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 Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:40 pm
When Nye got home, Allison was in the middle of the story of the time Nye was walking home from the salon, tripped, and split his pants. Our victimized Mr. Hemmingway walked into the doorway with a creak and a loud, "ACHOO!"
Having already gotten through the policeman, haunted house, samba, gay bar, automatic stapler, ink-squirting industrial printer, and breaking his arm in two places from falling up the stairs stories, Allison was in full giggle mode. Nye, red-faced and a bit cranky for getting a flu shot with his prescription painkillers because he just kept sneezing.
"I brought french toast and pancake stacks," he said as he set the bags down. "What does everyone want to drink?"
"Yeah," Gale agreed. "Seems li'e one o' those shel'ered types." He did, though, take a peek at the view, getting a brief chance to admire it before some snowboarder had the funniest-looking wipeout just about ever. The boy let out a light chuckle, hoping that the guy was okay, but before he knew it, he was on egg duty.
So he went to get a plateful of eggs in exchange for hash browns. He made sure to go and come back to their table relatively quickly with a platefull of eggs, but at all times he felt like he was being watched.
Eugene had eagle eyes behind his thick glasses. Eagle eyes.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:57 pm
It was inevitable. As soon as the door creaked and Nye's head came into view, Ivie caught Allison's giggling and joined in herself, looking highly amused just by the man's appearance. It was hard not to when you'd heard stories about him being coated red and blue by a malfunctioning printer, right before a huge date.
"Have you got a cold, Nye?" She asked curiously, peeking over the back of the sofa to peer at him as he put the bags down on the table. "You should have some tea. I'll get s...ah, just some milk for me please."
She'd been going to get it herself but then remembered earlier that day, and decided against it. Not good to fall when you've got a mug of milk.
Nerdy was deffinately the right word for poor Eugene, he was just one of those unfortunate, weedy, acne-ridden guys who'd been picked on at school. At least he wasn't living in his mother's basement with no job. He even paid for his own WoW subscription with this job!
Arvia returned a minute or so after Gale with a large plate of hash browns and two cups of orange juice. She didn't know if Gale even liked Orange juice but hey, she was trying.
"Here." She said as she slid half of the hash browns onto Gale's plate and stealing an egg in return to pop on her toast. She ate in silent for a moment, before remember yesterday afternoon.
"So have you ever had your nails done?" She was back to the questions, and her smile showed that she thought this one particularly amusing.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:34 pm
Nye sniffled slightly, suddenly wanting a kleenex as he pulled out french toast and pancake stacks and distributed them onto three plates. "I was fine when I left the house today," he noted bitterly. "Weird."
"Good news is, my wrist just had a minor sprain and I should be okay to hold cutting shears again in a week on the condition that it stays wrapped in heat packs and nothing near overworked." Alice gave him a lame thumbs up and a giggle, recalling specifically the color purple his face was stained for about a week after that.
"What's so funny?"
"Thanks," he said as he pulled the glass of orange juice over to himself and began indulging himself in breakfast. He loooved eggs, but no hotel could honestly make them quite like his mother did. Cooking was an undeniable talent of hers.
Of course, it seemed like Arvia wanted to continue their question game from yesterday. "Wha'?" he said, bewildered, and then laughed a little. What a silly question to ask a guy who only coats his hands in dirt day after day. "No! 'Ave you e'er climbed a tree?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:52 pm
Ivie was still giggling, but accepted the plate of sugary goodies from Nye none-the-less. "Well," Her words were still punctuated with laughter and she beamed at Nye, content. "That's good news. I'm glad you won't be out for too long."
Aha, he asked the million dollar question. Green eyes slid over to Allison as Ivie's grin grew once more. "Well, Allison was..." She had to bite back another round of laughter. "Just telling me about a few more of your...exciting adventures?"
It was no good, Ivie was gone once more at the thought of Nye being pulled along by a police car.
"Well a lot of guys I know have!" Came Arvia's responce, though considering the guys she hung out with that wasn't really all that surprising. Not exactly the manliest of men. "And...no, actually." Well that was a little embaressing.
"I didn't spend an awful lot of time outside as a child, except riding. Do you ride?" Hey, she'd got him to relax.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:18 pm
Nye froze up at the 'exciting adventures' part. He had many, many embarrassing ventures in his life, and he wondered just which ones Allison decided to spill about. "... She didn't tell you about the sharpie facepaint incident, did she? ... You did tell her, didn't you!"
"Actually... not that one."
"Why y--... oh."
Poor Nye, highly embarrassed for once in his life, just scowled all the way back to the kitchen to go get milk and orange juice. Of course he brings up the one thing that Allison didn't talk about.
He'll only relax if you don't talk about elevators.
"Real mas'uline sort, you han' out with," Gale said sarcastically as he harpooned some egg with his fork and dragged it to his mouth. He almost choked when Arvia basically admitted that she was a sheltered child. "Remin' me t'teach you," he said in disbelief.
"And I've ne'er ridden a horse, no. Wha's the most in'erestin' thing tha' 'appened to you in th' last.... week?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:29 pm
Ivie had to pity him, she really did. She'd only been given a glimpse of he accident-prone man Nye was in her month or so of knowing him, so having all your incidents for a few years divulged to a 'new' friend in just one hour must have been pretty embaressing.
But it sure was funny. She shrugged a little, not making any excuses, and no-sooner had Nye vanished into the kitchen than Ivie turned on Allison, eyes alight. "Spill. Quickly."
Oh she wanted to hear this!
"Yes, well, 'metrosexual'" She even did the little air quotation marks around the word, "Is the new black in law right now. Boys apparently think it makes girls attracted to them more. Frankly, I don't think I could date a man who knew how to give a better manicure than me."
Terry was apparently quite good at them, and turning them into a sexual situation. Somehow. Go figure.
"But...but I'll fall.: She added, honestly worried about that. No doubt she'd get caught up and either fall and kill herself, or be stuck up the tree for the rest of her life. A tree woman. Now that was horrible.
"I'll climb a tree if you let me take you riding." It was something everyone, in her opinon, should experience.There was nothing more invigorating than galloping along, feeling at one with the beast below you. It was then, when Gale asked that question, that Arvia choked on her orange juice. She coughed for a minute or two, patting her chest and taking a moment to recover. Of all the questions he had to ask, it was that.
"Ah...juice went down the wrong way." She said lamely, coughing once or twice more. "Ah...I guess...learning about criminal law and how the death pentaly is invoked in other states, interstate law? I know, it sounds pretty boring. Same question back at you."
This should be interesting.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:02 pm
"Two salon slumber parties ago, Zak and Tim felt like repaying Nye for a rather interesting haircut he gave Zak to spite him for sending a stripper to his house while his parents were visiting from London. Nye, of course, was tired and one of the first to fall asleep, so the boys took a sharpie to his face. He couldn't wash the neon ink flowers off for a week, and there was sharpie mixed with his funky vanilla-lemonness."
Allison looked over to the kitchen, making sure Nye didn't hear. He seemed to be too embarrassed to focus on anything except his beverage preparations. "So later that week Nye dyed the mohawk he gave Zak lime green."
Boys will be boys.
Gale stuffed his face with egg and hasbrown to keep himself from laughing, and downed the hunk of food with orange juice once he felt calm enough. Boys giving manicures? How was that fashionable or manly at all? The world made little sense sometimes.
"Y' won' fall if I'm the'e to 'elp," Gale said reassuringly. Once Arvia all but started choking, he looked up abruptly and was about to stand up when she blamed the juice for choking her. Still slightly concerned, Gale relaxed once more.
He continued calmly with his meal as he listened to confusing law mumbo-jumbo and nodded approvingly. He liked learning about plants, thanks. Law and public relations... never were quite his niche in life. "Ah, well," he started, trying to recall the last week, starting from the beginning. It was towards the end of his quick recollection that he felt his face heat up again, and upon looking at the hands that held his fork did he realize that they were a bright red color.
"Well... uh... y-yes'erday, snow'oardin' wa' fun... an', uh... afterwards... B-B-BEFORE... dinner..."
He just kinda stopped while he was ahead, trying not to hint at anything that would make him seem too much like a bumbling fool.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:38 pm
Ivie simply stared at Allison for a full minute before just -bursting- out laughing, almost dropping her plate of food in the process. Oh this was just light high-school only less vicious! "He really worked with flowers all over his face? I'm sure the girls loved it." Her giggle was slightly forced that time, somehow thinking of Nye with girls all over him made her feel slightly jealous.
She shouldn't be. It wasn't like they were dating or anything.
"So stuff like this goes on at your store all the time? Sounds fun."
You know, were Arvia slightly more daring, she might have actually said what she'd been sorely tempted to; making out with you last night in the elevator. That had certainly been interesting and very, very good but it really wasn't the right thing to say right now.
Obviously that's what Gale was thinking of. As she speared a square of toast and egg on her fork she raised an eyebrow, watching Gale splutter and turn red as she chewed. Chew, chew, chew, swallow. That was enough.
"Are you feeling alright, Gale?" She asked casually, finishing off her meal and downing her orange juice. "Maybe you should go and rest."
She sent him a smile and stood up. "I'm going to head down to the spa. I'll meet you for dinnerl alright?"
And she was gone.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:59 pm
Nye set the milk next to Ivie and orange juice near Allison, who had just begun to dig into her pancakes. This was probably one of the only times he could manage to blush. "I got asked if it was a tattoo and how much it hurt several times," he said bitterly. That incident was not funny.
At least it took Zak a while to get his hair to grow back right. Nye made sure to make fun of him at any chance he got. You don't mess with a hairdresser.
Allison just giggled, enjoying the wonderful, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of strawberry pancakes. "It's quite common for our salon to turn into a battlefield. It's generally just Nye and Zak."
"Oh please, Tim gets his fair share of glory too."
Gale groaned weakly. He knew something inside him wanted to say it too, but that relationship was virtually impossible. He was a gardener, she was the only child of his very kind employer. He could be fired in a jiffy if anything ever happened between them, even if he wanted something to happen.
Which he didn't. Why would he want anything to happen between them? She was drunk. If she liked him, knowing her, she would have kissed him sober. Exasperated and confused, cursing his disloyal brain for making him malfunction like that, Gale just leaned back in his chair and twirled his fork weakly.
And then he decided it was time to go.
Feeling miserable, increasingly so as Eugene 'tsk'ed at him on the way out, Gale went to the first floor lobby. It was empty, thankfully, since most were either eating, relaxing, or on the slopes, so he opted to stand there and lean his tired, aching head against the cold glass of the windows, shutting his eyes to block the reflected sunlight from the snow outside.
With his closed eyes and mind wandering, he didn't even hear Michelle come up slyly behind him. He only felt her coil around his arm when she was already too close for comfort.
It was the beginning to a beautiful day.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:20 am
She was trying to visulise it, Nye's face covered with multicoloured hearts and stars, and while it was difficult she got a pretty good picture. And I'm sorry, Nye, but it is funny. Very funny. After smothering her most recent bout of giggling, Ivie followed Allison's example and began nibbling on her French Toast and pancakes, savouring the sweet flavour of both. Now that Nye was back she could quiet down a little and concentrate on her sweets and watching the terrible documentaries.
Still, she was smiling.
There was one thing about the spa, it was all about you. Sure, the women here were being paid to do so but their entire attention was on you and making you feel good.
Arvia made no qualms about how she wanted to start. The massage, please! Now normally you'd feel awkward about stripping off for someone but spas didn't seem to ever make her embaressed. Within minutes, she was lying flat on her gut with her arms linked under her head, a lone towel covering her (rather nice) rear end, massage oil making her back shiney and a woman who was rather good with her hands rubbing her back down.
Mm~ <3
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:02 am
Nye sat down on the floor between the couch and the coffee table to indulge himself in his pancakes. There was a point during which Nye made a wonderfully witty comment about one of the cliche handlebars on the program and turned to look at the still-smiling Ivie.
Allison noted very carefully that when all was said and done, he was smiling too, no matter how humiliated. She looked from his face to hers, smiled to herself, and went back to the pancakes. She would be hearing about this soon.
Of course, Nye the Flakiest, in all of his hosting duty, forgot to bring himself a glass of orange juice. Excusing himself briefly, he walked around the coffee table and seemingly soundly over to the kitchen. The fridge opened, the juice container was put on the table, and---
Suddenly, all one heard was the thump of body against floor and an incoherent yelp.
"YEOW!"
Gale opened his eyes snowly, the headache feeling like it was beginning to recede. He didn't want any of this right now. He just wanted to strip down and go to bed. That's all. He didn't want attention from Michelle, he didn't want Arvia to be upset at him, or Terry to be anywhere near him. Was sleep so much to ask for?
"Good afternoon, Gale," she said, seemingly sober. Seemingly. Gale noticed that she was up to her usual- pressing up against him, using that disgustingly sweet tone. Blah.
"G'afternoon," he replied plainly, trying to wedge his arm from her grasp. She grasped a little tighter.
"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well or something?"
"As a ma'er o' fact, 'm no'," he snapped back, crankier than usual.
Instead of recoiling or pouting, Michelle only smirked. "It's okay, Gale," she said softly. "I know all about what happened last night. I know it's awkward when someone wants you in a different way than you want them. That is, if you want her at all."
Gale stood up straight and plain pried his arm from her grasp. The sudden movement caused him to stumble a little, but his expression said it all, really. What in hell's bells was this girl going on about?
"Waiters see all, know all," she answered before he even asked the question out loud. Before sleepyhead knew it, Michelle was pressed up against him again, cleavage and all. "How about we go to my room and... work out your issues? Hm?" Uncomfortable as the position was, Gale made his brain comply and let his limbs do the talking as he unhooked her arms from him and backed away.
"I thin' I've go' other things t'do t'day, than's."
And with that bitter reply, he walked away. He needed a door, any door, any at all to duck into just to make sure she wasn't chasing him. Probably wasn't the wisest idea, but Gale made a few sharp turns and mustered up the nerve to open the nearest door and shove himself in.
He didn't step farther than the threshold.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:44 am
For an outsider Nye and Ivie looked pretty content near each other. Chatting amicably, the nastiness from the night before mostly forgotten for the time being, both had a good laugh about the handlebar moustaches on screen. Moustaches that would become a meme between the two now. Ivie told him he wouldn't look good with one, so it was good that he hadn't gone with the policeman career, and they both had a good laugh.
Yes, they looked like a couple. Thing is they wern't, and underlying all those smiles and laughs was an underlying tension that could only come from something terrible or traumatic happening between them.
And it had.
Ivie sat up as soon as she heard Nye's squark, making to get up...then remembering she wasn't much good at it. "Would you check on him, Allison? I'm not so steady on my feet right now..."
Arvia was in heaven. It smelt nice in here - like that yoga studio she went to on occasion - and it was beautifully warm. By the time Gale made his...er...untimely appearance. She froze, and as the woman rubbing her back let out a little curse and got up to shoo Gale from the room, Arvia opened her eyes and glanced over with him.
Oh. Gale. Now Arvia didn't blush often but this situation called for it. Thankfully she had the presense of mind not to sit up, which would have made everything even more awkward. Instead she made sure everything...important was covered. She then, a red tint across her nose and cheeks, coughed awkwardly.
"Ah...you might want to...close the door, Gale." She finally got out awkwardly. "Please." At least she had a wonderfully nice back for him to goomp at.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:49 am
Nye was sprawled out on the floor, having fallen when his foot got caught on the other. It didn't hurt too much, but his chin felt a little awkward, having impacted the ground full force. So much for repairing his torn image with undeniable grace and charm. Bah.
Allison took her time in putting the plate on the coffee table and walking herself over to the kitchen. With a sigh and a shake of the head, she crouched down and took Nye by the elbow, helping him up a little even though she knew he'd be fine on his own. "So," she said, her voice low and casual, "why'd you ask me to come here if she's fine on her own?"
"She tried to drown herself in my bathtub, Allie. I can't trust her on her own yet."
"Oh. Hm."
A few seconds later, Nye was on his feet and dusting himself off. It was finally time for that rewarding glass of orange juice... and maybe an ice pack for his chin. "He's alive!" Allison exclaimed happily, with a fake whoop.
Deeming the situation a lot less interesting, she went back to her perch.
"So Ivie, now you see that the Hemmingway beast is actually an untamed, unskillful creature lacking any grace whatsoever."
It probably started somewhere in his neck, but Gale just felt the red spreading all over, a dead giveaway to his awful timing. Without saying a word, but perhaps stammering something like an incoherent apology, he backed away and closed the door, to the happiness of the masseuse.
Outside, the boy slumped against the door, his hand dragging down his mortified face. How could he just do that? Yeah, he needed to escape from Michelle, but just bursting in like that? He wasn't sure if it would be worse if it was some other girl instead of Arvia, but whatever just happened made him shut down completely.
As he forced his rooted feet to sluggishly drag across the floor allll the way back to his room, he came to two conclusions.
One, something deep inside him absolutely did want Arvia el'Douay.
Two, he really, really needed some sleep.
Room 18 seemed rather inviting for the sole purpose of having a bed. The door was opened, closed, and Gale simply fell upon the bed and curled up in sheer terror of what would happen next. His restless mind went in circles, assuming the worst, until it tired itself out and let itself and his body shut down.
Not that his subconscious didn't stop with the old song and dance. If Arvia had her dreams, what, you think Gale didn't? He's a man, after all.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:43 am
She could here murmering in the kitchen but not what was being said, and didn't find it particularly vital for her to evesdrop on it. Instead she finished eating her delectably sweet lunch and, glancing at the kitchen door to make sure neither Allison or Nye were returning just yet, she quickly wiped her tongue over the crockery to make sure she got the very last of the sugar and syrup.
She was so going to get diabetes one day.
"Well thank goodness for that." The red-head said with a smile, settling back onto the sofa comfortably. She was so going to get fat. "And really were I not spending so much time with him, I probably wouldn't have seen it."
The rest of Arvia's evening was reasonably quiet after that incident. The awfully apologetic massuse insisted on extending her massage for another half hour free of charge, something Arvia could hardly complain with. She needed it to calm down again really, because really, as much as she liked Gale, she wasn't expecting that. At least it hadn't been the changing room!
Until dinnertime Arvia had herself massaged, relaxed, facialed and manicured and by the time she walked out of the heavily perfumed rooms of the spa she felt absolutely calm and relaxed. Even if Gale had practically seen her naked.
She passed Michelle on the way back to her rooms and proceeded to ignore her and her knowing smirk. Michelle obviously thought she was quite right and was enjoying Arvia's rejection while she could, although Arvia had no idea about that.
She changed - into a knee-length dress and jacket, accompanied by boots and the hairstyle the spa had lect her with, and then...knocked on Gale's door.
"Gale? Are you awake?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:48 am
Allison devoured the rest of her pancakes, cranky at being torn from her meal to help Nye up. Mister almost-Casanova had a funny habit of not being able to stay on his feet for too long, it seemed. It was a wonder girls were even remotely attracted to him.
When all was said and done, Allison had to leave. Hugs and jokes about handlebar mustaches left the woman leaving with a giggle and a pensive sigh as the door closed behind her. Those two had some serious issues to work out if Nye wanted that relationship to go anywhere.
The dishes were cleaned up and washed carefully with casual conversation withering out between the two. Nye didn't mind, he knew there was a lot for them to talk about within the next hour or so. Some propositions he had, per se.
Once all the dishes were away with a clunk and a clatter and the last (mildly interesting) TV show died out with a dramatic theme, Nye cleared his throat timidly. "Are you feeling alright?"
Gale was curled up safely on his bed, quite content to finally be asleep and away from all this embarrassment and awkwardness and unwanted attention. His rest-deprived body welcomed the surface of the sheetsm, breathing slow, dreams only flashing once in a while at this point.
He didn't even hear the knock, or his name being called. Gale's subconscious let him emit a soft groan, but it was soft enough to barely differ from his steady breathing.
Few would say that he didn't deserve a nap.
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