Who Knew (Rave X Madam Mim)

[Rave]

Daniel was dreading this moment the entire day, but he couldn't put it off any longer. He knew that this was probably going to be uncomfortable, and he knew it wasn't going to end well. It was experience. He was never a good liar to begin with, and his parents would find out about what he was trying to do. At least he had that feeling. He couldn't complain though, not a lot of women would agree to his request, let alone with only a 24 hour notice. He was grateful that his secretary would agree to fill in for him, even if she had no obligation to do so. He never seemed to connect with her when she was hired, he recalled as he drove down the highway to reach her house as instructed. He wasn't the one that hired her, and perhaps that was why he didn't know her very well. Daniel was the head of a very prestigious software company, and was doing rather well for himself. He had as many employees as he could handle, and he liked to interview them personally to hire the people he connected with. She, however, was an enigma.

Daniel let out a small sigh of both frustration and anxiety. He didn't know how this would turn out, and he hadn't spent enough time with his seceratry outside of work to know what kind of person she was. Hell, for all he knew she could be one of those weird 'Hipster' kids that have been coming up these past few years. Worse, she could be crazy or have no manners. All the things that could go wrong were going through his head, and yet he kept trying to remind himself that she didn't need to do this to begin with, that he was on the receiving end of a favor. Nevertheless, it was a nerve-wrecking experience. He took the second exit off the highway, as his Mercedes C-Class drove down road after road before finally reaching her block. He'd had her address written down on a note from the office, and he was supposed to go pick her up as instructed. His parents would meet them at the restaurant, so it just seemed more natural that they should show up together.

Once he reached her house and recognized it, he parked the car in the driveway and stepped out. He'd bought flowers earlier, a bouquet of red Roses, his favorite, as a thank you gesture for what she was doing for him. He picked it up, shut the car door and walked up to her door. He reached forward and rang the doorbell, wearing a semi-causal dress shirt and a thing black tie. A nice mixture between classy and casual. There he stood, a nervous wreck for all the wrong reasons. All he could remember about this girl, was that he liked her glasses. Not her personality, not anything else. He stood there, and just hoped for the best.​

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora sighed as she turned about in the mirror again. Why had she ever agreed to this? She asked herself this question once again as she tore off the fourth dress in the past hour. He was such an arrogant ass, with the way he waltzed about the place like he was their lord and master. Why would she ever do him a favor? Well...the weekend off would be nice, but she definitely should have asked for something more. She could tell, after all, that he was in a pinch.

The house her boss would see was small, though much bigger than the apartment she had rented out before. This was inherited from her grandmother, and fortunately the thing had been paid off before she'd moved in. Over the years she'd redecorated so that the place was richly colored, vibrant, with eclectic furnishings and decorations. It was small, but it was comfortable and it was home. Having finally settled on a dress Nora danced about the kitchen in her stocking feet, munching on a few grapes. The sooner she was full, the sooner the night could end and she could go home.

She jumped when the doorbell rang. He was a few minutes early. Hurrying over to the door, wobbling slightly in the stilettos she seldom wore, Nora opened the door to find her boss...looking rather dashing, actually. She forced a smile and stood aside to let him in. Nervously she patted her hair down to smooth any fly-aways. This evening she wore contacts--which she hated--rather than hiding her face behind her glasses.

"Hi, sir. Erm...come on in. I just need to grab my purse." Nora smiled nervously at her boss, still nervous about calling him by his first name despite the ruse they were about to put on.

 

[Rave]

Danial blinked a moment in surprise when she opened up the door and ushered him in. He half expected her not to open up at all and he wouldn't really blame her if she didn't. Yet, she did, and above all she was wearing a dress that made her look rather...curvaceous. He'd never noticed how attractive her figure was before, maybe because he didn't bother to look. Yet now that they were standing right in front of each other, with nothing else to see, his mood was swayed a little for the better. He then realized that he was just standing awkwardly at the door, so he smiled and cleared his throat before stepping into her house. "Oh no please Nora, just Dan." he stated as he stepped in and closed the door behind him, watching her walk back to grab her purse before they headed out. He took the chance to look around her home a few moments, and surprisingly the decor she chose was very similar to his condo. Sure, his was an expensive multi-million dollar one, but the warm and homey decoration was still the same. They even had a few of the same posters.

He raised his brow in curiosity, but his train of thought was interrupted when she'd return with her purse. For a second he almost forgot, but quickly remembered and pulled out the bouquet of roses from behind his back. He had no idea if she liked roses or not, but he took a shot in the dark. "Ahh, these are for you." he said with a charming smile, extending the bouquet for her to take while he adjusted his thin black tie and dress-shirt. "You look very...beautiful." he compliment, genuinely so. If nothing else, she certainly looked the part and more. It was only when she'd finally finish and tell him she was ready that he'd open the door for her and she'd step outside to see his car. He hit a button on his remote which opened the passenger side door for her, the southern gentleman in him unable to let go of that little habit.

"The place isn't very far from here."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora stood, waiting for him to enter, but he just sort of stood there awkwardly. Perhaps the normally confident, swaggering business mogul was even more nervous than her. But that was a silly thought. People like him never got nervous.

When she came back in she caught Danial--Dan--gaping at her decorations. Probably didn't realize that not everybody liked cold, minimalist, Jetsons-looking living spaces. For once he surprised her by producing flowers. With a gracious smile she took them.

"Oh! Thank you, s--er, Dan." She took them with a smile and turned to go to the kitchen. "Just let me put these in some water and we can go."

Roses were pretty, but not her favorites; she preferred tiger lilies. They were bright and beautiful. She could be seen putting the crystal vase of roses in the middle of the dining room table before grabbing something up. She was having trouble getting the clasp of the opal necklace to close behind her neck.

When Dan opened the door for her with the remote, her mouth dropped. In the driveway next to the Mercedes, Nora's beat-up old VW Bug , fondly referred to as Gertrude, looked ready to fall apart. To be fair, though, it pretty much was.

"That... Wow... That's your car?" Nora had seen it in the parking lot at work, but had figured it belonged to one of the way upstairs guys.

 

[Rave]

"Please go ahead." he gestured with a smile when she went to place the roses in a vase, and when she came back he found a new piece of attire had donned her neck. Dan was really good with details, it was something required for his job. He noticed the opal necklace, and found that it suited her neckline rather well. He couldn't imagine that the woman trapped in a secretary's black skirt and white shirt all day could look this elegant. Though the secretary outfit also had its...benefits.

Nevertheless they stepped outside, and her reaction to his car made him laugh. He wasn't expecting that, since he usually ends up in social gatherings of people way richer than he is who actually make fun of his car. Yet, she was right on one thing. Next to that beat up buggy, his car looked like the Chariot of Apollo.

"Hah, indeed it is. You're actually the first one to be impressed by it." He spoke as he walked her to the car, and took her hand to slide her into her seat comfortably. " -My- bosses think it's a piece of crap, but it's been good to me."

He circled around to his own door and stepped inside himself. The car had leather, heated seats and enough room to have a relaxing ride, a privilege probably not available in the buggy. He stepped inside and turned on the ignition, revving the engine once before backing out of her driveway and starting down the road.

"I actually built most of this car myself, well, the engine at least." He said as a passing comment, letting his hands pat the steering wheel a moment. "Took me three months just to find the parts, and three more to put it all together in my Garage."

He tilted his head towards her and offered a smile, gauging her mood in the process. "It's a hobby of mine, but I promise I won't bore you with car talk all day."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora slid gracefully into the passenger's seat. The engine purred smoothly as they pulled out of the drive. It was certainly a much smoother and more phooey ride than she was used to. Her eyebrows arched delicately when he declared her to be the first one impressed by his car.

"Not that I condone buying cars to impress people, but how could they not? I mean, even if they were richer than you, which I find hard to imagine, it's still an impressive car. I mean, what do they want? A Lambo?"

The secretary was surprised when Dan told her he'd built the engine himself. "Funny... I never took you for a hands on kinda guy. I've had to McGuyver poor Gertrude so many times I'm pretty sure half her engine is parts that don't even bring in a car." She chuckled. "I've been meaning to buy a new fan belt. Pretty sure my pant hose are going to snap any day."

 

[Rave]

He couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her remark on his bosses, and his head tilted from side to side a moment as if he was deep in thought. "Actually it's not far from the truth. Most of my bosses don't even know a thing about their own cars, they just spend the money and buy...well, Lambos yeah." He laughed again, before shrugging his shoulders lightly. "Then again most of these people never actually worked for their money, so they don't know the preciousness of it."

He smiled at her next remark, letting out an "Ahh" as she described the condition of her car. He wasn't going to say anything so he wasn't rude, but she brought it up and now it was more alright than before. "Yeah, I was going to say the Buggy is a little beat up." he chuckled at the car's name. "Gertrude...is actually a rather fitting name."

He paused, thinking something over in his head as they turned the corner and he began driving up to the valet who'd take his car and park it. "If you'd like, I can come by sometime and replace some of your parts. God knows I have spares lying around all my garage." He smiled, letting her answer him after he'd step out and hand the keys to the Valet. He'd walk around and open the door for her, letting her step out.

The restaurant was a cozy, romantic place not far from where she lived. It was by no means exclusive or fancy, and she'd know upon entering with him that it was more of a cute and affordable couple's place rather than a big fancy restaurant with white table cloths and foods you couldn't pronounce.

"Reservation under Danial Beckett, please."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora shook her head at the description of Dan's bosses. It bothered her how many people didn't know the value of a dollar these days. She'd been raised to be frugal and work hard for her money. A sort of all-American girl. She didn't expect Dan to share the sentiment; he seemed to her that he'd never worked a day in his life.

"Yeah she's got a smoker's cough and complains every time it rains. Gertrude's old, but she's faithful. Always runs again once I get her the part she needs." Nora turned to face her boss when he offered her parts. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Beckett, but I doubt you'd have parts for her. The parts for this and Gertrude's engine... It'd be like trying to hook a V8 to a horse and cart." She mentally added that if cars were a hobby of his, he apparently wasn't very good at it.

Nora had driven by this restaurant many times, and had always wanted to go, but for some reason never had. She stepped out of the car and straightened her dress before taking Dan's arm. She leaned in as they were led between tables of the dimly lit restaurant.

"This is nice," she murmured, feeling like she was in a quiet library. "So what's our story? For, y'know, your parents."

 

[Rave]

He laughed when she mentioned the cart and horse thing, before waving his hand dismissively. "I wouldn't be trying to hook up my Mercedes engine to your beetle. I want to fix it, not overdose it." He laughed again, but before he could continue they first had to be led through the restaurant and settle on a table. It was window side, nice and romantic, with a candle and rose in the middle of the table. The table cloth was red and extended all the way down to the ground.

Then he finally had a chance to speak again. "My garage is filled with parts because I like to build old cars in my spare time. Some Hot Rods, some classic cars, you know the jist of it. I'm sure I have something that'll work for a beetle. It's the least I can do to thank you for the...conundrum I've put you in tonight."

Before he could finish his words, his phone beeped as a text arrived. He slipped his hand into his pocket to check it out, only to find a text from his father telling him that their car broke down and they couldn't make it to dinner. Oh how ironic. Of all days, this had to happen now. Had to happen today. He let out a wide sigh, before she asked her question about them and he had to tell he what was going on.

"It...seems they've ran into something, and actually won't be able to make it today..."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora sat carefully when the host pulled out her chair for her, hanging her purse on the back of her chair. She shrugged when he insisted fixing her old car was the least he could do for her. He acted like pretending to be his girlfriend was a chore. Well...it wasn't exactly her idea of a night out, but it wasn't painful or anything. He was actually proving to be more tolerable than she'd expected.

"Meh. You're giving me the weekend off. I mean, if you want to fix her up, I won't stop you. She's got one tire in the junkyard and needs all the help she can get."

Building cars wasn't a hobby for Nora, but knowing how they ran and which part was which had been bred out of necessity; she had never owned a new car. She had managed to find herself in three accidents between sixteen and eighteen, which was when she had found Gertrude. Seven years later, the old girl was still running. The waiter had just filled their water glasses and Nora was taking a sip when Dan's phone went off. His parents couldn't make it. Well...this had enormous potential to be incredibly awkward.

"Well...we're here anyway," Nora said with a shrug. "Might as well enjoy dinner, maybe some wine. I've never been here before."

 

[Rave]

This indeed did have incredible potential to turn sour and awkward, yet there was nothing that could be done. He just had to make the best of the situation, and hey, at least his company wasn't as stuck up and boring as he'd thought her to be. He agreed with her and nodded, before the waiter came and asked for their orders.

"I'll have the Lobster with a side of greens, and just a glass of water please thank you."

If she'd thought he'd pick an incredibly expensive meal, she'd be wrong. He simply liked seafood, and they were having a special on the lobster which reduced the prince to about 20$. It was a deal he couldn't pass. Once the waiter took the orders and left, he turned his attention back to Nora and offered her a courtesy smile. He had to break the silence, so he figured it couldn't really hurt to ask about herself.

"So, aside from a fair knowledge of car parts, tell me more about yourself Nora." He paused, letting his hands cross on the table lightly. "I usually hire my staff myself, so I get to know them and befriend them. Yet you were hired in my absence, so perhaps this is a chance for me to know you a little better."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora rose her eyebrows when Dan ordered the lobster. Perhaps $20 a plate wasn't too expensive for him but though she wasn't minimum wage she wasn't exactly rolling in it. She ordered the veal parm and a glass of red wine.

"Well, for starters I don't dress like this." She motioned to the dress. "Well, for special occasions yeah, but not like for going out with friends or anything." She wished her lipstick would top leaving marks on the glass.

"I um...I'm a singer." Nora avoided her boss's gaze as she revealed this about herself. "Earn a little extra cash on the weekends sometimes, singing in clubs and stuff. I was raised in kinda an artsy family. My dad's a painter. Mum was a violinist for the Sacremento philharmonic orchestra before she retired. I went to Juliard for singing, trying to get into the Boston Cecilia Choir, but the choir director complained that I brought the entire alto section down while refusing to put me in the men's section for uniformity's sake." She rolled her eyes.

"So here I am, a secretary. Once I figure out my finances I'm going to try to get back to school." She shrugged. "Until then, I guess just try to get by."

 

[Rave]

Dan let out a little laugh and nodded at her comments about the dress, before the waiter showed up and palced their drinks before them. He raised his glass and took a little sip of water, before placing his attention on Nora once more. "Well I'm glad I was a special enough occasion to don something you don't wear often. It looks lovely, goes really well with the necklace." he smiled as he passed that last remark by, before listening to her continue.

What he wasn't expecting, was the singer part. He'd always thought she was...dull, really. He didn't think she had anything interesting like that going on in her life, at all, let alone singing and actually making money. The Julliard bit was what took him by surprise the most. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I went to Julliard as well. How did I miss that reading your application?" He paused, actually interested and not faking it. He sat up to talk a little more.

"I heard the Singing program was crazy. Personally I was in for Collaborative Piano. My Bachelors is actually hung up in my office, right beside my business degree." He offered a smile at the thought that came next. "Our situations weren't very different actually. I started business to have some sort of income to support me while I pursued by music career, yet...it seems that life got away from me before I realized, and the business side ended up being successful enough that the music dream was sort of...over-shadowed."

He paused again, letting a smile escape him. "So, you don't have to avert your eyes or anything. I actually admire the fact that you're actively pursuing what you love, as opposed to what I did."

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora sat up a little straighter in her chair when Dan revealed that he, too, had gone to Julliard. She smiled genuinely for the first time that night and rubbed the back of her neck. She and her classmates had made a bit of fun of the instrumentalists in college, who tended to hang out after class rather than practicing. Nora had spent many a night sipping honeyed tea to soothe her throat.

"Wow uh...small world, I guess. Can't imagine where you found the time to get a business degree on top of that. I mean, I dunno about the instrumentalists but we barely had any time for anything other than practice and sleep." She took a sip of her wine while considering her boss across the table from her. Perhaps he wasn't quite so arrogant and shallow as she'd originally thought...

"Actively pursuing is a pretty word for it," she chuckled, taking another sip of wine. "It's an occasional gig and singing in the shower anymore. Bands with my style went out in the 60s. I'd only be a one-hit wonder at best." Nora gave her dining companion a good-natured smile. "I sing mostly ah...lounge and jazz. A lot of Devil Doll covers, Fever gets really popular in the clubs. But hey, any excuse to dress like a pin-up I guess."

Nora winced and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That came out really wrong. Pretend I never said it. Um...one of the cool things about the kind of clubs I go to though is I've learned to swing dance. East coast, mostly, and Lindy Hop. It's a lot of fun." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment still, however, at the pin-up comment. She hoped he realized she wasn't talking about that kind of pin-up.

 

[Rave]

He raised a playful brow but smiled non-the-less. He could tell by her reaction that she really did think he was a stuck up little rich kid like most men she met. He actually enjoyed that a moment, but laughed it off and waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't come from a very well off family. I barely got through school with some Scholarships and working more jobs than I can remember actually. It got me used to multi-tasking, so I attended Julliard in regular semesters and worked on a business degree in the summer. I just happened to impress a professor who was a shareholder and alumni of our dearest company, and he recommended me for the job."

He smiled, yet before he could continue their food arrived. The waiter placed the plates before them, and then left, giving him a chance to speak again as he cut up his food. "I actually had your job at first, but I made a good impression and got a promotion to where I am today."

He finished, taking a bite and focusing on his food a moment as she talked more about her singing. His brow raised curiously and playfully as she got flustered with the Pin-up comment, letting a laugh escape him in the process. "Well I very much love women in Pin-up. I adore the style, it's very...feminine, without being trashy." He paused. "And I think I just like Pokadots." He laughed, before taking a sip of his water and looking back up at her. To his surprise, he was actually starting to enjoy himself in her company.

"As far as dancing goes, I'm afraid I only know how to Salsa. Just because I dated a dance major back in Julliard. A hot little Latina who insisted I be her dance partner for recitals. I'm sure there's a video of me somewhere twirling around the dance floor." He chuckled, before off glancing at her once more. He'd actually imagine her in Pin-up for a moment, before he'd distract himself with his food. He couldn't really tell her he'd enjoy seeing her in the...other, kind of pinup, without being totally inappropriate.

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora was a little surprised by Dan's success story. She had thought perhaps his parents had friends in high places or that perhaps he'd schmoozed or slept his way to the top. It seemed, however, as though he had actually earned it.

"That we should all be so lucky." Nora had come into this night with an attitude of disdain and disgruntlement, and had really wished she could have replied with a scathing remark...but that was the best she could do. She was beginning to have some modicum of respect for Mr. Beckett and even, perhaps, maybe a little, enjoy his company.

Their food arrived and she folded her napkin in her lap before beginning to cut up her food. Unlike most fancy restaurants, she was given a decent portion size. "That's ah, that's how I see the style. And I've always loved polka dots. They're cute." She ate in silence as Dan told her about the dance major who had insisted on his being her dance partner in college.

"Mm, I knew that girl," Nora said once she had swallowed. "Skanky thing. Thought she was best in class...she's a pole dancer now." She chuckled a little before taking another bite. "Karma's a bitch. But Salsa is fun. Maybe I uh, I could teach you Swing some time. In exchange for those parts for Gertrude."

 

[Rave]

He raised a curious eyebrow when she stated that she actually knew the girl he dated, and rolled his eyes at the memory of her. "Yeah, Isabella wasn't easy to get along with. Her personality was...fierce, to say the least. Not a lot of girls can match her really." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "But we went our different ways, so that ended that. I do miss the dancing though."

He cut up the lobster and ate it piece by piece. It was cooked to perfection and that's what he loved about this place. Nice prices, and good food. SHe talked more about her style, and her smirked when she stated her mutual love for Pocadots. "I think the Pin-Up attire is honestly a lost art. You have my permission to wear it to the office, any time you like. It'll be...refreshing." He chuckled. "But don't let Michael see you. The poor old man has been oogling every woman I've hired since he started working for me."

He smirked at the tease, before she offered to teach him some Swing in exchange for his help with her car. He wasn't expecting that, since he honestly thought she was having a miserable time. He hadn't fully realized it, but he was actually enjoying himself quite a lot.

"I'd...actually love that. I've been looking for an excuse to pull out those old dancing shoes and give them a whirl again. I suppose having an experienced partner is as much motivation as I need." He smiled. "There's actually a South American club two blocks away from the office that plays nothing but Salsa and Tango. I go there quite often."

 

[Madam Mim]

"Bitch stole my boyfriend sophomore year. It was Valentine's Day," Nora said flatly. She and Isabelle Rodriguez had a long history and she had had a moment of triumph when she looked up the girl on Facebook to see she was a pole dancer in Las Vegas.

Nora crinkled her nose. "Pervy Mike from the seventh floor? He ogles all the women anyway. Brenda from HR tried an experiment once. She wore her husband's oversized suit once, still got eye-raped." She shook her head in disgust and took another bite. "Pretty sure I could come to work with a paper sack over my head and he'd hit on me."

"I've seen that club," Nora said with a nod. "I've been in there once or twice, but I mostly meet up with friends at Club Zoot about a mile from here. I um..." Should she do this? "I've got a gig there tomorrow night." Was she really doing it? "If...y'know, if you wanna check it out." Oh God she'd done it!

Nora flushed a little and turned her face to her plate to take another few bites. It wasn't like she'd asked the boss out or anything. She had just invited him to a show she had. Nothing wrong with that. If he liked it, it could be an avenue to free publicity. That's all.

 

[Rave]

Dan almost choked a little on his food when she just blurted out "Bitch stole my friend". He did his best not to crack up, but the delivery was timeless. She wouldn't do too bad in stand-up either. "Yeah, she was always...motivated, and got what she wanted. Pity though, I wonder what happened to get that got her to be a stripper." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason." He said cynically, before he laughed at the comments about Mike.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many times I had to bring him to my office so we could discuss...'Office Conduct'. You know Jenna from the PR department? He actually grabbed her ass when she walked by him. I had to pay her SH compensation and suspend him without pay for two months. Guy's a nutjob, I don't even know why he still works around here."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. People with connections just managed to stay where they were, no matter how dirty they were. The offer to come see her preform however, brought a smile on his face. He could tell she was a little nervous asking, and honestly he would be too if he'd asked her the same thing. "Well...It'll be a chance to see you in a dress you're actually comfortable wearing, and satisfy my love for Pin-up." He teased, taking a sip of his drink as he finished his meal. "And if you're Julliard good, I actually can't wait to hear you sing."

He offered a handsome smile, before the waiter came to pick up his plate. If she was finished, he'd take hers as well. Dan straightened a moment before asking. "Dessert?"

 

[Madam Mim]

That smile, though. Nora was a little embarrassed to admit to herself that the smile he gave her just then made her knees a little wobbly. How could she say no to dessert?

"Dessert would be lovely," she replied after a few moments of recovery from the smile. "Um...do you like gelato? There's a place a few blocks away. The Gelato Fiasco. They've got some really awesome flavors. On me."

Nora looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. This seemed to be steadily turning from a fleecing of Dan's parents to...an actual date. She was even offering to pick up dessert! This was...nice...but a little scary.

 

[Rave]

He couldn't really refuse such a generous offer, plus, he realized that he didn't actually care for dessert but just wanted an excuse to keep this date going. He smiled and laughed, offering a nod. "Gelato it is. Never been to that store though, so I suppose I'll just trust your judgement." The waiter came by once more, and Danial asked for the check.

Once the waiter returned, he took the debit machine from the man and paid for both meals. He added a generous tip, before the waiter offered a smile and left. Dan stood from his chair and walked over to her own, pulling it out for her so she could stand. By now, the sun had set and nighttime was upon them. The air would get a little chilly, so he was thankful that he'd brought along a suit jacket in case she was cold.

Once they were out of the restaurant, the Valet came over to bring him his keys. "Mmm, no. Keep the car parked. It's nice outside, I think we'll take a little walk. It's not that far hm?"

 

[Madam Mim]

Nora did a courtesy reach for her purse, though with the price of both meals she did expect him to pay for it. She thanked him graciously and stood, grabbing her purse up. She was a little surprised when Danial told the valet to leave the car for now.

"Yeah. It's ah, it's a nice night out." She gave him a small smile before leading the way a few blocks away to the Gelato Fiasco, a small little shop with a few tables and a comfortable-looking couch in the corner. On the way she looked up toward the sky.

"Y'know, I really miss living outside of Sacremento," she said casually, wrapping her arms around herself. "I miss the stars. There's too much light here. But there is more to do." She pointed over to a shop front. "They don't have, y'know, a billion and one flavors or anything, but it's some of the best gelato I've ever tasted."

 

[Rave]

Smiling, Dan walked along and made sure he let her lead the way so he doesn't get them lost. He knew the area, he just didn't know exactly where the shop was. They walked alongside each other, exchanging small talk and smiles before they finally arrive at the shop and it looked rather cozy.

"You lived in Sacremento?" He asked curiously, listening to her. "I have some family out there actually, I lived there before I moved to long beach." He noticed she was getting a little chilly, so his gentleman side came back on and he threw his jacket lightly over her shoulder. He offered her a smile, before he gave her a nod and they walked into the store together.

He walked up to the counter and looked at all his choices. She was right, they had quite a variety of flavors. "Let's see...I'd like a Chocolate Scoop, Cookies & Cream, and add a bit of strawberry syrup please."

 

[Madam Mim]

"Well, not in Sacramento, but near it. Kinda on the outer edges of the suburbs; Mom and Dad don't like really busy cities. Messes up their creative process, y'know?"

Nora was surprised when Dan draped his jacket over her shoulders. She looked over at him and smiled, drawing it a little closer around herself. The smell of his aftershave lingered at his collar and she tried not to just stick her nose in the fabric and take a deep breath. As they walked she stared up at the sky, trying to see the stars. There were a few out, and the moon was full, but it wasn't like how it had been growing up. She staggered a very small bit as they walked, being both clumsy and a little buzzed from the wine.

As they entered the shop, Nora let Dan order first while she pondered the flavors behind the counter. At the end of his order she looked up and squinted at him before tisking.

"Toppings on gelato. Heathen." She smiled playfully before shaking her head in mock disappointment. "I'll have a scoop of mint chocolate chip and a scoop of dark chocolate. Oh, and a hot tea please." There were tea packets at the end of the counter by the register.

"So," Nora looked back at her boss, "what's it like in Long Beach? I hear people there are really stuck up."