please don&#x27;t call me sir

[Lili smiled, nudging him playfully.] Good.

I’m glad you’re here, Antony. Really.

...Yeah. Yeah, I'm glad, too.

Thanks for convincing me.

readyheaded

She looked up at him as he spoke, nodding at him. “You know, you guys always get it easy and we have to jump through hoops. Why don’t I get to look at any spectacular abs?” She shrugged the best she could in the flimsy dress, it was so sheer it was hardly fabric.

You know, there is a double standard -- it's a bit stupid. You might be surprised, though; there are plenty of male escorts here dressed just as skimpy as you. [Honestly, Antony is used to this kind of thing enough from last year that he's not thrown off by her being practically naked at all, though it is a bit of a struggle not to let his eyes wander. He doesn't want to leer at her when they're having an innocent conversation, but it's not easy when she looks as good as she does.] I'm Antony, by the way. We didn't meet before, did we?

#c: giselle;

kl-callaghan-blog

I’d have to say, [he pauses, mental calculation whirring in his head,] about three months. I stayed on with the Madam while this place was being refurbished and she kept me on the payroll. What led you to leaving, as I assume you did because I’ve never seen you before.

[Oh, so this guy was an escort? Antony feels a bit stupid for not realizing right away, considering the skimpy nature of the man's outfit, but-- He's quickly distracted from his thoughts by the other's question.] Yeah, I left a little while before the closing. Had to take care of some family things.

#c: kieran;

gabrielle-elk-blog

[Gabrielle grinned somehow even wider at the little kiss, letting out a contented little hum.] How is she doing, love? [It probably looked a little unusual, and the skirt of her cocktail dress was riding up her thighs but she didn’t care in the slightest. Antony was here, he was actually here, and there wasn’t much in the world that could make her let go of him for the foreseeable future.] Well, I wasn’t for a while … my Mae was sick. But she’s in remission and all but packed my things for me to come back.

Well, I'm glad to hear that she's feeling better, even if it's too bad you had to go through that. [His smile softens.] Things were alright on my end. It was good to see my sister -- things have been going well for her. But I'm glad to be here. Even more glad now that I know you're here, too. I wasn't so sure you'd come back.

#c: gabrielle;

Yeah, I suppose it’s… nice. [She doesn’t really think that at all, wishes she could just go back to her room and revel in the fact that she doesn’t have any roommates yet, but she’s not in the mood to talk about those kinds of feelings right now. She drops the subject, grinning widely.] You never answered my question about bust size, so I suppose that I’m going to get your measurements myself sometime soon. Expect a knock on your door at a most inconvenient time.

[Antony doesn't miss the way Lili purposefully drops the subject, but he doesn't push the subject. It's never a good idea to be nosy when it comes to Lili, Antony has found out.]

Yeah? Well -- [Antony grins.] I'll keep that in mind, then.

li-holman-blog

You must have left before I got here. I’m Liam.

Yeah, I must've -- I left a lot earlier than a lot of people.

Y'know, I swear you look familiar, though. [Had he seen him on TV, or an advertisement, or something? Maybe he was just imagining it.]

#c: liam;

Challenge accepted, dear Antony. I’m trolling online lingerie stores starting tonight. Do you know your bust size?

[Lili faltered for a moment, biting her lip as she saw Antony’s concern, before shaking her head.] Nah, there’s no one here I really mind seeing. [Thank God.] It just would have been… easier. If there was a clean slate, and no one knew me. ‘Cept you, obviously.

Yeah, I... [Antony faltered a bit himself, then shrugged.] I guess I know that feeling. Looking for a fresh start, or... a clean slate, like you said. But it's nice to see everyone again, even if it's a little weird, too.

readyheaded

Oh I’m sure. Might get the wrong kind of attention though you know.

[He's tempted to point out that the sort of attention that might have garnered isn't exactly the "wrong" kind, not in an establishment like this. Then again, escort or not, being objectified 24/7 can't be fun either; so maybe that kind of attention is the wrong kind...]

[Antony cuts his own thoughts short before he has the chance to zone out.] Yeah, probably. I guess I'm lucky -- master's were told to come black tie, and I only own two suits, so my decision wasn't exactly difficult.

#c: giselle;

kl-callaghan-blog

I highly doubt it, handsome. [He slips the hand free of the pock of his unbuttoned blazer (and of course he’s not wearing a shirt underneath, but teachnically the bowtie around his neck makes it black tie) and offers his hand to the larger man] Gabriel.

#c: kieran;#antony's an idiot and assuming gabriel's not an escort #b/c most of the escorts are in straight-up lingerie and he's like #''well a skimpy suit is still a suit! must be a master!''#amazing work antony your grandparents were right to give you their fortune you're turly responsible and cunning

Antony. [Antony had taken the literal approach to "black tie," tossing on one of the few suits he owned the moment he heard about the event, but he can't say he blamed Gabriel for wearing what he wore -- it's a bit of a struggle to keep his eyes from wandering as he reaches out to shake the other man's hand.] Nice to meet you, Gabriel. Were you here long before the closing?

[Lili chuckled, popping a hip out and crossing her arms as she turned her face up to look at him.] Aw, Antony, don’t count yourself out before you’ve even tried. Maybe this would look great on you; you don’t know. Might be a bit small, though.

It’s good to see you too, Antony. It’s been— yeah. I’m glad to have a familiar face around that I’m happy to see.

A bit small? [Antony chuckled under his breath at the mere thought of it -- he wouldn't just look ridiculous, he'd destroy the whole outfit.] Tell you what, Lil -- you find that outfit in my size and I'll try it on for you, how about that?

Oh? Unhappy to see some, then? [He's still grinning, but there's an obvious hint of concern in his eyes. He left earlier than most of the others, he knows. It's very possible something bad had happened in the time that he was away, though Lili hadn't ever mentioned it to him.]

gabrielle-elk-blog

Oh, Antony. [It does feel like it’s been forever. So much has happened, so many ups and downs and she had missed his strength, his support, his friendship. Her own fingers tangle in his hair in return, smiling into his neck as she remembers braiding it what felt like forever ago.] Good, then bad, then good. Up and down. [She finally pulls away from his neck, though doesn’t refrain from continuing to cling to him, even if it means her cocktail dress is riding up.] But how have you been?

#c: gabrielle;#he missed her too okay #like #so much

[When Gabrielle pulls away Antony is quick to cup her cheek and press a brief, chaste kiss to the corner of Gabrielle's mouth, still grinning from ear to ear.] I've been well enough -- I was happy to spend some time with my sister again. [It's the truth, even if it's sugar coated.] But I'm glad to be back, and I'm glad that you're here. I wasn't sure that you would be.

li-holman-blog

Weird? It’s oddly comforting to me, but I suppose it depends on what you’re coming back from.

Hey, don't get me wrong -- I love this place. It's just... well, it's a whole different world, I guess. Leaving this place was just as weird as coming back, I think.

#c: liam;

readyheaded

"I had such a hard time figuring out what to wear last night I almost went with nothing at all."

That bad, huh? Well, I'm sure nobody would have complained if it came to that.

#c: giselle;

claretmahina

Mm, I did admire her cleverness, I’m half convinced that it was merely a publicity stunt.

I did surprisingly miss the place, and some of the people. [smiling so there was no confusion as to the fact he was on that particular list, she let out a short lived laugh filled with self depreciation] Oddly enough coming back here feels more like coming home than my actual home, and I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing.

Yeah? Well -- I missed you, too. [There's no hesitation about that; her meaning is pretty clear, and there's no need in his eyes to be subtle about it. He did miss her, and he's glad to see that she returned as well.]

Can't say I understand that feeling -- [ he's never had a home he was especially happy to come back to in the first place ] -- but I'm glad to hear that you're happy to be back. I definitely am, though it's pretty weird, too.

#c: claret;

[Lili grinned when she saw her friend, feeling immediately less tense— although that could have been attributed to the few drinks that she’d already had. It was good to see Antony in the flesh again.] You feel weird? Nice suit, sweetheart. Looks very modest. And warm.

[Antony isn't thrown off by her snark. She was the same way in the texts they'd been exchanging and she was the same way before, a year ago. Besides, he knows the difference between playful sass and actual scorn. So he doesn't think twice about giving her a grin.]

Hey, I'd trade you, but I don't think that would be nearly as flattering on me.

It's good to see you, Lili.

claretmahina

Oh? [she hadn’t paid all that much attention honestly, it was closed and done with and then it wasn’t. Antony’s grin pulled a smile from her that she hadn’t meant to be so broad, her nose wrinkling slightly.]

Good to see you too, Antony. You look well.