A/N Okay I split Chapter 3 into two parts, the race scene and the scene at Charlie's loft cause I thought it would be too long. So this is the continuation of "Any Way You Can." It's going to be a fairly short installment. FYI, I'm gonna be rerating the series as an R soon when I get deeper into Cash and Charlie's relationship so be on your gaurd! Toodles. Enjoy. And R&R please!
Diclaimer: I own nothing. Actually the Gangrel mechanic, Abe is an original character but he's in so little of the story that I really don't care who steals him from me.
Chapter 3 Continued
Before long they arrived at the alley next to Charlie's studio. She got off the bike and pulled out her keys. She paused and turned back to Cash. "Would you like to come in? I don't have much in the way of food or drink but I could offer you coffee."
"I'd like that." Cash replied with a charming smile. After squareing away his bike, he followed his companion into her hom. The lower level of the building had at one point been a warehouse but had been sectioned off and renovated to accomodate the art gallery. Cash followed Charlie to the upper level which held the loft where she lived. It was furnished in a kind of pop art shabby chic style. It struck Cash that Charlie must have a thing about fire because she had painted the walls with the same kind of flames that decorated her Harley. And to top it off there were an abundance of fire extinguishers of every size positioned strategically around every room in the loft.
"Mi casa est su casa. Make yourself at home." Charlie proclaimed entering the area that had been sectioned off to serve as the kitchen.
"If I could use your phone, I could call my friend about your bike." he told her.
"It's on the table next to you." She said handing him the coffee. " I'm going to change really quick. I'll be right back." she muttered before disappearing into the bedroom.
Cash picked up the phome that was shaped like a huge pair of lips and dialed his friend's number.
"Hello?" came the voice from the other end.
"Abe? It's Cash. I need to call in one of the favors you owe me."
"Cash! Where the hell are you? Lorraina said you went off racing with some chic, man. The whole clan is buzzing about you and some hot little redhead."
"Yeah, man, I'm kinda at her place right now. Listen, you know that place down by the Bay, under the bridge, by the docks?"
"Sure."
"There's a bike down there that's got a flat. I need you to repair it."
"When do you need it by?" Abe asked.
"At the latest tomorrow night." Cash answered expectantly.
"Oh, Man! How the hell am I supposed to get it back to ya by then when I'm swamped?" Abe whined.
"I have faith in you, man. you'll think of something." Cash replied
"Wait a minute. Is This for that chic?" Abe's tomne went quickly from outrage to teasing suspicion.
Cash graoned. He'd have to tell Abe if he was going to make good on his promise to Charlie. He knew that if his clan mate found out that he'd been invited up to Charlie's loft, the whole of Gangrel Clan would know by morning. The Gangrel Primogen had no other option than to surrender quickly. " Yeah. We were racing and her bike got trashed. I'm at her place now."
"Wow, man. Didn't Sasha just break up with you agin? Lor is gonna freak when she hears this."
"Yeah, yeah, but can you fix the bike?" Cash repeated, annoyed.
"Sure,man. But you've gotta give me all the dirty details when you come to pick up the bike."
"Sure thing. But there's nothing to tell, I assure you. I just came to drop her off."
"Uh huh. Sure bud. Whatever you say. Catch you later."
"Bye, Abe. Thanks again," Cash said. He hung up just as Charlie emerged from her Bedroom wearing a t-shirt and sweat-pants in place of ther leather ensemble.
"Was that your friend?" she asked, plopping down on the overstuffed couch with her own cup of coffee.
"Yep. He said he'd do it. I can pick up the bike tomorrow. Cash answered with a smile. Again he noticed her flame tattoo peaking out over the scoop neck collar of her t-shirt. "So what is this affinity you have for fire?"
Charlie looked down to the spot on her chest he pointed to. Then, her eyes followed his finger as he pointed to various flame oriented objects around the room. She shrugged. "Call them my security blankies."
"Seems like an odd concept for a security blankie." Cash commented.
"Hey, everybody's got their own thing. Mine just happens to be fire."
"Well, I don't have a thing." Cash stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, come on! You've got a thing." Charlie laughed.
"No. No. I don't have a thing." he laughed back.
She punched him playfully. "I know you've got a thing. Everybody does. Come on, tell me!"
Cash grabbed her arms and they fell to the floor. The two wrestled around and failed to notice the coffee they had spilled all over the hard wood floor. They rolled around on the for for a long while before stopping. They ended up with Cash pinning Charlie down. "Do YOU give up?" He asked smiling.
Suddenly she pushed him off. When he saw the troubled look on her face, Cash got frustrated. " You know, maybe its just me. But I'm getting mixed signals here and I have no idea why."
Charlie reguarded him apologetically. "I know. It's just that I...."
"You what?" Cash asked when she failed to finish her sentence.
"I like you." By the look on her face, he would've thought it was the end of the world.
"Yeah, and I like you. So what's the problem?"
"I can't let things go too far. Pretty soon we'd REALLY srtart to like each other. Then, I'd have to break it off and one or bothe of us would probably get hurt, and-"
Cash cut her off. "Wait a minute! You're babbling." He tried to calm Charlie down. "You've thought this thing out way too much and you're getting yourself all worked up. Why don't you just take a deep breath and calm down?"
Charlie smiled at his compassion. "Okay."
"Okay." Cash nodded. "Now, why don't we talk about this? First of all, we just met. So there's no need to be thinking about anything but what's going on right now. Second, I don't see any reason to break anything off before we see what we have. And last, if we do find out there's something between us, why would you 'have' to break it off?"
Charlie sighed, "I guess you're right... About us having just met and all. I would like to see where this goes."
"Good. Then, that's settled." Cash concluded.
Charlie shook her head. "But there are things you don't know about me."
Cash smiled again. "So, Ill find out. That' what dating's all about, getting to know each other. I mean there are things you don't know about me either."
"So that means you still want to see me again, even though I've been acting kinda strange?" Charlie smiled back.
"Yeah, I guess it does." He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her.
She stopped him by holding her index finger up to his lips. "In that case, Romeo, when do you get off work next?"
"I get off every day pretty much from dawn til dusk. Other than that, I don't really know. I'd have to ask Julian." Cash said.
"Well how about you and I go to the Carnival at the end of this month. It'll be during the day. So, your boss won't mind." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Cash hesitated. "I don't know. A carnival?"
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. When was the last time you actually did something fun?"
"A while ago when we were racing." He replied.
"I mean before that. You know, like childish, immature, all around, scream your head off fun. " she said, squezzing him.
Cash thought a moment before replying, "I give up! I can't remember the last time I had that kind of fun."
"All the more reason for us to go to the Carnival. But first, I'd like you to come in tomorrow after closing."
"And why is that?"
Charlie gave him a proud look. "I'm gonna show you my passion."
Cash laughed at the double entendre. "Oh, really?"
She punched him in th earm again. " I meant my art, silly. I want to show you some of my work and my studio."
"Fine. I'll come by sometime before dusk. I have to work after sun down."
"Great! I'll see you then. For now I have to get my beauty rest." Charlie gently pushed him toward the door. "I'm sure you can find your way out."
When Cash's back hit the door to the loft, he held out a hand to stop her advance. "Wait! Don't I even get a goodnight kiss?"
She looked at her watch. "Technically, it's morning."
He grinned. "Then, how about a morning goodbye kiss?"
Her answer was a deep, passionate kiss that sent flames up cash's cheeks, shivers down his spine and left him weak in the knees. Then, she unceremoniously shoved him out the door.
Diclaimer: I own nothing. Actually the Gangrel mechanic, Abe is an original character but he's in so little of the story that I really don't care who steals him from me.
Chapter 3 Continued
Before long they arrived at the alley next to Charlie's studio. She got off the bike and pulled out her keys. She paused and turned back to Cash. "Would you like to come in? I don't have much in the way of food or drink but I could offer you coffee."
"I'd like that." Cash replied with a charming smile. After squareing away his bike, he followed his companion into her hom. The lower level of the building had at one point been a warehouse but had been sectioned off and renovated to accomodate the art gallery. Cash followed Charlie to the upper level which held the loft where she lived. It was furnished in a kind of pop art shabby chic style. It struck Cash that Charlie must have a thing about fire because she had painted the walls with the same kind of flames that decorated her Harley. And to top it off there were an abundance of fire extinguishers of every size positioned strategically around every room in the loft.
"Mi casa est su casa. Make yourself at home." Charlie proclaimed entering the area that had been sectioned off to serve as the kitchen.
"If I could use your phone, I could call my friend about your bike." he told her.
"It's on the table next to you." She said handing him the coffee. " I'm going to change really quick. I'll be right back." she muttered before disappearing into the bedroom.
Cash picked up the phome that was shaped like a huge pair of lips and dialed his friend's number.
"Hello?" came the voice from the other end.
"Abe? It's Cash. I need to call in one of the favors you owe me."
"Cash! Where the hell are you? Lorraina said you went off racing with some chic, man. The whole clan is buzzing about you and some hot little redhead."
"Yeah, man, I'm kinda at her place right now. Listen, you know that place down by the Bay, under the bridge, by the docks?"
"Sure."
"There's a bike down there that's got a flat. I need you to repair it."
"When do you need it by?" Abe asked.
"At the latest tomorrow night." Cash answered expectantly.
"Oh, Man! How the hell am I supposed to get it back to ya by then when I'm swamped?" Abe whined.
"I have faith in you, man. you'll think of something." Cash replied
"Wait a minute. Is This for that chic?" Abe's tomne went quickly from outrage to teasing suspicion.
Cash graoned. He'd have to tell Abe if he was going to make good on his promise to Charlie. He knew that if his clan mate found out that he'd been invited up to Charlie's loft, the whole of Gangrel Clan would know by morning. The Gangrel Primogen had no other option than to surrender quickly. " Yeah. We were racing and her bike got trashed. I'm at her place now."
"Wow, man. Didn't Sasha just break up with you agin? Lor is gonna freak when she hears this."
"Yeah, yeah, but can you fix the bike?" Cash repeated, annoyed.
"Sure,man. But you've gotta give me all the dirty details when you come to pick up the bike."
"Sure thing. But there's nothing to tell, I assure you. I just came to drop her off."
"Uh huh. Sure bud. Whatever you say. Catch you later."
"Bye, Abe. Thanks again," Cash said. He hung up just as Charlie emerged from her Bedroom wearing a t-shirt and sweat-pants in place of ther leather ensemble.
"Was that your friend?" she asked, plopping down on the overstuffed couch with her own cup of coffee.
"Yep. He said he'd do it. I can pick up the bike tomorrow. Cash answered with a smile. Again he noticed her flame tattoo peaking out over the scoop neck collar of her t-shirt. "So what is this affinity you have for fire?"
Charlie looked down to the spot on her chest he pointed to. Then, her eyes followed his finger as he pointed to various flame oriented objects around the room. She shrugged. "Call them my security blankies."
"Seems like an odd concept for a security blankie." Cash commented.
"Hey, everybody's got their own thing. Mine just happens to be fire."
"Well, I don't have a thing." Cash stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, come on! You've got a thing." Charlie laughed.
"No. No. I don't have a thing." he laughed back.
She punched him playfully. "I know you've got a thing. Everybody does. Come on, tell me!"
Cash grabbed her arms and they fell to the floor. The two wrestled around and failed to notice the coffee they had spilled all over the hard wood floor. They rolled around on the for for a long while before stopping. They ended up with Cash pinning Charlie down. "Do YOU give up?" He asked smiling.
Suddenly she pushed him off. When he saw the troubled look on her face, Cash got frustrated. " You know, maybe its just me. But I'm getting mixed signals here and I have no idea why."
Charlie reguarded him apologetically. "I know. It's just that I...."
"You what?" Cash asked when she failed to finish her sentence.
"I like you." By the look on her face, he would've thought it was the end of the world.
"Yeah, and I like you. So what's the problem?"
"I can't let things go too far. Pretty soon we'd REALLY srtart to like each other. Then, I'd have to break it off and one or bothe of us would probably get hurt, and-"
Cash cut her off. "Wait a minute! You're babbling." He tried to calm Charlie down. "You've thought this thing out way too much and you're getting yourself all worked up. Why don't you just take a deep breath and calm down?"
Charlie smiled at his compassion. "Okay."
"Okay." Cash nodded. "Now, why don't we talk about this? First of all, we just met. So there's no need to be thinking about anything but what's going on right now. Second, I don't see any reason to break anything off before we see what we have. And last, if we do find out there's something between us, why would you 'have' to break it off?"
Charlie sighed, "I guess you're right... About us having just met and all. I would like to see where this goes."
"Good. Then, that's settled." Cash concluded.
Charlie shook her head. "But there are things you don't know about me."
Cash smiled again. "So, Ill find out. That' what dating's all about, getting to know each other. I mean there are things you don't know about me either."
"So that means you still want to see me again, even though I've been acting kinda strange?" Charlie smiled back.
"Yeah, I guess it does." He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her.
She stopped him by holding her index finger up to his lips. "In that case, Romeo, when do you get off work next?"
"I get off every day pretty much from dawn til dusk. Other than that, I don't really know. I'd have to ask Julian." Cash said.
"Well how about you and I go to the Carnival at the end of this month. It'll be during the day. So, your boss won't mind." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Cash hesitated. "I don't know. A carnival?"
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. When was the last time you actually did something fun?"
"A while ago when we were racing." He replied.
"I mean before that. You know, like childish, immature, all around, scream your head off fun. " she said, squezzing him.
Cash thought a moment before replying, "I give up! I can't remember the last time I had that kind of fun."
"All the more reason for us to go to the Carnival. But first, I'd like you to come in tomorrow after closing."
"And why is that?"
Charlie gave him a proud look. "I'm gonna show you my passion."
Cash laughed at the double entendre. "Oh, really?"
She punched him in th earm again. " I meant my art, silly. I want to show you some of my work and my studio."
"Fine. I'll come by sometime before dusk. I have to work after sun down."
"Great! I'll see you then. For now I have to get my beauty rest." Charlie gently pushed him toward the door. "I'm sure you can find your way out."
When Cash's back hit the door to the loft, he held out a hand to stop her advance. "Wait! Don't I even get a goodnight kiss?"
She looked at her watch. "Technically, it's morning."
He grinned. "Then, how about a morning goodbye kiss?"
Her answer was a deep, passionate kiss that sent flames up cash's cheeks, shivers down his spine and left him weak in the knees. Then, she unceremoniously shoved him out the door.