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Post by Damon Dearborn on Feb 23, 2012 1:58:03 GMT -5
Damon, meanwhile, couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Caroline. She was the kind of girl who would draw attention where ever she went, and surely she was used to being stared at. Her husband was a very lucky--and very wise--man to have snapped her up when he did.
"So, Caroline," he said, smiling his most charming smile at her. "I couldn't help but notice the ring on your left hand... You're married, are you? What's your husband like? How does he feel about you hanging out in seedy bars?"
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Feb 23, 2012 9:05:10 GMT -5
When Paige said his name, Hayden realized he never gave her his name. In fact, no one at the table said his name. A smile wanted to appear on his face because the only way she could have really known his name is if the blonde at the bar mentioned it. He did well at hiding his smile.
He was going to play along with the fact that his name was already mentioned. "Yes, Hayden," he replied. His eyes looked to Damon and then shook his head with a light smile on his face. Damon was something else. "I'm an auror actually."
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Post by Paige Owen on Feb 23, 2012 11:23:36 GMT -5
"Ohhh... an auror?" Paige said, smiling. Yes, definitely a serious type, and probably the "noble" type as well. Yes, she could definitely picture him as the type who'd actually want to take a girl out, show her a good time, treat her like a queen. Kind of like Austin...
Suddenly, her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "Wait a minute. Are you Hayden Ferrera? I know who you are... you're Roland's cousin, aren't you? You were there when he came back from the dead."
Her eyes shot over to Nathalia for a second, before turning back to Hayden. It was interesting... she and Nathalia had met at Roland's "funeral" and bonded over that... but now Nathalia was apparently being pursued by another Ferrera. This could not be a bad thing, as far as Paige was concerned.
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 23, 2012 11:32:41 GMT -5
Caroline flashed a subtle look at Hayden, scoping him out much like Paige was doing. He was cute, looked like a total sweetheart. She wasn't sure he could keep up with Nathalia, but what did she know?
She lifted her left hand to brush some hair from her face as her attention turned towards Damon. "Really, you want to know about my husband?" All the questions he could ask a pretty girl, and that's what he decided on? "Well, he's a doctor." Kind of, but she was betting that this would at least make Damon hesitate. Even if her next comment negated it.
"And to be honest, he doesn't know I'm here. And why do you hang out in seedy bars?"
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Feb 23, 2012 11:53:35 GMT -5
His eyebrow rose as Paige knew who he was. "Yeah, that's me," he replied. Of course he wasn't going to ask how Paige knew Roland. Naturally he did know that she was a reporter, after all he did see her name in the Daily Prophet. There could, and probably was, another way she knew Roland, but that was all in the past and Hayden wasn't going to ask. It wasn't any of his business.
"Yeah, I was also there when that happened." He gave her a slight smile. "You're uh, Paige Owen, right? You write for the Daily Prophet?"
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Post by Paige Owen on Feb 23, 2012 19:41:08 GMT -5
Paige's smile warmed as she looked at Hayden. He didn't look much like Roland, but from what she understood, Roland was sort of the "dark horse" of the family anyway. One thing was certain, however... good looks definitely ran in the family. She wondered to herself what other family traits they had in common.
"Yes, I do. I was covering the story on Roland's death, remember? It was actually my first big story since starting at the Prophet. I actually met Roland a few years ago... He's quite a guy."
And she would leave it at that. After all, she was nothing if not discreet, and besides, she wasn't really here to talk about Roland. She was here to investigate Hayden. Her reporter instincts were starting to kick in.
"So, tell me, Hayden... Besides hanging out at Stu's, what do you do for fun?"
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Post by Sean Leviner on Feb 23, 2012 20:34:28 GMT -5
Sean, however, seemed to lock onto what Paige was doing instantly. Being in law enforcement required certain investigative skills of its own, and he could read people. And now, although they teased each other quite a bit, Sean decided it was time to step in and help Hayden out a little.
"He's a good guy, Paige, if that's what you're getting at." He smiled and the look in his eyes was gentle. But there was an undertone that seemed to say 'yes, he's good enough for your friend.'
"How do you know Nathalia?" he asked, figuring they could do their own prodding as well.
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Post by Paige Owen on Feb 23, 2012 22:53:50 GMT -5
But Paige would not be turned from her mission so easily. "I never said he wasn't," she said airily. "I'm merely curious about him, that's all. Since he turned me down for an interview after Roland's miraculous return."
That was true, actually, but of course, that wasn't why she was curious about him. And she knew Sean wasn't fooled. But really, she had already determined that he was a good guy. She knew guys, and the fact that this one reminded her so strongly of Austin was really enough of a confirmation for her. Still, she wanted to find out a little more about him, something she could report to Nathalia, so that she'd know what she was in for.
"And actually... Nat and I met at Roland's funeral. We got to talking and found that we had a lot in common."
Namely, of course, Roland. But she didn't really need to go into that. "And before you ask, Caroline here is my neighbor. She lives two houses away from me, right next to our friendly neighborhood mobster."
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Post by Damon Dearborn on Feb 23, 2012 23:17:32 GMT -5
Damon was lucky he had a drink in front of him, or else he might have been reduced to drooling. Oh, he wasn't a homewrecker, and unless she was married to a ninety-year-old rich guy, he really couldn't condone cheating. Still, he was curious and more than slightly drunk, so he was a bit bolder than he might have been. There wasn't any harm in a little flirtation, right?
"A doctor, huh? At St. Mungo's? I guess he's working all the time these days."
He wasn't intimidated by this information, but it did tell him that at least he was unlikely to be old, blind and toothless. But if he didn't even know that she was here right now, he clearly was too busy to pay mhc attention to her.
"You just don't seem the type to hang out in a place like this. As for me, well, I hang out in seedy bars because I'm seedy."
He was about to add--jokingly, of course--that he might even be a mobster when he heard Paige mention something about a mobster. Suddenly, the brunette had his attention.
"Mobster... hey, it's not some guy named Santino, is it?"
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 24, 2012 12:00:08 GMT -5
"He's quite occupied, yes." Her lips pursed in a coy way, rather suspecting that he was fishing for whether or not she had lots of time at home where she might be able to entertain visitors as it were. Unfortunately for him, Caroline was loyal if nothing else. "And I'm here because the barmaid is a good friend of mine."
She was about to fire back with with a comment when his head popped up and he was focused on Paige now. Caroline frowned. It may not have gone anywhere, but she still liked the attention.
"His name is Mateo Rossi. Hes got a redheaded girlfriend or mistress or something too, who I have honestly never seen leave the house, not even to get the mail or anything. It's very odd. Why, do you know a mobster?" she asked with a laugh.
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Feb 24, 2012 18:37:49 GMT -5
"I don't really do a whole lot unless I'm out with these three, or working." Hayden knew what was going on as well. He wasn't completely clueless. Looking to Sean, he gave him a half amused look.
"And I did turn you down for an interview. I apologize if I seemed rude at the time, but things were a little rough." Hayden shrugged.
He let out a laugh as it was becoming apparent that Damon was having his fill of drinks. Finally the tables were turning a little off of him for a moment. The whole mobster conversation sparked Hayden's interest. He had been wondering for a bit about Damon's statement before about a job. They had teased him before about mobs. "Yes, Damon," he said with a smile. "Do you happen to know any mobsters?"
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Post by Damon Dearborn on Feb 25, 2012 0:57:31 GMT -5
Damon felt a surge of... relief, mingled strangely with disappointment. If this guy really was a mobster, at least he wasn't Damon's new employer. He was probably imagining things, anyway... no way could he possibly have joined the mob without realizing it. That didn't happen to people, did it?
His attention was back on Caroline, and he barely even glanced in Hayden's direction when his friend spoke. "No... no, of course not. I was just checking... you know, my new employer was kind of mysterious. But it sounds like he's not the same guy. This guy was named... something Santino. An older guy... old enough to be my father. I'm sure he's not a mobster."
Taking another sip from his drink, he looked back at Caroline with a smile. "So what do you do while your husband's away at work all day?"
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 26, 2012 20:42:22 GMT -5
"Ah... No. Mateo is rather close to us in age. Rather mysterious as well, and we don't have proof he's a mobster, but some of the things that go on at his place... It's just kinda creepy. But hey, maybe he knows your mobster."
They were all joking, of course, having no idea how close to the truth they really were. Though Damon seemed distracted, he turned his attention back to Caroline, and she smiled, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand. "I can do whatever I like, actually. Though it's terribly boring being a housewife. Nothing at all exciting ever happens. I like when I can be a socialite."
She liked it best when her husband was home. Even if things were tense lately, she always felt better and safer and more whole when he was with her.
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Post by Paige Owen on Mar 1, 2012 2:02:00 GMT -5
"Yeah, we don't know for sure that he's a mobster, but he looks like one, and he's very... odd. Always looking over his shoulder, like he's expecting a mob hit or something," Paige contributed. "I've never seen the girl you're talking about, though... hey, maybe he's holding her prisoner!"
It all seemed like a bit of a laugh, but if they knew how close they really were to the truth, they probably wouldn't have found it so funny.
"He's kinda hot, though... for a potential mobster. You, on the other hand, don't look much like a mobster," she added to Damon.
But seeing that Damon's attention was back on Caroline, Paige decided to resume her interrogation of Hayden. Turning back to the auror, she smiled at him. "Are you always this quiet?" she asked. "I bet you were a Ravenclaw, weren't you?"
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Post by Damon Dearborn on Mar 1, 2012 2:03:52 GMT -5
Damon only barely glanced in Paige's direction when she spoke, and gave her a vague nod at her comments. Now that he was at least sure that their "mobster" neighbor wasn't his new employer, he wasn't quite as worried about the job. Not that he was really all that worried to begin with, of course.
His attention now fully focused on Caroline, he leaned a little closer to her, hanging on her every word. "I can see you as the socialite type," he said. "Going to fashion shows and cocktail parties and organizing big benefits. How come you're so bored? Doesn't your husband keep you busy?"
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Post by Caroline Wells on Mar 1, 2012 17:25:58 GMT -5
Instead of answering his question, Caroline gave him a very Marilyn Monroe laugh and purse lipped smile. "Why are you so interested in my husband?"
She liked the attention Damon was giving her a lot. It made her feel pretty. But that was where it would stop. Jordan was her best friend, and yes, he made her feel pretty, but he made her feel like she had value, too. She would never intentionally risk that, even if she was doing it now, she was unaware.
"I promise I'm prettier than my husband... Though admittedly, not by much." She ran a hand through her hair, pulling in back over her shoulder. "I bet a boy like you could keep a girl awfully busy, though."
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Post by Damon Dearborn on Mar 3, 2012 1:29:06 GMT -5
When she laughed like that, Damon completely lose his train of thought. Why did he want to know about her husband, anyway? He wasn't here, and she was.
"I promise you, I am not interested in your husband," he said firmly. "I definitely find you much more interesting."
He smiled at her, and leaned a little closer. Merlin, she even smelled great. It added to his already intoxicated state, and he wobbled a little on his chair.
"Tell me about you, then. Do you dance?"
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Post by Caroline Wells on Mar 10, 2012 19:06:41 GMT -5
Caroline glanced at Paige, who was still interrogating poor Hayden, but amused eyes turned back to Damon. "Just had to check, darling," she told him, looking like she was on the verge of laughing again. Merlin, she missed being able to laugh like this.
"I can dance, but I don't think I have in a while." She was keeping an almost motherly eye on him when he wobbled in his chair, and she wondered if he was going to ask her to dance. "I'm just a girl that likes to be entertained, Damon." The answer was vague, but she thought it best if she kept things vague with him, anyway.
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Post by Damon Dearborn on Mar 19, 2012 0:00:57 GMT -5
Damon grinned boldly at her, and any little inhibitions he might have had were slowly starting to fade as the alcohol took effect. But he also knew that if he drank much more, he wouldn't be able to stand up straight, much less dance with her. And he definitely wanted to dance with her. If her husband didn't dance with her, he was more than happy to fulfill that need for her.
"Well, I'm nothing if not entertaining," he declared. He clumsily got to his feet and extended a hand to her. "May I have this dance," he asked, ignoring the fact that the only thing to dance to was the atrocious version of "Yesterday" being warbled off-key by a very drunk wizard who kept periodically breaking into sobs.
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Post by T. Vega on Mar 22, 2012 23:56:28 GMT -5
T was spacing out, over exhausted from working too much or just lost in thought, he wasn't sure, but when he snapped out of it, he realized he'd missed quite a bit. For one, there were girls sitting with them. He blinked a couple times and then smiled shyly. Great, he had spaced out and probably looked like an idiot, at least the other three were more talkative than him anyway.
He leaned over and whispered to Sean. "I spaced out again," he made a silly face before sipping his drink.
((ooc: only excuse I could think of for why T hasn't spoken in a couple pages XD ))
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