Topic: Contracted Convenience

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-27 10:27 EST
Piper had been out and about for most of the afternoon following her little epiphany at the family planning clinic. She'd spent all of ten minutes scribbling her notice on around twenty different pieces of paper, all of varying size, and had dragged herself around the city to pin them up on the various noticeboards, wondering if anyone would even notice them there between the exuberant posters for Beltane.

Back at the Red Dragon, and she found herself pacing backward and forward impatiently, her mood swinging wildly between hope, disbelief, and utter embarrassment at what she'd done. Hope that any moment now a perfectly eligible man with no expectations whatsoever would knock on her door and offer to be nothing more than a name to herself and her unborn child. Disbelief that anyone would even glance at the little notices, much less take them seriously. And embarrassment that she'd lost so much of her self-respect to be soliciting for a man to give her his name and nothing else.

Forcing herself to stop, she thumped down on the bed, staring at the door. Someone, anyone, please, she kept repeating to herself, the focus of her gaze suggesting that somehow she could will the perfect man into existence just for this task alone.

Come on, she wasn't asking for someone to be faithful to her. She wasn't even asking him to live with her. The offer must appeal to somebody out there, surely. Hopefully not somebody old or evil or particularly monstrous-looking, but frankly right now, she'd marry an orc. It was a fix-it solution, and not a good one, but it was the one she was going with.

So now ....all she could do was wait, and watch that door, hoping for Mr Right Now to make his appearance.

Gustave

Date: 2011-04-27 16:54 EST
There was something about that little handwritten notice that was just infinately eyecatching. Even for a fellow like him that more ofthen than not had his nose buried in a book.

It was probably the little hint of backbone that bled through the ink.

There had to be a story there.

He'd never been good with curiosity. It always got him in the end. He held out for all of a hour before knocking on the door of room 112a.

OH Granger

Date: 2011-04-27 18:20 EST
Oliver Hudson Granger, III, had nothing if not one of the most prestigious and important names in all of Rhy'Din. It conjured images of the Kennedys, the Windsors, even the Presleys. And since Caroline had taken over after the Old Man's retirement and had reinstated Ollie's position within the GrangerGuild, his name carried more weight, more importance than ever before.

But was it a name that would sway the opinion of an unmarried, pregnant girl" Was it a name that she would gladly take and give to her unborn child" Would she understand the importance of that name, of him wanting to give her and her child that name" Would she appreciate the protection, the lasting legacy of the name Granger"

All this he pondered as he climbed the stairs to Room 112a and stood at the end of the hall. It seemed he was not the first to respond to the girl's tacked up notices. Ollie hung back, not fully committed now that he saw there was potential competition.

What was he thinking, offering his name to an unknown, unseen girl" How would his family react' Oh God, how would Cally react' Would any of them understand that he couldn't not offer the protection his name would give the girl and her child"

He straightened himself, tugged awkwardly at the bespoke suit he'd donned before leaving the loft to make this trek, and ran a shaky, paint-splattered hand through his mess of raven-dark curls. He took a step forward, then another, then another until he was standing abreast of the first man, to whom he nodded.

Piper Davidson was about to discover not one, but two men willing to give her the umbrella of safety their names could provide. How would she choose?

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-27 19:49 EST
The knock on the door almost had her swallowing her tongue. For all her bravado in posting up her notices, Piper had nearly managed to convince herself that she either hadn't done it, or she was about to go and take them all down. Only her sudden repentance was too late, it seemed.

Straightening her clothing, she moved over to the door, finally flicking her dark hair out of her eyes before plastering what she hoped was a welcoming smile onto her face and pulling open the door. To her credit, the smile didn't slip when she noticed not one, but two men standing there, though her blue eyes did widen somewhat.

"Oh ....goodness ....Hello," she managed weakly, glancing between them as she swallowed hard. One was smart, bespectacled, and had a nerdish look about him. The other was paint-splattered, equally smartly dressed, and looked about as nervous as she felt. "Oh! Come in, please."

Stepping aside, she gestured for them both to come in, failing to realise that perhaps one at a time would have been more appropriate. Thankfully she had at least thought ahead enough to tidy her room up, and the two chairs were uncluttered.

"Please sit down," she offered the men the chairs, moving herself to perch on the edge of the bed. "I'm Piper, although you probably already know that, don't you? Of course you do, you wouldn't be here if you hadn't read the ....I'm babbling, I'll stop." She cleared her throat, looking to them both.

"And you are?"

Gustave

Date: 2011-04-27 22:07 EST
The appearance of the second fellow didn't seem to phase Gustave in the least. He gave Piper a warm smile as he stepped into the room, leaving pleanty of room for Oliver to follow.

"I'm Gustave Greigor. It's a pleasure to meet you Piper. I admit you've got me all curious here."

OH Granger

Date: 2011-04-28 16:33 EST
Ollie followed the smaller man into Piper's room and seated himself on one of the chairs. While the other man - Gustave, apparently - introduced himself, Ollie surreptitiously studied their hostess.

She was pretty in a slightly impish way, tall, thin but not skinny, with a crown of beautiful sable hair and lush, full lips. Ollie's fingers itched with the need to feel a pencil or a brush between them. He wanted to capture this girl's face in ink or oils, on paper or a canvas. Even if she did not choose him as her husband, he found himself hoping that she'd deign to let him paint her.

Once Gustave fell silent, Ollie stood and offered Piper his hand. "My name is Oliver Granger, but please," and here he flashed her one of his rare smiles, "call me Ollie." He retook his seat, crossed on stork-like leg over the other and leaned forward, his hawkish blue eyes intent on Piper's face. He, too, was very curious about the circumstances surrounding the notices around town. Why would a girl this lovely possibly have need of a contrived marriage?

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-28 17:47 EST
She didn't really know how to go about this - meeting people had never exactly been her forte. While Gustave didn't offer his hand, Oliver - Ollie - did, and Piper was relieved to be able to make a little contact at least. If she was perfectly frank with herself, simply on looks alone she was leaning toward Ollie, but looks weren't part of the deal here.

"It's very nice to meet you, Gustave, Ollie." She took a deep breath, attempting to line up words that would in some way make a coherent sentence or two.

"I realise this is all very odd, and sort of too clinical for a proposal," she began, trying and failing to calm herself down as she spoke. "What it comes down to, gentlemen, is this. I'm pregnant, and although I won't be able to leave Rhy'Din in the foreseeable future, my parents will be able to visit me here. They're very strict Catholics, and they brought me up with their ideals. I refuse to deny my child a father's name on the birth certificate, or subject it to the stigma which is still attached to being the child of one parent alone. However, I also refuse to allow my mother to choose one of her friends for me to marry, which is exactly what she will do if I don't head her off fast."

As she spoke, she somehow forced herself to make her gaze flick backward and forward between their eyes, noting their reactions as discreetly as she could manage while not giving off the heady air of panic that was forming around her.

"The circumstances are unusual, I suppose," she continued, blushing as she looked down at her hands. "Long story short ....I took a stupid risk with a complete stranger, and despite taking precautions, I ended up with the consequences. I have since been told that it is very likely that the father is a Fae, and because my world, my version of Earth, has no magic, the baby was living off my life-force rather than siphoning the magic that would usually surround it. Which is why I came here - I would have died otherwise.

"I'm not asking anyone to fall in love with me, or even to like me. I'm not expecting fidelity, or help raising the child, although that would be very much appreciated. I don't need financial support - my family is upper crust, with everything that goes with it, and while I don't like the traditions that prevent stains appearing on the family's honour, I'm playing along to avoid difficulties."

She took in another deep breath, hoping she had explained herself well enough.

"Basically, gentlemen, I need a husband in name only, who will also be prepared to put his name on the birth certificate when the baby is born. I would like to at least become friendly with the man I marry, with or without love, but I realise that is a lot to ask. If you are still interested, after hearing this, and if you have no one who will be made jealous or angry by your offering to be a white knight in this situation, I would like to know. But I won't hold it against either of you should you choose to walk out that door right now."

Falling silent, Piper bit her lip, blue eyes flickering between Gustave and Ollie in trepidation. She could see only two options here ....either they would both leave, or they would both stay. They seemed the honourable sort, and she hoped she'd done the right thing by getting everything out in the open straightaway. But which, if either, would be prepared to make such a leap of commitment without strings with a complete stranger who couldn't even keep herself from being impregnated by a fairy?

Marc Franco

Date: 2011-04-28 18:22 EST
As he stood outside of room 112a of the Red Dragon Inn, Charlie Funderburk of RhyDin-O-Gram Singing Telegrams popped the head of his gorilla costume down over his own head and squinted through the eye holes at the paper before him on which the lyrics of the song he was to sing were scribbled.

It was some version of an old Rat Pack song. Charlie had tried to explain to his boss that when the customer, the blogger Marc Franco, had requested the singer to be wearing a "monkey suit", he had not literally meant the gorilla costume. However, such idioms were lost on Mr. Sloan. Charlie gave a shrug and rapped on the door to the young woman's room.

When the door swung open, there stood Charlie in his gorilla costume with a sign reading, "Marry me. Love always, Marc Franco" in one hand and the lyrics to the ditty that Mr. Franco had written in the other. As the door opened, he let loose in his best impression of a crooner's baritone.

"In that room one-one-two there's a hot unwed boo. that's amore. She's lookin' for a man with a 401k plan that's amore. Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling And she'll sing all through RhyDin Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay Like a drunk in bathtub gin.

When she accepts his big rock she'll fix his writer's block That's amore. When she's as big as a whale Franco still will not bail. That's amore. The Gangstar will soon shout hip-hip-hooray all about That's amore. Scuzza me, my pretty, back in RhyDin City That's amore!"

Mark McKinney

Date: 2011-04-28 18:29 EST
The posting had been pretty clear as to where and why, but the who was a little fuzzy, still. He'd not heard or seen the name before. But, that was nothing majorly bad. It wasn't like he'd been in Rhydin for long anyway. Still the note seemed to promise just what he needed. Still, it made him scratch his head.

So he ambled towards the Red Dragon Inn. Along the way he stopped to pick a few wild flowers that were already starting to bloom in the cool spring sun. Careful to shake the insects that were attempting to feed upon the tender stalks, the bouquet ended up being a riot of blue, yellow, red and green.

He pushed through the commons of the Inn, his choice of drink would have to come later. The stairs were mounted and just as he rounded the corner, a guy in a gorilla suit began serenading at the top of his lungs.

Mark froze in his tracks and looked down at the small bouquet, then at the gorilla man. "Damn."

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-28 18:37 EST
When the knock sounded on the door, Piper grimaced faintly, rising to her feet. "Excuse me a moment," she apologised to Gustave and Ollie, moving to turn the handle.

Whatever she had expected when the door swung open, it hadn't been a man in a gorilla suit singing. Piper's jaw dropped, eyes bugging wide as she stared in disbelief at the performance going on in front of her.

Her gaze swung back to the men sitting behind her in the room, as if to ask them ....was this really happening"

Still, she was polite, waiting until the end of the song before managing a faint grimace of a smile for the poor unfortunate who had been hired to make ....well, a monkey out of himself. At least she could be fairly certain this one wasn't serious. She hoped.

"Thank you, that was ....interesting," she nodded, clearing her throat. "Um ....do you want a tip or something?" Momentarily ignoring her guests, she rummaged in the bag set on the bed for some coins, which she pressed into the gorilla's hand ....paw ....whatever. "I'm very flattered. And more than a little confused. But thank you."

Moving to shut the door, she blinked, realising there was yet another man in the hallway, complete with bouquet of wildflowers. Piper almost, almost, groaned.

"Let me guess ....you'd like to marry me too?" she smiled, beginning to feel just a little as though all her screws were coming loose. "Do come in. I'm Piper; this is Gustave, and this is Ollie."

Stepping behind the door for a moment, she closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the cool wood. Dear God, what had she done"

OH Granger

Date: 2011-04-28 20:33 EST
Ollie listened in respectful silence as Piper explained her situation and felt more than a little pang of sympathetic commiseration with her. Her family sounded an awful lot like his own.

When she asked if there was anyone in their lives that would be jealous or upset about such an arrangement, he immediately thought of Cally. Oh, God. Cally. What would he tell her" What would he say to her" "Sorry, Cally, but my prospects of marriage are so small that I'm willing to give my name to an unmarried, pregnant stranger just so I don't have to be alone on my deathbed in 50 years." Yes, that would go over well, wouldn't it"

As for who would be upset, well, he figured more than half of his family would be, if not upset, then at least confused and more than slightly suspicious as to Piper's motives. He was, after all, rather a rich and important man in the city. The gold diggers were lurking even now.

He thought he could get along well if Lola and Caro were on his side and understood his pressing need to not only have a family before he turned 35, but to take care of someone who obviously needed taking care of.

Then things sort of fell apart. First there was a singing gorilla who brought a proposal from Marc Franco, of all people. And then there was another man who brought flowers. Why hadn't Ollie thought of that' Didn't all girls like flowers" He took a moment to mentally berate himself before pulling himself together and standing up.

"Um, Ms. Davidson," he began hesitantly. "I would just like you to know that....Well, you might not expect fidelity or love or even help raising your child, but if I marry you, if I give my name to this baby..." He paused, not completely certain of what he was trying to say, only that he was trying to say something that would sway Piper into accepting his proposal above the others. "If you ask anyone on the street, well, anyone who knows me anyway, they will tell you that I am a man of my word and I am a man of honour who does not shirk his responsibilities. I am responsible and trustworthy and I know I will make a good provider for you and for your baby. And I have extended family in Rhy'Din. A sister and many cousins who would, I'm sure, be available should you need a friend or a companion or...or anything."

He sat down abruptly, aware that he was rambling incoherently. But at least he'd said his piece and now he would await Piper's ultimate decision, a decision he did not envy.

Mark McKinney

Date: 2011-04-29 17:52 EST
Mark had been so entertained by the guy in the monkey suit that it took a moment to realize that he'd been summoned by the bride to be, herself. He only caught a brief glimpse of a tiny hand and dark hair as she disappeared back inside. So far, so good. He thought to himself as he moved past the monkey man and into the hotel room.

At first glance it was like any other hotel room that he'd ever seen. Maybe a bit more rustic, but it had the essentials and that's all that mattered. And before he could take a good look at his intended, after all that what she was to him, his intended bride, he was introduced to the two others that had made it there before he did. Damn, he thought to himself as he gave them both a cordial nod of his head.

It was time to think fast, and that was something Mark was known for. He stepped forward to speak, but was interrupted by the one named Ollie's speech about honor and family connections. Damn, damn! All he had was honor, a bouquet of wild flowers and....his hand drummed against his pocket. How lucky for him that had been delivered to him earlier in the day. It was supposed to be a parting shot from the Frost Maiden, Elizabeth.

Stepping towards Piper, he thrust the flowers under her nose and he dropped to one knee. Pulling the box from his pocket, he flipped it open with his thumb to expose the delicate gold and diamond encrusted rings within the velvet bed.

"I'm Mark, Mark McKinney. Will you marry me?"

He held his breath as he looked up with blue eyes wide with hope.

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-29 18:04 EST
Ollie's fumbling speech made Piper smile, a genuine smile that softened the stress that marked her face and returned her visage to the sweet lines that had made her the only choice for Terence. Before he'd found someone else to screw around with behind her back, that was.

Truthfully, she didn't care about money, or connections. But there was something very touching about the way Ollie presented himself, the way he searched for words that just wouldn't come. She could relate to feeling that way all too easily. His ifs suggested that a marriage to him would be more than just words and a name; the way he spoke about how others would present him to her spoke volumes about his insecurity, his need to be needed. And God knew, she did need someone to at least care what happened to her.

Then Mark McKinney was in front of her, there were flowers in front of her face and he was on one knee, and Piper felt her jaw drop for the second time that evening. A proposal, a true proposal, was something she had not expected at all. What on earth did he think this was, some roundabout romantic contest' But again, there was an honesty about him that made her smile a little as she took the flowers; a faint desperation in the way he dived onto his knee and offered her rings that clearly had been intended for someone else.

Speechless, she lifted her eyes to the others lingering there - to Marc Franco's singing gorilla-man, and the now silent Gustave - and knew there was no way in hell she could make a decision straightaway. She swallowed hard, leaning down to pull Mark back to his feet.

"I really am very flattered," she told him, told all of them, in quiet amazement. "I didn't think anyone would respond, much less four in one day. But if you're expecting a decision right this moment, then it won't happen. I need time to think about it."

Deep blue eyes travelled over each of them ....silent Gustave, honourable Ollie, Marc Franco's proxy gorilla, and the impulsive Mark, offering each a slightly worried smile.

"Tomorrow," she heard herself promise. "I'll let you all know ....tomorrow."

Marc Franco

Date: 2011-04-29 19:50 EST
Well, wasn't this quite the situation' Charlie had been part of plenty of marriage proposals. None of them had involved a gorilla costume and none of them had involved some sort of competition.

One girl and a handful of guys! She must be something else! The gorilla head seemed to give her an appraising glance and then a nod as he evidently liked what he saw.

"I'll let the man know, lady!" Charlie gave a cheerful grin. He gave a salute after handing over Marc Franco's business card (yep, evidently Gossip Gangstar IS a job title) complete with a New Haven address for the Den of Gossip and turned on his heels to depart.

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-04-30 11:08 EST
The Following Day ...

It was done. The decision was made, and all that was left now was to break the news to the gentlemen involved. Piper couldn't help feeling a wrench in her gut as she folded her hand-written notes into their envelopes, hoping that no one would be too disappointed by her choice.

When he arrived, the courier was given three envelopes, addressed to Gustave Greigor, Marc Franco, and Mark McKinney.

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFnJHMXVpVGx6NEJHTUpkRlZYOGJrYkEAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg

The fourth, Piper was determined to deliver for herself, making her way through the city to the riverside loft where Oliver Granger had said he lived. When she knocked on the door, a girl opened it, introduced herself as Kaylee Granger, and took the note with a wide grin.

"Sure, I'll make sure he gets it," she assured Piper, who was suddenly having second thoughts.

"Uh ..." The sable-haired woman could not leave without checking something. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but are ....involved ....with Oliver?"

Kaylee laughed aloud at that, shaking her head. "Aw, hells, no," she cackled with glee. "I'm his cousin. One of many. Sure you don't want to come in and wait?"

Relief flooded Piper's smile as she shook her head gratefully. "Thank you, but no, I should probably get back home. But perhaps you could tell him that I will be at the Lighting of the Bonfire tomorrow night?"

Kaylee's grin was downright evil as she nodded enthusiastically. "I'll make sure and tell him," she promised. "Piper, right' Piper will be at the bonfire. Cool."

As Piper walked away from the little loft, she had the strangest sensation of one weight lifting and another settling upon her shoulders. Now all she could do was wait to find out if Oliver Hudson Granger, III, had had second thoughts overnight.

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OH Granger

Date: 2011-04-30 15:40 EST
Ollie came home Saturday afternoon, hands full of turpentine, new canvases, and a large bag of the sweetest, juiciest pears he'd ever encountered. Kay was out, probably at work or with that new guy of hers, the one who gave Ollie major stomach problems. She'd left behind a note, saying, "Piper came by. She'll be at the bonfire lighting tomorrow night. She's cute, Ollie. Kisses, Kay!"

Ollie stared at Kay's note. Piper had come by' Here" He shot a glance around the room, once more thankful that Kay was so neat. If he'd lived alone....Well, if he'd lived alone, and hadn't been home when Piper dropped by, there would have been no way for her to see the squalor he lived in, would there" He grinned a little self-consciously at that and ran a shaky hand through his mess of hair.

Sitting down at the kitchen counter, he held the envelope containing his fate in one hand, running sensitive fingers over it as if he could read through osmosis the words contained within. He suddenly wished someone was around - Lala, Kay, Caro, hell, even Jon. He didn't want to be alone when he opened this envelope. He was utterly terrified of Piper's decision. Even if her words were of the "Sorry, but no" variety, he didn't want to read them alone.

Saturday afternoon. Jon would be rehearsing and therefore at the Theatre. Kay was gone. Lala would be getting ready for the May Queen crowning. Caro' Hmmm....Caro might be home, but did he really want to bother her with this right now? She had so many other things on her plate. No, he decided. He'd keep this from his cousin and new boss for just a few more days.

"Oh, just do it, Oliver, for Heaven's sake. Quit dithering like an old woman," he chided himself and slipped a finger underneath the flap of the envelope, pulling it open and tugging out the note inside. Hawkish blue eyes moved over the page, lingering on the penmanship without really processing the words. He read the note two more times and the blood drained from his face and the note fell from suddenly nerveless fingers.

"Oh, God," he whispered and pressed both hands to his gut. "I'm getting married. Oh, God. I'm going to be a father." He paused, swallowed, then slowly stood up, gripping the edge of the kitchen counter. "Oh, God. I'm going to be sick."