Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 0:16:32 GMT
Continued from: The Parking Garage with Lynnette
Russo’s was a busy, popular place and tonight was no exception. The parking lot was full and through the large front window, it was possible to see all of the people sitting around the restaurant’s tables, all covered with red tablecloths and boasting a flickering candle. The dining area was rather dim in order to get the maximum affect of the candles.
“Looks like there might be a bit of a wait for a table,” Nick commented, pulling into a parking place. “At least, for most people. We, however, aren’t most people.” He pulled his cell phone out and flipped it open, scrolling through the address book until he found the restaurant’s number. “One thing about being a reporter, everyone likes to stay on your good side. Just in case. They always keep a couple of tables open in the sun room for important guests. I happen to be one of those.” He gave a grin. “Lucky us.”
He punched the button to dial and, as he listened to the phone ring, Nick turned the key, turning off the engine and pulling the key from the ignition. When the phone was answered and he was greeted, he gave another quick grin in Lyn’s direction before saying, “Yes, this is Nick Sherwood with the Sun. A friend and I are out in the parking lot and I wanted to make sure my table was open before we head in.” He got an affirmative answer, which he had known he would, and nodded. “Great. Thanks. We’ll be right in.”
He closed the cell phone and returned it to its spot. “They’re waiting for us.” He undid his seatbelt and was out of the car and pulling open Lynnette’s door in just a few seconds. “I love the look on people’s faces when I get to skip the waiting in line part and get shown straight to a table. It’s usually priceless.”
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 1, 2006 0:31:06 GMT
“Well… seems I underestimated the benefits of being a reporter,” Lyn commented, actually amused and impressed at the trick, and the fact that it worked. Popping her seatbelt and letting it slide back to its place, she was surprised to find he’d gotten out of the car and opened her door for her, before she’d even shifted in her seat. Pulling herself out of the car, she smiled gratefully at him.
“I’m sure it’s gonna be amusing. Well then… we shouldn’t keep them waiting.” She was talking about the line waiting to get in, and the staff who would be taking care of them. “Plus, now that we’re here, I’m starving.” Laughing at herself, she headed through the parking lot with him to the restaurant itself, glancing through the windows to see that he hadn’t been lying about the atmosphere. Suddenly, she was relieved she hadn’t worn a more ‘club-worthy’ top. She might have turned a few heads if she had…
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 0:42:59 GMT
There was a greeter at the door, who opened it for them and ushered them in. Letting Lynnette go first, Nick entered and gave her glance, raising an eyebrow with a very slight grin before heading to the front of the line. They got some rather nasty looks as they passed everyone and Nick pulled out his wallet and showed his press pass, which spent as much time in is wallet as it did his jacket pocket when he was out and about in the city. A quick check of the ID and a nod of approval told them that they were clear and a waiter came over and led them to the sun room.
The glass room offered a view of the night sky, the full moon and stars drowned out a bit by the city lights but still able to be seen. Looking out through the wall offered them a view of the bustling city. As soon as they reached the table, the suited waiter pulled out a chair for Lynnette and let her be seated before handing them each a menu and, with a promise that he would be back momentarily for their drink orders, and, if they were ready, their meal orders, he turned and left.
Settling back into his seat, Nick put the unopened menu on the table in front of him and peered up through the glass ceiling at the moon. He already knew what he wanted. “Order whatever you want,” he offered when he pulled his eyes away from the moon, looking over the flickering candle in the center of the table to Lynnette. “Don’t bother looking at prices. This is a night for splurging.” He didn’t tell her that he splurged on every night of the full moon so that he wouldn’t be overheard by those around them, but that was always the case. Besides, he had been working so long that his bank account was well padded and he could afford to go a little crazy with the spending on occasions.
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 1, 2006 1:00:29 GMT
Well if this wasn’t the fanciest place Lyn had been to in a while, she didn’t know what was. She looked around, impressed by what she saw, and smiled at Nick in approval of his choice. The man certainly did have good taste, which was a good sign; it meant the food would probably be delicious as well, which, on the full moon, didn’t matter so much when she was as hungry as she was, but would be a pleasant touch at least. She could always enjoy food more easily if it came with a nice taste, after all.
Seating herself at the table, she nodded her confirmation at the waiter, and then gazed up. The view of the moon was refreshing in one way, but oddly ominous in another, because it was a constant reminder of how controlled she had to be; if she let herself loose just that little too much, or got wound up a fraction more than she could manage, then she could lose it, and quite frankly, she didn’t want to put a downer on the evening. Shaking herself out of it, she looked down at Nick as he told her not to worry about what she was ordering, and then remembered she would actually have to at least open the menu. “Oh, okay, if you’re sure. You know how it goes at…” she paused, lowering her voice, before she continued, “this time of the month. Appetite goes nuts. I don’t wanna drain your account.” She was teasing for the most part, of course, because though her hunger went mad on the full moon, she was hardly going to eat that much food.
When the waiter came back to take their drink order, Lyn pondered for a moment, before ordering a glass of wine. She was partial to it once in a while, and after picking the kind she wanted, she smiled at Nick while the waiter turned his head to the man for his own beverage request.
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 1:07:11 GMT
Nick had nodded knowingly at the appetite comment. He knew all too well how that went. He didn’t comment on the fact that he didn’t think she could drain his account if she tried; that just seemed too much like bragging, even to him, which was really saying something.
“I think I’ll have the same,” Nick told the waiter concerning the wine. “Wait. You know what? Give us the whole bottle. And I’ll have the chicken alfredo to go with it.” He handed over his menu and the waiter nodded, looking curiously to Lynnette to see if she was ready to order her meal as well or if she needed a few more moments to decide.
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 1, 2006 1:41:05 GMT
The whole bottle? Lyn rather liked how Nick thought, she had to admit. It cut out the middle man, and they could just top up their own glasses, like good, independent people. Looking to the waiter, seeing that he was waiting for her, she laughed a bit sheepishly, glanced at the menu again, and after seeing one of her favourites, looked back up, asking for the classic spaghetti and meatballs.
The waiter took the order down on his little pad, and then shuffled off to put them through to the kitchen, taking the menus with him. He was quickly back with their wine, and two glasses, and Lyn thanked the man, eyeing the bottle curiously. “So… you seem to know a lot about this stuff. Is it a good year?” Lyn couldn’t help but smile, curious as to what his response would be, and whether or not he really did know about wine.
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 1:49:34 GMT
“I’m no wine expert, ma’am,” the waiter said courteously, “but I can assure you that the restaurant carries nothing but the finest wines from around the world. All bottles are hand selected by our head chef, who knows wine just as well as he does food. We have never had a complaint about a bottle of wine, but should it not be to your liking, you are welcome to send it back and request something else.” He opened the wine and poured a bit into each of their glasses before making a hasty, though very dignified, retreat.
Picking up his glass, Nick cast Lynnette a smile over the rim. “I think you might’ve made him uncomfortable.” He checked the label of the wine himself and shrugged. “He’s not the only one who isn’t a wine expert. I don’t know a good year from bad one until I give it a taste. It’s not one of the things I’ve ever been curious enough to learn about.”
With that, he swirled the wine lightly and sipped. Normally, one would have smelled the wine before drinking, but since he could smell it perfectly well as it was, he skipped that part. As he lowered the glass, he nodded. “Pretty good in my opinion.”
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 1, 2006 1:59:06 GMT
Immediately, Lyn realised the waiter had misunderstood the direction of her question, and lifted a hand ‘casually’ to her lips, as if thoughtful… but really, trying to hide a smile of amusement. Only when he was gone did she let herself laugh, bowing her blonde head over near to the tablecloth with something not terribly unlike a quiet snort. “Oh, jeez, I should’ve waited until he was gone, shouldn’t I?” Clearing her throat, thoroughly embarrassed for the poor waiter, she lifted her head, not wanting to look uncivilised by remaining in such a posture.
Taking the glass from the tablecloth after he told her he rather lacked knowledge of good years and bad years, she clucked her tongue lightly. “I would say I’m disappointed, but you probably still know more than I do. So long as it’s got a good taste, I’m satisfied.” Already reassured by the slightly fruity smell of the wine, she sipped from the glass, and after a moment of contemplating the flavour, nodded her head. “Once again, I have to agree with your judgement, Nick. Not a bad wine.”
It was all she could do not to laugh though. “Jeez, that poor waiter…”
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 2:09:44 GMT
Nick chuckled lightly and shrugged. “They’re trained to answer questions like that, so I guess it’s only natural he thought you were talking to him instead of me. Not like either of us managed to give you any real information though, is it?” He gave a moment’s pause in order to take in a bit more wine before saying, “Oh, I’ve got good judgement on a lot of things. Whether or not people realize that all depends on if they decided to listen.” He gave a grin to let her know that he really wasn’t that full of himself.
With a light sigh, Nick returned his hazel eyes to the moon. He remembered well when it held sway over him- it had taken him a hundred and fifty years to get complete control of both his wolf and the transformation, so it was natural that he remembered as vividly as he did. He knew that it didn’t take that long for most werewolves to get such control, but he had been on his own in doing it and, though fearful of hurting someone when transformed, too stubborn to admit that he needed help in getting it under control. Now, though, he was grateful for having been able to get the wolf under control, no matter how long it took. Almost as in some sort of response to that though, the wolf stirred a bit.
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 1, 2006 2:26:54 GMT
It was almost as if the wolf inside of Lyn could sense the stirring of the one inside Nick, and it did a bit of her flip within her. Though she wasn’t altogether surprised by its sudden activity, she paused for a moment, before sipping the wine again, and clearing her head to return to the casual atmosphere the two had easily managed to set up at their table. It was nice, being this comfortable around someone like Nick… especially seeing that he was male, and she couldn’t really remember the last male she’d been comfortable around, besides Riley.
Clearing her mind again, she smiled at him. “Well, so far, I have good reason to trust your judgement. If the food is anywhere near as nice as the setup, then I’m sure I won’t have reason to go back on that decision.” She smiled easily, glancing up towards the moon once again, and sighing lightly. Why did the damn thing have to be so bright, even with that tiny sliver of it still missing…? One more night, and it would be completely whole.
In truth, she was actually rather dreading the following evening.
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 1, 2006 2:39:18 GMT
Nick’s eyes turned to her as she spoke and he gave a small smile. “Let’s hope I don’t manage to mess that up then, huh?”
He found his eyes drawn back to the moon. He called it full despite the little bit that was missing. It starts affecting those who can’t control the transformation tonight, so it’s close enough, he decided. When he had first been changed, he had loathed the moon altogether. It stood as a reminder of the beast he had become. Once he had gotten control, though, the moon had become fascinating to him. It was one of the very few things he could stare at for hours on end and never get bored. When he did that, he was known to completely lose track of time. Not that it actually mattered.
The wolf stirred again. Perhaps it had sensed Lynnette’s stirring. Or perhaps it was just doing it on its own. Either way, it was fairly certain that Nick was not going to be allowing it out on this full moon so long as there was no reason to. The wolf was calm with that knowledge, though it continued to stir slightly.
His hand had left the wine glass and now he raised it in order to rub the back of his neck lightly. He was aware that the moon had drawn their attention away from the conversation, but it was okay. They were creatures of the moon as he liked to think of werewolves.
The following evening really held no concern for Nick. It would find him a bit more restless than he was on this particular night, but that was about it. His emotions were likely to be a bit blown out of proportion, but he had learned to deal with that so long ago he hardly even noticed it any more.
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 2, 2006 21:32:47 GMT
Lyn too lost track of time while she and Nick stared up through that glass roof at the almost-full moon, breathing quietly and in timed intervals to herself. She barely blinked, but when she did, it was brief, as if she didn’t want to waste time that could be spent watching that bright orb.
The waiter interrupted her awed reverie when he arrived with their meals, and she started very slightly in her chair. He apologised, and she smiled rather sheepishly. “That’s okay,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “In my own little world,” she confessed, clearing her throat quietly afterwards as if embarrassed, quite glad of the low lighting in case the flush she felt in her cheeks had manifested as colour.
“Thank you,” she said to the human before he walked away, after she declined pepper, and she looked down at her plate. “Wow… big portion,” she mused with a grin.
Good, because I’m starved.
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 2, 2006 21:56:33 GMT
The arrival of the waiter had pulled Nick out of the nearly trance-like state he had been in, and he turned his eyes away from the moon, nodding in thanks as the plate was set before him. When the waiter turned and walked away, he wasted no time in taking up his fork.
Another nod and a light smile was given to Lynnette at her comment about the portions. “No better kind.” He was ravenous; he had skipped both breakfast and lunch, forgoing the meals in order to work on his articles. He hadn’t even bothered with a snack. He always seemed to get the most work done on the nights of the full moon, but he wasn’t going to complain about that. It meant that he didn’t have to worry about work for a few days.
After taking a sip of wine, he took a bite of his dinner. The chicken alfredo at Russo’s was the best to be found in his opinion and every bite was always fully enjoyed. As he chewed, his stomach rumbled and Nick couldn’t help but roll his eyes. I’m working on it.
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Lynnette
Rogue Werewolf
Dancer
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
Posts: 374
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Post by Lynnette on May 3, 2006 4:35:33 GMT
"Couldn't agree more," Lyn told him contently, taking up her own fork, but grabbing the accompanying spoon as well. After all, spaghetti wasn't the easiest food to eat, and usually required the tandum useage of both utensils. But she had 'experience', and plenty of it; spaghetti wouldn't defeat her, and certainly not tonight.
Twirling some of the pasta around her fork, she was careful not to flick sauce everywhere. Eating a mouthful, she had to fight not to groan in satisfaction; he hadn't been kidding.
I gotta get this guy to write down the good places to eat. He knows his stuff. She stabbed a meatball, looking across the table at her companion. Setting down the impaled food, and making sure it wouldn't roll across the table, she took hold of her wine glass. "How's the chicken?"
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Nick
Rogue Werewolf
Reporter: LA Sun
Posts: 407
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Post by Nick on May 3, 2006 21:35:20 GMT
Nick swallowed, using his napkin to wipe away a bit of sauce at the corner of his mouth before answering. “It’s excellent, just like it always is here. You’re welcome to a bite of it if you want. How’s the spaghetti?” He had had Russo’s spaghetti before, but there was no doubt that the chicken alfredo was his favorite.
There was a crash from the kitchen area that was the tell-tale sign that someone had just dropped a tray. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had been to a restaurant to eat and hadn’t heard that sound.
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