Manhattan - Gramercy Park Hotel - Rose Bar
The Rose Bar could almost feel like sitting in a friend's parlor — if you happen to have a wealthy, extravagant art-collector friend who's opened their parlor to the public. The high-ceiling room is decked with striking artwork, including original Warhols and Basquiats. Low velvety seating in rosy hues make for great sight lines for the art, and those in the crowd. The central focus of the room is on the grandiose fireplace, the rustic wooden pillars and adobe-inspired walls.
Characters
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| Jenna Donovan | Harper Donovan | Siobhan Knight | Chance Harper |
Being invited to a party, hosted by Amber Bardot, British celebutante, is a great honor. Especially since all she did to earn the invite was showing the girl to her table at Eclairant earlier tonight.
After inviting her friends via Twitter, and arriving together in the town car, Jenna's up at the bar picking up a drink.
Normally, she'd get water.
Normally she has no issues not drinking at soirees.
Tonight though, with the bar tender not bothering to ask for I.D. and Amber taking care of the costs of all beverages and food, she gets something slushy, fruity, and with a cute little umbrella. A strawberry daiquiri.
Sipping slowly on it, she looks around for her 'group'.
~
Harper is sitting on the edge of the fireplace, talking with some up-and-coming actor, drinking a Heineken. He's underage too, but he really doesn't give a shit. It's not like anyone cares. Not here anyway.
He's not much of the party type, but he came to keep an eye on the girls because he worries. If anything happened to Siobhan or his sister and he wasn't there to stop it when he could've been? He'd never forgive himself.
So he's playing nice. Giving nods of his head, and saying very little. Trying to seem interested, and to make it look as though the music is too loud for him to hear anyone.
~
At least tonight, Siobhan isn't overly worried about how she looks. She's wearing her confidence tonight, even if she is a little bit tired beneath the shimmery gold eyeshadow that makes her eyes look rounder and darker. After having a spa day with Jenna, her mother took her to Serenity Cove, which is really just a small house in Brooklyn that three Coven witches share. Her ribs and internal injuries are healed up, and as a side effect, so are her physical abrasions as well. Her excuse, should anyone ask who doesn't know, will be 'make up.'
Still, she's not quite up to her usual party girl self. She's sipping a white wine spritzer, listening to some girl carry on about being a back up dancer for LMFAO and how she partied every night with Redfoo and Skyblu. Siobhan could really care less, but she's smiling and nodding, and laughing where required.
~
Chance has been cornered by two of his fraternity brothers. Both are alumni of Columbia, one is a stock broker, the other a lawyer. Both are still as full of themselves and as womanizing as Chance remembers. The stock broker makes Chance look like a boy scout when it comes to girls. The man has somehow managed to get three telephone numbers while having a very buxom dye-job blonde hanging off his arm and on his every word.
He's bored as hell, and keeps glancing around, subtly, for the opportunity to slip away and join up with one of the people he came with. He's careful though, because the last thing he wants to do is bring either of the girls to the attention of these two predators.
~
Too late for Chance, because Jenna's spotted him and as she really doesn't want to hang out with her brother (not that she doesn't adore him, but hanging onto her brother's arm for support at this age is just silly), she makes a beeline for the sorcerer.
A bright smile is on her face as she draws near to him, taking another sip from her daiquiri.
"Hi, cowboy."
~
Harper excuses himself from the discussion and moves toward Siobhan. Slipping up behind her, he slides his arms around her and rests his chin on her shoulder.
"Hello, beautiful."
Lifting his Heinekin to his lips, he takes a pull of it before setting his arm around her again.
"What's happening?"
~
Is it a terrible thing that her breath hitches just a little and her stomach flutters a bit when Harper holds her that way? She catches the way two of the girls in the crowd look to her, or rather to Harper, sizing him up and Siobhan can't help but lean back against him. She tilts her head back, placing a light kiss to the underside of his jaw and gives him a grin. "Just listening to backstage stories … Jasmine is a dancer." Full of herself, and probably no where near as good as she thinks she is.
She takes another sip of her wine, and sighs, "Though I was about to go sit down. I'm a little tired." It's true. Healing takes a lot out of the healer and the healie. Also, she'd like to get away from Jasmine and her fan club. Siobhan should never have mentioned Julliard.
~
Dammit, is Chance's first thought. Not because he's unhappy to see Jenna, but because he doesn't want her on the radar of either of these two. Given the lecherous way the lawyer eyeballs Jenna, only cements his thought.
"Hey Magpie," Chance greets in return, lifting his bottle of beer to take a drink. He shifts the bottle to the other hand and drapes an arm loosely around Jenna's shoulder, more protective than possessive. "Bored already?"
~
"Hardly. Bored of listening to a drunk girl tell the same story twice in a row though." Wrinkling her nose, she grins. Taking a sip from her daiquiri, she leans against him. It is possessive in a way that's meant to tell the guys that if she's not taken by him yet? She's interested in the guy with his arm around her.
"Hello," she greets the two guys he was talking to with a smile. Nothing flirtatious in it. Simply smiling, because that's who she is.
~
Unable to catch the way her stomach flutters, he does notice the way she reacts. The leaning back, the light kiss that denotes more than friendship. He wonders if she'd be jealous of him flirting with other girls.
Instead of testing the theory, Harper places a kiss just behind Siobhan's ear and smiles. Holding the hand out to Jasmine, he grins. "Nice to meet you." He'd mention that Shiv is probably a better dancer, but he doesn't want to start anything. "But please, excuse us. My girl wants to sit down." He finishes his beer and drops it onto a tray of a passing cocktail waitress. Then, grinning like a madman, he slides one hand down over Siobhan's backside and scoops her up into a fireman carry.
He doesn't bother putting her down until they've reached the small, unoccupied couch by the fire.
~
Siobhan manages to hold down the decibel on the surprised little squeal she gives at the hoisting over Harper's shoulder. She playfully bats him with one hand, giving a feeble little for show kick of her feet even as she giggles. "So very cave man of you." It's said lightly, and full of amusement, with Siobhan grinning from ear-to-ear.
The words 'my girl' are still ringing in her ears, and repeating in her head. She leans in as they settle, stealing a very quick kiss, nothing more than a brief touch of lips, but a claiming in her own way. Whatever they are and whatever they're doing, tonight she's claiming Harper as her date and that is that.
Following the kiss, she looks around, seeking out Jenna by habit. She wants to make certain her friend is okay. They don't often split up at these things, not like they go to a lot of celebrity parties, but when they do, they always keep an eye out for each other.
~
The blonde on the stockbroker's arm narrows her eyes at Jenna's approach, then squelches the reaction quickly. A quick round of introductions are made, first names only. As far as Chance is concerned, that's all the two men need to know. That's more than they need to know about Jenna.
"Pretty name," the lawyer grins at Jenna. "For a very lovely woman."
Chance tries not to gag.
Tilting his beer up to take another long pull, he looks around as he finishes drinking. "It's been fun catching up, but we're going to stretch out legs, find our ride." He's not saying that they're leaving any time soon, though he won't care if that's how these two take it.
~
It takes Jenna several more sips to even come close to finishing her daiquiri. She sets the empty glass down and smiles at the two other men. "I've alays thought it was lovely, thanks." She's not flirting, just being friendly. It's not as though she's going to ask either for their number or dance with them. Not with the annoyance she's picking up from Chance so far as they're concerned.
"Sounds like a plan. I'd like to know where those two got up to anyhow." Kissing Chance's jaw, she reaches for his hand and 'holds' it. Just enough so that the two friends of his thinks they're here together.
~
"Grr-argh," Harper replies to the caveman comment. "I think you mean Neanderthal. Not all cave dwellers were what we consider cavemen." Giving her butt a swat before he sets her down, he smiles at her.
Harper is about to say something else when she's kissing him. He sets his thumb to her cheek, drawing Siobhan in for another kiss. This one considerably deeper than she's just offered.
~
Her search for her bestie is interrupted by Harper's kiss and the subsequent derailing of her thoughts. She sets a hand to the back of his neck, fingers stretching and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as her other hand drops to rest on his knee. No way in hell is she resisting this, and she's not hesitant or shy in response either. The witch allows the kiss to last and linger for as long as Harper wants. Her heart is pounding loudly in her chest, and there's no mistaking her combination of giddiness and satisfaction in the moment.
When the kiss breaks, she blinks at him, an almost shy smile on her lips, "What were we talking about?"
~
"See you at the festivities on the fourth, Chance?" The stockbroker asks, though his gaze seems to be riveted to Jenna.
Chance manages not to wince, and also not to step protectively in front of the empath. It's a near thing though, and he wonders when he became as protective as Quin.
"Yeah, as always," Chance nods. "Assuming you're taking your boat out?" Meaning that it's not an invitation to invade Chance's private party.
At the confirmation, Chance begs off with a farewell, and doesn't even blink Jenna takes his hand. Better that they think she's with Chance than not.
"Sorry," Chance whispers to Jenna, his mouth close to her ear and voice lowered. "Those two redefine the term 'player' and I didn't want you exposed to them."
~
"My hero," Jenna whispers back at him. There's a slight shiver as he whispers in her ear, and she really wants to be closer to him for some reason. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes.
"I mean, I appreciate you looking out for me." She probably could've handled them easily enough, but the fact she doesn't have to now? Makes her happy. Squeezing his hand, she smiles at him.
"I've never been out in the harbor for the fourth. Do you go close enough to the statue for the fireworks? I'd love to see them out there on the water."
~
A low, deep chuckle comes from Harper as the kiss ends. His thumb brushes over Siobhan's cheek again, and he smiles.
"Nothing important. Have I told you that I like that dress on you yet? You're gorgeous, Shiv."
~
"This old thing?" Siobhan laughs, smoothing her hand over her skirt and her lap. Her eyes are bright, a hint of color in her cheeks from the rush and flush of the kiss. She ducks her head graciously, and peeks up at Harper from beneath her lashes. "No, you haven't, and thank you."
It's odd, the way that they're feeling one another out. In some ways, nothing has changed; in some ways, everything has changed. She dances her fingertips lightly over his knee. "You're pretty handsome yourself, you know."
Beat.
"I'm glad you came tonight." Not only because it means she didn't have to worry about Jenna's insistence that Chance is interested in her, and her bestie and the sorcerer can flirt with each other, but mostly because it's yet another opportunity to spend time with Harper.
~
Chance snickers at her words. "That's what friends are for, right? I get your back and make sure creeps don't take advantage of you?"
His blue eyes scan the crowd, searching for Siobhan and Harper, but the angle must be wrong because he doesn't spy them. "Besides, I'd feel terrible if you wound up dancing with one of them. They're both lousy dancers, and the blonde would probably spill his beer on you." As an excuse to feel her up, but Chance isn't going to elaborate on that.
He untangles his hand from hers, but drops an arm lightly around her shoulder in playfully flirtatious manner. "Also, you'd look far better dancing with me than with one of them. They're not even man enough for roller disco."
~
"OoOh. Was that an offer to dance, cowboy?" Jenna bats her lashes at him, then laughs. "I've run across idiots like them before. The best way to handle them is to be oblivious." Wrinkling her nose she sighs. "I've run into the beer spiller type too."
Stopping, she twists around to face him. She's a little tipsy, she knows. She doesn't care.
"You know you don't have to protect me for Quin, right?"
~
"Wild horses wouldn't have kept me away," Harper replies, still stroking his thumb over her cheek.
"That old thing looks gorgeous on you."
Beat.
"Probably better off you." Giving her a cheeky grin, Harper winks and sets his hand to her thigh.
~
Laughing, Siobhan rolls her eyes and nudges Harper. She's smiling on the outside, but on the inside his words made her heart skip a beat and a bead of anxious, eager anticipation coiled inside of her. "Behave yourself, Harper Donovan."
Then, because she can't resist, she leans in and presses a sweet, familiar kiss to his cheek, squeezing his knee. "If you're good, and you're lucky, you might find out someday." The words are playful and teasing, though she dips her head a bit as she draws back, coyness coloring the edges of her teasing.
Looking around again a bit, she finally spots Jenna, with Chance at her side, the sorcerer's arm around her bestie's shoulder. Siobhan immediately frowns out of sheer habit and protectiveness, and then relaxes. Chance is trustworthy, or he better be if he doesn't want to deal with Shiv and Harper.
She shifts so that she's leaning against Harper, and waves a hand to motion a server with a drink tray over. "Jenna is having fun."
~
Chance grins at Jenna, "It might have been. I recall that you might not be such a bad dance partner." The sorcerer is relaxed and teasing, having fun with the pretty girl at his side. There's nothing untoward in his thoughts or demeanor, which is an unusual place for Chance to find himself.
He takes another pull from his bottle of beer, and drains it. It finds a home on the tray of passing server collecting empty glasses, and he's about to capture Jenna's hand and give her a little playful twirl when she turns and faces him.
"What?" Not the most on the feet reaction. The sorcerer frowns, then laughs and shakes his head. "Why would I want to keep you safe for Quin? I want to keep you safe for you." Chance taps her lightly on the nose with a fingertip.
~
"Might not be such a bad dance partner?" Jenna pouts, knowing full well that she can dance pretty decently. Sticking her tongue out at Chance, she gives his shoulder a little push, and then smiles.
"Well I know Quin is your friend, and I know how protective he can be, and you seem to want to be keeping me out of trouble…"
Crossing her eyes to look at his fingertip as it taps her nose, the frown turns into something more akin to a smile. Then she sets one hand to his left cheek as she leans up to press a friendly kiss to his right. She doesn't draw away immediately, just shifts her head to look directly in his eyes.
"Thank you."
~
"What if I don't want to behave myself? What if I want to get a room upstairs?" Harper's teasing her, reaching out to tickle his fingers down her thigh and over her knee.
"I'm not in a rush, Flutterbee. We've waited years as is. I think I can last another one if I need to." Winking at Siobhan, he leans in and nuzzles at her neck playfully.
"Though admittedly, I might not be good at taking htis completely slow."
~
It's a good thing that Siobhan has known Harper long enough to know when he's teasing. The knowledge doesn't stop her heart from skipping again, or her body flushing with a familiar sort of longing heat, but it does mean that she doesn't take the teasing to heart. Even if his fingertips on her leg leave tingles in their wake.
You've got it bad, girlfriend. Not that it's a revelation. She's had it bad for years. The only thing that's changed is the mutual, open acknowledgment of shared interest.
The sound she makes when he nuzzles at her neck is somewhere between a giggle and sigh. Reaching up, she automatically dances fingers through his hair. A different sound, a hitch of breath comes at his last words; the awareness that he's not alone in that sentiment.
"You know what they say about anticipation," Siobhan laughs, tickling her fingers down his shoulder and leaning back so she can meet his beautiful blue eyes and give him a familiar coy little smirk. "Or was that patience?"
Winking at him, Siobhan leans in and gives him a perfectly sweet, chaste little kiss.
~
"You are in the shark tank, little lady," Chance says by way of explanation. "I'm just making sure the hungry ones don't get a whiff of blood in the water." He's pretty sure that this isn't Jenna's normal millea, at least not without Siobhan by her side so that they can fend off the sharks together. It's much easier to do it that way, than singly.
The kiss makes Chance pause for a moment, particularly when he can sense the kiss is a bit longer than typical. Meeting her gaze, he gives her a friendly grin. "You're welcome. I'll gladly stay by your side all night to keep you out of trouble." He glances around, finally spotting Harper and Siobhan and then turns back to Jenna. "Seeing how you and Siobhan aren't keeping tabs on each other, someone has to fall on that sword." He winks to show he's playing, and then wraps an arm around her and shifts her easily to his side. "Let's find a spot on the dance floor."
~
Jenna has been telling everyone for years that she's not great with flirting, or making her desires known. When she gets the friendly grin from Chance, she feels like stomping her foot and huffling at him. Instead, she just smiles and allows him to shift her back to his side.
"You think I'm too innocent." The thought makes her giggle a little, and she leans in against him.
"Slow or fast? I'm rather good at both." Twisting to face him again, she winks and then reaches for his hand to lead him to the dance floor.
~
That Siobhan doesn't react like a normal girl would has Harper chuckling. He loves that she knows him so well.
"That it's a pain in the ass when you really want something?" Before she draws away from the sweet little kiss, he nips at her lower lip and then growls, "You're going to be the death of me, Shiv. Patience is a virtue, but to hell with that."
~
Damn and double damn, if Harper isn't the most difficult to resist non-boyfriend that Siobhan has ever had. The most difficult to resist man that she's ever been around and that includes Jesse back when she thought he had a shot at being 'The One.' A very, very big part of her wants to throw caution to the wind. The part that's been in love with Harper Donovan forever and is certain that he's worth waiting for and has been all these years. The other part, which isn't quite as loud but is forceful holds her back just barely.
"We're doing this slow for a reason, remember?" Siobhan quietly reminds him. His idea, not hers, and she might have squirmed at the time, but the more things shift between them, the more she knows it's a good idea.
If we go there, there's going to be no turning back. Not that she thinks she'll want to …
The server veers over finally and Siobhan snags a glass of bubbly liquid. Champagne, which goes to her head a lot faster than anything else, so she has the presence of mind to sip it and not chug it down. "Do you want to dance?"
~
Chance knows flirting and attempted flirting. He also knows he's not going to take that bait, not with Quin being his roommate and friend, not with said friend being interested in Jenna no matter what he says. Encouraging Jenna is not on the agenda, because of that and because she's a hard read and because he's not the kind of guy she should be interested in.
"I think that I'm one of the sharks," Chance tells her honestly. "I'm just better trained than the others."
He follows Jenna onto the dance floor, where a fast, upbeat song is currently playing. "Why don't we stick to following the music?" Chance grins and gives her a little twirl, before setting his hand lightly to her waist and moving them into the beat of the song.
~
"I don't think you're a shark, Chance." Smiling at him as prettily as she can, Jenna reaches out and touches his cheek again. "I think you're a cowboy, and a flirt, but you'd never try getting into my pants while your friend likes me." Oh, she knows that's what the issue is. She's calling him on it.
Once they get to the dance floor and the music starts playing, she flashes another smile at him then drops her arms around his neck. Wiggling, and twisting in time to the music she keeps smiling at him in a dangerously flirty manner.
~
Harper is being difficult on purpose, because it builds the anticipation. But also, because he actually wants to go there with Siobhan.
"I know we are. I know it was my idea. I'm considering changing the rules for you, Flutterbee." Nipping at her neck again he murmurs, "Dancing isn't what I had in mind."
~
"I like it when you call me that," Siobhan admits. She has trouble imagining anyone else outside of her family doing it, but it sounds right and feels right when Harper does. It's not at all a response to what he's said, however. She sips at the champagne, and fails to resist the urge to close her eyes and tilt her head, offering up more of her neck to Harper.
She has a great deal more will power than might be expected. Siobhan sighs in encouragement of the attention, and squeezes his knee. "I know it isn't."
They're skating dangerously close to the edge and she knows it. She almost wishes she could read his mind, but honestly, she doesn't need to be a mind reader to have a good idea of what Harper is thinking right about now. Siobhan hasn't outright told him 'no' but she hasn't told him 'yes,' either.
~
He considers Jenna for a moment and chuckles softly. "I'd never try to get in your pants because I like you and I think we're becoming friends. Sleeping with you would mess that up." That's the honest truth, and Jenna will sense Chance's sincerity. He's not trying to make something up to make her feel better. It's simply how he feels about it.
"You don't know me very well," Chance snorts. "I'm more of a shark than you might think." It wasn't the first, and probably won't be the last, lacy bra that Chance has come into possession of. "You know, I was there that night at Purgatory. You and Siobhan made an impression. You two were on the radar until you started flirting around with Quin."
Beat.
"My motives were not pure and respectful, either." Of course, he hadn't realized Siobhan was a witch either because they never made eye contact. Then again, it wasn't her face Chance had been paying the most attention to.
~
"I've never slept with anyone," she admits, sheepishly to Chance. "So however dishonorable your intentions might've been? It wouldn't have happened anyhow."
Smiling at him again, she steps a little closer as they dance. "Then again, when I'm with Shiv, no one actually tries to get into my pants anyhow. They're always more interested in hers." Her friend's body is a lot more desirable, she knows.
"I still don't think you're a shark."
~
No, she's not said no to him, but Harper isn't pushing things either. They did say they wanted to take things slow; or he did. Regardless of that fact, he teases his tongue over her throat and nips again. After he does that, he uses his thumb to turn her head toward him and he steals a long, drawn out kiss.
They're beyond skating close to the edge. They're on the edge already, and near thin ice.
"No pressure, Siobhan. When it happens, we're going to do it right. I don't want to take advantage of you when you're tipsy."
~
Siobhan looses a tiny little whimper that's immediately swallowed up in the kiss. It's an effort to hold onto the glass and not let it drop from her fingers, even as she presses closer to him, snaking fingers through his hair.
Dark eyes, heavy lidded with lust blink at Harper and Siobhan licks her lips. No one has ever affected her like this with just a few kisses, not since she was fifteen and unaware of all the other parts that came after kissing.
"I'm not tipsy," Siobhan whispers, so the argument isn't a forceful as it could be. "If I were …" If she were tipsy, in this place and position right now with Harper? A few rather suggestive thoughts pop into her head, because she knows that she'd hardly have the restraint she's currently showing.
Siobhan gives her head a shake to clear it and sets her glass on the table behind the couch. "We should dance." The distraction will be good for both of them, and the movement might help clear her head a bit more.
~
Chance is male. He has male drives and libido, and he really can't argue with Jenna's assessment, even if he wanted to do so. She seems to be accepting of it, and Chance isn't going to tell her otherwise. Siobhan has something about her, and it's not just her body. There's something in how she moves, in her flirtatious manner that gets male attention. Probably not the sort she always wants, but it's there. Jenna is the sweet one, the friendly one, and they're quite a contrast together.
"That's because I haven't done anything to make you think otherwise," Chance remarks. He doesn't plan on doing so either.
He spins her out playfully and draws her back in, remembering how she liked it at the roller disco. Also, he's not sure how he feels about Jenna liking him when Quin likes her, and when he knows he's not exactly the 'dating' type.
"You're right, it wouldn't have happened," Chance agrees. He's never been the sort to coerce a girl's virginity from her. The ones he beds are … well rounded women, in a manner of speaking. Maybe that does separate him from the sharks.
~
"You won't either," Jenna teases. She knows she's not her friend, and she'll never be that flirtatious. She tries, but she never gets to be like that.
Giggling as he spins her out, she twirls back in and kisses his cheek again. She's not going to deny that she likes Chance; because she does. She also likes Quintin too, so she's taking Siobhan's advice. Have fun with it, play, flirt. Siobhan would prefer that she were with Quintin, but Jenna's not going stress over it. If Chance asks her to stop, she will.
"I like hanging out with you. You make things more interesting."
"I really don't want to," Harper sulks. It's playful and he does get up to his feet, but dancing, especially with those suggestive thoughts of hers, is the absolute furthest thing from his mind.
"You know I'm awful at dancing."
~
Siobhan stands and winds her fingers through his. Leaning up, a sweet kiss is pressed to his cheek. "Just one dance. Thank you for humoring me, and then we can do whatever you want to do."
~
"I'm not sure 'interesting' is a good thing or a bad thing," Chance says. He tilts his head and considers for a moment. "Isn't interesting like having a 'good personality'?" This he can handle, when she's not trying to get too close and be too over the top with the flirtation.
"You never know, I might lose my way," Chance teases. "Then what will you do?"
~
"Kiss you," Jenna answers without hesitation. She smiles at him, and then giggles again. "Interesting is a good thing, Chance."
Beat.
"Interesting as in, I'm never bored when I'm with you."
Releasing her arms from his neck, she dances back a few steps, spins, and then dances back toward him. Her back to his chest, one arm is flung around his neck and she wiggles again.
~
Grumbling, Harper lets himself be lead to the dance floor. Once they're there, he spins her toward him and grabs her waist possessively.
"You're not going home with any of these guys, Shiv."
~
Siobhan is torn between being flattered by the possessive grabbing and offended by the words Harper says. She peers up at him, trying to get a read on what would make him say that. Her knee jerk reaction of wanting to lay into him for feeling the need to say that when that isn't something she does, fades when she sees the look on his face.
The witch steps closer, winding her arms around his neck. "Of course I'm not. I'm not interested in any of these guys, Harper."
She holds his gaze for a beat and then stretches up, pulling him down for a lingering, sweet kiss that she pours her heartfelt affection for him into. I'm with the guy I'm interested in. If I'm going home with anyone, it'll be you, silly. The witch thinks it at Harper, willing him to hear that thought above all others.
~
"Kissing me, might just encourage me to keep on the wrong path," Chance winks before she spins out and dances. He loosely drapes an arm around her waist, moving in time to the music. Not encouraging anything more than friendly flirtation, and just dancing.
"Be careful what you wish for, Magpie. Hanging out with me might make things really interesting."
~
"Who says it's the wrong path, Chance?" Jenna winks back at him and then leans back against him. Swaying her hips, she presses against him in a teasing manner. They are both adults, and if it's what they both wind up wanting, she's not going to argue it.
"I like interesting. I'm not going to worry about it."
~
Good.
Harper is willing to take home, but they both happen to live with parents. One of them is going to need their own place eventually. Or he'll just get Chance to see his sister home, and take Siobhan upstairs.
"Good." He's not sure if she'll hear his thoughts in return, so he vocalizes it as well. "Let's stay out all night. There's no laws saying we need to go home when the party ends."
~
Maybe it's because she's so closely invested in Harper and wanting him to hear her at the moment, or maybe it's because she's gazing at him as the kiss ends, but whatever the reason, Siobhan hears a disjointed thought that isn't her own. She blinks, "Did you just - "
Her question tapers off though when he speaks, and Siobhan squeals and hugs him tightly. "Yes, let's!" It sounds like a world of fun, really… and if they end up going upstairs … well, they'll deal with that when and if it happens.
~
Chance really isn't sure what to make of Jenna at this point. She's being far more outgoing and flirtatious than he's used to her being. He wonders, briefly, how much she's had to drink. Deciding that it's better for her to behave this way with him if she's tipsy than anyone else, he sways to the music, his own body moving teasingly in response.
"Yeah, wait until you wake up in Atlantic City with a lampshade on your head. Then you might worry about it."
~
Jenna's only had two drinks, but she's fairly certain the bartender gave her a little bit extra of extra rum in the drink she just drank.
"As long as it's not the only thing I'm wearing, it's fine." Shrugging, she smiles up at him again. Giving it a beat of three, she wriggles and angles herself up to press a kiss to his jaw. "I've never been to Atlantic City. We were planning on it for our twenty first birthday."
~
"Apparently I did," Harper says to Siobhan as he kisses her cheek. "Never knew I could do that." There's a pause, and he spins her around after the hug. "We'll take a walk in the park across the street. Talk all night like we used to." Not that they haven't done that for a while, it's just been a little while since they've had the opportunity to.
~
"Whatever you want," Siobhan responds with an impish smile. She did promise him one dance and then they'd do whatever he wants. Tossing him a wink, she swivels her hips and does a little shimmy, dancing away and back toward him. Siobhan moves up close, spinning to loop her arms around his neck and give a playful little wiggle against his body. Then she's spinning away with a grin, simply swiveling her hips and moving to the music for a few beats. When she dances in close again, the witch circles around Harper's body, dragging her hands along his chest and down his hip. She playfully swats his backside before coming front and center again and blowing him a kiss.
Always aware that Harper isn't a big dancer, Siobhan isn't pulling out any crazy moves, just enjoying the music and the company. Swaying in close again, the witch turns, pressing back against him, her back to his chest and grabs his hands, placing them at her waist. One hand rests on one of his, the other arm winding up to drape behind his neck as her body undulates slowly. "Just move with me."
~
"That's the problem. It might be the only thing you're wearing."
The kiss earns an intake of breath because that's stepping to the outside of friendly. Chance takes the opportunity to twist her away and draw her back in again, this time, facing him, however. "By 'we' I'm assuming you mean you and Siobhan?" For whatever reason, he's the only one of the group that isn't calling the witch 'Shiv.' Given their tentative truce, or whatever is going on with between them, it's not surprising. "The thought of the pair of you alone in Atlantic City is kind of terrifying."
~
"Promises, promises," she says, giggling afterward. Once she's facing him, Jenna smiles up at him shyly. She can't tell if he's liking the flirtation, or doesn't want it to go past friendly-flirty. It's likely the latter, but even so she nips on her lip and bats her lashes at him.
"Well unless you were planning on taking me there for my birthday?" On that, Jenna's obviously joking. He's right. She hardly knows him.
"But yes, I meant Siobhan and myself. Possibly Harper." Something they've been planning for the last five years.
~
"You?" Harper gives her a cheeky grin. Then watches her dance around him. He really isn't much of a dancer. He's happy to be the guy that stands there while a girl dances around him.
"As you wish." Moving his body in rhythm with hers, he grins. "Guess that's mine line for later, hmm?" Waggling his brows at her, he chuckles.
~
Siobhan laughs and presses tightly back against him. It's a carefully calculated teasing move, and one she's really not stupid enough to employ with total strangers. She drags her fingers over the back of his hand, tilting her head back to gauge his reaction before she presses her lips to the underside of his jaw. "Don't you have high hopes?"
~
"Nope," Chance says, popping the 'p.' "However, if we're still talking at that time, I might have to follow along behind to make certain that the two of you lovely ladies stay out of trouble."
Beat.
"I probably won't be the only one." If Harper goes along, it might not be so bad but … a quick glance around again and he finds Jenna's twin and Siobhan on the dance floor, and no matter what the pair may say it's hard to deny that they are a couple. No, if things keep on like that, there might come a time or two when the couple will want to be alone. Better to have someone there to keep Jenna company.
"When is the big 2-1 anyway?"
~
"April twenty-third."
Which, realistically is still a long way off. She's only just turned twenty, so it's not as though it's right around the corner. "Though it's too bad you don't want to take me. We could've had a lot of fun."
Beat.
"Harper will be busy with Siobhan, so I guess I'll be on my own. Which, I guess, will be more fun."
Beat.
"We might even go to Vegas."
~
"Plenty of high hopes," Harper replies with a laugh. He pauses briefly at her touch. Again at her kiss.
Then he's grabbing her, spinning her around, and kissing her full on. He's damned well making it look like they're a couple.
~
Siobhan's pulse jumps in her throat, the unexpectedness of the kiss stealing her breath away. She's kissing him back eagerly and openly, with far more hunger and heat than she's ever experienced before. A hand sets to the back of his neck, drawing Harper closer and holding him there as she presses closer to him, trying to bend the laws of nature and occupy the same space. It feels as though the temperature of the room has risen ten degrees, and is still rising, and really the witch has forgotten that they're in a room full of people.
Overhead and around them, the lights dim, and then brighten again, and somewhere over the bar a bottle explodes with a large pop and shattering sound.
~
"So, you've just turned …" Chance trails off, and shakes his head grinning. She's younger than he thought she was, but it's not a terribly huge deal. Just a note made and filed away for later.
He taps her lightly on the nose again, "Cart before the horse, Magpie. I'm not promising or offering anything when we've barely met. However, I do promise to come with if things keep going as they have."
Beat.
"No one is going to leave you on your own in Atlantic City. Or Ve -" The dimming of the lights catches Chance's attention, but it's really the exploding bottle that has him looking around again. There's a confused crowd at the bar, murmuring, but Chance's attention falls to the the witch and Harper, who are caught in quite the liplock.
"Maybe they should get a room?" Chance suggests lightly.
~
"Twenty. In April, yes." Jenna blushes and dips her head down shyly. If things keep going as they have, like what? This as friends, or whatever might come after that? He's so damned hard to read.
"I understand and respect that. I like getting to know you."
She's so tempted to kiss him. More so when the lights dim. But she automatically looks at Siobhan as the lights flicker.
"I… yeah. I think so. Apparently she loses stray magic when she's emotional."
~
Harper draws back from the kiss as soon as he hears the bottle break. "Flutterbee…"
Brushing his hand over her face, he murmurs, "Calm yourself. You're fluctuating the power. You're going to turn all the lights off and leave us in the dark."
~
Siobhan chases Harper's mouth with hers as the kiss breaks and then slowly snaps back to her senses. A dark blush rises from her chest and up into her neck and face, "Ohmigod, I'm sorry …" Siobhan dips her head down, mentally kicking herself for her lack of control. She can't imagine that that's a very good beginning to making Harper want to indulge that heatedly with her again.
~
"It's not uncommon really, when we're first coming into our abilities," Chance says with a shrug. Of course, given Siobhan's age she should have already come into her abilities. In fact, he felt the power from the charm she gave to Quin, and there's definitely a good deal of ability already present. He frowns, then shrugs it off. It's something he'll pose to his father later.
The brief interruption of the party was just that, and Chance hooks an arm around Jenna's waist, drawing her back in to continue dancing. "Ok, so, Atlantic City or Vegas for your twenty-first. Vegas would probably be a lot more fun, but you'd probably want to put it off until summer so as not to miss school."
~
"I can afford to miss a few days," Jenna says with a laugh. "Because I've never missed a day at Tisch yet." Licking her lips, she stops dancing just long enough to loop her arms around his neck. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she kisses him. It's timid, and slightly awkward, and it's only the third or fourth kiss she's ever had.
"Vegas it is. I'm not going to worry about Siobhan's powers. She's likely just going through another growth spurt with them, and higher emotions cause them to be a bit wacky."
~
Harper chuckles, and pulls her into a tight hug. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm more worried about you. Did I do something to upset you?"
~
"Ohmigod, no!" Siobhan buries her face in his shoulder, both embarrassed and amused. She's never had that reaction to something … intimate … before, and she's not sure what to make of it. She's just surprised that Harper actually thinks her reaction has to do with being upset. At least upset in a negative way.
"I wasn't upset at all," Siobhan confesses quietly into his shoulder. "I was really, really, really enjoying kissing you." She's hard pressed to put it into words, so she hopes that he can pick it up from her emotions, if not her thoughts. How hot she thought the kiss was, how she threw herself into it, and has never done or felt anything like that before from a kiss.
It's not just negative emotions.
~
The sorcerer freezes when she kisses him. He's not expecting it, and he's already kicking himself when he realizes that he's responding to it automatically. It is sweet and awkward, and Chance back pedals, breaking off the kiss carefully when he realizes exactly what it is he's doing.
Jenna resumes talking right away, as if trying to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary happened, and Chance sighs, closing his eyes and swallowing. "No, I wouldn't worry about her. The building is still standing so she has some control."
Beat.
"Jenna," Chance exhales her name in a slow sigh. "You don't have to … you know, that's not why I'm hanging with you tonight, right?"
~
Jenna doesn't care that he's responding to the kiss. It gives her that little bit of hope that she needs tonight. Something to tell her that she's not made the wrong decision in just hanging out and having fun and not pining after something serious. Even though he breaks the kiss off, and leaves her blushing because of it, she glances down at the floor.
"I know I don't have to. I know if you were hanging out with me because you wanted something, you'd have no issues with my lame flirting and advances."
Her two front teeth nip onto her lower lip briefly, then she smiles at him. "You're hanging out to have fun, and to keep an eye on me because Shiv is busy with Harper."
Beat.
"I did it because I wanted to, Chance. I wanted to know what it'd be like to make the first move and kiss you."
~
Siobhan's reaction is priceless. Harper can't help but laugh at the fact that she's embarrassed by his asking that. To be fair, the only time Harper has ever seen her do something like that was when she was upset, so it's best to get that out of the way before saying anything else.
"If you were really enjoying that, what are you going to do when we finally stop taking things slow and go for it?"
~
The laughter really doesn't help Siobhan's awkwardness and embarrassment. It's like being twelve again and coming into her powers new, when things were unpredictable. So much so that she once threatened to live in her bedroom until she could be a normal witch. The witch shuffles her feet and really wishes she could just turn back time and stop that from happening.
There are plenty of quips she could make, things about practice making perfect and testing her limits, but what comes past her lips is a soft, self-deprecating. "I don't know."
She suspects she isn't going to get the opportunity to find out any time soon, either.
~
Exhaling another sigh, Chance reaches out and strokes his knuckles along her cheek. "Jenna … how did you expect me to react?" He's obviously not offended by her making a move on him, though there's some confusion, more because he knows that she likes Quin and is aware that Quin likes her. And while Quin may not be ready for a relationship with a human girl - or possibly even naked werewolf girls - it creates a bundle of awkward.
He shakes his head and flipping his hand, he cups her cheek. Chance holds her gaze, asking very softly, "What would you have done if I'd pushed it further?"
~
"I don't know," she answers honestly. She really doesn't know what she expected of him. Jenna just wanted to kiss him. She's quite aware that she needs more practice at it now.
Blinking up at him, a slightly puzzled expression on her face, she bites the inside of her cheek. Staring at him, into those blue eyes of his, she's tempted to kiss him again.
"I… I don't know," she says, embarrassed. "What if I'd liked that you pushed it further?"
~
Tightening his grip on her waist, Harper smiles. "Siobhan, stop stressing over it. I liked that you reacted that way to me. That your feelings are so strong you make the lights dim, and sparks fly."
He playfully cups, then swats her backside and winks at her. "I'd offer to let you find out what would happen, but neither of us is ready for that. Sex? Sure. Easy enough. It's not what I want though. I want so much more than just sex."
~
"Really?" Siobhan dares to lift her head from where she's hiding her face in shoulder, and peeks up at Harper. "You're not worried that the next time I'm going to black out the whole room?" Or building, even.
She bites her lip and squirms a bit, alternately disappointed and relieved by his words. A part of her thinks she's more than ready to take things to the next level with Harper, because she's been wanting him and waiting for this for years. Another part doesn't want to move too quickly, and doesn't want to risk anything. She can't quite put her feelings into words, so she simply nods her head.
~
"I'm not trying to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable, really, I'm not." Chance strokes her cheek with his thumb, holding her gaze for a long beat. He's really out of his element here, because he isn't accustomed to scenarios like this, where the outcome doesn't include one or both parties losing a good majority of their clothing by the end of the night. Add to that, he likes Jenna. She's sweet and fun and easy to talk to, but he's honestly never considered her in any other sense than friendship. Not before tonight, anyway. Mainly because he hadn't a clue she was interested in him.
Again, complications.
Realizing that they're standing on the dance floor, but not dancing, Chance steps back and takes her hand in his. "Let's get off the dance floor, okay? It's really not the best place for conversation."
~
"You're not, Chance. I mean, I'm not uncomfortable." Jenna concentrates on feeling his emotions. Trying to get a read on him, but at a party like this, it's difficult. All she winds up with are a jumble of emotions and physical responses from those around her. It's making her feel a great deal more intoxicated than she actually is.
"But I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I won't do it again."
When he takes her hand, she stands there dumbly and grins at him, then nods. She's really not at all sure what else to say.
~
"Really," Harper replies. Snatching her chin with his thumb and forefinger, he pulls her head up and kisses her again. Softly. Sweetly.
"There's no rush. I promise you, Siobhan. Whenever we're both ready is more than enough for me."
~
Siobhan stares at him for a long moment, touching her tongue to her lips as though tasting the remnants of his kiss there. Her thoughts and emotions are in a jumble and she's trying very hard to sort them out and make sense of it all. It's never been more clear to her than it is at this moment of how much she's invested into Harper, even before the here and now. She's crazy about him, she's in love with him. She wants him above all others.
Pressing her mouth to his, Siobhan kisses Harper with the same sweetness that he employed, though she deepens the kiss. It's hard to know what and how much he can feel from her, but she tries to communicate her affection and conviction through that kiss.
"I'm ready," Siobhan whispers when the kiss breaks. She's been ready forever, it seems. She nips playfully at his lip. "Let me know when you're ready." There's absolutely no guarantee that she won't bring down the power grid, or at the very least, blackout the entire building that they're in at the time, but in a moment of complete clarity, she knows what she wants.
Stepping back, she takes Harper's hand and weaves their fingers together and gives him a smile. "You gave me my dance, now we'll do what you want to do. I promised."
~
"I'm not uncomfortable," Chance tells Jenna. He tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Confused, but not uncomfortable."
The sorcerer doesn't say anything else until he's led them away from the dance floor. There's a quiet corner, with a small couch that's just being vacated as he and Jenna approach the spot. Chance sits, gently tugging Jenna down to sit on the couch beside him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he takes a moment to order his thoughts and finally exhales a long, tired sigh that tapers off into a mirthless chuckle.
"You're not like any girl that I've ever met," Chance says, shaking his head. "Honestly Jenna, I didn't even realize how interested you were in me before tonight. I've been trying really hard to just keep things friendly because otherwise it might get awkward." Because of Quin mostly. "I haven't allowed myself to look at you any other way because you really deserve more than a one night stand or a few weeks fling, and that's really all I've ever done."
Chance squeezes her hand. "I like hanging out with you and getting to know you. Before you and Siobhan … I really haven't ever done this. The whole friendly hanging out thing. I'd like to be able to keep doing it … but I don't want you to think that that means I'm not attracted to you, because it's a little hard to ignore the fact that you're attractive right about now." He gives her a boyish grin and raises her hand to his lips. "I just don't know what if anything, I should do about it."
~
Jenna's having difficulties at the moment, with keeping her emotions in check. She's trying, but parties have always been a bit overwhelming for her. Drunkeness, high emotions, high people, and it all culminates in her feeling a lot more tipsy than she actually is. She's got a contact high from being here so long, so she's doing her best to focus on Chance's emotions to try to read him while they talk.
"Okay…" Taking a deep breath, Jenna reaches for one of his hands, simply to try to keep that emotional connection so she can filter out everything else. "You're right. I don't want a one night stand or a fling. But right now I'm not looking for anything serious either." Slowly, she lifts her head and offers him a smile. "You think it'll be awkward because of Quin. I can respect that." And she can, because she does like both of them and she doesn't want to hurt either of them.
"If you want to just keep things friendly, I can respect that too, Chance. I really can. I'm just…" Biting her lip, she looks down and then slowly looks back at him through her lashes. "… trying something new. Trying to let people know when I'm interested in them, instead of shying back and not saying anything."
Beat.
"I like you. I like Quin. I like hanging out with the two of you, but I'm not going to play you against one another, if that's what you're thinking."
~
Harper stares at Siobhan for a long moment, jaw slack. He straightens himself up, and takes both her hands to lead her across the room toward the door. Pilfering a garden key from a jacket someone's discarded he dangles it at her. "Garden in a near full moon. Not that it matters, too many city lights."
Beat.
"We'll see."
She's ready, he's definitely ready, but he doesn't want to push things with her. So he'd rather see where the night goes instead of jumping right in and screwing any of this up.
~
"A walk in the moonlight, it is," Siobhan smiles softly at Harper, her dark eyes bright with her affection and full of her heart. She will do what Harper wants to do, go as slowly as he wants. The witch isn't going anywhere and her feelings for this man are hardly going to change, not easily and certainly not overnight. Not without drastic and catastrophic interference.
She squeezes his hand and leans against him. "I'm all yours."
~
"Good," Chance squeezes the hand he's been holding and then the one Jenna grabbed for good measure. "Because I really don't want things to get weird and awkward between me and Quin or between me and you, right?"
Beat.
"I'm happy to keep hanging out with you. We can keep going out and having fun, because we do have fun together." Chance gives her a boyish smile. "So long as we both agree that there are no expectations, okay?" Chance can handle it if she's not hoping he'll become her boyfriend, that he's familiar with.
Laughing, he leans in and kisses her on the tip of her nose. Then he kisses her lightly on the cheek. It's not an all encompassing romantic come hither move, but neither does it echo completely platonicly. "You definitely let me know that you're interested."
