Unforeseen Events (Mercutio17 & darkangel76)

[darkangel76]

Starla McClintock was happy to finally be getting away from the city. The past several weeks had been utterly horrible. It had been rejection after rejection with the occasional ‘if you do for me, maybe we can work something out’. But that wasn’t her style. Not by a long shot. She was either going to make it on her talent or die trying. It was just the way of it.

Pushing her dark, wavy hair behind her ear, Starla turned her car radio up a little louder and began to sing along with the song that reverberated back at her. Music always calmed her down; it was why she wanted to make it in the business so damned badly. As she drove along he road, which had become considerably more windy over the hours, she couldn’t help but smile to herself a little.

About a week ago, Starla had met a man, who introduced himself as Finn, in a local diner. Not anyone she’d be interested in, no. But this man seemed to understand how she felt, the shit she’d been dealing with trying to make it in her line of work. They got to talking and somehow it had just felt natural, like they’d known each other forever. Time had passed and before she knew it, they’d made plans to meet up at the same diner the following night. For five nights in a row, the two met up just to talk as old friends would. And, as far as Starla was concerned, it beat the hell out of talking forever on a cell phone not to mention Finn just seemed to ‘get’ her. Finally, two nights ago, Finn suggested she take a break from it all, get away from the crazy chaos of the city. He mentioned to her that his family owned a bed and breakfast about five hours north of where they were and that she should just go up there and take a vacation. He mentioned that he could let his family know about her coming and have everything set up for her… free of charge. They’d even arrange activities for her to do if she wanted. The idea of it was so very appealing that, without much thought, she agreed. She thanked Finn with a giant hug and the next day everything had been arranged.

Starla slammed on her breaks when she saw the bed and breakfast in the distance. It looked beautiful. So very quaint and quiet. The woods surrounding it though gave off a weird vibe, but she figured that was mainly because she wasn’t used to being outdoors. She wasn’t usually the outdoorsy type. Taking a deep breath, Starla hit the accelerator once more and resumed driving towards the building. As she got closer, she could see a small lake a few miles away. The water looked as calm as glass, not a ripple could be seen on the inky waters. The entire sight was quite a vision. It was definitely not Starla’s norm. But, she was in dire need to get away from the ‘norms’ of her regular life.

Starla pulled into a parking spot just outside the bed and breakfast. She read the small sign in front of it – Carter Inn. She opened her door and before going to get her things out of her trunk, decided to go inside and check in. She had to admit she was a bit anxious to meet someone from Finn’s family. She barely knew the guy, but she felt like they’d been friends since her childhood. So meeting the people he actually did grow up with seemed pretty exciting to her.

Slowly pushing open the door, Starla entered Carter Inn. Behind a modest desk she saw an elderly woman. She suddenly felt out of place in her crazy attire and wished she’d changed into something else before leaving that morning. But she’d had an audition, not to mention an image she was going for, so… denim mini with black leggings and a black tank top it was. Smiling, the elderly woman approached her.

“Hi, Starla McClintock. I’m Finn’s friend.”

The woman rushed over to shake Starla’s hand, her eyes warm and kind. “Ah, my dear. So nice to meet you! You’re right on time!”

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy Beyer slid his hands up and down the steering wheel to his old 1999 sedan. The engine had little power, the wipers didn't work, and the tires were fairly bald, but it got him from place to place. At least within the city it did. Out here on the backroads, however, Jeremy was a bit worried about his car making the trek. He was predominantly a city kid- born into a middle class apartment, going to public city school, getting his degrees from Georgetown and then Colombia- Jeremy had spent almost his whole life in the confines of the concrete jungle. In fact, thinking about it, the only vacations he had ever taken were actually trips to historical sites. And as a doctoral candidate, those trips certainly weren't as carefree and fun as a vacation might be.

It was for this reason that Jeremy had taken his friend up on the offer for a free stay at what was supposed to be a very nice Bed and Breakfast, far away from everything. Jeremy had a friend who owed him a favor, and this man supposedly knew a guy who was one of the owners of this place. According to his friend, Jeremy had been set up with a nice suite for a few nights. Being between semesters of teaching, and having only editing work left to be done on his thesis, he accepted the trip.

After another hour of driving, Jeremy came around a lake and wound his car up the road to a beautiful looking inn. Though it was located in the middle of nowhere, the architecture and craftsmanship of the place instantly impressed Jeremy. He pulled up in front of the building and parked next to the handful of cars already there. Taking his briefcase, but leaving the rest of his luggage in the car for now, he headed through the double doors acting as the entrance for the building. Inside, he unbuttoned his overcoat revealing a dress shirt partially unbuttoned with a loose tie around his neck. In the lobby he saw that the woman behind the counter was already busy with another customer, a woman a few years younger than him perhaps. He patiently waited until he heard the woman say Finn's name.

"Finn? Is that what you just said?" He asked as he approached the counter and addressed both the elderly woman and the customer. "I believe that is who I am supposed to say my reservation is under as well."

 

[darkangel76]

Starla turned around when she heard the man’s voice mentioning Finn’s name. And she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when she caught sight of the voice’s owner. He looked nothing like someone who would know Finn, not the type to hang out with him at all. It was so weird. Then again, who was she to judge. She wasn’t Finn’s type either. Very far from, though her present appearance more than likely said otherwise. Underneath the attire, the image she so desperately wanted those in the music industry to see, there was a totally different person. A shy girl, terrified she wouldn’t make it in her line of work, worried about being accepted.

“Yes, it is,” Starla answered. “You know Finn?” she asked. “He’s a friend of yours?” Slightly puzzled, she gave the man a once over, trying to size him up. He was definitely decent looking and had a look of intelligence about him. His attire and manner had said it all really. Slightly disheveled, conservative clothes. Yeah, he screamed of intellect. Something she actually found to be quite an intriguing quality in a guy.

Starla wondered how a smart guy like this one would know someone like Finn in the first place. Not to mention why Finn would recommend to him to come here at this precise time. Curious, but not enough to dwell on it too terribly much, she shrugged it off. It had to be coincidence; there was no other explanation as far as she could tell. Plus, in the end it didn’t matter. She had come to the bed and breakfast for some very much needed R & R, to soak in the scenery, the tranquility. And she sure as hell was going to get it. And who knew, maybe getting to know someone who knew Finn could be a good thing. So maybe the oddity of the two of them showing up at the bed and breakfast at the same time via the recommendations of mutual friend wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Starla stepped closer to the man and extended her hand, blushing a little at how ridiculous she probably looked to him in her crazy get up given where they were. She really needed to change. The sooner the better. ‘Oh god, what he must think of me,’ she thought to herself. ‘Probably thinks I’m some stupid bimbo.’

“The name is Starla, Starla McClintock,” she began with a smile. “A friend of Finn’s is a friend of mine.” Hesitating ever so slightly, she added, “And you are…?”

 

[Mercutio17]

"Jeremy Beyer," He replied, and extended his hand to hers. "I actually wouldn't call myself a friend of Finn's- I've actually never met the man." He paused, thinking how best to explain it. "It's more of a know a guy who knows a guy kind of situation I suppose. You see, I introduced a friend of mine to his wife a year ago, and he has been wanting to pay me back ever since. We were at a faculty cocktail party discussing the validity of several documents from Roman Carthage- you know, military records from Scipio Africanus and whatnot, not anything of particular historical value, really- when one of my research assistants walked up and I introduced her to him. A few months later the two were married. He is the one who knows Finn, and arranged this little getaway." Jeremy explained, then paused again. "Though I guess that really isn't anything you really care about," he laughed nervously. "Sorry, I have a tendency to get caught up in what I'm saying sometimes."

The whole time Jeremy was talking he was trying to think ahead of his words to avoid saying anything stupid. So instead he just talked too much, he felt. "Great," he said to himself in his head, "another awkward introduction with a woman. Some things never change." Jeremy's ability to provide all of the details on a topic while talking served him well when he was lecturing, but he was aware that it certainly wasn't a boon to small talk. It was more than once that a woman had walked away from him at the bar or coffee shop due to his habit of talking too much. Though sincere, he had been told that women took this as being "too interested" or "desperate."

This woman, Starla, seemed friendly enough, and perhaps it was best that he wasn't the only one at the bed and breakfast. Having someone else around might actually keep him out of his thesis papers and let him actually take a break and relax.

Jeremy blinked and snapped himself out of his own little world. "Anyway," he said, clicking a nearby pen on the counter and spinning it quickly between his fingers, "I'm between semesters of lecturing right now, so I figured it was a good time to take a break. What brings you up here Ms. McClintock?" he asked her.

 

[darkangel76]

As Jeremy spoke, Starla couldn’t help but smile. The way he talked was so endearing. It was clear that he was both smart and quite the history buff. This impressed Starla since history had never been her strong point. Plus, to see the passion in his eyes as he spoke about what he loved was something she could relate to. It was how she was with music.

“Oh please, no need for formalities. Call me Starla,” she said as she walked closer to Jeremy. “I’m here for some R & R. I just needed to get away from the…” her voice trailed. She was going to say ‘rejections’, but didn’t want to come across as a pathetic bimbo trying to score it big. “From the hectic lifestyle I live. It’s been crazy lately and I really needed to take some time to get away and clear my head. You know, do something totally different from the usual.”

Oh she felt so stupid. Jeremy was so smart and seemed like a decent guy. There was no way he’d want to spend time with her while they were there. She felt that she was surely beneath his standards.

“So,” Starla began again, trying to calm herself down and get rid of the embarrassing redness she felt sweeping its way across her cheeks. “Between semesters, eh? So I take it you’re a professor?” She paused and smiled. “Let me guess… history, right?” She reached out and gently touched his arm, trying her best to give off an air of confidence when she really felt like she wanted to hide herself away in a closet and never show her face again. “What do you say we get ourselves situated and then meet up for coffee?” She was being bold and she knew it, her stomach clenched in knots as spoke, but she was curious about Jeremy and the idea of having someone else around she could talk with was very appealing. And it didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes. Suddenly second guessing herself she found herself saying, “Unless you don’t want to. I’ll understand. No pressure, really.”

Starla felt her cheeks burn, so she quickly turned around and started to walk toward the inn’s entrance so that she could get her things out of the trunk of her car.

‘Stupid Starla. Stupid, stupid, stupid Starla,’ she thought to herself.

 

[Mercutio17]

"Ok Starla," Jeremy said with a crooked smile, "Let's get coffee. In and hour, shall we say?" He has just finished saying this when the old woman behind the counter handed him his room keys. Jeremy thought it a bit odd that she had checked him in without him doing anything, or even telling her his name. She could have heard him introduce himself to Starla, but still, it seemed strange to him. Regardless, he turned the keys over in his hand. "Room 4, eh?" He said as he looked back up to the old woman. "Thanks." Jeremy picked his briefcase back up and turned towards Starla. "See you in an hour, Starla." He said, smiling again.

Jeremy headed up a half staircase and down a hall adorned with rustic and beautiful wallpaper and molding. The rooms were clearly marked with fancy iron numbers, so it was not hard at all to find his particular room. The lock clicked as he turned his key. "Wow," he muttered to himself as he opened the door. This room blew away any hotel he had stayed in before. In one corner sat an ornate bed with finely carved wooden posts. On another wall a darkly stained wardrobe caught his eyes. There was even a small chandelier that light the room with a flick of the light switch.

Jeremy tossed his briefcase down on the bed, followed shortly after by his overcoat. He sat down on the corner of the bed and let out a sigh... it was good to get away after all. The bed and breakfast was very nice, and he had already met a woman who seemed friendly as well as attractive. After a few minutes Jeremy headed back out to his car and brought in his single suitcase- he always was a light packer. He didn't bother to unpack his clothing as a slight wrinkle never really bothered him much.

Almost an hour later, Jeremy headed back down the hall to the lobby, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. He approached the desk and opened his mouth to speak, but the old woman beat him to it. "You can get coffee in the little cafe around the corner, sir." She said, motioning to her right. "Thanks," Jeremy replied. There was certainly something strange about this woman.

He turned the corner and through a doorway found a small sitting room with a handful of expensively upholstered chairs sat around a few small coffee tables. In one corner of the room there was another counter, and behind it, a few different coffee machines. Jeremy approached the counter, and a few minutes later a young man came out from the back and greeted him with a smile.

"Two Latte's please," Jeremy said, and reached for his wallet. He had pulled a $10 out by the time the coffee was done, but the young man waved his hand away, refusing the money. "Hm," Jeremy said quietly, a bit confused about why he didn't have to pay. Instead, he stuck the bill in the tip jar, and took the two mugs of coffee. Finding a table with two chairs around it, Jeremy sat down the two mugs and sat down, letting out a yawn.

 

[darkangel76]

When Starla heard Jeremy accept her invitation, she turned around and gave him a smile before she went out to her car and got her suitcases. She’d always been one to over pack, so even a short stay meant at least two large suitcases full of clothes and other things.

After a bit of hauling, Starla managed to get her suitcases to her room, Room #5. She opened the door with little difficulty and when she entered she was completely stunned.

“Freakin’ hell!” Starla exclaimed.

The room was beautiful. Her bed was large enough to fit about four people on it and there was a pretty canopy attached to the four posters located at each corner of the bed. Against the far wall there was a gorgeous antique, cherry wood armoire. Smiling, Starla walked over to it and opened it up. It was spacious and had plenty of hangers in it. So, she opened her suitcases and began to put her clothes away. It was much easier to rummage through an armoire than a suitcase. Once her clothes were away, she tucked her suitcases underneath an ornate cherry wood table located in one of the corner’s of the room.

Starla just smiled. Everything was perfect. Except… She had to change. There was no way she wanted Jeremy to see her dressed up in her typical ‘let’s hit the city and audition’ gear. She went into the bathroom, which had beautiful tile floors, a large claw foot tub and a fairly large basin sink and mirror. Looking at herself in the mirror, Starla couldn’t help but wince. She immediately went to work and scrubbed her face clean. She then stripped off all her clothes until she was in nothing but her bra and panties. She went to her armoire and began to search for just the right outfit.

The fitted jeans and white tank top would be perfect, so Starla thought. It was simple, cute and hopefully didn’t give off a bad impression. She tied her hair up into a loose knot, grabbed her handbag and headed out the door and down the stairs to the main entrance area.

As Starla meandered into the main entrance area, she saw the elderly woman look over at her and smile. “He went that way, dear,” she said, pointing in the direction of the coffee shop located around the corner.

“Thanks,” Starla said with a smile, though she thought it odd of the woman to meddle a little. But then again, the woman knew she was friends with Finn and from the looks of the surrounding area, it seemed like the sort of place where everyone knew everyone and therefore felt no shame interjecting whenever the urge struck.

Starla entered the coffee shop and saw Jeremy sitting down at a table with two mugs in front of him.

‘How sweet,’ Starla thought to herself as she made her way over to him.

“Hi Jeremy, I can call you that, right?” Starla asked as she sat down next to Jeremy. “I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

 

[Mercutio17]

As Starla entered the little coffee shop Jeremy didn't notice her right away in her new outfit. But after a few seconds she caught his eye and he waved her over. He hadn't expected her to have changed her clothes in the last hour, but he thought the simple cute look of jeans an a tank top suited her well. He stood as she came over, handing her the coffee.

Sitting back down Jeremy smiled. "Of course you can call me Jeremy. And no, no I haven't been waiting long, I'd just sat down here a few minutes before you showed up."

He was being truthful. After sitting down Jeremy had let his mind wander a bit, already going back to his thesis. There were still some phrasings that bothered him, and even though he has spent the entire drive here trying to think of a new way to say them, nothing had availed itself yet. He had run through the same paragraph only a few times in his head when Starla had arrived.

"So," Jeremy began after taking his first sip of the drink, "you said you came here to escape a hectic life I think... What exactly do you do, if you don't me asking." He crossed his legs as he spoke, and hoped he wasn't being too forward or prying. Jeremy was curious about the woman, and he felt like it wasn't too early to try to get to know Starla. After all, she had been the one to ask him to coffee. He was only going to be here for a few days, so what the hell, he figured.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. “Mmm… delicious,” she said on a soft sigh. “Thanks for getting this,” she added. “That was nice of you.”

Starla was more than impressed with the way Jeremy held himself. He seemed so considerate. It was refreshing given the sorts she typically hung around due to her line of work. Most of them were self-absorbed and obnoxious or wanting something more even if you weren’t willing to give it. Jeremy was the total opposite of that as far as she could tell and it made her feel warm inside, made her smile.

“I don’t mind you asking,” Starla replied taking another sip of her coffee. “Though I’m sure it’s not nearly as interesting as what you do.” She paused a moment, trying to read Jeremy’s expression. “I’m a… well… I’m a singer. Or, I’m trying to be, I should say. I majored in music back in college and got a master’s in music education after that. My dream is to become a singer, but on the side I teach voice and cello lessons.”

Grimacing behind her cup, Starla could feel her cheeks become hot, flushing a deep shade of red. She felt so stupid, so beneath the nice guy sitting next to her. It was clear to her that he was more educated, not to mention much smarter than she was. There was no way he’d give her the time of day after this little coffee session, though she hoped otherwise.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Starla smiled and asked, “So, was I right earlier? About what you do?” She needed to change the subject away from herself. Though she portrayed the air of confidence and pride, she didn’t want the focus to be on herself. She wasn’t thrilled with her life and was sometimes embarrassed by how fanciful it could come across to people. “I find that fascinating.”

Starla felt her cheeks get hot once again. ‘God, I sound desperate,’ she thought to herself. ‘I’m such an ass.’ Despite her thoughts, she continued to smile and sip at her coffee. She looked into Jeremy’s eyes with her dark brown ones, waiting to see what he’d say and hoping that he didn’t just up and leave her there, like she thought he ought to.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy was impressed when Starla discussed her education. He had known a few music majors when he was an undergrad, and very few of them seemed to think much of their own education. Most of them had been filled with pipe dreams about making it big instantly, and therefore seeing their own education irrelevant and useless for their own future. The fact that Starla had persevered and gotten a Master's impressed him. That meant that they were on even footing as far as education, for Jeremy was still a few months away from his thesis defense.

"I'm sure that you will find your big break in time. With an education and an income on the side, I'd think you could keep trying for longer than a lot of 'musicians' who seem to think that actual work is far beneath them." He said, trying to assure her about her chances, but fearing afterward that he came across a little condescending. He quickly changed the subject to answer her question.

"Yes, you were right earlier about what I do. I'm a professor- I teach at a few local colleges. But my main job right now is being a doctoral candidate. I'm working on revising my thesis so I can go before the board and defend it, and hopefully get my doctorate." Here he purposely kept himself from going into the details of what his nearly 400 page paper was about. "In fact, I even brought it here with me," he chuckled, "it seems that even on vacation I've doomed myself to working."

Jeremy took another sip of his coffee. The more he learned about Starla the more he was intrigued. He could see that throughout his talking she had been staring him in the eyes. He took this as a sign of her being actually interested in what he was saying, and hoped this was the case. There were few people left in his life that would still sit and listen when he talked about things like his teaching or his thesis.

Jeremy had come from a fairly poor and highly uneducated town in the mid-west. Few of his friend understood his drive to get out of town and expand his mind and horizons. Most of the people he grew up with simply went to work in the factories like their parents had. It was nearly ten years now since he had left, but every time he went home it was like he had been gone for over one hundred. His childhood friends barely associated with him, and it was clear to Jeremy that he made them uncomfortable simply by speaking in an educated tone. Even his best friend growing up now felt uncomfortable and somewhat demeaned when Jeremy had tried to explain his work to him, as if somehow Jeremy was trying to make himself seem so far above his roots.

Jeremy coughed for a second as he choked on some coffee, breaking him out of his little daydream about home. He cleared his throat and smiled at Starla, appreciating what he hoped was someone who hopefully wouldn't spurn him for his academic aspirations.

"I'm sure its much less exciting than the music world, but its what I love."

 

[darkangel76]

Starla smiled as Jeremy spoke both compliments and words of encouragement about her musical endeavors. She couldn’t believe that a smart guy like him actually appreciated the kind of work she did. That, though she was realistic about how it could take time, maybe even forever, to get a break, that going for a dream like hers was still something to be proud of. She was utterly astounded. Jeremy was too good to be true.

Starla was born in the city and was your typical latch-key kid. Both of her parents worked and they took residence in an apartment about five minutes from what was considered downtown. She had no siblings and her cousins didn’t live near her at all. So, she more or less grew up alone in her family. To help ease that lonliness, she turned to music. It was her most precious means of escape. She’d always had a wonderful voice, so her parents had no problems getting her started on voice lessons. Later, her interests shifted to other things as well. She learned cello and eventually even piano. Her skills with voice and cello did not go unnoticed. She was asked to perform in many local government affairs as well as at other large events hosted in her area. Despite her talents, when she decided she wanted to become a singer and songwriter, she went unnoticed, became another face in the crowd. It was disheartening, not to mention a total shocker for her. It was then that Starla realized just how unfair the world could be. But, rather than wallowing in misery, she picked herself up by her bootstraps and made sure that she’d be able to still have a career in her field, even if it wasn’t her dream job. She knew she’d continue to pursue it for as long as she could. But she had to make sure she could live on her own, pay the bill, buy food. She had to be practical. And she was.

Starla received a lot of heat from her parents when she told them about her dream. They called it foolishness, idle fancy. They told her she’d never make it. Even her friends tried to discourage her by telling her that the only way she’d get anywhere was if she was willing to ‘offer up services’. The idea of that disgusted Starla, she’d never go to such lengths. She wanted her dream realized, but not at the cost of her dignity. And now, here she was talking to a man far superior to her as far as intellect went, and he seemed interested in her career choice. It was refreshing and wonderful.

Jeremy winced ever so slightly, but Starla noticed it as he quickly changed the subject to his own work. She couldn’t help but smile at that. It was as if he felt like he’d said something wrong, but he couldn’t be further from the mark if that were the case.

For some reason Starla found Jeremy’s mannerisms very endearing. He also seemed a bit hesitant for some reason after changing topics, but she hung on his every word regardless. She found what he did to be rather interesting, so different from what she did, but that just didn’t seem to matter. She was glad that he was willing to share his passions with her. It made her smile and feel like she was someone important, worth impressing. She wished she could truly feel that way about herself, but it was how it was.

Starla giggled a little as Jeremy admitted that he couldn’t leave his work behind, that he’d brought it with him. There was something about him that she liked very much.

“I’m sure it’s much less exciting than the music world, but it’s what I love,” Jeremy spoke.

Starla shook her head in protest, “You think what you do to be less exciting? God no!” she exclaimed. “It’s really interesting, honest. I always wished I’d been better at history, but I just had problems remembering things and trying to get inside the minds of how people may have thought during various time periods. But that aside, it’s a great field of study. Without it we’d learn nothing of ourselves, right? We wouldn’t know where we come from or where we could potentially head. We’d never learn from our mistakes or triumphs.”

Starla hoped she didn’t sound stupid. What she said was exactly as she saw it. She just hoped that her perceptions weren’t something to make her look idiotic. She bit down on her lower lip nervously as her cheeks turned a very bright scarlet red.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy noticed Starla's cheeks go flush again as she finished talking, and he laughed a bit inside. It felt a bit like middle school, where two crushes nervously chat with each other, convinced that they are making fools of themselves. It wasn't a bad feel perse, but just something that made Jeremy crack a small smile.

"You sound like me at the first class of a semester," Jeremy laughed out loud. "But I always fear that the advice is lost on the ears of my students, who are always one day away from a party or the next hook-up." He laughed again.

"But I'm glad you share the same sentiment about history as I do. The thesis I'm working on right now is an attempt to understand a little bit more about what is a completely artificial construct of man, yet one wholly pervasive in our world today- the concept of race, as opposed to ethnicity. I'm exploring in my thesis how one of the earliest western societies, the Greek city states, realized themselves a different race than those around them, specifically during their period of colonization into Northern Africa." Jeremy paused for a moment to let Starla take it in, hoping he wasn't going too far into detail.

"It ought to be received well by the historical community, I hope, and open the door for me to begin exploring this topic as my own."

After a few seconds of pause and a drink from his mug, Jeremy spoke again.

"It seems that we are both on the brink of our dreams... so, cheers to that." He said, raising his coffee mug with a cheesy grin.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla listened to Jeremy speak about his thesis work. She didn’t fully understand him, but that’s partly why he intrigued her so much, why she found herself attracted to him. Strangely, she found herself wanting to understand his work. It all sounded so very interesting to her.

“It seems that we are both on the brink of our dreams… so, cheers to that,” Jeremy spoke raising his coffee mug.

Starla smiled and raised her own mug to meet Jeremy’s, clinking it against it gently. “Indeed,” she added and then took a sip. “You’ll have to explain things a bit more to me. Regarding your work, I mean.”

Starla hoped she wasn’t sounding stupid or overly interested. She genuinely did want to know, though it helped that she also wanted to get to know Jeremy better as well. And that meant learning more about his passions. She liked how it made his face light up when he thought on his work. It made her think about her own feelings towards music.

“Maybe we can talk more later on as well,” Starla found herself boldly saying to Jeremy. “Maybe we can go to dinner and then take a walk or something?” She held her breath as she waited for his reply.

Starla hoped it wasn’t a rejection. She’d had too many of those over the past week and she didn’t think she’d deal very well if he told her ‘no’. But, at the same time, she wouldn’t blame him if he did. She was being more forward than normal when it came to matters outside the music business and she wasn’t quite sure why. Such forwardness was typically a turn-off, or so she’d found. Why Jeremy had hung out with her as long as he had already was a complete mystery to her, though she was glad that he did.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll understand. I just thought it might be… nice,” Starla spoke somewhat softly, her eyes suddenly fixed on her mug.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy was pleasantly surprised by Starla asking him to dinner that night. It wasn't so much surprising that she asked, but rather the fact that it had occurred to him only a few minutes before to ask her the same thing.

"Dinner would be... lovely," he said with a smile, finishing the last of the latte left in the bottom of the mug.

Things had taken a surprising turn for Jeremy lately. First he had gotten a free room at what turned out to be a hidden, but exquisite bed and breakfast. Then he had met a woman who seemed to be genuinely interested in him for once. For once Jeremy decided not to think about it too much and just let things go as they may. He didn't want to complicate things by over thinking them.

For a second it crossed Jeremy's mind to ask Starla where she wanted to go to dinner, but then he remembered where they were, after all.

"I guess I'll see you back downstairs....shall we say seven?" He proposed. With a smile Jeremy dabbed his mouth with a napkin and took both of their mugs back over to the counter. Heading back towards the door he put out his arm.

"After you," he said to Starla.

It occurred to Jeremy as he stood in the doorway that though he had a few nice shirts and pants with him, he had not unpacked them and they were sure to be wrinkled. Most hotel rooms had irons these days, but that was an instrument of technology that he had never gotten the hang of. As Starla walked past him Jeremy was debating the ways to remove wrinkles from his clothing for tonight, with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla felt a strange giddiness when Jeremy accepted the invitation to dinner. For once she’d managed to get somewhere with the sort of guy she’d only ever hoped she could attract, but never did. Someone smart, sweet and attractive. Feeling happy, she lightly bounced her way up the stairs and back to her room once she’d gone back into the bed and breakfast.

Opening her door, Starla immediately began to rummage through all the clothes she’d brought with her. She’d brought so much, she was sure she’d find something to her liking. And hopefully to Jeremy’s. She looked and looked and finally decided on the white floral print skirt. It fell about two inches above the knee, so she figured that would be just right. Alluring, but not overly so, or so she hoped anyway. She then found her maroon tank top, the color of which matched the flowers on the skirt. It had spaghetti straps and was cut in a way that showed off her figure. She hoped that Jeremy would like it and found herself blushing that she was thinking such a thing.

Smiling, Starla set the clothes out on her bed. She then went back to the armoire and picked out new under-things to wear. The way she saw it, if she was going to get dressed up, she might as well do it all the way. She picked out a lacy pale pink strapless bra and a white thong. Satisfied, she laid them out on her bed next to the clothes she’d chosen.

Starla looked at the clock. She had some time to kill before meeting Jeremy. And now that she’d successfully picked out what to wear, she decided to take a nice hot bath to calm her nerves as well as to help get herself washed up before dressing up.

Starla turned on the water, letting it fill the tub up full. Once full, she turned off the water, undressed and got into the steamy water. It felt so nice, so very relaxing. She soaked for quite a while before she washed herself along with her hair. Opening the drain to let some of the water out of the tub, she found the showerhead she could use to rinse herself off. After she rinsed, she shaved all the essential parts and grabbed her towel to dry herself off.

The floor felt cold after the hot bath, so Starla quickly ran to her bed to get her under-things. She put them on and then began to put a vanilla scented lotion on her legs and arms. She loved the scent of vanilla. After putting her lotion away, she blew dry her hair and then went to get her clothes. She took her time dressing, trying to make sure that the clothes lay on her body just right. Once dressed, she fixed up her hair and put on some lip gloss and then put on her taupe espadrille shoes.

Starla looked at herself in the mirror and was actually quite happy with how she looked. For once. She looked at the clock and was astounded at how much time had passed. Then, she was notorious for taking a long time to get ready for anything. Quickly, she grabbed her bag and key and headed for the door. Once outside her room, she locked it and headed toward the stairs that led to the main entrance area. She wondered if Jeremy would be there already or if she’d have to wait. But, in the end, it didn’t matter. He’d be there. She just knew it.

 

[Mercutio17]

Heading back to his room after coffee, Jeremy saw that he had plenty of time to kill before meeting up with Starla again for dinner. Even though he had just left her company, he found himself already wishing it was time for dinner. Needing something to distract him as well as kill some time, he pulled out the stack of paper that was to become his thesis. Sitting at an old but delicately carved desk, Jeremy wound his way through nearly fifty pages of edits before he decided he ought to get ready.

He opened his suitcase for the first time since arriving, and a slight panic hit him as he remembered his clothes were still going to be wrinkled. He had seen an iron in the closet, but wasn't quite desperate enough to risk sacrificing a shirt to his lack of skill with an iron. Instead, he decided to opt for the way he had tried to remove clothes all his years at college. Jeremy didn't need to take a shower, but he hung the clothes he wanted to wear in the bathroom. He had picked out a pale purple dress shirt- more casual than a blue or a white, but nice nonetheless- and a pair of dark grey dress pants. The striped purple tie that matched the shirt had luckily not been wrinkled in the trip, and so it sat on his bed. Once the clothes were hung up, Jeremy turned on the shower to the hottest setting, did not turn on the fan, and shut the bathroom door. His hope, a trick once showed to him by a roomate as an undergraduate, was to steam the clothes a bit and allow him to press out the wrinkles by hand against the wall.

Jeremy let the clothes steam for about twenty minutes and then opened the bathroom door. A massive wave of steam poured out through the doorway, so dense it wet his face. He turned off the shower and turned on the fan finally to disperse the steam. Turning his attention on his clothing, Jeremy started at the top of each garment and tried to smooth each wrinkle out against the wall. He was moderately successful, and took the clothes back to the room, laying them carefully on the bed.

Jeremy checked his watch and saw that it was getting close to seven. He hurriedly got dressed, and checked himself in the mirror before he left the room to make sure his tie was straight and his shirt tucked in well. Being decently satisfied with his look, Jeremy headed out of his room and back down the hall and stairs to the lobby. He wasn't sure exactly where the restaurant was, but it was fairly obvious once he was downstairs- it was just behind the lobby and check in desk. With a deep breath, Jeremy headed in.

It was still just 6:45, so Jeremy decided to go to the bar and get a drink first. The restaurant was small, only housing a few tables and a half length bar, but it made up for it in its decor, and Jeremy assumed, its prices. Each chair was wooden but upholstered with a beautifully stitched seat cushion. Each table had a live flower centerpiece. Jeremy wondered to himself where the inn would get such a large supply of fresh flowers out here in the middle of nowhere, but his thoughts were interrupted as a man appeared from a door behind the bar. Jeremy nodded to him and ordered a gin and tonic.

It was a matter of seconds before the drink was ready, and Jeremy took a sip, letting it calm his nerves in the few minutes before Starla arrived.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla saw the entrance to the small restaurant attached to the little inn and walked toward it. The elderly woman was still sitting at her ‘desk’, smiling as she walked past her. Starla smiled politely in return, though something seemed a little off to her about it. She felt herself shiver, but she hid it well. Nodding, she continued her way toward the little restaurant and entered it.

The restaurant was quite nice. Cozy, comfortable, yet very exquisite. The ambience was beyond perfect as Starla glanced around at the lush decor. As she walked further into the small establishment she could see Jeremy sitting at the bar, his back facing her. He had a drink in his hands, and from the looks of it, a gin and tonic. Starla couldn’t help but smile, her skin flushing a little as she did so.

Though Starla couldn’t see his face, she was already liking what she saw in Jeremy. He was dressed nicely and his color choices definitely suited him. She giggled to herself as she noticed that he’d tried his best not to look too disheveled. She found his attempt to straighten out his clothes rather endearing and sweet. Shaking her head with a small smile, she quietly began to walk toward him.

Starla quietly approached Jeremy from behind and gently tapped his shoulder. When he turned around, she felt her breath catch and her adrenaline surge. Trying to calm herself down quickly, she smiled and spoke, “Beautiful place, isn’t it?” She paused a moment. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” At that, she flicked her thick brown hair over her shoulder and sat down next to him.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy turned around quickly when he felt a hand on his back.

"No, no, I just only got here," he said, raising his glass a bit, showing only a small portion of it gone.

"You look, well, beautiful," Jeremy said, mentally kicking himself for the awkward pause he put in the middle of the sentence.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked Starla, waving the bartender over.

Jeremy had high hopes that tonight would go as well as he wanted it to. Though he had just met Starla only a few hours earlier, he had felt an instant connection to her. And even though they had spent a lot of time together already, it still felt very relaxed and comfortable to him, and he wasn't worried if things were going too quickly. So far, Jeremy thought he had been doing well. He was being uncharacteristically talkative and social with Starla. It wasn't that he was faking it however, but rather something about their interactions that made it all so easy for him to relax and not worry so much about what he was doing, saying, or how he was looking- all hang ups that had plagued his previous interactions with women. No, Jeremy thought, his time with Starla so far had just the right amount of anxiety and nervousness to make it fun.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla felt her skin get hot when Jeremy said she looked beautiful. Most men said that because they were expected to or it was just done out of courtesy. But, she couldn’t help but feel that Jeremy actually meant it. She smiled as he continued to speak, showing her his glass and waving the bartender over to take of her.

“Thanks,” Starla said. She gently touched his arm, giving it a little squeeze. She hoped her touch would give him reassurance.

When the bartender approached the two of them, Starla smiled and placed her drink order. “A berry mojito, please. With a bit of sugar on the glass’s rim?” Starla had quite a thing for sweets and couldn’t help but indulge herself a little.

Within a few seconds, Starla’s drink was ready. She sipped at it slowly, enjoying the taste. She looked at Jeremy and smiled. “You look really good,” she said. “Purple is one of my favorite colors and I swear I’m not just saying that.” She giggled a little, hoping she didn’t come off sounding stupid. She actually meant it. Purple had always been one of her favorite colors. And yes, she loved how Jeremy looked in it too.

Starla took another sip of her drink, crossing her legs as she shifted herself a little on the high bar chair she sat at. It made her skirt ride up just a tiny little bit, something she knew it would do and was exactly why she did it. She wondered if Jeremy even noticed. If he did, she hoped she wasn’t coming off as too forward or just plain silly. That was the last thing she wanted him to think about her. But she couldn’t help her actions. There was something about him that just drew her in. And though she’d only known him for a short time, she found that it just didn’t matter. Everything with him had felt so natural, so fun. The chemistry just seemed… perfect.

As Starla dabbed a finger on the rim of her glass, coating the tip with sugar, she found herself wondering what Jeremy was thinking. If his mind was still on his work or… other things. She looked over at him and placed her finger in her mouth to taste the sugar. “Mmm. Yummy,” she said with a smile and slightly flushed cheeks. “Would you like to try it?”

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy was happy to hear Starla's compliment of his choice in clothing- he had a few shirts with him and now felt comfortable he had made the right choice. Hopefully his lack of an iron had gone unnoticed and would continue to do so. He drummed his fingers along the side of his glass as Starla spoke, noticing out of the corner of his eye the slight rise in her skirt as she crosses her legs. He tried to maintain eye contact, but his eyes betrayed him. They lingered at her skirt line for less than a second, a glance he hoped went undetected. Jeremy didn't want to seem as if he was sizing her up from a physical standpoint, but rather he was attracted to Starla as a whole, her figure included.

Jeremy laughed mentally when Starla ordered her drink. He wasn't laughing at her, but rather chucking to himself because he had no idea what the drink she ordered was. He didn't drink often, and when he did he certainly wasn't ordering drinks with extra sugar. Jeremy had just taken a sip of his own drink when Starla put her finger in her mouth.

"Yummy," she said, and choked a bit on his drink. Starla certainly had his undivided attention now. When she offered him a taste he couldn't help but to fall under her spell. He found everything about her alluring at the present.

"Uh, sure..." he replied, his voice trailing off. He wasn't sure exactly what she meant, but he wasn't about to refuse her.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla smiled when Jeremy coughed a little at her remark about her drink and the sugar. She found it utterly adorable. And she was more than glad that she seemed to have his full attention, something she was hoping for. Feeling a little daring, she leaned close to him and held up her drink for him to try.

“You can sip from the straw if you want,” Starla said, hoping that by offering him her straw rather than not, Jeremy would read it as a sure sign she was interested in him. As she watched him sip at her fruity drink, she added, “But you must try the sugar too.”

Starla smiled as a nervous chuckle escaped her lips. She couldn’t believe what she was about to do. Blushing, she dabbed her finger on the rim of the glass, coating it with sugar. She brought her sugarcoated finger up to Jeremy’s lips. “It makes it taste even better. I promise you.” She could feel her heart racing as she nervously waited to see what he would do. She hoped she still had his full attention, and in a good way... not a bad one.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy eagerly leaned in as Starla offered him a taste of her drink. It was a little too sweet for his tastes, but that fact was far beyond his care at the moment. He had begun to lean back to his seat but stopped as he saw her run her finger along the rim of the mojito.

Jeremy was positive he had not heard correctly when Starla told him to taste the sugar, but then she slowly raised her finger to him. His heart raced. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, but he certainly wasn't opposed to it. Biting his own lower lip a bit, Jeremy leaned in towards Starla's outstretched finger. As his head got closer, he slowly parted his lips a bit, and slid them across the tip of her finger up to the first knuckle. Jeremy then closed his mouth, his tongue gently touching the tip of her finger. He slowly slid his head back, the tip of his tongue trailing along the tip of her finger as he did. Finally he pulled his head back all the way and licked the inside of his lips, only now paying enough attention to taste the sugar.

Time had seemed to slow to a crawl as Jeremy had leaned in towards Starla, and it just now finally sped back up to a normal pace.

"....You were right," Jeremy said after a brief pause. "The sugar does make it better. Unfortunately I don't have anything equally sweet to offer you from my glass of gin." He laughed. "Perhaps that will have to wait until....desert?" He said with a slight question mark at the end. Jeremy was barely able to believe he had just said something like that, but he was glad that he had the courage to.

"Speaking of dinner," he said, motioning towards the only set table in the restaurant, "Shall we?"

 

[darkangel76]

When Jeremy took her finger into his mouth, Starla felt her entire body come alive. The way he let his tongue caress her fingertip, slowly, gently. And yes, she’d even go so far as to say, seductively. It made her shiver, in a good way. She watched his expression intently, taking in everything she could. From the way his lips moved around her finger to the way his eyes looked at her as he tasted the sugar.

Starla felt hot as she watched Jeremy, her breath catching a little, her skin getting goosebumps. She was glad he accepted her… invitation. It made her blood course even stronger in her veins.

Barely registering Jeremy’s words because she was too lost in the fact that he’d taken her finger into his mouth willingly, Starla blinked at his mention of dessert. Had she heard him correctly? Was he hinting? Oh she sure hoped so.

“Yes, we shall,” Starla answered. She slid down off the high bar chair, letting her skirt slide up just a bit more as she did so. Once standing up, she leaned over a little bit to smooth out her skirt, hoping that by doing so, she was giving Jeremy a better view of her curves. She hoped that he liked what he saw because she sure liked what she saw in him. And not just physically either. To her, he was a package deal. What she wouldn’t give to be able to tie a bow around him and take him home with her.

Smiling, Starla began walking toward the one table that had obviously been set up for the two of them. She could hear Jeremy walking behind her, so she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a special smile. One meant just for him.

“I’m starving,” Starla said as they both sat down. She then leaned onto the table, giving Jeremy a view of her body that she hoped he liked and so that she was that much closer to him as well.

 

[Mercutio17]

Jeremy was still fully entranced by Starla as the pair slid off their bar stools and headed over to the table. He caught the occasional view of her body, and her curves were driving him wild.

After pulling our Starla's chair for her, Jeremy took his seat across from her. The way she leaned over the table towards him with that smile made him completely forget where they were. He stared back at her for what seemed like minutes until a waiter came over to the table to fill their glasses with water. Jeremy broke the gaze and looked up suddenly at the middle aged woman waiting on them.

"Will you be having wine tonight, sir?" She asked him.

"Yes, yes....but let us see what we are eating before we pick a bottle." He replied. Jeremy was far from a wine aficionado, but he knew enough that certain wines went with certain dishes.

The waitress nodded and walked back towards the kitchen, and Jeremy finally opened his menu. It was a small menu, but the dishes all sounded delicious.

"Any idea what you feel like tonight?" Jeremy asked Starla, lowering his menu to talk to her. Though the situation had calmed down somewhat, Jeremy couldn't but take in another gaze of Starla, from the lines of her face down through her shoulders and arms. Everything about her this night radiated beauty.

 

[darkangel76]

Starla smiled. She liked the way Jeremy was looking at her. He made her feel beautiful, like she actually mattered. It was so refreshing. She found him easy to talk to, interesting and yes… unbelievably attractive. The more time she spent with him, the more attractive he was becoming. She truly was enjoying her time with him and she hoped that he was enjoying his time with her.

“I think the greek pasta dish looks perfect,” Starla answered. “Doesn’t it sound absolutely delicious?” she smiled. “How about you?”

Starla let out a contented sigh as she set down her menu. The entire day had been wonderful. First coffee, now dinner. It was all so perfect, like a dream. She hoped she’d never wake up.

“And what sort of wine would you like, Jeremy?” Starla asked. “A white perhaps?” she prompted. “Maybe a chardonnay?” She leaned forward once again and smiled. She could truly just sit here with him all night long and be perfectly content. But she couldn’t help but let her mind wander a little, her cheeks reddening slightly as it filled with thoughts of him. She wanted to feel his arms around her and she wanted to know what his lips felt like against her own. Feeling embarrassed by her own thoughts, she suddenly looked down at the table.