Topic: Take it Easy

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:46 EST
To say that Rhy'Din was an assault on the senses was a bit of an understatement. To add that Rhy'Din thirty-eight years into the future for the newest additions to its wonderful mix of the normal, fantastical, and out of this world was just a little mind-blowing was also an understatement. Helena had done her best to warn Tommy and Jack about the many unusual things and peoples they were going to come across, but some things just had to be jumped into head first. Thus, she'd given both men absolutely no choice but to come out with her for the evening, just a couple of days after they had arrived. After all, the business with the surfboard had been taken care of, they were settled in Willow Manor for now, and the beach had been well and truly declared perfect. Why not choose now to dip a toe into Rhy'Din's night life"

She hadn't chosen anywhere too vastly strange for their first outing, though. The bar they were heading to dealt with mostly humanoid clientele, though that still covered a plethora of races that weren't human. And she had quite deliberately chosen this bar on this night for one reason in particular, which would, for now, remain unknown to both men. It was an open mic night, and she had a better than good hunch that someone she knew was going to be there.

Tommy had thankfully taken it all in stride, just as he had his first time around through the portal, which now hadn't even really happened, as far as he was concerned. To say he'd gotten excited about the beach and the surf was an understatement, however, and he was already making plans for a new shop and talking about designing a new board specially designed for Rhy'Din.

Jack, on the other hand, was like a kid in a candy store. He was full of questions, wide-eyed with wonder at the sights and sounds of Rhy'Din. He wasn't yet sure what he was going to do with his life here, but he wasn't too worried about it just yet. Whatever Tommy had planned, he was sure he'd be part of it somehow. And while Tommy kept waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up from a dream, Jack was the one who had embraced Rhy'Din with wide-eyed childlike wonder.

The words "night out" had produced an interesting response in both of them as well. Lena had told them they didn't need to dress up for this outing, no more than they would normally, but for some reason a certain amount of playful excitement had spread through the house once she'd informed her pair of hippies they were going out for the evening. For once, it was the woman who was ready to go first, waiting patiently in the great room at Willow Manor for her evening's escorts to make their appearance.

The idea of a night on the town was met with excitement from both men, though Tommy was suspicious about what exactly Lena had planned. He knew she was planning on setting his friend up with her cousin, but he wasn't sure if she was going to choose going out for a night on the town as an excuse to do it. Jack had yet to emerge from the bathroom, taking more time in there than a woman, according to Tommy. When he had finally emerged, it had been without the scraggly overgrown beard, hair trimmed to a more reasonable length, glasses gone from his face. He was almost unrecognizable in a lime green leisure suit - the only one he owned - a print shirt beneath the jacket, open at the front, a chain dangling from his neck from which hung a Peace symbol. The laughter that bubbled up from Tommy at the sight of his friend echoed throughout the house, reaching the great room to announce their arrival before they got there.

As for Tommy, he was dressed in an equally ridiculous-looking psychedelic print shirt and matching bell bottom pants, along with a pair of worn leather sandals, his blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was hard to tell which of them looked more out of date and ridiculous.

The sound of laughter was enough to draw Lena's attention to the doorway as they entered, her own reaction to the change in Jack's appearance bright and genuine. The suit ....well, that she could have lived without ever having seen at all, but the rest' "Jack, you look gorgeous," she told him, absolutely sincere in that compliment. She was pretty sure that one way or another she or someone else would be able to steer him away from lime green and that suit over the next few months. As for Tommy' She just about managed to keep her laughter in check to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, but she could foresee a shopping trip in the very near future. "You both look fantastic," she lied through her teeth with a grin, moving to join them, pretty glad she'd gone with dark and understated for the evening herself. Looping her arm about Tommy's waist, she met Jack's gaze with a smile. "No glasses" I like."

Tommy grinned, pleased at the compliment, not realizing how ridiculous and out of date he looked. And what did he care" It was Rhy'Din. Every night was like Halloween here. He might as well look the part.

Jack frowned uncertainly, feeling half naked with all that hair gone from his face. It hadn't helped that Tommy had laughed at him, though his friend's laughter was not malicious in any way, just amused.

"Come on, Romeo," Tommy teased, reaching over to ruffle Jack's much shorter mane. "Let's see what the girls think of the new you."

"Hey, it wouldn't kill you to have a trim, you know," Lena nudged Tommy teasingly, knowing from experience that Jack was probably wavering on whether or not he wanted to go out at all tonight. Laughter was just going to make him want to hide inside until it all grew back again. She reached out to loop her arm through Jack's, leading both men out the front door before either one could put up much of a fight. "No arguments, we're taking the car tonight," she informed them. No way in hell was she going to get out of Tommy's van with them both looking like that.

"Me?" exclaimed Tommy, more than a little defensively. As far as he was concerned, he didn't have to make much of an effort. He already had a girl who liked him just fine the way he was. It was Jack who was the problem child. "Oh, no," Tommy muttered with a chuckle. "No one is touching this hair. It's taken me years to get it just right!"

Now it was Jack's turn to laugh at his friend. "You could have at least worn a suit."

Tommy turned a glare on Jack. "I don't own a suit, and you look like you're ready for the disco."

"At least, I made an effort!" Jack shot back, his freshly-trimmed boyish face flushing with anger.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:46 EST
She might have been able to ignore their crazy get up, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was going to be seen in public with them. She was going to try and introduce Jack to someone ....dressed like that. And now they were arguing. "Oh, for gods' sakes!" Lena stopped abruptly, releasing both of them and stepped forward, turning to stare them both down with a stern expression. "I love you both, but to be honest, you both look ridiculous. So ....turn around, back upstairs. Or you can go out without me. Your choice."

Tommy looked a little indignant, while Jack just looked crestfallen. Of the two, he'd clearly made more of an effort to make himself presentable and make a good impression and now he wondered if he should have even bothered. "But..." he started, just a little timidly, clearly wounded. "I shaved."

Tommy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms against his chest. "Told you so," he muttered to his friend.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Lena assured Jack, one finger rising in front of Tommy's face as though daring him to say anything else that wasn't at least encouraging. "Jack, you're a very handsome man, and I'm proud of you for getting out from behind that forest you were wearing on your face. I'm talking about the clothes, boys. You're both going to stand out like sore thumbs, and not in a good way." She pointed up the stairs. "Up. Now."

Coming from a completely different time and place, neither had any sense of modern fashion, and Rhy'Din being the mishmash that it was, it was hard to tell what was in style exactly. Neither had been out and about much yet, but from what they'd seen, it seemed like it was anything goes, as far as fashion was concerned. You were as likely to run into someone wearing breeches and tunic as a designer suit here, and Tommy didn't really see what the big deal was. He was about to say just that, his mouth open to respond, when Lena raised a finger in warning and his mouth snapped shut.

Jack flushed a little at the compliment. Now that all that hair was gone, the flush to his pale boyish face was even more apparent. "You look really nice tonight, Lena," Jack said with a nervous smile as he turned to do as he was told.

Tommy was a bit more stubborn, huffing out a breath before turning to follow. "Just so you know, I'm not wearing tights," he warned his girlfriend, adding to Jack in a whisper under his breath, "That was my line."

"Then you should have said it," Jack countered.

She smiled, blushing a little at Jack's compliment. "Thank you, Jack. That's really nice of you to say." As Jack headed up the stairs, she gave Tommy a gentle prod, ignoring the whispering between the men. "No tights, nothing uncomfortable," she promised them both. "Go into the room Jack's using - there's a couple of closets full of clothes in there that should fit both of you. Choose something from there." Jon's old closets, in fact. And Helena knew perfectly well that Jon didn't have anything ridiculous in there.

"What, alone?" Jack asked, glancing at Tommy uncertainly. "With him?"

"What's the matter" Afraid I'm going to goose you?" Tommy asked with a smirk. As annoyed as Tommy had been, he couldn't stay angry for long, especially not at Jack. He threw an arm around his friend's shoulder and led the way to the spare bedroom. "Come on. Let's see if we can figure this out."

"Well, I can come in there and dress you myself if you'd rather," Lena said pointedly, ignoring the snorting giggle coming from behind her as Dru stuck her head out of her own bedroom to listen to the conversation as it passed by. "Let's pretend I trust your judgement, shall we?" She offered up a teasing smile, giving both men a gentle push into the bedroom. "No fighting."

Jack threw a worried glance at Tommy, who seemed, as usual, to have everything under control - or at least, he thought he did. Still, it took them three separate tries before they passed the Granger seal of approval. Between the two of them, Jack seemed to have the better sense of fashion - which was a bit of a surprise, considering how he'd looked when she'd first met him. He finally emerged from the spare bedroom in a black t-shirt and jeans, covered by a black leather jacket, while Tommy had chosen a blue t-shirt that matched his eyes beneath a gray jacket and slacks. If only Tommy had trimmed his hair and beard, he might have looked as boyish as his companion.

Lena had waited patiently for the almost hour it took to reach this point, watching their attempts get gradually better until they were both more than presentable. She smiled at them both, pushing off from the wall where she had been leaning. "Much better," she promised them, her voice warm with approval. "I'll bet that's more comfortable too, isn't it?"

Both replied in unison, Jack with a resounding, "Yes," and Tommy with a "No," but this time, instead of arguing, they just laughed. Tommy moved forward to take Lena's arm, smooching her cheek affectionately. "You look beautiful, Midge," he murmured against her cheek, sincerely meaning it. Jack shuffled a bit nervously, as he waited for them to leave, worried he looked like an idiot.

Laughing at their contradictory reply, her smile softened as Tommy kissed her cheek, adding his own compliment in a murmur. "And you look very handsome," she answered him fondly, looping her arm through his. "And you ..." Her gaze turned to Jack, sincere and honest, even with a smile. "Seriously. You're going to have to beat them off with a stick, I promise you." She gave Tommy a gentle tug, jerking her head for both of them to come back downstairs again.

"Really?" Jack asked, glancing in a mirror to examine his own reflection again, hardly recognizing the man that looked back at him. That couldn't be him, could it' He hadn't seen that face in years.

"Not a word, Pipsqueak," Tommy warned as they passed Dru's room, her head peeking out nosily. They had already met and hit it off, but he didn't want to suffer her teasing remarks about how long it had taken them to get decently dressed.

"Night, Dru," Jack offered with a slightly shy smile as he followed them out, still blushing at Lena's compliment.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:47 EST
"Get a haircut, Boom-Boom," was Dru's rather cheeky response to Tommy's warning, offered up from a wide grin. She was enjoying this lighter side of Helena, which seemed to be entirely because of the two wild men of the 1970's she'd brought back to Rhy'Din with her. Her grin gentled as Jack passed by. "Night, gorgeous," she called after him, letting them get out of sight before she closed her door.

Lena heard it all, of course, giggling to herself as she led Tommy and Jack out of the house. "Just as well this place is open 'til the early hours," she commented with a grin. "We're not gonna miss too much."

"Boom-Boom?" Tommy echoed. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, a little bit lost as the three of them headed out for the evening.

There was a wide grin on Jack's face. He had not only got the Lena seal of approval but even better, Dru had called him gorgeous. Maybe there really was hope for him yet.

"Are we taking your brother's car?" Tommy asked curiously. He'd been eying the Bentley covetously since their arrival at Maple Grove. He liked his van well enough, but there was a time and place for it, and he sensed this night out was neither.

"My brother will kill you if you even breathe wrong on his car," she warned Tommy, drawing them toward the little garage that was attached to Willow Manor. A little negotiating while the men were getting changed had gotten her the keys to Dru's Aston Martin, which she had a feeling wouldn't be so crowded as her own car. "He loves it with a passion he reserves for his wife, daughter, and dog." She grinned, pausing by the handsome car. "Hop in then, gorgeous and handsome. No time like the present."

"I haven't met him yet," Tommy remarked. "Are you sure he really exists?" he teased as she drew them both toward the garage. He hadn't quite gotten over the fact that she was obviously from a very well-to-do family, but he hadn't had much time to think about it either. He didn't want her thinking that he was only interested in her for her money, and that worried him a little.

Jack's mouth dropped open at the sight of the car. "Oh, my god," he whispered in obvious awe. He was definitely way out of his league.

That was the thing - Tommy didn't need to worry. Lena knew he wasn't interested in money; in fact, it was probably more of a turn off for him than anything. She knew he wasn't in this for the money. "Are you suggesting I've made up a brother, a sister-in-law, and a niece?" she laughed indignantly back to Tommy, pressing the button on the key to unlock the doors of the car. Jack's reaction made her smile. "Hey, if you're nice to Dru, she'd probably let you drive it, you know. But for now ....get in, boys."

Jack didn't even own a car of his own. He and Tommy had shared the van, just as Robby had with Tommy. Neither of them had much money, and it felt a little weird to be living a lifestyle that was far above their means, but so far, neither had said much about it. "Seeing is believing," Tommy remarked, a teasing smirk on his face, nudging Jack with an elbow and reaching over to push his friend's mouth close. "Come on, Leroy, you're drooling."

Leaving the men to get themselves into the car, Lena slid behind the wheel, spending a moment adjusting the seat until she was more comfortable. Dru was shorter than her by several inches, and had an annoying habit of sitting close enough to the wheel to rest her elbows on it while she was driving. She started the engine, pulling her belt into place as she waited for the pair of them to join her. It was pretty obvious that neither Tommy nor Jack were entirely comfortable living at Willow Manor with the resources of the Grangers at their fingertips. They were going to be even more uncomfortable when she showed them the plans for the shop and house yet to be built, with an optional house just for Jack, but she was going to worry about that another time. Tonight's mission was just getting out of Maple Grove before she turned grey, it seemed.

"I'm calling shotgun!" Tommy exclaimed.

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. He had no intention of sitting in the front seat beside Tommy's girlfriend. That was obviously Tommy's place. He was perfectly happy to sit in the back seat. Both men climbed in, but neither put their seat-belt on as it wasn't a requirement where they came from. Jack quieted as soon as he was seated, hands clenched nervously in his lap. He was being forced to go out against his will, and the shy, soft-hearted young man was more than a little nervous about it. He would have been perfectly happy to stay behind and keep Dru company, but Lena - and Tommy, by extension - had insisted.

Tommy pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and started to light one up, "So, where are we going?" he asked, the cigarette bobbing between his lips.

"You're not smoking in Dru's car, Tommy," Lena told him before he could get the flame to the end of his cigarette. "Try it, and I'll toss it out the window." She had yet to explain the medical implications of smoking to him, figuring that he'd be more likely to listen if she had a few flashcards to show him when she tackled it. "At the bar, it'll be fine, just not in here." She glanced into the rear-view mirror, checking on Jack even as the car drew out of the gates of Maple Grove and turned toward the city. She knew he wasn't exactly eager to be on this outing, but hopefully he'd get over that with a little encouragement.

"What?" Tommy asked, brows furrowing, the flame from the lighter mere inches from the end of the cigarette. "Why not?" he continued, the cigarette still stuck between his lips.

"Haven't you heard?" interjected a voice from the back seat. "It causes cancer. It's been all over the news."

"Why is it that everything fun is no good for me?" Tommy complained, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and shoving it back in the pack before Lena tossed it out the window.

"Not everything," Jack replied, helpfully.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:48 EST
"I didn't say you had to stop smoking all together, just not in Dru's car. Or in the house, actually," she added with a slightly guilty wince. "It's not just you who's getting endangered breathing in the smoke, you see. That, and it stinks." She chuckled at Jack's interjection, amused and impressed by how quickly he was picking up some things. "He's right," she added in agreement with Jack, glancing at Tommy. "Or did I just get relegated to bad girl?"

"Sex!" Tommy proclaimed, with a gesture of his hand in eager proclamation. "Sex isn't bad for me!" He grinned over at Lena, waggling blond brows at her as she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Jack chuckled from the back seat, as the two of them got his drift. "You two should go without me. I'm just going to get in the way."

Laughing at Tommy's sudden turn around from pouting to rather wickedly teasing, Lena shook her head as she guided the car around a corner, concentrating as she parked. "You can't go home now," she told Jack. "We just got here. And trust me, you're not going to be in the way." She jerked her head to encourage both of them to get out of the car with her, her gaze wandering along the street to where a bar stood, declaring itself to be The Schooner. Light spilled out onto the street from the open doorway, illuminating a young woman who, on first glance from a distance, looked pretty similar to Helena herself. Lena grinned, stepping up onto the sidewalk to wait for Jack and Tommy to join her before locking up the car.

"Why am I doing this again?" Jack asked Tommy rhetorically as he climbed out of the car and onto the street.

"For the same reason I am. To have fun and because Midge wants us to," he replied, with a warm smile at his friend. No matter how much they argued, there was no mistaking the brotherly affection shared by the two men. "Let's go, Jackie. Time's a-wasting," he said, reaching over to ruffle his friend's hair, as was his habit before hopping up onto the sidewalk and reaching for Lena's hand.

Jack ducked his head out of the way of Tommy's hand, fingers combing through his newly-cropped hair nervously as he fell into step behind the pair. Neither of them seemed to notice the young woman in the doorway just yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Slightly less time than might first have been thought. As they walked toward the bar, the woman turned, and leveled a wide smile onto Helena, raising her hand to wave. Lena grinned in answer, kissing the back of Tommy's hand briefly before letting go of him to run ahead and be wrapped up in a hug from a cousin she didn't see enough of. "You made it!" said cousin declared as she laughed, hugging Lena fondly. Hazel eyes looked up at the two men following behind. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost again."

Lena blushed, shaking her head. "That only happened once, Jaz."

As soon as Jack noticed the young woman illuminated in the light outside the club, bar, pub, whatever it was, he stopped in his tracks, looking like he'd just seen a ghost, though she was not a ghost at all, but a beautiful woman Lena had shown him a photo of on her phone - he now knew that electronic device was some kind of new-fangled cordless portable telephone.

Tommy stopped when he noticed Jack was no longer with him and glanced back at his friend. "What the hell is the matter with you?" He turned to look at the two women, unsure what the big deal was. She was just a girl, after all, albeit an extremely hot one.

The two women were seemingly oblivious to the slowed approach of the men, content to keep chatting while waiting for Lena's escorts to get to them. "Have we missed anything?" Lena was asking Jasmin as she glanced in through the door.

Jaz shook her head, her bright smile relaxed. "Nah, Eida only just got the ball rolling," she assured her cousin, glancing toward the men. "Who're the hunks" Don't tell me ....you went to Earth and became a reverse Mormon."

Lena let out a loud, indignant laugh, thumping Jasmin's arm gently. "I did not!" she protested, blushing even as she rolled her eyes, adding in an undertone, "Hands off the blonde, he's mine."

"Don't you get it?" Jack asked Tommy, eying the two women from a distance, obviously terrified. "Lena set me up to meet her cousin."

Tommy glanced over at the pair again, seeing nothing to be afraid of, before turning back to Jack. "So' She's a babe. What's the worst that can happen?"

"The worst?" Jack echoed. "The worst is she'll hate me," he explained.

Tommy rolled his eyes. Total opposites, there was not a shy bone in Tommy's body. "She's not gonna hate you. Why don't you give her a chance?"

Jack just shrugged.

"Well, I'm going inside. You can stand out here and sulk if you want." And with that said, Tommy turned on a heel and started toward the two women, knowing Jack wouldn't have any choice but to follow.

As Tommy reached them, Jaz was eying Lena suspiciously. "You didn't, did you?" she asked warily, her query met only with an innocent smile that she knew a little too well.

Lena then turned her smile onto Tommy, hooking her arm about his waist. "Tommy, this is my cousin, Jasmin," she introduced them warmly. "Jaz, this is ....well, I guess you're my boyfriend, aren't you?"

Jasmin rolled her eyes, laughing a little at the introduction, but it seemed she had certain shyness problems herself with strangers. Her greeting to Tommy was definitely more subdued than the hello that had been bestowed upon Lena. "It's nice to meet you, Tommy," she nodded to him, even her smile turning a little shy. "Isn't your friend coming?"

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:49 EST
Tommy slid a possessive arm around Lena's waist as he arrived at her side, clearly staking his claim for anyone who might want to notice or challenge him. He wasn't that good with women, and he was determined to hang onto this one. "It's nice to meet you, too, Jasmin," he replied politely. He couldn't help but notice that she was a looker, but he had already met the girl of his dreams, and she didn't have to worry about anyone else competing for his heart or attention. Tommy glanced back at Jack who was still standing glued to the same spot. "He's shy," Tommy explained, waving Jack over. "Come on, she won't bite! We haven't got all night!"

"He won't bite, either," Lena added in a gentler tone. Perhaps it was strange, that the plainer of the two cousins should be the one being reassuring in the face of a handsome man, but Jasmin hadn't had the best of luck with men on the whole, and she was shy of handsome men anyway. They always seemed to overlook her and go for someone else, and she'd never quite been able to work out why.

Flicking a look to Lena that promised they were going to have a long talk about this at some point soon, Jaz seemed to steel herself, offering her shy smile over to Jack.

Lena's smile turned a bit secretive, and she leaned up to murmur into Tommy's ear. "Think they can handle introducing themselves, or will we have to get them drunk first?"

Tommy smirked at Lena's question, turning his head to whisper back, "Why don't we go inside and see what happens?" he whispered back, assuming without them there, the pair would have no choice but to introduce themselves to each other. Jack had started walking slowly toward the trio, thankfully not shuffling his feet on the way.

"Good plan." Lena grinned back to Tommy, giving him a gentle tug toward the door. "We'll see you in there," she told Jasmin as they stepped past her.

Jaz started, surprised that her cousin was just going to walk away and leave her to navigate the hello by herself, tempted to just follow them inside. But she wasn't a cruel person by nature, and the other guy looked more nervous than she was. So she stayed where she was, her shoulders rising and falling in an apologetic shrug as Jack drew closer. "Ever get the feeling you've been set up?"

"You, too, huh?" Jack replied as he at last, and more than a bit reluctantly, reached his destination, which had really only been a short walk from where Lena had parked the car. "I'm Jack," he volunteered, offering an awkward hand. It didn't seem quite right to give a girl a handshake, but he wasn't really sure what else to do.

Her hand closed around his, warm and only a little tentative as she shook it, her grip revealing calluses on the tips of her fingers that must have come from playing a guitar. "I'm Jasmin," she introduced herself in return, her smile relaxing a little now the scariest part was out of the way. He was handsome; better looking than all of the men she'd ever dated combined. Beautiful eyes ... Sliding her hand free, she looked through the door into the pub, turning her glance back onto Jack. "Um ....may I buy you a drink, Jack?"

"I know," he replied, holding onto her hand a little longer than was necessary or polite, forcing himself not to tremble. She was beautiful, there was no other word to describe her, but he'd known that already before he'd met her. Not beautiful like a sunset or a work of art - she was beautiful in a way he'd never experienced before. It was the kind of beauty that took your breath away. The summit of beauty and love, and Venus was her name... He fell into her eyes, lost for a moment in the rapture of her beauty, until she glanced away and the spell was broken. "I, uh....Sure, I guess," he replied, wanting to kick himself for not asking her first.

Realizing she might have jumped the gun a little for asking, Jasmin's smile flickered back into life once again as she stepped aside, inviting him with her body language to walk in alongside her. "I, um, I get performer's discount in here," she explained awkwardly. "I do Thursdays, seven through to eleven, and then a band takes over for the rest of the night. So they don't make me pay so much when I order."

"Midge....Helena," he started, stammering, quick to correct himself. "She said you're a musician. Do you write your own music?" he asked, reaching around her to pull open the door like a perfect gentleman. Though he might not have much experience with women, at least he knew how to be polite. "I play guitar a little. I'm not very good."

Despite the curious glance she gave him at the revealing slip of Lena's nickname, Jasmin didn't linger on it, murmuring a grateful thank you as he pulled the door open for her. The sounds of the bar hit them as they entered, low level chatter mingling with the live music being performed on the little stage toward the back. The people there were, as Lena had assured the men, mostly humanoid, nothing too out of the ordinary to surprise them, but what stood out was the sheer number of instruments about the place. Most of these people had come out to take part in the open mic, already with slots booked for themselves to perform in front of their peers. It was a friendly, safe atmosphere they created, welcoming to those who were not such familiar faces.

Jaz visibly relaxed as they entered, obviously more in her element than she had been out on the street. "Yeah, I, uh, I write my own stuff," she answered Jack's question, having to lean close so he could hear her as they moved toward the bar itself. "I-I do a lot of covers, too. People like to request songs. I'd like to hear you play sometime. Will you be getting up there tonight?"

He leaned his head toward her so he could hear her over the music and the bar chatter, close enough that he could hear her but not so close that their heads were touching. He noticed the stammer, surprised to find she seemed as nervous as he was, though he wasn't sure why. He stepped out in front of her to clear a path to the bar, squeezing around and between groups of chattering people with a few polite, "Pardon mes." He had to lean toward her again to hear her question. "Who, me?" he asked, shaking his head. "No, I....I don't think so."

She smiled, understanding that being shy and getting up on a stage didn't always mix. "Maybe another time, then," she suggested, one hand resting on his back as he cleared their path. "One on one, maybe? Less intimidating." It was a friendly suggestion, one she wouldn't have made to just anyone. But she trusted Lena, and so far, Jack wasn't anything but sweet. She couldn't really see that changing.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:50 EST
"One on one?" Jack echoed, brows arching. "What, me and you?" he asked, obviously surprised by the suggestion. He somehow managed to squeeze his way through and up to the bar, reaching for her hand to draw her along with him, so he didn't lose her in the crowd. "What would you like?" he asked, despite the fact that she'd offered to buy him a drink, not the other way around.

Long fingers eased between his as he took her hand, shy but not so shy as to deny the practicality of holding on so they didn't get separated. That, and it felt nice. Her smile rose once again as they reached the bar, catching him as he turned her invitation around on her. "Silvermark," she told him, flicking a smile to the bar-tender, who looked like a perfectly normal, if somewhat beefy, woman, if you overlooked the small tusks that protruded from her top and bottom jaw.

Jack wasn't sure what a Silvermark was, but he was willing to try most anything once and raised a hand, holding up two fingers to indicate how many drinks he wanted to order. "Two Silvermarks, please," he told the woman behind the bar, trying hard not to stare at her tusks. He reached into his jacket and pulled a few bills out of his wallet, hoping U.S. dollar bills would be acceptable payment.

Well, Rhy'Din was a cosmopolitan place, and with Jasmin next to him, he got the discount reserved for her. She leaned into his back, speaking into his ear to answer the question he'd posed before ordering. "And yes, you and me. You play something, I'll play something. Meeting of music, that kind of thing."

"Are you asking me on a date?" he asked, unsure if that was what she had in mind or if she was just interested in swapping notes with a fellow musician. "I'm not very good," he warned her in advance. "I just dabble. I've never performed in public or anything. It's-it's a hobby." As far as he was concerned, he was just a cashier in a sporting goods store. He might dream of being a professional musician, but that's all it had ever been.

She bit her lip for a moment. "Dates are kinda scary, don't you think?" she offered, glancing up as the bar-tender delivered two bottles of Silvermark. Her fingers wrapped about both necks, the other hand sliding into Jack's once he had paid to draw him back through the crowded pub to where she had left her own guitar, keeping a couple of seats free for her all by itself. She caught a glimpse of Lena as they passed through the groups of people, rolling her eyes at how loved up her cousin looked.

Before Jack could protest - not that he wanted to - she was snagging his hand and the ales and tugging him back through the crowd to a pair of empty seats that appeared to be reserved for her. He, too, caught a glimpse of Tommy and Lena, who seemed to be having a good time, so far. Tommy looked right at home, one arm around Lena, a drink in the other hand, heads close as they chatted together and listened to the music. Jack's gaze lingered on his two friends a moment before looking back to Jasmin. "Isn't that what this is?" he asked, though they both knew they'd been set up.

"What, scary, or a date?" she asked him, letting go of his hand to move her guitar and its case off the two-seater couch it had been saving for her. Her free hand caught his again to pull him down onto the couch beside her, handing over his ale. It took a moment for her to work out what to say next, knowing that she had a tendency to come across as more confident than she really was, and not wanting to scare him away before he at least had a chance to enjoy the music. "Lena's sweet, but you can bet she didn't think past introducing us. It's not really a set up."

"Both," he replied, as she moved her guitar case, silently admiring the view. He let her take his hand and pull him down onto the couch, a little surprised, having expected her to be more shy and quiet than she appeared. "She and Tommy are trying to hook me up. I think it might be their way of getting rid of me," he said as he took the Silvermark from her hand, realizing it was nothing too weird, just ale.

"Maybe they just don't want you feeling left out while they're licking each other's tonsils," Jasmin suggested with a smile, taking a swig of her Silvermark. Crossing one knee over the other, she laid her arm along the back of the couch, leaning close enough to talk but not close enough to start blushing at the proximity. "Are you new in town?"

"Three's a crowd," he remarked, examining at the bottle a moment before tilting it back and taking a swig, glancing briefly at her legs before forcing his gaze upwards to look at her face. He lowered the bottle to balance it against his black-jean clad knee. "Didn't Lena tell you?" he asked, presuming she had already spilled the beans to her cousin about who he and Tommy were and where - and when - they were from.

"Three is a magic number," she quoted back to him with a one-shouldered shrug. "Except when one and two are screwing, then it's just weird, right?" Just from the way she said it, it was obvious that Jaz had been the third wheel more than a few times herself. Meeting Jack's eyes, even in the gloom of the bar, she found herself staring for a long moment, blushing when she realized what she was doing. "No, she didn't tell me anything," she admitted to him. "She just said she'd meet me here, she didn't say anything about bringing anyone." Chancing her arm more than a little, she added, "Can't say I'm sorry she didn't come alone, though."

"I guess it depends on one and two. I've never been into threesomes myself. I mean, I'd be happy with just one someone," he said, wincing as he said it, wishing he could kick himself. He only realized she was staring into his eyes when he noticed her blush, and he felt a wave of relief to know that just maybe she was as nervous as he was. He took another swig of the Silvermark, as much to calm his own nerves as to wet his throat. "She showed me your picture," he confessed.

Jaz groaned through her laughter, rolling her eyes as she giggled. "Oh gods, which one?" she asked, half-afraid to find that little detail out. "I hope it was flattering, at least." Resting her bottle against her cheek to try and cool the blush, he had her full attention. Full enough that she forgot to applaud as the performers switched over to someone new behind the mic.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:52 EST
"Bikini," he admitted. "Looked like something out of Playboy Maga..." He broke off, his turn to blush. "Sorry, I-I don't mean you're, you know..." He sighed, wishing for the second time that he could kick himself. "I just mean that you're....pretty. More than pretty. Gorgeous. A goddess. Oh, Christ. I'm just gonna shut up now."

Thankfully for his peace of mind, all she took away from that rather endearing ramble was the compliment, and it was a surprising shock. All pretense of being confident and self-assured went out of the window, revealing the rather innocent young woman underneath it all. Wide hazel eyes, slightly incredulous smile, her gaze fixed on his with sweet disbelief. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted, unable to lie even if he wanted to, and why would he want to' Was she toying with him' She had to already know she was drop dead gorgeous. He was pretty sure she could have any guy she wanted. "I mean, you're gorgeous. I'm not just saying that either. I wouldn't lie about that."

"Thank you." Her voice was just a little wondering. She'd never been told she was pretty before; there had been plenty of men who'd told her she was beautiful, she was perfect, but she hadn't believed them. Because in the end, they'd left her, after ripping her apart because she wasn't perfect enough, she wasn't what they wanted. And now a handsome man who seemed sweet and gentle had told her he found her pretty, and she could feel that compliment hitting home. "Wow, I ....thank you, Jack." Her blush had risen again, her gaze dropping between them for a moment before lifting shy eyes to his once again. "You're very handsome, you know. You have beautiful eyes." Oh gods, did I just say that out loud"

"You have to know that already, don't you?" he asked, somewhat incredulous himself that she didn't seem to know how gorgeous she was. It was his turn to blush when she offered him a compliment, though he didn't really believe it. He pushed his fingers nervously through his hair, shoving it aside, not used to the feel of the new cut just yet. He felt almost naked without the long hair and beard and sunglasses to hide behind. "No, I'm not, but thanks for saying so."

"Yes, you are," she shrugged one shoulder again, her smile almost apologetic for making him feel uncomfortable with a little unthinking honesty. "Beauty's in the eye of the beholder, right' I think you're handsome. Take the compliment."

Taking a drink from her bottle, she glanced up as the organizer of the night pushed over to them, bending to call into her ear. "Harry's next, and then you're up!" Nodding, she grinned at Eida, a more than scruffy-looking human male in his fifties, who chuckled and moved away again.

He took another swig of his beer while she and the scruffy-looking man conversed, hearing enough to know that she was up next. "I thought you worked Thursdays," he pointed out, wondering if she was hoping for a big break or if she enjoyed performing so much she was willing to do it for free once in a while.

Turning back to Jack easily as soon as Eida was done, Jasmin leaned close once more to answer. "I do work here Thursdays," she confirmed for him. "I do Wednesdays at The Eagle Eye, Sunday afternoons I play the bar at the Sapphire Hotel. Everything else is flexible, but I like open mic nights. You get to hear new music, or old music done in a new way, and you get to mix and match with other musicians. Almost everyone here is a musician, whether they earn a living at it or not. And we all support each other. It takes a lot of guts to get up there behind the mic - you'll never meet a better crowd to do it in front of."

He smiled a little, perhaps his first smile all night. "Are you trying to talk me into signing up for a slot?" he asked, in mild amusement. Even though he fancied himself a musician, he had never played in public, at least, not in front of an audience in a bar like this one. "Are you hoping for a recording contract, or do you just like playing live?" he asked, shifting the questions away from himself.

"Hey, you could come up and play for me," she offered with a grin, pleased to see him smile. Without thinking, she let her thumb brush the corner of his smiling mouth gently. "You should smile more often, it suits you." Taking another swift drink, she set her bottle down, lifting her guitar across her knee to check its tuning as he turned the question on to her again. "Why would I want to record anything?" she asked curiously. "Nothing compares with a live audience, even if they're not listening. Music's not just about what you hear, it's about what you feel. I want to share that, I don't want to be cut out because someone's listening to me on a radio or something." Music was obviously her passion, her nerves fading as they spoke about it.

He blinked at her touch, not having expected it, even as brief as it was. He studied her as she pulled away and took up her guitar, gaze drifting to her mouth, thoughts wandering to wonder what it would feel like to taste those lips. Were they as soft as they seemed" He blinked out of his thoughts, blushing again as she spoke again, turning his question back at him. "Recording allows you to share your music with people who might not be able to hear it otherwise, and it preserves it." He leaned forward, his interest piqued as the conversation turned to a subject he was equally passionate about. "Take Elvis, for example. Who will ever hear his music after he's gone if he doesn't record it?"

"You make a good point," Jasmin agreed, not even attempting to argue that point in favor of making her own. "But there are thousands of musicians and-and-and songwriters throughout history, even in the last century, that never recorded anything they wrote or performed. Songs that are lost to time, because no one wrote them down or etched them onto vinyl, but those are still songs that touched people and forged a link between the ones who sang them and the ones who heard them. I'm not saying recording and mass production is a bad thing, I'm just saying that I, personally, prefer the intimacy of knowing each every time I sing or play, that it's for just a handful of people who are there, listening to me, because they want to be."

"Okay," he agreed, understanding her point. "I see what you're saying, so long as it pays the bills, I guess. I mean, fame isn't everything, and money doesn't make you happy. I just play because I love to play. That's all. I don't really want to be rich or famous. I just love the music. That's all." So, was what he was saying much different than her? He wasn't sure. He looked over and nodded at the small stage. "I think you're up."

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:54 EST
She looked up, noting that Harry was coming to the end of his set. There were a lot of people in tonight - two songs seemed to be the limit for everyone who had a slot. "You're right," she agreed, and on a whim, leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Keep my seat warm for me, okay?" Rising to her feet, she slung her guitar into place, picking her way to the stage as applause rippled through the little crowd for her predecessor.

He nodded up at her as she kissed his cheek, following her with his eyes as she made her way to the small stage. He lifted a hand to touch his cheek where she'd kissed him, more than a little stunned not only by her kiss but just by the fact that he'd spent the last half hour or so in conversation with her and she hadn't run for the hills yet. Could a hair cut and shave really make that much difference" He took a swallow of his ale as he watched her, his eyes darting briefly to search the crowd for Tommy and Lena, feeling suddenly very alone again, though she'd promised to be back after she was done with her set.

His friends weren't too far away, though they hadn't been lucky enough to snag more than one chair. Lena was sat on Tommy's lap, giggling at something he'd said as her eyes met Jack's. She offered him a hopeful smile, mouthing "Everything okay?" across the intervening space, as the first mellow tones started to vibrate from Jasmin's guitar.

The tune she opened with was slow and calming, her voice soaring with gentle confidence as her eyes scanned the crowd in front of her. "For you, there'll be no crying; for you, the sun will be shining; 'Cos I feel that when I'm with you, it's all right ..."

Jack found Lena on Tommy's lap, read her lips from across the room, and nodded his reply. As nervous as he was, things were going well so far, better than expected for his first not-date with her cousin. He turned his gaze back toward the stage as the song started, admiring the soft, sweet sound of her voice, envying her a little. She had more talent in her little finger than he had in his whole body, and she was going to be famous someday, whether she wanted to or not. He just felt it. He listened entranced as she sang the words, softly and sweetly, not really thinking they were meant for him, but almost wishing they were.

"....And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before ..." Those hazel eyes swept the crowd, meeting Jack's gaze with a warm smile. No, she might not be singing those words for him tonight, but there was a real warmth in the way her eyes lit up as she held his gaze for just a few seconds. There was real promise in the tentative step toward friendship they'd already taken, and Jasmin couldn't help feeling just a little bit hopeful that maybe Lena's instincts had been right this time. She'd knew her audience, though; as the last chords of that gentle ballad faded into the applause that went up, her fingers shifted, picking out the intro to a song that was coincidentally very familiar to at least two of that watching and listening crowd, and elicited a small cheer from the regulars around them as they recognized what had become practically Jasmin's theme song. "Well, I'm runnin' down the road, tryin' to loosen my load; I got seven fellas on my mind ..."

He was so entranced by her and her singing that he forgot to applaud along with the crowd and by the time he realized it, she was already moving into the next song, one he knew well and had done his own rendition of not more than a few nights ago on a beach thirty-eight years in the past. He recognized the song almost immediately and started chuckling a little to himself, wondering if Lena had already known.

So comfortable was Jasmin with the song, and indeed, with the regulars in the bar, that when the chorus came around, there was a minor rush toward the stage as various friends crowded around the other mic to harmonize with varying degrees of success. The result was a choral tribute to The Eagles, albeit one led by a female voice who couldn't help laughing through the lyrics at one particularly bum note that came from the little group around the other mic. The exhilaration she'd hinted at feeling was there on her face as the song rounded out into a laughing ending, practiced ease getting her unplugged and off the stage smoothly to make space for the next performer, despite the crush of people diving back into the crowd to reclaim drinks and seats. Thumping back down beside Jack, Jaz turned her bright smile onto him. "See what I mean?"

He laughed along with the others, unable to help wondering how his voice would harmonize with hers, though he was content for the time being to remain a quiet observer, too shy to take the stage himself just yet. Maybe after a few more drinks, maybe not. "Yeah, but it just depends what kind of effect you want to have on people, what kind of impression you want to make. Do you want to make them laugh or cry or both?" he asked, finishing off the first Silvermark.

"It depends on the mood of the audience," she shrugged, tipping her head back to polish off her own ale before carefully unslinging the guitar from around her neck and shoulder, flicking open the clasps on the hard case to settle it safely inside. "Most evenings, people want to be entertained, they want to smile and laugh and have something more upbeat to listen to, even if it's just in the background. But you can sneak a few sad songs in there and get the right reaction, so long as they know you can lift the mood again after." She grinned again, looking up to catch the bar-tender's eye and signal for two more Silvermarks, which made their way over to them via several pairs of hands. The money went back in the same fashion. "Cheers."

He glanced a little enviously at the guitar as she set it back in its case, tempted to ask if he could take a look, but not wanting to appear too nosy. He had his own, after all, back at Willow Manor, a little older and more worn in than hers. He watched as she signaled for two more bottles of Silvermark, and nodded his thanks as one of those bottles reached his hand. "Cheers," he returned, tilting the bottle toward her before taking a swig. "So, how long have you been playing?"

"Since I was big enough to hold a guitar," she told him, a fondness settling into her expression at the question. "My mom, she, uh ....she was in a band before she married my dad. There was a lot of music in our house when I was a kid." She touched her bottle to his before taking a drink. "How about you, how long have you been playing?"

He shrugged in reply to her question, adding, "Not long. I wanted to go to school for music, but..." There was another shrug, his life obviously taking another path. "It didn't work out." He left it at that for now, and would have backtracked to ask about her family, but he didn't really want to talk about his, so he left it alone, taking another awkward swig of his ale.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:56 EST
Jasmin's smile flickered, a little wry, a little self-deprecating. She leaned closer to speak into his ear. "School's for the people who need plans and schemes," she shared her philosophy with him, taking advantage of the closeness to breathe in the scent of his hair. He was by far the nicest guy she'd ever met outside the family, and he seemed to like her, despite her wild veering between shy and confident. "I dropped out at sixteen, decided to take it easy. Seems to work for me."

He turned toward her as she leaned close, so close he hardly heard anything she said. He didn't bother to point out that her family had the money to make those kinds of choices. He didn't want to make any assumptions or make her angry on the first date, set up, whatever this was. He'd seen it time and again back home - guys who didn't have to worry about the war because they came from families who could buy their way out, sending their sons to college to avoid the draft. He hadn't been from a privileged family; he wasn't a "Fortunate Son". But this was a different time and a different place, and he doubted she'd have ever even heard of Vietnam. "You make a living as a musician then."

"Yeah, I do," she nodded, drawing back just far enough to be able to see his face as they talked, but not so far she had to strain to hear him. One brow rose as she made a guess at what was going through his mind. "I pay my own way, too," she added. "I live in my parents' house because my dad built it for my mom, but I'm not spending their money. What would be the point?"

He wasn't stupid. He could put two and two together as well as the next guy, and the way she talked about her parents sounded like they were no longer part of the picture. Divorced" Missing" Dead" It sounded like her father had loved her mother, so not divorced. Missing seemed unlikely. Lena would have mentioned it. Process of elimination only left one answer. "I'm sorry," he replied, both for her loss and for being nosy. But if you weren't at least a little bit nosy, how were you supposed to get to know someone" He had never quite figured that one out.

Jaz shook her head. "It's okay, I get it," she assured him. "I got a lot of hassle when I started trying to make my own way, you know" A lot of people thought I was just a spoiled little rich kid passing the time, but my parents made me pay rent and buy my own food. They didn't let me coast, they made me learn how to take care of myself. Okay, so some months I live on toast, but I get by." She smiled as her gaze wandered over his face, finally giving into the urge to gently skim her fingers into his hair, drawing the freshly-snipped locks back from his brow. "You sure you're not gettin' up tonight?" she asked, sensing that he didn't want to delve into his own backstory. "You can use my guitar."

He smiled a little at her explanation, not because he was relieved by it, but because he was trying to be kind and understanding. "Toast isn't really a meal, you know. Not even for breakfast." He blinked again when she reached out to touch his hair, resisting the urge to flinch or pull away. He was about to tell her how he'd only just cut it a few days ago, but then she was drawing his attention back to the stage. He turned that way, not so much noticing the stage or who was playing there, but the crowd that was gathered around, some listening, some not. "I don't think so. I mean, I haven't got any songs prepared." Like that was an excuse. He had more than enough material committed to memory.

Realizing she'd made him uncomfortable by reaching out to touch, Jasmin winced, drawing her hand back as she pulled away a little. "Sorry," she apologized. "I get a little too comfortable when I'm drinking with someone I like." As if to underline that point, she laid her hand against his leg to push herself back properly, taking a fresh drink of her ale. "The hallway behind the bar's pretty quiet if you want to prepare something, you know. Hell, I'll sing with you if you want someone up there to take the pressure off."

"It's okay, I just....I'm not very good at this. I haven't been on a date in..." He frowned, not even sure when the last time was, unsure he'd have even called it a date. "It's not you, Jasmin. You're....You're beautiful. Hell, you're perfect..." He sighed, wondering why he was even telling her this, but before he had a chance to say anything else, to make excuses why he didn't want to get up in front of a crowd, someone was calling his name.

A gentle frown touched her brow as he used that one word she hated more than any other. "I'm not perfect, Jack," she told him, shaking her head. "If I was, I wouldn't be lonely, would I?" Blushing at giving away that much without prompting, she glanced up as a name was called through the crowd, wondering what happened that Eida had somehow managed not to warn the next person they were up.

Jack glanced toward the stage, waiting to see if someone else would answer the summons. After all, his name - or more accurately, the name he had assumed - was common enough that he might not be the only one there, but no one got up, no one moved. "Jack," the emcee called, "Jack Smith." The sound of a familiar whistle came from a corner of the room and Jack looked over to find Tommy on his feet, whistling and waving him forward, which brought a fresh blush to Jack's face.

"Come on up, Jack. Don't be shy. It's a friendly crowd!" the voice called encouragement.

As Jaz looked around, she realized that the Jack being called was the Jack sitting right next to her, following his gaze to where her cousin's boyfriend was waving and whistling. She rolled her eyes, guessing what had happened. "Oh, now that's just cruel," she said with a faint snort of laughter. One hand patted Jack's knee as she leaned over to fish her guitar out of the case. "C'mon, kid, you're up whether you like it or not. Give my baby a good strumming."

Jack's flush had faded, his face chalk white, terrified at the idea of getting up in front of a crowd, but knowing - like Tommy had known a few days earlier - that it was now or never. Put up or shut up. What was the worst that could happen" He could get laughed off the stage, or worse, booed. "What should I play?" he asked, as he turned that chalk white face to Jasmin.

"Play what comes into your head," she told him, gently easing him up onto his feet as she slung the guitar about his neck, raising her hand to assure Eida that he was on his way. "Play the songs you know the best. Just play, Jack. No one here is gonna take you down for getting up there."

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 08:58 EST
He let her pull him up onto his feet, let her sling the guitar about his neck, all the while looking into her eyes, as if he might find some courage there. "Would it be too much to ask for a kiss for good luck?" he asked, only half serious, expecting nothing.

Her cheeks lit up in a blush, her glance flickering to the stage, where Eida was waiting a little impatiently to plug in the guitar and get Jack started. Shy or not, she could go with the flow, and right now, her flow was all about getting Jack behind that mic. So he got his kiss - a short, gentle press of lip to lip before she gave him a push toward the stage, ignoring the teasing catcalls from a couple of friends in the crowd.

Tommy whistled encouragement again from the corner, applauding enthusiastically before Jack even got to the stage. If anyone knew he could do it, it was Tommy. He was grinning from ear to ear, happy to do this for his friend.

Jack closed his eyes to savor that kiss, however brief. He didn't know why, but when he opened them, all he could see was her, and she was his future. He adjusted the way the guitar hung against his shoulder as he broke away from her and made himself to the small stage and took a seat. He cleared his voice a little nervously, glancing down at the guitar as he strummed it briefly to get a feel for the instrument.

The applause that welcomed him onto the stage was warm and friendly, proving Jasmin's assurances that this really was a safe crowd to stand up in front of. As Jack took his place behind the mic, Jaz met Lena's eyes, fully aware that she was blushing ridiculously red even in the gloom of the bar. Lena grinned, obviously delighted with developments as they occurred, even as she clapped enthusiastically to encourage Jack to play.

Jack cleared his throat again as he gathered his courage and his wits, choosing a song off the top of his head. "Okay, um....So, this is an old song. I really only know old songs. It's one of my favorites. Hopefully, some of you remember it." He cleared his throat for a third time, fingers moving against the strings to strum the guitar intro before voicing the lyrics, his voice wavering nervously just a little as he started out. "If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do is to save every day til eternity passes away, just to spend them with you..."

There were, indeed, a few people in the crowd who knew it, a few voices that hummed or sang along beneath the murmur of the crowd, but to the majority of people there, it was wholly new. Lena curled herself close into Tommy as Jack sang, incredibly proud of their friend for standing up to the challenge rather than running away. She didn't even need to look to know that her cousin was enjoying it, too.

Jasmin let her guitar case thump across the two-seater they'd been using once again, staying upright to watch and listen as Jack tackled a beautifully complex acoustic sound. Not very good, my *ss, she thought to herself, recognizing real talent, real skill, when she saw it. His voice was surprisingly strong through the gentle notes that rose from him, lyrical with the melody.

His voice grew stronger as the song continued on, and he closed his eyes so he could focus on the music and not worry about the crowd, pretending he was alone on the beach with no one to hear him but the wind and the waves. His fingers found the notes without the help of his eyes, his voice strong and yet soft at the same time, as if he was not only singing the words, but sharing the feelings behind them. "There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them; I've looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to go through time with."

Whatever the connection he had found with the room at large, the connection was there as Jasmin listened. She'd never heard the song before, locked into following the lyrical line as he sang, and just as she had described to him, she felt something for it. The words and melody pricked at her heart, reminding her of the parents that were long gone, cathartic in a way only music could be. And yet, despite the threat of tears, she was smiling, genuinely enjoying the ripple of the music as it flowed through her.

It wasn't a very long song - a little over two minutes of melodic acoustic guitar and vocals, ending in a gentle crescendo of notes, sweet and soft until they drifted off, like water trickling down a stream to a quiet end. He paused a moment before opening his eyes and glancing first over at Jasmin, as if seeking her approval over all the others gathered. There was a brief hush from the crowd for a moment as if they didn't quite know what to make of the song or the singer.

She had thought he might have looked to his friend first, surprised and honored to find his eyes resting on hers as the last notes faded away. Hazel eyes sparkling, she felt her smile widen to a bright, approving grin, her hands rising to begin the applause that rose the second someone made the right sound, the entire crowd supporting a new performer with cheers and applause. As the noise rose, she held up a single finger, mouthing, "One more?" to the handsome man on stage, half a suggestion, half a query.

One voice rose above the others with the applause, of course, but Tommy remained as much in the background as he could, Lena on his lap, happy for his friend's moment of fame. He knew the first time was the hardest. It should be all downhill from here.

Jack smiled, albeit shyly, remembering how Jasmin had suggested a slow song, followed by something more upbeat to leave the crowd happy and not brooding. He knew enough songs that he could give them that. He gave this song no introduction, knowing most of those gathered wouldn't know it. It had been written and made famous long before their time, but to him, it hadn't been all that long ago. It was a song he remembered from his own youth, when times were simpler - or so they seemed. His fingers plucked the strings once again, the melody this time more upbeat, light and happy. "Slow down, you move too fast. You gotta make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones. Looking for fun and feelin' groovy. Ba da, da, da, da, da, feelin' groovy."

The cheer that rose as he began to play was enough to warn him that it was a popular song still, even thirty-eight years into the future beyond his native time. And just as it had happened when Jaz had played something familiar that a lot of people knew, there was a rush of musicians up onto the stage with him to add layers and levels to the simple acoustic rendition with percussion, extra guitars, bass, and plenty of voices. Jasmin herself stayed put, grinning widely as she sang along from the relative anonymity of the audience, harmonizing out of habit. She couldn't help wondering what his voice and hers would sound like mingled on a single melody line, much less a harmonic, hoping she'd get the chance to find out sometime.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:00 EST
He flashed a grin as people rushed onto stage to join in and add their part to the song, fleshing it out and making it their own. His voice grew stronger as he moved from the first stanza into the second and finally into the third, relaxing a little now that he knew no one was going to boo him off stage or throw tomatoes at him, realizing the audience was enjoying the music as much as he was. "I've got no deeds to do, No promises to keep, I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep. Let the morning time drop all its petals on me. Life, I love you, All is groovy." He let the others on stage finish the song with a chorus of more ba da das, following along with his guitar until he finally broke off.

This time there was no brief hush - the accolades had begun before the impromptu band had finished, whistles mingling with cheers and applause from pretty much everyone in the crowded bar. Jaz was one of the loudest whistlers, perhaps surprisingly, as encouraging as anyone of new talent, and more encouraging to those she knew, even if it had only been for an hour or so.

Tommy beamed a grin, overjoyed for his friend and celebrating by planting a kiss on the girl who was sat on his lap. Jack flushed in embarrassment, but was smiling and even took a short bow, muttering some thanks before weaving his way back through the crowd toward Jasmin, a few pats on the back from complete strangers along the way. Once there, he lifted the guitar from around his neck to offer it back to her with another mumbled, "Thanks," and a sigh of relief.

As her fingers curled about the neck of her guitar once again, Jasmin surprised both of them by curling her other arm about Jack's neck, drawing him in for a warm hug. "Well done," she congratulated him through her smile, drawing back with another deep blush. "You're really good!"

He was surprised by the hug and unsure what to do about it, he awkwardly returned it, slipping a single arm around her waist, mirroring the blush that rose to her face, with a one-shouldered shrug. "I'm okay. Not as good as you. I've only been playing a few years."

"Trust me, it doesn't show," she promised him, surprised to find how comfortable his arm about her waist was, despite how little they knew of each other. Drawing him back to sit down, she slid her guitar back into its case, flashing him a smile. "We should jam sometime, you and me. Could be fun."

"What, like Sonny and Cher?" he teased as he retook his seat, before realizing that she might not even know who the musical couple were. "Sorry, I'm dating myself again." He looked no more than in his mid-twenties, thirty-eight years in the future.

Jaz laughed, feeling a lot more comfortable with him now he'd been up on stage, now she'd heard him sing and seen just how at ease he was with a guitar. "Better than Sonny and Cher, I hope," she smiled cheerfully, her head tilting to one side as she considered him for a moment. "Where did Lena find you?"

He smiled back at her, glad he'd made her laugh, starting to relax a little, until her question brought another frown to his face, and he wondered just how much or how little Lena had told her about him. "She didn't tell you?" he asked, a thumbnail nervously picking at the label on his Silvermark.

"She didn't tell me anything," she told him honestly, settling comfortably into the couch they were sat on, one knee crossing the other once again as she gave him her full attention. "You don't have to tell me either, you know. I'm just curious."

He shrugged one shoulder as he took a pull off his Silvermark. She was going to find out sooner or later, and he didn't want to start any kind of relationship, even if it was only a friendship, off by lying. "1975," he replied as he lowered the bottle, steeling himself for her reaction, whatever it might be.

It was obviously going to take him a while to get used to the fact that, for a Rhy'Din native, there was very little that could be considered too surprising when it came to someone's origins. Jasmin just smiled as he told her the year he'd come from, her face lighting up with interest. "Really' Man, I'm so jealous!" she declared with startling vehemence. "Please tell me you've seen The Eagles play - I'd love to see them, but it's never gonna happen for me!"

"You're a fan, huh' Sorry to say, I haven't seen them. I-I don't get around much." Which was another way of saying he was mostly broke. "I went to Woodstock, but I don't remember much of it."

"I envy you the music," she told him through her smile. "I mean, sure, there's been some good stuff since, but there's so much crap just saturating the market now. Some of it doesn't even qualify as music, in my opinion, but then I'm a little biased. I like the acoustic sound, I think it's more evocative than the electric sound." She shrugged, laughing a little when she realized she'd gotten a little too passionate again. "I'm sorry - get me started on music and I can fill a conversation. I don't mean to be boring."

"You're not boring," he assured her. "And it's kinda nice to be able to talk about music without worrying I'm putting someone to sleep. You know, like Tommy," he said, nodding his head to indicate his blond-haired hippie friend her cousin was currently attached to, practically at the hip. "His passion is surfing; mine is music. Can't seem to make a living of it though."

"Well ..." Jaz hesitated for just a moment, putting her trust not only in him, but in her cousin's assessment of him. She wasn't in the habit of doing this, but Jack had definitely caught her interest, and it was difficult to talk in a crowded bar with live music going on. "Would you like to come back to my place" It'd be easier to talk, and you can see Willow Manor from my house. I mean, it's not like I'm going to kidnap you, or anything. You can explore my music collection."

From his expression, he was obviously surprised - shocked, even - at her suggestion. Not in a bad way. The invitation - which he made no assumptions about other than talking and listening to music - was unexpected, to say the least. "Are you-are you sure?" he asked, turning his head to try and find Tommy and Lena. "What about them?"

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:00 EST
For a moment, Jasmin was a little torn. She could see that he was uncertain about her invitation, and the last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable, but the music here would be going on until the early hours, which would make it virtually impossible to hold a normal conversation. She looked over to where Lena and Tommy were still sitting together, a faintly envious smile on her face at their obvious happiness. "They're welcome to come, too, if that would make you feel better about it," she said finally. "Why don't you go over and tell them what?s up" I've got a couple of things to pack up before I can go anyway."

"It's not that..." He trailed off, assuming she'd misunderstood him, but before he could explain, he was moving to his feet to do what she suggested. As much as he loved Tommy and Lena, part of him hoped they wouldn't want to come along, and yet, he didn't want Jasmin to get the wrong idea either. Sure, he liked her. Hell, what wasn't there to like about her" But he didn't want her to get the wrong impression of him. Slow down, you move too fast. You gotta make the morning last.

Lena was giggling at something Tommy had said to her as Jack approached them, lifting her head to beam up at their friend proudly. "You were brilliant up there!" she declared through her warm smile. "Really, really good - you've been holding out on me, Jack!"

Jack laughed at both Lena's compliment and her teasing accusation. "I haven't known you that long, but thanks." He slid his left hand into the front pocket of his jeans, shuffling his feet, slightly nervously as he glanced from one to the other. They looked ridiculously happy together, and as happy as he was for them, once again he felt that familiar stab of envy. "I, um, came over to ask if you want to go with us to Jasmin's," he explained, turning to gesture toward Lena's cousin with his bottle of ale.

Lena peered through the mingling crowd to where Jaz was saying goodbye to a couple of friends as she packed up her guitar more securely, feeling a small smile rise on her face. She knew what the answer was to that question, but thought she had better go along with what Tommy thought. Her eyes turned to the man she was sitting on, one brow raised above a sweetly secretive smile. "What do you think, do we?"

Tommy smirked, already seeing where this was going, even if Jack didn't. "I think the night is still young, but you go on without us, Jack. We'll catch up with you later." Tommy couldn't even look at Lena or he knew he'd start laughing. So far, her little plan seemed to be working.

Jack frowned a little at the two of them, unsure what he should do. "Are you sure?" he asked, repeating the question he'd only just asked Jasmin.

Turning her eyes away from Tommy's smirk - part of her realizing she was going to have to teach him a poker face at some point - Lena lifted her smile to Jack once again, sliding off Tommy's lap to give their friend a warm hug. "Are you sure, Jack?" she asked into his ear. "Because if you're sure, why are you asking us?"

"We're just gonna talk and listen to some music," he explained, blushing just a little as he realized they probably had other ideas about his intentions as far as Jasmin was concerned. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid, Lena," he assured her as she hugged him, sliding the hand from his pocket to give her an awkward hug in return.

Tommy was still grinning, obviously amused. He knew his friend better than anyone and knew Jack was harmless.

"I know," she assured him, squeezing him tight for a moment before letting go. "Neither is she. Try not to forget that bit, okay?" She winked encouragingly, dropping the spare key for Willow Manor into his hand. "Just in case we're not up when you get back." Just in case you manage to tear yourself away and walk across the estate to escape a pretty girl who obviously likes you.

"Okay, thanks," Jack replied with a shy, nervous smile, shoving the key into his jeans pocket for safe keeping.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Tommy remarked, flashing Jack a wink and saluting him with his own drink.

"We're just gonna talk!" Jack insisted. It was only the first date, after all. He hardly knew the girl.

"Uh huh," Tommy said. "I know."

"Stop teasing him," Lena laughed fondly, dropping herself back into Tommy's lap to curl her arms around his neck. She knew Jasmin had her own means of transportation, so she wasn't worried about how the others were getting back to Maple Grove. "Go and have fun, Jack. We'll see you later."

"Thanks, Lena," Jack replied with that same shy smile, knowing his friend was just teasing him and really wanted the best for him. "I'll see you later," he told them both, hesitating a moment before gathering them both in a hug. "Love you," he whispered to them both before pulling away and heading back toward Jasmin without a backward glance.

He barely gave himself time to hear if they loved him in return before he was moving away, passing through the thickening crowd. Jasmin met him by the bar with a smile, glancing over his shoulder to catch Lena's smile and wave with a little chuckle of her own. "Shall we?" she offered, making full use of her guitar in its hard case to begin clearing the path for them to the door. Her nerves were back, but in a good way. It had been a very long time since she'd invited anyone to her home, much less a guy she liked. It was a first date, there was no pressure on them to do anything but get to know each other and see if there was any potential there. If nothing else, she had a feeling she'd found someone who wasn't going to drift off to sleep when she started enthusing about music or instruments, at the very least.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:01 EST
As he caught up with Jasmin, he turned at last to wave back at his friends, just in time to catch Tommy blowing him a kiss, which made Jack laugh. He didn't have to hear them tell him they loved him - he'd been assured of that back on Half Moon beach a few nights ago. He threw the pair a wave and followed Jasmin as she cut a path through the crowd, reaching around her once again to get the door.

"Thanks," was her grateful response to his gentlemanly act, breathing a sigh of relief as they got out into the cool autumn night air once more. It was dramatically quieter out on the street as the door closed behind them. "I love live music, but it gets so hot in there," Jaz complained lightly, offering Jack her hand. "I'm parked just down the street."

Instead of a hand, he offered a shoulder, reaching to take her guitar. "Let me take that for you," he offered, as politely and gentlemanly as he could. It wasn't particularly heavy, but it was the least he could do. "Are there a lot of bars around town that have live music?"

"Oh ....oh, thank you." He'd surprised her again with his good manners, and she felt her shyness make a sudden reappearance as she handed over custody of her precious guitar. "A gentleman, huh' I forgot what you fellas looked like." Dropping her hand from where it was still lingering between them, she shrugged, turning to lead the way down the street to where her rather old, rather battered VW Beetle was parked. "Any night, you've got a choice of places to go if you want to hear live music," she answered his question honestly. "In a city this big, with so many different cultures mixed in together, there's bound to be something playing somewhere that you like."

"How hard is it to get a gig?" he asked, having absolutely no idea what he was going to do here to earn a living, other than help out in Tommy's shop, once it got going. Tommy might not worry about money or think too far ahead, but Jack didn't want to take advantage of Lena's generosity forever. "You said you play in a few clubs here?" he asked, shifting the guitar onto his shoulder.

"It's not hard at all," she assured him with a smile. "There are always spots open. I mean, a lot of these places don't pay too well to start with, but once you can guarantee a bit of extra income for them, they up the wages. Best way to guarantee income" Do a few open mics, become a regular face. A hell of a lot of people from nights like that will come and support you if you let them know where and when you're playing. Like I said, though, some months I eat toast. Sometimes, you just can't get enough money together."

"But..." He started, not the first time he'd broached the subject or that it had come to mind. "You don't have to eat toast, Jasmin. I mean, I understand that you want to do it yourself and everything, but you don't have to."

"No, you're right, I don't have to," she agreed, coming to a halt beside her Beetle to unlock the passenger door before moving around to unlock the driver's side door. "I just ....it's hard to explain, and no one seems to get it." She shook her head with a wry smile, pulling open her door. "Hop in."

"You can tell me anything," he assured her, smiling a little at her choice of vehicles. "This is yours" You drive a Love Bug?" he asked, chuckling a little as they arrived at her car and she unlocked the doors. He pulled open the passenger side door, pushing the seat forward so he could fit her guitar into the back seat. Some might call it cramped, but he thought it was kind of cute and cozy.

"Yup, my first car," she told him proudly, thumping into the cozy confines of that battered automobile. She waited until he got in beside her before continuing as she started the engine - on the fourth try - and pulled away from the curb.

"It's complicated," she tried to explain as she drove. "My dad was ....well, he was a Granger, and I'm sure you've worked out by now that's a name that comes with a lot of strings attached, good and bad. My mom, she was completely broke when they met. She was sharing a squat with, like, twenty other people, and the band she was in got one gig a week, if they were lucky. Not enough to live on, really. Thing is, she wouldn't go out with my dad until he'd learned the value of money. So he turned his back on being a Granger for a while, joined her in that squat, and ....they both said it was the happiest time they'd ever had. Best time of their lives, just getting by, having each other to lean on, not needing to worry about the responsibility that comes with having money and influence. Is this making any sense at all?"

To his credit, he listened quietly, attentively, and patiently as she explained all that, sensing a need in her to tell someone, even if he was practically a stranger. "Yeah, I guess, but it's not much fun worrying about whether you're gonna have enough money to pay the rent or have anything to eat either," he pointed out, legs a little cramped in the close quarters. "So, you want to make it on your own. I can understand that, but don't you think your parents would have wanted to help you, if they could?"

She smiled faintly, her expression fond with wry memory. "They're the reason I kind of fell into the habit of not touching the money for myself," she shrugged lightly, both hands heaving on the steering wheel to turn through the city gates and out onto the road that lead toward Maple Grove. "They really wanted me to go to college and uni and get all these qualifications, but I didn't want to. And we argued about it for months before Mom said that if I wanted to drop out of college and make my own way, then I was going to have to do it from scratch. They weren't gonna help me unless I got into real trouble - I think they wanted to see if I really was into music, or just trying to avoid school. So, you know, I went out and got a job as a waitress to pay them rent and buy my own food, and saved up to buy my own guitar, and I started going to open mics all over the city, getting the practice in, you know" I wanted to prove to them I could do it."

Once again he listened quietly, soaking it all up like a sponge. Her story wasn't all that different from his, though the circumstances were different. He wasn't quite sure what to tell her, or if he should tell her anything at all, but he kind of thought she'd made her point already, at least as far as her parents were concerned. "Okay, but are you still trying to prove it to them or are you trying to prove it to yourself?"

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:02 EST
"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I like my life the way it is, even with the rough times. And the second I start using that money for me ....I have to be a Granger. I have to share in the responsibilities, and they'll expect me to do more with myself than what I already do. Family expectations, you know" They don't realize they're doing it, but that pressure's there."

"From who?" he asked. Not having met any Grangers yet but her and Helena, he had no idea who she might be referring to or what their place in the family was. He knew very little of the the family, other than the fact that they seemed to have a lot of money, which more than likely gave them a lot of power. "What will they expect you to do, Jasmine?" What are you really afraid of?

She seemed to hear the unspoken question, answering that, rather than the words spoken aloud. "I don't want to get stuck in an office," she said reluctantly, heaving on the steering wheel again to turn into Maple Grove itself, following the main track to where it diverged. Where Lena would have gone straight ahead, Jasmin turned left, her headlights illuminating mostly empty cultivated wilderness until they reflected off brick and shingle ahead of them. "I don't want my whole life to be regimented and laid out for me. I like going with the flow, and facing up to the consequences of that choice, that-that way of living. I'm not a freeloader, and I won't be, unless it ever comes to it that I have a family of my own to support. But while it's just me, I can approach my life the way I want. And that doesn't make any sense to anyone." There was a loud crunch from the gearbox as she pulled the Beetle into park in front of a small house, built of red and yellow brick, set into the greenery around them alongside one of Maple Grove's little streams.

"It makes sense," he said, only paying cursory attention to where they were going, recognizing the gates of Maple Grove as they passed through, but trying to focus most of his attention on her and what she was telling him, or perhaps more importantly, what she wasn't. "It's just..." He shrugged, "different." As they came to a stop, he paused a moment to look out the window at their surroundings, peaceful and tranquil, the house not quite what he'd been expecting. "This where you grew up?"

Killing the engine, Jasmin stayed put, looking up at the little house from where she sat with a small smile. Ivy Lodge, for all its somewhat pretentious name, did not really fit in with the rest of the buildings on the Maple Grove estate. It had been built with one purpose in mind - to be a home for one man and one woman and the baby they were expecting together, and it reflected that, just big enough for the little family unit they created. "Yeah," she nodded, looking across at him. "Looks tiny compared to Willow Manor, right?"

"I was thinking cozy," he replied as he looked the house over from where they were parked. "No siblings?" he asked, though he had already made that assumption. She hadn't mentioned any, and he'd gotten the impression she was an only child, though she certainly had plenty of cousins. "Are you and Helena close?" he asked, trying to get a feel for what her relationship was like with the rest of her family.

"No, just me," she confirmed his suspicions with a light shrug. "All us cousins, we sort of grew up together and then went our separate ways. I don't really see many of them anymore, except at Christmas, and the Old Man's birthday." She paused in the act of opening her door, considering his query about Helena. "Lena ....I wouldn't say we're close exactly. I see more of her than the others, but we can go months without speaking to each other. I'm a bit of a loner." She offered Jack a gentle smile. "C'mon, let's get inside."

He still wasn't quite understanding her, but he was trying. Why were rich people always trying to act so bohemian when they didn't have to' Didn't they understand how lucky they were not to have to worry about paying bills, starving, and scraping by' While he respected her desire to want to make it on her own, he wasn't so sure he was in complete agreement with it. He pushed open the door and climbed out, reaching into the back seat for the guitar case.

So many people didn't realize that money caused more problems than it solved. Yes, it offered financial freedom, but it took away other freedoms, too. Jasmin was pretty sure she was never going to be able to explain to anyone exactly why she lived the way she did, but in the long run, it didn't matter. With the right person, it would only be a matter of time before she dipped into that fund to support a new family, just the way her father had done. She spent a moment locking up the car before leading Jack over the little covered porch and into the house itself, past the stairs up and into a wide open space that incorporated a kitchen and living room, and what had once been a dining room. That altered space was now home to several guitars of differing age and make, and a music collection that spanned ceiling to floor in vinyl, cassette, and disc. "Welcome home, Jack."

Jack couldn't really understand because he'd never faced the kind of problems someone with a lot of money had, and he didn't want to judge what he didn't understand. He followed her up the stairs and into the house, the guitar on his shoulder. "It's nice," he said as he took a look around, not missing the guitars or music collection. She wasn't kidding when she said she was passionate about music. "You live here alone?" he asked again as he moved further inside, the guitar case forgotten on his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just me," she nodded, closing the door behind him and slipping past, liberating her guitar from his hand with a smile. "Come on in. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?"

He turned as she freed him of the guitar, feeling a little awkward again now that they were so obviously alone. "Um, sure, if you are," he replied, extending a hand toward her music collection. "May I?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, plus it gave him something to do besides stammer nervously and feel like a kid on his first date.

"Go ahead, that's what it's there for." Jaz smiled gently, her gesture urging him toward the music and instruments as she laid her guitar case down beneath the coffee table. She could feel him getting awkward again, a softer blush decorating her cheeks as she shrugged out of her jacket. It had been a long time since she'd had anyone in her home, much less a man she was so attracted to. Not only was he handsome, but they'd skirted a few inflammatory issues thus far, and though they might disagree on some points, he hadn't offended her at all, or tried to force his opinion on her. She liked him. "You want coffee, or a beer?" she asked as she headed for the kitchen. "Water?"

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:04 EST
"Whatever you're having," he replied, trying hard to focus his attention on her music collection and not her, or he was going to die of shyness and embarrassment. The last girl he'd been alone with was Helena, and he wasn't sure she counted. He couldn't even remember who it had been before that. He shrugged his jacket off and laid it on the back of the couch as he started toward the shelves of music, his back toward her, not yet noticing that she'd taken her own jacket off. He had a plain black shirt on beneath the jacket that he had no problem filling out, his build similar to that of Jon's, albeit the fact that he was slightly shorter.

"Well, I'm making coffee," she admitted. "I know it's weird, but I can't relax without a cup of coffee in the evening, or whenever it is I get home." Turning about to glance his way, her voice trailed off as her gaze came to rest on his back. He certainly did fill out that shirt in a way that momentarily stalled her brain and requested a reboot. With the pot in one hand, she stared for a long moment, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she blushed yet again, her mind's eye trying to distract her with imagining him without that shirt, or even better, being able to touch him and find out if he was as firm as he looked from here.

"Coffee's good!" he called a little distractedly from the living room as he perused her music collection, nostalgic about the old stuff and curious about the new. He pulled out an old record album, one he'd enjoyed as a kid. It was probably a little dated by modern standards, but there it was on her shelf. From the looks of it, her taste in music was as widely varied as his. "Mind if I play something?" he called again, as he carefully slid the black vinyl recording from the jacket sleeve.

Startled out of her covetous staring by the sound of his voice, Jasmin jumped, blinking rapidly as she attempted to reset her brain to something a little more PG-rated. "No, go ahead," she called back to him, finally turning away to set the coffee pot to brewing. "The cabinet by the window opens up - there's a record player in there." As well as a CD player, but she had a feeling she was going to have to explain that one to him.

He looked around for the turntable amidst all the new-fangled audio equipment, some of which he could sort out and some he couldn't. Thankfully, the record player wasn't all that different from what he was accustomed to. He set the record on the turntable and twisted the knob to start it turning, but before he could pick up the stylus to set the needle on the vinyl, it was doing it all by itself. Okay, so it was a little different than what he was used to. A moment later, the voice of Buddy Holly was crooning to "That'll Be the Day".

In the kitchen, Jaz grinned to herself, unsurprised that he had chosen something older than he was to play, but kinda glad he'd somehow managed to choose one of her father's favorite tracks. She couldn't resist jigging to it as she moved about the kitchen space, locating cups, sugar, and cream. "....cause that'll be the day-ay-ay when I die - how do you take your coffee?"

"Hot?" he replied as he appeared in the doorway, watching as she moved about kitchen, admiring the view, even from behind, even more so now that she'd taken off her jacket, not unlike she'd been admiring him. He smiled as she sang along with the lyrics. Despite the tragedy of Holly's death, his music was always a joy to hear.

"You know I love you, baby; still you tell me maybe that someday, well, I'll be through - ooh!" She obviously hadn't heard him coming toward her, jumping as though he'd walked up and slapped the behind she'd been waving around, rather than just spoken behind her. Laughing at herself, she turned to look at him. "You scared me!" Rolling her eyes at her silly reaction to a harmless continuation of the conversation, she gestured to the coffee pot. "No, I mean ....sugar, cream?"

"Sorry," he replied, smiling a little sheepishly as he realized he'd startled her. "You have quite a collection," he remarked in an attempt to make friendly conversation. He wasn't accustomed to woman talking to him, much less beautiful women. He tried to keep his gaze leveled on her face and not wander further, unable to get over how gorgeous she was. "Both, thanks," he replied politely, more interested in her than coffee, but hoping it wasn't too obvious. He didn't want to get his hopes up just to have them dashed.

Her smile warmed as she caught him gazing at her, reassured by the fact that he seemed to find her as interesting as she found him. "Well, it started out as my parents' collection," she admitted, pouring the coffee into a pair of mugs on the counter beside him. As she did so, her arm brushed his chest, and she felt her face heat in response. Gods, when did I start blushing so much" Her hand rose to brush her hair back out of her face, momentarily revealing a tattoo on the back of her neck, toward the left side ....a butterfly, simply done, but obviously done with a fair amount of skill. "They got me hooked, and I just kept collecting music. Um ....sugar and cream's there, help yourself."

He backed up as her arm brushed against him to give her a little space, thinking he had gotten too close. He hardly noticed her blush, but he did notice the hint of a tattoo at the back of her neck. Tattoos were much less commonplace in his time, usually belonging to bikers or soldiers or people who lived life a little on the wild side. He didn't have any himself, but that didn't mean he was opposed to the idea or found them unattractive. "So, why'd you quit school?" he asked, wondering if there was more to her story than she had told him. He reached for the cup of coffee and added a spoonful of sugar and a bit of milk.

Jaz paused, setting the coffee pot back on its stand as she considered what to tell him. There was the official version, and there was the truth. "Well ....the accepted story is that I was bad at it," she shrugged, turning back to fix her own coffee. "And I was. I sucked at pretty much every subject, it just didn't interest me." Cream and two sugars, and a lot of vigorous stirring later, she took a sip of her coffee, turning her head to look up at him. "Real story' Girls in boarding schools are bitches. If I'd stayed, I probably wouldn't have come out in one piece."

"You didn't like them or they didn't like you?" he asked, stirring his coffee before taking a lazy lean against the counter to take a sip while he awaited her reply. He didn't really know many girls who went to boarding school back home and was getting a sense of how very different their life stories were and yet, there were some similarities, too.

"Hmm, how do I put this?" she mused, wrapping her hands around her cup as she leaned next to him against the counter. "My first night there, they doused me in freezing cold water while I was in bed, and threw everything I owned in the school pool. And that was their way of saying hello." She shrugged, but there was enough bitterness in her voice to share the very real fact that the child she had been had suffered through every last hour she'd had to spend at that school.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:04 EST
"That's horrible!" he sympathized with a small frown. "Why did your parents make you go there if you were so miserable?" But then, he'd been forced to do things he didn't want to do growing up, as well. Things that had finally led to him leaving and never going back. He couldn't imagine a loving parent ever allowing a child to have to go through that, unless they didn't know.

She grimaced, shaking her head. "It was the third school they'd sent me to," she shrugged reluctantly. "I don't know, I guess I had a big sign on my forehead telling everyone I was a weak link. I was always the one who got bullied. And my mom, she got so upset every time she heard about it ....I just stopped telling her. I put up with it. You get used to double-checking everything you own every single chance you get."

"I'm sorry," he told her sadly, though he understood some of what she'd gone through. It wasn't school where he took his lickings though; it was home. "I know what that's like. To be the weak link. So, what happened after you left school?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee, as Buddy Holly slipped into the next song. "Hold me close and tell me how you feel, tell me love is real..." Jaz shrugged again. "Like I said, I started paying my own way," she offered. "Paid rent, bought my own food, learned how to cook. I used to spend hours practicing on my mom's guitar until I had enough money to get my own, and then I started going to the bars. It's kinda weird, being seventeen in a bar and trying to convince everyone there that I wasn't just coasting. Took me three years to get my first gig, but it was worth it. I learned so much in those three years, from so many people. And my mom and dad, they came to my first gig, and they were so proud of me. It felt good, and I've never stopped."

"Sounds familiar," he remarked, almost without realizing it. The only difference was he'd gotten a job to support himself and had never realized his dream, while she seemed to be having better luck at it. At least, she was earning money playing music, even if she did have to get by on toast from time to time, or so she claimed. He still wasn't so sure about that, but he respected her desire to make it on her own. There was one question he hadn't asked her yet and wasn't so sure he should, turning quiet while he considered it.

Her lips quirked in a faint smile at his quiet remark, hidden in a fresh sip of her coffee. As he turned quiet, her gaze drifted to him once again, hazel eyes soft with obvious attraction as she looked him over, daring her own shyness with the way her gaze wandered down and up again. "You know, I think you're the sexiest guy I've ever met," she offered without thinking, the words offered almost as a statement of fact, almost apologizing for being attracted to him in the first place.

He had turned his gaze back to his coffee, somewhat lost in thought or maybe just a little bit nervous. He wasn't the best conversationalist, he thought. Talking to Helena had been easy, but he didn't have to worry about trying to impress her because she already belonged to someone else, and all she'd really wanted to talk about was Tommy, anyway - and himself. Talking about Tommy was easy; talking about himself was a lot harder. He turned to gape at Jasmin a moment, taken aback by her remark. After a moment, he laughed a little, wondering if she'd just said that to see if he was paying attention. "You're teasing me now."

She held his gaze, her smile gentle but faltering in the face of his laughter. Maybe she'd read him wrong, after all. Still, she was used to being laughed at. She could handle that sting. "No, I'm not," she told him, shaking her head. "Sorry, I guess I'm just ....Never mind." Picking up her cup, she pushed off her lean, mortified with herself for being so forward when she was obviously all wrong.

He frowned at her reaction, wondering if he could have possibly read her wrong. She couldn't actually have meant it, could she" No one ever had before, but then she was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. "Just what?" he asked, needing to know what she was thinking, if she'd meant what she'd said or if she was just toying with him. He'd told her not more than half an hour earlier that she could tell him anything, and somehow it seemed he'd let her down.

She drew in a reluctant breath, pausing in the midst of turning away to look back at him. "Just not used to being with a good guy who makes me feel this way," she shrugged, forcing a smile to soften what she assumed was the blow of her unwelcome interest in him. "I read it wrong, that's all. I'll shut up."

"You read what wrong?" he persisted, completely oblivious to the fact that she might be interested in him in any way. She was smart, talented, and gorgeous, not to mention rich. What could she possibly see in him'

Jaz could feel herself getting agitated as he persisted, feeling awkward and more than a little stupid. Setting her cup down, she slid her thumbs into the belt loops on her skirt, her shrug more than a little fidgety as she looked everywhere but at him. "Do we have to talk about this?" she asked plaintively. "I-I-I like you, and-and obviously you're not interested in me that way, and I'm just making a fool out of myself right now, so the more we talk about it, the more I feel like an idiot for wanting to ....well, do a lot more than kiss you, actually, but you know, I'm not going to push it, and-and-and ....gods, I feel like an idiot."

He listened quietly once again as she tried to explain, looked more than a little perplexed as he tried to sort out whether she was being sincere or was just teasing him, realizing it was him who seemed to have read her wrong. Could it really be that she hadn't been teasing him at all, but actually liked him' "You like me?" he echoed, betraying confusion and even doubt. He was obviously not used to being in this position, and it seemed neither was she.

She stopped her babbling as he echoed her, biting her lip as she met his gaze, worried that she'd just managed to destroy what could have been a good friendship by jumping the gun. She was just at sea with this as he was, not sure how to go about salvaging the dregs of her dignity now. "Well ....yeah."

There was that look of confusion on his face again, as if he was having a hard time believing what was right in front of his face. "Jasmin, I-I'm sorry. I thought you were kidding. I mean....No one's ever told me that before. God, I feel like such an *ss now."

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:05 EST
From somewhere, she summoned a smile to try and ease the confusion he was feeling. "It doesn't matter, Jack," she assured him, discounting her own feelings through force of habit. "You're a nice guy, a real gentleman. You're not an *ss. I'm sorry I made you feel bad."

"You didn't make me feel bad, just..." He shrugged. "Confused, I guess. I mean....Girls....women....They don't....I'm not..." He sighed, having trouble putting his feelings into words. "I like you, too, Jasmin. I'm just not used to....you know....talking to women. I mean, if you'd seen me a few days ago, you wouldn't have given me the time of day."

"But I'm not seeing you a few days ago," she pointed out, rubbing a hand through her hair awkwardly. "I'm seeing you now. And yeah, you're gorgeous, but it's not just that. You're a nice guy, like I said. You're a gentleman, and you're easy to talk to, and I want to get to know you better. But that doesn't negate the fact that-that I find you ..." She broke off, her blush resuming with startling speed as she bit her lip, not quite believing she was even having this conversation, suddenly realizing what she'd missed. I like you, too, Jasmin. "Aw, screw it," she said suddenly, and just as suddenly her hand was curled to the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss that said a lot more, a lot more eloquently than she could have managed with words.

"Find me what?" he asked, needing to know what it was she was trying to tell him. That he was sexy' Him' He knew the haircut had been an improvement, but sexy' He found that hard to believe, eyes widening as she pulled him into a kiss, so surprised, in fact, that in his excitement, he clumsily spilled his coffee, staining both her shirt and his pants. "Oh, sh*t!" he exclaimed, as they both got dowsed with coffee, hardly even into the kiss. "I'm so sorry!" He set the coffee cup on the counter and grabbed a towel to dab at the stain on her shirt. "I'm an idiot."

Her lips had barely touched his when she felt his coffee tip over her, pulling back with a startled laugh to look down at the mess that had been created. Well, at least I can stop worrying that he doesn't like me. It was the most honest reaction she'd ever had to a kiss. "No - no, it's fine," she assured him, catching his wrist before he could dab too much at her shirt. "Jack, it's fine. It'll wash out. What about your pants?"

He looked appalled at what he'd done, inwardly berating himself for being such an idiot. Not only had he laughed at her and misunderstood, but he'd ruined the first good chance he'd had at a kiss by ruining her blouse. "My pants?" he asked, glancing down, almost relieved to find it was only coffee that was staining his pants, his face turning crimson with embarrassment. The second thought that occurred to him was that they weren't even his pants to soil. "Oh, crap, Lena's gonna kill me."

Well, that answered that question. She'd thought his outfit looked familiar. "Not if we wash them," she told him gently, raising her hand to curl her fingers into his hair once again. This time, he didn't have anything to spill on her, and she wasn't going to be done out of a kiss. Her lips brushed his softly, testing the waters, inviting him to stop worrying and just feel, even if it was only for a moment.

He was taken aback once again by the kiss, a kiss that wasn't interrupted by any misunderstanding or by a case of nervous tension. There was tension in that kiss, nevertheless, but tension of a different kind. He felt it in his stomach first, muscles tensing, heat spreading outward, a physical sensation that was as pleasant as it was terrifying. If only he didn't fight it, if only he could just stop worrying and relax, but he wasn't sure how. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus on the soft warmth of her lips, but instead of relaxing him, it only made him more tense.

She could feel him growing tenser, more agitated, not entirely sure what was wrong. He liked her, didn't he" Surely this was a good thing" But perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps he liked her, but not enough to want her to kiss him. She was making an idiot of herself again. She drew back, offering him an awkward smile as she eased away. "Sorry." Stepping back, she bit her lip again. "I'll, uh ....let me get you some spare pants, and I'll throw those in the washer."

He drew a deep breath as he pulled away, his face flushed, but not so much with embarrassment as with desire. He frowned as she apologized, heart sinking, afraid he'd disappointed her again. He knew he wasn't a good kisser. Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed a girl, and now he was worrying he'd blown it, and he'd never get that chance again. It was his turn to misunderstand her now, thinking she hadn't liked the kiss, she hadn't felt the same thing he had. "No, I'm sorry. I-I'm not very good at this sort of thing. The last time I was..." He broke off, chewing at the corner of his mouth, assuming she didn't really want to hear about his past.

"Jack, I like you," she interrupted as he broke off, turning back to look up at him just a little accusingly. "You say you like me too, and-and then when I kiss you, you throw coffee on me, and then you react like I taste like gone-off milk. How am I supposed to take that' Either you like me or you don't, and that's now - that's happening right now, and I'm not whatever dumb sh*t broke your heart years ago." It was her turn to break off, letting out a huff of breath as she frowned. "I'm not angry. I'm just ....I'm confused, and I want to know what I'm doing wrong here."

He arched a brow, a little startled by the flurry of words that poured out of her. "I'm not..." he started, in an attempt to explain, wondering if he should even bother. She was going to think he was an idiot. "No one broke my heart," he broke in. He had never been with anyone long enough for that. "I just never....you know....I mean, I have, but..." He sighed. "The last time I got laid, I was so drunk and high I hardly remember it. I'm not even sure it really happened."

"Oh." Well, that took the wind out of her sails somewhat. She swallowed, guilt flaring in her expression for taking her frustration out on him. "I'm sorry, I ....I just assumed ....Well, now I'm the *ss." She shrugged, shaking her head, and went with a new direction, pulling her shirt up and over her head. "Take your pants off."

"What?" he blinked, blushing furiously as she pulled her shirt over her head. Did she want him to take his pants off so she could wash them or for some other reason' "What for?" he asked, terrified and excited all at the same time. It was like catching your very first wave. You just had to gather your courage and go for it, knowing you were going to wipe out. Everyone wiped out their first time around.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:06 EST
"Whatever you want," she offered, her smile relaxed once again as she stepped close, drawing his hands to her bare skin, no matter how nervous he seemed. Her lips brushed his once, twice, deepening that touch into a slow kiss that refused to give into his tension, his uncertainty. Now she knew a little of what was bothering him, Jasmin knew she could handle it, more confident than she'd felt just half an hour before. "But it'll be easier to get them in the washer if you take them off, first."

This time, as nervous as he still was, he forced himself to make more of an effort, to show her that, despite his inexperience, he did like her, he was attracted to her. Hell, he'd be an idiot not to be attracted and affected by her. He felt that same tension again, coiling in his stomach, but he didn't let it stop him, pushing past it. Trembling hands touched her bare flesh as he returned her kiss, slowly, tenderly, exhaling a groan as he drew reluctantly away.

She had never been kissed like that before. She didn't know what it was that made that kiss, Jack's kiss more memorable, more enticing, more everything than any other she'd shared before him, but whatever it was, it set her heart a-flutter. She was just a little breathless as he drew back, her eyes closed, skin flushed with obvious desire as she lingered close for a long moment. "Gods," she breathed against his lips. "If you can think of any reason why I should back off, you should tell me now. And take your pants off."

He longed to touch her, the way he'd seen Tommy touch Helena, the way lovers touched, gentle and intimate. He longed to open his heart to her, to give himself to her, eyes stinging with tears as he studied her face, blinking them back before she noticed and thought him weak. He only looked at her, silently, blue eyes pleading with her to have mercy, shaking his head finally, not in response to her demand, but because he could think of no reason why she should back off, or why he might want her to. Only that he wasn't good enough for someone like her. It was the only reason he had. "You're so beautiful," was the only thing he could manage to say.

"Hey ..." Her fingers stroked gently against his cheek, selfishly enjoying the feel of his beard beneath her touch as she smiled for him. "So are you." She kissed him again, gentle, swift, once, twice, three times before smoothing her hands down his chest. "But either you take your pants off, or I'm going to take them off you myself," she added, the sparkle in her smile enough to warn him that her tease could be considered a threat as well. "There's no rush to this, Jack."

Her touch did something to his insides that he couldn't understand or explain. There was that tension again, that tightening, but there was something else, too, something deeper, something that was more emotional than physical, like some wall he'd built up inside was slowly coming down, one brick at a time. "I know. I'm just scared," he admitted quietly. Not of her taking his pants off, or of what might happen between them - scared of getting hurt, scared she'd change her mind. And yet, scared or not, there he was with a beautiful woman. He could hardly believe it himself.

"So am I," she assured him quietly, dropping her shirt onto the counter behind him, strangely comfortable to be so close to a man she liked, who liked her, practically topless. "The only difference between us is that I've been through the fear before. It's difficult, I know, but once you let go of being scared, it can be wonderful." Her lips touched his once again; it seemed as though she couldn't get enough of kissing him, of tasting him on her lips, feeling that tremble that told her he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

It wasn't like he'd never been with a woman before. He wasn't a virgin, but it had never been like this. He had never felt like this before, like there could be something more between them, something deeper, more meaningful than just sex. Not that there was anything wrong with that - it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact that he wanted her, but he didn't just want a one-night stand, over all too soon and quickly forgotten. Would she understand if he told her that or would she think he was rejecting her" What the hell was the matter with him, anyway' Here was a beautiful woman who wanted him. What was he so afraid of? Despite all that, he kissed her again, each kiss growing a little bit deeper, a little bit longer than the last. His fingers twitched against her skin, sliding around her waist, afraid to stray too far.

He needn't have frazzled his brain worrying so much. Similar thoughts were frying their way through Jasmin's mind as they kissed, as the nervous slide of his hands against her waist ignited feelings that were difficult to ignore. Was she behaving like a slut, throwing herself at him like this" Would he think she was only after one thing" And abruptly, she did more than just worry. She broke their kisses, hands flat against his chest as she looked up at him. "I'm not a one-night-stand kind of girl," she told him, honest and open for the first time in the history of her love life. "If we do this, whenever it happens, that's not the end of us."

There were two ways to go - either get over the nervous jitters by getting the first time over with or wait, take their time, get to know each other and wait until the time was right. Normally, he'd have gone with the first choice, but the first choice had never worked out before. He didn't want to rush this; he wanted this to be something that would last. Slow down, you move too fast... "I don't want a one night stand, Jasmin," he assured her, partly relieved, partly disappointed, in body anyway. "I'm not in any hurry. I want to get to know you. I want it to last."

Her smile was bright, genuine pleasure at his reply almost masking her own physical disappointment as she leaned into him. "So we slow down," she agreed quietly, one shoulder rising and falling in acceptance. "You still have to take your pants off, though," she added with a faint grin. "Let me grab you some spare pants and put a clean shirt on. Okay?"

He nodded as he reluctantly dropped his hands from around her waist, trying to keep his eyes level with her face and not let his gaze wander, but he couldn't really help it, hoping she wouldn't notice the telltale bulge in his shorts once he had his pants off. "Okay," he agreed, a little relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about disappointing her just yet.

"Hey." She paused, a gentle finger under his chin lifting his gaze until he met her smile once again. "Slowing down isn't a no, Jack. And it doesn't mean you're not allowed to touch me. It's let it happen when it wants to." She kissed him once more, reluctantly stepping back from him. "I'll be two seconds," she promised him, knowing full well that he might want a little longer than that to convince a certain part of himself to calm down.

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:07 EST
He merely nodded, stunned into silence by the kiss and the promise of more to come, in time. If Tommy knew that Jack was chickening out, he'd probably kick him, but his lack of confidence and fear of disappointing her seemed to outweigh his desire, at least for the time being. Maybe coffee wasn't the way to go. It wasn't doing anything to relax him, but he didn't really want to get drunk either. Was it really just a few days ago that he'd gone skinny dipping on the beach with Tommy and Lena" He'd been drunk and stoned out of his mind, completely relaxed and unworried about any pressure to perform or impress anyone. Why did he feel like he had to impress her" He flashed a fake smile, wanting to kick himself for being a coward, but then, he'd only just met her a few hours ago and didn't want to seem too eager either. He felt like he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

One thing Jasmin had learned over the years as a musician was when someone was faking a smile or giving a falsely positive criticism. Yes, Jack was nervous and obviously completely without confidence, but that wasn't any excuse for feigning a smile like that. She sighed, putting her shirt back down on the counter behind him. "Jack, relax," she told him softly, stepping close enough to lean into him, her hands smoothing against his sides. "I'm not moving a step until you do. And, you know, the longer I'm right here, the more likely it is that I'll start doing things to keep myself amused." Her own smile was warm and teasing, reassuring in her obvious liking for him as the tip of her nose brushed his.

He swallowed nervously as she closed the distance between them again. She was distracting enough as it was, but without her shirt on, she was hard to resist, and he found himself shaking all over again. "I'm not sure what you mean," he admitted, not quite understanding what it was she was telling him. Did she mean that she was willing to wait until he was ready or that she was going to make the first move"

Her fingers trailed up over his arms, curling to cradle his jaw and draw him down until their foreheads touched, hazel eyes looking into his with gentle honesty. "Yes, you are," she called him out, knowing that most of what was making him uncomfortable here was nerves and that appalling lack of confidence. She was shy, yes, but only with strangers, and he was definitely not a stranger now. "Stop thinking so hard about this," she told him softly. "I like you. You like me. Whether we jump into bed together tonight, or go slow for a while, I don't see that changing. So no fake smiles, no trying to please me by hiding yourself. It's you I want to get to know in every way I can, not the mask. So relax."

He nodded again, but this time, the nod and the acceptance behind it were sincere. He could have explained why he was the way he was, but he didn't see the point in it. That was all part of the getting acquainted process, and none of it had anything to do with her. "I'll try," he told her, meaning what he said. He made no promises, and by not doing so, told no lies. "I like you, too, Jasmin. I just don't want to screw this up."

"For what it's worth' You're doin' pretty well so far." She smiled, rising slowly against him as her arms curled about his neck, giving him plenty of warning before her lips found his. This kiss was slow and deep, as gentle as those that had gone before but definitely not pulling any punches. As her lips plied his with unspoken tenderness, her fingers combed through his hair, her body leaning into his, determined to feel him relax into her before she let him go again.

He tensed at first, just as he had before, like a wire pulled taut, but as her lips plied his and his eyelids drew closed, the tension slowly started to unwind, her kisses as sweet and intoxicating as wine. He drew his arms around her waist as she pressed her body against his, filling his senses, all too aware of the soft womanly curves that were pressed up against his angles. He felt her fingers in his hair, smelled the scent of her perfume, tasted the sweetness of her lips, relaxing him and enticing him all at the same time. The sweetest drug in all of creation.

How could he not know what he was doing to her" How was it this incredibly sweet, amazingly handsome man didn't know how attractive he was" She wanted to know, and yet at the same time, she didn't want to push him. Instead, she focused on him - on the way he felt, the taste of him on her lips, the scent that was entirely his as he, in turn, filled her senses. She didn't want this kiss to end, reveling in the soft intimacy as he finally relaxed into her, as the tension he was holding onto slowly bled away. There was something thrilling and calming about the way his arms wrapped her close, something she really hadn't felt before. Fast or slow, she was beginning to think she didn't care which. So long as he didn't walk away.

He lingered a long time in that kiss, exploring her mouth, savoring the taste of her lips. He'd certainly kissed and been kissed before, but it had never been anything like the way it was when he kissed her, and he almost wished it could go on and on forever. It was as though he'd been kissed by an angel, tasting a little bit of heaven in her kiss. When he finally pulled away so that he could take a breath, the blue eyes that looked back at her were filled with wonder and longing.

He was met with the same sense of wonder, the same longing deep in her own eyes as she looked up at him, deeply reluctant to draw any further back from him than she had already. Her fingers played against his cheek, into his hair, wanting to touch him but knowing she really shouldn't push him any further than he was ready to go. "Better?" she murmured a soft query through smiling lips, nuzzling to him for a long moment before drawing just a little back for him to answer.

He nodded again, taking a deep breath to slow the hammering of his heart. "Better," he replied, hesitating a moment before chancing a kiss of his own, slow and languid but chaste, sweetly affectionate, almost innocent even. "I've-I've never really been with anyone before. I mean, not seriously."

And there was part of the reason for his lack of confidence. Jasmin's smile softened affectionately as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "Sweetie, there's really no set rules for this," she promised him. "We'll make mistakes, everyone does. But I've got a good feeling about this." The tip of her nose touched his briefly as she gazed into his eyes, needing a moment to lighten the seriousness that had fallen over them. "And you can tell your friend I got you out of your pants on the first date with absolute honesty."

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:08 EST
That brought a sincere smile to his face, a chuckle even. Never let it be said that he was so serious he couldn't laugh at himself, at least a little. "That was my own fault," he admitted, and there was that blush again, embarrassed by his own clumsiness. He made no move to pull himself away from her, charmed by the simple affection that was displayed by the brush of her nose against his. "I was thinking maybe you could help me. I've got thirty-eight years of catching up to do." He was talking mostly about music, but there was still a lot he didn't know about the last thirty-five years or about Rhy'Din.

For a moment, she misunderstood, her smile deepening as she caught herself before her hands decided to remove his pants on their own. "I can do that," she promised, smoothing her hands down to drum her fingers against his chest. "First things first, though ....You have wet pants, I have a wet shirt. I'm going to say it again. Get them off, dude." With a grin, she bounced to kiss the end of his nose, disentangling herself from his arms to slip upstairs and grab him some spare pants, not to mention change herself.

He flushed a little when she reminded him that he still had to remove his pants, watching as she darted away from him and up the stairs, unable to stop himself from admiring the view. He wondered if this was where she would "change into something more comfortable", like they always did in the movies, and ended up wearing some sort of lingerie that was anything but relaxing. It was only then he realized Buddy Holly had stopped singing, side one of the album having reached its end. He wondered what she was going to bring him to wear and again he found himself wondering what had happened to her parents and how long they'd been gone. Not long enough, apparently. He glanced toward the stairs again, wondering how long she was going to be, frowning again at the thought of stripping down in front of her. He wasn't sure why it made him feel so uncomfortable when just a few nights ago he'd been cavorting naked on the beach. He wondered what she'd think if she knew about that.

It was around five minutes later when she reappeared, waving a pair of loose slacks triumphantly. She had, in fact, changed into something more comfortable, but that something was not lingerie - a t-shirt and shorts were just going to have to do for now. "C'mon, sweetie, I promise I won't look," she smiled at him, dropping the slacks onto the counter near where he had lingered. "We can wash your jeans and they'll be dry by morning."

He looked almost relieved that she'd chosen to actually dress comfortably, rather than provocatively, his shoulders relaxing as he blew out a breath. "It's not like I'm not wearing underwear," he said, a little defensively, as he unsnapped his jeans, turning his back to her despite his remark. He didn't want her to judge him or his package by what might or might not be hidden behind his shorts, or maybe he was just shy. He pulled his jeans down over his hips, revealing an uninteresting pair of plain cotton underwear covering his rear, legs bare and a little on the pale side as he stepped out of the jeans.

With his back turned to her, Jaz did enjoy the view he presented, smirking to herself as a series of suggestions as to what she'd like to do to that rear end made themselves known behind her eyes. She didn't, however, act on any of them, much to her own disappointment, waiting patiently for him to hand over the jeans so she could dump them in the washer with her shirt. "So you really have, what, thirty years to catch up on?"

"Thirty-eight, I think. If I tell you when I was born, you'll want to call me Grampa," he said as he reached behind him to hand over his jeans, his hand remaining there in anticipation that she'd hand over the spare pair of pants. "When we left California, it was 1975. I'm a bit of a relic, I guess."

"You're remarkably well preserved for a relic," she pointed out, pressing the slacks into his hand as she took the coffee-stained jeans. "Can't say I've ever seen a relic with an *ss I wanted to bite before." With the wet clothes over one arm, she crossed the living room and through an open door into the half-bathroom, just visible as she dumped the material into the washer.

"Bite?" he echoed, glancing over his shoulder at her as he grabbed hold of the slacks. Was she serious" He watched as she disappeared into another room, and he turned back around to climb into the slacks, hoping they fit well enough for comfort. Thankfully, Lena's brother's clothes fit well enough that he had been spared the embarrassment of having gone out in the dreaded leisure suit. He wasn't very big on fashion, but that was another thing he was going to definitely have to catch up on. "I was born in 1950," he called to her as he finished adjusting the pants. "Is that old enough for you?"

"You're not old," she called back to him with a grin, setting the cycle on the washer before moving back into the main room. "You're vintage. That's sexy, too, you know." She looked him over curiously. "How do they fit' My dad wasn't quite as tall as you, but his pants were always on the long side anyway."

"I'm twenty-five....or sixty-three. Depends on how you figure it." He turned to face her now that he was dressed again, feeling a little bit weird to be wearing her dad's pants, but it was better than sitting around in his skivvies. "Would you believe me if I told you just a few days ago I was skinny dipping at the beach' A few days ago for me. Thirty-eight years ago for you," he added, looking a little perplexed.

"Would you have a heart attack if I asked you to prove it by jumping in the pool with me right now?" she countered with a teasing grin. "Jack, you don't have to impress me or feel like you need to apologize for being who you are. Seriously." She crooked her finger, beckoning him over to her. "Come here, I wanna hear you play something."

For an instant, he looked a little startled by her question, until she assured him he didn't have to impress her. "I'm not trying to impress you, Jaz....I mean Jasmin," he corrected himself, with a shake of his head. "It's just confusing as hell, but I wanted to come here. Tommy's been more of a brother to me than my own brothers. There's nothing left back home without Tommy." He cut himself off, realizing he'd said more than he'd intended, looking to her crooked finger with an arched brow. "What, now" What do you want to hear?"

Jasmin Granger

Date: 2013-10-05 09:10 EST
"Anything you want to play," she told him, her finger crooking once again. "If I have to come over there and get you, you might end up distracted again." She smiled affectionately, understanding him a little better as he spoke about how he felt about his friend, though it was sad to hear that he had brothers he was not close to. "You can call me Jaz, Jack. Jasmin's a bit of a mouthful sometimes."

He was frowning a little again, unsure what he should play or what she might want to hear. He hadn't brought his own guitar, but she seemed to have a few. "What do you want me to play?" he asked as he made his way toward her. "I left my guitar back at Midge..." He paused to correct himself again. "Lena's," he said, jerking a thumb behind him, whether that was the direction of Willow Manor or not.

"There's a room full of guitars you can play right here, sweetie," she pointed out with a smile. As he came closer to her, she drew her arms around his neck once more, smaller against his frame without her boots on, but not so small either of them were uncomfortable. "You know ....I'm getting the feeling you're getting all unrelaxed again."

He looked in the direction of the living room, but before he could head that way, she had cut him off and was pulling him close again, which was doing nothing for his nerves, but a lot for his ego. "Maybe I should have had that beer," he remarked, his hands settling uneasily against her hips.

"You can't rely on being drunk just to stay relaxed around me, sweetie," she reminded him sweetly, rising up onto her toes to brush his lips with hers. "Just ....be." Whether he wanted a beer or not, she chose that moment to repeat the kiss that had eased his tension before ....slow, gentle, undemanding of anything but his complete focus as her hands curled into his hair once more. He was going to have to get used to being kissed this way, unless he found a way to calm his nerves on his own.

It didn't happen right away, but the longer he lingered in that kiss, the more relaxed he felt. He wasn't sure if it was the kiss itself, or the way it felt when she curled her fingers into his hair - more than likely both. Her lips were soft and warm, her touch soothing. He wanted to linger in her embrace all day and all night, and when his lips finally parted from hers again, though he felt calmer, her kisses left him wanting more.

"There you are." Jasmin's smile was warm, the look in her eyes aching with longing as she gazed up at him, fingers still gently tangling though his hair. She was making it harder for herself to behave and respect his readiness, but if the only way to get him to relax was to kiss him until she lost herself in his embrace, she couldn't see how to avoid that pressure on herself. "You have such beautiful eyes, Jack."

He found himself unable to look away from her eyes, unable to move away from her embrace, and he wondered if he shouldn't just give in and let it happen before the sexual tension drove him - both of them - crazy. He was touched by the compliment, unsure how to return it. It wasn't just her eyes that were beautiful but all of her. She was only growing more beautiful with each passing minute, and suddenly, he longed for the same thing that Tommy and Lena had. The only thing that worried him was that she would be so disappointed in him she might never want to see him again. "Jasmin, I..." He trailed off, looking worried again. "Tonight you're mine completely, you give your love so sweetly. Tonight the light of love is in your eyes, but will you still love me tomorrow?" He sang it rather than said it, knowing it was corny as hell, but sometimes songs were better at conveying feelings than words.

She'd never been serenaded, certainly not right there in the moment as the words conveyed what he was feeling. And, touched though she was that he had the courage to just open up and sing to her, she understood completely where it had come from. The song might be a golden oldie, but it portrayed almost exactly what she, too, was concerned with as they lingered in each other's embrace. As her fingers smoothed from his hair to his cheek, she picked up the melody, answering his worries with her own in the same way. "Is this a lasting treasure, or just a moment's pleasure" Can I believe the magic of your sighs" Will you still love me tomorrow?"

"Tonight with words unspoken," he continued, his voice growing stronger, but still softly evoking the emotion of the song's sentiment, which matched his own. "You say that I'm the only one, but will my heart be broken, when the night meets the morning sun?" It was perhaps as corny as an old movie musical, but he was from a different time, and music was the only way he knew to tell her what he was feeling.

Perhaps it was corny, but how else did two musicians communicate when they hadn't yet worked out how to say what they wanted to say with their own words" Would it have been less corny if they'd been holding guitars instead of each other" Despite the cheese that was dripping over them, Jaz swayed in Jack's arms as he sang to her, wondering if he would understand what she meant if she told him just how swoonworthy he was in that moment. But the feeling was there, evoked by their own awkwardness with each other, expressed perfectly with words written down a long time ago. "I'd like to know that your love is a love I can be sure of ..."

She had left him with to ask the same question the song had started with, and while it was too soon to speak of love, he needed to know he wasn't going to be forgotten or tossed aside if he gave into his heart's - and body's - desire. He lifted a hand to touch her face, for the very first time, his fingers gently trailing against the curve of her cheek, eyes meeting hers longingly, as he finished the song, still having no answer other than to know she seemed to share the same worries of losing him. "So tell me now, and I won't ask again....Will you still love me tomorrow?"

They shared the same worries, approaching them from different directions. She had been left too many times; he had never been in a position to be left, but was afraid of it, nonetheless. She had already told him that she did not do one-night-stands; that if they went all the way together, she was in it for the medium to long term. But perhaps he just didn't know how to take that the way she had told him in her own words. As the question faded on his lips, her smile returned, small and soft, her gaze open and honest. "Yes," she whispered to him, sharing that honesty, hoping he would understand it now even as she took the question to echo it back to him. "Will you still love me tomorrow?"

Unlike her, he didn't answer her question with words. Instead, he answered by being the one to initiate the kiss this time around, answering the only way he knew how. The kiss he touched to her lips was soft and slow and tender and spoke not only of his desire, but of hope for the future, of the first unexpected spark of feeling that could - with the right nurturing - grow into something deeper, something special, something profound. Something neither of them had ever known before. The love of a lifetime.

((Welcome to Rhy'Din, Jack Smith! :grin: As always, humungus thank yous to Jack and Tommy! Awesome!))