"Are you sure you don't mind hanging out in the Red Dragon tonight? We could go back to your place if you'd rather. Or my place, instead." She snuggled close to Daniel, her body molding perfectly to his, as if they were made for each other.
"No, it's all right. It's been quite a while since I was in there." He gave her a little squeeze, enjoying the close contact. "I might be quite content living as a virtual hermit, but I know you like to be more...visible."
"Especially now," she commented as they headed up the front steps of the Inn's porch. "Do you remember the last time we were in here?"
He paused for a moment outside the front door, looking off into space as he tried to recall. "Actually, I don't. I guess it really has been a rather long time."
"Well, then, it's time we return, huh?" She gave him a little grin and waited for him to open the door.
He slid easily aside as the door swung open and the diminutive bartender popped out, then caught the door before it could swing shut, holding it.
She followed Amber's egress with a smile and then sent a wink Daniel's way as she headed inside, pausing just long enough to unbutton the Balmain trench coat she was wearing over a camel-colored silk Ralph Lauren dress. And there went Amber back to the bar. Lelah glanced at Daniel with a brow raised. "Order me a mulled wine?" she asked with a candy-sweet smile.
He closed the door behind them, nodding in response to her question. "Certainly. Be right back."
She spotted Katt?or at least she thought it was Katt; the new hair cut sort of had Lelah stumped for a moment?and waved to the baker before heading for the hearth and one of the super-comfy armchairs near the hearth.
He took his hand from hers and started towards the bar, smiling at Katt as he passed. When he reached the counter, he leaned against it and waited for Amber to finish with her customer before ordering.
He smiled at Amber, leaning forward a little. "Good evening," he said. "Could I get a mulled wine and a cup of chai, please?"
She finished unbuttoning the trench coat and slipped it from her shoulders, folding it carefully over the back of the armchair she'd selected before sitting in it herself, crossing her legs and tugging her skirt down over her knee. Then she heaved a big sigh and sat back, closing her eyes and letting the heat from the fire warm her and relax her. This would probably be the last night of relaxation she'd get for the next six months or so.
"Thank you," he replied, trying to minimize the throaty growl that threaded through his voice. He reached into a pocket and withdrew a few coins to pay for the drinks, handing them across to Amber as he took the tray and turned to bring it over to the spot Lelah had chosen.
She smiled up at him and reached for her wine, scooting over to the left side of the chair, leaving plenty of room for him to sit with her, should he so desire. Her gaze flitted around the room for a moment, but now that Katt had left, there was no one present she recognized. This realization drew the corners of her lush mouth down in a slight frown; this was what happened when one spent their entire lives behind a film camera on in the darkness of the editing booth.
He held the tray as she took the wine, then set down on the small table next to the chair. He sank down next to her, pressing his leg up against hers. "What's the frown for, phula?" He inhaled, tasting a hint of regret mixed in with the happiness and contentment that wafted off of her.
She shrugged a little and rested her head on the ball of his shoulder. "I was just realizing that I don't know anyone in here anymore. I feel like I've spent the past ten years of my life hidden away in a cave."
He rubbed his cheek lightly against her hair, a low and soft purr rumbling in his chest. "I know the feeling," he said quietly. Literally, in fact--there had been more than one night spent in a cave during the worst of the fighting.. "I've felt more or less the same way ever since I returned, with a few obvious exceptions."
"And I'm just going to be headed back into the cave soon, too. I really need to coax Liv into taking one of the assistant directors' jobs. That way I can pass some of the scenes to her and have more time with you." She grinned in triumph. Wasn't it wonderful how plans often gelled like that?
"That sounds like an excellent plan to me, as well. And I'm sure she could handle it." He grinned back at her, too-sharp teeth gleaming whitely in the light of the fire.
"I'm positive she can. She did such an amazing job with the premiere. I just have to...talk her into it somehow." She sipped the wine then, dark chocolate eyes turning to watch the flames dancing in the hearth, Calix's music serving as a nice accompaniment for her thoughts.
"Yes, that will be the hard part, won't it?" He watched her as she stared into the fire, studying her profile.
She nodded slowly, tearing her gaze away from the fire to meet his cool, calm, grey eyes. "I sometimes think she doesn't quite know her own talent." One corner of her mouth ticked up in a wry smirk then. "Oh, well. That's what she's got me for. Well, that and the paycheck thing."
He chuckled, nodding. "Yes, that paycheck thing. You're right, though. She definitely isn't aware of her own talent, or at least not entirely."
"She's young," she stated firmly and ironically, entirely unaware of the fact that a measly four years separated the two in age. Another sip of the mulled wine, as warm inside now as she was outside, and she shifted a bit in the chair, worming her way under his arm with a little grin.
He wrapped his arm around her willingly, trying not to snicker at her comment. She smelled relaxed and happy now, and he thought that now would be the perfect time to talk to her about something that had been on his mind since they'd gotten back from their trip to New York. "Lelah," he said softly. "I've been thinking..."
"Did it hurt?" she asked, the perfect picture of innocence as she sipped her wine.
"Terribly," he said dryly. "Thank you."
"No, it's all right. It's been quite a while since I was in there." He gave her a little squeeze, enjoying the close contact. "I might be quite content living as a virtual hermit, but I know you like to be more...visible."
"Especially now," she commented as they headed up the front steps of the Inn's porch. "Do you remember the last time we were in here?"
He paused for a moment outside the front door, looking off into space as he tried to recall. "Actually, I don't. I guess it really has been a rather long time."
"Well, then, it's time we return, huh?" She gave him a little grin and waited for him to open the door.
He slid easily aside as the door swung open and the diminutive bartender popped out, then caught the door before it could swing shut, holding it.
She followed Amber's egress with a smile and then sent a wink Daniel's way as she headed inside, pausing just long enough to unbutton the Balmain trench coat she was wearing over a camel-colored silk Ralph Lauren dress. And there went Amber back to the bar. Lelah glanced at Daniel with a brow raised. "Order me a mulled wine?" she asked with a candy-sweet smile.
He closed the door behind them, nodding in response to her question. "Certainly. Be right back."
She spotted Katt?or at least she thought it was Katt; the new hair cut sort of had Lelah stumped for a moment?and waved to the baker before heading for the hearth and one of the super-comfy armchairs near the hearth.
He took his hand from hers and started towards the bar, smiling at Katt as he passed. When he reached the counter, he leaned against it and waited for Amber to finish with her customer before ordering.
He smiled at Amber, leaning forward a little. "Good evening," he said. "Could I get a mulled wine and a cup of chai, please?"
She finished unbuttoning the trench coat and slipped it from her shoulders, folding it carefully over the back of the armchair she'd selected before sitting in it herself, crossing her legs and tugging her skirt down over her knee. Then she heaved a big sigh and sat back, closing her eyes and letting the heat from the fire warm her and relax her. This would probably be the last night of relaxation she'd get for the next six months or so.
"Thank you," he replied, trying to minimize the throaty growl that threaded through his voice. He reached into a pocket and withdrew a few coins to pay for the drinks, handing them across to Amber as he took the tray and turned to bring it over to the spot Lelah had chosen.
She smiled up at him and reached for her wine, scooting over to the left side of the chair, leaving plenty of room for him to sit with her, should he so desire. Her gaze flitted around the room for a moment, but now that Katt had left, there was no one present she recognized. This realization drew the corners of her lush mouth down in a slight frown; this was what happened when one spent their entire lives behind a film camera on in the darkness of the editing booth.
He held the tray as she took the wine, then set down on the small table next to the chair. He sank down next to her, pressing his leg up against hers. "What's the frown for, phula?" He inhaled, tasting a hint of regret mixed in with the happiness and contentment that wafted off of her.
She shrugged a little and rested her head on the ball of his shoulder. "I was just realizing that I don't know anyone in here anymore. I feel like I've spent the past ten years of my life hidden away in a cave."
He rubbed his cheek lightly against her hair, a low and soft purr rumbling in his chest. "I know the feeling," he said quietly. Literally, in fact--there had been more than one night spent in a cave during the worst of the fighting.. "I've felt more or less the same way ever since I returned, with a few obvious exceptions."
"And I'm just going to be headed back into the cave soon, too. I really need to coax Liv into taking one of the assistant directors' jobs. That way I can pass some of the scenes to her and have more time with you." She grinned in triumph. Wasn't it wonderful how plans often gelled like that?
"That sounds like an excellent plan to me, as well. And I'm sure she could handle it." He grinned back at her, too-sharp teeth gleaming whitely in the light of the fire.
"I'm positive she can. She did such an amazing job with the premiere. I just have to...talk her into it somehow." She sipped the wine then, dark chocolate eyes turning to watch the flames dancing in the hearth, Calix's music serving as a nice accompaniment for her thoughts.
"Yes, that will be the hard part, won't it?" He watched her as she stared into the fire, studying her profile.
She nodded slowly, tearing her gaze away from the fire to meet his cool, calm, grey eyes. "I sometimes think she doesn't quite know her own talent." One corner of her mouth ticked up in a wry smirk then. "Oh, well. That's what she's got me for. Well, that and the paycheck thing."
He chuckled, nodding. "Yes, that paycheck thing. You're right, though. She definitely isn't aware of her own talent, or at least not entirely."
"She's young," she stated firmly and ironically, entirely unaware of the fact that a measly four years separated the two in age. Another sip of the mulled wine, as warm inside now as she was outside, and she shifted a bit in the chair, worming her way under his arm with a little grin.
He wrapped his arm around her willingly, trying not to snicker at her comment. She smelled relaxed and happy now, and he thought that now would be the perfect time to talk to her about something that had been on his mind since they'd gotten back from their trip to New York. "Lelah," he said softly. "I've been thinking..."
"Did it hurt?" she asked, the perfect picture of innocence as she sipped her wine.
"Terribly," he said dryly. "Thank you."