Neutral Ground (Nathalia, Open)

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

(I've strangely been in the mood to play Teo lately. I figure this is open to pretty much anyone, but it would be pretty fun if one of the Santinos, or someone working for them stumbled in....)


Teo didn’t get out very much. At least, not for pleasure, anyway. He was what the muggles referred to as a “type A” personality; he was always working. Even time spent with his family was work, because of the “family business.” And at home… well, Shana was there. And her presence there was also a reminder of his work. It seemed sometimes like there was no place to go to get away from work. Usually he didn’t mind it, of course, but since Kate had come back into town… He was feeling uncharacteristically rattled.

So, just for one night, he was going to get away from it all. Just have a few drinks, relax (if he could) and maybe flirt with a pretty girl. He probably wouldn’t be bringing anyone home, of course, because of Shana. He just didn’t want the girl to get the wrong impression.

Gio had mentioned that the barmaid at Stu’s made a pretty good drink, so Teo decided to check it out. After all, he couldn’t go to the Leaky Cauldron now that Dante Santino was working there….

He stepped into the bar, which looked decidedly dark and run-down, and nodded with satisfaction. It seemed like a low-key sort of place to enjoy a few drinks. He made his way up to the bar and sat down, waiting for the barmaid to look his way.

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia was enjoying a pretty lowkey night. It was pretty slow, and gave her the time she needed to just chat with her customers. Which, tonight, seemed to be a lot of older men. No one was singing, either, which she sort of enjoyed. The break from bad singing was nice sometimes.

When the younger man came in, she made it over to him pretty quickly, a hand on her hip, one on the bar, and a smile on her lips.

"Welcome to Stu's," she greeted. "What can I get for you, hun?"

She was in a pretty good mood. Sort of. She was tired and a little burned out, but she refused to let that show.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Mateo had never exactly been a “people person.” To those who knew him well (and there were very few of them), he was passionate and dark and quiet. Socializing wasn’t really his thing, and, if he was honest, he felt singularly out of place in public places like this. But, Merlin, couldn’t he have a life, just this once? Even if he was just pretending to have one.

So he managed a small smile as he focused on the pretty blonde. “My brother says this is the place to go for good drinks,” he said. “I don’t get out a lot, and I work too hard. Maybe you can recommend something?”

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia actually laughed.

"Sorry," she told him a moment later. "That just sounded decidedly rehearsed. Well, your brother's a smart guy. What's his name? I might remember him. I'm very good with names. Mine's Nathalia by the way," she added with a little wink.

She leaned on her hands, resting all her weight on one foot, which shifted her hips. "Recommendations... let me see. I'm guessing you'd like something strong. Knock you off your feet strong or 'I'm a badarse' strong? I'm betting on the latter."

Merlin, she was chatty tonight. But he was cute and he was giving her free reign here. Besides, after last night, with Hayden... she needed to be chipper.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Mateo’s smile was genuine now. The girl was cute, and she had a lively personality that was easy to respond to, even for someone like Mateo. “I guess it was kind of rehearsed,” he said. “I’m… kind of not a people person. And I swear I’m not hitting on you. Unless you want me to, that is.”

The thought occurred to him then that he was here in a place where no one knew him. He went out so very rarely that, most likely, no one here had even seen him before, and he’d probably never see them again. Maybe for just this once, he could forget about everyone else and just enjoy himself.

“Nice to meet you, Nathalia,” he said. “I’m Teo. My brother’s name is Gio… I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen him around. He’s more… social than I am.”

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia gave Teo a close lipped, coy smile, and shrugged. "Well, I'm certainly not telling you not to hit on me," she replied. "I am a girl after all, and we do like that sort of thing."

She tried to remember if she ever met a Gio, but truthfully, Nathalia met so many people on a daily basis that unless they made a point of talking, she wouldn't have remembered him. But Teo looked like one of those dark and mysterious types, so he definitely had her attention.

"I don't think I know him... which means it's really up to you to give me a good impression of your family." Her smile widened; she was teasing him, or joking with him, or something along those lines. "But it's a pleasure to meet you, too, Teo."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo wasn't exactly sure that he was the best person to provide an example of his family. Gio was friendly and likeable; Sedona was lively and fun. Teo was none of those things. He was more respected and feared than liked. And loosening up was not exactly something that he was good at.

On the other hand, Nathalia's energy and flirty nature was extremely appealing. And it had been a long time since he just relaxed and enjoyed the company of a pretty girl.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to hitting on girls," he confessed. "So bear with me a little, won't you? I'm always working, and I don't get to play nearly enough anymore. Think you've got time to share a drink with me?"

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia smiled gently. He was kind of cute, the way he asked her to bare with him. It was refreshing, actually, when she was used to guys who just thought they were too cool and so smooth.

"You're doing just fine, Mateo," she assured him, and cast a glance around the near empty bar. They had patrons, of course, but she could spare a drink. "If you don't mind me working still, I could have a drink with you now. So... what made you decide to come out and play tonight?"

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

There had been a time when Teo had been the "smooth" type; the kind of guy who could walk into a bar and have pretty much any girl he wanted. He had been very young then, arrogant and confident. But whether he knew it or not, his life had beaten him down somewhat. He had loved one woman with such passion, but when she left him, he threw himself even deeper into his work. He let that consume him while he shut his heart up so tight that he managed to convince himself that it didn't even exist.

But it did, and seeing Kate again had caused it to break all over again. And beneath that, there was another issue: Shana. His feelings for her were far more complicated than he was willing to admit, and having her around all the time, living in his house... it was something like torture.

So tonight... he just needed to get it all off his mind. And Nathalia's warm smile and bright eyes were... uncomplicated. Refreshing.

"I just needed a break from the stress," he said simply.

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia was used to being thought of as uncomplicated, even if no one ever put it in quite that term for her. But guys liked that she wasn't needy, she wasn't high maintnance, and if they didn't want to see her again, it was fine, because she probably didn't want to see them again, either. It always seemed to work out.

"Stress, huh? Well, drink up. That's step one."

She didn't continue, letting him guess what the subsequent steps might be. "So what is it? Let me guess... work. Tough clients? You don't look like the type that would put up with flack from a boss. Or a girl, maybe?"

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Teo's lips twisted in a sort of self-mocking grin. He was the kind of man who liked to believe he was different from everyone else.... Not above them, per se, just different. But when it came down to it, as it turned out, he was not all that different after all. He was just like every other poor stupid sap who came into a bar, looking to forget his troubles for a while.

"I guess you could say both," he confessed. "My job is... complicated. It's sort of my whole life, and I don't usually leave much time for anything else. I guess you could say I'm one of those Type-A workaholic personalities. But if that weren't enough... my ex is back in town."

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia nodded, listening to him raptly. She really was a good ear... she listened and didn't judge. Huh... kind of like a dog, she mused.

"Oooh, an ex... that's never fun. Are you currently involved with someone? That's a pretty good way to get her to leave you alone." Nathalia paused her and gave him a smile. "Unless you don't want her to leave you alone."

She leaned over the bar on her forearms, all attention on the dark haired man in front of her. She was a little surprised that he was even entertaining her presence, since he didn't strike her as the type, but she liked it nonetheless. She already liked talking to him.

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Mateo nearly laughed when she asked if he was involved with someone. Strangely enough, he didn't even know how to answer that question. He wasn't... and he was. Shana was living in his house, and no matter how he had tried to keep her at a distance, she seemed to be getting closer every day. She'd been there a year... how could he be expected to feel nothing for her? Even he didn't have a heart of stone.

But they weren't "together" by any stretch of the imagination. He probably wouldn't have even thought of her in that context if not for the comments Sedona had made the other day.

"No... I'm not seeing anyone. Not really.... but sort of. It's complicated." He took another long gulp from his drink. "Merlin, everything in my life is complicated. Sometimes I just... I wish I could..." He trailed off, not even wanting to voice his thoughts. The business was important to him; it had been important enough to let Kate get away. He didn't want to leave it behind... he just sometimes wished he could have a life, too.

"Things just shouldn't be so complicated. My ex... she reminds me of a simpler time. I can't go back to that... But I guess sometimes I wish I could."

[Nathalia Webb]

So there was definitely a story with his love life... she was intrigued, but she didn't push for it just yet. That wasn't her role, though she did often play the roll of psychologist. "Aren't relationships always complicated? It's why I try to avoid them, to be honest."

He seemed likeable... intense in a way, but understandiing, too. Or she was just making up his whole personality. She tended to do that sometimes.

"All right... what can we do to make things less complicated? I'm all over this. Let's start with the girl... the ex."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

"You ask a lot of questions," he observed, but his tone was light. In general, he was suspicious of people who asked too many questions... but these were questions no one ever thought to ask him. They were questions about him. He had become so good at playing the good little soldier that most people, even Sedona to a point, had forgotten that he was still human. He bled just like anyone else, and he could be hurt.

"The situation with my ex is not complicated," he said. "It's very simple, really. We love each other... probably always will. But we can't be together, because of the life I live. My job. That's what's complicated. And I don't know how to fix that."

[Nathalia Webb]

Her smile grew. "Well, usually I don't have to ask a lot of questions, but you're not as forthcoming as most who come in here. You don't have to answer me." She couldn't tell if he was bothered by the fact that she was asking questions, bu she was going to continue on until he told her he had enough.

"All right.... do you love your job? Because if the answer is yes, then yeah, things get complicated. But if the answer is no... then it's pretty simple, really. Quit the job, win your love back."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Oddly enough, no one had ever asked Mateo whether he loved his job. Even more strangely, he didn't know the answer to that question. Somehow, the job was such a deeply ingrained part of him that he could no longer separate himself from the job. He had never been pushed into it, or even invited into it. Yes, he'd been trained for it pretty much his whole life, and there had never been any other option, but somehow he had just fallen into it so easily, so seemlessly, that he was in it before he ever even realized it. It was natural, it was expected, and he had been so perfectly suited for it that he had never stopped to question any of it. Now, his job was his life, his very soul and it had never even occurred to him whether he actually was happy about that.

He hesitated for a long moment, taking a sip from his drink, before he answered her question. "I don't know," he said at last, and for a split second, he looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. He covered it quickly enough, but he still felt it. It was a reasonable question, a logical question, and he could not answer it.

And maybe the mere fact that he couldn't answer it was the answer.

"My job is... It's all I know. It's more of a lifestyle than a job... I don't even know if I could quit it, even if I wanted to."

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia frowned. "What, are you in the mob?" Her eyes shifted off to the side in thought. "Or a hit man. I watch far too many muggle movies," she finished with a laugh, her attention back on Mateo. Assuming he wasn't in the mob and wasn't a hit man, she was pretty sure he could get out of his job.

"You always have a choice. It's not always easy, but it's there, you know? I think you just have to decide how much this job or this lifestyle means to you. If it's better holding on than letting go."

[Mateo "Teo" Rossi]

Well, that was hitting a little too close to home, and Teo didn't know what to say for a moment. He never actually admitted to being in the mob to anyone... not to Kate when she had asked him point blank just before they broke up... not even to Sedona. Everyone knew that's what it was... but it simply wasn't talked about. It just was.

And if he wouldn't even tell his sister or Kate, he certainly couldn't tell a complete stranger in a bar, even an extremely pretty and sympathetic stranger. Perhaps the sudden, awkward silence or the way he wouldn't meet her eyes would answer the question... but he would not say the words.

Instead he forced a laugh. "You have quite an imagination," he replied.

[Nathalia Webb]

Nathalia had only been joking when she said those words, and even didn't think much of his silence. She assumed he was mulling over what she said about choices. For all the life experience that Nathalia had, she could be quite naive sometimes.

But when his eyes lifted and met hers again, and he said those words, the expression of Nathalia's face froze. So she had guess it dead on... Merlin. Instead of reacting any further, though, Nathalia just nodded. "So I've been told before..." she trailed off. "I think we both could use another drink, what do you think?"

When she came back, setting a drink in front of him, she said, "I know I shouldn't ask this, but I've never been the smartest girl. Do you work for Senior Santino? He's in here quite often." She hesitated, then continued. "I see your dilemma then... but you still have a choice, don't you?"