Author's Note: Sorry about the first couple of chapters, it's been a slow start. I just really wanted people who have never been to Toronto or any of the places to be able to visualize it. THe last chapter also emphasized Gar and Raven's loneliness. I had an alternate chapter 2 but I'll post that when I'm done.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans orthe ROM.
Chapter 3 - First Impressions
Click, Click, click. The fast-paced clicking of Raven's heels against concrete could be heard throughout the museum. Workers were busy putting together display cases in Crystal Court. Raven had run through with her assistant, Kori, where the cases should be and was now hurrying back to her office for her meeting.
Raven wore a black pencil skirt that stopped right above her knees. Her top, a blood red, was silk and hung loosely around her shoulders, she left the top three buttons open for ventilation. It also gave everyone an eyeful of cleavage that Raven could care less about. He wore her no-nonsense black pointed boots with the killer 2 ½ inch heels. Her long hair held together by two chopsticks in a messy bun, to strands of hair framing her face.
Earlier, a worker had wolf whistled at her. A big mistake. Raven quickly spun on her heel and after giving the fat balding man an earful, fired him right on the spot and walked away.
Raven stood outside her office door, decided to button up a button on her blouse and straightened her hair. She took two deep breaths and opened the door. She found three men in her office. The first person she noticed was Dick Grayson, that scumbag. He had his hair slicked back as usual. He wore his black suit and sunglasses; he was sitting in the guest chair in front of her desk and beamed at her. Raven merely raised a freshly tweezed eyebrow at him and turned her attention to the other man, sitting in the guest chair.
He has a big black man who stood as she entered. He was bald and wore a friendly smile as well as jeans and a blue button up polo. She gave him a friendly smile back before turning to the last man.
He was leaning against the window, one elbow propped up on the sill, his other hand holding the opposite arm. He had messy brown hair and wore a casual dark grey ribbed turtle neck underneath a black suit. His legs were crossed in a way that said he was comfortable, his head turned to look at the falling snow outside. It seemed as if he didn't even notice someone had come in.
Raven cleared her throat and walked towards the tall black man and took his hand, "Hello, I'm Raven Roth curator of the Renaissance ROM. Victor Stone I presume."
"Yes I am, very nice to meet your acquaintance Miss Roth." He smiled warmly at her.
"Please, call me Raven." She turned to Dick, "Hello Dick." The coldness in her voice caught the third man's attention as he turned his head to watch.
Dick smiled warmly and took her in an embrace, "Long time to see Raven. How long has it been?" She pulled away before murmuring a faint, "Not long enough."
She turned to the last man and stuck out her hand, "Raven Roth."
He took it and smiled at her. His beautiful green eyes piercing into hers, she was taken aback by it. "Gar, Garfield Logan" They both stood there, holding each other's hand's for a moment longer before Raven cleared her throat and let go. She made her way to her desk and pressed a button on her intercom.
"Kor, could you send Ji-Jennifer Hagge in please," she then turned to her visitors, "I'm just calling in our local Head of Security here at the ROM. She knows more about this stuff than I do." That was it? That was your dumb lame attempt at humour? She knows more about this stuff? Raven smiled at Victor, trying to avoid Gar's piercing gaze and avoid Dick all together.
Gar watched her from the window sill. My Lord, the rumours were true, she is beautiful. He looked at her and took it all in, her eyes, her mouth, the way her voice sounded, the way she moved, even how she smelled when she brushed past him.
Suddenly the door swung open and a small woman entered and marched right up to Raven's desk. She was chewing gum and popping it and wearing overalls with one side hanging open. Her hair was tied back into two pig tails at the back of her head, her hair was platinum blonde with pink streaks. Her mannerisms, just like her entry, were brash get to the point. She had very little class, that she showed, and emanated an aura of a this-is-me-deal-with-it attitude. Victor's jaw dropped as she walked pass him, even with her rough & tough exterior she was still pretty.
She slammed her palms face down on Raven's mahogany desk, "You called boss."
"Yes, Jinx. These men are here for the exhibit. They are the key sponsors," said Raven waving an arm towards Dick and Gar, "And this gentleman is Victor Stone, the hea-"
Jinx quickly turned around, one hand on her hip the other still on the desk and faced Vic, "So you're the hot shot security man huh?"
Vic gulped visibly and nodded. She chuckled and stuck her hand out, "Hey, I'm Jennifer Hagge," she winked at him, "call me Jinx." He took her hand in a slow hand shake before she turned around to face Gar and Dick.
"Heya fellas. Jenn Hagge at your service." She did an exaggerated bow that had Gar laughing and Raven massaging her temples embarrassedly.
Gar raised a hand in a fixed wave, "Gar Logan."
Dick on the other hand, offended by her rude nature simply threw out his name impassively, "Richard Grayson." Jinx turned back to Raven and mocked him silently which made Raven have to stifle a laugh.
"Okay, lady and gentlemen. Let's do a walkthrough of the wing with Jinx here as our guide shall we?" Raven stood and everyone followed suit. Jinx headed out first followed closely by Victor. Dick followed, not even bothering to hold the door open for Raven. Just before the door closed, Gar caught it and held it open for her. He smiled his boyish smile as she nodded her head in a silent thank you.
"The skin of the structure is 75 aluminium and 25 glass," Jinx motioned towards the ceilings, "and of course all the glass if reinforced with the latest in smart glass technology." Dick and Victor nodded their heads, impressed. Victor was walking beside her, seriously taking in all she was saying, holding his palm pilot, furiously taking down notes. Dick on the other hand simply lagged on behind them, not at all interested. Raven and Gar held up the rear, walking side by side. Gar stealing glances at her once in a while.
The modern halls of the wing were lit up with bright white light. From within, you could really see the odd structure which made the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal unique. None of the walls met at right angles, everything was distorted. The walls and floor were all concrete save for the passages in the Spirit Room which were steel mesh.
"This is the spirit room," Jinx led them into a small room that continued on vertically. The entire room was lit up by very bright white lights. Two bridges crossed at the middle in an X shape. "This room continues through the whole structure and connects the wings of the museum." Everyone looked up to see the room continue, the found themselves staring at other cross section bridges above them. Below was another set of cross bridges and below that the ground floor.
Jinx turned around, faced everyone and announced and a mocking tour guide voice, "And thus concludes or security tour of the ROM. Please collect your valuables at the grand floor. Hope you had an enjoyable stay and don't let the front door hit ya where the good Lord split ya." Gar and Vic laughed while Raven scowled and Dick simply acted as if he didn't hear.
Vic cleared his throat, "Okay, what about personnel? How many are there? And have they been checked out?"
"We'll if you'd follow me to my office I can show ya. Hey Raven, you can take over from here. You wouldn't wanna follow; we'll be discussing techie nerd security stuff." And with that Jinx and Victor disappeared through the threshold leaving Raven with Dick and Gar.
Just then, Gar's phone began to ring. His ring tone a familiar Goldberg Variations 25 by Bach. Raven raised he eyebrow impressed.
"Excuse me, I have to take this call," he said, apologetic, before leaving the Spirit Room.
Dick smirked and leaned an arm against the railing of the bridge. I hope you fall, thought Raven.
"So babe, here we are. How are you?"
"Better than ever," she was just about to walk away when she felt his arm around her waist. She tried to wiggle away but he was too strong.
"Nuh uh. You aren't going any where. Not unless you tell me that our break up was a mistake and that you'll take me back. Come on Raven, I know you're lonely," He leaned his face in for a kiss and whispered, "I can see it in your eyes, you want me."
Suddenly, Raven smirked then dug her heel into his toe forcing him to let her go. He limped around in circles trying to walk off the pain throbbing in his big toe.
"Listen, Dick, we are through. This is strictly business. I appreciate your donation and the museum thanks you. But if you think for one second that bringing this exhibit here is going to buy my affection back, you can think again." She spun on her heel, her voice laced with venom, and walked out of the Spirit Room. She was so blinded by her anger that she didn't see Gar walking down the hall way and slammed right into him.
He caught her, one arm around her waist, his other hand holding her forearm. She looked up at his gorgeous green eyes and blushed furiously.
"Uh, excuse me. I'm so sorry Mr. Logan, I-" she pulled away and began dust herself off, turning away so that he wouldn't see her face had gone a beet red.
"It's fine, and, please, call me Gar." She turned around to find him smiling at her with that boyish smile of his; she almost melted on the spot. Get yourself together Raven, he's a sponsor.
"Well, Gar, I really am very sorry I should have been looki-" He interrupted her again.
"I already said, its okay," he kept smiling at her, watching her fumble for apologies. She's probably nervous about bumping into a key sponsor, he thought.
"Tell you what," he began, leaning into her face, "You can make it up to me by joining me for lunch. How's that sound? If we're lucky we can still catch brunch."
Raven was about to refuse with an excuse about her having so much work, despite what her mind kept telling her, when she heard Dick walking up behind her. She smiled up at Gar and touched his arm gingerly, "I'd love to."
A/N: Hehe, this will also be a slightly Robin bashing, CyxJinx fic.