Missing You

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel smiled as he touched his hand. Rachel was enamored by him now and feeling more than glad to see him. She leaned forward a little to turn the touch into held hands and if it allowed him a better view of her cleavage, than so be it.

”Same old stuff - different day,” she laughed, squeezing his hand and letting go slowly with reluctance. She took her glass and clinked it with his before taking a sip and then catching him up in things since the wedding. It wasn’t mostly professors handing her more large tomes to read for her thesis and the constant pressure to keep working on it. She could bore him with psychological theory, but decided not to. He wouldn’t find it interesting. ”Oh and I’m thinking about getting my own place. Just seems like a good time.”

It really was. Now that Emily and Jared were married, she felt like it was time for her to step out. Also she was old enough to get some independence from her sisters now. Em would probably resist at first but would give in with time.

The waitress arrived with their food and Rachel first took a bite of the seafood salad and then tried a bite of her steak. It was perfect. ”This is amazing! Thanks for the recommendation!” she gave him a smile. ”And I’ve monopolized the entire conversation. How rude of me! What’s new in the life of Cruz Vega.”

((Ooc: same - don’t need to go into detail and she also hasn’t noticed the little spies nearby :-D))

[Cruz]

Their meal was delicious and it was hard not to just let Rachel ramble on about things while eating. He liked listening to her talk. But she did ask about him, and he wasn't sure exactly what to tell her.

"Schools been annoying this semester. Easy. Gets in the way. But Sage is making super progress on the research project he's helping me with." It wasn't work he could do, and he told the teacher that. Part of his job in R&D and VP of it at Jivana was knowing to delegate. The paper was going to be his, he didn't have to do ALL the research. And Sage was in love with information.

"My roommates have taken me out and about. Took them to Manifesto once. That was fun." It was. But it also started a downward spiral after finding out about the origins of the coin. The coin had a permanent home in his pocket these days. He wasn't sure what to make of it. And he definitely wasn't going to talk about it. But carrying it out on a date he hoped to have some naked time probably wasn't the best idea to keep it his coat pocket. But you live and learn.

The conversation was easy. They flirted and played footsie under the table, touched and held hands. It was all leading to the right places until Cruz looked over to the bar and saw two pretty little flowers sitting and sipping at a drink each. Cam caught his glance and waved her fingers at him with a seductive and evil little smile. FUCK!

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel listened, and she could understand school being a pain. She liked school and found it a pain right now. Work life balance was important. Nobody told graduate programs that. Having Simeon to help you would be nice too. Rachel didn’t really know Sage though. Rachel thought he was some sort of computer guru.

”Manifesto, huh?” she said. ”You know I’ve never been. I’d like to go sometime!”

They flirted and touched. Things were going great, and Rachel, done with her food, was getting hungry for something else, when she noticed Cruz looking to the bar. Two pretty women sat there and one waved flirtatiously at Cruz. Rachel narrowed her eyes. There were things you just didn’t do. And waving like that when someone was out with someone else was one of those things. She didn’t blame Cruz. Cruz was a good looking guy, bound to capture attention. No - she blamed the girl at the bar, even if she wondered if Cruz knew them. She was afraid to ask.

”Wanna go somewhere more private?” she said turning back to Cruz. He would have noticed that she had seen the two girls.

[Esper]

Esper only smirked at Roza’s pout. Cruz’s interests didn’t really matter – with a touch, he’d feel whatever they wanted him to, no matter how wrapped up he was in his beautiful date. For now Esper was content at the bar enjoying an environment worlds away from their own. Roza was tired of the church and its basic accommodations, and you couldn’t really get fancier than where they were. It meant there were plenty of marks around who might give them what they wanted with a little nudge. But if Roza wanted to play the game with Cruz, then that’s what they would do. He was easy to run rings around, or he had been in the past. And his present company only made it more interesting.

She shifted to glance over at the two at their table, just as Cruz clearly noticed them in turn. Roza was provocative, but Esper only ran her attention up and down where he sat, and then glanced at the woman sharing his table. They’d not seen Cruz since that night at the Devil’s Lair, when he’d once again gotten lost in its shadows. He’d found his way back to Zeke since then, but she knew he would not have found the high he was chasing – the invigorating fear.

[Cruz]

Rachel wanted to go somewhere more private. She had seen the girls from the Carnival but that had been his plan the whole time. "I was thinking maybe we could take a room upstairs?"

Though they had to walk past them to leave. But they'd deal with that when they had to. First Cruz waited for their server to return so he could get the check and ask for someone to ask about a room.

"If that's alright with you? We can get one with a hot tub, relax a little, maybe one with a balcony, the crisp air and view could be nice."

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel’s attention was back in Cruz eve though she was aware of the two other girls. She didn’t like this at all. It just felt wrong. Something felt off about it. She couldn’t lay her finger on it though. She would worry about that later. Right now, she just wanted to get away from them. It seemed an odd thing seeing as how they hadn’t actually done anything besides flirt with her date, but she was sure they were trouble.

Rachel smiled at what he offered them for the night. ”Id like that,” she said, desire rising up within her. She didn’t have a bathing suit for the hot tub, but it also wasn’t necessary for what she wanted, and she was sure Cruz felt the same way.

The only issue was getting past the girls. It looked like they had to pass them to get to where they needed to go. She hoped Cruz had a plan, because she wasn’t at all sure what to do.

[Roza Vas]

Cruz saw them and she waved at him. She wanted to stir trouble with their latest friend. He had a nice home to go to. And a real bed. There was still that nagging little feeling of pleasing her mother in the back of her mind, but she didn't have to worry about that anymore. They were free.

Though Roza missed the Carnival and her family and friends. She loved being with Esper and she was enough but it didn't stop the longing for the comforts of home. They needed a new home.

Cruz and his date got up from their seats and tentatively headed their direction. Roza smirked and turned her attention to Esper ignoring them. Let them have their fun -- a key dangled from Cruz's hand. They could have their fun afterwards. Roza leaned in to whisper to Esper. "We could follow them? Or wait till they leave to persuade Cruze to take us home." Roza looked around. "There are plenty of others we could play with tonight while we wait. Maybe a better offer will arise."

[Cruz]

Cruz licked his lips at her acceptance of the plan. She looked gorgeous and his body was humming with anticipation. He was a little nervous, first times with someone was always that way. Not that he'd had a lot of experience, he wasn't the unexperienced virgin, but he hadn't had sex more than a handful of times. It wasn't appropriate, and he was not his father's son!

He offered Rachel his elbow when the server returned with the key and his credit card. They were set for the night. Now they only had to get past the flower girls and then up to the room.

Oddly enough Cam ignored them and invested herself with whispering into Sis's ear almost as if she were teasing him with things he couldn't have. But he was grateful they hadn't tried anything as they walked past. He could deal with being ignroed, though he knew they were up to something. It wasn't a coincidence they were here.

But in the elevator Cruz forgot all about the girls at the bar and completely wrapped himself up in the scent of Rachel's perfume, the way she looked in that dress. And how much he wanted her out of it.

The elevator ride was excruciatingly slow as they stopped on nearly every floor on their way up to the penthouse. The perks of being a Vega and of being Jivana. His grandfather had a particular suite he reserved each time, and since he had implied he was here for Jivana they gave it to him without asking.

The suite was opulent and the hot tub bubbled away on the balcony. Probably too cold outside, but it might be invigorating.

Cruz put their coats on the couch and kicked off his shoes and placed them out of the way. He held out his hand to help Rachel step out of her high heels. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll pour us some more wine."

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel took the offered arm, her smile genuine even with the other girls there, whispering to each other. They did nothing as they passed. That surprised Rachel l, but it allowed her mind back on what was happening. She could feel her heart beating with anticipation even as the nerves were in the back of her mind. All of this was a new experience for her.

The elevator was slow, people got on at almost every floor. It was irritating. Rachel had wanted to start kissing him as soon as the doors shut, but she held back. It wasn’t a proper place to do that. They finally arrived and Rachel took Cruz’s offered hand to get out of her shoes off and put them next to Cruz’s. He really was quite the gentleman.

She finally looked around seeing that Cruz had gotten them a suite. She knew Cruz was rich, but now that he was VP at Jivana he had strings to pull. Rachel knew Emily did too, even if she hardly pulled them. Rachel debated what to do. She could sit on the couch and wait for the wine, or she could choose the bed, being a little more forward with what she wanted. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that Cruz didn’t know she wanted this. But the message could be driven home. There were ways she could push it even farther.

Rachel eventually decided on neither of those, instead following him as he began to open a bottle of wine. She pressed her body against his back and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. She could smell his cologne - not overpowering or anything. She didn’t speak, but her hands moved slowly, caressing gently.

[Cruz]

Cruz didn't get more than the cork out before Rachel was behind him. His mind could barely focus on what he was doing so he put the wine bottle back in ice bucket. "The wine can wait." He turned in her arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I would very much like to take our time and do this right, but I also don't want to ruin this beautiful dress either. I might want to take you out of it again some other time." He grinned. "Turn around and let me help you out of it. And then to be fair you can take off as much of mine as you'd like."