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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 15:45:22 GMT -5
It was Saturday and just before seven pm Dorian knocked on her door. He was wearing a dark grey suit with black accents. His hair was combed back. He held a bouquet of wild flowers in one hand, and his other hand was in his pocket. He cut quite the image.
Dorian kept his plans to himself, knowing his friend would make too big of a deal about him planning a romantic evening with a new lady friend. But he couldn't help but admit that he was rather excited about his date with Maxine.
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 16:58:04 GMT -5
Max was a chameleon of sorts. While she was comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, and it certainly made riding her motorcycle easier, she was also comfortable in a little black dress with heels on, hair curled, and flawless make up. When she didn't try she was beautiful, but when she put effort into it she was intimidatingly gorgeous. Tonight she put effort into it. She didn't know where Dorian was taking her, but she presumed it would be different than the places she took him, and so she felt the need to dress the part. She dabbed a small amount of french perfume on her wrists, behind her ears, behind her knees, and between her breasts just as the door knocked. Checking her reflection one last time she answered the door. "You brought flowers." she said with a smile, "Of course you did." Dorian was different than any other man she knew, he was a real gentleman, and she liked that.  |
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 17:11:37 GMT -5
Dorian was expecting her to look as beautiful as always, but he was not at all expecting her to answer the door looking like that. It actually stunned him for a moment and he couldn't help but stare with his mouth slightly ajar for a second before realizing he was being crude and shook himself out of it.
"You look..." Words failed him and the only thing he manage to say was "wow." He handed her the flowers before apologizing for his behavior. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting..." still at a loss for words he finally managed the tired but true "you look amazing."
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 17:14:17 GMT -5
She smiled with each stutter and incomplete sentence. His honest reaction was very flattering.
"Thank you, and you look..." she eyed his perfect attire, perfect hair, perfect face, " devastatingly perfect, like usual." she laughed.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 17:54:42 GMT -5
Dorian smiled politely at her compliment, a little embarrassed by his reaction to her. But he pushed forward. "I assumed after your enchanting display on the ice, that you likely exhibit the same grace on the dance floor. Would you care to join me for dinner and dancing?"
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 17:56:53 GMT -5
She nodded eagerly taking the flowers and finding a vase for them.
"That sounds lovely."
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 18:23:49 GMT -5
Dorian waiting near the door while she found a vase for the flowers, looking around sparingly so as to not seem nosy. When she returned he held out his arm for her.
Dorian didn't date much, but if he had this would have been one of his more favored spots to take someone special. The atmosphere was elegant without being snobby, the food and drink were superb, and the live band they employed were always well received. Dorian held the door for Maxine as they entered, and then spoke to the host about the table he'd reserved.
They were escorted to a table at the edge of the dance floor where they would have a view of the dancers and the band during their meal. Dorian pulled out Maxine's chair for her before taking his own seat across from her.
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 18:30:18 GMT -5
She grinned, "This is really nice. Thank you Dorian." she smiled at him. It wasn't that she hadn't been on dates before, or even nice ones, it was that no man she had ever dated ever looked at her the way Dorian did, as though she was to be cherished and respected simply because she was a woman. She had beaten men bloody for disrespecting her and earned a deference, but even that was different.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 21:07:41 GMT -5
"It is my pleasure, Maxine. I had believed this place would suit your beauty but I'm afraid it's come up short."
The waiter came over and described some of their more popular wines. Before ordering anything, however, Dorian looked to his date. "Do you mind? They have an exceptional cabernet sauvignon here."
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 21:50:13 GMT -5
"Please." she said agreeing to his selection. There was a difference when a man ordered for a woman to be dominant, and when he made a recommendation for her pleasure. Maxine was well aware of what kind of man Dorian was.
"Do you come here often?"
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 21:55:20 GMT -5
Dorian ordered their wine and then the waiter gave them a few more minutes to look over the menu.
"On occasion," he answered. "It's not really the sort of place one would come for an evening alone, but it is better than the hamburger shop."
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 22:11:35 GMT -5
"Oh?" she asked, then teased, "Do you bring many girls here then?"
She couldn't imagine Dorian breaking away from the grind long enough to also be the womanizing type. Hell, she had to practically beg for the dates they had gone on.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 22:30:54 GMT -5
Dorian gave a short laugh. "Hardly," he answered. "I do believe the last time I was here I was coerced into attending a colleague's anniversary party. And the time before that was a retirement dinner for my old mentor."
Dorian didn't date. Whatever he had had with Christine, it was far from being considered dating and before her there was a void in Dorian's social life up until his parents were murdered. Even before then, he would not have been considered a playboy but he had at least been moderately open to the idea of sustaining relationships with the fairer sex. Attacks by Dark Wizards on your loved ones tends to put a damper on your love life.
"In the hopes that we can be candid with each other tonight, I will admit that it has been several years since my last date. I may be a bit rusty at the finer points."
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 22:33:28 GMT -5
She laughed, "I think you'll handle all the 'finer' points better than I will, but I'll steer you around the curves for everything else." she said, her voice a little low. It wasn't overtly sexual, but neither was it completely innocent.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 26, 2016 22:56:06 GMT -5
Dorian was far from ignorant to Max's advances but ever the gentleman he maintained his composure, giving an enticed eyebrow raise at her statement before moving on. "And what sort of places do you usually visit on a date? Other than the ice rink to show off your incredible talent."
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 26, 2016 23:41:48 GMT -5
"I don't date much." she said with a casual shrug. She was usually on assignment, and when she wasn't on assignment she had other priorities. Men took her out, not the other way around.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 27, 2016 0:02:03 GMT -5
Dorian found that hard to believe. He imagined there were all manner of men queuing up to ask Maxine out, but if that were true and she had pursued Dorian then he felt very flattered indeed.
"I imagine many men are intimidated by such a strong woman," he complimented just as the waiter returned. The waiter uncorked the wine and poured them each a glass before asking if they had decided on their dinners. Dorian permitted Maxine to order first, then he ordered his own meal. After they were permitted privacy once more, Dorian returned his attention to his date to continue their conversation.
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 27, 2016 21:56:53 GMT -5
"Not you though." she smiled. Though she was plenty intimidating, and she had heard often enough that she intimidated men, she didn't have time for weakness or arrogance. Dorian was a perfect combination of confidence and strength, but for a detective he was a little slow to pick up on her cues of attraction toward him.
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Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 27, 2016 22:11:26 GMT -5
Dorian smiled. "I've been told I'm a little different than most men. An 'odd duck' as my partner has put it. Still, I find strength of any kind an asset to be respected."
There were moments when social cues evaded him and he had been known on occasion to misread social situations, but he believed he did this no more than the average Joe. The difference, to Dorian's mind, was that even when he noticed a woman like Max and her attention, he didn't often find the need to act upon it. Either he was not interested or he was being respectful. Initially it had been the former, but now it was more the latter. But, were Maxine to call him on this, he would understand why she suspected he missed so many of her subtle hints. A woman as gorgeous as she likely had scores of men throwing themselves at her. Dorian liked to think he had a little more class than that.
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Post by Maxine "Max" Deveraux on Dec 27, 2016 22:16:37 GMT -5
Class was not Dorian's problem. Dorian didn't have a problem. It was Max, who was so adept at social cues and the rules of social conduct between men and women, that she was surprised when she had to practically throw herself at him to get his attention. She was glad she had it now though.
"So why an Auror?"
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