Welcome to Gaia! ::

After a rather eventful week - all things considered - if one included witnessing a major hacking event and then dragging two penitent cousins by their hair to get absolutely MURDERED by Delilah - Mathias was looking forward to something remotely resembling relaxation for once. Of course, his arrival must not have been foretold, because the look on Uncle Ned's face when he'd shown up in proper attire and with his "lost" invitation well - it was enough to warm the cockles of his heart.

His mother, sadly, had been unable to make it, nor has his father, which he was partly thankful for. So he was standing in for his particular arm of the family - which wasn't all that unusual. Col. White was a busy man, and the fact that he had his own party to attend that Friday to celebrate his soon to be elevation to Brigadier General had been a surprise to Mathias - but apparently some of the government side of the family had... shaken a few hands and had gotten his name on the short list. Surprise, surprise. One more White in a position to move and shake.

He took his seat waiting for the event to begin in earnest. Ned would make his speech, they'd eat, there'd be some light talking and maybe some light drinking before the families with kids would scamper off home to bed and the singles and childless would either mill about, drink more, and chat and network - or like Mathias and likely Delilah - find an excuse to exit stage left.

He looked around the place, taking it in more now that he wasn't here to try and apologize to the night manager. He totally wasn't looking to see if she was on duty - or if she recognized him and was probably giving him the stink-eye. Not at all - couldn't prove that. Never.

He grinned when his favorite cousin made her appearance, nodding as he stood up and then motioned his head toward the bar. "I could use a celebratory sip, sure," He chuckled, being mindful that he was in his finer attire and not his usual casual wear. It was funny how a properly fitted suit made you almost forget it was a suit until you hit the end of it's give.

The shoes were an entirely different matter - those things were rarely comfortable no matter how much money he dumped on them. So he'd settled for his most broken in pair - and had spent the better part of the morning shining them to an almost reflective finish.

"Always good to take the wind out of his sails a bit, can't let him get too full of steam," He said with a smirk. "Also glad to be of service to free you from having to mingle."

Once they reached the bar he ordered a a long island iced tea that he planned to nurse for the rest of the event - unless Ned started to REALLY get windy - then he might splurge and go for seconds.

"So, he go over how safe the neighborhood is yet because of his CCTV?"

Her ten was joined by a twenty from Mathias as he took his drink and gave the bartenders a nod. He'd been there - not working for Ned, but he'd been there. Working a gallery wasn't all fun and games and sometimes you drew the short straw and had to assist the catering folks. He'd done his fair share of passing around drinks and being invisible.

He was hopeful with Delilah's help he could do more of the curation and sales portion of the gallery - if not work as a resident artist - but there was pulling strings and then there was pulling strings.

"His propensity for bull is legend," He agreed. "Not to mention the nearly abusive level he expects his staff to work sometimes."

Sipping his drink he paused, then reached into his wallet again and slipped another tenner into the tip jar.

"My compliments," He saluted the bartender, before turning his attention back to Delilah. "Well those fine young gentlemen now understand the meaning of don't stick their fingers where they don't' belong. At least once they get feeling back in them."

He was only half teasing.

"I mean the last time I was here it wasn't crazy busy but I also rolled in close to close since..." He found himself pausing again in thought. "Actually it's really not important."

"You ever see someone dent a rattle-can with a quarter?" Mathias chuckled as he pushed away from the bar to keep the conversation as private as one could in this kind of environment. "That level."

"And yes, I tried to apologize, and I still have half a case of beer left, they at least took my note if nothing else," He said with a nod. 'Which included my number, so you know."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't expecting but one can hope."

"She," He corrected, having not really meant to be vague on purpose but he could already feel the hint of an embarrassed blush start to rise, mainly because he knew what it had looked like when he'd practically dove for his phone at the bistro. It was obvious that he'd found her attractive or he wouldn't have slipped her his number in the art. It had been a longshot - practically a Hail Mary - but he'd scored with less.

Just not this time it seemed.

"Once I see her I'll point her out, but you can't miss her," He grinned. "She's the Night Manager, teal hair, hawkish gaze that misses nothing. As far as your assessment - who do you think caught me mid-way through my magnum opus on Ned's wall? Thus the apology."

His eyes followed hers around the room, as he was curious as to maybe having the ill luck of her taking the night off, only to brighten a bit when he saw her slip out of the kitchen hugging the wall, he nudged Delilah then. "Her." He attested, nodding toward her, not wanting to draw too much attention less... well he wasn't sure - but he knew he wasn't favored.

"Almost put a quarter right between my eyes too, not that I didn't deserve it."

"That would be a hard no," Mathias sighed, allowing his gaze to shift once he'd seen Delilah move her own, which was unfortunate because his brain could already frame her where she stood, but as soon as she started moving toward the bar he did his best to shift his gaze elsewhere, lest he be caught staring. "All I know is she's the night manager here, and that's it. She knows who I am at least - for worse I think."

He risked another glance and caught the sudden disgusted look which almost made him snort before he averted his gaze again.

"Oh yes, definitely for the worse."

A snowball had a better chance in hell he was sure... which is what made her so damn interesting.

"Remember how I said Uncle Ned set up a honeytrap?" Mathias said, moving back to the table he'd claimed as his own but not sitting down, letting his tea rest in his hand as he kept and ear out for Ned, as well as an eye out for the mysterious woman who currently had drawn his attention fully. He didn't need to agree with Delilah on her assessment - the only reason he even maintained any hope was the woman hadn't given him a flat no.

So it was a really strong MAYBE.

"Well, long story short," He said, knowing full well that if he went into detail he'd be telling the story all night. "Perfectly lit wall facing the street, and I mean perfectly lit - couldn't have been a better canvas if I begged for it. Anyway, I'm about halfway through the thing - had just finished shading, When I guess I had drawn a bit too much attention to myself and she shows up, basically tells me to pack up and leave. You know me, I hate leaving stuff half done, so I chit-chat and try to delay, knowing full well I could always loop back - but she points out the camera... and it's at that point I realize that all I've managed is making her night harder right?"

The man could be self aware - it was a rare thing but it did happen.

"Anwyay, she expresses her displeasure at my stalling by denting one of my rattle-cans with a quarter," He chuckled. "Which is damn impressive in it's own right but - anyway - I tell her I'll come by first thing to clean it up. She probably doesn't believe me. I pack up my things to go - she flicks a coin right by my ear. A farewell parting warning if you would."

"So I swing back by in the morning - scrub it all down, and then I decide - you know, you kind of made her life shitty and she's probably gotten read the riot act," He paused then to take a small sip of his drink. "Bought a couple six-packs and a nice bourbon, wasn't sure what she favored - tried to bring it by and drop it off, she has me cooling my heels at the bar until close. Refuses to take the offered apology gift - at least takes the card."

"Well, card isn't the right word," He said giving his cousin a nod. "Did my best to draw her in her best light - which was mid-throw. Did pretty damn well if I do say so. Wrote my apology note on the back and gave her my number... you know - just in case."

He shrugged his shoulders on the last bit, knowing full well that when it came to the dating scene he was - and generally always had been - on the back foot.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Mathias snorted softly shaking his head. Did he really want to go down that road? That was an interesting question, and one he hadn't really contemplated deeply. Mainly because he had been pretty certain his chances of seeing her again had been fairly marginally slim, and thus had left the ball in her proverbial court - which so far had resulted in no plays being made.

"I mean... You're not wrong," he reached up with a free hand to massage the bridge of his nose. A tick of his that signaled that he was reaching a point of either digging in his heels fully or being able to be gently nudged away from an idea - it was a very tenacious edge. "I made a right a** of myself, granted. But, all the same - I..."

He let out a low breath of air and allowed his glance to look skyward. God help him for what he was about to admit, even as his hand dropped slowly to the table.

"I've been finding myself drawing her lately - even when I'm trying to work on something else," He said softly. "So, yeah... I guess if following this rabbit down its hole leads to me getting my a** tossed in a dumpster - well... Maybe it might be worth it."

God he felt like he was twelve, and he forced himself to take another careful sip to keep his face from flaring up like one.