[IC] Serge & Lucia |EasilyAmused & ICanBeAnyone|

[ICanBeAnyone]

She blushed a little as he complimented her on telling Erik to 'knock em dead', but headed out the door with him. She grinned a little as he slowed his steps to match hers. She actually found something enjoyable about keeping him off balance. "I don't blame you. It's not really covered in any manual I know of, and you seem to be a pretty by the book kind of guy." She teased.

She waited for him to open the door and started talking about the schedule "I work from 4 to midnight, and possibly midnight to 8 if the next shift calls in, and that has been happening a lot, so figure on 4pm to 8 am, then I have class from 10 noon tomorrow. I plan on going to the laundromat after class. Get everything done at once so I can sleep before my evening class of 5 to 7, then I can actually get some solid sleep until the next day. I have a whole day off... well ok not a whole day because I am technically skipping a class, but I am taking a day because if I don't put in some work on my Masters Thesis, I will never get my degree." She moved towards the front seat and opened her own door. Erik had a point, if the press noticed anything different over the next week things could get interesting, this way she didn't appear any different than anyone entering or leaving the building.

"I have had some training in dealing with security, we are expected to know how to cooperate when VIP's fly in to a disaster zone for photo ops, so I will do my best to be cooperative. This should really be a fluff job. Download a good book, find a comfy booth and hunker down." She said as she slid into the SUV.

[EasilyAmused]

As she explained her schedule he pulled out his phone and punched in note rather quickly, keeping up with her talking. This situation wasn’t anything new to him so he was rather prepared for it. Nodding along with what she said while added in a few ‘uh-huh’s to prove he was listening, he finished his notes and slid his phone back into his pocket. He then checked his watch as he went to open the door for her; however she beat him to it. A discomforted look moved across his face and he placed his hand on the door. “Job or not, a lady will be treated with respect and courteousness. It will be a rare day that a woman touches a door hand in my presence. And let’s face it, your dad is likely to get into the White House, which means you will need to get used to people holding the door open for you.”

With that he shut her door and went around to the driver’s side. Climbing inside, he buckled himself in and put his hands on the wheel. “Personally I’m a fan of hard copies instead of digital books. Finding me under the shade of a tree reading a book isn’t an uncommon sight.” The drive back to her apartment was a smooth and efficient one.

However upon Serge’s entering of the house he began to look around, mentally marking exits and entrances. He checked all the rooms before he let her go about her business. “I’ll take you to work.” He called out as she began her routine. It was currently noon. “Maybe you could benefit from a few hours of sleep before your shift starts.” His blue eyes scanned the dismantlement that was her apartment and his hands began to twitch… oh god… the urge to clean was creeping up on him once again.

[ICanBeAnyone]

She rolled her eyes as he pointed out that she would have to get used to more than just door openings. "Oh no.. see my DAD goes to the White House, meanwhile we all do our best to keep Lu out of the public eye. Let's face it, Dad's cut out for the public, I on the other hand would need constant reminders we can't call reporters Stupid mother fuckers and kick them in the shins for blocking our way." She grinned and said as he slid into the drivers seat. It was hard to tell if she was teasing or not. She was mostly kidding, but as this morning had shown, she could have a short fuse when pressed personally.

They got back to the apartment and she let him do his thing, waiting in the tiny space that served as a kitchen until he gave the all clear. She then headed toward the bedroom having to remind herself she could no longer strip on the way. She closed the door leaving it slightly ajar as she stripped off the suit and slipped on a pair of clean yoga pants and an over sized college t-shirt. It was an outfit she used normally to run, but she probably wouldn't be doing much of that over the next few days. She heard him call out to her that she should take a nap. She grabbed a clean pair of socks from her dresser and opened her door. She leaned against the door frame slipping her socks on one at a time.

"Yeah... my adrenaline levels are through the roof right now. Sleep is not even close to a thought in my mind right now." She said as she padded back to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water before she started rummaging in the fridge, throwing out almost everything she touched. She was agitated, and it was in every line of her body. "This whole situation sucks." She said as she slammed the fridge shut and leaned against the counter to look at him.

"Unfortunately I talk when I have emotions. Normally I would phone a friend, but in this case... what 5, maybe 6 people know what is going on, so I am afraid You're it today." She sighed softly.

"I am glad he found me, I really am. The whole dad thing kind of weirds me out on a normal level, but this... This is NUTS!" She said as she reached on top of the fridge and grabbed a couple of trash bags out of a box on the top. She walked to the couch and started shoving laundry in the trash bags for the laundromat tomorrow. "I mean I didn't ask for any of this. I was just fine, now... shit my biggest fear 4 hours ago was not finishing my degree, but right now in this moment, it doesn't really matter. My entire life is about to change, and none of it is my choice." She tied off the trash bag and drug it off the couch towards the wall next to the door. She still had another few bags worth of laundry.

"I am thrilled Erik is likely to win this election, sure, I promise you we have some political differences, but all in all he's a damn good choice, but fuck me! If it ever gets out my relation to him..." She shook her head in frustration. "I am at a loss. Do I finish this damn degree I poured tens of thousands of dollars I don't have into? If I do finish, can I deal with any employment I gain from this point out is either nepotism if it's government, or based on my political connections in the private sector? And then, Add in the fact that I am angry at him for being a politician, that just makes me mad at myself for being angry and selfish." She rubbed her face with one hand and looked at Serge. "Is hiding in Mexico an option? I mean what... a good decade or so and this will all blow over right?"

[EasilyAmused]

When her rant began Serge instantly stopped what he was doing and stood there watching her closely. She looked frazzled, lost and confused. Along with being, above all, angry. But her angry was directed in many different areas, she was angry at her dad, she was angry at his job, she was angry at herself and so on and so forth. The poor girl had gone through a lot in less than four hours and now she was a chicken with her head cut off, desperately attempting to regain control of her life.

This… this was something he wasn’t good. He couldn’t handle people getting emotional. Especially women because they seemed to flip on a dime without rhythm or reason! And now he had an emotional woman ranting to him… and he had nowhere to go. The inside of him began to panic slightly as he felt like he had no control over the situation. WHAT DO I DO?! He mentally screamed to himself as his brain went through every option he could think of. OH! OH!! As if a light bulb went off in his mind, he stepped to her and gently removed the bag from her hands. Placing them down on the ground he gently grabbed her and pulled her to him. His large arms wrapped comfortingly around her, one hand rubbing her back softly while the other gently soothed her head as it rested against his broad chest, his heartbeat echoing in her ear.

After a few moments of silence he slowly pulled her back from the hug and gave her a gentle pat on her head. “You’re still you, no matter who your father is. You and your father have different last names, finish your degree if that’s what you want to do with your life and apply for the jobs you want to do. Your father’s position has nothing to do with what you should, and will, do with your life. I know that from experience.” He said with an assured nod before giving her a gentle closed lip smile and tilting his head to one side. “Now… your house is filthy. Where are your cleaning supplies?”

[ICanBeAnyone]

Lucia was so surprised by the physical contact that she didn't even try to pull away, which would have been the norm for her. She actually sunk into his embrace her head resting against his chest. She slowed her breathing to match his heartbeat. It had an immediately calming effect. Whatever else may have happened this morning between the two of them, in this moment, everything was exactly right.

She let go of the death grip she had on the back of his shirt as he pulled away. She straightened up and listened to the words he had to say. He wasn't a talker so far, so when he did speak it carried more weight to her. It worked well for them since she did enough talking for three. She laughed as he commented on her place and asked for her cleaning supplies. "Under the sink. Don't be surprised if they have cobwebs."

Before he could turn away she grabbed his arm again. For a woman who always said she wasn't touchy feely, she was doing a damn good job of proving herself wrong this morning. "Thanks. I needed that. The hug and the advice both, but you may have to repeat it again once I am knee deep in reporters." She said with a smile as she used her free hand to push a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I'm being realistic, if it doesn't happen before the election, it will happen eventually. Two can keep a secret if one of them are dead." She let go of his arm with a shrug.

"I am a worrier. I worry until there is something actionable, and then well I do what I have to. Makes me great at emergency management, by the time the worst happens, I have thought of a million different ways it can all go wrong, so when it does I have a plan. Makes me hell to watch the news with. Oh, and I am never allowed to watch the weather channel unsupervised. Mom always joked she was afraid she would call to check on me and find that I was in some refugee camp in the middle of a flood or war zone."

She led the way to the kitchen and opened the cabinet under the sink, she seemed to have a thing for the scent of Gain. Everything down to the trash bags were scented with it.

[EasilyAmused]

Serge himself was never one for physical contact, nor did he think of himself as the ‘romantic’ type but he’s always been good at going with his instinct on things. So far they have yet to lead him astray and in this case, it didn’t get him punched in the face. So some of his instincts must be spot on in one way or another! It was a surprise to feel her grab his arm and stop him from walking away. His eyebrow rose as he looked down at her, having expected the conversation to be closed after he brought up a different topic but she had more to say.

“If reporters get to be to the point you feel like you’re drowning in them than I have not done my job right. And that’s not possible; my team is the best in the business.” He said with a confident nod. At her next statement about her being a worrier he couldn’t help but smirk slightly. That, THAT was obvious by the way she planned things and her instance schedule patterns but he merely nodded. Understanding her, or at least attempting to, was the best he could do in the situation and a small gentle smile moved across his face as he attempted to convey his willing-ness to understand her.

Following her into the kitchen he opened the little pantry and grabbed a very unused apron from it. He pulled off his black jacket and placed it over the back of a nearby chair before placing the apron on and tying it in the back. Walking back to where she was at the sink he began to go through her cleaning supplies. “Alright… Alright…” he said as if taking inventory in his mind. Once he had everything set out he turned to her. “You.” He said, his voice straight and forward. “Come.”

With that he led her into the bathroom; it was a tiny bathroom but a bathroom none the less. Taking a candle from the counter he reached into his pocket and lit it. Then, leaning over, he started a bath, peaceful steam rolling out from the tap and into the tub. Standing up, he turned to her. “Twenty minutes.” He said pointing a finger at her. “Take a bath, it will help relax and calm your nerves. If you have any bath salts or bath bombs put that in. If not, sacrifice some shampoo and make it a bubble bath. But 20 minutes you must take a bath.” With that he scooted passed her and shut the door behind him with a THUD that informed her there was no room for arguing.

And while she bathed, he would clean. Not for her, but for his own mental health… okay, maybe a little for her.

[ICanBeAnyone]

"You Come" He told her and she raised an eyebrow but she followed him into her tiny bathroom. To say she was surprised by the events was an understatement, but she nodded her agreement. He had a point, she could certainly use the relaxation. "Sir yes sir" She told him with another one of those grins that made her eyes light up. She gave his retreating back a sketchy salute before opening the cabinet to pull out a bag of epsom salt. She punished her body quite often. Lack of sleep, no decent nutrition, running at an almost punishing pace to make sure she had time to clock her 5k at least twice a week. That took a toll. She often used Epsom Salt to restore some of the magnesium she was missing.

She poured the salt into the water before testing the temperature. He managed to get it just right, darn near boiling. Most men ran baths as a sweet gesture, but they made it too cold. Someone had sent her a facebook Meme a few years back of what happens when you shower with your boyfriend. His skin melts off while she says 'it's still a little chilly don't you think' She stripped down and slid into the tub with a soft sigh. She closed her eyes listening to the muted noises in the apartment.

She lay in the tub and actually took the time to shave her legs, and give her hair a good conditioning it had been far too long since she had treated herself to something as relaxing as a nice hot bath. She pulled the plug with her toes and stepped out. She grabbed a towel and made a face. If she was going to have a defacto room mate for who knows how long, it was way past time to invest in some decent towels. The ones she was using still held faint images of cartoon characters from her childhood. As amusing as she found the mental image of Serge wrapped in The Little Mermaid, she didn't think he would find it nearly as humorous.

She dressed quickly but left the towel wrapped around her hair. She figured she would actually put some effort into it today, but it needed time to dry before she started messing with it, all of her products required damp hair. That would take at least an hour to achieve. She padded back out towards the living room, but took a moment to pause in the doorway to admire the view.

"If you cook too I may never let you leave." The remnants she had thrown in the trash before her earlier melt down spoke of a diet that consisted of little more than fast, cheap take out. Sure she knew how to cook, but she kept herself so busy she never really found the time.

[EasilyAmused]

People had told Serge in the past that he came across as a brute. A rude, direct brute that always had to have his way and the biggest example he’d get of these ‘actions’ were ones of the nature he just detail to the young woman soaking in the bath tub. It wasn’t because ‘he knew what was best for her’ or he was ‘forcing her into it’ it was simply that she needed it and most people would talk themselves out of doing something for themselves when they really shouldn’t. So Serge took it upon himself to insure that she had a little quality time to herself.

In the short time she was in the bath, he had cleaned up her living room and put her dirty clothes next to the door to be taken to the laundry mat. This wasn’t anything new for him, however he wasn’t particularly fond of cleaning a client’s house; but, this girl worked hard, very hard, the least she deserved was a little help. Plus it wasn’t that bad, it was just bad enough that his OCD kicked in and he had to clean it before it drove him up a wall. At least she seemed to appreciate it, even just a little was better than most.

He was fussing around in her kitchen. Boy, she had little to nothing in here. Apparently take out was all this girl ate. His face dropped into a frown. He was hungry and there’s no doubt she would be too. It was already lunch time and he hadn’t had breakfast. His personal routine was getting ruined and he was determined to stay somewhere with it. After reorganizing her pantry he found two bags of top romaine and despite his lack of interest in the product, he prepared the two bags into bowls and couldn’t help but chuckle as he heard her statement from the doorway looking into the living room.

“You don’t have anything to cook or else I’d show off a little. But seeing as it is lunch time and I doubt you have ate yet, you need something in your stomach.” With that he emerged from the kitchen with two plates. On each of them was a bowl of top romaine and a good sized helping of crackers. “Here.” With that he handed her the plate with the food and spoon on it before taking a seat on her now clean and straightened up love seat and began to eat. “Three meals a day is important to strength. You’ve got a long day ahead of you, the least you can do is take care of yourself before-hand.” He said in his blunt yet oddly caring fashion as he munched away on a cracker and yes, in case you’re wondering, he’s still in the apron.

[ICanBeAnyone]

She laughed as she took lunch from him. "Yeah, not much to cook. All the local take out places know me by name. I usually call in and say "Hey, It's Lu. I can pick up at this time, and they have the order ready for me. It's like my own special magic." She took a seat across from him in a wing backed chair that had seen better days.

"Three meals a day huh?" She said as she blew on the soup a little before taking a bite. "Can't say I usually manage that, but I do cheat. I make my own homemade protein bars. Oatmeal, peanut butter, and Spirulina. If it is a week I am getting my 5k in three times I add mini chocolate chips. In your line of work I can imagine there are times good meals are hard to come by. You should look into Spirulina. The World Health Organization uses it as a meal replacement in some areas. In large enough doses it provides everything the human body needs except for calories and fats." She said.

She ate silently for a minute, She would have done great in the military with an eat it now taste it later mentality. She didn't particularly care for Ramen either, but it was fast cheap and filling, so she wolfed it down. "Once I finish my last two classes, and my thesis things should calm down. I have, as you know, you and your team are very through, a BS, but a bachelor degree is fairly useless. After 9/11 the field of emergency management exploded. There is a lot of call for it. I am guessing your agency has more than a couple on staff, and if they don't they probably should, but because of a glut of those of us with degrees, mostly military vets, positions are hard as hell to come by." She sighed softly. She was passionate about this field, it let her know a lot about so many things she was interested in, and not need to specialize in any one thing.

"Oh speaking of your agency. If it is alright, I would like an email for Ronald. I have a few questions for him. I know the basics of running dogs in emergent situations, but nothing like a handler does. I want to know more, so I am never asking for more than they can give, but I also don't want to deal with handlers who aren't giving me the real picture." That was Lucia, she was always thinking, always trying to learn more, to KNOW more. Anything that would make her faster, better at her chosen job.

[EasilyAmused]

“You’re dedicated. That much is obvious.” Serge said into his bowl as he wrapped some of the noodles around the fork. “That’s a rare and admirable quality. If more people took their jobs half as seriously as you did, the world would be a lot better place. Not to mention the fact that you don’t even have the job yet. That shows dedication and people will see that in you.” His voice was serious and direct as if there was no question in his statement. He may be blunt, honest and direct but you will always get the truth from him.

“Ron” He repeated, the topic of one of his teammates pulled his attention from his ‘food’. When she explained her reasoning he gave her a nod. “I’ll grab one of his cards from my house before I meet you at your work. You’ll have to survive an hour at work without me. Don’t get kidnapped. But I’m not staying in a suit and tie for nearly 16 hours when my employer seems more relaxed than others.” He said with a nod before taking a bite. After chewing and swallowing he continued, “You know, despite how he may act; Elias is a master of disguise. Both in his voice, actions, clothing and makeup; give him a wardrobe, make up and ten minutes and he’ll walk out a complete different person. It’s astounding really. We all have our talents; it’s just that Ron’s talent is easiest to spot because it’s on a leash.”

A nod rose and fell his head before he finished his bowl and stood up. Walking into the kitchen, still in the apron and began to hand wash his bowl and fork along with the pan he used make their lunch.

[ICanBeAnyone]

"Unfortunately without the degree to show the dedication, I am kind of stuck." She sighed softly and rubbed the back of her neck. "It'll happen eventually. Worst case instead of FEMA, I heard the tribe fighting the pipe line needs certified emergency management folks. It would be a start." She said with a shrug. The downside to being someone with a passion, is that often you were willing to follow that passion without really thinking things through. Part of her was tempted to run away to the Dakotas and hide out on a Reservation, although with her luck, she'd get arrested or something.

She was very glad he wasn't planning on staying in a suit and tie, it would serve no purpose but to make him stand out. The clientele that showed up at her place of employment were not exactly classy folks. "Grab a bag of mostly comfy stuff." She told him. "I am hoping to get in at least one run this week, and at the risk of a sexual harassment suit... with a body like that, I am betting no less than 3, but likely 5 days a week in the gym for you."

She raised an eyebrow as he started talking about Elias. "I have no doubt in his abilities. He wouldn't work with you if he were less than the absolute best, but" She chewed her lip for a minute, "I have no idea how to put this. He Feels like someones little brother, it's not just the fact that he LOOKS 12. I mean lets face it, that kid is the Dougie Howser of Personal Protection, his..." She sighed. She was afraid what she was about to say would make her sound crazy. "his energy, for lack of a better word, comes across as unfocused. It makes me want to pat him on the head, give him a chocolate milk and the restricted profile on Netflix." She didn't mean energy in the woo, crystals, all you need is love kind of energy, but in the kind that went behind gut feelings.

She got up and followed behind him to the kitchen, when he was at the sink, she set her bowl down intending to wash it herself, and leaned against the counter. "Actually I am really glad you brought up Elias... It gives me a chance to ask you for a favor." She crossed her arms over her chest as if uncomfortable with even bringing it up. " Election night... I want you there with Dad. I'll promise to lock the doors, I won't even so much as order pizza, but I want you with Erik." She said. "I don't doubt the abilities of your team, please don't think I am questioning your judgement there, but I trust you. You are damn good at what you do, and I would prefer that if shit hit the fan you were there and not here."

[EasilyAmused]

Her statement about his time at the gym made him grin. An honest grin, he took pride in his appearance and it was almost a rarity that someone would complement him on it because they either found that unprofessional or mambe he just came across as too brash for most. “3 meals a day and a good night’s sleep… and 4 days for gym, 1 day out and about. Physical training never hurts.”

Then there was the topic of Elias, he was an innocent young man with a heart of gold. But sometimes he needed some training and needed to learn to take things seriously. Maybe one day he’ll get a serious job, someone serious to take care of on his own and he would have to actually put forward solid effort. From there he would most likely grow and develop but right now… a remote controlled shock collar didn’t sound like a bad idea.

That brought the conversation to her favor and as he finished cleaning the bowl he turned it upside to let it dry and took hers without question. “Look Ms. Baker. Your faith in me and my team is wonderful. However my job is to watch over you. If you are insistent that I go be by your dad’s side the night they announce the winner of the election than I see no choice…” He turned her bowl upside down and laid out her fork to dry with is before draining the sink. He pulled the apron from over his head and hung it back up.

Turning to her he gestured towards the door. “Well? Get walking and grab your keys. We have to go now or else we won’t have time this week.” He started towards the door before turning. “And grab the stuff you need for work, we won’t be coming back until after your shift.” With that he opened the door and stepped outside.

[ICanBeAnyone]

She raised an eyebrow, he wanted her to go somewhere? Oh Hell. She ripped the towel from her hair and headed to the bathroom where she slathered her damp hair in gel to keep the curls in place, then opened the cabinet under the sink and grabbed out the entire shoe box of makeup. "7 minutes... 4 if we are in a hurry" She called out to him as she dashed to her bedroom holding the box. She ripped open her closet and shoved her feet into a pair of running shoes as she grabbed a large duffel bag from the shelf in her closet.

"Can I ask where we are going?" She wanted to know as she tossed the makeup in the bag, and ripped a uniform off a hanger shoving that in as well. She picked up the boots she needed to wear and stuck them in the bag, moving quickly to the dresser where she searched until she found one of her padded, underwire push up bras. She maintained a B cup on a good day, but Victoria had more than one secret that was for sure. She shoved the bra into her bag and took a quick glance at herself wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt. She didn't care though. It would work she was sure.

She walked quickly to the living room to scoop up her apron, and other items he had neatly folded and set aside during his cleaning this morning. She shoved them into the bag and zipped it up before jogging to the kitchen and opening the freezer. She dug around for a minute and then slapped some bills on the kitchen counter. "I'll call Carlos upstairs and ask him to make a food run for me. He has a key." She said, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth she realized it would probably make him twitchy to know someone else could get in and out. She grabbed her keys from the counter and headed back to the living room, and looked at her watch.

"Five minutes and Change. Not bad. I could do better though." She said with a grin as she headed out the door to join him.

[EasilyAmused]

“No.” He answered simply when she asked if she could know where they were going. If he told her she’d say no, if he just convinced her go she’d give him less guff. Again he timed her, looking at his watch as she went on her run. He didn’t mean to work her into a panic but at least she was good under pressure. However when she mentioned of someone else having a key to her apartment made him uncomfortable enough to the point that he openly coughed in surprise. Hopefully she’d fix that and quickly.

When they exited the apartment he said nothing more than what he did inside before leading her to the SUV and opening the passenger’s side door for her. Once she was inside, he shut the door and went around to the driver’s side. Getting inside he turned on the music and the two were off.

It wasn’t until they pulled in front of a giant building with the word “Chanel” in fancy writing that he began to speak. “We’re here.” Putting the car in park he turned off the engine and climbed out, opening the door he gestured for her to get out. “Don’t just sit in there. Come on.” He said, barking an order like a drive sergeant until she got out of the car. Taking her by the hand without giving her much time to react he led her inside.

“Mister Prichard!” All three on shift clerks flew to him giddy with excitement at his arrival. “Hello”, “Hi!”, “How have you been?” The three women bombarded him with personal questions before he was able to quiet them down.

“I’m not here for me today.” He said with a nod causing the women to sound disappointment before he had the chance to continue.

“We have a new line of suits.”, “The jeans are fantastic.”, “Even the new ties are quite tasteful.” The girls went back and forth as if attempting to sell him on something they knew he’d buy.

“I’m not looking for myself but I’ll take a pamphlet. I’m here for her.” With that he held up his hand that was holding Lucia’s and the girls seemed to jump back in surprise.

“He brought a girl.” “I didn’t think he had a girlfriend.”, “Oh man I was sure he was single.” Were some of the words he chose to ignore before pulling their attention back to him.

“Can I see the 2016 line of formal dresses?” With that he pulled her to the rack and began pushing through the dresses as he explained exactly where his mind was going. “Your father is the one who writes my checks, not you. So I really don’t have to listen to you. However your desire to protect your father is commendable and I cannot overlook that. But I also cannot overlook my duties. So you will go to your dad’s election announcement but not as his daughter…” He said pushing through the dresses, a look of dislike on his face as he flicked from one to another. “But as a guest. Use it as an opportunity to network for a job, no one there will know who you are so you won’t use any political standings to gain any leverage. It will just be you, selling yourself because you happen to be in the right place at the right time.”

With that he finally found something he liked and grabbed it from the rack. “Go try this on.” He said handed her the stunning gold-crème colored dress with the open back and wrapped front. He then gestured towards the dressing room. “Come out when you’re done I want to see it on you.” He called out as he went in a different direction.

[ICanBeAnyone]

Lucia blindly followed him down to the SUV and buckled herself in. The minute he headed towards the downtown boutique district, she knew she was screwed. He stopped in front of the Channel store and she sighed. She was going to argue, but he got out of the car before she could come up with a coherent argument. He opened her door and she just stared at him for a minute. She slid out of the car as he grabbed her hand, trying to pass off the electric shock that passed between them as static electricity.

She was not a boutique shopping kind of girl. She was still in what really could equate to either pajamas or gym clothes, it was bad enough he always looked like he walked off the cover of GQ, even in that ridiculous apron earlier. Lucia hated shopping, this is why Amazon had invented prime now, delivery in two hours, and she didn't have to put on a bra.

They walked in and suddenly every eye was on him. She took back what she had thought about it being bad that he looked like a GQ model. They didn't even realize she was there. She looked longingly over her shoulder at the door. He still held her hand or she might have tried to run for it. Come to think of it, it was probably why he still held her hand.

She rolled her eyes at the reaction of the women in the store, If they had thought he was single, they would have either A been in his bed, or B made every effort to get there. Hell Lucia herself still suspected a hidden wife or girlfriend somewhere. A single man didn't handle melt downs, or run baths like he did.

She bit her lip and allowed herself to be drug to the clothing racks. She could have drug her feet, or made it hard to move her, but she was afraid he would just pick her up fireman carry and move her anyway. She convinced herself to keep this shopping trip as humiliation free as possible. She listened to his argument and she wanted to argue with him. To remind him she was humoring her father, but then he pointed out the networking opportunities available and she shut her mouth. Damn him! He knew exactly how to shut her up.

She numbly took the dress and allowed herself to be escorted to the dressing room. There was still a quiet buzz among the sales women about exactly what was happening. It took everything in her to keep her mouth shut and not feed them some cock and bull story. She just took a deep breath and went to try on the dress. She slid into it and shuddered. She suddenly had a fear of moving. It felt like it would snag on anything given half a movement.

She waited as long as she thought she could get away with before she walked out of the dressing room. "I feel naked" She said, very proud of herself for not whining, because whining was on her mental list of options. If the dress had been just a little more cream, and a little less gold, with her pale skin tone she would have looked naked as well as felt it.

"It fits... If I say we can take it can we go?" She asked hopefully.

[EasilyAmused]

“Claim down.” He argued from the corner as he gathered up more things. “Either you dress in a color that’s a nude natural color or you dress like every other woman who will be there and not be memorable because you look like everyone else.” He picked up a pair of shoes, given a good guess of her size before grabbing an over the shoulder classy looking black bag. “No one wears colors anymore and no one really dresses in colors anymore. A shame really; you want to be remembered for you talent, your skills and the way you speak; your outfit deserves to make you stand out for all the right reasons. And furthermore…”

At that moment he turned around and saw her in the dress. Despite her lack of proper make up and her messy hair she looked beautiful in the dress. His own words caught in his throat and he swallowed hard before composing himself once more than walking to her. “Here, this bag will look good with the dress but will be big enough for you to carry copies of your resume, collect and hand out business cards and keep a professional yet classy appearance.” And that he moved a chair behind her and had her sit down.

Down on a single knee, he picked up her bare foot and gently slipped in her foot. Even though his hands where rough and callus, his movements and the way he handled her were gentle, kind and as soft as could be. However when he went to put on her second shoe it became apparent that his hands were shaking slightly… was he, nervous?

[ICanBeAnyone]

"I'm calm." She said. Yeah, about as calm as a nun in a whore house. This felt way too much like playing dress up in her moms church clothes as a kid. She actually widened her eyes listening to him explain why she was wearing this particular dress. If it had been up to her she'd have given her size over the phone and the demand of black and called it a day. She didn't do fashion, she considered it a good day if she made it out the door with matching shoes. Not shoes that matched her outfit, who had time for that, shoes that matched each other. He brought up good points though, she did want to be remembered for the right reasons, that would be hard if she blended in with everyone else.

She turned her attention back to him as his words trailed off. She couldn't exactly read his expression, but she could tell that he certainly approved of her in the dress. She took the purse from him with a nod. He was good at this. She turned her head to watch him move the chair behind her. She did remember this part from girl scouts. They covered this for the manners badge. She held the purse in one hand and used her other hand to smooth down the back of the gown as she lowered herself into the chair. She was totally Amazoning every etiquette book she could get her hands on the minute she could. She almost wished she could go back to the girl who was not so subtly threatening to kick people and call them nasty names.

Her attention was quickly drawn downward as he felt his hand close gently around her calf as he lifted her foot to slide it into the shoe he had chosen. She felt his hands shake as he touched her other calf. She understood, she was feeling a little rocked herself. She drew in a deep breath as she felt his hands against her skin. She had never in her life been more glad of having taken the time to shave her legs. She leaned forward so her mouth was right next to his ear so she could whisper. "If I just admit I am living a secret life as Cinderella, do you think my manager would accept that as an excuse as to why I can't pick up a second shift tonight? Sorry Bill, gotta run, it's midnight... if I don't the SUV will turn into a bunch of mice and winter gourds..."

She had meant to lighten the mood, and for her it did, at least a little. The added intimacy of her leaning so close had been intense, but her words seemed to dampen the spell, not entirely dismiss it.

[EasilyAmused]

Why was he so uncomfortable?! Okay, that was a stupid question. He was uncomfortable for the following reasons. One: He’s not used to letting people know that he had a good sense of fashion, and this was just an insight that only she was aware of (at least that he knows of). Two: It was highly important that she make a positive impression at the party, not for her father but for herself. Three: For some reason he was on this girl’s side, he wanted her to succeed. And Four: She looked really… really beautiful in the dress.

Her comment made an honest smile move across his face showing his straight white teeth. “Maybe the princess would get a decent night sleep instead of pulling Cinderella shifts if you did try that with your boss.” This whole situation was fairly new to him so it was surprising that she was going along so well and being, well compliant despite his lack of informing her exactly what was going on. When he finished sliding on her final shoe he stood up and offered her his hand. “I assume you can walk in more than just tennis shoes?”

[ICanBeAnyone]

She laughed and shook her head a little, which caused a few curls to fall into her face. She pushed them away and grinned. "True, but call it immersion training for life when I am finished with school. Although even incident command might be more restful than my current schedule" She said as she took his offered hand and stood up. Truth was their chosen paths weren't all that much different. Lots of hurry up and wait, followed by intense periods of sustained activity. She guessed you could probably label them both adrenaline junkies. They just didn't get their fix by jumping out of airplanes.

She fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest, she still felt very very naked, and this was not a dress that allowed for a bra, so she felt semi exposed. "Heels are no problem. Wait until you see my work shoes. Three inch heels for eight to sixteen hours." She took an experimental couple of steps and frowned. "The dress however might be an issue. How do you not trip on all this fabric?" She tried another couple of steps and grumbled quietly.

She looked at Serge and raised an eyebrow. "Well you are the SME. (Subject matter expert) Does it look ok?" She chewed her lip nervously. She was about as comfortable and excited about this as a three tailed cat in a room of rocking chairs. "I mean, we can totally forget this ever happened, and You can do the humane thing, and assign me some twenty one year old kid, who just signed up. Or better yet... I got it!" She said her eyes lighting up with that playful teasing glint. "Got anyone who needs punishment duty? I can do that, we can do a half marathon, followed by some stair sprints for an hour, and then I will take them with me to work, and actually serve them some of that crap we call food. It will be perfect, I'll be protected, You'll be where I want you to be, aaaaaaaaaaaand No one is happy. Isn't that the very definition of compromise?"

In her mind it was a perfect idea. Everyone sort of got what they wanted out of the deal, and she wouldn't embarrass herself attending an event she had no business attending. "I mean if you think about it, it really is a perfect solution. I can even throw in a few audio recorded lectures by a professor who sounds like he sucked down an entire tank of helium. I mean it would be a great time." She gave him a wide grin.

[EasilyAmused]

“I will never understand how you walk in heels.” Serge responded with a shake of his head. Girls fashion was always crazy when it came to the styles. He was always a fan of the classic classy look instead of the short shorts and little tops that over cover the nipple that most women were convinced to wear. Now-a-days it was rare to find the classy elegant type of woman in this world but, you know; a man can hope.

By the time she began her ramble about who he would assign to her instead, he was going through the jewelry. He would need to find something that stood out for the right reasons. Blue gaze scanning the display counters as she went on and on about giving someone who wasn’t being good.

“Quiet.” He said in a slightly stern tone as he grabbed a necklace and bracelet set. “You’re making excuses for something you don’t want to do when you know deep down it will benefit you.” He returned to her, in an attempt to keep their conversation private from the prying ears of the store clerks who seemed to be oozing over the two of them for some awkward unknown reason.

“Listen Ms. Baker,” He said as he took her left hand and gently clasped the bracelet onto her wrist, “You know this is the best way to get your name out there. An internship could be awaiting you at this event, a chance to gain connections without using your father’s name and you’d have the opportunity to support your father without anyone knowing who you are. So you mean to tell me…” He turned her around, facing the full length mirror as he draped the necklace around her neck and latched the clasp in the back after lifting her hair. “The woman who can work two shifts in a row, go to school without a dime to her name and still makes it a point to run a 5K a day is scared of a party.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I do not believe you.”

Ignoring the squeals of either excitement or envy from the other end of the room he leaned away from her and stepped back admiring her reflection in the mirror. “And to answer your question, you look beautiful from this morning until now. This is just a different form of your beauty.” So that there was more coos of either excitement or envy from the women in the corner as he gave Lucia’s reflection a tender smile. “Make sure the bag is on your right so you balance out nicely and I think we’re done.” He then tilted his head to one side, his blue eyes hazing over with a sense of honesty as he asked her a final question. “Do you need anything before we leave?”