Grayson’s late for class; that’s nothing new. It is the dawn of a new semester, but his pattern is well established by now. This time around, he’s running behind because Andrew couldn’t find his backpack—and, after they’d spent all morning searching, they’d found the stupid thing in Grayson’s car. Great. Not the end of the world, especially when it was completely Grayson’s fault, but still pretty fucking unfortunate on the first day of class.
Now, normally, Grayson can slide into a class quietly when he’s late, coffee in hand and performatively chagrined look on his face in case anyone’s paying attention as he sits in the far back of the classroom. He’ll never be any professor’s favorite, but that was never on the table anyway.
Today, though, when Grayson opens the door as softly as possible, he realizes something’s different this time around. Everyone’s sitting in pairs, huddled over notes and textbooks together, chatting instead of listening to some boring lecture on the syllabus. Because, oh right, they were supposed to get partners right off the bat.
There’s only one person sitting alone, at least. Grayson slides into the seat next to her, smiling in a way he hopes covers for the fact that he’s somewhere between five and ten minutes late to class. “Sorry,” Grayson says, although he moves on quickly from that. “I’m Grayson. Are we supposed to be partners? What’d I miss? If this is an icebreaker thing, I have my two truths and a lie ready to go, don’t worry.”
Liam seemed to have finally had his fill of insults from Eva, stomping off angrily down the long hallway of her floor on the apartment building. As the doors of elevator closed on him, Eva saw their once certain future leave as well.
She hadn’t truly considered what she was going to do once she had him out the door. All Eva could think about was the fact that Liam had been lying to her. Not one or twice or even a handful of times. No, this man whom had loved and respected for almost four years of her life had betrayed her for six whole months. What was worse was he didn’t even seem to hesitate through any of it. She couldn’t seem to trust any of it anymore. Was he lying when he said he was leaving for doctors’ appointments? Had all that overtime really just been his go-to excuse for fucking Brenda when nobody else was left in the office? Did he make it all up when he left on that five day business trip to Miami or Boston or Dallas?
She could feel the eyes on her, the presence of another. Eva blinked away whatever hot, angry tears were threatening to run down her face, her facial expressions blank and stern. “What?” she spat out, finally whipping around to see that the victim of her deadly glare was her neighbor from across the way. How much of that had he heard? It was kind of embarrassing. The pair had only had one another direct interaction besides this one and it was when the other had moved into the building. What must he think of her...
The events of the previous night rushed into her mind as Quinn stared at her reflection in the mirror, pulling her hair up in a high ponytail. Even after twelve hours, the fact that she was able to come up with such creative lies in the blink of an eye still startled her. While she was trying to get her parents off her back, she had accidentally and thoughtlessly put herself into an even bigger mess. When Judy and Russell kept scolding her about her lack of ability to form committed relationships with men for the third time that week, the girl couldn’t help herself but felt overwhelmed enough to tell them about a nonexistent boyfriend who recently proposed to her. Truth be told, she felt relieved at first and believed she managed to suppress their anticipation. However, after half an hour the Fabrays spent in utmost relief and silence, her mom started to ask questions about her “fiancé”. She tried to answer her mother’s inquiries as vaguely as possible, avoiding to give any details that may push the limits of her ability to lie. Far worse, when Judy asked what his name was, Quinn blurted out the first name she could think of in that second: Sam Evans. Her visit to her parents’ house ended with their sincere wishes to get together with the perfect gentleman she described gracefully as soon as possible. In the Fabray household, that meant her parents would not leave Quinn alone until they got the chance to meet the guy.
Sam and Quinn had been close since their freshmen year in college and they’ve pretty much been inseparable through the years. There were very few things the blonde didn’t share with Sam, and her family’s desire to see her happily married was not one of them. There were countless nights where she felt desperate enough to talk to Sam about how she’d be able to distract her parents, get their minds off her relationship status for once. Apparently, it was impossible because Fabrays never got tired of forcing their daughters to proceed with the next “big thing”s in their lives. And getting married was very high on their list of priorities. Even though Sam would not be surprised to hear about their continuing insistence on Quinn getting married, the girl had no idea how he would react once he found out the first name she could think of for her fake boyfriend was his very own.
After texting Sam, informing him that she would be over at his place in a few minutes to talk about something urgent, Quinn got into her car and drove to his apartment. While she was driving, her head was filled with ways to convince Sam to go along with her lie, even just for a few weeks. The boy had helped her through so much in the past, but this was definitely going to be the most bizarre thing she was going to ask from him by far. Once she arrived, she took a deep breath, knocked on his door, her heart pounding with anticipation, her nerves wrecking. She had no clue what was she going to do if he refused her offer, which was highly likely for most people... She was holding onto the fact that Sam was not most people. As soon as Sam opened the door, she stopped fidgeting with her fingers nervously and started talking, not allowing him to even greet her properly. “I’ve done something. And I have no idea how I’m gonna talk you into this. You’re probably gonna be mad. Don’t be mad.” Her voice trembled slightly bit so she let out a ragged breath, thinking filling him in with the rest of the story was a better idea than just standing there, letting Sam assume the worst case scenario. “Mom and Dad kept cornering me and I told them I’m dating someone who’s proposed to me. One thing lead to another, they started asking too many questions and I got confused and I... I told them it was you.”
As she finished her last sentence, her hazel eyes darted up to meet his, her heart pounding in her chest. There Quinn Fabray was, standing in the doorway of her best friend, asking him to become her fake fiancé because she was unable to find herself in a serious relationship, one steady enough to talk to her parents about, without having to lie about it. Now that she was thinking about it, she probably should have let herself in and make Sam sit down before the words spilled out of her lips.
Her hand stroked slowly over his broad chest, leaning in and kissing his cheek. "I better go." She breathe softly. Though she would much rather be staying in bed. But it was reaping day.
"I need to go home and get all pretty." She chuckled lightly.
Though she spent most of her nights here with Sheen in the Victors village, she technically "Lived" With her parents, and that was how it had to be till her last reaping. Which of course was today, seeing as she was Nineteen in 5 weeks time. After today, if he still wanted her to, they could happily live under the same roof.
She slowly sat up, letting the blankets drop from her naked form and stretched her arms above her head, reaching over the edge of the bed and grabbing her top, pulling it on, before standing and pulling on her pants.
Lustre walked round the bed pushing her fingers lightly through his hair and pressing her lips to his lightly.
"See you at the reaping." She breathed "You better be there, it being my last one." She smiled. Not letting him know that she may have made a few arrangements to make this one just a little extra special.
NOTES → eva and morgan meet at the mixer and quickly start flirting
Eva Anderson
Dressed in an orange low cut, satin romper, Eva ran a hand through her hair as she sauntered over to the bar for another drink. "I'll take a martini please...*dirty*." She called out to the bartender, who was cute and would have probably been on her list of possible options for the night if she weren't dedicated to mingling with PSU staff and students. Once her drink was handed over, she was about to take a sip until she noticed a handsome man on the other end of the bar. "Hey." She stated, smiling politely as she slid closer to him. "It's Morgan, right? Guy with the horses that love Shania?"
Morgan Weston
There were more people than Morgan was used to; he figured that would happen, when he'd signed up for a summer course, and had been invited to a mixer between students and staff. It wasn't a problem, it just took some adjusting. Alcohol definitely made it easier to adjust though, and that was why he had headed straight to the bar, asking for an ice-cold beer. Leaning against it with his side, he was watching all of the people excitedly chatting, as he took a sip of his beverage. And then he heard a voice. Looking over, he greeted the gorgeous woman with a gentle smile, followed by a chuckle. "Guilty. I'm gonna be known as the guy with the Shania-loving horses now, aren't I?" Morgan stood properly, revealing the height difference between the two, before extending his hand, so he could greet the girl. "I never got your name?"
Eva Anderson
It didn't take much to realize that Morgan wasn't a people person like herself and some of the others around here were, which was also a nice change of pace, but Eva was never one to back down from any sort of challenge. She would get a conversation out of drywall if she tried hard enough , so she was going to get something out of him. When he confirmed his identity, she couldn't help but giggle softly. "You are, but that's actually not a bad way to be remembered. Not that your face alone isn't memorable enough." Was she flirting? The answer was always a hard yes. Sipping on her martini, she raised a brow as she shook his hand, taking note of the size of said hands. "It depends. If you're a student, then it's Professor Anderson. But if you're staff, you can just call me Eva. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure."
Morgan Weston
It wasn't uncommon for Morgan to hit up a bar every now and again, just to have a cold one, and watch whatever sports was playing; and he'd sometimes strike up a conversation with the people sitting there. Sometimes he was lucky enough that that person was even attractive. This was one of those cases. Extremely attractive. He wasn't great at taking compliments well though, and his face started to get the slightest hint of red. "Well, if that ain't a line." He said, impressed by her forwardness. His eyebrows shot up, his hand still shaking hers. *Professor*? "It absolutely is all mine, *Professor Anderson*." For a moment, Morgan's face read 'even more impressed' - if he didn't know any better, he'd say there was a giant neon sign hanging above his head reading 'impressed' with a giant arrow pointing at him. But then he remembered that their hands were still holding, and he let it go, coming back to reality and not this cartoon version of them. Pushing his already rolled-up sleeves of his green plaid shirt up his arms, he leaned back against the bar, eyes directly on Eva's. "What do you teach?"
Eva Anderson
Noticing the tint gracing his cheeks, Eva smiled in response. One thing she adored was anyone who wasn't afraid to let their facial expressions or body language just go with the flow. "I'm a charmer, apparently it's an Anderson trait." She teased, though she could count on two hands the amount of times her entire family was praised for such a thing. Trying not to let her own face show the deflation when he pulled his hand away, she simply smirked. "Communications. Primarily two classes: Intro to PR and Advertising, and Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising." Eva stated proudly. "What about you? Are you a student, or are you about to be tortured by students too?"
Morgan Weston
"It definitely comes naturally to you," Morgan praised, slightly nodding his head to further his point. The confidence was attractive to him, but he figured that Eva already knew that. She seemed like the type of person who would be very aware of the effect she had on other people, and how to use it to her advance. He took another sip of his beer, as she listed off her accomplishments, and once again, he didn't hide just how impressed he was, as he swallowed the beer, the bittersweet taste coating his mouth. "Those were a lot of fancy words, young lady, ya gotta break 'em down for me. What do they mean?" Morgan asked, a little cheeky smile showing. "No, thankfully I'm just a student for the summer. I'm taking a course in business marketing over the next few weeks. I'm hoping it'll do my own company some good, y'know?"
Eva Anderson
"Thank you." Eva grinned as she downed the rest of her martini, and then sat the glass back down on the counter. She could tell that he wasn't turned off by her confidence yet, so it was probably a good thing that she wasn't unleashing her full ego on the poor man. Nodding along when he pointed out that he didn't understand the class titles, she shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm gonna be teaching future marketing and communications kids, as well as influencers, how to sell themselves, their brand, their business, etc. It's one of those 'teach what you know' situations basically." She explained with yet another 1000 watt smile. She hadn't even expected Morgan to be a Business student, let alone have a company, but now she was even more interested. "What sort of company do you have? Something with horses?"
Morgan Weston
Morgan was naturally a quiet man. He had no issues engaging in conversation with people; he wasn't shy, or anti-social. He just wasn't a boasty or loud type. But he enjoyed talking to people, and getting to know them. Eva was no exception. The smiles she was sending him were now permanently ingrained in his mind, it was just that captivating. A quiet 'ahhhh' escaped his lips, as he nodded, finally understanding it all. "That's gotta be interesting- I mean, there must be a lot of different aspects to consider, lots of groundwork to cover. How long have ya been teaching for?" Morgan put the empty beer bottle away, and let the bartender do their work, while his own attention was still 100% on Eva. "Yes, ma'am, that's correct. I'm a horse wrangler. You need a horse to perform in your movie, you call me." Morgan said proudly, and stood up straight, putting a hand in the pocket of his black jeans, whilst running the other against his well-groomed beard. "I'm just trying to learn a few tricks here, to help keep the business going."
Eva Anderson
Although Eva's main intentions tonight hadn't been to talk about work much, at least not with students, there was something about diving into it with Morgan that she didn't quite mind. Maybe it was the fact that she could sense him being more reserved than half of the other people she'd talked to, so keeping things professional seemed like the best option (for now). "This will be my first year teaching actually." Her mind was still getting used to the idea of her being a professor now, and even saying it still hadn't allowed it to fully sink in yet. Morgan's accent made her swoon just a little bit, yet she was sure that most women probably swooned over it as well. "I dont think I've ever met like an actual movie animal wrangler before." She hummed, which was odd considering how many movies her father had done over the years. "That's actually smart though. Knowing the ins and outs of the business side of things could be really helpful, but so could marketing. I mean, do people just call you for the movies, or do you have to like sell yourself to get your horses booked?"
Morgan Weston
Full lips formed perfectly into an 'o', as he silently mouthed 'wow' to himself. "You appear so professional! I would never have guessed this was your first year of teaching," Morgan said, hand moving from his beard, and gesturing instead. Leaning in so he could lower his voice, Morgan said, "If you have any trouble with any of ya students, just send them my way - I've got a big stable that could do with a few extra hands." He moved back again, but it wasn't completely lost on him just how good Eva smelled, when he'd been a lot closer to her. Sweet. Enticing. Classy. Shrugging, Morgan tried to stay humble when it came to his company, but he couldn't deny that he was proud of what he'd been able to build. "We have a few competitors, but we pride ourselves on being different from them, in terms of our training techniques. More gentle; the horse leads the way. I want to figure out if that can benefit us, in an ethical marketing way." Chuckling, Morgan ran a hand through his hair, before shaking his head. "But I'm sure that's boring to hear about, so please, tell me more about yourself. Eva. Professor Anderson."
Eva Anderson
Eva giggled at the compliment, and it wasn't the first she'd heard it but it was still funny to her. "I'm being behaved since students around, but I'm sort of wild sometimes. Before coming back here, I spent the last 10 years working for a talent agency. I was a teenage beauty influencer so after I got all of my degrees, I decided to try my hand on the *other* side of the marketing and PR for the new generation of celebrities. That taught me how to be professional so I can turn it off and on." She clarified with a nod. It was a blessing, in her opinion. Morgan talking about his horses was precious, and honestly, she wanted nothing more than to see him in action with them. "That's really good. I know there's some horror stories out there about animal wranglers being hard on the animals, so I like that you're different." Eva smiled. "It's not boring at all, but are you sure you want me to tell you more about me? i'm a lot more tame now but during my teen years? I was trouble."
Morgan Weston
Sort of wild sometimes - this wasn't Morgan's first rodeo (quite literally), and that only intrigued him, to hear more of. "What does 'wild' consist of?" He asked, moving a step closer, so that he could slide his arm over the bar, leaning against it again. That way, they were actually the same height. Humming, Morgan nodded along as he listened. It sounded like Eva had lived a thousand lives in basically no time, and Morgan wanted a run-down of every single one of them. "You've got a lot of experience under your belt, huh? Have you always been living here, in L.A.?" He asked her, eyes roaming over her features, and taking them in. She was beautiful, in a dark and mysterious way - something that didn't seem to align with her personality, but that was probably what made her so captivating. "Well, y'know, when you're dealing with animals that are doing this as a job - and as your job - you wanna make sure you treat them the best. They don't know what's going on, so I'm not about to make their life even worse." Morgan justified, before putting his elbow on the bar, and his hand on his chin, gesturing that he was ready to listen. "You can't tell me that you were trouble, and then not give me some examples."
Eva Anderson
Watching Morgan step closer as he pushed for more details about her wild side, Eva smirked. "Oh, I get wasted and start dancing on top of bars, stripping a little bit, and indulging in any attractive people that are around." She teased, though that was pretty much how most of her nights out went, and she had sort of gone into tonight expecting that exact same thing too. Studying how much closer he seemed to keep getting, she shook her head at his question. "No, my parents raised us in Dallas, so until I was forced to enroll in PSU after high school, it was just trips to LA for events and stuff." The way his eyes were roaming her body was starting to warm her up more than the liquor coursing through her body, but she didn't mind it at all. A man that looked like he did talking about being gentle and nurturing for his animals was unfamiliar territory, but she was definitely a fan of it now. "That's actually really sweet, and exactly the kind of thing you should be using for your business marketing. I'd hire you, or your animals, in a heartbeat." Of course Eva's business mentality would kick in while she was flirting, yet she couldn't help herself. She should have expected him to be more curious about her troubled past, so she simply shrugged one of her shoulders. "I've been arrested for public indecency, public intoxication, driving under the influence, and disturbing the peace — and that was all before my 18th birthday. I was basically following in Lindsay Lohan's footsteps."
Morgan Weston
“Hold on, I’mma get my notepad out, so I can note down where you go to party,” Morgan joked, a playful smirk on his face. “Oh, you’re from Dallas? I love that place- I guess that’s not very surprising. But it’s a nice place. D’ya ever miss it?” Morgan was hoping he wasn’t asking any intruding questions or overstepping any boundaries, but he missed Montana a lot, and he was curious to hear if anyone from outside L.A. missed their home state. “Yeah? Well, in that case- here,” Morgan dug into his back pocket to pull out his wallet, grabbing a business card to hand to Eva. ’Morgan Weston, Hollywood Horse Wrangler.’ “My phone number is on it; y’know, in case you ever wanna…hire me, and my girls.” Morgan offered her a flirty smirk, the card sticking out in between two fingers. ”And look at her, she’s having a resurgence period, and everything!” Morgan said with a big grin on his face. “You lived your youth to the fullest, huh? Did you have a favorite cop? I never got into the kind of trouble you did, but I did break a few windows, and start a few fights, and whenever Officer Malcolm picked me up, I knew I’d get the good treatment.” Morgan revealed to Eva. He really wasn’t one to judge.
Eva Anderson
"Good!" Eva giggled at his joke, though he probably should be taking notes to see her again, not that she was going to blurt that out just yet. "But nah, I don't really miss it. I miss some of the food, and I do go back and visit sometimes, but most of my family is out here now." She hummed. "What about you? Where are you from, and do you miss it?" She questioned curiously. Most people she met hardly ever talked about their hometowns since LA had been a staple for them all at this point, but she didn't mind hearing about that sort of thing anyways. Raising a brow when he went for his wallet, she smiled when he flashed a business card. She did love it when any business owner carried their cards on hand at any and every event, just in case, so she eagerly took the card and glanced over it. She eyed the phone number before she glanced back up at him. "I'll see what I can do for the business, but is this number just for business, or do you take personal calls on it too?" She asked, not even trying to hide the way she had to bite her lip in anticipation. Eva would probably use it for both either way, but she did at least want his take on it. Smiling as he mentioned LiLo's resurgence, she tucked the card into her clutch before her own curiosity was piqued at his next set of words. "I disliked all of those cops equally, but hang on. Breaking windows, starting fights? Don't tell me Mr. Gentle Horse Wrangler has a bad side?" She teased, leaning in even closer to the man. "Did you *win* those fights?"
Morgan Weston
The way Eva's giggle sounded in Morgan's ears was like sweet music, and it only fuelled the fire to keep trying to make her giggle. It also fuelled the confidence-fire within him, knowing that he was able to get that out of her. "The food there *is* amazing, I'll give ya that," Morgan agreed softly. "Montana. I miss it every day, but I'm at a point in my life where I need to try out new things and new places, and the rest of my family's here, so," The tall man shrugged his shoulders. L.A. wasn't exactly his cup of tea, but it was exciting being here, and trying to make a name of himself in other places than just his hometown - plus, wanting to establish some sort of relationship with his siblings. Morgan watched Eva scan his business card with her eyes, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise at her question. He took a moment, humming lightly to himself before he spoke up. "Mhmm, there'll be something very wrong with that number, if you talk to a secretary, or someone else. I'm available on that phone, day and night." He watched her bite her lip, keeping an eye on how it slipped between her teeth, and he had to force himself to tear his eyes off of them. Morgan clumsily adjusted himself against the bar, finally able to look away for a moment, until he felt her move closer to him. A sound escaped his lips. What the hell was that? A nervous laugh? Morgan cleared his throat and nodded. "I did, surprisingly. But I was also feisty back then. I had a lot of rage, as a 15-year old, and used a lot of unfair moves against my opponents." He paused, furrowing his eyebrows, but still keeping smile on his lips. "I'm sure you've seen a hell of a lot of people with bad sides, working for a talent agency, in La La Land, of all places though, right?"
Eva Anderson
"How often were you in Dallas?" Maybe it was for a movie, or maybe he was there for fun, but now Eva needed to understand why their paths hadn't crossed before right now. "Montana, huh? That place is like full of mountains and Yellowstone, right?" She hummed. It definitely wasn't somewhere she recall checking out before, so she knew very little about it, clearly. It did give her something else to pick his brain about later though. Once he confirmed that he was available at the number on his card day and night, she made a mental note to store it into her phone after this whole thing. "I'll keep that in mind." She promised. She was forward, sure, but she wasn't gonna hit him up the second they left here. Eva would never come off as desperate, and she'd want him to be waiting for at least a day first. The noise he let out was one she found enticing, and it only made her grin back at him. "I don't know, I don't really see the feisty side in you just yet, but now I kinda want to. I also want to see these 'unfair moves' too." She pleaded, though she was sure those moves weren't sexual but either way, she needed to see this sort of thing in action. Taking in his question about some of the clients she'd worked with, Eva groaned as she nodded. "It was bad before, but it's gotten worse since content creating became a legit career path. Like kids who make one video that take offs get thrust into stardom overnight and have no sort of etiquette, so they come out here and go batshit crazy. Or worse, they were already showing their bad side in their small town so you bring them out here and you realize that the viral videos didn't tell you how they were off camera. It's almost like raising someone else's adult children."
Morgan Weston
"Maybe a few times a year," Morgan started, before following up with a reason. "Dallas has the biggest equestrian center in Texas, it's a good place to go, to scope things out. And eat, obviously." He said with a grin, his eyes finding Eva's. His life consisted mainly of his work, but he wanted to make sure that he did also indulge in other activities outside of it. "That's correct, ma'am. If ya like nature, it's the place to go. It's beautiful." He could speak for hours about the place. The mountains, the forests, the rivers; how he could spend *days* without sleep, just soaking it all up. Now, there was new terrain to be explored, and it excited the tall man. "You seem a lot more familiar with LA, than I am - d'ya think you could show me around some day? I haven't really had the time to explore any good eating places, since moving back here." Morgan suggested, a slight hint of a flirtatious tone in his voice. Did he want to see Eva again? Absolutely. Did he want it to be in a much less...professional setting? Without a doubt. A suggestive pair of eyebrows lifted, and he smirked to himself. He'd never think that his little rebellious stint during his teenage years would be interesting, but here Eva was, proving him otherwise. "I'm sure you'll catch it some day - just keep hanging onto me, and it'll show up." He promised her, having leant in closer to tell her, like it was a secret just between the two of them. Groaning, Morgan couldn't imagine how to deal with what Eva had voluntarily worked with for ten years. "I take my hat off to ya, I don't know how you did that. I'm really impressed. And now you wanna pass on that wisdom to the next generation. That's admirable. Truly."
Eva Anderson
Thinking it over, Eva nodded. "Right, we do have that, don't we?" She asked, giggling at the sudden realization that she had known about the place even if she'd never really been there herself. Perking up as he confirmed what Montana was mostly known for, she was sure that her thoughts probably needed a filter and yet, since they didn't, she was already getting ahead of herself. Luckily before she could even embarrass herself (possibly anyways), he asked her to be a tour guide around LA and she grinned. "I'll show you around LA if you take me back to Montana sometime and show me around." She offered, and it was a fair trade in her opinion. "But I certainly wouldn't want a man of your caliber to starve, so I can definitely show you the best places to eat." Eva teased. As if she needed any other reason to stick around Morgan, the promise of getting to see his rebellious side was a guaranteed way to leave her hooked, as was him inching closer to her. "Then I guess you're gonna be stuck with me for a while, Mr. Weston." She stated and winked. He didn't know what he was getting himself into with her, but she was quite eager to find out just how long he'd actually stick around for. She found herself blushing this time at the praise, which she was sure she didn't entirely deserve but would accept anyways. "Thank you. I feel like teaching other nepo babies might give me a run for my money, but I figured that for the ones that genuinely want to know the ins and outs of the business, it would help to have an experience professor. But let's see if I still feel this way after this first semester." She joked.
Morgan Weston
It would've been nice to have known Eva sooner, because he always felt like he wanted to explore Dallas when he visited, but never knew where to start - she would've been a good tour guide to have. Grinning, Morgan nodded agreeingly and stuck his hand out, so they could shake on it. "That's a deal, and I'mma hold you to it." He told her. Morgan hummed delightfully to himself. They were setting up some good agreements here, and he loved it; he got to spend more time with Eva, get to know her better, and he definitely didn't hate how flirtatious it was between them. "I'm looking forward to it, Miss Anderson," He quipped back, matching her vibe completely, but not being able to hold back that slight blush on his cheeks as she winked at him. He chuckled nervously to himself, looking down at the floor with a grin for just a second, before he looked back up at her, now catching her blush, after his compliment. It was cute and he really liked having that effect on her. It only made him strive to have it more on her. "I'm sure you'll be great! Although, should ya have a bad day or two, I'll always be here with a glass of wine, and a homecooked meal - just say the word." Morgan promised her, imagining just how difficult it might be to settle into a completely new job; and also, selfishly, wanting to spend more time with the girl in front of him.
Eva Anderson
Glancing at the hand being offered to her again, Eva eagerly placed her hand into his and shook it. "You can hold me to whatever you want, cowboy." Why was she starting to sound desperate? Maybe it was the whole cowboy thing that was getting to her, but she definitely needed to calm her ass down, if at all possible. That all went out the window when he said Miss Anderson with that country drawl, and if not for her still gripping his hand, her knees probably would've buckled under her and she'd be on the ground. "You might not be saying that after putting up with me for longer than just tonight." She taunted, though she had ways to keep people glued to her, one way or another. Flirting with people was never this enticing, but Eva knew better than to hone on it too much, so she simply intertwined fingers in his as he opened up the floor to something else that could reel her in. "Homecooked meal? A man who wrangles horses *and* can throw down in the kitchen? Are you single? There's no way you're still single when you seem to check every single box a woman would be looking for." She hummed, and although she wasn't about to ask him to wife her up right here at a bar, it was quite shocking that some other lovestruck woman hadn't. "I will most certainly keep that in mind though. What's your favorite thing to cook?"
Morgan Weston
'You can hold me to whatever you want'. Images started flooding Morgan's mind. They weren't clean or family friendly; rather the opposite. It caused him to bite down on his lower lip, gently letting it go again after a moment. He wondered what it might feel like, to have her teeth tugging on his lips like that. What it'd feel to wrap his arms around her small body. What kind of sounds she'd make when he- clearing his throat with a small cough, Morgan smirked. "I like a good challenge," he told her, instantly missing the images that his brain had produced just a few seconds ago. Although, he figured, it wouldn't even be much of a challenge. It felt natural to stand there, and flirt with Eva; he figured that, as a quiet man, everything else would feel just as natural and easy. Her small fingers felt so soft and gentle against the calloused skin on his, but it was a welcomed feeling, that had him weak in the knees. He couldn't help but laugh out loud at Eva's comments. She was sweet. "Yeah, I'm single. I don't know, work just took over for a while, but I'm kinda tryin' to live a little more now. That includes actually spending time learning new recipes, y'know?" Morgan naturally took one step closer to Eva, and their bodies were almost touching now. He could pretty much feel the sparks between them. "My granny taught me how to make the best fried chicken, but I also make a mean spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken and dumplings," Morgan told her, that accent coming in thick on the last part of 'dumplings'. He leaned in, his lips brushing against Eva's ear, so he could tell her, softly, "But if there's something you like- whatever you want, Miss Anderson, I'm at your disposal."
Eva Anderson
Watching the man bite down on his lip, Eva didn't know how the hell she wasn't already pulling him away from the bar, yet she wasn't jumping the gun with him this early, regardless of how badly she wanted him to. They were both up for a challenge, which was both tempting and dangerous. Morgan's entire demeanor was foreign to her, yet she was yearning to spend more time getting to know him — and in more ways than one. She glanced down at their hands as he spoke, still baffled by him being single when he was clearly husband material, or at least what she'd heard of such requirements since that wasn't her forte. "A hard working man who cooks? I feel like that's unheard of around here considering we'd all rather pay someone to do it for us, so all of the PSU women will be drooling once they get to know you better." She pointed out, and she was lucky that she wasn't the jealous type of she'd be trembling now at such a thought. Luckily she wasn't worried about anyone else, but especially not when he started talking about the food he could make and inching even closer to her. The accent only made it all better, and Eva was for sure drooling now. "Is it bad that I want to try all three dishes you just named?" She asked, humming as she closed what little space was left between them and pressed her body against his, letting him whisper into her ear before she smirked in response. "I can think of a few things I like..but I should probably act like a lady and tell you to treat me to a real dinner first *before* I let you have me as dessert." Eva stated, licking her lips as she met his gaze.
Morgan Weston
There was clearly this whole ’big city girl / small town boy’ thing going on between Eva and Morgan. It seemed like she knew LA better than any of the people that Morgan had even done business with – and that included big Hollywood producers. She was dressed in a sleek dress, showing off all of her attributes, and it made it difficult for someone like Morgan to think straight. He was used to dust blowing in all directions, worn-down jeans and 15-year-old boots that needed to be mended twice a year but still kept going strong. It was attractive to him, that there was this clean and elegant girl clearly knowing what she wanted and knowing how to get it. If Morgan didn’t know better, he’d say that he could be wrapped around her finger in no time, if she wanted. He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head at Eva’s comment. She was being too sweet. He’d been too busy to date in the last few years, and his ex-girlfriends hadn’t been too thrilled about his presence being more on work and the animals, than in their relationship. “With the amount of crazy talented folks in this place, I doubt that’s the case,” Morgan said and looked around; it really was a pool of purely attractive people, it had actually been a bit of a shock when he first got to LA. The feeling of Eva’s body against his caused the hair on his arm and nape of his neck to stand up, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say that his facial hair was doing the exact same thing. There was an electricity coming from her, that caused him to be slightly speechless, especially after he heard her response. When she pulled away, Morgan’s eyes went straight from her eyes to her lips, and he caught that pink tongue of hers, seeing the wetness forming around the curves of her mouth. It was like his brain short circuited or something because for a few seconds, he really couldn’t make up any words. ’Say something, goddammit!’ “God, you’re gonna be the death of me, Eva Anderson.”
Eva Anderson
Eva didn't know why she was so thirsty for Morgan like she was when he wasn't even her typical type, yet then again, she hadn't seen an authentic cowboy in LA that wasn't just doing it because they were a country singer or dressing up for some themed event. He was a complete breath of fresh air amongst the same old shit she saw daily, and that whole Southern gentleman thing was enough to get any woman riled up. She was baffled at his reaction to her words, seeing that he clearly didn't understand the power he possessed. "Crazy? Yes. Talented? Debatable, since some of them are just cute and thriving off of the nepotism alone. But most of us wouldn't know our way around a kitchen or a farm like you do, and you're fucking hot, so I have a feeling a lot of these women will be drooling." She would know after all, since she on the verge of doing so herself. Luckily she could keep herself composed, to an extent anyways, so her drool was internal only. For now. It was hard to maintain it when Morgan's body language gave away his own desire for her, but Eva was managing to contain herself as best as she could. She caught the way his eyes trailed from her eyes to her lips, and if she were more willing to just cave and throw herself at him, this was the moment she would have done it. Once he finally spoke up again after a brief moment of silence, she grinned. "Oh, I plan to be, Morgan Weston. But I should probably give you a break for one night and let someone else get to know you too, so how about you just let me know when you want to start the LA taste test? I'll make time for you whenever you want." She offered with a wink.
Morgan Weston
Letting out another laugh at Eva's comment, he could definitely see the truth in what she was saying. LA attracted lots of crazy people, it was so different to the slow and safe pace of Montana. But with that being said, Morgan still found it admirable how people put themselves out there, whether or not they had talent - maybe that was him being naive though? Hearing her compliment, a full blush suddenly appeared on his cheeks, feeling it spread to the slightly exposed chest underneath the shirt, like a wildfire that couldn't be put out. He laughed nervously, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head in an attempt to buy himself some time, to figure out what to say. "I'm flattered that you of all people think so," he started, before following it up with, "given not only your knowledge about the ins and outs of the business in this city, but also because of how incredibly sexy you yourself are." He was never this forward, with anyone, but it was almost like something was radiating off of Eva and transferring into Morgan's body, because he suddenly felt confident enough to say something like that. His eyes found her deep brown ones. Oh, how he could get lost in those little speckles of emerald green that revealed themselves when the light hit them just right. "I'm sure you've also got a line of people, dying to speak to you. Selfishly, I want that time to myself now, but I'm gonna let you go, 'specially because this is a 'mixer' after all. But it was a pleasure, Eva." He said, softly shaking the hand he still had a hold of, not wanting to let go of it. "I'll make sure to let ya know when I want you. And your time." For a moment, Morgan just stood there, taking in her beauty, in case this was the last time he would see her. No, that wasn't necessary - he was determined to see her again. "Bye." Giving her hand one last squeeze, he let go of it, and made the difficult decision of walking away.
Basil had been over to this house many times over the years--ever since baby Gale found her forlorn on the side of the streets and invited her into his life. Part of her used to feel guilty at accepting his kindness, guilty and suspicious--as if suspecting that this kid, this gullible kid who could befriend a turtle if you left him alone long enough, had ulterior motives for approaching her. She grew out of this over the years as she got to know him. To the point that she no longer grew apprehensive when invited over to his house for supper.
..Though, it was slightly weird that the person who invited her wasn’t even at home at the moment.
Basil had arrived one hour after getting off shift, expecting to find a full house of people but instead the only person home had been Sil---which wasn’t exactly a bad thing. She liked Sil, and appreciated all the times he’s fed her treats and food in the past. But Basil has also never been alone with him before and it was...more than slightly awkward.
Drumming her fingers lightly against the countertop, as she glanced at the clock for the third time in 5 minutes, the silence awkward as she watched the older man move around the kitchen with a grace she couldn’t dream to replicate.
...She was going to kill gale for putting her in this situation
It was the first day of school, which was always a mixed bag, Toby had found in the four years of teaching. The five year olds were either ready to leave home and didn’t want to go back or they were the opposite. It was a sliding scale but most kids leaned one way or another.
In Mia’s case, she didn’t want to be here so she, and the other’s that didn’t like being here, got to spend more time with him to make it easier on them. Plus, with his height, being over most everyone’s head, the kids were begging to be picked up to see the world from a new vantage point.
However, how Mia differed in the fact that her mom wasn’t here and was approaching an hour late. Tobias reserved judgement but he was getting antsy. He wanted to relax at home and he guessed the Mia felt the same way.
A door opened and closed somewhere in the hallway and Mia shot a hopeful glance.
Toby smiled slightly, “Hey, that could be your mom right now!”
