sirens, -- CHRISTIAN

[LOURDES CORONA]

YOU'VE GOT STYLE & YOU'VE GOT GRACE
SHE LAUGHS IN YOUR FACE

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dolce gave Lourdes a little taste of home. Italy had been a favorite vacation spot for her family and even in Los Angeles, they’d kept up their flirtation with the culture. At first, upon moving to Vegas, Lourdes had despaired that she might never find a place comparable to the wonderful little places in Italy or L.A. As luck would have it, one of her father’s friends had been in town (a long friend of the family, dearest Fernando) and he’d taken her for lunch at Dolce. Love at first sight. Since that day, Lourdes made a point of taking someone out to Dolce at least once a month.

This month had been so busy that she’d nearly forgotten her ritual.

How fortunate that she’d had that altercation with Matthew. Without that seemingly disastrous event of dissolving morality and civilities, she would have never met Julian! She once again acknowledged the wonderfully strange ways that God worked. Who knew what good things would come of this luncheon between new friends and visionaries? Lourdes with her never-ending mission to help the unfortunate and Julian with his modern-altruist suicide helpline. A world-changing organization could blossom right at one of the crème-table cloth draped tables of Dolce that very day. How exciting!

- - -

Lourdes had decided to dress up for the occasion. It was an upscale restaurant and though the lunch was informal in most senses, she had to keep up appearances. Those were her thoughts as she walked briskly through the doors of the restaurant, nodding at the greetings from the young girl hosting. She was a regular and it merely took a phone call to reserve a seat for herself and her lunch date. That said, she was more than capable of showing herself to her table and so, she kindly waved away the host as she attempted to follow.

“Thank you, though,” She called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the main dining room and spying her table.

Slipping into the little table’s seats, she made herself comfortable. She was a few minutes ahead of schedule as usual and she felt that being so was just the polite thing to do. Lourdes hoped Julian wouldn’t be late. Tardiness was inexcusable in the business world, informal meeting or not. Even she knew that. As she took in the sight of the young couple near her table, holding hands over tortellini, Lourdes felt a strange twinge in her chest. Unfamiliar, yet so strong that she felt she should take an aspirin. Physical pain just wasn’t in her forte. But then, it didn’t feel physical. Indeed, when her fingers when to her collage bone and she tentatively pressed, there was nothing. Whatever it was lie just under the skin.

She looked away from the table where the young woman was now feeding her date. Lourdes made a mental note to see a doctor. Her last check-up had been just a month ago and she’d been in perfect health. How odd to suddenly feel that pinch. As she thought of how much she’d like to visit the local animal shelter after lunch, Lourdes’ momentary pang faded and disappeared completely.

Unfolding a napkin with renewed calm, a waiter rushed up and as she opened her mouth to order an iced tea, Lourdes spotted her lunch partner.

“Good afternoon!” She greeted warmly, motioning for the waiter to wait.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

STATUS // fin!
TAGS // christian, duhhhh!
WORDS // 565!
OUTFIT // pocahontas, is that you?
LYRICS // hot mess - cobra starship
CREDIT //IMAGE CREDIT TO DIZZY DES OF CAUTION! & this superfantastical template was made by ZOESTOLEYOURCAT of caution !

[CHRISTIAN EMMETT]

WE’RE THE NEW FACE OF FAILURE
PRETTIER AND YOUNGER BUT NOT ANY BETTER OFF

- - - - -

Somehow it all felt like it was too easy to work. Come on. A Matthew was working there and he hadn’t said anything to Lourdes about how it wasn’t him whom she had argued with. Better yet, Christian had pretended to be the guy’s boss and he had kept quiet. There just had to be some sort of a catch. Even as he walked Lourdes out, he was waiting for Matthew to jump up and tell her it was all a lie. It never happened. Something bad was going on in Matthew’s wicked little mind, Christian could feel it.

Blackmailing.

It sounded like it was probably going to be his only way out of his situation. Surprisingly, it never happened. Once Lourdes was in her car and driving away, Christian walked right back into the office and Matthew didn’t even look up from his amazing game of minesweepers. It was now or never, he could just walk away and pretend it never happened, but there was a weak link in his plan, and that was Matthew. He had to deal with it as soon as possible. So, taking a deep breath, he walked up to the guy, who just stared up at him with a bored expression. There was really not much to say, Christian had insulted the girl that didn’t even want to have phone sex and just needed a way out. Matthew only nodded before going back to his game. Well, that was the end of it.

---

Fancy.

As Christian got out of his car and stared at the restaurant Lourdes had chosen for their lunch, it was the only word that came to his mind: fancy. He knew the place, of course, his father was a regular there and had sometimes taken Christian with him, when their relationship had been a good one. In other words, when Raphael had been able to brain wash his fifteen year old son with his thoughts of power and money.

Just fifteen.

he had fallen in love with Dolce the first time he had stepped into it. The people eating inside were only the best of the best. No one under a certain amount of digits in their back account could eat inside without being looked down upon. Of course, that was if the person could even get a table. Most got the nice ‘we’re sorry, we’re fully booked’ slap on the face with a nice smile from the hosts. Those that did fight for a table never came back, planning on only coming back once they were as important as the ones that looked at them with disgust. Of course, that never happened.

Interesting.

Lourdes was important enough to get a table there. Sure, Christian knew she had money, but who didn’t in Vegas? Whether it was made through gambling or truthfully, everyone that lived in Vegas just had to have enough to have a life like the one Vegas gave. It seemed like the snobby girl was going to be far more interesting to deal with than he had expected. If he played his cards right, she could even be something more.

Bad thoughts.

Smiling at the host, he quickly said he was looking for someone. Following the host, he walked into the dining room, not really looking around until he heard a familiar voice. Smiling at Lourdes, he politely told the host he had found who he was looking for before walking to the table. “Good afternoon, Lourdes. I didn’t make you wait too long, did I?” He sat down and greeted the waiter before focusing back on the girl.

- - - - -

STATUS ! done !
TAG ! lourdes !
WORDS ! six one four !
BANNER ! NAO’S YOUR CHANCE @caution !
TEMPLATE ! mine !
LYRICS ! i’m like a lawyer… - fall out boy !
MUSIC ! what a catch, donnie - fall out boy !
NOTES ! c: ![/size]

[LOURDES CORONA]

YOU'VE GOT STYLE & YOU'VE GOT GRACE
SHE LAUGHS IN YOUR FACE

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sight of Julian made Lourdes smile. Unintentionally, without pretense or provocation. She would have noticed this but she was a little distracted by his charming greeting and she wasn’t sure how she missed how good-looking he was. Perhaps made even better-looking by his manners and poise. Once he started speaking, Lourdes got a hold of herself. Choke-hold, in fact. She cleared the sparkly-wayward observations from her head and tried to look businesslike. Possibly failing marvelously.

“Good afternoon, Lourdes. I didn’t make you wait too long, did I?”

Even if he had, she wasn’t about to come right out and say that. But he hadn’t in any case. So she shook her head gently, hair falling about her shoulders as she did so. Impatiently brushing back some behind her ear, she smiled again, this time a little self-conscious and displeased with her own lack of refinement. The last thing Julian needed to see was her acting all loopy over who knew what reason. Point being that she needed to get it together. Right now. Before they’d even begun talking because who knew what would come from her mouth if she kept on like a kid bicycling without training wheels for the first time.

“No, no. I just got here as well. I was just about to order drinks, actually,”

[/i][/color]She turned back to the waiter, grateful for the temporary distraction. “I’d like an iced tea. And for you, Julian?”[/i]

Perusing the menu as he ordered his own refreshment, Lourdes drew a finger over the various entrees, looking for her usual. It wasn’t necessary to find the usual since just about everyone on the Dolce staff knew what it was but she didn’t want to look like she spent that much time here. Julian would probably think her some kind of socially-challenged individual that was unfit for any kind of business work with him. The very last thing she wanted. Her last time in Dolce had been on a date, amazingly. With the choir instructor from her church. That had gone amazingly bad. Stunning plane crash bad. So bad, he’d changed churches as a result.

A little smile painted her mouth at the thought.

It was funny. Something right out of Meet the Parents. Lourdes had arranged to have dinner with Josiah and his parents for months and months. The dinner had been such a disaster. Josiah’s father had told Lourdes about his stint as a Vegas dancer. Something that had neglected to ever come up while they’d been dating. Josiah’s mother got terribly drunk and told Lourdes that though she was pretty and “richer than Baby Jesus” - she would never ever be Josiah’s beloved ex-girlfriend Tara. Though Lourdes had been more than prepared to sit out the rest of the dinner, a red-faced Josiah apologized profusely and escorted his parents out with the rest of Dolce watching the proceedings. Leaving Lourdes and her water-down ice tea, to themselves.

Of course, it had been horrifying then. But she’d gotten over it.

“I know this a business meeting. But I’m afraid I don’t know you that well and its always a good idea to get to know one another before actually making plans,” Lourdes set down her menu and folded her hands in her lap, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. “Please, excuse the fact I need a haircut. I must look like a fidgety mess. But I promise the animals like it. They feel worse for me and inability to see than they do for themselves.”

Hopefully, Julian liked stupid jokes. Lourdes was impeccable in her ability to deliver them and Ben Stiller was her idol. So, it would just have to do.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[/center]


STATUS // fin!
TAGS // christian, duhhhh!
WORDS // 614!
OUTFIT // pocahontas, is that you?
LYRICS // hot mess - cobra starship
CREDIT //IMAGE CREDIT TO DIZZY DES OF CAUTION! & this superfantastical template was made by ZOESTOLEYOURCAT of caution !

[CHRISTIAN EMMETT]

WE’RE THE NEW FACE OF FAILURE
PRETTIER AND YOUNGER BUT NOT ANY BETTER OFF

- - - - -

A smiling Lourdes greeting him was a very good sign of things going the right direction. He hadn’t thought about it but, if the girl had glared at him or seen him in a non-friendly way, Christian would have turned around and run out to never come back. Over the phone, she sounded like the type of psycho to take out a knife from practically anywhere close and stab her victim as many times as possible, ending up covered with the victim’s blood as she got placed inside the police car. In person, well, he would have to inspect the bread in case there was a knife inside any of them, and take a good look at the butter knives to see just how sharp they really were. Honestly, Christian didn’t trust Italians that much, especially after seeing so many mafia movies.

Wow.

It was unbelievable, much like a dream, or the start of a nightmare that ended with his head being bitten off. Lourdes was being, well, very nice to him. Sure, she was being nice to Julian, the heroic young business man that had a help line for teenage suicides. Yet, it was all Christian, the rude ‘Matthew’ she had fought over the phone with. He knew she was faking it all, just to look good with Julian, but it was still very impressive. Smiling, he opened the menu before looking up at the girl and then at the waiter. ”An iced tea sounds good. I’ll take another one please.” He glanced back down at the menu, browsing through it with concentration, smiling as he remembered some of the plates, going back in time.

Bad memories.

The first time his father had invited her mother to have lunch with them at Dolce had bee, well, disastrous. Everyone whispered behind a well placed hand over to the person sitting next to them before glancing at their table. Of course it was obvious what they were talking about, the mistress having lunch in Dolce in broad daylight? How scandalous. Christian’s mother had ended up crying at the table, embarrassing her son as Raphael tried calming her down. That’s when it happened. Furiously, the woman got up and demanded the man to get a divorce before walking out of the restaurant. It had been weeks before Christian shook away the shame and walked back into the restaurant with his father, head held high and, of course, with no mother sitting next to him.

Never again.

Placing the menu down, he looked up at Lourdes with interest, nodding as she talked. Great, the girl wanted to get to know him more. Wow. For being so pretty, she had a really bad sense of humor.

Wait.

Christian had not just thought of the evil little witch that had called him as pretty. Staring at the girl, he laughed, shaking his head. ”Nonono. I think it looks good and the animals agree with me.” His mind was trying to take him back to where he had been as they had fought over the phone. She was ugly, not attractive at all. No, Christian was not thinking of how good she looked in that dress or how good she would look without it.

Vulgarity. He needed to leave that for his job.

Clearing his throat, Christian grabbed the napkin and placed it on his lap before looking up at Lourdes. ”I must confess, I don’t usually have business meetings with people that are not close to my circle of friends. It just seems like you’re a very nice person that wants to help and I’m willing to change my business habits for a good cause.” He smiled at Lourdes, wondering how much trouble he was really getting into.

- - - - -

STATUS ! done !
TAG ! lourdes !
WORDS ! six two three !
BANNER ! NAO’S YOUR CHANCE @caution !
TEMPLATE ! mine !
LYRICS ! i’m like a lawyer… - fall out boy !
MUSIC ! wet hot american summer - cobra starship !
NOTES ! c: ![/size]

[LOURDES CORONA]

YOU'VE GOT STYLE & YOU'VE GOT GRACE
SHE LAUGHS IN YOUR FACE

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lourdes really did not know what to make of Julian. There was just something she couldn’t quite put one prettily-painted finger on. Whether this was good or bad was yet to be discovered but truly, she was itching to know. This was partially what kept her interested, the intrigue of it. A very young man directing a very noble cause in a very prestigious organization. Yet, something didn’t seem quite right about it. It wasn’t that Lourdes thought he was a liar (though that particular habit did seem to be second nature to men in general), it was just that she felt there was something amiss.

A significant detail that was not quite…right.

”Nonono. I think it looks good and the animals agree with me.”

Chuckling in spite of herself and her worries, Lourdes demurely drew her once-attentive gaze away from him and averted her attentions for the moment. He had a sense of a humor, which was refreshing. Most men his age were too busy stumbling over themselves with flattery and egotistical nonsense that they never really got to the part where they actually spoke to the person before them. Coming back to the present, Lourdes gave a reluctant smile at the quip and opened the menu again for lack of things to do. She knew out of sheer habit what dish was her favorite and preferred choice. But that would lack pathetic, even for her usual sophistication, so she would have to pretend to peruse all the delightful entrees once more.

As she did such, she said, “Oh, really? Well, I’m glad the public has come to a consensus on that. I wouldn’t know what to do if I was giving the sheepdog a run for its money in the hair department.”

[/I]

Incredibly dorky, those were the words that sprung to mind. Yet, she continued along each page of the menu, trying to decide when a good time would be to “choose her plate.” Lourdes was sure Julian saw peculiar girl behavior like this all of the time. He was beyond the usual state of attractive and well, who was she kidding? He was flat-out the most charming, good-looking man she’d come across in a long time. The topper to this being that he was involved in charity work. It was simply too good to be true. Surely he was married. That had to be the detail. Although, he didn’t seem the kind of guy to have lunch with a strange woman if he was married. Then again it was a business meeting…thoughts spiraling off into an incoherent flurry, Lourdes peeked over her menu to glance at his left hand.

No ring.

Reassuring, at least.

”I must confess, I don’t usually have business meetings with people that are not close to my circle of friends. It just seems like you’re a very nice person that wants to help and I’m willing to change my business habits for a good cause.”

He’d very nearly read her mind. Kind of upsetting considering the quality of her thoughts at the moment and their hardly virtuous meanderings into Julian’s aesthetics. Nevertheless, Lourdes was socially graceful enough to not show any particular lenience in that direction. Much like that hideous Lady Gaga’s song, Lourdes had an impenetrable poker face. Not only that, she kept her cards close to her chest until the last possible moment. And that last possible moment usually meant victory for her.

Returning the smile, she lay her menu down at last after all the useless masquerading and sat a little straighter. “That’s very flattering to hear. I’m much the same in that respect. But since we have such common interests in the well-being of the community, regardless of the species, I thought it would be good to share common practice or upcoming projects. If you’d like, I can go into the work I do. Though, I confess, its not the most arresting line of work. I’d much rather hear about you.”[/I][/b]

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[/center]


STATUS // fin!
TAGS // christian, duhhhh!
WORDS // 664!
OUTFIT // pocahontas, is that you?
LYRICS // hot mess - cobra starship
CREDIT //IMAGE CREDIT TO DIZZY DES OF CAUTION! & this superfantastical template was made by ZOESTOLEYOURCAT of caution !