Celina took a little less time getting ready for her date: after all, half of her outfit was spoken for, and the other half Tracy chose. In fact, Celina's best friend dragged her into her room, kicking pieces of her new (re: thrift store) drum kit out of the path of her closet, which burst with color like a mermaid's trunk. Shoving aside long skirts, shimmery tops, and ruffly things, Tracy found what she was searching for with a victorious cry.
"I don't know," said Celina dubiously. "It's a little...much. Or rather, a little too little, you know."
Frowning, Tracy replaced the blouse and withdrew another one. "This one," she said sagely. "Will have him eating out of your hand."
"I don't know if I want him eating out of my hand," said Celina, holding the blouse Tracy offered like it was poisonous.
"Ditto," grumbled Henry, walking past their door with his violin in hand. "You're gonna miss practice, you know."
Celina winced guiltily. "I know. I'm sorry."
Henry grunted ominously, face red with displeasure, and continued on his way.
Tracy put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't let him get you down," she said kindly. "He's just nervous about that gig at the Fourleaf this weekend." The Fourleaf was an Irish pub in downtown Portland, and one of Galatia's best-paying recurring shows.
"But he's right," sighed Celina. "I can't start putting Eddie before my responsibilities. We built this house, and this band, on being true to each other."
"Don't make a mountain out of a molehill," consoled Tracy. "Who's to say you won't practice when you get back? I'll do it with you: I need work gettin' that riff right on 'The Well Below the Valley'."
Celina smiled at her friend gratefully and said teasingly, "I suppose you have ideas as to what makeup I should wear, too?"
"Of course," replied the skinny percussionist airily, steering her to the bathroom. "You're like my personal Barbie. And you saw the photos of my eighth birthday, you know what I put those things through in my younger days."
"What has been seen," intoned Celina dreadfully. "Cannot be unseen..."
Eddie was feeling like he'd shotgunned a case of Red Bull and chased it with espresso. His palms were sweating, his heart was racing, and the leg that wasn't occupied with driving could not stop bouncing. Sure, he was dead excited about this date, which he'd spent the better part of the morning arranging, but what this date signified was pretty steep.
"Chill out, man," he chided himself. "This is a totally natural continuation." Eddie's gut was telling him he needed to define his and Celina's relationship better than with just a kiss. He had demonstrated he wanted her: now it was up to him to show her how long he wanted her. He wasn't content with going out for a season and then parting ways. Not by a long shot.
So really, he thought optimistically. By having my mind made up, half the battle is won.
Claim, whispered his wolf in agreement.
As he rolled up to a stop sign, he felt the wolf start to surface strongly. "Oh, no, you are not starting now," he muttered into the rearview mirror, where his eyes were blazing red. He willed the color away, but the beast was right: he needed Celina. He only hoped she would feel the same, or at least, would be brave enough to tell him otherwise.
Could his heart take it if she said no to going long-term? Like every other man in the world, he reasoned critically. I'll have to get over it. Eddie sighed, scrubbed his face wearily, and looked around to see if it was clear to turn. Wait, is that...?
Celina stood on the dirt corner of the street, looking like a wayward bohemian child waiting for the bus, and waved at him when he looked her way. Eddie scooted past the stop sign and leaned over to open the door for her. "Why are you - ?"
"Two words," she said tightly, climbing into the passenger seat and belting in. "Stupid brother."
Eddie winced as he pulled away from the curb. "Am I...getting between you and Henry?"
Celina shook her head. "No. He's just being a jerk about it, that's all. Guilting me." She forcibly uncrossed her arms, untensed her shoulders, and relaxed her expression. "Don't worry. It's not a problem."
Even though the initial pretense was uncomfortable, Eddie felt better now that she was there. He nodded, feeling his own tension leaving. "That's good. I don't want to cause trouble." But I will eat Henry if I have to, growled the wolf from its corner with quiet menace.
"I would've picked you up," he said.
"I know. But it's a minefield over there today, what with the Fourleaf gig in a few days." She brightened a bit at mention of the performance. "You should totally come see us play."
"Wouldn't miss it," he assured.
"How was work yesterday?" she asked, orchestrating a change of subject.
"Good," he replied. "Engrossing. Grandfather clocks from that era rank high on my list."
Celina giggled. "How many guys have a list of their favorite clocks? How many?"
"Yeah, yeah, you've got a real special guy," he said sarcastically, but reveling in her praise.
She poked him in the arm affectionately. "Dang skippy."
The road wrapped around the hills, and the VW wrapped around the road. In the intoxicating sunshine, the asphalt glittered like the stairway to heaven, the flecks of quartz within it sparkling and the painted lines catching the angle of the light in order to blaze like fire. They threaded the shadows of the tall conifers like dolphins through the ocean.
Blissful, open road. A sweet-smelling and wonderful woman beside him. The blutbad found himself lulled, content, wishing he could capture this moment. Eddie settled on capturing her fingers and lifting them to his lips in lieu of kissing her fully. If only the car could drive itself, he'd be encoring their parking lot performance.
In turn, she twisted their hands and brought his to her cheek, giving a slight purring sound that, figuratively and literally, made his ears prick. Receptive female, his wolf practically groaned.
"Need your hand back?"
"Nope, it's happy where it is," he replied, slightly hoarse.
"Excellent," she cheered, threading their fingers on her leg. "I've been meaning to ask you: does clockwork make for a decent living?"
"Yeah, actually. You wouldn't think so, but if you take into account I'm the only one in a 300-mile radius who does this sort of thing, I get a lot of business."
"The level of detail it requires would probably baffle me. I'm a broad strokes kinda girl."
"You know, I still don't know what you do for a living," griped Eddie petulantly.
"Maybe I just like watching you squirm," Celina opined loftily, looking at him sideways.
He eyed her, cocking one brow. "Someone's feisty today."
"Hmm, try every day. You just figured it out today."
He snickered. "Come on, gimme one more hint?"
"Alright, one more hint," she said longsufferingly. "It has something to do with outerwear."
"Seamstress?" he guessed. "Model? Model!"
"Nope," she said cheerfully. "And hardly, but you get brownie points for it. I like to eat. A lot."
He furrowed his brow contemplatively. "Maybe a fashion designer?"
"Getting warm," she sing-songed.
"Maybe..."
"Simmer on it," she said, smirking.
"You are evil."
Her fingers tightened on his. "Not really. My halo's just crooked."
"Oh, and before I forget..." He reached between the seats and pulled out a strip of cloth, draping it over her lap.
"This looks suspiciously like a necktie," she said.
"Could you put it over your eyes? Otherwise, you'll be able to guess."
She grinned at him cheekily. "You're a kinky fella, aren'tcha?"
He grinned back wolfishly. "You know it."
This sent her into a fit of laughter and furious blushing.
"Seriously, now's a good time to put it on."
"You mean the necktie?"
"Yes, the necktie, you dork."
She grinned at getting a rise out of him and tied the blindfold over her eyes. "It's hardly needed: I have no earthly clue where we are."
"That's good."
"Is this the part where you drag me to your secret cabin the woods, nick my hamstrings, and give me a ten-minute headstart before hunting me down?"
The look he shot her was lost, but she must have sensed it, for she grinned cheekily. "Well, since you went to the trouble of constructing such a detailed model..."
"Oh, you! So where's this mystery date? Pretty please?"
"Ah," he said conspiratorially. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."
Just so you know, 'The Well Below the Valley' is a great song. Search it in youtube, and put Magdalene Sisters on the end, so you get the right one. :)
Picture time! Just take out the spaces and put in the appropriate symbols for the words. This is what I envision Celina's hair turning out to be like, when she goes bottechat. Note the cat on the right: the dark orange is Celina's original color, the lighter orange is what the bottechat throws in.
http:SLASH SLASH chestofbooks DOT com/animals/cats/Book/images/Brown-Tabby-And-Orange-Tabby-Short-Haired-Cats DOT jpg
Also, this is a good pic of what Celina's eyes look like. But green.
http: SLASH SLASH flickrfanstan DOT files DOT ?w=500&h=334