Xander's Cross, Oregon: a small town ringed with forbidding mountains and misty forest. The sky may be gray, but the townspeople are welcoming to people of all kinds...and things that are not quite human as well. Here the native shifters, aliens, werewolves, and witches live in peace. They have yet to find out the new business owners encroaching on the land are also vampires.
The peace has been broken by murder, however, and things in Xander's Cross are about to become quite a bit darker.
Welcome to your new home.
is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?
August 20, 2020
The mayor, Rowan Starkwood, was found dead less than a mile from his home. Rumors say his body was mutilated, but the state of the body has not yet been released to the public.
In solely a humanistic way, it should have been alarming that he even offered her a glimpse into that painful part of his life. But being wolves, well, you were just more in tune with things and the feelings of others of your kind. It was strange and wrong, maybe...while it also just wasn't. It was as complicated and as simple as that and he had no explanation for it, but it hadn't been the first time where he felt consoled by another werewolf, where he clung to this bond like a lifeline. Cal had just wanted to avoid it, and he was very, very slowly beginning to realize that he wasn't going to be able to.
Not that he was dwelling on that or planned on telling her this any time soon. For all he knew, this might be it. After they parted ways, he could be a wolf without a pack again despite all her talk. He had to remember he could only rely on himself and Blake right now, even if Paige was already making that hard to ignore.
But they were both sorry. They both apologized for the "wolf getting out of the cage", and now they could move on and maybe just save this evening from going further downhill. It wasn't a date, but it was still a night out, and something he rarely did. If he did go out with anyone, it was just with Blake. This was, believe it or not, a nice change of pace. Sometimes he liked and needed the same, simple routine day to day...yet every now and then, he had to throw a wrench into things, change it up a little. He was never one to be so routine after leaving the service, and it was a wonder how he managed this long.
'Does everyone call you that or only your friends?'"I don't really have friends, so..." he replied with a casual shrug, letting his words die off. Then all subtle, physical touch ceased and he almost felt weirdly empty. Maybe not as much as he would have since she was seated there beside him. Cal didn't turn to sit the proper way, even if this meant he was putting his back to the entire diner, something he rarely ever did. It was possible he was still distracted. Even more so with the peace offering. Mm, whipped cream.
"Questions? What makes you think I have any?" he said, eyeing the spoon she was holding out for him. Something glinted in his eyes then, just for a moment before he continued to speak. "I mean, I could ask about your family. Are you really a blonde or is this all from a bottle?" Fingers absently reached out to toy with a strand of her hair. "What color's your fur?" With that last question, he had leaned in a little, wagging his brows in further distraction...because he was taking that spoon and drawing the milkshake towards himself; dunking the spoon in to nab some of the thick shake to bring it to his mouth. Oh man, he couldn't remember the last time he had one of these. Now he wasn't so keen to give it back.
There was Dr. Hunt, and then there was Cal. He knew when to be a professional, and that didn't apply outside the clinic.
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 24, 2020 1:09:05 GMT -5
"I don't really have friends, so..." Right choice Paige. She told herself as soon as the words left his mouth. He just unknowingly solidified her plan on essentially taking him into her pack. He needed a friend, and that sixth sense of hers hadn’t been wrong. Well….he was walking out of the diner tonight with one. Whether he wanted it or not.
She laughed then. “Everyone has questions about everybody,” she said as if it was simple. You just had to be curious enough to ask those questions. Or have the bravery and bluntness to do it. She watched him curiously, a coy smile on her face as she saw that glint in his eyes. Her eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what he was going to do.
Her gaze followed his fingers as he touched some strands of hair from her ponytail and then she looked up at him again to see him lean and waggle those brows at her. Her heart skipped a beat watching him before she realized he was stealing her milkshake! We’re doing this now huh Hunt? Okay. Two can play. Her lips parted slightly as she pressed her tongue against the inner part of her cheek, nodding her head slightly before she picked her spoon up and leaned in for her own spoonful. Given earlier she supposed she could share. “I have my parents and three older brothers.” She said stealing, no taking her own, whip cream, and some of that shake. “One of which is my twin. He was born about three minutes before me. The other two are also twins and eight years older.” Gotta love werewolves and their multiple births. How her mother survived their rowdy bunch she’d never know.
She put the spoon in her mouth before she used it to wave at her blonde locks. “Aaaaaall natural baby,” she grinned widely before a look of amusement crossed her face. “Only time it ever was dyed was when it got dyed purple when I was seven. Jack wanted to prove Tucker wrong that kool-aid could dye hair, and I was the only one with pale enough hair to try it out on. Mom cried and called me her little grape for a week before it faded, and,” She tilted her head to the side recalling the memory, while she looked at the table. “They got permits revoked for two weeks. Both had to walk to school.” She snickered. Remembering the look on their faces.
She reached over for the Milkshake and grabbed the base of the glass, pulling it towards her a bit. If he resisted, she’d arch her brows at him and looked at him defiantly before plunging her spoon in. Leaning in herself if he wouldn’t share her milkshake with her. “Sandy gold. Almost white in winter.” She gave him a pointed look and waggled her own brows at him with a small smile on her face. “Let me guess. Grey, with some brown, and tufts of white?” she asked curiously. Trying to guess what color his fur was. She pulled her spoon up to her lips, opening her mouth slowly before her lips surrounded it. Raising her eyebrows expectantly.
They were interrupted then suddenly as the smell of medium-rare beef suddenly invaded her sinuses, and Paige’s head turned to see Mason setting her tray on the other end of their table before she was sliding over plates of food. Paige’s mouth instantly watered and she was already making grabby hands at the double cheeseburger that consisted of medium-rare beef, bacon, more bacon, a layer of onion rings, and melted cheddar cheese with bbq sauce. Mason knew her so well the burger was already cut in half. Along with the fires that already came with her burger there was another order of fries smothered in gooey cheese with bacon bits sprinkled over top. “Ooooooooh man, What’s that?” She asked as Mason slid over another milkshake. “Welcome home present.” The other girl smiled at her, and Paige felt a pang in her chest as her face softened. “Mase…” She said, a small smile appearing on her face. Paige reached for the new milkshake and slid it in front of Cal. “Here, you can have this one, give me mine back.” She told him. After leaving a stack full of napkins for them and promise of coming back if they needed anything, Mason left, and Paige stared at the food for a moment. The last time she’d had any of this was her and Louis’s last visit here before she’d left a year ago. “I apologize now for any unladylike noises you're about to hear.” A corner of her mouth suddenly curled up into a grin. “Been a while since real food.” Her green eyes flicked in Cal’s direction before she was picking up one half of her burger.
last edited Aug 24, 2020 1:12:46 GMT -5 by Paige Anderson
Friends he could possibly do, but a pack? That was an entirely different story, and one he wasn't going to mention or hint at again. Otherwise, that tension and darkness would return and he didn't want it to.
"Or maybe not everyone is as nosy as you are," he combated lightly with a grin. Well, it was true. Paige had gotten up in his business immediately when she had no right to, and it could have ended very badly. He really didn't have any questions and that might have been because he wasn't used to conversing or spending time with people he didn't already know. Like he said, he didn't really have any friends.
Paige began to answer those questions he hadn't truly expected her to, sending both eyebrows up in surprise. "Three brothers, huh?" Three older brothers. It was a good thing Hunt was being such a gentleman, eh? "Big family." He contemplated stealing more of the shake, or stealing the entire thing away from her but he simply turned to sit a bit more properly in the booth, leaning back against the seat. "My mother was human," Cal whispered that quietly, not realizing he was even sharing this tidbit of his life so willingly. "I suppose she was fortunate that it was only me, as tough as she was." A soft, amused smile curled his mouth as he thought of the woman. He missed her fiercely, but at least her loss wasn't as fresh of a wound as Brianna's.
Light brown eyes looked sidelong to her with the hair dye story and he chuckled. "I sure hope there's photographic evidence of that..." Because he would die to see her with purple hair. However, he wouldn't be surprised if she simply made it work. Paige could probably have bright pink hair and still look fine. That was when he realized he was still holding onto the glass, and it was just instinct to not let her have it right away. Even when she leaned in as if speaking of fur color was some sexual conspiracy. Don't gawk at her with the spoon, Hunt...
Welp, too late.
"Mostly brown, thank you very much," he answered lowly, the humor still in his eyes. Then, Cal was sitting up straight, turning his gaze away from Paige for the first time since arriving here to find Mason bringing over their burgers. Because, yes, his go to was basically the same thing because nothing screamed "meat" more than bacon burgers. His just didn't have the onion rings, just extra pickles. He was quickly eyeing the side order of fries, wondering why he was so surprised by another wolf's crazy appetite. He was instantly thanking Mason as always before Paige was pushing the other shake towards him. And, for just a split second, he actually pouted, "But...I like yours better." Was there just a smidgen of insinuation in his tone? Don't wink, you idiot. Just don't-
He winked at her.
Whatever, dude.
Thanking the waitress again before she walked away, he could feel as well as hear his stomach suddenly rumbling before he was looking back to Paige with amusement again. "So...you were ladylike before this?" Now that Cal was getting started, he couldn't seem to stop. Maybe it was small payback for her nearly making him "hulk out" in the diner. Still, his expression softened a bit, knowing exactly how she felt. Food over there wasn't anything compared to this. "And nothing beats heart-clogging American goodness." He took a large bite of the burger and nearly sunk into his seat more. Cal told himself to slow down so he wouldn't devour the entire thing in under a minute. He'd done that before- Blake clocked him.
last edited Aug 24, 2020 23:06:02 GMT -5 by Cal Hunt
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 24, 2020 17:20:08 GMT -5
Paige’s face had softened at mention of his mother, wanting to ask more about her, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. She didn’t want to ask any questions that might set him off again. Easy, simple, harmless questions from here on out. “Oh you better believe it there is.” She had chuckled. In fact she was pretty sure she had a photo on her phone…
She grinned as he told her he was mostly brown. She’d been close! She studied him for a second, believing that he was mostly brown with his chocolate brown hair and those eyes of his. Her attention was brought back to the food and she stilled in lifting a half of her burger up, turning her head to look at him when he said he liked her milkshake more. She caught his pout and then there was that wink. Oh boy. Oh man. Don’t do that when I’m about to stuff my face! She thought. She shifted in her seat slightly, not liking what that wink had done to her. “Fine, we’ll share.” She said simply. They could both down two milkshakes probably in two minutes, brain freeze willing.
She gasped at his comment, her eyes going wide before she turned and swatted him in the shoulder. Having no qualms about doing so. “N-no!” She began to laugh. “But I can be, you just haven’t seen it yet.” She remarked. Course...it was rare that Paige acted like any sort of lady. She was a wildflower, or just plain wild, and a tomboy at that. The real lady only came out when her and Louis did their monthly weekend getaways when she actually felt glamming herself up. She turned back to her burger then. “You can say that again.” She sighed before she bit into the burger. Her teeth sank in as the juice and grease hit her tongue. Her eyes closed for a second, savoring the taste, before she practically moaned with her mouthful. It really had been too long. It nearly brought tears back to eyes at how simple a burger was, but you never realized how much you missed it until you couldn’t have it. “Damn that’s good.” She murmured before she was taking another bite. Nearly half of the current half she had already gone.
“Mmm!” she remembered the photo, and set the burger half down, and grabbed a napkin to wipe her fingers before she leaned to the side to dig her phone out. Her lock screen was a silly photo of her Louis from the last time she was home. Typing in her passcode, she went to her photos and scrolled through them until she found what she was looking for. “Mom sent me this before I left after she was going through some old stuff.” She angled the phone to show him.
Her hair was bright purple in high pigtails. She had a sassy look on her face while she was sucking on a lollipop looking up at the camera. What made the photo so funny was seven year old Paige was flipping the Camera off While she stood there in her muddy overalls and rain boots. Her hip cocked to the side while her other hand rested on it. “I don’t remember what was actually said, but I was giving the bird to Jack or Tuck. They thought it was funny, mom and dad did not. We laugh now.” She snickered, before she put the phone away and then downed the other one half of her burger before she was reached for those cheesy smothered fries. The cheese stretched with the lifted fry, and she took one of the uncheesed fries that the burger came with to wrap the extra cheese around before she put both in her mouth. “Okay serious question.” She asked swallowing the fries, and then reached for the milkshake to suck some of the milkshake up through the straw before setting it down.
Her green eyes settled on him as she narrowed her eyes slightly, as a serious expression crossed her face. “True test on whether we can be friends Cal,” She started. ‘Whiskey, Scotch, or Bourbon?” She asked, her voice low before she stuck another fry in her mouth. A corner of her mouth curled up.
Cal laughed quietly, shaking his head as if to dismiss her idea about sharing. Both shakes were for her, and he wouldn't be a child. Too much. Okay, maybe he'd snag some whipped cream here or there when she was unsuspecting, but he'd be good.
He pretended to flinch in surprised pain when she swatted at his arm, and as he was already finishing half that burger, those gold-brown eyes narrowed playfully at her, as if he was contemplating something. And indeed he was, he was trying to imagine her in something other than adorable overalls or band t-shirts...and it was kind of impossible. Which was then making his mind wander, and no one should ever let his mind wander. Ever. Very good yet bad things often came of it. "Yet, huh?" A corner of his mouth was curling up in a smirk, subtly eyeing her again as he reached for the seltzer for a few sips. That sounded like a promise, or he was taking it as one now because he could.
It was very clear that he had planned on saying more but was actually not being an idiot right now. For once. Who knew if it would last for much longer. Then again, she technically was his patient, so...that shit was frowned upon or something. However, that was the very moment Paige decided to express just how much she really enjoyed that food, and he was struggling not to comment. Which prompted him to want to laugh but he was also refraining from that as well.
Thank God she had that photo.
He was quickly laughing again when she showed it to him- a younger version with the purple hair and flipping the camera off, apparently at one of her brothers. She was adorable. "You...clearly haven't changed. Except for the purple hair, of course." The amusement still clear on his face, he popped a few of his fries into his mouth. That was when she had a "serious question" and his brow furrowed just a little. It was going to be a test on whether they could be friends, supposedly, when being friends had been entirely her idea in the first place. Wouldn't it be funny if alcohol was what changed her mind?
Cal turned to face her a little bit, reaching for some more fries but didn't eat them just yet. "Well, scotch when you're out on the town, perhaps. Bourbon- although I love greasy American food- is American whiskey, and..." He sucked air through his teeth in a fake grimace. "Nothing beats a good Irish whiskey. And I'll fight you on it." And nothing got him drunk as quickly as whiskey did, either.
Pausing to eat those other fries, he regarded her again. "So, am I still friend material or not?"
last edited Aug 24, 2020 23:30:03 GMT -5 by Cal Hunt
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 25, 2020 14:41:15 GMT -5
Paige laughed again, unable to deny that she really didn’t change. Only….she had. That Paige hadn’t been exposed to cruelty and evil that lived in the world. What humans, if she could even all them that, could do to each other. What war did to a person. That Paige was innocent, and whole, and whose soul hadn’t been tainted and torn to shreds. Oh to be seven again….
She picked up some more of the cheese fries, popping them in her mouth while she was waited to hear what Cal had to say about her poisons of choice. Nodding as he said scotch for a night on the town. Yup, nothing said class like good scotch. She found herself grinning as he described bourbon, a then the whiskey…. How long had it been since she’d had a good irish whiskey?
She took another bite of her burger while he finished up, and took her sweet time on answering him before she finished chewing. “No fighting here.” She chuckled. She took another bite, and her let gaze slowly look him over, as if she was seizing him up. Really, she just wanted the reason to let her eyes wander over the hot doc unabashedly. Sitting there with him, Paige was reminded how handsome in a rugged way he was. That dark brown hair brushed to the side, it certainly looked soft enough to touch but she refrained. Then there was those adorable ears she’d noted yesterday from him tucking his pen behind them. His very cute, adorable slightly pointed, biteable ears. They sly grin and ocher eyes as well…. Paige wouldn’t be surprised if half the female population of Xanders Cross didn’t pretend to have something wrong just so they could go see hot doc one and two. Had any of them however had the bravery, or maybe insanity to make hot doc one go out with them? Not a date Paigey. She reminded herself. Besides, she was anti-dating right now thanks to Greg, and all the other men that had scorned her. It was why she liked her weekend getaways. No strings attached.
No one wanted to get attached to her.
Reaching for more fries, she finally let her gaze drift away from him. “I think so, but if you say Jameons’ irish whiskey is the best, we might have words. It’s Dead Rabbit or nothing.” She said with a mischievous glint in her eye before she put those fries in her mouth. “Rum would have been a good answer too.” She added with a slight smirk. She was remembering a time on one of her leaves when the boys and her had patook in a drinking contest of irish whiskey. Given Paige's high wolfen metabolism she could burn the alcohol off far faster than the others and essentially drink them under the table before she even felt buzzed. She also recalled how long it’d been since she actually had a drink.
“So, what made you wanna be Ranger? And a doc for that matter.” She asked. Wondering if his answer would have been far better then her “i didn’t know what to do so i joined.” she’d given him yesterday. She leaned back against the seat, taking one of the milkshakes with her while she watched him.
"Alright then...good," he said with a faint grin. If he suspected or even cared that she was "sizing him up" then he didn't seem to show it. Cal just looked at her thoughtfully before finishing his burger, almost feeling as though he had barely savored it, now wishing he had at least a glass of whiskey to wash it down with. It had been awhile since he had the stuff, though, because the last time did, it nearly made him spiral. It both soothed him and made things far worse, and he never knew which way he was going to lean. So, currently, he was actively avoiding it, even if he was craving it now.
He probably could have used some a few minutes ago. Maybe it would have alleviated some of the pain.
Cal chuckled lightly, picking up a few more fries. "Jameson is a poor man's whiskey. Dead Rabbit though, huh?" He pretended to contemplate that, acting like he wasn't sure if he's ever had that whiskey before. Truth was, he had...but he also realized there was potentially an opening here for something at a later date. Not that he was planning on that or anything, but, just in case? Sure, that sounded logical. "I can't be sure I've had that one..." he lied. So, you'll just have to buy me a shot at some point, Anderson.
Smooth.
At her question, he leaned back in his seat, trying to remember exactly what spurred him on to become a doctor. "I honestly don't know," he said quietly. "It was...like one day I just decided to go to medical school. Studied for a few years then joined the army to help pay for it. Decided I liked it enough to stay awhile." It allowed him to use and wield that primal part of him he really couldn't elsewhere. Cal offered a shrug, wiping his face with a napkin while his mind wandered back all those years ago. Sometimes it felt like a decade had gone by, while other times it could feel just like yesterday.
"So, what about you?"Brown eyes drifted back over to Paige, turning the topic to her. "Did you always want to serve?" Most of the time, the answer was always no, but call him curious for wanting to know if the woman had had some other dream beforehand.
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 26, 2020 10:25:48 GMT -5
Oh yeah, she was liking this Doc already. Her eyes widened in surprise when he said he hadn’t had any Dead Rabbit though. “You're shitting me! You haven’t had New York’s finest yet?” She actually looked offended for a second before putting the milkshake back and waving a fry at him. “We’re amending that. I won’t allow it.” She was dead serious too. Paige had had a lot of whiskey in her life, but she found the one that really did it for her was the Dead Rabbit. Even if things somehow went south tonight, she could get him a shot as an apology. With that settled she picked up the other half of her burger and began to eat it while Cal told her why he joined. She could understand that. It was similar to what happened to her. She didn’t know what to do, but knew she wanted to be useful. Make some sort of difference anyway she could. Paige had always been a protector. From the time she was born, she watched over her twin, and then later her friends. Bringing them into her little pack where she could take care of them, watch over them. Protect them.
Only she couldn’t protect everyone…
She shook her head at his question while she swallowed. “Honestly, If I wasn’t serving I’m pretty sure I’d be working at my parent's store. The only other thing I considered wouldn’t really put money on the table.” She confessed. She didn’t tell anyone about the fact she used to dance. Still did when the opportunity arose. Only a handful of people actually knew about it though as she was a bit private about it. She didn’t compete in high school or anything, but she did take the lessons and choreographed her own stuff. Letting the music just flow through her, but again. No one knew about it, and you couldn’t make money dancing. Not here.
“Wanted to do something helpful though. I also needed something active because I can’t sit still to save my life, so the Marines seemed like the best option.” She shrugged. “Had some really good times with those jarheads.” Smirked slightly, not realizing she was staring off into space at a spot on the table while she recalled some of her earlier years. “Ya know, they don’t let women into active combat. But I managed to get into the military police. Gotta be real bossy.” Her smile grew a fraction. “And then they gave me a dog…” And that dog had changed her life. She let a deep sigh out, leaving it at that while she finished off the rest of her burger. Taking a handful of the plain fries and dumping them on the cheese fry plate before she stacked it on her now empty one to save up table space. “They put me on explosive detection. We’d have to go into areas and do a sweep to make sure they were safe before they’d send in troops.” She said softly. She Didn’t go any further than that. Going any further would probably cause her to spiral if she thought about those boys and that dog.
“Wanted a change of pace after a few years. Something different, so I transferred to the Army two years ago.” She explained but didn’t give the full reason. She munched on a fry, finally looking over at him, and then used the half-eaten fry to point at that still perfectly good milkshake. “You gonna help me eat that or make me do it all by myself and have people judge my eating habits?” She asked with a smirk before she popped the rest of the fry in her mouth.
Cal's mouth turned up into a wry grin, seeing how his silly little plan worked. He didn't exactly know why he thought it was a good idea, but he somehow suckered himself into it, whatever it was. Because this wasn't a date, it was...an outing. There, that was the proper term for it. Time spent with a friend that he didn't exactly ask for but wasn't exactly shunning anymore. Yet, anyway. Give it time, and he was certain she would change her mind. "Fine by me, darlin'," he finally said, trying to keep the mirth from his eyes. Of course he was going to fill her in on that lie...afterwards, that is.
She was answering his question now, and both brows shot up in a bit of curiosity. "Other thing?" Was that a forbidden question? He didn't feel like it was considering she mentioned it, yet mentioned it vaguely. But it was like dangling a juicy steak right in front of the salivating wolf and he was slightly intrigued now. Refraining from nagging her about it, he took a few more sips of that seltzer. "Ah, yeah, the Marines will definitely keep you moving..." Cal turned a bit more so that he could face her better, listening to her go into far more detail than he had. Despite her losses and hardships, it appeared that she led a rather interesting and fulfilling life so far.
'And then they gave me a dog...' The smile that fell on his lips then was more genuine and softly sincere. The fact that she wore Tank's tag made it quite clear that the K-9 meant something to her, more than just a job, more than a partner, so he wasn't going to ask further about it. That was a topic that was off limits. The way she spoke after, though, had him wondering if something had happened in relation to an explosion. Cal's brow furrowed, perhaps making it clear that he wanted to ask...but still, he wouldn't.
"And you don't know if you'll go back?" With all she had gone through, with the clear anxiety and PTSD that had been written in her file, she probably shouldn't, but he wasn't about to get all "doctorly" on her now. They weren't in the clinic.
Dark eyes drifted to the milkshake as she pointed it out, and the crooked smile returned. He pulled it towards him, and as much as he wanted to scarf it down, he didn't yet. "Alright, sure...if you tell me what you really wanted to do for a living." Not that anyone was really paying attention to them or her eating habits, but let that hang over her head anyway.
last edited Aug 26, 2020 15:48:30 GMT -5 by Cal Hunt
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 26, 2020 17:36:44 GMT -5
There he went again with that word. Darlin. It was going to get him into trouble. Or her, or both. That word with that deep husky voice of his was nothing but trouble. And trouble seemed to follow Paige Anderson wherever she went. Even halfway across the world. She’d glanced at him mischievously as he asked about the other thing, deciding not to go there yet, as she quietly ate the rest of her cheese fries.
She shrugged. She wanted to go back but it wasn’t a matter if she wanted to or not, it was if they would even let her. You want back in Anderson then you deal with your shit. You talk to the head doc and deal with whatever the fuck would make you want to off yourself in the hospital, your bloody fucking luck you couldn’t tie that knot as tight as you did with that arm of yours! Her commanding officer had all but yelled at her as she refused to talk to one of the shrinks in the Iraqi hospital. She was fine. It was a small slip, everything was fine. She was fine. She was okay. She knew she’d been given a counselor, but they hadn’t come into town yet. Apparently they were in the middle of a move, which was fine and dandy. Paige was going to continue to ignore them. She’d be okay after a month or two of good ole Xander’s Cross TLC, and then she’d do what she did last time. Switch branches. Pass the psych test. Be on her merry way.
Last time you didn’t try and kill yourself P… Came a quiet voice. Her own voice, and she shoved it down and away from her mind. “Dunno yet. Might try navy to see how i like the sea. Practice my doggy paddle.” She smirked.
She narrowed her eyes at him as he reached for that milkshake and pulled it closer. She reached for the other one and did the same. Sucking some of the shake up from the straw as she thought about whether she wanted to tell him or not. Some of her friends new, and she was trying to be friends with Cal. Besides, she didn’t do it anymore like she used too so what did it matter. “Promise not to laugh?” She asked. Dancing was probably the most girly thing Paige had ever been into and even though it wasn’t something to laugh over, it still make her a bit conscious. You wouldn’t think dance just my looking at Paige. You would have thought track, or softball star. But ooooh no. The girl had wanted to be back up dancer or something of that sort.
She took another pull from the milkshake as a small blush appeared on her cheeks. “Dance.” She admitted softly. “But you can’t make money twirling around unless your really good, and I never competed.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Okay i told you now eat it.” She said pointing at the untouched shake with a small laugh.
Oh, if only he knew how that one word was apparently torture...he'd make it twenty times worse right now simply because he could. Because he liked toying with trouble and living dangerously.
Yet back to the more serious question, of her going back to serve. Although he kept his mouth shut, should that time ever arise where she considering it, he knew he'd have to step in. As her doctor. He spent time reading more of her file after she had left, and he couldn't be sure if it was one of the reasons why he truly agreed to join her here this evening. It was worrisome, but it wasn't uncommon, neither was she alone. His own struggles had never stemmed that far, but they could have. Of that he was certain. Paige appeared alright now, yet Cal knew better. He knew the memories and nightmares didn't simply go away overnight.
She needed help, not just drugs, but he could be that bad guy and tell her later. Not now.
'Promise not to laugh?' Uh oh, this was going to be good, wasn't it? Now he was suddenly anxious and he was trying not to let that smirk spread too much across his face already. When someone asked you that, more often than not, you were going to laugh, hands down. Cal couldn't wait to hear whatever it was. And when she finally said it, it was definitely not something he was expecting.
His brow furrowed just slightly and those ocher eyes studied her for a good, long moment. Dance. How was dancing funny? It was maybe an impossible thing to get into for making a living (unless it was on a po- oh, don't think that, Cal), but still. He regarded her quietly, ignoring her words for him to drink the milkshake. He'll get to it, but he wasn't done now. "Sooo, you're claiming you're not good at it- is that it? And, uh...what sort of dancing?" He told himself he wasn't going to ask, but he did...and with a slight waggle of his brows in soft insinuation.
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 27, 2020 13:42:29 GMT -5
Paige didn’t realize she was holding her breath, but she was while he studied her. It made her want to squirm under that ocher gaze of his. Say something, she wanted to say in that long moment of silence, but instead she pushed her milkshake back onto the table. Waiting with that baited breath to hear him laugh or….anything. She was becoming self conscious about it, and she nearly averted her eyes, but he finally spoke.
This was almost worse than having to wait, she decided, as he asked his question. Picking up on the insinuation with that slight waggle of his brows. Oh, she knew how to use a pole. In fact it was a great work out and you didn’t realize how flexible you could get, but Paige was not going to indulge Cal on that little fact and feed any fantasies that might possibly be forming in that head of his already. She pushed the empty plates away, turning to face him more. Resting her elbow on the table she rested her chin on her closed fist and narrowed her green eyes at him.
“I dance quite well thank you. I didn’t compete because I had two other sports going on at the same time.” She explained. She was not kidding when she said she was active, and constantly moving. “Wouldn’t you like to know…” She arched an eyebrow at him, a corner of her mouth curling up into a small smirk. It turned more mischievous as she stared at him and there was a glint in her eye that said she was up to something. “Mmmmm you can know which dances I do, and which I do well later.” She told him. If he really wanted to know he wouldn’t mind going out on another outing with her. “Give us something to talk about next time.” She batted those eye lashes of hers innocently at him.
She hoped there would be a next time. Aside from the hostile tension from before, she was actually rather enjoying herself, and so far nothing too touchy had come up again. Meaning there was a good chance he’d let her pester her again for another outing. Drinks was going to be one at some point, as she was determined to get him to try her favorite Irish whiskey. The dance convo could be another one as well. Hell, if he got lucky...She might even dance for him.
Easy there Anderson, don’t go doing anything you might regret later. There was a part of Paige that didn’t care. She’d sworn off serious relationships after Greg. She was only good for flings apparently, so, so what. But if Cal was to become one of her Pack she’d have to be careful. She didn’t want to ruin anything that might make him not want to be a part of a pack again. So she kept her mouth shut about a possible dance showing.
“I am curious though…” She drawed slowly. Her voice dropping low. “What sort of dance do you think I do?” She asked.
last edited Aug 27, 2020 13:43:15 GMT -5 by Paige Anderson
Look, you can't mention dancing and not expect his mind to go there, alright? It was just all too easy.
"Other sports?" Well, now he was just full of questions, wasn't he? So what, he was curious. This is what you did on a social outing, you had conversations. It was a nice reprieve after work instead of going home and sitting himself in front of the TV. Not that he actively sought for company of any kind since moving here to Xander's Cross, and that was kind of the point.
Was he breaking his own rules right now?
Lips parted in thought as tongue pressed against the back of his teeth. "Huh uh..." He pretended not to believe that she "danced quite well". Honestly, he had no opinion on the matter, because he'd never seen her dance and probably never would. 'Wouldn't you like to know...' Those brown eyes of his narrowed just slightly as a corner of his mouth curled up into a crooked grin. Don't tease this wolf, Anderson. Cal turned enough to rest his arm across the back of the booth again, leaning in a little bit closer to her. It was similar to when he had cornered her before, except this time there was no anger on his face. Oh no, it was quite the opposite. "Yes," he said so matter of fact. "I would like to know." Yet why did he get the feeling like she wasn't going to tell him?
Because it was the exact thing he would have done. She could have her innocent little secrets. He had his own.
Then she was speaking of "later" and a "next time" and he drew back a little. The mischievous curl of her own lips brought him to a soft pause, and he realized he had been looking down at her mouth for a second too long before lifting his attention back to her eyes. "That sounds like bribery," he replied in slight amusement. When he finally leaned back fully, he drew the milkshake back over to him and sought for a spoon. He was swiping a good amount of whipped cream upon the utensil when she asked him what kind of dancing he thought she did. And it actually wasn't what he had been jokingly hinting at.
"Well-" A pause, he ate the fluffy goodness from the spoon before continuing. "You could have been a ballerina, but...from what I can tell of you, it wouldn't have been chaotic or passionate enough for you." Ocher hues drifted back over to her as though he was mulling over the rest of his answer. "Maybe, like, some sort of hip-hop style?" Or what did they call that other one- contemporary?
Post by Paige Anderson on Aug 30, 2020 13:41:37 GMT -5
See? Everyone had questions about someone if you were willing to start the ball rolling, and Paige tried to keep her grin of victory off her face while she answered him. “Volleyball and soccer in the fall, Track and softball in the spring.” She explained. She was running around constantly, it was amazing she even had time for friends and getting her homework done.
Paige’s eyes narrowed slightly as he was caging her in again, but it wasn’t in a hostile way. In fact it was making her arch an eyebrow as an innocent look crossed her face as she saw that crooked grin of his. “Then you can wait.” She whispered teasingly. She wasn’t going to budge. Not one bit. He could give her that smile and bat those eyes of his at her all he wanted. She was steel. “I think it sounds like negotiation.” She said cheekily before sucking on her milkshake some more. Watching Cal lean back and finally start to eat his. A look of amusement crossed her features, and she couldn’t help but laugh as he said Ballet wasn’t passionate enough for someone like her. On the contrary you could bring someone to literal tears with good choreography with Ballet. It evoked more emotion in her opinion than the other styles. And it was secretly one of her favorites.
His other suggestion was right on the head, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Mmmmmm your in the right ballpark….sort of.” She said with a grin. “Hip-hop is definitely fun, but so are some others.” She mused. “Dance is a good way to express yourself, and there’s many genres so it all depends on what mood you're feeling that day.” She shrugged. It had given her an escape and allowed her to only focus on Paige. She didn’t have to worry about a team or anything else. It had just been her and the dance studio. Occasionally Nolan and little Norah when they would come in with their mom. A fond smile crossed her face as she remembered little Nolan declaring he was going to be the best ballet dancer known to man and he’d only been seven at the time.
Before she knew it the milkshake was gone, and she pushed it on the table before leaning back on the seat, lacing her fingers together and letting them rest on her stomach. “You got any hidden talents Cal? Can You Dance?” She asked with a sly grin. Curious to know his answer on whether or not he had two left feet.
He didn't argue it. As curious as he was, he wasn't overly pushing anything he might have been curious about because he didn't want her to turn around and bug him about things he wasn't willing to share. Cal would let her tease, for now, because he wasn't expecting much of anything after tonight. He was a loner on purpose and he was trying to keep it that way. All he had was Blake, and he was totally okay with that. Right?
Right.
"Sort of?" he echoed before he shoveled some of that milkshake into his mouth. Damn, it was good. It was already halfway melted at this point, though, not that he cared. In all honesty, he didn't know why he didn't order these more often...but certainly would in the future now. His metabolism was insane, why did he care about eating somewhat healthy? It was laughable for a wolf.
Those dark eyes squinted slightly at the sight of that wistful smile, and he wondered what she was thinking about. He could only assume it was in relation to dancing, but there was something sweet about it that he felt the slight smirk turn up his mouth in reaction to it. Then she was asking that question and he chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know..." he said, softly mocking her. He had a "hidden talent" and she wasn't allowed to know it. Cal shook his head with another huff of laughter before digging his spoon back into the milkshake. "No, I probably can't dance." And clearly the need to never really came up. Sure, your typical prom-sway was easy enough to do, but that was possibly the extent of it.