Detective Inspector Doofus

Actor, musician, dad. Don't be shy and if there's someone to be pranked, do let me know...((Part of Celebrity ancouver, not really Lozza))

[lozzafoxvancouver]

It is a bloody nice day outside today. Might actually be shorts weather soon...I hope.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

With a small smile, Nikki realized becoming his pirate bride didn’t seem like such a horrible thing after all.  At least he was willing to make an honest woman out of her, instead of using her as his personal wench.  For a moment, Nikki wasn’t sure if she was assessing the actions of the actual Laurence or the Dread Pirate Laurence.  She certainly couldn’t mistake the actions and wording in a role play for the real emotions and feelings of the actor.  Still the word wife lay there heavily.  Of course marriage was not on her mind right now, but she was sure she wanted to keep developing this relationship with Laurence.  He was what she wanted.  

"You are no match for me, Dread Pirate!" Winston said landing one large final blow into Laurence’s abdomen.  He bounced up and down on his feet, waving the sword in the air in celebration.  Nikki sat up, as if suddenly awoken from a magic spell.  "My hero," she crooned to Winston, holding her hand out to him.  She wished she had brought a scarf with her to give as a token of appreciation, and she didn’t think a pack of tissues in her purse would do.  "You’ve saved me from marrying that Dread Pirate.  How can I ever thank you?"    

Winston mulled over the question, you could see the gears churning in his head.  There was an opportunity for repayment, and he thought of what any good hero would do.  ”No need to thank me pretty lady!”  He answered confidently, puffing out his chest.  Nikki smiled wide, his daddy had taught him to be a gentleman.  ”Well, maybe the next time you’re in my area I can make you some cookies,” She said ruffling his hair gently not to mess it up.  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Laurence flopped on the ground appropriately dead from getting poked in the stomach by the Major's sword, listening to Nikki and Winston's exchange, snickering into his sleeve. His son was a character, but he wouldn't have him any other way. Winston perked up immediately at the mention of cookies. "That works!" he chirped happily before going over to his father and poking his chest hesitantly. When he didn't react, the child did it again.

Springing into action, Laurence "tackled" him gently, tickling him furiously. "Daddy!" Winston shrieked, laughing and flailing his small arms. "You won the pirate battle, I win the tickle battle!" came his father's smug response. "Noooo!" the boy wailed but he was clearly having a good time. Times like these were precious and had to be taken advantage of. Soon enough, Winston would be a teenager and not really want to hang out and do things with his father.

He finally released Winston before getting to his feet, dusting himself off. Nikki had a piece of bark in her hair and Laurence deftly plucked it out. "I don't think it's really your shade." he said in his deadpan way but he couldn't hold it for very long and ended up laughing. "Daddy, Nikki should come for pizza too!" Winston said and Laurence looked at her. "We were planning to go to Torrio's. Want to come along?" "Pleeeease?" Winston asked, looking at her with puppy eyes.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Slumped on the ground, her hair surely tangled with wood chips Nikki did her best to stay in character.  It was difficult when watching the two boys dance around her in their act, both fully committed to their roles.  She was not surprised by Laurence’s acting abilities, or that he used them in daily play with Winston, but she was surprised to see how well Winston handled on his own.  He was a natural actor, and would someday learn how to use those skills to sweep ladies off their feet. 

With an arm draped drastically over her forehead, she wailed, “Oh Major Winston, thank goodness you’ve come!”  Winston held out his sword to his father, in a defensive stance; almost daring Laurence to come closer.  ”Don’t worry pretty lady!  I will save you,” He cried out, jabbing the foam sword at Laurence just missing his midsection.  There was a sense of seriousness in his actions as he held up his sword again debating the next jab.  

As a child Nikki could remember getting lost in play, creating endless worlds where she could be anything she wanted.  It was the best way she knew how to cope with a broken home, and entertain herself.  In her backyard a twig could become a wand, and a frog could magically turn into a prince.  There were many days she wished she could go back to the time when she had unlimited potential and opportunities.  But she realized that someday she’d be able to raise her own child and teach her how to use her imagination as well as Winston used his.  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Laurence used his "sword" to parry the blow, just missing Winston when he tried to attack him, his lips twitching a little bit as he held back any laughter. He never wanted Winston to feel like he was being mocked or laughed at. That was a horrible feeling. "You won't catch me out so easily this time, Major. I still owe you for what happened to my eye in Tahiti." he growled and Winston jabbed at him again. "You stole, Dread Pirate. No one steals from the Queen." 

"I can, and I did! And you shan't stop me from making this lady my pirate bride so begone!" He made sure to pause a little too long after his lunge and Winston poked his arm. Laurence reacted appropriately with a yelp, holding his arm against his side as though it was completely useless. "I will get you for that, Major Winston!"

He could tell that his son and Nikki both were having a good time. He was as well. There was something about getting outside and doing something like this that was better than sitting around inside and watching something on the telly. Whenever Winston said he was bored, Laurence would take him outside.and make up some adventure for them. Today however, Winston was firmly in the driver's seat.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

As Winston handed over the sword to his dad, he directed Nikki and Laurence on their position and how they were supposed to play them.  Even with the energy that bounced around inside him, Winston was a very focused child especially at only 5 years old.  All of that combined with a small, British accent made for one cute kid.  ”And then I’ll rescue her!”  Winston finished out his plan jumping up and down.  Nikki had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing, she didn’t want him to think she was laughing at him.  

"Now, I want to remind you I am a very good actress," Nikki deadpanned, looking up at Laurence as she prepared to be the damsel.  "If it seems I hate you, it’s only me acting.  Because you’re the bad guy and all."  She shrugged her shoulders with a smile, before placing her hand on her forehead and mock fainting to the ground.   Sometimes she forgot just how fun it was to be a kid.  They got to use their imagination and play around without the judgement of their peers.  

With a glance at Winston, she could see the joy in his eyes to see she was actually playing along.  ”Oh if only, someone would save me from the Dread Pirate Laurence!”  She wailed in her best distressing tone.  One day she’d admit to Laurie, that she loved playing make-believe.  It was the reason she was an actress in the first place.  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Winston was a natural storyteller. Even when they'd talked on the phone while Laurence had been doing music festivals over the summer, his son always had some little story to tell him or people that he'd made up. He'd be sure to encourage Winston in that, helping him write things down or showing him how to spell something that he needed. He had no idea what his son would do when he grew up, but Laurence believed in keeping all possibilities open and supporting Winston in all of his interests. Including playing pirates.

Nodding just as solemnly as Nikki had, Laurence made sure that his eye patch was in place. Winston was bouncing from foot to foot and he felt like he needed to ham it up a little bit, especially after seeing Nikki's "faint" to the ground. "There's no one to save you, dear lady." he snarled in his best "menacing" voice. "No one dares to face me in a battle of swords. Accept your fate or ye'll walk the plank, just as the men from your father's ship did."

"Get back!" Winston ordered sternly, and Laurence let his breath come out as a hiss of disgust. "Major Winston....my old enemy..." he said as both he and Winston started to circle around each other. His son's chest puffed out a little bit at being called "Major" and Laurence knew it had been a good choice on his part. "Let her go, Dread Pirate or face my sword!"

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

"You’re absolutely right.  Every good pirate movie needs a pretty lady," agreed Nikki, mimicking Winston’s seriousness.  He had such a wonderful imagination on him, no doubt from his actor parents and choice of movies.   Every little detail of their play was planned out, from the hero and bad guy right down to the eye patch.  She wasn’t surprised, though, the Fox boys knew how to take care of a lady and made every situation fun.  

Nikki sighed, suppressing a smile, “He may have a point, Laurie.  Fury is pretty cool.”  She sent a wink Winston’s way, then a smile at Laurie.  It was near impossible to be as cool as Samuel L. Jackson, even though secretly Nikki preferred Laurie.  She just had to take sides with the little one.  ”But, Win he’s all we have so I guess he will have to do,”  she teased, nudging him gently in the ribs.  

Watching as Winston gathered the swords in his tiny arms, Nikki leaned against Laurence.  ”If you’re trying to sell me on him you don’t have to worry,”  she said, looking up at him with her big brown eyes.  ”He’s already stolen my heart.  I absolutely adore him.”  Of course she adored him, he was like a mini-Laurence, just with a tad more energy.  What was not to love?  

Over the past month of casual dating, Nikki had fallen a little more in love with Laurence every day.  He had become the steady thing in her life that she had been looking for since she moved to Vancouver.  Everything about their relationship was slow and constantly evolving, but they had yet to determine what the relationship was.  In part that was Nikki fault, she was hesitant to put a label on it and ruin what they already had.  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

"Oh I see how this is. Ganging up on me already." Laurence sighed as Winston laughed. It was nice being able to hear the sound of his son's mirth. Even though he hated having to take Billie to court, he wasn't going to sit by and miss out on his son's life. He just wasn't willing to do that.He was aware that not all men felt the way he did about it but that was their problem. He was going to be there for Winston no matter what it took.

As Winston returned with the swords, Laurence glanced at Nikki. "He's pretty loveable." he agreed. "But I supposed I'm fairly biased being his dad and all." He'd expected them to get along and they did. Winston was very accepting of new people and enjoyed having a new person to talk to. He was just glad that Nikki seemed to like him as well.

It was always an interesting proposition, introducing a child to something. He and Nikki got on well, better than he'd dared hope they would. He knew that he was definitely falling for Nikki but both of them were coming from divorces and things were progressing slowly, which suited him just fine. He didn't want to see anyone else but her though and wondered how to best broach the subject.

That could wait though. For now, he was going to enjoy the time with her and Winston being pirates. He accepted the sword from his son and got his eyepatch into place. He felt ridiculous but if Winston was having a good time, that was what mattered most in his book.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

The weather was perfect for a day spent in the park.  After months of cold, the temperature was finally beginning to inch it’s way up.  Which meant that families were taking the opportunity to get the kids out of the house, to run around for awhile.  When Nikki pulled into the lot, there were kids chasing each other and others climbing from the monkey bars, but the only kid she had in mind was Winston.  In many ways, Nikki was even more nervous to meet Winston than she had been to go on her first date with Laurie.  She knew how important Winston was to his father, and how important Laurie was too her.  There seemed to be so much more weighing on this meeting than anyone would willingly admit.  

Seeing Laurence by the swings, she jogged over towards them to catch up.  ”Hello,” she smiled, hugging him back and placing a kiss on his cheek.  ”You’re damsel in distress is here, and awaiting her script.”  Quickly, she turned her attention over to Winston where he joyfully swung on the swing. If it was possible he was even more adorable than the millions of pictures Laurence had shared with her.  It was clear he got the best parts of his parents. 

"Hey Winston!"  Nikki said, letting go of Laurie’s waist so she could get eye level with little Fox.  "I’m so happy to finally meet you, your dad has told me so much about you."  She chuckled when she saw him scowl at his father, mimicking a face she’d seen Laurie use once or twice.  As she stood up, she brushed the dirt from her pants, though she didn’t really care.  Getting dirty was the best part about being a kid, even a big kid.  "So, I heard you were in need of a pretty lady."  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

"Mmm hmm." Winston nodded seriously, leaning against his father for a moment. "There's always a pretty lady in pirate movies. Daddy's the bad pirate who's gonna steal you and I get to rescue you." Obviously, Winston had seen the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies a few times and it made Laurence smile.

"We even had fake swords." Winston chirped. "Daddy has an eyepatch too. Kinda like Fury in "The Avengers" but he's not as cool." His son was at an age where he definitely was into superheros and Laurence gasped, clutching his chest. "What? I'm not as cool as Fury?! C'mon, Win!"

His son just chuckled as he skipped off to retrieve the little foam swords (he had reckoned that plastic could still hurt if you smacked someone with it hard enough). "He's a character." he mock sighed, glancing at Nikki. "But he's a good boy. Little hyper sometimes though. We both needed to get out of doors for a bit. Thankfully the sun was out today."

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Pirates In The Park (Laurie&Nikki (and Winston)

Winston was always enthusiastic about things, but Laurence thought his song was going to tug his arm off. He kept wanting to know when Nikki was coming and he had to shush him to even be able to answer her texts. "She's in the parking lot now, Win. She'll be here in a minute or two." he said, trying to distract his son by setting him on a swing. The diversion worked and Winston was content to swing while they waited.

He'd been hopeful that she was free and figured this would be a fun way to introduce her to Winston. His son was a true actor's child, having grown up around lots of different people. He was also outgoing, as both he and Billie were so he wasn't worried about them liking one another. Winston rarely met someone he didn't like.

Hearing footsteps crunching the gravel behind him, Laurence turned, giving Nikki a beaming smile. "Hullo you." he said, reaching out a lanky arm and drawing her into a hug. "This little chap is Winston. Win, this is Nikki."

The boy popped off the swing like a cannon shot. "Hi!" he said cheerfully. Laurence ruffled his hair and he scowled up at his father, having to tilt his small head back almost all the way to see his parent.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Text to: Nikki

Nikki: Hmmmm I seem to remember a handsome man offering me that wing. How could I deny such a gentleman?

Nikki: Tell him, I am pulling into the lot now

Laurie: Well if it was offered to you, I suppose that's all right.

Laurie: I've told him, he's bouncing like a ping pong ball.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Text to: Nikki

Nikki: Hey, hey I'm always nice to you!

Nikki: Good, just making sure you boys are taken care of :)

Laurie: I don't know...you /did/ take the last spicy wing the other night... ;)

Laurie: Well thank you. We appreciate your concern and Winston is asking if you're here yet.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Text to: Nikki

Nikki: Well, I won't keep him waiting any longer. I will be there in a couple of minutes.

Nikki: PS It's sunny out today, make sure you've got sunscreen on him!

Laurie: We're on the swing set at the moment. If you're nice to me I'll give you a push. ;)

Laurie: I have buckets of it. Winston and I are albinos and burn easily.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Text to: Nikki

Nikki: You're in luck! I was hoping someone would ask me to play pirates today. I'm actually a phenomenal damsel in distress. I've got references.

Nikki: I'm really excited to meet him :)

Laurie: No references needed. I'm sure you'll be brilliant.

Laurie: He's excited too. Might go into orbit in a bit.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Text to: Nikki

Laurie: So there's someone who stands about 3 foot 4, has blond hair and is 5 years old who would like to meet you.

Laurie: We're playing pirates in the park and Winston claims it won't be proper if there isn't a "pretty lady" to rescue so I thought you fit the bill nicely.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

The New Resident (self para)

Laurence hadn't known what to expect when going to court in order to decide custody of his son. But Billie not showing up at all? That hadn't even entered his mind. He was going to do as the judge asked and try to remain in contact with her, but that was a part of what had started this whole mess in the first place. He'd wanted to have Winston for Christmas but Billie had raised such a fuss that he said he would take him sometime the week after.

But she'd gotten a new mobile number and hadn't told him what it was. Her parents and family all hated his guts (even though the Daily Mail had lied and he'd never cheated on her) and wouldn't help him locate her. It had taken a mutual friend seeing something on her Facebook for him to even know where they'd gone. Two months of worrying and wondering if something bad had happened and nobody wanted to tell him.

He had been both angry and relieved when he found out she'd gone to Vancouver and so he'd set out here himself, not knowing much beyond the fact that he needed to see his son. She still hadn't spoken to him before the court date was handed down and it looked like he wasn't going to get a chance to talk to her after all. Laurence genuinely hated that it had come to this in the first place. But even when they'd been together, Billie was always worried that he was going to go off with someone even when he had no interest whatsoever in that. There was something unhappy in her that he hadn't been able to touch and he knew now he never should have tried.

Winston was gathered by court officers and brought to him at home. It had given him enough time to buy a few things, like a child sized bed and some toys and books to make the spare room feel more like a place that was actually Winston's. His son was 5, a curious age and he liked to learn about everything. Laurence would have to take him to the aquarium and some of the museums on the weekends once he got school sorted out.

"Daddy!" Winston cried as soon as he was set down. He came bounding up the small path toward the front door. All Laurence could do was crouch down, gathering his son up as he tried to keep himself steady. His eyes were a bit watery but he didn't want to cry and alarm his son. "Hullo Win. I'm so happy to see you." Laurence said finally, standing up and settling his son on his hip. The court officers had him sign an official document, saying that they had done their job and delivered Winston to him before the left.

He carried Winston inside as his son chattered away at him, telling him things he'd learned and places that he wanted to go. Laurence was just happy that the new resident of his humble home seemed ecstatic to be there.

[milesaway7]

James with short hair?

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Dinner and a Deuce || Nikki & Laurie

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

"We’ll save the politics for another time, though the Mayor of Toronto has made some interesting headlines lately," She chuckled.  She knew nothing of Canadian politics, and little of American politics either.  But she loved watching the Colbert Report at dinner time; it had a humorous way of delivering otherwise difficult news.  The Mayor of Toronto had provided the show with many jokes, perhaps she’d have to youtube it for Laurence one day.  "You’re right, every relationship progresses and you get to know different things as time goes on.  Luckily, you don’t seem to scare easily."  There had been topics that made him emotional or he shied away from, but he never let it affect them.  He didn’t shut down at the presentation of a hard discussion, only gently changed the topic if he didn’t want to talk about it. 

She felt shivers up and down her spine as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles, and did her best to hide the reaction.  The world around them slowly faded away, and there was no where she’d rather be then in that moment.  It had been so long since she had felt the nervous dance of butterflies, and the excitement of starting something new.  From the moment he picked her up, she’d done her best not to push the relationship to let it all pan out.  From all of her past relationship, she knew rushing into anything didn’t do either party any good.  Revealing your feelings to early could send the guy running for the hills and she definitely didn’t want that to happen with Laurie. 

Everything about the way he addressed her and spoke to her felt soothing, and natural.  He was never afraid of being honest with her and she was finally realizing that there feelings for each other were mutual.  It wasn’t a dream she had made up in her mind, everything she was experiencing was real.  She cleared her throat gently, “I think that’s a great lesson for him to learn someday.  No one should ever give up on love.”  Even after her marriage was over, it was the need for love that kept her going.  She just had to have faith that it would happen again someday.  ”But I think you should also teach Winston that you can’t go looking for someone new; you have to just keep your heart open.  You’ll find them where you least expect them, like on a curling sheet.”  Nikki looked up at him bashfully, hoping she’d said enough to convey her answer to him.  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

"True. Have to stay open to things and not force it." Laurence agreed, nodding his head. The evening was turning out better than he'd really had any right to expect and he hoped that the rest of it would be just as good. He was reasonably sure that Nikki would enjoy the surprise he had planned for afters but there was always the chance. Still, she was pretty much game for anything and that was nice. He chuckled at her comment about being scared. "Never really have been. I just try to be honest and let the chips fall wherever it is they're going to."

His smile widened into an outright grin. "Maybe we'll have to teach him to curl, leave no stone unthrown." It was a rather bad pun, but he was almost giddy at the moment. Still, a lot of things could happen. He was a hopeful sort by nature though so he was going to concentrate on things going well. He would choose optimisim instead of thinking everything was going to do down hill.

The waitress came over with their food and Laurence released Nikki's hand reluctantly.  He was going to need both of them to eat, though. "Everything smells amazing." he said, glancing from her plate to his own. He might have to employ a sneaky maneuver and steal a bit of hers. He was fairly sure she wouldn't hold it against him.

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Dinner and a Deuce || Nikki & Laurie

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Her heart ached for him, and she reached over to place her hand on top of his.  It was the only appropriate type of support she could offer; saying she was sorry only seemed superficial.  No words could make it better, but she hoped just offering the comfort would be enough.  Despite what he was going through, he remained casual when talking about Billie.  He didn’t paint the picture of a horrible woman or talk ill of her, which is completely the opposite of how Nikki reacted in her first month of divorce.  She’d had trouble saying anything nice about Paul, feeling like a woman scorned.  It wasn’t until she had calmed down she had been able to remember she had loved Paul at one time, and when they were in love he was a wonderful husband.  ”Seems Winston and I have something in common then.  Finding Nemo is one of my favorites,” Nikki giggled, not at all embarrassed by her love of kids movies.  ”I can pretty much quote the entire movie in my sleep.” 

Since Laurence ordered the pasta, Nikki decided to mix it up and go with the salmon.  Even if the conversation went down hill, they’d be able to discuss the differences between dishes.  Hopefully, it wouldn’t resort to that.  ”I’ve definitely always been the kind of person to get her hands dirty and experiment.  Not all of it was good experimentation, but at least I learned a lesson,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ears.  There was a lot of things in her life she wasn’t proud of, but she’d learned so much from each experience.  Sometimes she felt it was worth it to give something a try and fail terribly then to be too afraid to do it at all.  

"I spent too much of my teenage years, experimenting with alcohol and other things.  When you’re in the moment, you think you’re having the time of your life, but when you wake up the next morning and don’t remember anything you start asking yourself if it was worth it."  She hated that feeling of being out of control, and once she had gotten herself clean she knew she never wanted to go back to that place.  She enjoyed being sober and feeling a wide range of emotions.  That’s how you are supposed to live.  Biting her lip, she tried to hide a chuckle that escaped.  "You know," she started, realizing she couldn’t laugh and not explain it.  "I’m pretty sure we’ve discussed every topic Steve Harvey says not to talk about on a first date."  

[lozzafoxvancouver]

Curling his long fingers around her hand as he turned his own over, Laurence was grateful for the silent display of support. It hadn't been easy, biting his tongue but it had been almost a year since the decree had come from the court and he tried to remember that his life and Billie's had been interwoven at one time. He wasn't going to try and cheapen that or even be bitter about it. Sure, the way things were was hard for everyone involved. He wasn't even going to pretend otherwise. But being an arse about it would do no good so he wasn't going to let himself go there.

He shrugged good naturedly when she commented that they'd broached a wide series of topics that it was generally recommended to avoid while on a first date but he didn't care. He trusted Nikki, enough to answer anything that she asked him honestly. He wasn't going to hide or keep anything back. "Well, if you wanted to delve into politics, we could tick all of the boxes off." he laughed. "However, my knowledge of Canadian politics is slim at best so I think we're safe there. Besides, it's not as though we hadn't met before this. We're just moving things onward and upward."

Laurence paused thoughtfully. "Life's really about screwing up." he said matter of factly as he let his thumb brush over her knuckles. "You make mistakes and shit happens to you. I think the difference between merely existing and really living is taking the events and obstacles that get handed to you and getting some sort of lesson out of it. I see people around me that never got the "grow up and stop doing stupid things at pubs at 2 am" memo and I'm 35 now. Scares me a bit. I'm just glad I learned the lesson and it's something I can teach Winston later on, just like I can teach him that love might not always work out, but it was never a waste and there's always a chance for someone else to come along." His eyes were careful as he looked at her, wondering if she would understand what he was getting at. This, right in front of them, was a chance. They could take it and see what happened, or let it pass by and merely remain good friends, which would be nice. He was much more a "carpe diem" sort of man himself though.

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Dinner and a Deuce || Nikki & Laurie

[missnikkireed-deactivated201404]

Although she knew little of the situation Laurie was facing, she couldn’t imagine how incredibly hard it must be to share a child after a divorce.  No matter how civil or terrible the end of the marriage was, there would be that constant struggle of no longer being able to see your child whenever you wanted.  Nikki wasn’t sure how she and Paul would have handled it; she certainly would have had trouble moving on with her life afterwards.  The only reason she’d made it so far after the divorce, was because he’d allowed her the space she had needed to heal.  ”Have you seen him lately?”  Nikki asked curiously, swirling her straw in the tall glass of water.  ”I went to the aquarium not that long ago, and I really think he’d like it there.  It’s very interactive and I love the penguins.”  Though she wasn’t sure if he felt comfortable discussing it, she knew he’d tell her to back off in the nicest way possible. 

Nikki chuckled, as she shook her head “A hooligan?  I’ve never been on a date with a hooligan before.”  All she could picture in her head were the characters from The Outsiders, and it was hard to imagine Laurence involved in an activity like that.  However, she could see him being a bit of a trouble maker when he was little, and he probably knew how to sass his parents and teacher.  The term hooligan was too harsh, though.  Especially, for a man who spoke so lovingly about child.  ”Don’t all siblings think the worst of each other, though” she questioned, raising her eyebrows.  ”I’m sure my brothers will tell you I’m no angel either.”  Which was true, and they had a million stories to prove it.  They wouldn’t tell them right away to Laurence; those stories would only be told after an interrogation.  ”Really?  Well then I guess we’ll have to make a trip to LA.  I’ll show you all of the cheesy tourist traps and we’ll eat greasy food at Mel’s.”  

"I love that you chose a daiquiri," she said, after putting in an order for one for herself.  Though she was capable of drinking responsibly, Nikki often made the choice to only have an occasional drink.  She’d been on the verge of alcoholism at any early age, when experimenting seemed fun.  Now she knew how to have fun sober.  "I know the whole point of the speed dating event was to meet someone new, but I was really interested in getting to know you better."  She placed the napkin in her lap, smoothing it out nervously.  "Your one of the first people I feel like I connected with since I moved him.  I mean I have a few friends, but I feel like I can really open up with you."  She said with the hope that her blunt honesty wouldn’t scare him away.

[lozzafoxvancouver]

"I haven't gotten to see him since before Christmas." Laurence said, his face unusually sober. "Billie came out here and things were a bit topsy turvy. I realized that being here would be easier." It was the nice way to put it and he wasn't about to badmouth his ex wife, as easy as it would have been to do. He hadn't been asked about her bringing Winston here and he'd panicked when he found out from her solicitor she was no longer in the country. Naturally, he wouldn't tell Laurence where, the bastard and Billie's family was no help since he was pretty much the spawn of Satan in their eyes. A mutual friend had told him that Billie had come to Vancouver and since she had never given him her new mobile number, here he was. "I bet Winston would like the aquarium, he's been mad about "Finding Nemo"." he said, in an effort to lift the mood.

He picked up his glass once the waitress had set it in front of him and took a sip of the water. "I'll have the Seafood Pasta, please." he said politely and while Nikki ordered, he tried to gather his thoughts together. He liked her, of that much he was certain. He was able to laugh and be himself around her. Time would tell how the whole thing was going to pan out in the end. "Angels are boring, anyway." he chuckled once the young woman had gone to put their orders in. "I'd prefer to live and get my hands a bit dirty than sit on the sidelines."

He shrugged. "I like something besides beer once in a while." he commented. "Don't drink as much as I did when I was young. There's a time and a place for all that and once I got older and got married, I figured it was time to learn how to have fun sober instead of sloshed." That seemed to be a lesson that a lot of people, both old and young never seemed to understand. Sure, partying was fun but there were always consequences later on down the road. He liked being able to wake up in the morning and not feel ashamed about anything he'd done the night before.