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[edenwest]

Michael Cunningham, from “The Hours”

[edenwest]

it  always  seemed  to  be  work  stuff  with  caroline  ,  given  the  stature  of  her  position  aria  sometimes  couldn't  help  but  worry  that  there  were  things  going  on  behind  the  closed  doors  of  bulletin  sports  that  were  worse  than  meets  the  eye  .  but  that  was  a  bit  of  probing  she'd  save  for  a  future  meeting  ,  sure  her  friend  would  much  rather  spend  a  little  time  forgetting  any  and  all  things  work-related  than  opening  that  can  of  worms  .  a  laugh  escapes  her  mouth  at  the  way  caroline  described  her  job  ,  starting  to  wonder  if  that  was  what  everyone  thought  about  aria's  work  life  .  "  honestly  it's  been  quite  the  restful  week  ,  i'm  taking  a  mid-season  pause  from  pub  crawl  to  give  my  liver  a  break  so  i've  just  been  trying  to  take  it  easy  .  .  .  mostly  just  lounging  around  my  house  putting  the  finishing  touches  on  the  september  issue  of  cèline  ⸺  speaking  of  which  ,  don't  think  i've  forgotten  you're  overdue  for  a  feature  .  i  was  thinking  maybe  sometime  in  the  winter  ?  isn't  that  when  the  sports  scene  quiets  down  for  a  bit  ?  "she  asks  ,  her  eyebrows  giving  a  slight  raise  as  her  glass  lifts  to  her  lips  .

"work stuff, of course." a polite smile greeted the waiter as water glistened into her glass, eyes flickering across the room before resting softly on aria—finally, the world began to slow. "you know—everything that could go wrong decided to do so all at once." with a graceful flick of the wrist, she let the air catch her words and carry them away, wishing it might take the stress that had clung to her since the previous evening along with it. the delicate empire beneath her seemed poised to topple with the slightest breath; yet she had known the castle risked crumbling before they crowned her queen, pursuing the crown no matter its weight. “but enough about me and my disasters,” she said with a genuine smile. “you’re practically living in a whirlwind of glam and creativity, and I want to hear every last detail about it.” the pinot grigio cascaded in a pale, graceful flow within crystal walls, caroline's eyes almost reverent as she watched the sunlit hue. "what's been the highlight of your week?"

[edenwest]

"  exactly  ,  i  love  him  too  much  to  put  him  through  that  kind  of  torment  ,  "  she  laughs  ,  playfully  nudging  celine  in  the  shoulder  as  her  eyes  slightly  roll  .  it'd  be  a  lie  for  aria  to  say  she  even  enjoyed  having  to  hide  him  in  the  first  place  ,  one  night  stands  and  situationships  have  started  to  grow  tiring  ⸺  is  it  too  much  to  ask  to  find  someone  who  accepts  her  in  all  of  her  emotional  support  plush  lobster  glory  ?  "  ugh  ,  malta  looks  gorgeous  right  now  .  i  think  my  parents  are  actually  there  at  the  moment  celebrating  their  anniversary  .  .  .  my  mum  sent  me  a  picture  of  my  dad  nearly  dying  on  the  boat  through  blue  grotto  ,  "  she  can't  help  but  chuckle  ,  still  unsure  why  her  father  refuses  to  accept  the  fact  that  sea-sickness  runs  in  his  blood  .  "  but  i  could  definitely  be  down  for  malta  .  .  .  then  we  could  hop  around  italy  and  then  go  to  greece  ,  everyone's  probably  actually  winding  down  from  their  summer  holidays  right  now  so  i'm  sure  all  of  the  more  popular  spots  won't  be  packed  and  we  can  actually  enjoy  them  ⸺  do  you  think  lina  would  want  to  come  ?  i  have  a  friend  with  a  house  somewhere  in  mykonos  and  then  we  could  book  another  one  near  amalfi  ?  "  it's  amazing  how  quick  the  travel  bug  just  bit  her  ,  already  mentally  filing  through  her  mental  rolodex  of  their  favorite  places  to  stay  .  "  you  could  even  bring  the  wife  if  she's  not  sick  of  us  just  yet  .  .  .  oh  ,  by  the  way  ,  any  updates  on  the  wedding  ?   "

❝ as long as i don't move too much, i think i can manage. ❞ because the second she started moving, others would realise she wasn't the most coordinated person and could never be using that lack of coordination on a sport of any kind. was chess considered a sport ? she was pretty good at that. ❝ that's actually an insanely smart idea. i knew we were friends for a reason. ❞ or several. ❝ drunk bowling and nail appointments. this should become a monthly thing. ❞ it wasn't like their little trio was short of personalised traditions that came out of a random joke just like this one. exhibit a was the unbelievable amount of coffee dates and gossip sessions or the many girl trips a year. ❝ i could say you may not have to. some visitors could find it a turn-on, but i just realised that the poor lobster would have to watch all that and changed my mind. ❞ céline could barely remember what it was like to have one night stands and flings. she had always been more of a committed relationship type of girl anyway, never really getting the idea of sleeping around for the fun of it. the whole no strings attached wasn't a concept that worked with the girl, she'd attach all the strings very fucking fast. ❝ mhm, a little tour of the mediterranean would be nice right now. i just had this talk with verity, i've been dyinf to go to malta. ❞

[edenwest]

"  if  you  feel  small  it's  because  everyone  in  those  rooms  have  egos  the  size  of  europe  ,  "  comment  comes  out  a  bit  mumbled  under  her  own  breath  ,  head  nodding  towards  the  pizzeria  just  a  few  shops  down  to  indicate  where  to  shift  directions  .  talking  to  feyza  felt  like  such  a  breath  of  fresh  air  ,  while  aria  definitely  still  did  her  fair  share  of  partying  and  socializing  ,  she  was  starting  to  approach  a  point  in  her  life  where  nights  in  surrounded  by  her  closest  friends  and  a  bottle  (  or  few  )  of  red  felt  closer  to  her  idea  of  fun  than  being  in  a  bar  surrounded  by  a  bunch  of  people  she  didn't  know  .  "  okay  i  get  that  but  going  out  doesn't  always  mean  going  a  club  or  something  like  that  you  know  ⸺  like  ,  instead  of  just  going  to  dinner  you  could  do  dinner  and  a  movie  .  .  .  "  her  words  momentarily  trail  off  and  she  pulls  the  door  open  for  feyza  to  enter  ,  the  smell  of  garlic  and  fresh  marinara  filling  her  nose  before  they  even  set  foot  inside  .  "  fuck  me  ,  i'm  starving  ,  "  she  huffs  ,  arms  comfortably  folded  across  her  chest  as  she  stares  up  at  the  menu  .  "  but  anyways  ,  i  don't  know  all  i'm  saying  is  maybe  it'd  be  nice  to  mix  it  up  a  little  bit  every  once  in  a  while  ⸺  maybe  we  should  go  out  for  dinner  some  time  this  week  ?  oooh  or  you  could  come  over  and  i  can  cook  ?  i  saw  this  roasted  chicken  recipe  in  chèrie  i've  been  dying  to  try  .  .  .  what  do  you  think  ?  dinner  party  for  two  ?  you  can  even  bring  your  dog  and  he  can  frolic  in  the  backyard  .  "

" i don't like surprises. i like spoilers. " but she wouldn't push. not when she had received a half answer from aria. a soft glint in the woman's eyes could say a lot more than actual words. " that guy. jeremy. the calvin klein guy. he's so popular but he doesn't seem annoying. " unlike most celebrities. she liked knowing the money-bringers of her company and celebrities, influencers, micro-influencers... they were all important to her. professionally. but most of them were whacky. her breath hitched in her throat and she gaped at aria. she was too old to be using the word 'crush'. " no... i do not. but it was nice being talked to. paid attention to. i feel so small in those rooms most of the time. " the people who had navigated through galas, evenings at the opera, fundraisers, royal ascots and whatnots had star power and seemed natural at the setting. very different from feyza who, for a reason, preferred to be tightly glued to the sides of her friends. " but dinners are what i like... " feyza pouted. " i honestly don't know. it might have been a bridal shower last year. clubbing is exhausting, and cocktail bars are loud. my natural habitant has little to no room for strangers. it's a shame but at the same time i don't know how much energy i'm willing to spend on meeting new people. "

[edenwest]

"  always  such  an  overachiever  ,  aren't  we  ?  "  can't  help  but  roll  her  eyes  at  his  little  added  detail  ,  twinge  of  jealousy  that  heats  her  ears  quickly  brushed  off  and  disregarded  .  after  downing  the  rest  of  her  wine  she  finally  brings  herself  to  stand  ,  eyes  scanning  across  the  perimeter  of  the  green  to  find  the  unlucky  targets  of  their  bet  .  "  you  know  he's  only  got  like  four  strokes  left  and  still  half  the  green  to  clear  ,  "  and  she  didn't  know  much  about  golf  ,  but  from  where  she  was  standing  the  odds  seemed  to  be  leaning  in  her  favor  .  "  have  you  played  yet  since  you've  been  here  ?  maybe  after  you  go  over  there  and  embarrass  yourself  we  can  play  a  round  ⸺  i  was  so  cozied  up  with  the  tennis  court  earlier  i  honestly  forgot  we  were  meant  to  be  here  playing  golf,  "  she  shrugs  ,  downing  the  last  sip  of  her  wine  and  glancing  around  the  room  to  make  sure  she  was  meant  to  be  leaving  her  used  glass  on  the  table  .  "  if  i'm  being  honest  ,  i  don't  think  i've  ever  actually  played  a  real  round  of  golf  ⸺  just  mini  -  golf  when  i  was  a  kid  and  even  then  i  was  shit  at  it  .  .  .  remember  those  places  with  the  neon  golf  balls  and  the  courses  attached  to  the  arcades  ?  do  you  think  those  still  exist  ?  "

"Chicken." But he knew her well enough to know that a fun little challenge wouldn't be shot down. It was about pride as much as it was about the thrill. In that way she mirrored him. "Confidence. Love to see it." He reached forward and clicked his glass against hers. The high note rang in the air between them and for the duration of the sound, he allowed himself to linger in her personal space, eyes trained on her instead of the center of their bet. It was irrational how little it required to make his heart race a bit. It was similar to micro-dosing. Much less harmful than the real thing though. Physically at least. Socially? Possibly catastrophic. But what was life if it didn't involve some risks? He didn't return to his seat but straightened his legs and back, standing up properly. The 'her' entered his line of vision easily. A pop of aggressive white fabric against the greenery. He was disappointed to note that she wasn't wearing a matching visor. It was the only thing missing from a nearly satirical outfit. "Oh, don't mind if I do. Maybe I'll have her add her number on the note as well? Wouldn't want a great opportunity to pass me by."

[edenwest]

"  you're  lucky  i  haven't  blocked  you  after  standing  me  up  ,  again  ,  "  a  joke  ,  mostly  ,  never  took  lightly  to  people  going  back  on  their  word  but  caroline  was  a  person  she  found  it  increasingly  difficult  to  stay  mad  at  .  how  could  she  really  be  upset  ?  especially  since  she  herself  had  fallen  victim  to  a  busy  work  day  one  too  many  times  .  "  two  bottles  ?  with  that  kind  of  deal  i  should  get  upset  at  you  more  often  ,  "  this  time  it's  obvious  that  she's  teasing  ,  a  soft  laugh  falling  from  her  lips  as  she  eyes  the  menu  that  sat  on  the  table  in  front  of  her  .  "  i've  already  asked  the  waiter  to  put  a  bottle  of  pinot  grigio  on  ice  for  when  you  get  here  so  he  should  be  back  in  a  second  ,  "  she  assures  ,  scanning  the  menu  up  and  down  weighing  all  of  her  delicious  options  for  lunch  .  "  what  happened  last  night  anyways  ?  you've  never  cancelled  so  last  minute  ,  i  figured  it  must  have  been  something  serious  .  "

𐫱 › with? @edenwest 𐫱 › where? the ivy, canary wharf

"i know, i know," caroline dismissed words unspoken, "i promised you dinner and i'm guessing you had conspired to keep me out late, but something came up so," she glanced around the room, where hungry guests were busy eyeing up the set lunch menus. "but you've got me for a full two hours and two bottles of wine." a warm smile spread across her lips—a two-for-one deal, both a promise and an apology.

[edenwest]

"  haven't  you  heard  the  phrase  '  diamonds  are  a  girl's  best  friend  '  ?  you  could  come  in  here  with  your  eyes  closed  and  pick  something  random  from  the  case  and  i  promise  she  wouldn't  be  able  to  wipe  the  smile  off  of  her  face  ,  "  she  assures  .  besides  ,  picking  through  pieces  of  find  jewelry  until  she  found  the  perfect  match  was  quite  literally  in  aria's  blood  ⸺  and  with  her  very  own  family's  collection  at  her  disposal  it  was  impossible  to  choose  the  wrong  thing  .  "  this  one's  about  two  thousand  pounds  ,  but  you  don't  want  that  one  ,  "  her  hand  motions  for  him  to  follow  her  through  the  store  ,  leading  him  through  the  maze  of  glass  encasements  until  she  finds  the  one  that  houses  the  collection  she's  looking  for  .  "  considering  what  i've  seen  her  wear  i  think  any  of  these  will  go  off  much  better  ⸺  the  ones  on  the  right  are  quite  steep  in  price  but  i  guess  it  all  depends  on  what  the  occasion  is  ?  is  this  an  anniversary  gift  or  a  '  just  because  '  gift  ?  'cause  anniversaries  are  definitely  necklace  -  worthy  but  if  it's  just  a  gift  for  fun  you  might  wanna  go  for  something  smaller  like  these  ,  " she  says  ,  pointing  down  to  a  pair  of  glittering  gold  earrings  .

𝐭𝐨 : aria ( @edenwest )

𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 : weston co store

❝ you know i am blindly trusting you here. if this just so happens to not be her taste, the fault will be entirely yours and i will be handing it to you. ❞ he'd never been good at buying presents and the one person he did not want to ask the help of was isoline. she'd snitch. so the next best choice was, of course, aria. and how fitting that her family was known for their jewelry. ❝ how much is this set anyway ? ❞

[edenwest]

one  leg  lifts  to  cross  over  the  other  as  he  debates  his  prize  ,  glass  of  wine  lifted  to  her  lips  for  a  drink  only  to  nearly  spit  it  out  at  xavier's  conspicuously  bad  request  .  "  oh  fuck  off  i  am  not  doing  that  ,  "  she  starts  ,  letting  out  a  laugh  that  was  much  louder  than  she  intended  ⸺  but  ,  a  bet's  a  bet  ,  right  ?  "  fine  ,  i'll  agree  only  because  i  know  you're  going  to  lose  but  if  by  the  grace  of  god  you  do  win  and  you  publish  that  picture  anywhere  i  will  have  all  of  your  assets  liquidated  in  a  day's  time  ,  "  they  both  know  that  threat  is  empty  ,  but  a  threat  nonetheless  .  "  you  know  what,  why  don't  we  make  it  even  .  .  .  if  you  win  i'll  go  up  to  him  but  when  i  win  you  have  to  go  up  to  her  ,  "  her  head  nods  in  the  direction  of  a  woman  dressed  in  an  athletic  set  that  practically  screamed  future  trophy  wife  ,  which  included  the  somewhat  lost  look  that  spread  across  her  face  as  she  scanned  the  crowd  like  she  was  in  search  for  some  sort  of  prey  ,  "  same  deal  ,  ask  for  an  autograph  and  let  me  take  a  picture  .  .  .  for  the  unforgettable  moment  ,  of  course  .  "

He jolted in his seat at the kick, his poor posture getting fixed in an instant. He shot her a glare, completely willing to ignore the concept of fairness. "Golf is fine at best. I like the social aspect and walking." But neither of those things had anything to do with swinging the club. "Okay, okay, those are some high stakes." Ten shots was a generous number on a par four. "But if I win..." What did he want? Definitely not one hundred quids or a drink for that matter. "If I win you have to go up to him and ask for an autograph. I'll snap a picture for you. You know, to help you remember the unforgettable moment."

[edenwest]

"  well  ,  if  i  told  you  who  the  guest  was  that  would  ruin  the  surprise  .  .  .  but  let's  just  say  not  all  the  drinking  was  done  on  camera  ,  "  she  says  ,  shooting  feyza  a  wink  that  hopefully  conveys  her  guess  wasn't  that  far  off  base  (  or  even  off  of  the  base  at  all  )  .  the  quickening  sounds  of  feyza's  steps  remind  aria  to  slow  down  ,  often  found  it  hard  to  not  constantly  walk  like  she  was  in  a  rush  to  get  somewhere  to  avoid  being  caught  in  the  stream  of  london  foot  traffic  .  "  wait  ,  which  guy  ?  jeremy  allen  -  white  or  the  other  one  ?  to  be  fair  i  like  them  both  but  their  eyes  are  so  blue  it  honestly  fucking  freaks  me  out  .  .  .  but  that  actually  might  make  good  content  ,  thanks  babe  ,  "  she  says  ,  making  a  mental  note  to  bring  that  up  to  her  producers  later  .  their  steps  fall  in  near  perfect  sync  as  they  stroll  down  the  sidewalk  ,  it's  refreshing  to  be  out  with  feyza  ,  their  blossoming  friendship  like  a  breath  of  fresh  air  in  an  environment  that  seems  to  rarely  allow  that  opportunity  .  "oh  my  god  i  heard  ,  what  a  fucking  train  wreck  ,  i  heard  about  fairchild  ,  "  she  tacks  on  ,  honestly  kind  of  regretting  missing  it  simply  for  the  show  of  it  all  .  she  can't  help  but  let  out  a  soft  chuckle  at  the  implication  that  meeting  someone  like  bernard  aldridge  was  a  special  occasion  ,  "  if  i  didn't  know  any  better  i'd  say  it  sounds  like  you've  got  a  crush  ,  "  she  teases  ,  sneaking  a  look  at  feyza  in  her  peripheral  to  see  if  it  warrants  any  kind  of  reaction  .  "  i  already  thought  you  were  an  introvert  but  if  that's  the  most  exciting  place  you've  been  since  i've  last  seen  you  then  we  definitely  have  to  work  on  getting  you  out  more  .  .  .  genuinely  ,  when's  the  last  time  you've  been  out  on  a  non-work  related  outing  ?  and  going  out  for  dinner  doesn't  count  .  "

feyza tilted her head to catch a glimpse of the offending criminals: unsurprisingly, aria's shoes were g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. feyza nodded approvingly. " to be fair, i think you can blame the quietness here in the office. half of the people are spending their vacation days and it's so eery here. " she sort of missed the constant background nose that came from phone calls, co-workers chit-chatting with each other, and the pings from notifications. " huh ? " feyza pointed at herself and arched a brow. " for me ? " acting normally was a secondary issue, she needed to concentrate on breathing normally. keep her focus on vitals and then she could think about how to act cool. " damn. you came prepared. " a breathy laugh escaped her and bought her a few seconds to process the information properly. " i definitely won't say no to pizza. i'm sort of starving too. thank you, seriously, thank you. " she needed an assistant. not that she was equating aria to one, but if getting food could be this quick and easy, she needed to give the idea of an assistant another chance. " wait, whoa, wait ! who was the guest ? i swear it was going to be sabrina carpenter but that... doesn't... well, i've seen you drink. like a lot of times. she doesn't give off the right kind of a vibe. " she shot an apologetic look to the woman, quickening her pace to get in sync with aria. " well ! to be honest my life isn't that exciting ? i go to work, i walk my dog, i have dinner with whoever's available that evening. i started the new season of the bear though — maybe you should get that guy on your show. people are, or were, so obsessed with him just a year ago or something. " aria and her team probably had a long list of candidates but it never hurt to offer suggestions ! " i think the most exciting thing to happen to be was the industry awards gala last month. and i swear ! oh i swear ! i heard at least ten people say it's stuffy and dull. what does that make me ? kinda sad, no ? but at least i got to talk to people. i chatted with the bernard alderidge. it was a bit weird. he was nicer than i expected. i sorta expected him to be snotty and annoying. like most eton boys. you know the type. annoying. " she wasn't sure if the man was an eton boy but feyza believed the term described his upbringing accurately enough.

[edenwest]

"  if  you  could  trick  anyone  into  thinking  that  you  have  any  sort  of  athletic  ability  i  honestly  might  have  to  find  a  way  to  get  you  an  oscar  ,  "  she  teases  ,  only  comfortable  enough  to  do  so  knowing  that  their  athletic  prowess  rests  on  similarly  low  levels,  aria's  likely  worse  .  comment  about  their  nails  earns  a  roll  of  aria's  eyes  ,  "  we  can  just  go  in  between  appointments  ,  make  a  day  out  of  it  that  ends  with  a  fresh  set  for  both  of  us  ,  "  hand  extends  out  to  assess  her  own  manicure  ,  from  the  looks  of  it  she  could  definitely  use  a  touch  up  sometime  soon  .  the  same  hand  she  was  just  admiring  quickly  reaches  up  to  dramatically  clutch  her  chest  ,  jaw  slightly  hung  in  feigned  offense  that  cèline  would  even  suggest  she'd  get  rid  of  something  that  hold  such  a  precious  memory  .  "  of  course  i  still  have  the  lobster  ,  it's  front  and  center  on  my  bed  it  honestly  adds  a  nice  pop  of  color  ,  but  i  kind  of  feel  bad  .  .  .  i've  had  to  chuck  it  across  my  room  a  few  times  after  having  some  visitors  ,  "  she  says  ,  giggling  into  her  glass  as  she  raises  it  to  her  lips  for  a  sip  .  "  we  should  go  on  a  trip  again  soon  ,  i  feel  like  we  honestly  haven't  been  on  a  proper  vacation  in  ages  ⸺  i've  been  dying  to  go  to  the  south  of  france  ⸺  oooh  ,  or  italy  .  .  .  honestly  wherever  i  can  drink  a  nice  glass  of  red  on  a  secluded  beach  would  be  perfect  for  me  .  we're  due  for  a  summer  holiday  ,  don't  you  think  ?  "

❝ say no more, i'm calling that off tonight. where are we eloping ? ❞ she did already have a much older relationship with aria than her fiancé anyway, probably the reason they could make jokes like those so freely. " well, you did not have to point that out, it was implied. we both know i'm not the most athletic but maybe i could fool everyone else here into thinking i could be an olympian." she couldn't, not a soul would fall for it. she'd tried volleyball in middle school only to be hit in the head several times because she couldn't do the right moves. ❝ we're gonna be breaking fingers, aria. or at least some nails. bowling balls are heavy.❞ but she did not say no to it, just stated what would happen when they did attempt it. because, as dangerous as it sounded, it would be equally funny and céline wasn't one to say no to a few good laughs. ❝ do you still have the lobster plush ? because i've kept the bear from the fair in hungary when we were in like year four safe in my house to this day. she's alive and well. ❞

[edenwest]

DUA LIPA via TeamDuaHQ (July 17, 2024)

[edenwest]

unstoppable force (thinking younger me would hate the way I turned out) vs immovable object (thinking younger me would be super proud of me for making it this far)

[edenwest]

Rainer Maria Rilke, from a letter featured in Letters to Merline, 1919-1922

[edenwest]

"  looks  to  me  like  they've  got  exactly  the  right  idea  ,  "  she  nods  as  she  raises  her  glass  to  her  lips  ,  she  needs  to  get  on  their  level  .  "  alcohol  is  the  only  thing  making  this  any  fun  ,  honestly  considering  the  open  bar  i'm  shocked  everyone  isn't  shit-faced  yet  .  .  .  since  when  did  the  upper  echelon  have  so  much  decorum  .  "

" a round of gold among some people almost qualifies for a pub crawl, doesn't it seem like it ? " her eyes were trained by the trio of wobbling players. " perhaps they misunderstood the meaning of a shot ? " [ ;; @edenwest ]

[edenwest]

a  laugh  pushes  past  aria's  lips  just  as  it  does  from  crete's  ,  partly  at  her  abrupt  bluntness  and  partly  because  she  was  probably  closer  to  the  truth  than  either  of  them  would  like  to  admit  out  loud  .  "  see  ,  this  is  why  we  have  to  get  rid  of  the  whole  cocktail  attire  thing  ,  it's  too  ambiguous  ⸺  at  least  with  black  tie  you  know  exactly  what  to  wear  .  when  i  think  cocktail  i  think  of  a  bar  and  what  i  would  wear  to  a  bar  is  definitely  not  what  i  need  this  particular  group  of  our  peers  to  see  me  in  ,  "  though  honestly  ,  some  of  them  have  probably  already  seen  worse  .  "  oh  you'll  look  so  darling  in  pink  ,  especially  with  those  baby  blues  .  .  .  stunning  ,  "  she  can  already  picture  it  now  ,  soft  shades  of  any  color  always  had  a  way  of  making  blue  eyes  pop  .  rounding  the  corner  with  a  glass  of  water  in  hand  ,  she  finally  joins  crete  in  flipping  through  the  inside  of  her  closet  .  "  it's  funny  you  say  that  because  i  was  actually  thinking  of  wearing  something  black  but  then  thought  that's  a  bit  depressing  for  summer  ,  isn't  it  ?  "  glass  of  water  is  raised  to  her  lips  as  a  hand  plucks  an  ivory  dress  from  her  collection  .  "  what  about  this  ?  or  is  it  a  bit  too  close  to  business  pitch-y  ?  do  you  think  i  could  pull  off  something  longer  since  it's  at  night  ?  "

"Cocktail for me is something above the knee. That way I don't need to decide if the dress is too formal or not." She drew a line with her hands at her knees, as if Aria was unfamiliar with the anatomical detail and needed a visual demonstration. "But I think we'll be seeing everything from wedding dresses to clubbing outfits." A laugh escaped her before she could catch it in her throat. Being unnecessarily mean was not advised at a semi-professional setting. "I have a powder pink dress, on the shorter side but it's too hot for anything heavier if you ask me." She scanned the insides of Aria's extensive closet. "What are your options? I personally like lighter colours in summer. And florals. Uniquely."

[edenwest]

"  don't  be  so  fucking  grim  ,  people  place  bets  on  things  all  the  time  it's  just  part  of  the  human  experience  ,  "  she  assures  him  ,  corner  of  her  lip  twitching  up  with  a  smile  as  their  eyes  catch  each  other  for  just  a  moment  before  he  turns  his  attention  back  to  the  green  .  "  old  age  is  definitely  not  the  advantage  ,  golf  is  all  about  the  hips  and  from  the  look  of  it  his  might  need  a  bit  of  t.l.c  ,  "  she  says  ,  playfully  kicking  xavier's  seat  right  back  as  he  teases  .  "  i  don't  have  any  golf  experience  though  to  be  fair  ⸺  i  used  to  try  and  play  with  my  dad  but  after  the  fourth  hole  i'd  just  end  up  getting  bored  and  turned  into  a  free  golf  caddy  ,  "  a  soft  sigh  falls  from  her  lips  even  just  watching  ,  tennis  was  definitely  more  her  speed  .  "  alright  ,  fine  .  when  he  doesn't  get  it  in  ten  shots  you  owe  me  a  hundred  bucks  and  you  have  to  walk  across  the  green  to  get  me  a  new  drink  since  i'm  almost  done  with  this  one  ,  "  cheeky  smile  finally  fully  spreads  across  her  lips  after  sliding  that  last  part  in  .

"Oi, fuck you too." He was slouching so poorly in his chair that his leg was able to reach the leg of Aria's chair. He gave it a gentle kick, the chair and the woman moving one good inch away from him. "I mean it's definitely a way to reserve a spot in hell but what isn't these days?" There was a bright spark twinkling in his dark eyes as he grinned at her. Had it only been appropriate, he wouldn't have turned his gaze away from her. He preferred to look at her to the man one year away from a hip replacement. "Well..." He narrowed his eyes as if he was capable of assessing the player from far away. "Maybe the old age is an advantage. He has had years to train. How many years do you have under your belt, huh? Two? He might have five decades. I bet he'll hole it under ten turns."

[edenwest]

aria  eden  -  west  at  the  opening  cocktail  hour  of  willow  thompson's  exclusive  country  club  .