Manhattan - Donovan Residence
The top three floors of a five floor mansion on Fifth Avenue, the Donovan home is quite large. The outer walls are a beautiful white limestone with a wrought-iron gate blocking the entrance. The home has eleven large rooms and has wonderful details throughout including the original staircase, elevator to all floors, 11-foot high ceilings, hardwood floors, three wood burning fireplaces, a solarium with skylight and a great south facing terrace. There is a grand foyer on the main floor, a beautiful living room with three large windows overlooking Central Park. Other rooms include a formal dining room, powder room, a service kitchen and a staff room and bath. The next floor is the sleeping floor with 4 bedrooms and baths, including a spa like master bath. On the top floor there is a wonderful den that opens into a windowed eat in chef's kitchen that over looks the 400-square foot south facing terrace with views of the Empire State Building, a powder room and a solarium also looks out to the terrace. There are also two large storage rooms.
Characters
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| Preston Van de Mark | Cooper Montgomery | Ariel Johnson-Lowell | Jenna Donovan | Chance Harper |
Ariel returns to see the pair on the chair, although she can't hear them. She can feel the residual magic lurking around them, however.
Retrieving her wine glass, she goes to the bar to refill it. Giving the couple time to finish up whatever they're talking about it.
Plus she could use the time to make sure she doesn't give away the fact that she was upstairs making out with Preston
~*~
"It was the Fates, you know. Setting us up for that cute-meet, so that when I ran into you again I was shocked and compelled to invite you along skating with us" Jenna giggles, and kisses the underside of his jaw. "You were definitely my knight in shining armor. I was just happy that you weren't a vampire. That was my biggest fear going down there with Shiv, you know."
Beat.
"What? No! I'm very, very happy with you. I only want you!"
Spying Ariel, she nods toward the young woman and motions Chance in her direction as well.
~*~
"Thank God for the Fates."
Beat.
"Just checking," Chance winks.
Seeing Ariel, he drops the spell. "Sorry, Ariel, didn't mean to be rude. We were just talking about a few things."
Beat.
"Everything okay?"
~*~
Ariel takes a few swallows of wine, and glances over her shoulder at the couple. "You two were alone, you don't have to apologize or explain yourself."
Topping off the glass she adds, "Sorry for being gone so long. Pres and I got caught up in what we were talking about." It's not a complete lie. She did try to talk to him; Preston simply ended the conversation with his mouth. She didn't see much reason to put up much argument at that point.
Making her way to the couch, she sits down and tucks her feet beneath her. "I probably shouldn't ask but Cooper implied - and I know how Cooper is so I'm taking it with a grain of salt - but - um - you two - youdon'thavesexinthelivingroomdoyou?"
~*~
"Why would you need to check that?" Jenna swats at him playfully, then grins. She knows that he's teasing her, trying to put her in a good frame of mind, and it's working. Even so, she's going to have to find a way to show him that she's not interested in anyone else.
"It's fine. I get that whole needing a few moments to yourself th—"
The words drop off as she turns bright crimson and looks down at her lap.
"I'mgoingtokillhim," Jenna declares quickly. "It was once and it's not like everyone was there watching. They were all wrapped up in each other elsewhere… and… I'm so going to kill him… I swear…"
~*~
Jenna will probably swat him for it, but Chance laughs. He can't help it. It would be so like Cooper to bring up such a thing, in whatever twisted context that he did it. He hugs Jenna close and kisses the side of her head.
~*~
"One time only, Ariel." Chance gives the witch a half-smile. "I promise that we'll keep it to the bedroom once you move in." Unless she and Preston aren't home and aren't coming home, and then what they don't know won't hurt them or embarrass Jenna.
Chance winks at her. "But you have to do the same."
~*~
Ariel's eyes go large and she blinks at Chance. Her face darkens in attempt to compete with Jenna's blush. It takes a few seconds for realization to dawn that the sorcerer is teasing her and doesn't think she'll actually do it.
"I don't think I'll have a problem with that." She's not entirely sure what's going on with Preston after all, and she thinks it's going to be a long time before Cooper touches her intimately again. If he does at all.
"You know, I'll keep my imaginary sex with my imaginary boyfriend in my bedroom."
~*~
There is a swat for it, because it's reactionary for Jenna. "Ohmigawd! It's not funny, Chance! I didn't even think Coop knew about it!" She knows Preston did, because she told him.
Even though her face is as red as her shirt, she looks over at Ariel and quickly says, "Orwe'lluseaprivacyspell…"
Taking a deep breath, she exhales it slowly and tries to convince her cheeks not to be so hot.
~*~
Jenna's reaction only makes Chance laugh harder. He gives a yelp of mock pain. "It is funny, because it's so out of character for you. It's going to be a while before you live it down."
Beat.
"And it's proof of just how manly and irresistible I am," Chance adds with a wink.
He looks over at Ariel. "I'm sure he won't stay imaginary for long. You're beautiful Ariel. You're going to have a hundred guys all over you."
~*~
"Maybe it's just proof that she's irresistible," Ariel tells Chance. "You couldn't keep your hands off of her." She'd love to have that sort of power over a man. Even just a few moments ago, Preston kept himself restrained and in check. She knows that part of it is because he is trying to protect her and thinks she doesn't know what she's asking for, but there's another part of her that wonders if she isn't reading more into things than there may be.
Pushing the maudlin thought away, she sips her wine. She doesn't want a hundred guys all over. Two specific ones would be just fine. "I won't hold my breath."
~*~
"Ohmigawd! I'll never live it down. One time, at Christmas, I was spontaneous, and the whole world knows about it!" Blushing again, the little empath buries her face in her hands.
"You are irresistible," comes the muffled reply, "And so am I." Jenna peeks through her fingers at Ariel, and grins.
"What he said. You'll meet a lot of great guys in the program at Julliard too."
~*~
"I don't think the whole world knows about it yet," Chance jokes. He kisses the side of her head while her face is buried. "And you are irresistible. Gorgeous. Sexy…." She's perfect to him, and he is amused that everyone keeps teasing them about Christmas.
"I suppose we'll just have to hope that Sharper or Pres and Coop do something equally embarrassing so that we can tease them in return."
~*~
Ariel watches them with a small, little smile. She's envious, she can admit it. There's something about the way Chance talks to Jenna, and the way he looks at her … what woman wouldn't be envious of that sort of relationship? It's like watching Siobhan and Harper together. It's beautiful and sweet.
"I'm not really looking, you know that, right?" Ariel takes another sip of the wine. "I mean, it'd be great and all, but you really can't miss what you've never had. If it's meant to happen…" She trails off with a shrug.
~*~
"Well my whole world knows about it." With the exception of her parents, which is a good thing, because then she'd get the lecture about being 'safe', which Jenna has avoided her entire life.
"You definitely make me feel that way, you know that, right?" Jenna has a lot of insecurities (which is amusing, considering her chosen profession), but since she's been with Chance they haven't been half as bad as they might've.
"Oh, no, see… the whole point is to look. Everything that comes after the looking is up to you, but I've seen some of those guys at Julliard… heck, I can go grab Shiv's old facebook and show them to you."
Beat.
"Not to set you up because I don't know them, but there are some definite lookers that go there."
~*~
"I try," Chance tells her sincerely. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and kisses her softly on the nose.
"There's definitely no harm in looking," Chance tells Ariel. "I could introduce you to a few of the guys I know from Columbia. Some are still there, and some got decent jobs here in the city."
~*~
"I meant that I'm not looking for a boyfriend," Ariel rephrases her statement. "I've seen my friends with their boyfriends and not all guys are like you, Chance. I'd rather be content alone than miserable in a couple."
She'd rather wait it out for a man who has a boyfriend, and share him with his boyfriend, is what Ariel's not saying.
~*~
"You don't need to try, you just do." Jenna blushes a little, and then wiggles her nose.
"I wasn't looking for a boyfriend when Chance popped up into my life either. Then I had a crush on Chance's roommate, which is how I met Chance the second time. It was fate is what it was. Sometimes you don't need to look. Life just hands one to you anyhow."
Tickling her fingers down Chance's arm, she smiles over at Ariel. "If you find the right guy, you won't be miserable in a couple. So I'll tell you what Shiv was always telling me before Chance… you won't find the right guy if you don't put yourself out there, you know?"
~*~
"Sometimes things just work out the way they should. Even if you don't believe they're working out." Chance lifts Jenna's hand to his lips and kisses the back of it sweetly. He looks into her eyes while he does it, hoping that she does get a sense of how much he loves her.
~*~
Ariel watches them with a small, somewhat envious smile. She traces her fingers along the back of the couch and sighs. "Yeah, I guess it does sometimes." For some people. Honestly, she's not sure what's going to happen with her.
~*~
Preston heads down the stairs and strolls into the living room as though he never left. He doesn't stop until he reaches the couch and plops down right beside Ariel. Jerking his chin toward the cuddling couple he says, "I'm sorry. Have they been like that the whole time?"
~*~
There's a moment where Jenna nearly swoons at the words. Just the way Chance is looking at her, the way his eyes twinkle as he says it.
"Yeah, they do."
Considering their bumpy start, and the fact that he didn't want to date her at first, she thinks it's worked out for the best.
"It'll work out for you too, Ariel. I know it."
~*~
"Fine, but you balked when I called her your girlfriend too," Cooper points out, with a matching grin.
"I know you don't, sweetie." If he ever comes around to being with Ariel again, she might take issue with it. That's something he's got to think about, but not until later.
"At least they're not fucking on the middle of the floor. That's a bonus, isn't it?"
~*~
Chance doesn't even think about it. He grabs one of the decorative throw pillows from the chair and whips it at Cooper. He's got a good arm, but it's not a hard throw. "Shut it, you," Chance says with a laugh and a grin. "You're going to make Ariel think that that's all Jenna and I do."
He smiles over at the witch. "It really was the one time, I swear."
~*~
Ariel gives Jenna a faint smile, but says nothing, just takes another sip of her wine.
"It's alright. I think they're sweet. It's cute."
~*~
Preston gives Jenna an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Jennie, but sometimes I say things during pillow talk."
He glances over at Ariel, "I hope you mean that and you're not just saying it, because if you move in here, you're going to see a lot of that cutesy lovey-doveyness from them."
~*~
Jenna giggles when Chance throws the pillow. There are some benefits to dating a baseball player, and one of those is a good throwing arm. "OHMIGAWD, COOPER! You need to stop that! It was once. ONCE… and you weren't even here!" Grabbing a cushion of her own, she tosses it at the dancer, and then blushes deeply.
"Thank you, Ariel."
A look is given to Preston, and she shakes her head. She really hopes that he doesn't tell Cooper the secret about Vegas.
~*~
"For now."
Cooper's face catches the first pillow. The second hits him in the groin. He makes oof noises at both of them. "Oh god. Wait until you see Sharper in action. I swear it's a cuteness coupleoff. Those are the nights I take Preston dancing."
~*~
One thing that Chance cannot say is that Cooper and Preston are cute or lovey dovey. It's not that the pair isn't affectionate, but they certainly aren't cuddly about it. It's not because they're men, because Chance has seen plenty of men do it; their affection just tends to be more overt.
"You should know that these two," Chance points a finger between Preston and Cooper, "Are handsy with each other, and loud. I'm sure they've had sex all of the house, but just haven't been caught."
~*~
The group dynamics and actions are amusing, but Ariel really doesn't want to think about Preston and Cooper having sex, quiet, loud, in a bedroom, or anywhere else. Not when she's going back to the Knights to share a bedroom with her mother.
"Uh huh," is all she says.
Beat.
"Food should be here soon, right?"
Preston drapes his arm over the back of the couch and tickles his fingers on Ariel's shoulder. "That's the excuse he uses anyway. I think he just likes to take me dancing and show me off on his arm and on the dance floor."
~*~
"Ohmigawd… now I need to Lysol every surface in my kitchen, don't I? I can't take those cupcakes to Harper even if they taste great… who knows which ass has been on the counter, or heaven forbid, the table!" Jenna's eyes are just wide, trying to calculate how many surfaces she's going to have to disinfect now.
"I didn't even think about what people get up to when I'm not here… and I'm hardly ever here…"
It was school, work, Broadway. Now it'll be dance class, work, Broadway. Either way, she's not around too often.
~*~
Picking up the pillows, Cooper tosses them onto the couch beside Preston. Then he perches on the arm of the couch. "Should be. Chicken is what takes the longest, so I'd guess in a few minutes it'll be here, Mermaid."
~*~
Chance looks at his girlfriend for a moment, then chuckles. "You really never thought about it, did you?"
Drawing her to him, he kisses the top of her head and rubs a hand down her back. "It's okay, Jenna. I was teasing. I'm sure they haven't had sex on every surface in the house, and that they cleaned them afterwards if they did." He shoots the two men a pleading look to support his statement. Even if there is no truth to the words.
"I can't blame him. I'd want to show you off on my arm." It takes a beat or two before Ariel realizes that she's spoken aloud. Blinking and blushing, she turns her glass of wine up to her mouth and drains it. Not like alcohol is going to help her keep her mouth quiet. Things are confusing enough without her saying the first thing that pops into her head. Until she knows what's really going on with Preston, and he's ready to open up to his friends, she needs to play it cool.
~*~
Preston watches her down the wine, with a slightly bemused smile. When she finishes it, he plucks the glass gently from her fingers and sets it aside. His fingers toy with the ends of her hair. "Then when you move out here, we'll have to go dancing. I'm sure Jenna and Shiv will be happy to make you their personal dress up doll for the night and turn you into a club femme fatal." Because he knows Ariel well enough to know that her first protest is going to be that she doesn't go clubbing, and that she wouldn't know what to wear.
~*~
"No. Why would I think about it? I'm not Cooper. I don't envision my friends having sex everywhere and anywhere." Though, really, Jenna should think about these things, considering what she and Chance got up to in Vegas. Blushing at the thought that sparks a rather good memory, she squirms a little.
"I'm sure Pres would've cleaned up, you're right." And Harper hasn't been around enough, nor is he the type that would do something like that. Especially not if he thought someone might come home.
"It's alright, Ariel. We all know you have a crush on Preston. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."
~*~
"Only the hard surfaces, Broadway. I'm sure Preston cleaned them up when we were done." Waggling his brows, Cooper starts to say more. That's when the bell rings again. Hopping off the arm of the couch, he goes to grab the food and pay the man. He'll let them all protest about that, but it's the least he can do when they're the ones bearing the brunt of all the worrying.
"Dinner has arrived. Though you might not want to eat off the coffee table. I forget when that was last cleaned," he teases.
~*~
"You worry too much." Chance nips at Jenna's ear, watching Cooper run off to get the food. He would argue the point, but he figures he can always repay Cooper with dinner or drinks out later. It's one less thing for Jenna and Preston to have to worry about so he's not going to sweat it.
~*~
Ariel opens her mouth, closes it, and looks down at her lap. Blurting things out is bad enough. Being reminded that she's been branded as the girl with the ridiculous crush is even more embarrassing. Especially after making out upstairs, after having sex with Preston in San Francisco.
"Could I get more wine, Preston?" Ariel asks quietly.
~*~
"It's not as bad as Cooper was intimating, and I promise there was cleaning done." Preston rubs his hand soothingly down Ariel's back and reaches for her glass with his other hand. "As you wish."
Standing, he gives Jenna a look and a slight shake of his head, before heading off to refill Ariel's glass.
~*~
"I know, I do. It's just…" Sighing, Jenna falls quiet for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry, Ariel, that was rude of me. I meant it to be teasing, is all, and there's nothing wrong with having a crush on Preston. I used to too."
Pressing a kiss to Chance's cheek, she quietly gets up and goes to the kitchen for plates and silverware if anyone wants them.
~*~
"What's not as bad as I was intimating?" Cooper glances over at his boyfriend and grins. "Okay, fine. He cleaned up, but it was a lot more fun seeing Broadway panic just a little." Over something that wasn't her missing best friend.
Setting the bags on the coffee table, he starts to dole out the food.
"Mermaid, sweetie, haven't you learned anything when you're around me? There's little point in being embarrassed, because I'm liable to do something that'll make it a million times worse."
~*~
Ariel bites her lip and watches Jenna go. Then she scrambles out of her seat to follow the empath. "No, it's alright. I shouldn't be so prickly."
"Let me help you?"
She honestly wants to tell Cooper to go for it, but she figures he'll take the challenge and she really might not like what he says or does.
~*~
"I don't know," Preston grins, returning with Ariel's glass of wine. He watches her follow after Jenna and gives a shrug. "There are some places we still haven't tried."
~*~
The little empath doesn't say a thing until they're in the kitchen. Then she quietly looks at Ariel and asks, "What's going on between you and Cooper? Preston… told me how you accidentally revealed what you are, and I can tell you like him. Just be careful with him, alright? He's… well… he cares about Preston a lot, not that he'll admit it. I can feel it when they're together though, and I don't want you to get hurt."
Jenna hands Ariel half the plates, and half the silverware.
"I don't want Preston to get hurt either."
~*~
"True. We haven't used Broadway's bed yet," quips Cooper. It's not something he'd do either, but putting it out there to make everyone uncomfortable and forget about their worry isn't a bad thing. "Or the bar. We could always try the bar next. There's Shiv's little studio room too…"
~*~
"If you do? Please change the sheets and don't ever tell us about it," Chance replies. Cooper's joking yes, but it has to be said.
There's a faint smirk when Cooper remarks about the bar, as the sorcerer recalls his and Jenna's tryst behind the bar in Vegas. "There's something to be said for bars."
Beat.
"Shiv's studio has a mirror, though she might kick your ass if she ever found out."
~*~
"Nothing," Ariel answers a bit too sharply. Taking a deep breath she lets it out slowly. "I'm sorry. That was …"
"It's true though. There's nothing going on. Not anymore. If Preston told you then you know that Cooper's all kinds of freaked out and … I'm not holding my breath. He's here, for Preston, and he's talking to me and stuff, so I'm trying to be satisfied and happy with that."
Beat.
"I don't want to hurt Preston, Jenna." Honestly, as far as the witch is concerned, the only person who's going to get hurt in this situation is Ariel. But it's a mistake of her own making and she can only blame herself.
~*~
Preston takes a sip from Ariel's glass because he can guess exactly where Chance's mind goes when the sorcerer says what he does.
"You don't think that Shiv and Harper haven't . .. expressed themselves in her studio?" Preston doesn't know if they have or not, but he knows Siobhan. The newlyweds might be discreet and careful in all other things, but he knows that Siobhan considers that her space.
"But she will kick our asses if she found out."
~*~
"Cooper is…" Jenna glances toward the other room and sighs. "He's trying. It's a lot for anyone to take in when they don't know about our world, and he's here. He's here to support Preston, yeah, but he's here for Siobhan too. If he can get over the 'weird' factor, I think he'll come around." The little empath bites her lip, and then sets the plates down.
"I know you don't want to, but he's caught up in all this too. He wants Cooper to be alright with everything, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to choose between Coop and the rest of us. Just… be careful?"
~*~
"I've no doubt they've fucked in her studio. Why wouldn't they? It's her space. That'd be like Jenna and Chance screwing around in the media room." Cooper pours himself a drink, then brings the bottle over to Chance in case the Cowboy wants a refill.
It's on the tip of his tongue to say 'well she's not here right now', but he doesn't want to bring that up. "She'll be moving soon enough, and once she does it's not really her studio anymore, is it? Then we can go up there and have fun to our heart's content. You telling me you and Broadway already tried it out?"
~*~
Hell no," Chance answers without missing a beat. ""I happen to like my balls where they are, thankyouverymuch."
He accepts the bottle and tops of his glass. "Do you really think Jenna would do that? Christmas Eve was a one time thing, whatever else you might think." He does not want to encounter the wrath of Siobhan, and Jenna would be too embarrassed to try it. Even if they got signed permission - because it is Siobhan's space, and Jenna would be embarrassed even to bring it up to Siobhan.
~*~
It's a little too late for Ariel to be careful. "I know it is and I'm really trying to understand that and not take it too personally, but … " She shrugs. It hurt. "I'm glad that he's trying. For Preston's sake, you know? I knew what I was getting into when I put myself out there, I knew that Preston and Cooper were together. I just didn't expect to screw things up so much."
Beat.
"Whatever. It's done. I'm sure they'll work it out eventually and who knows? Maybe Preston's right. Maybe I'll meet The One when I go back home or move out here and live happily ever after." She doesn't believe it for a minute, but god forbid she gets branded the home wrecker or whatever.
Ariel hoists the plates. "We should take these out before they start eating like animals at a trough."
~*~
"I think Jenna might do a lot of things with the right encouragement." Preston can't help but nudge at Chance a little verbally. The sorcerer might figure out that Jenna told him about Vegas; he might not.
He winks at Cooper. "When she moves in with Harper, you're on."
~*~
Moving toward the witch, the little empath gives her a one-armed hug. "Don't take it personally. He didn't go running when you came in, so that's a good sign, alright? I don't think he's trying just for Preston either." Jenna does get vibes every once in a while, even if she can't fully place them.
"Ariel, I've seen the way Coop reacts to you. Even if he's a bit weirded out right now, he seems to respect you. That's something that Coop doesn't normally do. If you were anyone else, he'd have tried screwing you the second he got you alone in that hotel room in Vegas."
Jenna has no clue what's going on, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have eyes, and can't see certain things either.
"Just give him time. Once Siobhan comes home, I think Preston is going to find someone else to talk to him and give him a bit of perspective."
Picking up her share of the plates, she nods. "Now that would be an amusing picture. Them with their hands full of pasta, trying to stuff their mouths…"
~*~
"Like crawling over the table at a bar?" Cooper snickers at that and says, "It's a damned good thing she's with you, Cowboy, or I might've suggested that she come join Pres and I for a bit of fun." After all, a nice ass like that is hard to resist.
"It's a date then. Once the last of her items is out, we'll go claim that room."
~*~
Chance sits up a bit straighter and smirks proudly. "I hope that you enjoyed the view." His girlfriend has a great ass and he knows it. He might get a little possessive and claiming of her sometimes, but he also enjoys that she's turning heads and with him.
"I can't even take that threat seriously." Chance sips from his glass and holds it up. "Preston isn't into women." Especially not Chance's girlfriend and Preston's best friend, because that might be a bit awkward.
~*~
"Thanks," Ariel says softly. She needed to hear that. She knows that Cooper didn't run when she came in, and he did hug her upstairs. It's just there's a wide divide there right now and she doesn't like staring at it.
"I just really don't want to come between them." Ariel truly means that. Jenna won't have any idea how much that statement implies, but she'll feel the sincerity there.
Siobhan would tell her to screw it and get drunk. Maybe when her cousin gets back (because she is coming back), she'll put up with the snark and the lecture and let Siobhan take her out drinking until she's blindingly drunk.
"They're guys. They'd try it," Ariel giggles softly, though her heart isn't entirely in it. She leads the way into the living room, arriving to hear Chance's last words. She blushes a little and pointedly doesn't look at Preston.
~*~
Preston's about to say something horribly suggestive and vulgar, that would probably shock Chance to hear it coming from Preston's mouth, but he closes his jaw before the words come out when the girls re-enter the room.
"There you are. I thought you'd gotten lost, or Jenna started up the cupcake march again." He smiles at them, his green eyes flickering between them. His gaze lingers for a few moments longer on Ariel and then he jokes, "It's never a good sign when two women disappear together."
~*~
"You won't," Jenna states firmly. Simply because she knows how Preston feels, and how Cooper is. "They have a very… strange relationship. Pres is okay with Cooper being with women, just not other men."
Beat.
"Damn. Where'd I leave my phone. If they are doing that, it's one for the scrapbooks." Only when they get to the living room, the guys are just talking. She shares a glance with Preston, and then raises her brow. She did swear she wouldn't say anything about what she learned in Vegas, and she's kept true to that. Though she's wondering if Pres is going to fess up about fooling around with women when Coop is involved.
"Oh no. I promised to lay off the cupcakes for a while. Besides, I'm suddenly starving."
~*~
"You know I did, Cowboy. I also enjoyed the fact that she was going braless that night too. It was fun to see Broadway with that much spunk. I don't know what you did to make her loosen up but…" Whistling, Cooper grins. "You might not want to do that around strangers is all I'm saying."
Cooper has no such qualms with making a statement. He snorts and says, "Maybe not entirely, but he definitely likes it when he watches."
~*~
Chance recalls that Jenna did put on a bra when he confessed his discomfort, as hot as she was, he didn't like the idea of everyone getting a free peek. "Here I thought you were too busy with Pres to notice much of anything."
The sorcerer looks curiously over at Preston. "That's probably steering way too close to too much information but …" He looks between the couple, takes a swallow of the scotch and shakes his head. "No, I'm not pursuing it."
~*~
Ariel sets her share of the plates down, letting her hair fall in such a way as to hide her face … and her blush. Cooper isn't necessarily talking about her, and there was a good deal more participation than watching when the three of them were together. His words do call up memories that make her body warm and tingly and she really can't afford to think about those things right now.
The witch is quite used to being a wallflower and hiding in the background, and she makes no special effort to draw anyone's attention as she fixes her plate and stays out of the conversation.
~*~
"I should have taken pictures," Preston says, throwing a teasing grin at Jenna. "All the wonderful blackmail material I missed out on." He wouldn't have, but he can't help but tease her a little. She was very out of character and relaxed in Vegas. "It was good to see you expressing yourself that way, Jennie."
Unbidden his gaze slides to Ariel who's doing her best to go unnoticed. "It never hurts to step out of your comfort zone every now and then and just let go."
His attention shifts to Cooper and he gives his boyfriend an exasperated eye roll. "Is nothing sacred with you?" There is a smile teasing at the corners of his lips, so he's not annoyed. He's simply not going to launch a detailed dissertation about things.
~*~
