Between Tara's tantrum in the weight room and Franklin's disregard for anything in their suite that could be used as a weapon, Tara doubted they would be welcome to stay again. She considered, briefly pulling them apart and then thought better of it as she pushed off the frame to finish getting ready. More glass shattered and the walls shook and gave under the weight of whomever was thrown against it. Studying her limited wardrobe she decided on a grey hoodie and denim jeans with grey chucks to match. Before she was finished tugging her jeans on the noise from the other room quieted to random sounds that implied the storm was settling down.
Opening the door she stalled long enough to choose a safe path to the front door. She didn't acknowledge her partner or her maker on her way out. Both were bleeding and bruised with hair flying in all different and unattractive directions. They were glaring at one another before glancing at the passing figure that ducked her head like she wouldn't be noticed.
When the door closed behind her the disheveled blond entertained staying just to finish and proclaim her superiority. The line of his mouth curved in an antagonizing smirk, seconds away from wiping it off his face for good, she heard the elevator bell. And like an alarm it reminded her why she took a detour in the first place.
"Another time," she promised leaving her opponent to stare at the spot she'd been while ahe sped to catch up with Tara.
The elevator doors were closing when she stopped in the hall. Her hand reached out to stop it then the rest of her followed making it in. From her reflection she knew that all her hard work from an hour earlier was ruined cursing Franklin and his infuriating disposition.
Mourning over her diasterous outfit and her broken shoes Pam briefly glanced at a short, frail looking old woman. Their eyes met and the older pair widened getting a good look at the blond passenger.
"Dear," her voice trembled. "You dress like that you're asking for trouble."
Tara, who had been successfully silent, snorted to swallow the laughter threatening to erupt. Turning her head away she pretended to be plagued by a fit of coughs when she became the target of their focus.
Pam's fist unclenched when the doors slid open and the older woman took her time getting out on the first floor. She stopped and turned aa fast as her body would allow, "there's no shame in finding a profession that lets you shoulder self respect, getting by on just a pretty face won't get you far on your back dear."
Tara grabbed Pam's wrist mere seconds before she could grab the old lady and shorten her life span. With her free hand the dark vampire pressed a random number on the pad to get as far away from more of the strangers sage advice. Finally free to laugh Tara, held up mostly by the elevator wall, doubled over. Ignoring Pam's unamused glare the blond unwittingly fed the hilarity with threats to senile hags.
"I'm glad your amused," the blond stated dryly. "She called me a hooka," she said as if Tara hadn't been the only other passenger to hear.
Tara settled down enough to manage, "she was close," bringing Pam's former and relevant profession to light.
"Was as in not any more. I don't live in the past tense." When her progeny thought she was finished she continued. "This is why old people should be rounded up and left on an island to eat each other. They're are depressing, they smell, and they can't see."
Tara countered, "I don't know Pam did you see the size of those glasses. I'd be surprised if NASA didn't sign off on the prescription. "
"To think," Pam joined in, "aliens discovered and confirmed by a little old lady who just needs to look out her window."
"To think," Tara and Pam lost themselves in an easy smile.
Twice the elevator doors opened before they exited the lobby lost in their own thoughts. Separating with a strained glance Tara went outside to wait on the valet to pull her car around. Pam looking more than a little worse for wear stopped at the entrance of the dining area. From her vantage point she saw Tara's human waiting for her with impatient glances at her watch most likely to confirm how late Pam was.
The vampire stepped away and changed course to the outside where Tara was walking around her sedan that just pulled up. Pam didn't know what had gotten into her. She'd made a clear and concise plan with an endgame she preferred. Why was she deviating? With a hand on the passenger side handle she let the question float and evaporate replaced by a question she did voice, "can I come?"
Admittedly she sounded like a tag along and it burned her ears to hear the words as soon a they came out, but she said them. Indecision answered her and just when Tara's maker was going to invite herself along anyway her progeny shrugged. It was as good of answer as she was going to get resembling a 'yes'.
There was very little to say to Pam. And since the blond invited herself along Tara conceded it was only. Fair for the blond to end the uncomfortable silence between them. Tara answered texts while manueeing the city streets as Pam opened her mouth to speak and failing to let anything out on each attempt.
"You're partner has got a very protective right hook."
Rubbing her top lip while her elbow rested on the window the younger vampire smirked, "he does doesn't he."
"It's good to have someone like that around," they traded looks, " that has your back not the other annoying things," the blond clarified.
"He's my brotha from another motha," Tara traces the corner of her mouth that rises.
The blond looked at Tara's phone lighting the inside of the car with an unwelcoming light. Brown eyes flicked toward the number then turned the device on its face.
"Don't avoid your calls on my account."
"I don't want you to have an excuse not to finish what you have to say," Tara shared.
What were her expectations when she got in the car? She probably should have figured those out in the same moment she decided to go for plan C. Hell, she didn't even know a plan C existed when it came to her suddenly following Tara out to her car.
" You don't expect me to talk about feelings do you?"
Tara shrugged, she wasn't opposed to it nor was she invested in it either. It would be an out of character step for Pam and Tara wasn't foolish anymore to expect a grand gesture from her maker and former lover.
"Where are we going anyway?" Pam deflected.
Tara wasn't meeting Maryanne tonight and they parked at a well lit stand where humans were grabbing their orders from a open window. Pam's nose furrowed. She hated the smell of hotdogs. And the stench greasy humans didn't make it any better.
"Want anything?" Tara asked before she left the car.
Pam answered her with a dead stare. Following the younger vampires process to the ordering window. She came back with human food and put on the pretense that they were human bringing it back to the car like they were going to eat.
"Have you forgotten everything I taught you about fine dining?"
Tara smirked, "see that building behind us?"
Pam fixed her gaze on the reflection in the rearview mirror. It was a laundrymat nothing extraordinary about the halogen lights or the pastel green walls. "What about it?"
"It's one of the reasons I'm fucking the human. It's operated by a vampire who works for a human who happens to be my human's ex husband."
"That's a full mouth and a soap opera for you," Blue eyes flicked to brown, "you've still lost me however."
"You'll catch up soon enough."
Tara started the car and threw it in reverse without warning. She'd been waiting on a particularly slow smoker to finish their cigarette. When the human jogged across the street during her explanation she acted. The back of the car smashed into the glass and hit the waahing machines denting the back and startling both passengers still.
"What the fuck?" Pam half screamed and half croaked.
Franklin's driving definitely rubbed off on her progeny.