Topic: Winds of Change

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:40 EST
Albert?s phone call arrived shortly after she heard news of her acceptance at Shambles Way Clinic. Like most things in life, when it rained, it poured. What most people failed to realize was that this was as much true of good blessings as it was dark curses.

She dressed with the interview in mind, well aware of what to expect upon her arrival. Dr. Shilo was a man of expensive tastes, far removed from her work at the clinics. His was private domain and therefore private money. She'd done a little research and dressed accordingly. The pretty little black dress was nice, if the bodice was a little low cut it was a casual setting for an interview. White heels with black piping were low slung and possessed just enough heel to make her legs look gorgeous in their foil. She paused outside the cafe in question at five after five, consulting the white leather banded wristwatch.

"Dusky, if she can't make it then she can't make it." Came the voice from above. The bohemian cafe - one that looked of ancient architecture, which means it could charge outrageous prices - was a two level edifice with a balcony/patio along the side looking south, and that was where he stood. He leaned over the railing, eyes cast out across the scenery of the Marketplace as he spoke into the small piece of technology blinking against his ear. "Just reschedule it for next week." He paused, and then moments later let out a laugh. "Just do it. I've got to go, I've got an interview. What? No, it's not a date. Goodbye." As he clicked the small earpiece his eyes fell to the courtyard patio.

She knew. The moment his gaze found her she held. Still. A vision of womanly curves and the air of the negligent. He could see quite clearly the slow pull of her lips as they climbed into a knowing smile, a beckoning smile, a smile that promised that she knew without being told what a man was thinking when his gaze drank her in. Not only aware, but was in some way an accomplice. Her head tipped back, blonde spiky locks whispering in jagged little waves about the nape of her neck and rewarded him for looking with a softly murmured greeting that carried easily on the air, "Salut."

The woman he found staring back at him was so striking that time seemed to stand still. Albert Shoe had said that she was a knockout, but his standards were so thin that Euriya often just ignored him. This time, though, he was dead on. He cleared his throat and blinked a few times, even as his own lips mirrored her own in an inviting smile. "Nurse Notus?" He asked. "Come on up, I've rented out the entire patio up here to give us some privacy." He found the pull of her low-cut dress and tempting
cleavage hard to resist, so much so that he had to raise his chin a bit to nullify any chance of glancing down -- and from his vantage point, that was a task hard to do.

And like that she was gone. Disappearing from view with two steps as she entered the building and made her way to the staircase that would lead her to him. Somehow she managed to make her exit feel final, as if that moment would never occur again, the vision of her standing beneath him and smiling just for him...passed.

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:44 EST
Doormen stood outside the stairs that lead to the upper level, though they had been alerted as she made her way inside and ushered her upstairs. Euriya stood just a few feet away from the door, hands tucked into the pockets of his blazer. The suit he wore was recognizably Armani, and with the careless way his hair was brushed and the tightly groomed five o'clock shadow, he was looked more like a model than a doctor. As she came through the door his smile broadened, and he reached out his hands to take hers in a very European fashion, drawing her inward to place a small kiss on each cheek. "Vous parlez français, mademoiselle?"

She made no notice of the doormen and took the stairs at a gentle pace. The slow walk was almost lazy, an earthy sensuality that refused to be rushed and spoke of steadily wearing down its obstacles."Oui, though only in moments of forgetfulness." Her smoky voice was a sultry blast of moist heat and its warmth was reminiscent of rainforests. Softly spoken, one had to wonder if she ever yelled or if her voice was permanently hoarsened to such a shade of mellowness. And yet it fit her. "And you must be the doctor, Albert (she pronounced it Al'bere) spoke of," An appreciative glance drank him in, dipping in steady degrees downward as he pulled her inward for a kiss on either cheek she graciously returned with a brushing of her own lips against his rakish beard.

He caught the downward glance of her gaze and that caused him to tense as they grew close. His beard was meticulously soft, obviously forged in a very delicate manner, and brushed across her skin with a strange tenderness. The table he had prepared had but two chairs, with a set of glasses in front of each and a bottle of wine in the center. Once their greeting embrace concluded, he turned and lead her to it, and of course, as only a gentleman would, he pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit. "Thank you for coming on such late notice. I hope you weren't too put out or rushed?" He couldn't help but study the feminine form wrapped in such a revealing sheathe of a dress.

She took her proffered seat with that same self assurance, smiling at him in a manner of the familiar, "Merci, Dr. Shilo, but please call me Austeria, or Erie if you'd like. Nurse Notus makes me feel as if I should check my feet for bunions." Provocatively stretching out a length of her pale leg to flex her high heeled foot into a point scant inches from him, daring, taunting an intimate touch. Point made, she settled into her seat and settled her appreciative eyes upon him boldly.

He smiled, though could not keep his eyes from jumping back and forth between her gaze and her extended leg. "My apologies, Austeria." He tucked her in beneath the table and moved around to take his seat across from her, which cued the waiter who awaited just outside the glass double doors to make his way onto the patio and pour their drinks. Euriya maintained eye contact with her, enjoying the bold stare she offered. He could tell that this was a woman that didn't mince words...or wants. She went after her desires...hungrily. "I've known Albert for many years, and was very appreciative when he told me about you." He tilted his head and showed her the first real signs of that charming grin. "And now that I've met you, I'm even more appreciative."

Her laugh was all smoke and mirrors, a magician's trick really, that sultry sound the way it cupped, stroked, and manipulated. She reached for her newly poured drink with little acknowledgment for the waiter, a woman who knew how to make the man across from her feel as if he were the celestial body around which she orbited. From the moment he had touched her, greeted her, she was focused on him and him alone. "This feels more like a blind date, a surprisingly good one, than a job interview."

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:46 EST
"Well, I do like to keep this sort of thing casual." He said as he nodded for the waiter's departure. He swept up his drink and sat back, folding one leg over the other, eyes intently upon her. "I mean, I guess I could have had you come to my office and we could have had our meeting there, but the inside of the clinic...or the hospital...just becomes mundane and stale after a while. I like to think that out here I get to see the real you." He took a sip and savored the taste before slowly swallowing it. He waited a moment and then exhaled. "This way I get a chance to open you up and see what's inside."

"Ahh, doctor, such passion for your profession. But to see inside this treasure box it takes more than a date...or an interview as you will." Her accent had grown thicker, a thready intoxicatingly foreign kiss to her words. Twining her fingers around her glass she raised it before him in a toast, "To a mutually beneficial revelation, oui?"

"Indeed." He said as he raised his glass, to which he agreed was left for her to decide. He took another sip and placed the glass upon the table. She would notice that he no longer wore the earpiece. "So tell me a little about yourself, if you don't mind. Where do you come from? How long have you been practicing medicine?"

"Mmm..." She savored a sip, let it whet her throat, as in all things a steady assured pace. "An odd question to ask in a place like RhyDin where the answer can vary as wildly as the weather. But I suppose I could start there, I am a transplant, brought here by forces I still don't understand. Nexusnoobed as the kids would call it. I've lived here long enough to find humor in such things and I've practiced medicine even longer. The clinics, hospitals, and doctors come and go with the constantly changing setting, but yet I stay offering my services where they're needed."

"Then you've been here quite a bit longer than I. I've noticed as well that hospitals seem to spring up and then disappear seemingly overnight, which makes the application of any sort of healing difficult. Long term success normally requires long term treatment, though you obviously know that." He glanced to her hands a bit too quickly, just seconds before asking. "Married?"

"Longevity." Her answer was a continuation of their conversation and an odd way of answering or avoiding his question and her amusement was quite obvious in the twisting of her pliant mouth. "Here in RhyDin everyone looks for the quick fix. The healer with the spell, or the technology with the cure. The problem doctuer is that you deal in broken people who have pieces missing. Have you not wondered at your seeming lack of competition? Psychiatry is not easy..." Nor am I, her sparkling eyes apparently jested.

Her avoidance of his pointed question was noted. "No, it is not. And thus the reason why I am constantly looking to surround myself with good people to help me achieve and accomplish my goals. I've read some of the old posts around these parts and realize that there have been dozens of psychiatrists to come and go, but I'm not one of them. I'm looking to make my mark and stand upon it." He took a quick drink. "And I think I'd like you to join me. Tell me, have you ever had to manage patients who were mentally challenged?"

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:48 EST
She sat forward in her seat, her elbows upon the table and chin cupped in her hand. Openly, boldly, assessing. "Oui, you will most assuredly make your mark and you strike me as the type who will finish what he starts." She watched him swallow, "There are few inside RhyDin who are not challenged mentally, but as for working with those diagnosed in such a fashion I must admit to limited exposure." Her gaze held that dark teasing knowledge again as her lips curved, "But I am a very fast and eager learner."

He liked the way she watched him, perhaps relating that to a deeper, more narcissistic obsession. His foot began a rhythmic sway as studied her smoky gaze, intrigued by the haze of emotion that was nearly unreadable. "I hope so. I am a rather detail-oriented professional that likes things done a certain way. I hope you're open to learning...and being taught." He finished off the glass and replaced the empty vessel upon the table. "Let's breakdown the financial end. I was prepared to meet and match your current salary at the hospital even though you'll only spend around half as much time in my office. Thoughts?"

"Absolutely not. You can most assuredly afford to pay me more. The time I'll need to devote to your services and your patients will be formidable (pronounced formeedubull) and," She smirked now, and that knowledgeable smile became a gutwrenching thing of feminine power. "I'm incredibly (incredubully) worth it."

His laughter filled the air. "A shrewd negotiator, I see. Though there are a few lessons to be learned. First and foremost, what I can afford and what I am willing to pay are two different things. Secondly, your worth has yet to be determined. I'm sure being utterly gorgeous has gotten you things in the past, and while I am appreciative of the hard work you've put in to keeping that body of yours in top-of-the-line form, I'm going to have to see more than what you've offered to up the ante." His tone kept the mood light, but the look in Euriya's chocolate eyes was firm and sincere as he watched her.

Oh and the smile slipped, a distance asserted itself even though she made no real motion. Her gaze shifted to her drink and she availed herself of the crisp liquid before responding as fluidly before though a judge of character like himself would be able to note the irritation that flared, "I don't have to work to keep this body in its current form. I'm entirely too indulgent, besides the price you would pay to know it intimately isn't what's being negotiated. The dangers inherent in working with your patients demands that I ask for more than the measly paychecks I pull in for my hours of labor at the local clinics." She eyed him again, the rest of what she was about to say weighed in a lengthy pause.

Now he was getting somewhere. She had yet to seem bothered or phased, yet to show any sort of discomfort, and because of that he was sure that he hadn't seen the real her. Too many fronts, too many barriers, wouldn't let him know who he was really about to hire. He continued his relaxed recline, foot bobbing up and down to some unheard song as he listened to her explanation. He let her final statement hang in the silent air for a moment before drawing his fingers together in a sharp steeple. "That was a compliment, Austeria, please don't take offense. There was none implied. And I agree, the dangers you will be faced with while working for me do out way the thin payments you currently receive, though you must understand that by hiring you I am making an investment of my own. There are things that you will see in my clinic, people you will meet that you would otherwise never have the pleasure of seeing, and I have to make sure that the quality of care you provide is worth it." He tilted his head. "Is it?"

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:50 EST
She allowed him to step in before the waspish ultimatum slipped free from her normally well-trained tongue. Irritation had bloomed and now it fed on itself, irritated at being irritated, she tossed back her head and sought refuge in the role of Nurse Notus. Flirting with the doctor had been a mistake, the comfortable level they had descended to so quickly had unbalanced her and she chose to sit back in her chair and use another sip of the wine as a moment to clear her head. Her smile returned, though it lacked the warmth as her smoky voice remained as huskily intimate as ever, though now confined to business parameters. "I am interested in the opportunities that you present, Dr. Shilo, but while I am confident in my skills as a nurse practitioner, I have little experience in your particular area, it would be quite foolish of me to tout my skills if I am unsure of how they will translate. Shall we agree to a trial period?"

The patients that he dealt with were often able to rattle even the hardiest of souls, and one thing that he looked for in his assistants was their ability to recover quickly. She demonstrated that, as far as he was concerned. To him, it was obvious that he unnerved her a bit, but she seemed to have pulled it together and regained her composure. "A trial period sounds fine. How about two weeks at the pay-grade that I offered, and if after two weeks I'm satisfied with your ability and you enjoy the work, we'll double your salary?"

"We'll need to discuss hours. I am unavailable after six pm. Albere mentioned that you operated odd hours for a psychiatrist with his own private practice. I can make a few adjustments but make no promises in that regard." She arched a brow slightly as she questioned whether this presented a problem.

He looked thoughtful as he leaned forward and tilted the bottle to fill his glass halfway, and then arched a brow, offering the same for her. "I do. Sometimes I work all through the night. The madness that looms here in Rhy'din doesn't seem to keep civilized hours." He chuckled. "But that is fine, help during the day is needed just as much."

She declined his offer with a demure shake of her head. All of this wine and no food had left her slightly lightheaded, a touch inebriated, and she had to question whether that had been partially his intent. He remained caculatingly acute and she resisted the urge to press against his own veneer. "Would you like references? And when would you like me to start?"

"Three references, please." He said as he placed the bottle on the table. "Fax them to my office. And I'd like you to start as soon as possible. How about..." He paused and reached out his arm to check his watch. "...right now? I'm actually running a bit late. There is a patient of mine down at the southern watchtower who is waiting on me." He stood sharply. "Unless, of course, you have other plans?"

This man was dangerous. She should've recognized the tests for what they were and was annoyed with herself to discover the slip here in the third act. Her smile returned, albeit she was unaware that it had ever really left. The knowing womanly twist of her lips was a different variety that no polite smile could ever replicate. Humor and admiration flashed in the smoky depths of her gaze as she pushed out of her seat, physically rising to the challenge he offered. "I'm yours for a couple more
hours, doctuer, lay it on good." It might've been the smile, the look in her eyes, the accented husky murmur, but whatever it was, the words were a thick dollop of creamy sin.

The South Wind

Date: 2010-08-04 11:52 EST
"Terrific." He said, and took one step toward the door. With a strange and graceful ease he turned back then, hoping to catch her forward momentum to severely close the distance between them. He sought to find her ear with his breath so that when he whispered, even though they were alone, only she could hear him. "I make it a habit to not have sex with my assistants..." He paused so that the weight of the sentiment could be felt before finishing. "...though on the rare occasion..." Before he
could finish he stepped back, plunged a hand into his pocket, and set the earpiece back in place. "Yes, Dusky." He said after the light flipped from red to green. "I'm on my way." He smiled at her with an almost innocent charm. "After you."

She followed him, her gaze quite firmly held upon the impressive fit of the Armani suit where it hugged his ***, and because of that gaze she was aware of his maneuver even as he began it, but she played it forward. A hairsbreadth separating them she let his breath claim her ear, her bold gaze quite clearly enjoying his teasing. His phone call saved him from her scathingly teasing reply and she had time to temper it as she moved past and then paused to allow him the lead in their little dance,
"I would be most surprised to discover an assistant you haven't indulged in, Dr. Shilo." The look she gave him was challenging, clearly asking him to deny her claim.

"Actually, Nurse Notus," he teased. "I think you would be most surprised to discover the ways in which I've indulged in my assistants." He held the door for her, and once through lead her downstairs and out to the car waiting just outside the Ol' Cafe. The driver already had the door open, though Euriya merely moved to it and the side so that she could be seated first. "Perhaps you'd be interested to hear more over drinks some other time?"

She couldn't keep up and it frustrated her. A decision to disengage the flirtation was quite suddenly clouded by an innuendo laced discussion. Her gaze left his gorgeous face to peer out the window of the car as she slid into the seat, suddenly wishing she was somewhere, anywhere else and away from this confusingly frustrating man. She should just **** him, here now, with no restraint, in the back seat of his expensive car. Visions of his tie pulled aside, buttons torn off and chest bared to her desires had her fingers fisting in her lap. It would take the edge off, the questions and the insecurities. But, would it cost her the job? Besides, impulsivity was not her way. And as that realization slid though her conscious her breathing evened out, her smile serene as she turned those smoky eyes back to behold his countenance, "Sometime after my trial period, shall we?"

"Perhaps." He said as he slid in beside her. "But that's for another time. Let me fill you in on the details of the patient you are about to meet." ....The door closed and the car pulled away from the curb.