Post by Adrienne Vance on Apr 20, 2015 14:54:40 GMT -8
Adrienne Vance:
While Alex went to get himself ready for the day, Adrienne padded out into the living room, checking her phone for any new messages (who the hell would be leaving any?) and calling Silas back, pacing the length of the windows as she did so. "Hi, Mr. Prince? Yes, I'm sorry I missed your call earlier..." A bit of a grin formed as she glanced back toward the bedroom. Prince's comments had her rolling her eyes, reaching to massage the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "I was hoping to stop by in just a little bit. Will you still be at the shop for the next hour or two? Great, I'll see you then." She hung up before he could schmooze her any longer on the phone, stuffing it into her back pocket before drawing her hair back into a ponytail.
Alex Vipond:
"You hungry?" Alex asked as he came out of the bathroom and headed back to the kitchen, a smile given her as he groped her ass on the way by. He thought there might, possibly, be some food left in the place. The cupboards weren't stocked regularly the way the wine fridge was, but Alex was looking to see what they had, opening cupboard doors and ransacking them for anything possibly cook worthy. "Strawberry Pop Tarts and coffee?"
Adrienne Vance:
A smirk was given for the grope to her ass and she followed after him, pulling herself up onto a stool at the counter. "Hey, breakfast of champions." It wasn't much worse than her own kitchen; more often than not she found herself driving thru for a Breakfast Jack in the mornings. With her elbows on the bar, she settled her chin in the palms of her hands. "Can I ask you something?"
Alex Vipond:
"Sure." Alex glanced at her as he pulled the toaster and popped the tarts in, then moved to make coffee for the both of them. Cups were pulled down while the coffee was brewing, and then the timer went off on the bottle warmer. He pulled one of the bottles, wiped the moisture off with a towel, then popped the top on it.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne smiled as she watched him, gnawing on her bottom lip for a moment. "When you eat...y'know, regular food..." Trailing off, she hesitated, really hoping it wasn't rude to ask such a question. "Can you taste it?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled and nodded. "Yes I can taste it. It took a long time of trial and error to realize that as long as I keep up a healthy diet of this..." he lifted the bottle to indicate what ‘this’ was, "I pretty much function normally. Food was something I learned I could tolerate, or ... maybe over the years I have built up a tolerance for it, I really don't know which is the case."
Adrienne Vance:
Folding her arms on the counter, she nodded, relieved she didn't hit a nerve with the question. "I was just curious. My godfather was turned long before I was born, but I never really thought to ask him anything until I was older and by that time he'd moved on to Europe. When we'd write, I'd keep my curiosity to myself."
Alex Vipond:
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind questions and to be honest, it's different for each of us. Some of us have abilities that others do not. My sister, who was turned just a year or two after me, doesn't eat. Whether or not she can, I don't know. She doesn't make the attempt. Many of my kind, look down on the more human activities." Alex plucked her Pop Tarts from the toaster as they popped and dropped them onto a plate, which he set on the island in front of her. He laid a paper towel next to her and then poured them both a cup of coffee. Cream... was the powdered stuff, but at least it was available in a variety of flavors, from plain to caramel, chocolate, Irish cream and French vanilla.
Adrienne Vance:
She sat more upright when he set the Pop Tarts down and she smiled. "Thank you." Once they were cool enough she'd break them in fourths, making her way through the filling first because we all know the crust is the best part. "Not gonna lie, pretty glad you don't." Especially one activity in particular, so said the wink she gave him. "Ooo, fancy..." Adrienne usually stuck to plain black coffee, so she actually was kind of excited to have so much variety! She picked the Irish cream and started to fix it up.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled. "I never have been the typical example of one of my kind, a fact which has exasperated the city council in the past." Exasperated, downright confounded at times. "They didn't know what to make of me, to be honest." Alex tipped his bottle up, drinking of the warmed blood as swiftly as he could, because face it, it simply would not go well with coffee.
Adrienne Vance:
"But that's a good thing. Maybe some day there'll be more like you and your kind can stop hiding. All of our kinds, for that matter." Wishful thinking, she knew, but perhaps some day. Adrienne never turned her gaze away while he drank the blood; for all the reaction she gave, he was drinking a Shake Weight.
Alex Vipond:
Once the bottle was empty he'd rinse it out, recycle, reuse... and all that. The second one went as the first had, and once it was rinsed out and put away, he settled in with his coffee. "It's cloned, by the way." In case she'd been wondering. "The company I own, Life Force Enterprises, which is..." he paused and looked up as if reading the brochure and he even gave it that sales pitch sort of spin to the words, rather than simply reciting them, "a multidisciplinary biomedical research institute, situated primarily at Harvard Medical. Its mission is to improve the health and well being of patients by performing innovative research in blood and blood-related processes. LFE is home to more than 40 research groups that employ a broad range of basic science, biotechnological, engineering and clinical investigative methods to address blood and blood-related science and health-related questions." Alex paused and chuckled. "It's fucking amazing what the people in the think tank in the basement of Harvard Medical are doing. It goes beyond simply cloning blood, which, by the way helps support the worlds' demand for such in the medical field, at least where RH positive blood need goes, but they're also making leaps and bounds in research on diseases as well."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne couldn't help chuckling at his brochure memorizing skills. She even golf clapped for him when he was done. "Somehow that just made me more attracted to you and at the same time makes me hate myself for my own life choices." Adrienne simply existed, she hadn't yet managed to do anything grand and honorable in her life. "But seriously, that's awesome."
Alex Vipond:
"Well, the upside is that it's also self serving. The cloned blood, a portion of it, goes to the vampire community and is sold" he shrugged. "Gotta recoup the expense of donating it to the medical community somehow, right?" Method to the madness. "If the council knew half of that, they'd be demanding I turn it over, but fuck that. Most of these assholes have been around long enough that they are fully capable of taking care of themselves. And those that aren't by all rights should have their sires to look after them."
Adrienne Vance:
"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." Her mug was brought up for a sip as she watched him, smiling. It faltered a little, though, as he went on about the council. "You're not worried they'll find out?"
Alex Vipond:
"The blood sold to the community goes through so many shell companies, the IRS couldn't find the source." He lifted his cup and took another drink. He sometimes went French vanilla but today he'd been feeling a little experimental and had added both the mocha and the caramel. Add ice and whip and you'd have a perfect Starbucks drink.
Adrienne Vance:
"Brilliant, generous, sexy as hell..." She sighed, shaking her head before taking another sip of her coffee. When she lowered the mug, though, she was grinning. "I guess that's a benefit of longevity. Stick around long enough and you learn the kinks in the system, among plenty of other things."
Alex Vipond:
"You would think with that longevity that some would do something worthwhile with it, but most just don't give a fuck. Much to the disillusionment of my maker, I'm a people person. I believe life should be respected not destroyed on a whim. We don't have to kill to survive. We're not animals. Or... don't have to be, and by supplying the community with a viable alternative, that is not only genuine but pure... I feel I'm not only helping the vampire community but the human one as well. If I can convert as many vampires as I can to being bottle fed, that's that many less humans being fed from."
Adrienne Vance:
Setting the mug down, she smiled warmly as she watched him. "You're a remarkable man, Alex, truly." Yes, man, not vampire. Despite the current conversation, watching him drink blood, that was simply how she saw him.
Alex Vipond:
"Thank you." Alex regarded her, an almost embarrassed nod given. "We should get going." he drained his coffee cup and moved to the sink to rinse it out, before stacking it in the dishwasher. "Hey, if you like, I'll let you drive." He waggled his brows at her.
Adrienne Vance:
"You're welcome." Adrienne smiled brightly for him, then popped the last piece of Pop Tart crust into her mouth and slid off the stool so she could rinse her mug as well. She may be a guest, but that didn't mean she was helpless. The mug damn near dropped from her hands, though, when he suggested she drive, her brows shooting upward. "Are you for real?"
Alex Vipond:
"You can drive, right?" One brow rose as he regarded her and then he was backing toward the front door, a grin touching his lips. "I mean I don't remember seeing your Bug beat to hell so...." He grabbed his jacket up on the way past it, and slid into it, then paused at the door.
Adrienne Vance:
She laughed, following after him once her mug was in the dishwasher. "Well, yeah, but..." Taking up her own jacket, she pulled her wallet from the pocket and slipped it more securely into her back pocket. "That's just pretty trusting."
Alex Vipond:
"Well, that's what insurance is for." he grinned at her. And stepped out, locking the door up once she had joined him in the hall, then it was off to the elevator. He pressed the button, and it was pretty much habit, but he pressed it twice as if the first time wasn't quite enough. "Besides, I trust you." Leaning against the wall near the elevator as they waited for the car to arrive, he regarded her. "So what do you say? Gonna take my ride for a spin?"
Adrienne Vance:
Stopping in front of the elevator, Adrienne draped her jacket over her arms, which she kept folded close to her stomach. "I thought I already had?" Asked innocently as she watched the numbers above the elevator. She then glanced at him with a ride grin. "Hell yeah I will!"
Alex Vipond:
Alex cracked up, then straightened from his lean against the wall to lean in and drop a kiss to her lips. "And then some." The elevator dinged and the doors slid open and Alex laid his hand across it to keep it from closing as he motioned her inward with the other. "After you." He chuckled, and once she was inside, he'd step in, and press the garage button.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne hummed with amusement, returning the kiss with a grin, then slid past him into the elevator with a sing song "thank you!" Once inside, she leaned against the wall, her arms still folded over her stomach. "So which of your rides is your favorite? Or is that too much like asking a parent which is their favorite child?"
Alex Vipond:
"I would have to say the Ferrari." he nodded as he leaned against the wall, head turned to regard her. "I bought her new September of '61, had her for a good... fifteen years, when I met with an unfortunate accident and had to scramble without leaving any provisions for my property." He shrugged. "Lesson learned the hard way, long story short, I lost possession of it and it kind of faded into oblivion for a while before some dude found it in an old barn somewhere in Podunk, USA. He restored it and put it up for auction at Christie's in Monterey, back in '12. I bought it, just before moving back to Seattle."
Adrienne Vance:
Her smile turned a little grim as she listened, having known a very similar scenario. Well, save for the really nice car. She finally chuckled at his buying it at auction. "Aaw, that's kind of sweet. Reunited at long last."
Alex Vipond:
"Yes." He nodded. "And of course because of the rarity of the vehicle, I paid through the nose." he chuckled as the ding sounded, alerting them to the fact that they'd reached their floor, even as the doors slid open. Alex pushed from his lean and held the door, letting Adrienne step out first.
Adrienne Vance:
"Well worth it, though, I'm sure. Sentiment does that to you. I would've paid an arm and a leg if I needed to for Mars to get my Bug running again." Adrienne pushed off the wall as well, following him. As they got closer to the garage, she held out her hand expectantly for the key, or fob, or whatever, grinning like a kid on the way to Disneyland.
Alex Vipond:
Chuckling, Alex pulled the fob from his pocket. There were no keys, just a tiny little fob that looked like a car. Depending on where you touched the fob would determine what on the car reacted. Touch the nose and the hood would pop, the trunk and that would pop open. As for starting it, all one had to do was sit in it and it was ready to roll.
Adrienne Vance:
Did Adrienne just squeal like a little girl? Why yes, yes she did. Once in the car, she settled back in the driver's seat and just...relished. At least she wasn't turning into a puddle! Yet. She was a little shorter than Alex so she had to bring the seat up a smidge, but once she was settled, she gripped the steering wheel delicate. "Don't judge me if this gives me an orgasm, okay?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex cracked up as he settled into the passenger seat, a piece of gum folded between his teeth before he offered the pack out to her. "I will not judge. If anything I'd lend a hand." He waggled his brows at her. "Okay, it's pretty simple. You got forward and reverse, throttle and brake. There are no gears, and braking is pedal induced, so you will coast when letting off the throttle."
Adrienne Vance:
It took her a moment to take a hand off the wheel so she could take piece of gum and pop it in her mouth. A side glance to him was made, smirking. "You do that and I can't promise I'll keep my eyes on the road." A deep breath was taken and she nodded, fingertips brushing over the handle. "Got it." She then shifted the car into reverse, backing carefully out of the spot. She was very cautious in navigating out of the building's garage, but once she was out and on the road, she opened her up, laughing all the while. "Ooooh..my...God.."
Alex Vipond:
Alex was cracking up. Seriously his reaction had been exactly the same. He'd damned near creamed his jeans the first time he drove her. "It's a kick in the pants, ain't it?" He grinned, laughing, gum rolling from one side of his mouth to the other, getting as much enjoyment out of watching her as he did driving the thing himself.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne actually shuddered when she made a turn, the Tesla handling it like it was on rails. "Oh my shit, Alex! Why do you even have those other cars?!" One would think she was riding a roller coaster what with the excitement in her voice. It was a rhetorical question, of course, but it begged to be asked. It was a real struggle to obey stop signs and stop lights, and once she was on the 5 headed for the 90 and Mercer Island, she was mindful not to go too recklessly over the speed limit.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled. "What can I say? I like cars." He watched her, and yes, he was enjoying doing so. "God, I need to get you out on an open stretch of road without any traffic to fuck up a good drive." Alex wasn't worried about the speed limit, so long as she could handle it and she was doing fine. Any cops, he'd simply compel. Yes, the Jedi mind trick. These are not the droids you're looking for.
Adrienne Vance:
With a sly grin sent sideways at him, an eyebrow rose mischievously. "You sure 'bout that?" As soon as they were on the 405 she was opening up the throttle. Adrienne wasn't about to be cast as a stunt driver in Fast & The Furious 82, but she handled the car well enough, having had plenty of years' experience behind the wheel. Being a Sunday morning, it was pretty easy to weave in and out of the Sunday drivers, and she was laughing all the while.
Alex Vipond:
Her excitement was contagious and Alex was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of her. "I do hope we get there soon." he looked back at her, his eyes raking over her slowly. "If we don't, we're going to end up along side of the road and you're going to be a hood ornament."
Adrienne Vance:
"Hell no I'm not letting you pull me over for that!" Okay, actually, she probably would, but it was fun to tease. Snickering, she nodded toward the sign indicating the next exit. "Down boy, we're almost there." It was a sad moment to have to ease her foot from the pedal, pulling off the highway and into a more residential area. As they stopped at a light, she looked over at him and grinned. "This was your idea, you know."
Alex Vipond:
"Yeah, but I forgot how much being have sucks ass." he chuckled. "And not in a good way." his hand rested along the back of her seat, fingertips teasing along the back of her neck, just to get to her, and hopefully send some delightful little chills down her spine. "Oh, speaking of which..." he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled the envelope out, the hand at the back of her seat lifting as he pulled the cash out and peeled off what he would expect the passport to cost, and then he leaned, his hand slipping under her shirt to tuck the money into her bra. And yes, to cop a feel as he did so.
Adrienne Vance:
Since her hair was still up in a ponytail, that trail of his fingertips indeed earned a shiver out of her. "Aleeeex..." A warning tone as the light turned green and she pulled forward. "Try to do so a little longer, won't you please?" She tossed a smirk his way, and as she glanced over and saw the envelope of cash, she opened her mouth to protest but remembered that she'd relented. Then her eyes went wide as he went digging around in her shirt and bra, laughing. "That's not behaving!"
Alex Vipond:
"Well I can't help misbehaving a little now can I?" He leaned in, kissed her neck, and then he relented, straightening in the seat and keeping his hands to himself. "For the record, this is not easy." he gestured to himself as he sat there, hands to himself. "Just so you know...."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne moaned a little for the kiss to her neck, but she managed to keep her eyes on the road. Speaking of not easy. Chuckling, she shook her head. "Don't need to tell me twice, hot stuff." How many times had she been his passenger as of late? After another turn, she slowed the Tesla so that she could back it up into a spot across the street from their destination: Prince Antiques and Pawn. As for her parallel parking skills? "Rock star.." murmured to herself as she put the roadster in park.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled and slid out. "I'm being have..." He glanced around, one hand lifting to drag through his hair as his gum rolled around to the other side of his mouth. "Shall we?" He looked back at her, unable to hold back the momentary grin.
Adrienne Vance:
Climbing out of the car, she closed the door gently and set the lock and alarm, then handed the fob to Alex. "May as well get it over with." She smiled to him, then crossed the quiet street. The sign on the door was flipped to its CLOSED side, but that didn't stop Adrienne from knocking on the door.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Give the man some time, his meat suit was a gimp, after all. The deadbolt was turned and he opened the door and stepped back, gesturing them inside. "Miss Vance, always a pleasure." There was no masking his leering as she walked past him, but it quickly faded when he saw who was accompanying the woman. "Monsieur Vieuxpont, this is a pleasant surprise."
Alex Vipond: "Well, I figured I would see if my order was ready and Miss Vance was kind enough to offer me a ride once I said I was going to be visiting your shop." He smiled. "I had some issue with my Mercedes recently and sadly it is no more." Alex looked properly mournful and he was, truly. He loved that car. But the car was tertiary at best to what had gone on that night.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne folded her arms over her stomach as she followed Prince into the shop, doing her very best to ignore the glances the demon gave her. She knew better than to hurry the guy, though, and instead glanced idly down at the glass shelf of trinkets beside her while the two spoke.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas frowned for the news of the Mercedes. "Oh, that is a pity. She was a beautiful little thing, wasn't she?" He may have been talking about the Mercedes, but his eyes were roaming over Adrienne once more before looking back to Alex. "I'm afraid your order's not quite ready yet, dearie. Such delicate work takes time." It was a precious little minor in question, after all. Don't want to be hasty. Cane in hand, he limped around the counter and went digging into a drawer, producing a medium sized mailer. He set it on the counter, sliding it toward Adrienne, but his fingers remained splayed over it. "Now, let's discuss method of payment, hm?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex was suddenly regretting having tucked the cash into Adrienne's bra. His gaze lifted from the items on display to regard Silas himself. "One does not rush perfection. After all, one's reputation hinges on the work done and how the customer is treated. If one wants repeat business, it's only prudent to do not only an excellent job, but to treat the customer right." Alex nodded. "I have always been quite pleased with both your product and your customer service, in the past."
Adrienne Vance:
Not to worry, Adrienne had pulled the wad discretely from the titty bank while Prince was talking to Alex, having already counted out the bills. She set them on the counter, sliding them toward Prince in the same manner he had with the envelope. "Same as the last one." Confirming, but not asking. Even when paying with cash the price was steep, but Prince did quality work.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
"Exactly." Agreeing with Alex regarding the relationship between the customer and he. "That's a high compliment indeed, Monsieur, I thank you." Said with a slight bow of his head and the biggest shit-eating grin. Anyone with semi-decent senses could see and hear the malice boiling just under the surface. His attention then drifted back to Adrienne and the cash she produced--he would've been so sad to miss where it had come from--and chuckled, shaking his head. "That was special pricing, dearie, and that only comes around once." His fingertips trailed over the cash, and then the girl's fingers before he was taking her hand in his. "I would much rather discuss another form of payment."
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled, and then took up a lean against the counter. "How has business been, of late, Mr. Prince? I would imagine you get a good amount of business from those of my ... persuasion. I imagine our kind makes up a strong percentage of your repeat business. Seventy-five? Eighty... ninety percent even? With the strong presence that we have here in the city, I would imagine that word travels fast amongst your customers." Alex's smile was anything but warm. "How much more cash does the young lady need?"
Adrienne Vance:
And this was why Adrienne hated doing business with the creep. With a rather feline hiss she drew her hand back from his quickly. "Not to mention I already owe you a favor. Let's stick to one at a time, shall we?"
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas's gaze remained on Adrienne as he addressed the blood-sucking upstart. "It does indeed, Mr. Vipond, and most do well to remember the amount of trust they put into my services. One would hate to have to divulge some rather confidential information to simply make a point." Finally his cool gaze was turned to Alex. "So unless you'd like that little paternity case reopened and examined with the most minute of fine combs, I'd strongly suggest you let me conduct my business with Miss Vance here without interruption, hm?" He then looked back to Adrienne, taking up the cash that she left on the counter. "But you're right, dearie, you do owe me a favor already. So how about..." He peeled only half of the bills from the stack, then handed it back to her. "And just a wee little request. You've still got that lovely land in...what was it, Virginia?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled. "Unless you would like the entirety of the vampire community to run you out of the city, I think it would be in your best interest to mind your tongue. You forget that I once sat on the council of this very city and that the only reason I do not do so now is that my maker now holds not only the seat of the Dragon on the council but the seat of the city as well. Do not threaten me, Mr. Prince, ever again." Alex's voice never rose, it never moved past the conversational, but there was a steel which lay beneath the words, that one would be wise to heed.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne was studying Alex, gnawing on her bottom lip for a moment. She wanted to settle her hand over his, to tell him she could handle this, but she knew better. At the mention of the farmhouse in Virginia, she whipped her gaze back to Prince. "It's not for sale, if that's what you're implying."
Silas Prince, Esq.:
That shit eating grin returned. Silas did so love when the mighty beasts reared up in challenge. It was so cute. "I don't threaten, Mr. Vipond," for a brief second, his eyes flashed entirely of black before appearing human once more. Looking back to Adrienne, he lifted his hand and shook his head. "Of course not, dearie. Do I look like a farmer to you? But I wouldn't mind visiting a time or two, a nice cozy place to holiday when city life gets a little too stuffy. Allow me that and we're square."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne's eyes narrowed and she pointed at him. "You keep away from the plot. Not a foot or tentacle or whatever within a five yard radius."
Silas Prince, Esq.:
He regarded her a moment, then nodded, producing from nowhere a rolled contract. The paper was unfurled and he offered her a pen.
Alex Vipond:
Alex did hope she read the fine print.... "Maybe my lawyer should look that over before you sign?" No, he didn't trust the man. Not after the exchange just had.
Adrienne Vance:
Oh, of course she did. She was silent for a long moment while she read over the document, nodding slowly. "It's fine." A small smile was offered to Alex before she took the pen from Silas and signed along the line. Of course she didn't trust him either, but he held too much weight to fuck around with him.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas grinned as he watched her sign the contract, and once she was done he rolled it up and tucked it into the inside of his suit pocket. "A pleasure as always, dearie. As for you, Mr. Vipond," his tone was pleasant, chipper. "You can expect your order by the end of the week."
Alex Vipond:
Of course he was chipper, he'd just gotten exactly what he wanted from her... whatever that was. Alex smiled and nodded. "I look forward to it, Mr. Prince. I may be out of town and if so, I shall have another pick it up in my stead, if that is satisfactory?"
Silas Prince, Esq.:
He usually did. And he enjoyed every moment of it. "Of course, dearie, provided they bring the agreed upon fee." No, he wasn't so foolish as to rope the blood-sucker into a deal.
Adrienne Vance:
Scooping up the envelope, Adrienne opened it and dropped the passport into her hand, thumbing through it to make sure all was in order. Admittedly she should've done so before she signed the contract, but she didn't think Prince would be so foolish as to pull that kind of fast one in front of Alex. Satisfied, she settled her hand in the crook of Alex's arm and added a little pressure. She wanted to get out of there.
Alex Vipond:
Alex nodded. "Excellent, I don't expect to be out of town, but in the event..." he smiled and shrugged, then slipped his arm around Adrienne after she'd given that silent, let's go squeeze to his arm. "Have a pleasant day." Alex headed for the door, guiding Adrienne along, and after pulling it open, and ushering her out, only then did he let the annoyance touch his features. Still, he didn't say anything as they crossed the street and he opened Adrienne's door for her.
Adrienne Vance:
With her passport tucked away safely in an inner pocket of her jacket, she let Alex guide her out. Arms were folded once more tightly over her stomach as she crossed the street, where she finally let out a breath. "See why I want to get business with him done and over with quickly?"
Alex Vipond:
"I see it quite clearly and please, if you ever have a need again, let me know and I'll find you another guy. I have one, he's just hard to find at times." seriously. Once he had her settled into the car, he rounded the nose and slid in behind the wheel. "Fucking little weasley prick."
Adrienne Vance:
She couldn't help a small smile as he got disgruntled on her behalf. Once he was settled, she did the same he did to her, her arm draped over the back of his seat and her fingers lightly trailing along his neck. Though her intention was more to soothe than to seduce. "I think I'm set until it's time to pack up and leave Seattle."
While Alex went to get himself ready for the day, Adrienne padded out into the living room, checking her phone for any new messages (who the hell would be leaving any?) and calling Silas back, pacing the length of the windows as she did so. "Hi, Mr. Prince? Yes, I'm sorry I missed your call earlier..." A bit of a grin formed as she glanced back toward the bedroom. Prince's comments had her rolling her eyes, reaching to massage the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "I was hoping to stop by in just a little bit. Will you still be at the shop for the next hour or two? Great, I'll see you then." She hung up before he could schmooze her any longer on the phone, stuffing it into her back pocket before drawing her hair back into a ponytail.
Alex Vipond:
"You hungry?" Alex asked as he came out of the bathroom and headed back to the kitchen, a smile given her as he groped her ass on the way by. He thought there might, possibly, be some food left in the place. The cupboards weren't stocked regularly the way the wine fridge was, but Alex was looking to see what they had, opening cupboard doors and ransacking them for anything possibly cook worthy. "Strawberry Pop Tarts and coffee?"
Adrienne Vance:
A smirk was given for the grope to her ass and she followed after him, pulling herself up onto a stool at the counter. "Hey, breakfast of champions." It wasn't much worse than her own kitchen; more often than not she found herself driving thru for a Breakfast Jack in the mornings. With her elbows on the bar, she settled her chin in the palms of her hands. "Can I ask you something?"
Alex Vipond:
"Sure." Alex glanced at her as he pulled the toaster and popped the tarts in, then moved to make coffee for the both of them. Cups were pulled down while the coffee was brewing, and then the timer went off on the bottle warmer. He pulled one of the bottles, wiped the moisture off with a towel, then popped the top on it.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne smiled as she watched him, gnawing on her bottom lip for a moment. "When you eat...y'know, regular food..." Trailing off, she hesitated, really hoping it wasn't rude to ask such a question. "Can you taste it?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled and nodded. "Yes I can taste it. It took a long time of trial and error to realize that as long as I keep up a healthy diet of this..." he lifted the bottle to indicate what ‘this’ was, "I pretty much function normally. Food was something I learned I could tolerate, or ... maybe over the years I have built up a tolerance for it, I really don't know which is the case."
Adrienne Vance:
Folding her arms on the counter, she nodded, relieved she didn't hit a nerve with the question. "I was just curious. My godfather was turned long before I was born, but I never really thought to ask him anything until I was older and by that time he'd moved on to Europe. When we'd write, I'd keep my curiosity to myself."
Alex Vipond:
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind questions and to be honest, it's different for each of us. Some of us have abilities that others do not. My sister, who was turned just a year or two after me, doesn't eat. Whether or not she can, I don't know. She doesn't make the attempt. Many of my kind, look down on the more human activities." Alex plucked her Pop Tarts from the toaster as they popped and dropped them onto a plate, which he set on the island in front of her. He laid a paper towel next to her and then poured them both a cup of coffee. Cream... was the powdered stuff, but at least it was available in a variety of flavors, from plain to caramel, chocolate, Irish cream and French vanilla.
Adrienne Vance:
She sat more upright when he set the Pop Tarts down and she smiled. "Thank you." Once they were cool enough she'd break them in fourths, making her way through the filling first because we all know the crust is the best part. "Not gonna lie, pretty glad you don't." Especially one activity in particular, so said the wink she gave him. "Ooo, fancy..." Adrienne usually stuck to plain black coffee, so she actually was kind of excited to have so much variety! She picked the Irish cream and started to fix it up.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled. "I never have been the typical example of one of my kind, a fact which has exasperated the city council in the past." Exasperated, downright confounded at times. "They didn't know what to make of me, to be honest." Alex tipped his bottle up, drinking of the warmed blood as swiftly as he could, because face it, it simply would not go well with coffee.
Adrienne Vance:
"But that's a good thing. Maybe some day there'll be more like you and your kind can stop hiding. All of our kinds, for that matter." Wishful thinking, she knew, but perhaps some day. Adrienne never turned her gaze away while he drank the blood; for all the reaction she gave, he was drinking a Shake Weight.
Alex Vipond:
Once the bottle was empty he'd rinse it out, recycle, reuse... and all that. The second one went as the first had, and once it was rinsed out and put away, he settled in with his coffee. "It's cloned, by the way." In case she'd been wondering. "The company I own, Life Force Enterprises, which is..." he paused and looked up as if reading the brochure and he even gave it that sales pitch sort of spin to the words, rather than simply reciting them, "a multidisciplinary biomedical research institute, situated primarily at Harvard Medical. Its mission is to improve the health and well being of patients by performing innovative research in blood and blood-related processes. LFE is home to more than 40 research groups that employ a broad range of basic science, biotechnological, engineering and clinical investigative methods to address blood and blood-related science and health-related questions." Alex paused and chuckled. "It's fucking amazing what the people in the think tank in the basement of Harvard Medical are doing. It goes beyond simply cloning blood, which, by the way helps support the worlds' demand for such in the medical field, at least where RH positive blood need goes, but they're also making leaps and bounds in research on diseases as well."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne couldn't help chuckling at his brochure memorizing skills. She even golf clapped for him when he was done. "Somehow that just made me more attracted to you and at the same time makes me hate myself for my own life choices." Adrienne simply existed, she hadn't yet managed to do anything grand and honorable in her life. "But seriously, that's awesome."
Alex Vipond:
"Well, the upside is that it's also self serving. The cloned blood, a portion of it, goes to the vampire community and is sold" he shrugged. "Gotta recoup the expense of donating it to the medical community somehow, right?" Method to the madness. "If the council knew half of that, they'd be demanding I turn it over, but fuck that. Most of these assholes have been around long enough that they are fully capable of taking care of themselves. And those that aren't by all rights should have their sires to look after them."
Adrienne Vance:
"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." Her mug was brought up for a sip as she watched him, smiling. It faltered a little, though, as he went on about the council. "You're not worried they'll find out?"
Alex Vipond:
"The blood sold to the community goes through so many shell companies, the IRS couldn't find the source." He lifted his cup and took another drink. He sometimes went French vanilla but today he'd been feeling a little experimental and had added both the mocha and the caramel. Add ice and whip and you'd have a perfect Starbucks drink.
Adrienne Vance:
"Brilliant, generous, sexy as hell..." She sighed, shaking her head before taking another sip of her coffee. When she lowered the mug, though, she was grinning. "I guess that's a benefit of longevity. Stick around long enough and you learn the kinks in the system, among plenty of other things."
Alex Vipond:
"You would think with that longevity that some would do something worthwhile with it, but most just don't give a fuck. Much to the disillusionment of my maker, I'm a people person. I believe life should be respected not destroyed on a whim. We don't have to kill to survive. We're not animals. Or... don't have to be, and by supplying the community with a viable alternative, that is not only genuine but pure... I feel I'm not only helping the vampire community but the human one as well. If I can convert as many vampires as I can to being bottle fed, that's that many less humans being fed from."
Adrienne Vance:
Setting the mug down, she smiled warmly as she watched him. "You're a remarkable man, Alex, truly." Yes, man, not vampire. Despite the current conversation, watching him drink blood, that was simply how she saw him.
Alex Vipond:
"Thank you." Alex regarded her, an almost embarrassed nod given. "We should get going." he drained his coffee cup and moved to the sink to rinse it out, before stacking it in the dishwasher. "Hey, if you like, I'll let you drive." He waggled his brows at her.
Adrienne Vance:
"You're welcome." Adrienne smiled brightly for him, then popped the last piece of Pop Tart crust into her mouth and slid off the stool so she could rinse her mug as well. She may be a guest, but that didn't mean she was helpless. The mug damn near dropped from her hands, though, when he suggested she drive, her brows shooting upward. "Are you for real?"
Alex Vipond:
"You can drive, right?" One brow rose as he regarded her and then he was backing toward the front door, a grin touching his lips. "I mean I don't remember seeing your Bug beat to hell so...." He grabbed his jacket up on the way past it, and slid into it, then paused at the door.
Adrienne Vance:
She laughed, following after him once her mug was in the dishwasher. "Well, yeah, but..." Taking up her own jacket, she pulled her wallet from the pocket and slipped it more securely into her back pocket. "That's just pretty trusting."
Alex Vipond:
"Well, that's what insurance is for." he grinned at her. And stepped out, locking the door up once she had joined him in the hall, then it was off to the elevator. He pressed the button, and it was pretty much habit, but he pressed it twice as if the first time wasn't quite enough. "Besides, I trust you." Leaning against the wall near the elevator as they waited for the car to arrive, he regarded her. "So what do you say? Gonna take my ride for a spin?"
Adrienne Vance:
Stopping in front of the elevator, Adrienne draped her jacket over her arms, which she kept folded close to her stomach. "I thought I already had?" Asked innocently as she watched the numbers above the elevator. She then glanced at him with a ride grin. "Hell yeah I will!"
Alex Vipond:
Alex cracked up, then straightened from his lean against the wall to lean in and drop a kiss to her lips. "And then some." The elevator dinged and the doors slid open and Alex laid his hand across it to keep it from closing as he motioned her inward with the other. "After you." He chuckled, and once she was inside, he'd step in, and press the garage button.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne hummed with amusement, returning the kiss with a grin, then slid past him into the elevator with a sing song "thank you!" Once inside, she leaned against the wall, her arms still folded over her stomach. "So which of your rides is your favorite? Or is that too much like asking a parent which is their favorite child?"
Alex Vipond:
"I would have to say the Ferrari." he nodded as he leaned against the wall, head turned to regard her. "I bought her new September of '61, had her for a good... fifteen years, when I met with an unfortunate accident and had to scramble without leaving any provisions for my property." He shrugged. "Lesson learned the hard way, long story short, I lost possession of it and it kind of faded into oblivion for a while before some dude found it in an old barn somewhere in Podunk, USA. He restored it and put it up for auction at Christie's in Monterey, back in '12. I bought it, just before moving back to Seattle."
Adrienne Vance:
Her smile turned a little grim as she listened, having known a very similar scenario. Well, save for the really nice car. She finally chuckled at his buying it at auction. "Aaw, that's kind of sweet. Reunited at long last."
Alex Vipond:
"Yes." He nodded. "And of course because of the rarity of the vehicle, I paid through the nose." he chuckled as the ding sounded, alerting them to the fact that they'd reached their floor, even as the doors slid open. Alex pushed from his lean and held the door, letting Adrienne step out first.
Adrienne Vance:
"Well worth it, though, I'm sure. Sentiment does that to you. I would've paid an arm and a leg if I needed to for Mars to get my Bug running again." Adrienne pushed off the wall as well, following him. As they got closer to the garage, she held out her hand expectantly for the key, or fob, or whatever, grinning like a kid on the way to Disneyland.
Alex Vipond:
Chuckling, Alex pulled the fob from his pocket. There were no keys, just a tiny little fob that looked like a car. Depending on where you touched the fob would determine what on the car reacted. Touch the nose and the hood would pop, the trunk and that would pop open. As for starting it, all one had to do was sit in it and it was ready to roll.
Adrienne Vance:
Did Adrienne just squeal like a little girl? Why yes, yes she did. Once in the car, she settled back in the driver's seat and just...relished. At least she wasn't turning into a puddle! Yet. She was a little shorter than Alex so she had to bring the seat up a smidge, but once she was settled, she gripped the steering wheel delicate. "Don't judge me if this gives me an orgasm, okay?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex cracked up as he settled into the passenger seat, a piece of gum folded between his teeth before he offered the pack out to her. "I will not judge. If anything I'd lend a hand." He waggled his brows at her. "Okay, it's pretty simple. You got forward and reverse, throttle and brake. There are no gears, and braking is pedal induced, so you will coast when letting off the throttle."
Adrienne Vance:
It took her a moment to take a hand off the wheel so she could take piece of gum and pop it in her mouth. A side glance to him was made, smirking. "You do that and I can't promise I'll keep my eyes on the road." A deep breath was taken and she nodded, fingertips brushing over the handle. "Got it." She then shifted the car into reverse, backing carefully out of the spot. She was very cautious in navigating out of the building's garage, but once she was out and on the road, she opened her up, laughing all the while. "Ooooh..my...God.."
Alex Vipond:
Alex was cracking up. Seriously his reaction had been exactly the same. He'd damned near creamed his jeans the first time he drove her. "It's a kick in the pants, ain't it?" He grinned, laughing, gum rolling from one side of his mouth to the other, getting as much enjoyment out of watching her as he did driving the thing himself.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne actually shuddered when she made a turn, the Tesla handling it like it was on rails. "Oh my shit, Alex! Why do you even have those other cars?!" One would think she was riding a roller coaster what with the excitement in her voice. It was a rhetorical question, of course, but it begged to be asked. It was a real struggle to obey stop signs and stop lights, and once she was on the 5 headed for the 90 and Mercer Island, she was mindful not to go too recklessly over the speed limit.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled. "What can I say? I like cars." He watched her, and yes, he was enjoying doing so. "God, I need to get you out on an open stretch of road without any traffic to fuck up a good drive." Alex wasn't worried about the speed limit, so long as she could handle it and she was doing fine. Any cops, he'd simply compel. Yes, the Jedi mind trick. These are not the droids you're looking for.
Adrienne Vance:
With a sly grin sent sideways at him, an eyebrow rose mischievously. "You sure 'bout that?" As soon as they were on the 405 she was opening up the throttle. Adrienne wasn't about to be cast as a stunt driver in Fast & The Furious 82, but she handled the car well enough, having had plenty of years' experience behind the wheel. Being a Sunday morning, it was pretty easy to weave in and out of the Sunday drivers, and she was laughing all the while.
Alex Vipond:
Her excitement was contagious and Alex was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of her. "I do hope we get there soon." he looked back at her, his eyes raking over her slowly. "If we don't, we're going to end up along side of the road and you're going to be a hood ornament."
Adrienne Vance:
"Hell no I'm not letting you pull me over for that!" Okay, actually, she probably would, but it was fun to tease. Snickering, she nodded toward the sign indicating the next exit. "Down boy, we're almost there." It was a sad moment to have to ease her foot from the pedal, pulling off the highway and into a more residential area. As they stopped at a light, she looked over at him and grinned. "This was your idea, you know."
Alex Vipond:
"Yeah, but I forgot how much being have sucks ass." he chuckled. "And not in a good way." his hand rested along the back of her seat, fingertips teasing along the back of her neck, just to get to her, and hopefully send some delightful little chills down her spine. "Oh, speaking of which..." he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled the envelope out, the hand at the back of her seat lifting as he pulled the cash out and peeled off what he would expect the passport to cost, and then he leaned, his hand slipping under her shirt to tuck the money into her bra. And yes, to cop a feel as he did so.
Adrienne Vance:
Since her hair was still up in a ponytail, that trail of his fingertips indeed earned a shiver out of her. "Aleeeex..." A warning tone as the light turned green and she pulled forward. "Try to do so a little longer, won't you please?" She tossed a smirk his way, and as she glanced over and saw the envelope of cash, she opened her mouth to protest but remembered that she'd relented. Then her eyes went wide as he went digging around in her shirt and bra, laughing. "That's not behaving!"
Alex Vipond:
"Well I can't help misbehaving a little now can I?" He leaned in, kissed her neck, and then he relented, straightening in the seat and keeping his hands to himself. "For the record, this is not easy." he gestured to himself as he sat there, hands to himself. "Just so you know...."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne moaned a little for the kiss to her neck, but she managed to keep her eyes on the road. Speaking of not easy. Chuckling, she shook her head. "Don't need to tell me twice, hot stuff." How many times had she been his passenger as of late? After another turn, she slowed the Tesla so that she could back it up into a spot across the street from their destination: Prince Antiques and Pawn. As for her parallel parking skills? "Rock star.." murmured to herself as she put the roadster in park.
Alex Vipond:
Alex chuckled and slid out. "I'm being have..." He glanced around, one hand lifting to drag through his hair as his gum rolled around to the other side of his mouth. "Shall we?" He looked back at her, unable to hold back the momentary grin.
Adrienne Vance:
Climbing out of the car, she closed the door gently and set the lock and alarm, then handed the fob to Alex. "May as well get it over with." She smiled to him, then crossed the quiet street. The sign on the door was flipped to its CLOSED side, but that didn't stop Adrienne from knocking on the door.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Give the man some time, his meat suit was a gimp, after all. The deadbolt was turned and he opened the door and stepped back, gesturing them inside. "Miss Vance, always a pleasure." There was no masking his leering as she walked past him, but it quickly faded when he saw who was accompanying the woman. "Monsieur Vieuxpont, this is a pleasant surprise."
Alex Vipond: "Well, I figured I would see if my order was ready and Miss Vance was kind enough to offer me a ride once I said I was going to be visiting your shop." He smiled. "I had some issue with my Mercedes recently and sadly it is no more." Alex looked properly mournful and he was, truly. He loved that car. But the car was tertiary at best to what had gone on that night.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne folded her arms over her stomach as she followed Prince into the shop, doing her very best to ignore the glances the demon gave her. She knew better than to hurry the guy, though, and instead glanced idly down at the glass shelf of trinkets beside her while the two spoke.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas frowned for the news of the Mercedes. "Oh, that is a pity. She was a beautiful little thing, wasn't she?" He may have been talking about the Mercedes, but his eyes were roaming over Adrienne once more before looking back to Alex. "I'm afraid your order's not quite ready yet, dearie. Such delicate work takes time." It was a precious little minor in question, after all. Don't want to be hasty. Cane in hand, he limped around the counter and went digging into a drawer, producing a medium sized mailer. He set it on the counter, sliding it toward Adrienne, but his fingers remained splayed over it. "Now, let's discuss method of payment, hm?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex was suddenly regretting having tucked the cash into Adrienne's bra. His gaze lifted from the items on display to regard Silas himself. "One does not rush perfection. After all, one's reputation hinges on the work done and how the customer is treated. If one wants repeat business, it's only prudent to do not only an excellent job, but to treat the customer right." Alex nodded. "I have always been quite pleased with both your product and your customer service, in the past."
Adrienne Vance:
Not to worry, Adrienne had pulled the wad discretely from the titty bank while Prince was talking to Alex, having already counted out the bills. She set them on the counter, sliding them toward Prince in the same manner he had with the envelope. "Same as the last one." Confirming, but not asking. Even when paying with cash the price was steep, but Prince did quality work.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
"Exactly." Agreeing with Alex regarding the relationship between the customer and he. "That's a high compliment indeed, Monsieur, I thank you." Said with a slight bow of his head and the biggest shit-eating grin. Anyone with semi-decent senses could see and hear the malice boiling just under the surface. His attention then drifted back to Adrienne and the cash she produced--he would've been so sad to miss where it had come from--and chuckled, shaking his head. "That was special pricing, dearie, and that only comes around once." His fingertips trailed over the cash, and then the girl's fingers before he was taking her hand in his. "I would much rather discuss another form of payment."
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled, and then took up a lean against the counter. "How has business been, of late, Mr. Prince? I would imagine you get a good amount of business from those of my ... persuasion. I imagine our kind makes up a strong percentage of your repeat business. Seventy-five? Eighty... ninety percent even? With the strong presence that we have here in the city, I would imagine that word travels fast amongst your customers." Alex's smile was anything but warm. "How much more cash does the young lady need?"
Adrienne Vance:
And this was why Adrienne hated doing business with the creep. With a rather feline hiss she drew her hand back from his quickly. "Not to mention I already owe you a favor. Let's stick to one at a time, shall we?"
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas's gaze remained on Adrienne as he addressed the blood-sucking upstart. "It does indeed, Mr. Vipond, and most do well to remember the amount of trust they put into my services. One would hate to have to divulge some rather confidential information to simply make a point." Finally his cool gaze was turned to Alex. "So unless you'd like that little paternity case reopened and examined with the most minute of fine combs, I'd strongly suggest you let me conduct my business with Miss Vance here without interruption, hm?" He then looked back to Adrienne, taking up the cash that she left on the counter. "But you're right, dearie, you do owe me a favor already. So how about..." He peeled only half of the bills from the stack, then handed it back to her. "And just a wee little request. You've still got that lovely land in...what was it, Virginia?"
Alex Vipond:
Alex smiled. "Unless you would like the entirety of the vampire community to run you out of the city, I think it would be in your best interest to mind your tongue. You forget that I once sat on the council of this very city and that the only reason I do not do so now is that my maker now holds not only the seat of the Dragon on the council but the seat of the city as well. Do not threaten me, Mr. Prince, ever again." Alex's voice never rose, it never moved past the conversational, but there was a steel which lay beneath the words, that one would be wise to heed.
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne was studying Alex, gnawing on her bottom lip for a moment. She wanted to settle her hand over his, to tell him she could handle this, but she knew better. At the mention of the farmhouse in Virginia, she whipped her gaze back to Prince. "It's not for sale, if that's what you're implying."
Silas Prince, Esq.:
That shit eating grin returned. Silas did so love when the mighty beasts reared up in challenge. It was so cute. "I don't threaten, Mr. Vipond," for a brief second, his eyes flashed entirely of black before appearing human once more. Looking back to Adrienne, he lifted his hand and shook his head. "Of course not, dearie. Do I look like a farmer to you? But I wouldn't mind visiting a time or two, a nice cozy place to holiday when city life gets a little too stuffy. Allow me that and we're square."
Adrienne Vance:
Adrienne's eyes narrowed and she pointed at him. "You keep away from the plot. Not a foot or tentacle or whatever within a five yard radius."
Silas Prince, Esq.:
He regarded her a moment, then nodded, producing from nowhere a rolled contract. The paper was unfurled and he offered her a pen.
Alex Vipond:
Alex did hope she read the fine print.... "Maybe my lawyer should look that over before you sign?" No, he didn't trust the man. Not after the exchange just had.
Adrienne Vance:
Oh, of course she did. She was silent for a long moment while she read over the document, nodding slowly. "It's fine." A small smile was offered to Alex before she took the pen from Silas and signed along the line. Of course she didn't trust him either, but he held too much weight to fuck around with him.
Silas Prince, Esq.:
Silas grinned as he watched her sign the contract, and once she was done he rolled it up and tucked it into the inside of his suit pocket. "A pleasure as always, dearie. As for you, Mr. Vipond," his tone was pleasant, chipper. "You can expect your order by the end of the week."
Alex Vipond:
Of course he was chipper, he'd just gotten exactly what he wanted from her... whatever that was. Alex smiled and nodded. "I look forward to it, Mr. Prince. I may be out of town and if so, I shall have another pick it up in my stead, if that is satisfactory?"
Silas Prince, Esq.:
He usually did. And he enjoyed every moment of it. "Of course, dearie, provided they bring the agreed upon fee." No, he wasn't so foolish as to rope the blood-sucker into a deal.
Adrienne Vance:
Scooping up the envelope, Adrienne opened it and dropped the passport into her hand, thumbing through it to make sure all was in order. Admittedly she should've done so before she signed the contract, but she didn't think Prince would be so foolish as to pull that kind of fast one in front of Alex. Satisfied, she settled her hand in the crook of Alex's arm and added a little pressure. She wanted to get out of there.
Alex Vipond:
Alex nodded. "Excellent, I don't expect to be out of town, but in the event..." he smiled and shrugged, then slipped his arm around Adrienne after she'd given that silent, let's go squeeze to his arm. "Have a pleasant day." Alex headed for the door, guiding Adrienne along, and after pulling it open, and ushering her out, only then did he let the annoyance touch his features. Still, he didn't say anything as they crossed the street and he opened Adrienne's door for her.
Adrienne Vance:
With her passport tucked away safely in an inner pocket of her jacket, she let Alex guide her out. Arms were folded once more tightly over her stomach as she crossed the street, where she finally let out a breath. "See why I want to get business with him done and over with quickly?"
Alex Vipond:
"I see it quite clearly and please, if you ever have a need again, let me know and I'll find you another guy. I have one, he's just hard to find at times." seriously. Once he had her settled into the car, he rounded the nose and slid in behind the wheel. "Fucking little weasley prick."
Adrienne Vance:
She couldn't help a small smile as he got disgruntled on her behalf. Once he was settled, she did the same he did to her, her arm draped over the back of his seat and her fingers lightly trailing along his neck. Though her intention was more to soothe than to seduce. "I think I'm set until it's time to pack up and leave Seattle."