A Second Chance (Agnores x Candira)

[Agnores]

"I told you to wear a suit."

"This is a suit."

"That? That is not a suit. That is something you pulled out of the dumpster."

"Yeah? Well, fuck you, Ryan."

A smile broke across Evan's face as Ryan pretended to be taken aback. Over the few short years since graduating from the college Evan had dropped out from, Ryan had made something of himself. From what Evan had seen, he was still a two-timing womanizing douche-bag, but now the money he was spending was his own. And there was a lot of it. Evan was forced to be impressed as he stepped further into what Ryan called a "modest apartment." It was anything but modest, and fit Ryan to a tee.

"Like my place?" Ryan asked, with the faintest hint of a sneer.

Evan glanced around, feigning boredom. "Eh, I've seen better," he said. Ryan gave him a small punch to the arm.

"So, long time no see. What have you been up to since you left college?" Ryan asked, as the two traveled into main room of the apartment, which was filled with people, most of whom Evan did not know. And all of them better dressed than Evan.

"Eh, not much." Evan said, glancing around, feeling under-dressed. "After that big ordeal with Sophie, and Lissa showing up, I just needed a break. Went back home. Learned to cook. I'm head chef in a restaurant now," Evan said, sounding impressed with himself. Ryan only laughed.

"Head chefs can't afford better suits?"

"Man, fuck you."

Ryan laughed again, slapping Evan on the arm and motioning to the throng of people. "All right, well, I have to go be a good host. You enjoy yourself."

Evan nodded as Ryan stepped off, and Evan turned back to people in chatting and enjoying themselves in Ryan's living room. He idly adjusted his now glaringly obvious cheap suit, and wondered just how Ryan had gotten into the position he was in. Damn near a CEO all ready and fancy enough to throw parties where the people wear clothes more expensive than what Evan probably earned in a year. Still, Evan had made his choices.

He had found peace with Lissa, and was able to enjoy a dating life. And, for the moment, he had found peace with his mistake with Sophie.

 

[Candira]

Sophie wasn't really sure why she was at Ryan's party. It had been the longest time since she'd had anything to do with that creep--and from what she heard, he was still a creep. But he was a well-connected and well-moneyed one. One that had apparently made connections with her employer at the gallery. Sighing softly, she knew exactly why she was attending. She had to put in an appearance to represent the gallery, but she needed to stay in order to do some networking of her own.

The artist had done well for herself once she'd graduated from college with a double major in art and business. The girl sold art at a gallery and had her own work featured there for a fraction of the price, thanks to the deal she'd struck with the owner. So far, she'd sold a good amount of pieces at modest prices for a new artist, and was making good money. But the more connections she made, the more stable her income would be.

So it was that Sophie was attending a swanky party where she was fairly certain everyone would either look down their nose at her or pretend to know as much as or more than she did about art. She was currently sipping on champagne to take the edge off of that experience, and to keep men from asking her if they could get her a drink. But then, who could blame them? The curvy woman was currently in a red dress that hugged her torso and flounced a bit at her hips and down. Her body was well covered but still on display in an elegant and eye-catching way. Her golden skin stood out against the deep red of the dress and her dark curls were pulled back so that half of her hair was up and the other half was trailing down her back. It would be a shock if they weren't paying her any attention at all.

Too bad none of them interested her. She could go home with someone well-connected and well-moneyed. There were plenty of attractive men--just no one who struck her fancy. Oh well...

 

[Agnores]

Evan made his way to the bar that Ryan had set up and sat on the stool. He ordered a Tom Collins, waited for his drink, then turned away to watch the crowd as he sipped. Yeah, he was definitely under-dressed. Great. Now Evan would be ignored at best, or thought to be that urchin who Ryan gives money to for charity. Evan hefted a great sigh, but couldn't help but notice that Ryan had an exceptional amount of good looking women here. Fitting for Ryan. Evan shook his head, silently impressed with what Ryan had done with himself so fast. Evan sipped on his drink and began to consider how best to spend this night.

Ryan, however, had all ready planned Evan's night. He knew a certain someone was here, he had seen her come in. It had been a pleasant surprise when he saw her, knowing of her and Evan's fling in college. Evan had regretted losing Sophie in college, and talked about it often. She was here by chance, but Ryan had invited Evan. Ryan had long accepted he'd never get the chance to take a poke at Sophie, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to set her up with someone else. That lucky person would be Evan. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of Evan's face when he finaly caught a glimpse of her.

Evan was currently at the bar, and Sophie elsewhere. This just wouldn't do. Slowly, Ryan approached Sophie, smiling and swirling a drink of his own. "Hey there, good lookin'." Ryan said, with a sly smile. "Enjoying yourself?" Ryan exchanged the usual pleasantries, the look in his eyes possibly betraying his michevious intent.

 

[Candira]

Sophie took a moment to regain her relaxed composure after Ryan said hello. She hadn't really been expecting to come face to face with the host, but since he was here, it wouldn't do to be impolite. Damn it. She didn't like that look in his eye and it wound her up a bit. She relaxed her tense shoulders and smiled a polite smile. "Hello, Ryan. This is a nice party. It's been awhile, hasn't it? You seem to be doing well for yourself," she said, gesturing at the event taking place around them. She really hoped that he wasn't hitting on her. That would have been embarrassing for everyone.

Evan hadn't crossed her mind in awhile. He'd been so good to her, and then so...not good. He'd had some kind of dream or felt some kind of guilt after sleeping with her on their second real/official date. She'd thought he might be different. He might be the one...but he'd merely continued her run of bad luck. And this time, she'd definitely felt it when he rejected her. They'd somehow managed to stay friendly for awhile, but then Evan dropped out of college, and it was like he dropped off the face of the planet. What hurt the most was that he hadn't said goodbye to her. He hadn't really owed her anything, but it would have been nice to have that kind of closure.

Why was she thinking about him now? Because he used to be good friends with Ryan, the host of this party. She had to admit that he had done well for himself, but that didn't make him any better of a person. It had been because of Ryan breaking up with Sophie's roommate that anything at all had happened between Sophie and Evan. In some ways, she had been grateful. Of course, that was before she'd found out that Evan had another side to him--one that wasn't really conducive to having a real relationship with a woman. She wondered, from time to time, if he'd ever worked that out.

 

[Agnores]

Ryan smiled warmly, nodding at Sophie. "I have done well for myself. You seem to be doing just as well." Ryan looked to his right just as a server approached, offering a drink to Sophie. "Courtesy of someone at the bar, miss. Said you should come say hi. He sticks out like a sore thumb, only one who doesn't look fancy. Wouldn't give a name." The server held out the drink until Sophie took it, and Ryan gave a soft laugh. "Seems you are attracting men just the same as before," he said, then bowed slightly. "However, I must be off. Enjoy the party, and I do hope you enjoy your time with your secret admirer." Ryan gave a knowing smile as he slipped away.

He found the server a ways away, and slipped him a twenty dollar bill as promised. When Sophie had entered, Ryan had found the boy and made a plan: he would watch Ryan. If he ever saw him talking to the girl in the red dress, he would approach and offer her a drink, saying it was from Evan; after Evan had entered the party, Ryan had pointed the man out to the boy, and told him to find a way to identify him without giving his name. He was afraid Sophie wouldn't approach Evan if she knew right away who he was.

Evan, oblivious to what was going on, sat at the bar and tried not to stick out so much. It was a fruitless effort, but he tried nonetheless.

 

[Candira]

Sophie smiled, glad to see that Ryan wasn't being the smarmy guy she remembered. He was being polite and fairly charming. She was a little surprised, however, when she received a drink and it wasn't from Ryan. It was from someone at the bar. Frowning, she took the glass, not really sure what to think of this new development. Either someone who knew her was trying to say hello in a strange way, or some bum thought he could make it with her. Or a rich kid who didn't really want to be here thought she was easy. She really hoped it was the first possibility. Thankfully, one comment from Ryan was enough for him and he was off to schmooze and play host.

Despite the fact that he'd been nothing but a good host, she was a little bit relieved that he was gone. Something about the way he'd said she was still attracting men made her shiver a bit. Suspicious of the intentions of the person who'd sent the drink and curious as to who that could be, the artist made her way through the crowd, stopping now and again to talk to people she recognized. She was nearly at the bar when one of her colleagues snagged her with a cheerful, "Sophie!" and started talking about the newest exhibit they were setting up.

 

[Agnores]

Evan had finally come up with the perfect excuse to get out of this party. He was under-dressed and easily the poorest person here, and Evan felt like every whispered conversation was about how bad he stuck out. This wasn't true, of course, almost no one had even taken notice of Evan; but to Evan, he was about to get laughed out of the place anyway. He quickly downed the rest of his drink, left a tip for the bar man, and spun off the chair, making a beeline for the door. He doubted Ryan would notice him, and that was fine by him. He would call Ryan later with an excuse.

As he spun around to leave, a flash of red caught his attention. He glanced at the woman for a second before continuing his mad dash to the door, but then came to a complete and sudden stop. Standing there, as beautiful as he remembered, was Sophie, the Girl Who Got Away. Admittedly, most of that was his fault, but that wasn't the point. Why was she here? More importantly, why hadn't Ryan told him? This was something he needed to know. It wasn't like he and Sophie had parted ways in a bad way, they had been friendly when Evan had dropped out of school, but Evan hadn't really said goodbye before he dropped off the face of the planet. He had just disappeared and not looked back.

She hadn't noticed him yet, as she was talking to some other person. Evan took a step towards the exit when he noticed that other person begin to swing to the other side of Sophie in a way that would have brought Sophie's gaze towards Evan. Panicing, Evan spun and ducked behind the bar, closing his eyes and hoping to God that she hadn't seen him. The bar man gave him evil eyes the whole time, but thankfully didn't say anything. Evan sat there for a few moments, gathering his wits, when he noticed Ryan standing next to him. Ryan was smiling down at him with a deliciously evil smile. "No," Evan begged in a whisper. "Ryan, don't!"

"Hey, Sophie! Over here! Your friend is here." Ryan called out, pointing down behind the bar at Evan. Evan sighed, hitting the back of his head against the bar before he raised up and spun, laying his eyes on the beauty he should have never let go of and giving her a very little wave. Ryan guffawed and stepped away.

 

[Candira]

Sophie was talking with her coworker about some new artist when she was beckoned. She turned, finding that Ryan was talking about a friend. Curious, the golden-skinned girl searched for the "friend" in question, and came face to face with the last person she expected to see. Like, ever. For a moment, the air refused to go to her lungs. She stared at him for a long moment, utterly shocked to see him there. Despite his lackluster attire, he was still just as handsome as she remembered him. Why did that have to be the case? Well, at least she had a distinct advantage here in that she knew she looked damn good. Her make up was understated, but decorative, her dark hair was perfect, and her body was just as lovely as ever. Plus, her dress was awesome.

At Evan's half-hearted wave and Ryan's guffaw, Sophie snapped out of it and walked toward him. A slow smile grew on her face and she stopped a few feet away, drink in hand. "Well, hello. Thanks for the drink," she said, setting the glass down. "How've you been?"

 

[Agnores]

Evan couldn't help but get more and more nervous as she approached. She was still the golden goddess he remembered her being, and yet somehow even more beautiful then what his memories had led him to believe. He quickly flipped through hating Ryan, wanting to run, wanting to be charming, and wanting to run once more over and over again, finally settling on some weird, awkward mixture that had no word to describe. Evan wasn't even sure what to say at this point, or if there was even anything he could say that wouldn't come out completely garbled. And all she had done so far was ask how he was.

"Uh..." Evan started, before closing his eyes and sighing, opening them again and fixing her with a smile. "I've been pretty good. Became a head chef at a restaurant. Learned how to cook a few things, you know. Nothing real major. How about you?"

 

[Candira]

It was good to hear that he was doing well. He'd been...confused when he'd left, if she remembered correctly. He seemed to have lost direction in his life, despite the fact that he had had some sort of personal epiphany. Still, that he'd become a head chef in a restaurant made her just a tiny bit proud of him. Parts of her were still wishing that he was somehow down on his luck, but she was in a good place in her life and spreading that kind of negativity to the universe was just foolish.

"That sounds exciting. Congratulations on your achievements, Evan. Where do you work? Maybe I've been there," she said, curious about his life. She answered his question, though, so as not to be rude. "I'm working at the Norside Gallery on 5th. I'm learning a lot about the business and I'm selling art--even some of my own pieces. Not many, but enough that I can be comfortable." She smiled, a little bit proud of her own accomplishments.

 

[Agnores]

Evan found himself really impressed with what Sophie had accomplished since college. She was doing something she loved, if Evan could remember from college correctly, and she was living just fine off of it. Evan smiled, his hand coming up and reaching the back of his head. "Remember that pizzaria I took you to in college? Yeah, I run that place now." He wondered how she react to that news, since that was the place that had marked the beginning of their turbulent relationship. "Congrats on all that, Sophie. Glad to hear you are doing well for yourself."

Evan let his hand fall as he let his eyes wash over Sophie, taking in her golden skin and dark hair. She was still just as breath-taking as ever, and Evan idly wondered how many people were starting to hate on him now; he was the worst dressed male here, and was talking to the most beautiful girl in the room. "Kind of crazy what Ryan has done with himself, isn't it?" Evan asked, awkwardly.

 

[Candira]

Sophie smiled, remembering their first date in that mom-and-pop pizza parlor. It was a quaint little place with some of the best pizza she'd ever tasted. At the time, it wasn't a date, but the waitress seemed to think that it was, and Sophie hadn't minded. She hadn't been back there since that first date, having forgotten about it at the time. "Aww, really? That's great. I loved that little place. Maybe I'll stop in some time." Of course, she wasn't sure she would even remember how to get there, but the pizza was good, and she'd heard that he'd figured things out. Maybe now they could just be at ease around each other...

But the subject was awkwardly changed to Ryan since Evan didn't really seem to want to keep talking about himself, despite his own accomplishments. So she played along, smiling. "Yeah. Who'd have thunk it?" She looked around the room again. "I gotta say, I never cared much for his personality, but I can't deny that he's a success. So much so, that he's buying things from my gallery. I'm here doing some networking at my employer's request. How about you?" And it seemed like she couldn't keep the conversation on Ryan. Now that she saw him again, the one guy who'd stood out as a great possibility against all the others in her life, she wanted to know more about what had happened to him. She wanted to understand what had been so wrong with their relationship--or at the very least, she wanted to know what had become of him.

 

[Agnores]

Evan sighed. Part of him wanted to believe that Ryan had found out about Sophie's involvement with the guy he was buying art from, and had staged this whole event for this one single purpose. Ryan was a manipulative bastard, and loved watching things unfold a certain way because he pushed them in that direction. Still, this was a little out of Ryan's style if he had put this together, as Ryan rarely did anything for anyone that didn't benefit him more. Evan couldn't see how him and Sophie reconnecting affected Ryan in the least, but what if? Ryan was a clever man, after all.

Evan's attention turned to the question posed to him. "Ryan found me in the pizzeria the other day, started chatting me up. When I dropped out of college I kind of cut ties with everyone, including him. He invited me here as a way to show off, I think. Can't really see any other reason why I am here. After all, he ended up going with a different food place than my pizzeria." Evan shook his head, smiling. "Thought I was doing well for myself after becoming head chef, but looking at you two, I think I need to redefine what it means to 'do well.'" Evan gave a small laugh.

"So, what happened after I left?"

 

[Candira]

"Well that sounds a lot like him." She smiled and shook her head. "I loved that place, though. I think you could make it even better if you wanted. And I'm doing alright, but I don't own my own business. And I supplement my art with my gallery wages. It's not like I'd have steady income if I didn't. You're way ahead of me in the game." She smiled and patted his shoulder.

When he asked about after he left she shrugged. She told a few stories about how she'd moved out of her shared room with Amy. She'd managed to get her own room for the rest of the year, then switched to living with other art majors in student apartments. Her studies and projects took up most of her time, but she went to a few parties and concerts, made new friends, and was generally happier. Drew...well, he had taken some time to sort out his feelings, but they both agreed in the end that it was better if they just stayed friends. Gradually they grew apart, though they still hung out now and then. He'd learned to let go of her and she'd learned that he wasn't for her.

When she'd graduated, she'd applied in a lot of places before being hired at her gallery, but she was a great salesperson and very knowledgeable. If she didn't make it as an artist, she'd always have her skills and knowledge to fall back on at the gallery. She casually mentioned that she'd been busy and hadn't had time for anything but work lately, hoping he would get the message that she was single and then wondering why the hell she wanted him to know that.

"What about you? What happened to you after you left?"

 

[Agnores]

Things for Sophie seemed to have leveled out after she left, and she had seemed to have a ---- She was single!? Evan was surprised by that, a lot. Sophie was an absolutely gorgeous girl, and he found it very surprising there hadn't been someone whom she tried to make time for. Evan idly wondered if Ryan knew this when he set this all up, and if this was part of his plans. Still, Evan couldn't see how this benefited Ryan and he certainly couldn't see Ryan doing this just to be nice, so Evan let the thought slip away.

Wait, why had she told him that she was single?

Evan put that thought aside as well and answered her question. After he had left, he had gone back to his parents. He had spent an inordinate amount of time just moping around, doing nothing, until Lissa happened to show back up in town. He explained that Lissa was an old flame back in high school, one that he had thought was his soul mate. She had unceremoniously dumped him shortly before college, and left Evan with a promise that maybe they could try again later. Evan hadn't ever given up hope that Lissa would come back to him, and that had made it hard to have true relationships with other women.

When Lissa came back, however, it was a wake-up call for Evan. They date for a month or two again, but it was Evan who had broken it off this time. She wasn't the girl he had remembered, and Evan could no longer see why he had been so enamoured with her beforehand. So he broke up with her and finally found a job at the pizzeria, where he made a name for himself as a cook and eventually made it to the head chef position. Evan gave a small smile as he told his story, and as he wound it up, let it out that since Lissa, he hadn't really seen anyone else.

"Not too exciting," Evan finished, nodding. "I wish I had stayed in college, to be honest."

 

[Candira]

Sophie listened intently to Evan's story, surprisingly hungry for details. What had happened to the one that got away? Well, now she knew. It was kind of an underwhelming story for the most part, but so was hers. But it seemed as though he'd worked out his issues with relationships--something that was very appealing to her. After all, he'd had his fit of weirdness before he'd worked out his issues with his past. That was what had essentially killed their relationship--and his walls. But he seemed open now.

Just be happy for him...don't fall into the idea that it could work now. Just because he'd worked a few things out didn't mean that he wanted a relationship. And it certainly didn't mean that she should pursue one. Right?

She felt her heart tighten a bit, beating just faster, wondering why he wished he'd stayed in college. "How come? It sounds like you've done pretty well for yourself without it so far. Or were you hoping to be something else?"

 

[Agnores]

Evan's hand found the back of his head again, and he glanced away, thinking. Why did he wish he had stayed in college? Generally, it was because he regretted his situation with Sophie. Had he stayed, there might have been a bigger chance to work things out and actually have a relationship with this girl. But could he tell her that? He wasn't so sure she'd be receptive to that little bit of information, but something was nagging at him to tell him that she might be more receptive than he thought. So, he settled on being vague, but honest.

"Pretty much, yeah. I missed a few opportunities that I really regret leaving behind." He smiled at her, letting his hand fall.

"Hey, look, I really wanna get out of here. I know its crazy, but I feel like everyone is staring at me and judging me just because my suit didn't cost more money than most earn in a year. I would like to catch up with you more, though, if you want to come with or meet up later." He gave her a smile, wondering what her response would be.

 

[Candira]

Sophie smiled at him, wondering if just maybe she was included in that list of regrets. It would serve him right, wouldn't it? But why didn't she feel victorious? Why was her heart reacting as though she'd missed an opportunity as well? Probably because things had started out so well with Evan. He'd been so different from all the other men she'd dated. Every little fling since him had been somehow less fulfilling to the point where she'd just lost interest altogether. Something about him was still drawing her in--even now, when she was supposed to have moved on. It didn't help that he was still handsome, regardless of his conspicuous dress. He was still kind and warm. She wanted to like him.

She did.

"I can understand that," she said with a chuckle, pretending like it was all light and fluffy and fine. "Sure, I think I've done enough networking for tonight." She had given out all her business cards and made some strong impressions in any case. "I can meet up with you somewhere if you want."

 

[Agnores]

Evan quickly thought, trying to find a place for them to go this late at night. At this hour, most restaurants were closed or closing, so that killed that idea. Evan faltered for a second, trying to think of somewhere to go with Sophie. Eventually, he settled on an idea that was a bit of stretch, but better than backtracking on himself.

"Well, its fairly late, so a lot of things are closed. Would my place be all right? Its mostly clean. I think." Evan's hand went to the back of his head again as he looked away, his face thoughtful as he tried to remember the state he had left his apartment. He knew his apartment would be just as underwhelming as his attire, but he got the feeling Sophie was concerned with that so much.

 

[Candira]

Sophie smiled. "Sure. I'll just follow you there once I get my coat." With that, she wandered over to the entry way of the apartment and wondered just what the hell she was agreeing to. She was going to his home to spend time with him. A person she'd always regretted not working things out with. A person, who hopefully felt the same way. But to be rejected like that again...she wasn't sue she could handle it. Best to keep it friendly, then. It was silly to think that they could just pick up where they left off. Besides, even if he wasn't seeing anybody, she refused to believe that nobody was interested in him.

When she had her coat and purse, she slipped into them both and got her car keys, waiting by the door for Evan.

 

[Agnores]

When she had walked off, Evan had turned and quickly downed the rest of his drink. He couldn't believe what was happening. Something he had felt was lost to his past was now staring him in the face and agreeing to come to his house. He was getting his long awaited second chance with Sophie. He couldn't believe it. He quickly sought out Ryan, and mentioned that he had to go. Ryan gave him a sly smile and simply sent him on his way, giving Evan a wink and a "good luck." Evan left baffled at what Ryan was trying to do with all of this, but when he saw Sophie by the door, he forgot all about that.

"Hey. All right, now, my apartment is a bit of a drive. So you can either bring your car and follow me, or ride with me and I'll bring you back to your car later." Evan tilted his head to side as he led her out of the front door of Ryan's apartment.

 

[Candira]

Sophie watched Evan as he came toward her and told her that it was a bit of a drive. Well, to be honest, her place wasn't exactly walking distance from the party either. She wasn't surprised. She held up her keys and said, "I'll follow you. It shouldn't be a problem." Leaving the party with him with no way to leave if she felt the need made her nervous. She trusted Evan, but she was glad to have an escape if she needed it. If she felt things were going poorly, or too well.

But right now she was trying not to think about that, or check him out from behind as he led the way to the parking area. She'd ask him to walk her to her car, but she wasn't particularly worried about anyone jumping out at her here--this place had guard station on each level of the parking structure. Rich people and their security...sometimes you had to love it.

When they were there, however, she had to ask, "So where did you park?"

 

[Agnores]

When they arrived, Evan sighed. "Top floor," he said, giving her a weary smile. "You?" When she told him, he nodded, then told her to just meet him outside of the parking garage. With that, he set off for his car. He was surprised that Sophie was being so agreeable. Not that he minded. But he had felt she would be a little more reserved about going to his house. That was hardly neutral ground, and Sophie was rather conscious about safety. Not that Evan ever did anything that made him untrustworthy, but still...how could she know?

He got into his car eventually at the top deck, and drove it down until he was finally outside of the parking garage (to Evan, it always felt like it took hours to drive out of a parking deck), and waited for Sophie to catch up. When she did, he drove from Ryan's place across town to an apartment complex that had obviously seen better days. Evan parked, got out, and led Sophie to his front door, and then let her in. He stepped into his kind of messy but still fairly clean (especially compared to outside of the building) apartment, where he smiled at her. "Home sweet home," he said.

 

[Candira]

Sophie told him where she'd parked, somewhere in the middle where there'd been an open spot. She took the elevator to get to her car and then followed him back to his apartment, questioning how good of a decision this was with every stoplight. She couldn't back out now--what kind of person would she be?--but she didn't have to stay long if she didn't want to. They were just catching up and that was all. Right? Yeah, that seemed about right.

The artist followed after him, surprised that his living space was quite so run-down. But then again, her place was only a little nicer than this. She walked with Evan into his building and stepped into his apartment. It was a nice little place, even if it was a bit messy. "Nice. So do I get a tour."

 

[Agnores]

"Uh..." Evan waved his arm wide, and with a laugh, named off the rooms as his arms passed over them. "There's the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom is right over there, this is the entrance hall, and the door you see on the other side of the living room is my bedroom." Evan nodded. "That is my place."

It was a small place, but Evan had it well furnished. He led her to the couch on the living room, where he straightened up the blankets and the jackets that had been unceremoniously dumped onto it. He offered her a seat, then stepped into his kitchen, where he started digging around in the cabinets. "Never mind the smell," Evan called. "I used to own a cat who had just started spraying before the landlord found him and made me get rid of him. I still haven't quite cleared it up." He grew silent for a moment, before finding his goal and pulling a wine bottle from the shelf. "Would you like some wine?" he asked, turning to her.