Don't Bring Me Down (Closed-Ash)

[Kaydence Morgan]

It had been nearly two weeks since Kaydence had arrived back in Austria. In that short time span, she had already had enough excitement to last two months. The most notable being her first evening rendezvous with an intriguing character. As much as she had tried, thoughts of him had frequently consumed her. It had been awhile since someone had imprinted themselves so quickly on her. In fact, there hadn’t been anyone since Evan. Evan’s soul had been injected into her from their first meeting. Even after she left, Kaydence would still see Evan’s reflection looking back at her while she dolled herself up in a mirror. She’d feel his breathing on the back of her neck while she tried to sleep. On occasion, she could hear his voice whispering in her ear. It had taken almost a year for her to fully get over Evan. When she had, it was if he had never even existed. It also helped that Evan and his family had disappeared from Austria. That made it impossible for her to keep tabs on him and for his lingering presence to diminish.

He had been replaced by a man she had met the other week while on an innocent excursion to the Gym. The night had been full of twists and unexpected turns. If she had been in her right mind Kaydence would have forgotten about him immediately. But she wasn’t. Somehow she was always attracted to his type. His type went way behind anything she had ever experienced. From her first impression, it was obvious that he had a background. He made no effort to allow her in. She hadn’t expected it though. Besides, after seeing how bi-polar he had been all night, Kaydence wasn’t sure she even wanted to know his story. There was something though. If not, there would be no other reason for his lingering. Either that or Kaydence herself was demented and infatuated with someone who should have been wearing a straight jacket.

Kaydence didn’t know what it was. Intrigue? Definitely. Infatuation? Not quite. It had to have only been the first option. He had kept her on her toes for the entire night. She had a feeling that he was always like that. Men with checkered pasts usually let it dominate their lives. And Kaydence disturbingly wanted more. She hadn’t gone out of her way to look for the man, but had made sure to look around her surroundings wherever she went in Ilfracombe. Granted she hadn’t been to too many places, but the land with the Resort and the Waterfront wasn’t extraordinarily large. But it had been a week and no sign of him. He must have moved on. Maybe he had been so embarrassed with his actions that he felt like he needed to get away to never see her again. Kaydence couldn’t help but to feel a bit prideful with that thought.

Kaydence had awoken to sunshine beaming through her window, casting a ray on her bed. Upon seeing how beautiful it was outside she decided that it was a good day to take in some shopping, preferably at the newly constructed boardwalk at the Waterfront. She had yet to explore the new addition but had been anxious to. Pulling herself out of bed, Kaydence took a quick shower. After getting out she brushed her teeth, applied some light make-up and wandered into her closet to find something fitting for the day. It didn’t take her too long to decide. As soon as her eyes landed on a form fitting white tube top sundress she grabbed it. She also had a large droopy sunhat to go with it. Once satisfied with the way she looked Kaydence grabbed a pair of big sunglasses and rested them on the bridge of her nose. Her purse was waiting for her by the door. Bending down she slid her arm through the strap while grabbing her keys with her free hand. She quickly made a mental checklist of everything. Once satisfied, Kaydence let herself out of her back door, locking it as she did so.

From her back patio, the Waterfront was only a few minutes walk. The Boardwalk even less than that. She found her way to the steps leading from the sand to the wooded strip and climbed up them. Her eyes focused in on the area around her. There was already so much going on. An aroma of fresh funnel cakes drifted past her. The sounds of balloons popping from water racing games came from in front of her followed by the sound of children laughing. Kaydence couldn’t help but to smile. She had definitely made the right decision of what to do with herself. She remained still for a few seconds taking in everything around her. She had come here for a reason and it only seemed fitting to start her time here doing just that. Kaydence walked for a few feet before coming across a clothing store aimed at summer styles. Knowing she needed to pick up a new bathing suit and dress, she turned to the left and entered.

The shop was small, but decorated eloquently. Kaydence was in paradise. She just needed to decide what she wanted to start looking at first.

[Ashton Wentworth]

He had been looking at apartment ads all day. The parchment was starting to blur together. The colors and moving faces was giving him a migraine. He was hyper aware of the fact that he had a perfectly good, albeit filthy, house to move into. No rent, no obnoxious land lords to have to deal with but the ghosts...he didn't want to live with roommates if he could help it. He had made an attempt last night to search down the owner of his last apartment, the one that he had lived in before graduation on the weekends but after hours of searching he found that the bar had been closed down, and had reopened in another location under new management. Much to his dismay he had learnt that Geoff, perhaps the closest thing to a father figure in his life had passed away. He had then spent the better part of the night drinking and rehashing stories of Geoff and his wild antics. Crazy Irish bastard if he had ever known one. After fighting off a raging hangover only to have his headache return was not how he was wanting to spend his day in the least bit. Since his former landlord had passed, that meant that he would have to buy the building in order to live there again, he just didn't want to have to restore another building to glory he didn't want to have to go through the memories. While it did present the option t own his own bar, which was highly tempting he just wasn't settled enough in his role here to want to take on another responsibility. The option of discounted liquor was starting to look very good though. As nice as it was having somebody else clean up his mess and clean his clothing and prepare his meals for him he needed to find a place of his own before the hotel bills cost him his savings. What little there was left, maybe he could get the ministry to foot part of the bill? Renovating this hotel suite wasn't exactly something he wanted to do.

Glancing up from his position on the freshly made bed he grabbed a piece of toast from the tray that he had ordered none too long ago. Munching as quietly he could as bits fell onto the sheets below him. The black burn from his cigarette was still on the table, the curtain had torn off a few of its rungs and hung at an odd angle but did its job to effectively keep the light out. stuffing the last half of the toast into his mouth he wiped his hands on the sheets, they were going to need to be changed anyway. Rubbing one hand back and forth against his hair he began the search for his shoes. Pulling a plain black v-neck shirt over his head and positioning it over his torso he wiggled into faded blue jeans and his every present boots. He was a simple man, every now and then he would possess nice things, but he tended to ruin them not too long after acquiring them, and that didn't just hold true for clothing. He needed to get a break. It was his day off after all. Maybe he would get lucky and run into somebody looking to sublet their apartment to the handsome auror with decent credit. Pocketing his necessary it items he headed downstairs to the lobby, taking the stairs. He hadn't faced the elevator in two weeks, and he didn't want to risk going into the gym again lest she be there. In his experience, it was best to 'love em and leave em' she didn't need any of his drama and he didn't want any of hers. Approaching the front desk to ask if he could have the house elves attend to his room and if she could point him in the direction of something interesting he frowned. The staff was starting to not like having to clean up his mess day after day. She pointed him in the direction of the water front and assured him that it would be taken care of. Sliding some coins across the counter he hoped that would help in her liking of him. Heading out the front door he pushed toward the waterfront.

His first thought was to purchase sunglasses, how he had managed this long without them way beyond his hungover reasoning abilities. Stopping at the first stall he came to he extracted a simple pair in what he imagined to be would be a 'classic' fashion and handed the man a few sickles to cover the cost. Easing them onto his eyes the pain in his mind began to instantly lessen. This is why he hated having days off, nothing to do and the bars wouldn't be open for a few hours yet. He didn't feel like eating and there was nothing recreational he could stomach participating in. To make matters just that much worse, he was out of cigarettes, which left him in a less than pleasant disposition. They had to be selling them somewhere out here right? So the hunt was on, if he could pick up a few things it wouldn't be the end of the world. His only pair of 'good' pants had been ruined the first day on the job, and Fordie was starting to drop comments about presentable attire was key to feeling successful or some touchy feely nonsense. Now, the boardwalk was probably not the best place to look for such things, but it was within walking distance and the breeze was making him feel better. Pausing to look at one of the shops he toyed with a few of the coins in his pocket. Bored. The water didn't seem all that appealing since he didn't have anything other than his skivvies to swim in. Wishing that he hadn't worn such a dark shirt he considered returning to his room and the world of air conditioning, but something changed his mind. Up ahead he spotted white, his mind replayed his last encounter with white, and his hand staining it red. Smiling without realizing it, he was pleasantly surprised whenever he realized that once again, it was the same woman. Kaydence. He started to move towards her, his mind scanning though possible sarcastic comments. Then she turned and his blood ran cold. He was on the outside and he was inside, but he was certain she was looking right at him. Sliding into one of the stalls outside the shops themselves, the kind that was mostly tourest items and the like.

Crap he muttered to himself as he ducked behind the mannequin of a very tacky woman. He wasn't sure why he ducked, he had been moving toward her after all. Perhaps it was because it was on his terms, maybe he just didn't want to be embarrassed again. Either way, he hoped she hadn't seen him. Pulling the flimsy fabric of the tie-dye dress she was wearing over his face his heart calmed until he realized that it was see through. Double crap he muttered as he moved further into the stall until he noticed that there was only things geared toward children and teenagers. Given that it was the summer months he shouldn't have been surprised, after all there was a school not located very far from here and he was willing to bet that the number one source of their revenue was sugar hyped teenagers. His heart gave a small pang as he looked at the tiny racks of shoes and jewelry. Granted, he wouldn't of had a daughter but if...and his mind trailed off. His fingers wrapped around a small dress, light yellow with little holes that formed the shape of sunflowers. Soft embroidery formed the stem and leaves. His chest heaved as he dropped the dress, trying to remember why he was here in the first place. His boots stumbled over one of the shoe racks and he tripped. Well that's just perfect he muttered to himself as he fell. He half considered attempting to put the shoes back where he had found them but decided against it. Opting to move instead he ducked behind the curtain that divided this stall and the next, only to find out that he was in the wrong end of the counter. A small Asian lady fit him between the eyes with her folded paper fan as she started to spew what could only be described as Asian death threats, no doubt he had scared the wits out of her, she probably thought that she was being robbed. Pushing past until he was hopping awkwardly over a stand of waving 'good luck' cats in various colors. Rising to his full height he rubbed at the tender spot between his eyes and considered hexing her, or giving her a citation for being rude. Only that wasn't his job.

Spinning around he had forgotten why he had begun evasive maneuvers in the first place. Finding himself chest to face with the same elusive woman from the resort as odd feeling of embarrassment coursed through his veins. Well, if she had watched the whole thing and he was caught that would be very hard to explain. However, maybe she had forgotten all about him in the first place. Forcing a smile he nodded once to her before turning at quickly as possible and walking a little too calmly in the other direction. Whenever he ran into women that he had slept with and then never contacted again only one of two things tended to happen. Either he got slapped, and yelled at. Or he ended up in bed again...the vicious cycle would just repeat itself. He didn't really feel much like being slapped, his face was already hurting and he knew first hand that she could punch if needed, and the day was nice. They would just end up in the sand and it was too much of a hassle to get out of his naughty bits to be worth the good right about now. So much for not getting embarrassed.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Her eyes immediately focused on a bright display of bathing suits. A feeling of girlish excitement overcame her as she made her way to the display rack. Her fingers immediately began shifting through the different colors and sizes upon her arrival. A cute black one had caught her eye, but had immediately been pushed to the side after discovering both the top and bottom were a large. Kaydence was very proud of her figure and dedicated time on maintaining it. For several years now she had been able to maintain a size four. The increase to a size ten during her pregnancy didn’t count considering the results of said pregnancy. Regardless, Kaydence wouldn’t be caught dead in anything bigger than a small. Frowning slightly, she continued to shift through the colorful material. A dark purple one next caught her eye considering purple was her favorite color. Even better, both pieces were a size small. She nearly squealed in excitement as she pulled the suit from the rack. This one was a definite.

Although she had checked off one item from her list, Kaydence continued to look through bikinis. She was very picky, but this store seemed to have endless amounts of suits to her liking. Before she knew it, three other bikinis had joined the purple one resting on her arm. Once fulfilling the bikini requirement, Kaydence began her search for a new dress. Aware of the other stores that resided on the boardwalk she tried her very hardest to not one-stop shop. After all, she had an entire day to herself. She deserved this time. She had earned it. There was no sense in conquering her goal before the day had even really begun. Ultimately, Kaydence made the decision to allow herself to buy whatever the hell she wanted. She was probably going to do it anyway but knowing that she had given herself permission was just that much better.

She had been drawn to a yellow sundress similar to her own when an uneasy feeling appeared out of nowhere. Instinctively, Kaydence turned around and studied her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but she had the strangest feeling that she was being watched. Puzzled by the sudden feelings she tried her best to disregard the development. Focusing her attention back on the dress in her hand she began to study the details on the price tag, Size: Small. Color: Yellow. Price: 3 galleons. She wondered if all of the clothing prices were similar on the Boardwalk. If so, Kaydence would be heading home at the end of the day with her arms full of bargains. There was literally nowhere else that you could find cute clothing this cheap!

A thud sounded from somewhere in the back of the small shop. Lowering her glasses down the bridge of her nose Kaydence looked in direction of the sound. Once again there was nothing. Other patrons had followed suit and looked towards the area she was, but nothing sprung up. She was so damn confused. Shaking her head, Kaydence turned back to the dress as the shopkeeper bolted to the shoe area of the store. No doubt to find out the cause of the noise herself. She studied the intricate designs of the dress. Running her finger over the hem she again decided that this item was worthy of purchasing. Not even thirty minutes in and Kaydence had already found five new items to add to her extensive summer wardrobe. At this rate she wondered how many other items she would purchase before the end of her day on the Boardwalk.

The sounds of the Asian shopkeeper speaking fast Chinese was enough to make Kaydence look up again. So was the figure that suddenly appeared to the right of her. She looked right up into the smiling face of Ashton. The feeling of being watched and loud thud, but more so the angry Chinese threats still spewing from the Asian woman, were now completely explained. In a sense, Kaydence really should have known all along given Ashton’s public theatrics last week. Before getting a chance to say anything, he nodded to her once and began walking away. Kaydence quirked an eyebrow. Well nothing had changed now had it? Her mood had not changed in the slightest at his appearance either. However, Kaydence did feel compelled to go after him. She wasn’t sure why, but the feeling was overbearing. Unfocused on the clothing still in her hand she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and followed the direction he had taken outside.

Kaydence wasn’t sure if he had been waiting for her himself, but she did find it odd that he hadn’t strayed too far in front of the shop. She managed to weave herself through a group of teenagers and plot herself right in front of him. “Were you spying on me?” she asked him straightforward. He had not gotten the chance to open his mouth before the angry little shopkeeper appeared next to them, still cursing and pointing furiously at the clothes in Kaydence’s arms. “Blast.” She had completely forgotten about the clothes still being on her arm. She furiously dug in her purse for the first few coins she found and promptly placed them in the woman’s outstretched hand. “Keep the change.” The woman seemed satisfied with her contribution and turned on her heel to walk away. Damn him for being a distraction. Kaydence sure he’d be amused. Turning her attention back to him, she shoved her things in her purse. “Or do you just sincerely enjoy creating a spectacle of yourself wherever you go?”

[Ashton Wentworth]

He couldn't shake her, the little Asian woman was following his every move, spewing words that he couldn't understand, he assumed that he had startled her, possibly even hurt her feelings but this seemed a bit much to him. He could feel the woman's tiny fist hitting against his ribs, it was annoying but it didn't hurt at all. He hadn't broken anything, so he didn't know what she wanted, choosing to ignore her, she had to leave sometime or another right? I mean, she had to be selling stuff at some point, otherwise she wasn't going to make any money. Ignore a problem and it goes away right? At least that's what he was hoping for. At he sight of the woman in front of him, memories flooded his vision, of pillows and sheets. Smiling for a moment before he had turned, in this case he was hoping that the problem wasn't going to follow him. He didn't want it to go away, at least he didn't think that he did, he assumed that she was going to be at least marginally upset with him. Since he wasn't looking at her, he didn't know weather she had followed him or if she had returned to whatever it was that she was doing. How was it that the two times he did something out of the office she was there? It was going to be annoying if every time he went out she was there.

This trip was suddenly starting to feel like a very large mistake, he should have just stayed in his room, there were eggs in there, well they were probably very cold by now but that wasn't the point. There was television and food. He just needed to add some alcohol into the mix and he would be a very happy man indeed. Perhaps one day he would be at a place in his life where he didn't need to drink to keep himself happy but he was not yet there. His job was all well and good but he couldn't deny even as much as he had wanted too that he was miserable most of the time. He hated to think about it, but he really had grown accustomed to having female company most of the day, nagging, sleeping, cooking, whatever she had been doing she had always been there. Then suddenly, she just wasn't it had taken him a long time to get used to being alone again, and he couldn't help but compare his most recent conquest to his late wife. He had seen her laying in his bed, even if it was a bed that he was renting it was his until he was done with it. Seeing her there had sparked a loneliness inside of him, ever since that night he was doing every thing in his power to keep it at bay, he had even started doing his own paperwork. Simply because it was time consuming.

Ducking through the crowd he tried to keep his head down and avoid any further embarrassment, ducking in between a group of teenagers he seemed to lose the shop keeper, guess she didn't want to stay too far from the possible customers and went back about her day, he would just have to be sure to keep away from that stand in the future. “Were you spying on me?” Ah, so not only had she indeed recognized him, but she was following him. Smirking at the question he should have known that she would remember him, if not for his odd behavior but at least for the night preceding it, he had done some mighty fine work if he did say so. Speaking over his shoulder as he walked he commented "Maybe I'm wrong, but you seem to be the one following me" He didn't stop walking, mostly because he wanted to see what else he could make her do. The old feeling of 'the chase' kicked in, something he hadn't had to worry about since his wedding day. His chase had been over then, he had expected to be chained for the rest of his life to that woman, in a way he guessed that he still was. Georgie did have a way of popping up at the worst times and in all of the worst possible situations, and then she popped up after she was dead too. It was just awful. The sound of his own voice had been drowned out by the sound of cursing, it didn't sound Chinese but he wondered if he had really lost the little woman. Turning to see what all the commotion was the crowd started to thin around the two.

They really were quiet the pair, first the cat incident, and now whatever this was. It wasn't something he did that was for certain. The lady seemed to be talking to Kaydence, glancing down at the clothing in her arms he couldn't help but laugh to himself, at least he wasn't the only one who was causing trouble today. “Blast.” watching their little exchange he thought maybe he wasn't the only troublemaker out of the two of them. Shoplifting wasn't something that he had ever dealt with but she had made it seem like she really didn't need the money the other night, his grin widened as she paid the woman. The image of the stereotypical bored little rich girl popped into his head, shoplifting for fun? Or perhaps she had just been too excited to see him again, looking for a repeat of the other night. Rolling his eyes into the back of his head as he watched all of her loot disappear into her bag. Why did women carry such huge bags? What could she possibly have in there that required that much space on a regular basis. Turning on his heel he started to turn to leave again, he didn't want to get into a conversation, he didn't need to become interested in her or her thoughts. He needed to just move on and go find him some damn nicotine. “Or do you just sincerely enjoy creating a spectacle of yourself wherever you go?”

Apparently she wasn't going away just yet. He didn't know how he felt about that, not even a little bit. All he did know was that she had to be as messed up as he was to still be interested in a conversation with him. Stopping abruptly as what she said sunk in he turned once more "Well, you are the one following me, and how I see it, you just had a spectacle as well" Giving her an obvious once over he exhaled, more flimsy little dresses. He could almost bet that one tore easily too. Instead of continuing in his path he turned to go into a random stall, one that appeared to be selling framed seashells and things with their location printed in frilly lettering, one t-shirts, sweatshirts and the like. Well, of all the places he could have turned into this one was the least likely for him to have any reason to purchase anything. He didn't need to remind himself of where he already lived he knew that all too well.

[Kaydence Morgan]

The confrontation with the shopkeeper left her embarrassed. For all she knew, Ashton thought that she was so anxious to see him again that she had purposely left the shop to follow him. He probably thought that she was chasing after to him to have another round of bed wrestling. He seemed the type to think he was Merlin’s gift to women. “He wasn’t even that good,” she muttered to herself. It was clearly a lie, but Kaydence was thinking of anything she could to distance herself from being made out to be a follower. Kaydence Morgan followed no one.

"Well, you are the one following me, and how I see it, you just had a spectacle as well." She couldn’t deny that. She had nothing to say in response given that there was an iota of truth in everything he had just called her out on. Allowing him to walk away Kaydence was irritated. How in the world had her day started off this way already? It had such potential. Kaydence loved shopping. She loved spending her family’s money. Her family had so much already that her taking of a share of it had probably been noticed, but disregarded. She was sure that they had more important things to worry about then their disowned daughter stealing a couple of thousands of galleons. Well, if they had, Kaydence hadn’t heard anything from them. For someone who wanted nothing more than to make her family pay for betraying her, she was doing one hell of a job at it.

Things had started out so optimistic. She woke up in a great mood. She had found cute clothes. Then, with a simple look, everything had changed so quickly. She was accused of being a follower. She had a short little Chinese woman berate her in the middle of the Boardwalk. Thinking of spending her family’s money had brought back memories she wished not to think about. The memories triggered yet another looming idea that had been weighing her down for the past few weeks. Kaydence had come back to Austria for one reason and one reason only. And that reason had been to take down her brother and his power. She had yet to sit down and gather her thoughts about how she was going to do it. She still needed people to back her up. No effort had been made on her part to do research on whom, if anyone, had been mistreated by Darren. She really needed to get that damn meeting with Centara arranged.

Kaydence brought herself back to reality. She still had time to get done what she needed. Today was her day. She was not about to let anything or anyone ruin it. He had wandered off into a side shop. Suddenly, the interest she had once had in him spying on her was lost. She wanted nothing else to do with him. Shifting the strap of her bag further up on her shoulder Kaydence began walking past the shop he had disappeared into. Let him ruin his own day. She still had shopping to do and money to spend. She continued down the strip a little ways until her eye caught site of a jewelry stand. Normally she wasn’t much for cheap little stands but some of the items on display just shone through the display case.

[Ashton Wentworth]

Well, this was a twist, she had walked away from him, which wasn't something that happened to him very often at all. Perplexed he considered turning around and following her about, see how she liked it. He assumed that she would like it a lot, and judging by her eagerness she might be looking for him to do exactly that. Which, if that was the case he would have to refrain. The merchant behind the desk was fumbling absently with the till, he didn't seem to care that somebody had wandered into his stall, he must have known that not many people were actually interested in purchasing any of the tourist items displayed here. He counted at the coins in the drawer and Ashton lost interest in pretending to be interested in the knick knacks. Leaning back he checked to see if she was still outside, he was curious to know just how interested she really was. He hadn't been intentionally spying on her before but he was doing so now. The fact that she hadn't completely written him off was interesting to him. He had only assumed that she was going to walk away, possibly even be grateful for the fact that in an effort to avoid awkwardness he had given her the opportunity to let sleeping dogs lie.

Curiosity got the better of him, his gut told him just to let it go, not to bother with it, he had more important things to worry about. He should have begun in earnest to just go about his day and worry about more important things, like why he was brought back here in the first place, but all work and no play makes Ash a very dull boy. Stepping away from the stall he was at after no more than three minutes he paused to glance down either side of the board walk, he didn't see her white dress anywhere. He was fairly certain that she couldn't have been lost to the crowd, she wasn't short by any means. She just, had a way of standing out. So, unless she had apparated home, which seemed unlikely she had to of headed into one of the shops. Given by her haul a few moments ago, that seemed the most likely option. Frowning, it would be impossible to discern just which one she had actually gone into. He knew virtually nothing about the woman. All he knew was that she possessed impressive stamina, was offended easily and had a hell of a punch for such a small person. He had pegged her as easily manipulated, but apparently he had been wrong. If she had been, she would have stopped when he had, that was what he wanted wasn't it? He wasn't quiet sure anymore. For lack of anything better to do, he ran his hands through his hands. It was becoming quiet the habit for him. He was developing all sorts of new traits in the recent years, Merlin forbid he was growing as a person. All respectable and sorts, maybe not yet, didn't want to give himself too much credit.

Spinning in a mini circle he sighed, once again he had let another one slip through his fingers. No matter, there were plenty of fish and the ocean right? He refused the allow himself to fall victim to yet another female and her wiles. Then why was his feet taking him in the direction he had originally been heading? Why was his eyes scanning the crowd for hints of white? He wanted to tell himself that it was only to have the last word, that he didn't want to be left anymore he wanted to do the leaving. Bitter old fool that he was. He saw a frame that looked to be her through a cafe window, but upon a second glance it was only a teenager with a strange looking jacket. How he had mistaken that one meant that the heat really must have been getting to his brain far more than he had been expecting. He wanted to shake the image of her smile from his mind but he was finding it to be rather difficult. Sighing in defeat he turned and there she was, go figure looking at some awful little trinkets. Deciding to allow his head to take control wasn't always a good option, and it certainly wasn't going to apply here. Heading forward he leaned into her frame without touching her. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he plucked up the courage to speak. "Have lunch with me" he requested "There" he nodded in the direction of the cafe he had just been inspecting, longing for the air conditioning. Without waiting for her answer he headed in the direction of the building. If she rejected him then that would be that and he would still be able to get what he wanted, even if that didn't include her.

[Kaydence Morgan]

It was amazing how compelling these little pieces of jewelry were. Kaydence was sure the gleam from the trinkets were advanced with a little help from a wand, but it didn’t matter. They had her hooked. Peering down at a set of earrings filled with tiny gleaming shells she pointed down to them. “I’d like to look at those please.” The attendant opened the case for her, pulling out the cushion with the earrings. As they were set in front of her Kaydence picked up the cushion for a closer look. They were cheap no doubt. They were probably shells picked from the beach itself. Their unnatural shine was clearly a charm considering the shells looked plain and drab underneath the glow. “How much?” she asked out of curiosity. The attendant responded, telling her that they were ten Knuts. Although Kaydence was never one for allowing anything cheap to be presented on her body there was something about these damn things. It was probably that stupid glowing charm.

Feeling as if someone were hovering over her, her suspicions were confirmed when that familiar voice sounded from the right of her. ”Have lunch with me. There.” Kaydence looked over her shoulder as Ashton wandered over to the small café a few feet across the way. Was he serious? Didn’t he just chastise her for supposedly following him? Here was doing the exact same thing. In fact, he had followed a good distance considering the location of the stand from where she had last left him. Kaydence was somewhat flattered. A smile formed from the corners of her mouth as she bit down on her bottom lip. Was she actually considering obliging to his request? Digging down into the depths of her bag she pulled out the ten Knuts she had been getting ready to reach for before the interruption. She placed the coins on the counter and slid them in front of the attendant. “I’ll take them.”

A minute later the earrings were in her possession. Dropping them down into the neverending pit that was her purse Kaydence began to walk over towards the café. She was only accepting his invitation because she was hungry, and wanted a drink, and needed to step out of the blistering heat for a little while. That’s what she attempted to tell herself anyway. It was silly to think that she actually wanted to accept his offer for the act of spending time with him. She was confident in the knowledge that with the Boardwalk being a little more public, he would not go as far as to make her look like a complete idiot for accepting. Then again, given his grand performance in front of the Resort doormen the previous week and his persona altogether, she really had no idea what to expect. Kaydence was taking her chances with this one.

As she opened the door, her eyes scanned for his figure. He had gotten a table already which was impressive considering the amount of people in there already. Kaydence made her way over to where he sat. Putting her bag on the side of a chair she took a seat in it. She took a few seconds to adjust her hat, being careful not to hit any passerby with its size. Once she was settled Kaydence sighed and looked to Ashton through her lenses. “I wouldn’t flatter yourself too much. I was hungry anyway.” She was never one to let her pride get in the way or anything. Grabbing a menu from the center of the table she began searching for her first priority. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for her to settle on something or for the waiter to appear at the side of their table. “I’ll take a large glass of the Riesling please.” She inclined her head in his direction. “Your turn.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

The moment he crossed the threshold he felt his body drop at least two degrees in temperature, these waterside cafes must have to pump AC into the place to have that effect, and no doubt if he st here longer than 15 minutes he would want to be getting back outside in the heat, so he wondered what was the point. Nobody would be in their right mind to be carrying around a jacket in this weather. Pulling his new sunglasses off of his face he headed up to the podium where a small red headed woman was standing crossing things off with a wax pencil the same color as her hair. Smiling to get her attention he held up two fingers to signal how many people would be needing a table. She seemed flustered, which was good for him meant better service. It was best if people just looked at him and he didn't need to speak. He knew he wasn't difficult to look at, otherwise he wouldn't be as lucky with females as he was, he didn't possess what could be classified as a 'winning' personality. Closing the arms of the glasses and reopening them as she scanned the chart she had been changing just a moment ago to search for an opening he waited, looking around the crowded bar out of habit. It was part of his training to 'always be aware' granted he didn't always follow that rule, most of all whenever he drank. Much like last night, he had no recollection of anything after eleven PM, and that included finding his way back to his hotel room and losing a shoe at some point, he had been lucky it wasn't one of his boots. We would have been in a far worse mood that he had been anyway. Luckily most of his hangover had since subsided, and if it didn't disappear completely soon he was going to need to start drinking again, which was a bad idea since he did have to work tomorrow.

The girl had to be no older than sixteen, no doubt this was her first summer job, she was too excited to have been waitressing for long, and technically she was just seating people. She seemed to of found an opening in her chart and marked some sort of initial on the little square representing a table and motioned for him to follow her, menus in hand. Tucking his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt he followed the waitress over to the table that she had selected for him. She was a pretty little thing, would fit very easily under his arm. He couldn't help but notice she didn't look half bad in her uniform. She seemed very receptive to his gaze and no doubt that was why he had received a table so quickly, he didn't need to let her know that a woman was going to be joining him, she could be happy thinking whatever it was that she wanted to think. She was way too young for him anyway. They at least needed to be legal for him now. Taking the menus from her hand with another smile as he slid into the chair with the best view of the rest of the cafe. Setting the other in front of him with a sigh he shifted in his seat until he was comfortable and he was sure the air wasn't blowing on him. He was unlucky in that way most often. Glancing down at the menu only a few of the things looked vaguely appetizing. There had to be at least a dozen or so different types of soups and salads, along with a page long list of wines and different water types. Wishing he had picked somewhere different he searched for something normal that he understood. Finally he found something that didn't contain the word 'cobb' and it was followed by different types of burger. Ensuring that it would actually have meat in it a few sounded alright. Checking their drink selection he noticed somebody moving closer to his table over the top of his menu.

He didn't put the menu down until she had already picked up her own, he could see the top of her ludicrous hat and smiled to himself.He never should have doubted himself. He watched out of amusement as even more things disappeared into the bag she had designated an entire chair for. “I wouldn’t flatter yourself too much. I was hungry anyway.” Chuckling to himself he couldn't believe that she was still playing coy, "Whatever helps you sleep at night" he stated, lifting the menu back up himself. Making his choice as she summoned the waiter who came to their side leisurely, not near the quality of service that the hostess was, but he wasn't an easily smitten teen, this was more how he had expected a career waiter to behave. “I’ll take a large glass of the Riesling please.” The waiter jotted a note down on his hand, turning to face Ashton who shouldn't of been surprised by her automatic alcohol choice. “Your turn.” He smiled at her choice, large glass of wine? A stream of comments involving intoxication and his presence presented themselves but he said nothing. Taking a last look at the menu he had been studying he reverted his gaze "Pilsner" he said folding up the menu "And the mushroom burger please, no onions" he didn't need his breath stinking up the place. His recent addition to his physical activity had done a wonder to his appetite, he seemed to be eating far more often now. Luckily for him, it wasn't showing due to his increased physical routine. Increased in the fact that he had adopted a routine whereas before, he didn't have one. Normally, he wasn't one to drink beer, but it seemed a better alternative to something that was non-alcoholic and something was wasn't wine. He couldn't bring himself to drink it much more than he would eat the grapes that it came from.

He was trying to be kind because the waiters job sucked so much worse than his own job, but it wasn't much fun. The waiter sighed and finished his notes as he walked away, without so much as an introduction. Since he hadn't taken the menus with him Ashton placed his down on the table next to him. Folding his fingers together he leaned up against the table. "You were hungry but didn't order any food" He noted, and not to himself. Grinning he leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the rest of the cafe once more for safe measure. He was glad that she had come in, not because he really wanted to spend the money on her food, and definitely not because he considered this to be a date. He just figured that it would be in his best interest to maybe find out her last name, with that little information he would at least be able to find out where she lived and if she was employed, her record etc. He did work for the ministry after all, and if he couldn't find out that information then he really was doing something wrong. He didn't so much mind her company as he minded what she sometimes reminded him of. Perhaps if he replaced some of the memories they wouldn't surface any longer, and that was a goal worth working on. They had a few minutes to kill before their drinks would arrive. Lacing his fingers together behind his head he allowed his arms to relax "So, why did you really come in here" he teased, knowing full well what her answer would be, he knew that she had to at least be as interested in him as he was in her. He did wish she would take that damn hat off, women and their silly fashions. He wasn't afraid to admit he was still dressing the same way that he had his entire life. Waiting for his answer the waiter returned to bring them coasters and placed her wine and his beer in the front of them, a hearty layer of foam topped his, he would wait until it lessened just a little, he didn't need a white mustache on top of his real one. Not moving, he was content just to watch her, and wait for her answer.

[Kaydence Morgan]

She was unaware that Ashton was planning on ordering food as well as his drink. It would have been nice to receive a bit of warning before so she could have done the same. Instead, she looked like an alcoholic. Why else would she be drinking wine so early in the day and at a time reserved for food? Sighing, she sat back in her seat and glared at him through her glasses. ”You were hungry but didn’t order any food.” Kaydence shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe if I had been aware we were going to order both things at the same time, I would have been a little more prepared.” Thankfully the waiter hadn’t taken the menus away. Maybe he had been expecting them to order one thing at a time. She had. Reaching across the way, she grabbed a menu and scanned the contents to find something that looked appetizing. There were certain foods that her wine selection accented. Kaydence just needed to find one on the menu that would be suitable. Fortunately it only took a few moments for a BLT to pop out at her.

”So why don’t you really tell me why you came in here?” Well wasn’t that the million galleon question. Suddenly feeling her forehead begin to itch from the texture of her hat Kaydence took the thing off and put it in her bag, grabbing a hairband from a side pocket as she did so. “I told you,” she finally responded, putting her hair up in a low, loose bun. “I was hungry.” She lifted her sunglasses off of her face and rested them atop her head. Once she finished, the waiter appeared right in the nick of time. He had barely put the wine glass down before it was in Kaydence’s hand. “I’d like to order the BLT with kettle chips please since I was unable to due to my acquaintance being rude.” The waiter seemed to like her comment as he snickered slightly while writing the order down. Kaydence turned to look at Ashton and smiled as she cocked her head to the right. Lifting her wine glass briefly in his direction she cheered him without saying anything.

As she took the first sip of the wine, the medium- body flavor was to die for. It had been chilled giving it the little extra. She was exceptionally pleased with her choice. In fact, it was tempting to just take her glass and found another table. The wine was sure to be more pleasurable company than the man sitting next to her. “You know, you never answered my question earlier. The one about you spying on me? You merely avoided the subject by turning the tables on me.” Before he could answer Kaydence continued. “And if I was such a bother following you, when I went away didn’t you just so happen to find me a couple of minutes later? I’m sure you remember that it was you who wanted me to have lunch with you.” She smirked, taking another sip from the glass. She was curious about how he would respond. She didn’t expect a full confession of love from him, but she did wonder if he’d be truthful. Kaydence was very good at shifting through the lines to get to the hidden message. It would just be a lot less work on her part if he was honest.

While she waited, Kaydence briefly looked around the café. It was still bustling and only appeared to be getting busier. Her attention was caught when she found the young hostess glaring at her. What was it with people staring at her today? Puzzled, she looked to Ashton. “Did you mess around with her too? If not, perhaps you could clarify why that ginger girl hates me so much.” She really wasn’t upset at the unknown girl’s hostility. She was accustomed to it. Kaydence had frequently kissed or bedded men who were unknown infatuations of girls they did or did not personally know. She thrived off of the attention from her own gender. She knew they wished they were in her shoes. They wished they could be like her. If only they knew the work then went into creating this masterpiece day after day. It was not for the weak of heart. Actually it was impossible. No matter how hard they tried, no one could be like Kaydence Morgan.

[Ashton Wentworth]

“Maybe if I had been aware we were going to order both things at the same time, I would have been a little more prepared.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat "Didn't realize that it was a complicated process" returning to the back of his seat as he attempted to find something to do with his hands. He didn't normally fidget, but she was making him more uncomfortable than he should have been. Maybe it was just that she seemed to always have something to say, as strange as it was he didn't really have very much experience talking to women, he was very confidant in his skills elsewhere, but the talking part he was very rusty at to say the least. Maybe it was that dress. He couldn't help but make the mental connection between that one and Georgie's wedding dress. He could picture flowers in the new growth that was her hair, the breeze lifting up her skirt, looking at the girl in front of him he couldn't see her, not really. They had the same jawline, the same dark hair but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were different. The little that he knew about Kaydence was what he had seen, and she wasn't the submissive type, she wouldn't stand for somebody taking advantage of her. His nose was proof positive of that fact, Georgie wouldn't have allowed half of the positions that he had bent Kaydence into, it was like coming up for air. He hoped that they had met for a reason, he had heard that it took roughly the same time that one was in a relationship to get over that relationship, and he really hoped that proved positive because his time was running up. He had suffered with Georgie for almost three and a half years, he was really starting to get sick of missing her. “I was hungry.” Nodding once as if he didn't wholly believe her his fingers toyed with a place setting. He hadn't realized that she was talking and it took him a moment to come back to reality, out of habit his right hand made a spinning notion on the knuckle of his left ring finger. There was nothing there anymore, he had cemented his ring into Georgie's head stone a long time ago but when he got nervous it happened to be a tick of his.

“I’d like to order the BLT with kettle chips please since I was unable to due to my acquaintance being rude.” He hadn't even noticed the waiter reappear at their side at first, not until he was placing the drinks on the table. Apparently he was rude, something that he was unaware of. Already he had done something to offend her, once again whenever he really wasn't trying to. He had always just assumed that you ordered all at once, that way the waiter could go on with his day, no sense in wasting his time after all, he had seen her look at the menu, she obviously lived around here so he had felt that it was safe to assume she had been here before. She was looking at him funny, and that made the waiter laugh. Well, there goes his tip. he thought to himself. Forcing the guilty feeling to the pit of his stomach his hands dropped to his lap, he forced himself to focus on something else, like how the glass of wine had just touched the table before she was scooping it up again. She toasted him but he didn't return the gesture, he was coming to regret asking her to eat with him, he didn't want to sit here and be guilt tripped for just being himself. He wasn't about to be somebody else. Glancing from her to his beer he picked the glass up from the table but didn't drink from it. Suddenly he wasn't very thirsty. Returning the glass to its point or origin he once again allowed his hands to rest back on his lap. He couldn't help but notice she was very much enjoying her drink. Who was he to judge if somebody needed a drink to really be themselves? He was far more amusing once he got a few in him, he was a much happier, touchier, chattier man. While it would be nice to be like that more often, without the help of alcohol, he had yet to come anywhere close.The best he got so far was surly. No wonder he didn't have very many friends.

“You know, you never answered my question earlier. The one about you spying on me? You merely avoided the subject by turning the tables on me.And if I was such a bother following you, when I went away didn’t you just so happen to find me a couple of minutes later? I’m sure you remember that it was you who wanted me to have lunch with you.” His eyes widened, she certainly knew how to get straight to the point, then again he really ought to of known that one already. They hadn't wound up in his hotel room an hour after meeting because she was going to waste time playing hard to get. He could respect that,she saw what she wanted, and then she went to go get it. Simple. "You talk a lot" his tone was innocent, if she got offended than she really was far too touchy to be in his company. He didn't need somebody who took everything the wrong way. In an effort to hide his smile he took a drink of his beer. It was light in color and didn't have much taste to start, but the aftertaste stuck with him. The longer the flavor sat in his mouth the more he realized that he really wasn't a beer person. Lifting his eyes to meet her gaze he wondered what she was thinking. Obviously she was attempting to get a real feel for him. Since she already had her hands all over him before, it was more in a figurative sense he believed, but he would be happy to give her a second chance for the literal meaning, this place had bathrooms he assumed, and if not the beach wasn't too far of a walk. He was willing to make either location work if that was what she was after. He was interested to know how she took his comment, he believed that it would give himself great insight to her.

The soft sounds of the cafe settled between the two of them, people talking and waiters walking, refilling drinks and confirming orders. Taking another drink of his beer he grimaced at the taste, hopefully the food would be here soon. “Did you mess around with her too? If not, perhaps you could clarify why that ginger girl hates me so much.” Lifting his eyes to see who she was talking about he saw the hostess watching their table, she seemed to get excited whenever she noticed that Ashton was looking at her. Feeling no need to lie to her he shook his head, he didn't even know her name. He could have lied and said yet, but there were more than enough women that he had messed around with and he was comfortable with his number. She didn't seem upset that she was being looked at, and he doubted that the girl hated Kaydence. He was amused by her calling the other woman a ginger, he recognized it was supposed to be a derogatory term from how she had said it but he didn't get the reference. She didn't even know the woman, and she was calling her a spice. "I think she's jealous of you" he mused, "After all who wouldn't be?" he added without fully grasping what he was saying, it was a compliment and he couldn't have that "you are in my company after all" he hastily added as an after thought. Wouldn't want her feeling like she was important, it would be bad for his image. Setting the glass down on the table he checked around for the waiter once again, he just assumed that he was going to have to wait for his food, people always tended to side with the pretty women, despite the fact that he was obviously hungry.

Determined to push past his accidental compliment he leaned forward with his elbows on the table, "I think she might have a crush on me, which would be interesting" Interesting in the fact that he had literally not said a single word to her the entire time he had been in the same building as she was, and interesting because she was obviously far too young for him. Yet, he also didn't feel the need to clarify that for her either. He had sworn off telling blatant lies to women a long time ago, he much preferred to tell half truths and let them take it how they would. When asked a direct question it was often hard to do, so he would just change the subject or stall, but he didn't lie. He found it was more interesting to see how things went this way.

(ooc. Blarg. couldnt carry it further)

[Kaydence Morgan]

”You talk a lot.” Well that comment shut her up. She protruded her bottom lip out slightly, pouting. Lifting her wine glass to her mouth once more Kaydence took a long sip. This was quickly becoming awkward. She didn’t even realize she had talked so much until he had commented on it. What was she supposed to do? He was not being a very good host. For someone who seemed keen on wanting her to have lunch with him Ashton was doing a terrible job showing any continued interest. She shouldn’t have accepted. She should have continued to goggle over the cheap, charmed-enhanced shiny jewelry. They would have been better company than him. Sighing again, Kaydence lowered her wine glass and shrugged her shoulders.”I wasn’t aware that you invited me to lunch to simply sit here and twiddle our thumbs. My apologies for accepting your invitation.” She wasn’t offended, well not really. Just more bored then anything.

When he continued to say nothing, Kaydence shook her head and drank even more. “Merlin,” she muttered to herself. Her thoughts began to wander about what else she could be doing right now. Shopping was the most disappointing thing. Who knew what items that could have been hers had now been bought by others? She could have also been meeting more attractive guys than the one sitting with her now. So maybe the latter might not have been true, but at least they would have talked to her instead of looking around at everyone else but her. Kaydence wasn’t used to that. She was used to being the center of someone’s attention. The fact that she now seemed to be begging for it was depressing. Who was this girl? And why was one guy making her feel so insignificant? Her eyes began scanning the café for an escape route. She could use the old “I have to go to the bathroom” excuse. Though she would probably get more satisfaction just getting up and walking straight out of the door.

Kaydence had actually put her wine glass back on the table and started shifting in her seat to stand up when something that she was fairly sure was a compliment came from his mouth. ”I think she’s jealous of you. After all, who wouldn’t be?” She could feel the color rising to her cheeks involuntarily. Hopefully he would just assume that the wine was getting to her already. ”You are in my company after all.” He could say whatever he wanted. Kaydence knew what he had originally meant. The temptation to call him out on it was mind-boggling. She actually felt childlike as she sat there holding in her own comment. Kaydence was flattered, there was no denying it. Maybe there was still hope for this lunch after all.

Sure enough, Ashton spoke up again a few seconds later. ”I think she might have a crush on me, which would be interesting.” Perhaps she would allow him to feel what she had moments earlier. “Who can blame her?” Kaydence smirked as she leaned forward to grab her wine glass again. She deserved a celebratory drink. “You know,” she began, taking a sip from the glass, “if we were mean and conniving, we could make her really jealous.” Setting the glass down, Kaydence slid her hand close to where Ashton’s rested, but stopped when their fingers were millimeters apart. She propped an elbow up on the table and rested her chin on her palm. She waited another few minutes before curiosity seemed to have gotten the best of him. ”What?” Biting down on her lower lip, she shrugged again and grinned. “Kiss me.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

Her earlier question perplexed him, he didn't like to do such heavy thinking unless he had to. Why had he asked her to lunch, it couldn't have been simply because he didn't want to eat alone. He knew that when it was all over he was going to end up with the bill and follow her out of here, was it because that's how she was going to leave him? Or was it because he honestly wanted to. Avoiding any unnecessary consumption of his beer he watched her with interest, feeling mildly stalker like. “Who can blame her?” He could feel heat rushing to his ears, so she had caught that he was complimenting her, hopefully that wouldn't come back to bite him in his ass. He supposed that he could take the fact that she was returning the compliment as a good sign that he wasn't boring her too bad. It wasn't that he was a boring person, he just tended to get along best with people that already knew him and she didn't know anything about him. He had to be careful about how much he did reveal to strangers like her, not only would she go running for the hills, but she might try to get him committed before she left. He was aware that everybody has baggage but he didn't need to lighten his load by sharing with anybody. He would suppress as much of it as possible for her benefit. He couldn't imagine any scenario where would need to share the gritty details with her, and if one presented itself, he would just have to exercise some control. Which, for him would be quiet a feat indeed. Glancing out the window he saw the water front in the distance and got an image of her in that damned sun hat which thankfully she had removed, and only the sun hat. Smiling to himself the attuned to what she was saying.

“if we were mean and conniving, we could make her really jealous.” Watching her hand slide across to his own, confusion flashed across his features, why did she want to make a stranger jealous? It was very strange to him, he had never done anything with the efforts of making somebody jealous. To make somebody leave, sure to start a fight maybe but not for something that simple. Generally speaking he knew both parties, that was a message was obviously conveyed. She could have any manor of outlets to make her jealous, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know about her feminine wiles. He could feel the time ticking by, and he knew that silence wasn't a friend of hers. "What?" he asked softly, unsure of exactly what she was going to request. Her face was hesitant and playful, it was cute. “Kiss me.” His own smile faded as he moved to comply with her request, grasping onto the table with both hands he rose until he was leaning over the table and hovering in front of her face, he moved until he was close enough to feel her breath on his face and smiled "No" he stated and sat back down, leaning against the back of the chair heavily. He hoped to Merlin that the waiter would be bringing their food at any moment. It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss her, he did and often. He didn't want to give her the wrong impression. He thought, that if he kissed her here and now, in the midst of all these people she might think that this was a date or that he had a genuine interest in her. He wasn't sure what he felt for her, he just knew that she had clawed her way into his mind and seemed to resurface whenever she saw fit. While it was brilliant while he was trudging through paperwork, there were other times when it wasn't so convenient. How fitting of her. Besides, he couldn't just do something because she asked him to.

As he watched her face, another thought crossed him mind, what if he ad just blown it by taking things too lightly? Well, that would just be his luck wouldn't it. Perhaps that had been his real chance and he had blown it off like a joke, then again maybe she would take it he way he had meant it, and laugh which is what he was desperately hoping for. Any reaction that ended up with her still in her seat was going to be a victory for him mentally. Why was he so worried about her feelings? That was a first for him, maybe it was because she seemed to have such a blatant disregard for his own which had never happened to him before, for some reason, he didn't want to be just anybody to her. As he awaited her action, any action seconds that felt like hours passed for him and the waiter finally returned with their plates of food. Even though heat was rising off of the plates that cold that he had been anticipating began to creep up and make a home in his spine. They had served his burger open faced, with the sweet potato fries placed artistically around the open burger and mushroom sauce. The burger itself wasn't anything that he would have normally eaten due to the fact that it was very small, but the mushrooms and the strange sauce around it looked good enough. Picking at a fry he swirled it around in the pool of sauce on either side of the burger, strange way that they made food here. He didn't pick it up or close the burger, he was waiting with baited breath. In an attempt to clear himself he smiled "I'm not easy you know" Which was, of course not the truth and she should know that. Even if she didn't, he felt better and took a bite of the fry. Swallowing he shrugged "I don't know anything about you after all," he paused, thinking over the few things that he did know, but that had little to do with her as a person, teasing he pushed a little further "You don't know where I've been"

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence was taken aback when Ashton began making a move to her. In the back of her mind she was unsure of what he was going to do. It had been bold of her, to say the least, but she saw it as a win/win situation. They’d both get to kiss each other again, even if it was just a playful one, and Kaydence would get the satisfaction of making the ginger girl even more jealous then she evidently was now. If the girl actually ran off crying it’d be better. She knew she was mean. She had been raised in a rich family that gave her everything she wanted. She had also been given her mother’s good genes which Kaydence thrived off of. Even though her family was no longer in her life she still made sure people knew that she was a Morgan. Why wouldn’t she? The things she still managed to get for free, not to mention the respect, was too good to pass up.

The grin stayed as his face became closer to hers. It still hadn’t fully sunk in that he was obeying her. Given the defiance he had been showing her Kaydence was certain he was going to say no. His face kept inching nearer. Her eyes closed as she awaited the feeling of his lips on hers. She briefly recalled the feverish kisses between the two that past week. They had fed off of each other’s lust which had made every touch feel like an explosion. Perhaps that was in their future again, if he played his cards right of course. He may have been a lousy conversationalist, but he was good in bed. Kaydence hadn’t had a workout like that in ages. When she woke up the following morning her muscles actually ached which hadn’t happened since Evan had been in her life. Maybe that had been why his image had popped up in her mind so much the past few days. It was something that’d she never admit to. Merlin only knew what would happen if he had knowledge of his lingering presence.

”No.” Her eyes instantly flew open. The confusion on her face was undeniable. For seeming like a womanizer Kaydence thought that Ashton would have been all over the opportunity to kiss her. She quickly looked around as he settled back into his seat. From what she could see no one had been paying attention to her rejection. The ginger girl hadn’t even seemed to notice. Thank Merlin. She would have been the only one Kaydence would have been most humiliated in front of. She hated feeling that. Her hand immediately reached for her glass of wine, taking a much longer sip from it then previous. When she had set the glass back down she noticed that it was nearly empty. Hopefully that damn waiter would be back soon with their food so she could order another one. At least wine never disappointed her.

Kaydence could feel like his eyes were bearing into her soul. He wanted to know what she was thinking. She wasn’t ready to give him the satisfaction of an answer yet. Not after he had rejected her so quickly. Actually, Kaydence didn’t even know how she was feeling. Yes she was upset that she had been rejected, but it wasn’t as if she had been public embarrassed. No one had seemed to notice which eased her a little bit. If they had Kaydence was sure she still wouldn’t be sitting down. In order to reclaim her pride, she imagined herself standing up, grabbing his glass of beer and pouring it all over his worthless head. It wouldn’t have been the first time she had done something like that. A majority of her male friends could have vouched for it. She had probably even done it to Centara at some point during one of their rare, but nasty fights. There was nothing like watching sticky liquid particles cling to their hair and the ones that didn’t rain from the top of their heads down to their clothes.

The waiter appeared a minute or two later with both of their plates in his hands. As soon as hers was set down in front of her, Kaydence ordered another large glass of wine. So what if she looked like a lush? She needed it if she was going to continue sitting here with him. The aroma wavering from the fresh bacon was scrumptious. ”I’m not easy you know.” She chuckled. That was a lie. ”I don’t know anything about you.” While that was true, that hadn’t stopped him last week. He had been just as willing as she had been to disrupt their workout and head upstairs for a romp around. ”You don’t know where I’ve been.” Kaydence couldn’t help but to roll her eyes at that line. Like he had all the problems in the world. Had he been disowned from his family? Was his brother the Dark Lord? Had he suffered a miscarriage out of sheer stupidity? Had everything he had ever known been taken from him in an instant? She highly doubted.

“Your choice,” she finally responded, shrugging her shoulders as she began to maneuver things around her plate. “I was merely trying to make things a little more exciting since you’ve done nothing to hold my interest since we’ve been here.” She would not allow him to see her show any sign of weakness. She picked up a chip and popped it into her mouth. “And don’t give me that spiel about not knowing where you’ve been. If I had a galleon for every time someone’s said that to me I’d be richer than I am now. You’re not the only one who has seen troubling times Ashton and you certainly won’t be the last.” Her hands picked up the pressed sandwich and took a bite out of it. It tasted just as good as it had looked and smelled. The lettuce was crisp and the tomatoes were ripe. They tasted as if they had just been picked from the vine. Kaydence hadn’t had food this fresh since she had been home. “This sandwich is divine,” she commented, “you’re lucky that it’s so good that I’m going to sit here and enjoy it. When I’m done, I’ll probably let you pay my tab. You’ve got a few minutes to get your act together or I’m gone.”

[Ashton Wentworth]

“I was merely trying to make things a little more exciting since you’ve done nothing to hold my interest since we’ve been here.” Well now, that just wasn't true, otherwise she wouldn't still be here. He was rapidly growing tired of her games, he knew that she was interested, even if she didn't yet there is no other reason that she would be eating with him, he didn't want to doubt his decision and rather wanted to embrace it. It was annoying having to sit here and attempt to come up with stuff to talk about, he wasn't a very talkative person in the first place but with people who were going to sit here and play games with him, he didn't have the patience. She obviously thought that he was just another one of her suitors, here to comply with her every wish and demand. She was probably accustomed to being showered with gifts and taken out on lavish dates to strange places, then again by how fast he had been able to whisk her up to his hotel room it might not have been such fancy or kind things that she was accustomed to. If she was looking for someone to court her, and sweet her of her dainty feet she really was barking up the wrong tree. He had hardly taken his wife on out on anything that could be 'considered' a date, much less a total stranger, he was just keeping his options open. Or so he thought.

“And don’t give me that spiel about not knowing where you’ve been. If I had a galleon for every time someone’s said that to me I’d be richer than I am now. You’re not the only one who has seen troubling times Ashton and you certainly won’t be the last.”His brow arched, what was she talking about? He hadn't meant to bring up any 'troubles' as she had so mentioned. Apparently he had been mistaken again, something that was starting to happen very often to him. He had meant to make a joke, commentating about the fact that she didn't know physically where he had been and the company that he chose to frequent, she had made that other connection all on her own "What makes you think that I'm troubled?" It couldn't have been anything that he had said to her, unless you counted the fact that once he had managed to call her by the wrong name. He hoped that she had already forgotten that, if she didn't, oh well he wasn't going to discuss it with her. The subject of 'problems' was one that he greatly wanted to avoid at any cost, he would flee the building if he saw it necessary. 'Who's had a worse life' was not exactly a contest that he felt the necessity to win, even though he was beyond confidant that he would if it boiled down to it. He may still be considered young by most standards but he had been though more than most in his short lifespan, and he didn't need to drag it all back up in order to 'share' his pain with another person. Nobody wanted to listen to his sob story anyway. Putting the two halves of his sandwich together he took a bite as she did.

“you’re lucky that it’s so good that I’m going to sit here and enjoy it. When I’m done, I’ll probably let you pay my tab. You’ve got a few minutes to get your act together or I’m gone.” Challenge accepted. Choosing to ignore the arrogance of her words, or the fact that she was once again commanding him to do things like he was her puppet. It hadn't worked too well for her the first time why did he think it was going to happen now? Luckily, it was to his advantage.Wiping his hands together he cleared all the remnants of food from them and then wiped them clean on his napkin. Picking up his plate and moving it over to the place setting next to her he rose to his feet without a word, As he moved in next to her he sighed, removing her hat and placing it down where he had been sitting previously, plopping his not inconsiderable mass down in the seat next to her he resumed eating with the hand furthest from her. The other, he placed on her thigh, every few moments or so inching up toward her hips. As he swallowed another fry he leaned into her ear, whispering "Can we cut the crap Kaydence" his hand moving closer, she could slap his hand away or storm out, but he was willing to bet decent money that she wasn't going to do anything but sit there and eat. "I've not forced you to do anything, but, once again" he paused, breathing softly against her neck "If you want to leave, you know where the door is" she appeared to keep giving him ultimatums, which might work on somebody who needed her company, he was not one of those people.

(ooc. i know its poo...sorry)

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence’s arrogance frequently blinded her from the events that were actually unfolding in front of her eyes. If she would have known the disrespect Ashton was feeling, she would have toned it down slightly. After all, he had shown her a good time in the hotel before he had lost his mind. It wasn’t like the two were in a relationship. The hostility she was showing towards Ashton was unprovoked. It was a defense mechanism. One that very few had actually been able to break down. Kaydence found that whenever she allowed people to get too close she was left heartbroken or vulnerable. A majority of her anger stemmed from that. Ashton didn’t know. He didn’t need to know. Actually it was better if she went ahead and pushed him away now. That would save him from ultimate heartbreak and from dealing with her fluctuating moods. It would also save him from her brother finding out that he was dating her. Darren would eventually found out that she was dating someone and he would be the first person to attack to get to her.

She shook her head to get herself back into the present. Where the thoughts of even beginning a relationship with Ashton came from she didn’t know. Clearly, he had no such intentions. Kaydence hadn’t shown any herself. She was getting ahead of herself with thoughts of events that would in no way, shape or form ever happen. At most, the two would become friends with benefits. They would turn to each other when they were bored or drunk, get what they needed out of their systems and then start the cycle over. There was nothing wrong with that. With the distance Ashton was placing between himself and her Kaydence didn’t believe he’d have a problem with it either. Besides, everyone needed to release a little stress now and then. Why not do it with an attractive man?

Nibbling on a few of her chips, Kaydence remained silent. ”What makes you think I’m troubled?” Perhaps she had taken it the wrong way. She had the tendency to do that, but Kaydence was sure Ashton must have known by now. She looked at him while she continued to munch. Shrugging her shoulders, she took another sip of her wine. She had no response for him. Rather, she did, but for once she decided to keep her mouth shut. How could she not? She remembered the way he had acted. People don’t just call others by the name of someone else significant in their life. The name she had been called was Georgina. Kaydence wondered who the girl was and what she had done to remain loitering around his soul. Although she was curious as hell it was not a matter she wished to pressed. Not only was it none of her business but Kaydence was not prepared to handle any emotional baggage he may or may not have had. She still had matters of her own that needed her individual attention.

His plate was suddenly on the placemat next to her. Puzzled, she looked up to Ashton and quirked her brow. What was he doing? The look remained on her face as he got up and sat down next to her. She didn’t know what to make of this new development. Kaydence nearly choked on her sandwich as his hand found her thigh and slowly inched its way up. ”Can we cut the crap Kaydence?” Apparently her words had struck a nerve. His face was inches away from hers and she could feel his breath radiating on her neck. ”If you want to leave, you know where the door is.” Her eyes fluttered up to the location he was talking about. It was there alright. But Kaydence wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to take him up on his offer. She may have wanted to earlier, but there was something about his position next to her that was alluring. The fact that this may have been a game crossed her mind, but Kaydence was so tired of arguing that she just didn’t care. As long as she didn’t wind up looking like an idiot then she’d play along and when he was ready to leave, she would do the same and continue with the plans she had made for the day.

“See? Isn’t that better?” she asked after swallowing another bite of her sandwich. “We don’t have to be hostile all the time.” Kaydence rested her head on his shoulder for a second before propping it back up and continuing with her meal. “How’s your food?”