was tastefully decorated, though sparse. The walls were painted a warm, reddish brown, and the carpet was a similar color, but a few shades darker. The couch was a soft cream color, setting off the darkness of the rest of the decor. There was not much in the way of decoration, except for the large portrait of his family that hung over the mantelpiece. "It's not much... but at least it's neat," he said.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jan 7, 2009 18:14:06 GMT -5
So he was a romantic. She liked that. She wasn't at all used to it, but she liked it. It was needless to point out to herself that he wasn't like most guys. True, she would probably not see him again, but he was a lot more relaxed about it than she was.
Sometime during that kiss, she didn't know if it was before or after the move because it happened so quickly, her eyes ad closed and she didn't even realize they were outside his apartment right away.
She stepped inside, moving in far enough that he could come in and close the door, and she looked around.
"It's classy," she told him. "I like it. Is that your family?" she asked, moving towards the fireplace to look at it. "You have a lot of siblings."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jan 7, 2009 18:45:38 GMT -5
Roland probably would have laughed if she had told him he was a romantic. He didn't think of himself that way, although, deep down, he really was. He was not one for flowery words or poetic phrases, but where it counted, he was actually deeply romantic.
He smiled as he gazed up at the portrait. In the picture, he and Jamie wore similarly serious expressions, while Cyrus and Ama looked as though they were laughing at something. Cyrus often joked with him about how different he looked from the rest of the family--his dark hair and green eyes didn't match the rest of the family's.
"Yeah, that's my family," he said, a hint of pride evident in his voice. "My parents, my brothers, Cyrus and Jamie, and my little sister Amandine."
He looked back at her, his lips twisting into the half-smile again. "Are we asking each other questions again? You haven't told me anything about your family."
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