#i watched the angels take manhattan with my sister the other night and man. thoughts and emotions like CRAZY

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

AND A TIMELOOP AU??? oh? I am. Intrigued.

apparently I have a LOT of Steph-centric WIPs right now bc this is yet another one! Steph gets caught in a time loop where the only constant is that Bruce/Batman dies. to break the loop she has to keep that from happening. BUT. she can't do it alone. and it might take her a liiiiittle too long to figure that out. long enough that by the time she starts going to the others, she's exhausted, and by the time she has any kind of real support within the 24-hour confines of her own personal hell, she's about at her breaking point. I once saw someone with a timeloop fic tag "Trope-Typical Suicide". yeah. and, predictably, I made it hints of Jaysteph. :)

It's 11:40 and B is going to die at 11:45 and the loop is going to reset at 11:47, and she's standing on a roof in the Narrows and wondering if there's anything left to try to change it. She's tried everything she can think of alone and even more with help but it's 10:41 and she wants it to be over. She just wants it to stop, wants to be anywhere but here, on a roof with the Red Hood because of all the geniuses in their team, the one person who's quickest to believe her claims about a timeloop is also the one other person who's died before.

Tim watches Doctor Who, sometimes, because he's a nerd and time travel, even the campy BBC kind, fascinates him. Stephanie thinks of stone statues and paradoxes and tops of buildings and- she doesn't think about what she's doing, stepping confidently, or as confidently as she can this exhausted, this desperate, this frustrated and tired and deprived of hope, to the edge of the roof. Normal, everyday chatter feeds through her comm.

"Hey Tim," she says abruptly, without activating her voice channel. Only Babs can hear her right now and she doesn't care. "Remember that episode of your stupid time travel show where the nurse jumps off a building to save everyone?" She feels, utterly and completely, like she's going insane.

"Spoiler," comes Hood's mechanized voice behind her. She ignores him and then feels bad about that but she's too worn down to care enough to change her mind. "Steph."

She steps one foot onto the raised lip of the roof and suddenly wonders if she even has the strength to lift herself all the way up, to push herself over the edge. She doesn't have to, though, because just as she steps into open air, something — someone — slams into her, strong arms coming around her and dragging her back into the middle of the roof.

"What the hell," growls Jason's voice from directly above her. He says something else, but she's not listening.

"Just let me go," she mumbles, even as she sags against him. "Please."

"No way, Sunshine," Jason replies, voice shaky even through the helmet. "It's gonna be okay. Just... stay with me, okay? Stay with me." His arms tighten around her and Steph leans into his solid form, rocking her carefully back and forth. "I've got you."

In one loop, not the last one but the one before that, Steph had climbed through the window of Jason's safehouse and explained the timeloop and he'd asked "Have you tried doing nothing?" And then made her sit down on his couch and eat something and sleep for awhile, because waking up in her bed every morning on the same morning doesn't count for real sleep, and when she'd woken it had been 11:44 and she'd held her breath, figuratively speaking, for two minutes before the phone call came. Tim, weak-voiced and in shock, calling Jason because their dad was dead. Steph had stared at her hands helplessly as Jason sat there in shock, then turned to her and asked, "How long do you have before it resets?" She'd told him, two minutes, and all he'd done was hold out his arms in an offer of comfort and then he'd just- held her, until she woke up again at the start of a new loop.

This is like that, and some small, not suicidal part of Steph's brain registers that even considering all the body armor, Jason is a really good hugger. "What time is it?" She manages, finally, after she counts out thirty seconds of silence through the comms and steady breathing from Jason.

He stops rocking her. "11:47," he says, and Steph stops breathing.

"Really?" She asks, barely daring to hope, but it's the first flicker she's felt in so long that she can't help it. It's in her nature.

"Yeah. I'm gonna let go of you a second, take the helmet off, 'kay?" Steph nods, misses the security of his hold on her for the few seconds it's gone. "Hey," Jason says, helmet and voice modulator gone. He says it like a greeting even though they've been together all day. It's a day, now, not a loop. It's a day.

"Hey," Steph whispers back.

[redgillan]

Under Pastel Skies - 4

Sugar daddy!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Modern!AU Bucky doesn’t need anyone, especially not a sugar baby. He isn’t that desperate… but she smiles so sweetly and she’s endearingly awkward, and he’s so lonely. She’s an artist, a painter, the type of person who always puts others before herself. Throwing caution to the wind Bucky offers her a place to live, a place where she can finally paint whatever her heart desires. He doesn’t need much in return; a friend, a muse.

Word Count: 4,128

Warnings: none

A/N: This chapter is quite long, Bucky opens up a little and they discuss the possibilities of starting a sugar daddy relationship. Thank you for reading, I hope you’ll like this chapter :’) As always if you’re a wannabe sugar daddy, don’t interact with this post.

Bucky looked around the coffee shop, his knee bouncing up and down in an erratic rhythm. He looked over his shoulder at the restroom door and bit his lip in thought. You’d been in there for a couple of minutes and he was starting to worry you were going to leave through the back door.

Your jacket was still resting on the back of your chair. Surely you wouldn’t leave without it. Then again, it was freezing cold and you were only wearing a really light coat.

He took a sip of his hot chocolate and grimaced behind his mug. It was cold. Then, just as he was setting his mug back down on the table, you rounded the table and took your seat.

Tilting his head, he studied your face in the artificial light. Your eyes were glazed and you were avoiding looking at him. You picked up your mug of hot chocolate and set it down away from you.

Bucky’s eyes were drawn to your hands as you clasped them in front of you. The back of your hand had traces of red lipstick. With slightly furrowed brows, he raised his eyes to your face.  Your lips were slightly puffy and completely bare.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yes, I was just thinking.” Your top teeth pulled at your bottom lip, worrying it. “The night we met, you told me you weren’t looking for a sugar baby. What made you change your mind?”

Bucky ran his hand over the two-day stubble on his chin and jaw, and sighed. “It’s... I don’t know. When Sam told me I was going to meet you, I panicked. I googled the words ‘sugar daddy’ and I didn’t like what I found.” He paused and looked around him. The café was mostly empty. “If I’m doing this, I want to do it with someone I can trust, someone who isn’t going to smile at me and check her watch every five minutes.”

“I don’t have a watch,” you replied with a smug smile. He laughed. “What makes you think you can trust me? We don’t even know each other.”

He shrugged. “I know you’re kind, passionate, talented, caring, and I have a feeling you don’t care about money.” He took something from his pocket and laid it on the table. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have slipped this into my pocket this morning.”

You glanced at the $300 on the table and sat back in your seat, crossing your arms over your chest. It was a classic defensive posture, and he realized just how careful and nervous you were. He looked down at his lap, cursing himself for making you feel uncomfortable. This wasn’t off to a good start.

“Okay but I only know three things about you,” you said, enumerating them on the tips of your fingers. “Your name is Bucky, you really like breakfast and you’re an over-tipper. And I’m pretty sure Bucky is just a nickname so, really, I only know two things about you.”

He sat forward in his seat with his elbow resting on the table and his fist supporting his head. A slow smile spread across his face. He tried to hide it behind his fist but he could feel it reach his eyes.

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know, angel.” He watched you with a soft smile but your face remained expressionless. “Fine.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “My name is James Barnes. My middle name’s Buchanan... hence Bucky. I don’t know why my parents thought it was a good idea to name me after one of our presidents but they did.”

You huffed out a laugh, and you both chuckled quietly.

“No one remembers President Buchanan anyway,” he continued, straightening his spine. “I’m 36, 37 in March. I’ve never been married, and I don’t have any children. I do have a sister, though. Her name’s Rebecca, and she’s a single mom with two kids. They all live in Indiana where I was born.”

“Mhhh, persimmon pudding,” you hummed, closing your eyes.

“It worries me that this is what you associate with Indiana,” he teased, smiling wide. “Besides nothing can beat sugar cream pies.”

“There’s no accounting for taste,” you replied with a smug grin. “Even bad taste.”

Bucky felt his heart leap in his chest. It was as if his heart wanted to jump into your hands but couldn’t because his goddamn ribcage was in the way. He pressed his lips together and waited until the feeling passed.

It must have taken too long because the next thing he knew, your fingertips were gently grazing his fingers in an attempt to pull him out of his thoughts. He flinched. His first instinct was to pull his hand away from yours, but he resisted.

Your fingers were freezing cold while his own were burning hot. It didn’t bother him. He hooked his fingers over yours and let his heat seep into you. It felt so good to be touched, to touch someone.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from your hand, he could hardly breathe and it took all his willpower to force himself away from the edge of desire. He didn’t mean it in a romantic way. His heart and soul longed for someone to hold him, to feel the heat and heartbeat of another human being.

He looked up at you, longing and ache clouding his features. It was too raw, you had to look away. He felt like you understood just how badly he craved physical contact. Maybe you craved it, too.  

“So, um,” you cleared your throat, “you were born in Indiana?”

He took a sip of his cold chocolate before answering. “Yes, but we moved to Brooklyn when I was five. I still live in Brooklyn actually.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You come all the way from Brooklyn every Friday just to have breakfast at a shitty hotel in Chelsea? You must really like our breakfast.”

His cheeks turned pink but his smile was teasing. “Best coffee in Manhattan. Can’t turn it down.”

“If you say so.” You playfully rolled your eyes. “So, Mister James Barnes, do you have a job or were you born wealthy?”

He looked you in the eye while he propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “I’m a writer.” Your eyebrows rose, eyes twinkling with interest. “I started when I lost my arm.”

He sighed and started moving his bad shoulder in a circle as if just saying it out loud brought back an unexpected pain.

“It was ten years ago, I lost it while climbing Mount Everest with my best friend. I won’t bore you with all the details but while I was recovering the doctors tried to teach me how to do simple things like buttoning my shirt or tying my shoelaces. All these things we take for granted, y’know?” You nodded. “I was angry and depressed, and it was just so frustrating to keep trying to make my left arm move even though it was gone. They suggested I wear slip on shoes or use Velcro fasteners. It made me feel like a goddamn five year old.”

He took a small pause, watching you process his speech. There was no pity in your eyes, only curiosity and attentiveness. He had told this story many times before, he was almost reciting it by heart.

“Back then there weren’t a lot of people who shared tips on how to do these things. Now with YouTube, it’s a little easier for new amputees. So every time I figured something out, I wrote it down in a little notebook. It really helped me, and I realized it could help others as well. Long story short, I found an editor and it became a best seller. I got my fifteen minutes of fame.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Some of it.” Bucky shrugged. “With the money I bought an apartment in Brooklyn and moved out of Sam’s guest room. It felt good to be independent again.”

“Ah!” you exclaimed sourly and he tilted his head in question. “I don’t know if you remember but I told you I was living with Natasha. Well, actually I sleep on her sofa.”

He saw the mournful look in your eyes and it instantly reminded him of himself- incomplete, socially inept, a burden. No one should ever feel that way. Ever.

“It’s been over a year now. She won’t kick me out but...,” you sighed. “I know that having me around all the time is difficult. I’m invading her privacy.”

“I stayed with Sam for four years,” Bucky said with a smile. “You move at your own pace. There’s nothing wrong with that. You want to let her live her own life, but don’t forget that you’re entitled to your own life and privacy, too. It’s okay to put yourself first.”

“Easier said than done.” You gave him a sad smile. “Is it okay if we continue this another time? I’m getting tired.”

“Of course but, angel, I can’t let you leave when you look so sad,” he said, reaching for your hand. “What can I do?”

You watched his thumb stroking lightly over the back of your hand. “Does your offer still stand?”

He recoiled in surprise, his eyes wide with incredulity. “You mean the, uh, mentorship?”

“Yeah, whatever you want to call it.”

“Y-yes, yes, my offer still stands.”

You raised your head and forced yourself to look him in the eye. A chill ran down his spine at the intensity in your eyes. “I’m in.”

You agreed to meet him for dinner the following night at his apartment. You were cautious by nature and never one to follow a man you barely knew home, so you asked if one of your friends could come with you. He suggested asking Sam and Natasha to join you.

It made you feel more at ease. Natasha was like a sister to you, and she had already been through the whole arrangement thing with Sam. Not that you or Bucky wanted to talk about it with them – not now at least- but it was nice to know they’d be there.

The next day, Bucky made his way to the store with a list of ingredients on his phone. He was reading it over when he remembered to send you a text asking if you had any allergies. He was almost done shopping when you replied. He looked at the bag of frozen broccoli in the freezer and decided to send you another message.

What are your thoughts on broccoli?

Love them *green heart emoji*

Great! Broccoli ice cream for dessert then. He chuckled to himself when you replied with a broken heart emoji. Jking see you tonight.

Bucky spent the rest of the day cooking, cleaning and getting ready for the night. Cooking and cleaning were easy enough tasks, especially considering that his apartment was already spotless.

Getting ready was proving more difficult than he had expected. It took him an hour to pick out the right outfit, finally settling on a light blue shirt and a pair of beige slacks. His hair was being – for lack of a better word- a dick. He had half a mind to shave the whole thing off.

He was glaring at his hair in the mirror when the buzzer rang. He checked his watch, it was just past five thirty.

“Who’s it?” he asked, pressing the button on the intercom.

“Hi, hey, it’s me. I’m a little early, sorry.”

His stomach did a little flip. “Take the elevator to the third floor.”

Bucky fussed with his hair one last time and checked his teeth in the mirror. He wondered if he had bad breath. He breathed into his hand and smelled it -peppermint toothpaste. Not bad.

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and he made sure his shirt was tucked in his slacks before he opened the door. You stepped out of the elevator and looked around. When you saw him, your face lit up with a smile so gentle and genuine that it stirred something inside him. He pushed the feeling down.

“Come on in,” he said, gesturing you inside. “Would you mind taking your shoes off?”

“Sure.” You bent down to take off your shoes but your hands were full. “Oh, I got you this,” you said, thrusting a bouquet of wildflowers and a bottle of wine at him. He smiled playfully and your eyes landed on his missing left arm. You grimaced and looked down at your feet, feeling like an asshole.

“Thanks, angel,” he said, taking the flowers. “I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers.”

You let out a relieved laugh and set the bottle on the floor while you removed your shoes. “I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”

You followed him to the kitchen and glanced around the room. The kitchen had an industrial feel with a huge stainless steel sink and a countertop island in the centre that could act as a breakfast bar or just some additional counter space. There was a casserole dish on the island and a basket of garlic bread.

The dinner table was a little off to the side and had already been set for four with beautiful wooden placemats, gold-rimmed dinnerware and two silver candlesticks.

“It’s really nice,” you said, leaving the bottle of wine on the island.

“I can give you a quick tour if you’d like.”

“Yes, I guess it’d be helpful, especially if I need to use the restroom later.”

Bucky chuckled under his breath as he arranged the flowers in a vase. He gestured at the closed door next to the enormous stainless steel fridge. “The guest bathroom is right here.”

“Good to know.”

There were two bedrooms behind the dining room area. The first one had a bunk bed and posters on the walls. You didn’t enter the room, only looked from the threshold. Bucky told you that it was where his sister’s kids slept when they came to visit.

The second bedroom was a little larger. Against the wall, just below the window, was a bed. It was bigger than a single but not quite the size of a double. You entered the room and sat on the bed. It was topped with a fluffy white duvet and throw pillows in different shades of grey and white.

Bucky leaned against the door frame, watching you look around the room. You took in the duck-egg blue velvet armchair with the scalloped edges. It was without a doubt the most comfortable chair in his apartment.

There was also a dresser with a huge mirror, a wardrobe and a small desk.

“It’s where your sister stays, right?”

He nodded and pushed himself off the door frame and into the bedroom. “Occasionally.” He took a seat next to you on the bed. “They used to visit me a lot, now it’s just a guest room.”

“Well, this room is beautiful and the view,” you paused and looked out the window, “is just wow. I can see the One World Trade Center. It’s amazing.”

The kitchen-slash-dining room opened to a step-down living room with a high ceiling. You stared at the ceiling with wide eyes, unaware that Bucky was chuckling to himself behind you.

“Even gymnasiums aren’t this huge,” you said, pointing up to the eighteen foot high ceiling. “And the windows! My God, they’re almost reaching up to the ceiling.” You turned to him. “How do you clean those? Do you have a special ladder or something?”

He shook his head at your antics and crossed the room to sit on the sofa. Meanwhile, you continued exploring, marvelling at the view –“Oh my God! Is that the Chrysler building?”- and touching pretty much everything. The curtains were soft and light, the exposed brick wall felt grainy and rough, and the massive wooden desk was hard and coarse under your palm.  

“I like your living room,” you said, running your hand along the back of the sofa. “It’s not cold or pretentious, I really like it.”

“Thank you,” he replied with an amused frown. “To be honest, I hired someone to decorate the place.”

You laughed. “Yeah, no offense but I could tell.”

“None taken,” he laughed with you.

You sank into the sofa and let it swallow you whole. A gas burning fireplace sat next to the entertainment area. It heated the place nicely, leaving you toasty warm.

“It’s too bad the view is behind us,” you remarked, rolling your head to the side to look at him.

He smiled. “C’mon, I’ll show you what’s upstairs.”

“Upstairs?” you repeated in faux surprise. “Okay, Mr. Fancy.”

It took some effort to actually get up but you managed to follow Bucky to the second floor. There was a room upstairs that overlooked the living room. The room was bare except for a large desk against the wall and a bookshelf.

“The realtor sold me this room as a bedroom but the windows open on to the living room. You can actually see what’s going on inside this room when you’re downstairs. Not ideal. It’s probably the brightest room after the living room though.”

“You could turn it into an office.”

“I already have an office.”

You turned to him, smiling teasingly. “Of course you do.”

“You know,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I always thought this room would make a perfect artist’s studio. What do you think?”

You turned your head to him so fast you almost gave yourself whiplash. “Are you serious?”

“I am,” he said with a nod.

While you processed his offer, Bucky showed you the master suite and his office. His office was the messiest room so far. There were papers everywhere, post-it notes stuck to the wall above his laptop and several notebooks scattered on the desk.

You continued down the hallway, stopping to look at framed pictures of Bucky’s family and friends. He paused in front of a floor to ceiling mirror that led to his closet. You were curious and asked if you could take a look.

It wasn’t a regular closet, it was a walk-in closet with a round sofa in the middle of the room. You stepped inside and fingered the shirts hanging in front of you.

“Saint Laurent, Prada, Dolce Gabbana,” you read out loud, then whistled. “You have quite a collection of Henley, Mr. Fancy.”

“Is that my official nickname?” he teased.

You shrugged. “I’m experimenting, Mr. Big Bucks.” His whole face scrunched up in comical disgust and you made a similar grimace. “Yeah, no, I heard it. I don’t like it.”

You took the back stairs back to the kitchen and sat at the kitchen island while Bucky opened the bottle of wine to let it breathe. He asked if you wanted something to drink and you politely declined.

“Thanks for the tour,” you said. “I’m sorry I showed up so early. I think I was a little nervous.”

“It’s fine.” He took a seat next to you. “I like spending time with you and I'm glad that we can spend some time together.”  

“Yeah?”

He nodded and smiled. “Yeah.”

You both fell in a contemplative silence, lost in your thoughts. Bucky watched you run your fingers along the edge of the table. He looked at his watch and realized Sam and Nat were probably on their way to his apartment now.

“So what do you think about my proposition?”

“To use your guest room as an art studio?” you asked, making sure you were talking about the same thing. “It’s very generous but I’m not sure it’s feasible. I mean, you live in Brooklyn and I live in Chelsea. My shift ends at four but I have to be up really early. I’m usually too tired to do anything.”

“Do you like your job?”

You shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s only temporary.”

“I can pay you to paint,” he said, turning sideways on his stool to face you. “Isn’t that what the Medici family did back then? I can be your patron.”

“Well, it sounds better than sugar daddy,” you sassed.

“Think about it,” he urged. “If I pay you, you won’t have to worry about the money. You can paint whatever you want, whenever you want. You can even live here.”

“Woah, wait a second,” you cut him off. “You want me to live with you?”

“I told you a lot about me yesterday, but there are things that are... difficult to admit out loud.” He heaved a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts and searched for the right words.

“I’m a little broken,” he said with a faint smile. “After I lost my arm, I started pushing people away. I was rude to everyone. I became very comfortable with being alone, actually I preferred it. I felt like a completely different person. I had to relearn how to do everything and it was exhausting. I feel better now but there are things that I don’t like. I don’t like when people stare at me, or call me brave. I don’t like when people assume I can’t do something or help me without asking. Makes me feel like a child.”

He didn’t look at you while he spoke. He couldn’t. But if he wanted to make this work, if he wanted to gain your trust, he had to be completely honest. Even if it pushed you away.

“I have a therapist,” he continued. “She helped me cope with my anxiety, my nightmares, my depression. But at the same time, I also developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder. I’m scared I’m going to relapse, that my progress is only temporary. Cleaning rituals, intrusive thoughts, magical thinking... those are a huge pain in my ass. I started to believe that if I don’t follow my morning routine I’m going to have a shitty day. It’s stupid bu-”

“It’s not stupid,” you told him, understanding shining in your eyes.

He smiled at you. “It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I broke my routine because I needed to see you and apologize. And I broke it again after that. I guess you could say that I created a new habit but that’s not important. It takes a lot of effort to break or create a habit so it’s still a win in my book. Do you know why I call you ‘angel’?”

“Because you can’t remember my name.”

He sighed your name with fond exasperation, and smiled when it made you laugh. “No, it’s because, and it’s going to sound corny, but I feel like you might be my guardian angel. You’re so patient and kind, you make things easy for me.”

“Yeah, you’re right, it’s super corny,” you teased, tapping the tip of his nose with your index finger.

He scrunched up his nose with a smile. “So you see, living with me isn’t going to be easy.” He looked around the kitchen with a frown. “This place is too quiet. It doesn’t have a soul. It’s like nobody lives here. I want it to be messy and loud but I don’t know how to do that.” He turned to you, his blue eyes pleading. “You may think I’m doing you a favor but you’d be doing me a favor. I need you more than you need me.”

You rested your elbows on the counter and buried your face in your hands. He knew you needed time to process all this information but at the same time, he mentally patted himself on the back for actually opening up to you. It was a big step for him, no matter the outcome.

“Bucky, what you’re offering me is incredible. It’s everything I’ve always wanted and more.”

“But.”

“But there are people who depend on me financially. My job at the hotel isn’t exciting or fulfilling but it’s a steady income. What will I do in three months when you get tired of me?”

His face fell. “I didn’t know, I’m sorry. Listen, I think it’ll be safer if we write a contract. We can discuss the terms and include a clause, maybe a 30 days’ notice. I won’t throw you out, I promise.”

“We should talk about this with Nat and Sam. They’ve been through this. I mean taxwise it’s gonna be a compete mess. Does this mean I’m self-employed?” you wondered out loud. “Ugh, never mind.”

Bucky laughed, his leg started to bounce with nervous excitement. He couldn’t believe this was really happening. He watched you nibble your bottom lip. You met his eyes and smiled.

“Okay, let’s do this!”

Part 5

[unabashegirl]

Enticing (1)

Author’s Note: This is the first chapter of the NEW SERIES based on the imagine of CEO! I have rewritten this first chapter a thousand times by now. I just wanted it to be perfect and for everyone to get a glimpse of the kind of man that David is in this series. 

I also didn’t want to title it just CEO because it’s so cliche. I wanted it to be alluring for all of you!  I hope you all enjoy the first chapter. 

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET TAGGED!

masterlist 

--- 

Powerful is the first word that comes to mind when asked about him. It is later followed by meticulous, driven, calculating, or even impatient.  At twenty-six, he has acquired everything that he has ever wished for and even more.  

“Mr. Dobrik” he is greeted as he steps out of his car. He keeps his eyes glued to his phone, he is still trying to respond to an obnoxious email. He picks up the pace and types vigorously before entering the building. Someone was already at the door holding it open for him. 

“Thank you, Patrick” David acknowledges him after he finally puts his phone away and walks through the doors. The sound of the heel of his shoes clicking echoes through the lobby alerting everyone of his arrival. He runs a tight ship on his company, but it was for their best interest. 

“Good morning, Mr. Dobrik,” Andrea one of the receptionist says, she flashes him a big smile. 

“Andrea” he nods her way as he walks up to the elevators. She smiles to herself and sits back down. She has a huge crush on him but has never gotten anything out of him. He was always on his phone or in a rush. She didn’t blame him after all he was an important man with a tight schedule.  

David walks into his top floor and without a word walks into his office. A fresh glass of water with ice already rests on his desk. The recognizable pile of contracts and documents still lay on the right side of his desk, desperately calling out for his attention. 

“Mr. Dobrik” Andrew Rider was David’s personal assistant for almost four years. He is David’s most trusted worker. Andrew even had a copy of David’s penthouse keys. He sometimes dropped off to deliver his tailored suits and documents. 

“Good morning” He momentarily looks up from his screen and nods his direction. “Before anything Andrew please ask Daniel to bring me a coffee and something to eat from that coffee place I like” 

“Yes sir” Andrew quickly types Daniel a quick text before turning his attention to the list of appointments and meetings that David had scheduled. “Should we start now?” David nods as he continues looking through the emails in his inbox. Andrew always debriefs David about all the stats about the company before letting him know about his meetings and messages. As soon as Andrew finishes reading all the reports of every single branch he looks up at David and waits for a reaction. Andrew holds his IPad close to his body just in case things go south and he has to bolt out of the room just like he’s done many times before. 

“Thanks, fine. Proceed” This time it wasn’t the case. He was content with how things were going. 

“Your mother called yesterday and so did Ms. McCoy” David purses his lips at the mention of the woman that has been desperately trying to become his wife.  She is the daughter of one of his business partners. They had both invested in various companies together. Mr. McCoy respects David as a businessman and considers him an exceptional man. 

“What did my mother say?” He asks already knowing the reason behind her call. 

“She asked when you were planning on visiting with Henry” Last time David had gone to see his family things had ended badly. His father and he had gotten into a dispute about his younger sister's fiance. David’s father didn’t approve of him and when asked David told his honest opinion about the young man. She met him in college and they had just recently graduated. He didn’t have his life fully figured out like his father wanted him to have before asking for his daughter ‘s hand, but it didn’t matter. David could see how they loved one another. He didn’t see the problem after all they had just graduated and were still trying to figure out the ropes of adulthood. 

“Please let her know I’ll be visiting this weekend and I’ll bring him too. As of Ms. McCoy let her know if she calls back that I’ll reach out to her later during the week” Andrew rolls his eyes at the mention of his girlfriend. She is incredibly rude and arrogant. Everyone in the office hated her. They despised when she surprisingly runs by the office just to see the boss. David also hates it because it messes up his whole schedule. 

“Also the agency found a new nanny and sent her profile. Would you like me to read it to you?” David closes his laptop and leans back. This is at the top of his priorities for the day which meant it deserved his full attention. “Her name is Y/N Y/L/N, she is twenty-four and has been working for the agency for three years. Her previous family says she is sweet, attentive, caring and always puts the kids first. The family let her go since they were relocating to Los Angeles” 

“Did they not send any more profiles? Someone older perhaps?” He had nothing against the girl, but he felt more comfortable with someone older. 

“There aren’t more available and they send their apology” He can't leave Henry without a nanny much longer. He needs someone to be around him twenty-four seven especially when he is working. 

“Fine. Let her know that I’ll be waiting for her first thing tomorrow at the apartment” Andrew nods back before leaving the office to go fetch David’s coffee.  He felt instant relief after finding him a nanny. It wasn’t because David was incapable of taking care of his own son because he has done so the last week since their nanny quit. His tight schedule prevents him from staying home and tend all his needs. 

David’s life revolved around Henry. He rathers spends a weekend at home with him than taking a jet off to an exotic location. Henry has him wrapped around his little finger since he was born only three months ago. They only have one another and David has come to terms with it. 

Henry’s biological mother had exchanged him for money. David had met Ashley at a bar after one of his business deals had gone wrong. He had gone to the bar to release some stress and steam from the long week. After a few Scotch on the rocks, he noticed the presence of the pretty girl beside him. They talked for a few hours about superficial things like their favorite countries and anecdotes from college. A few minutes later, David found himself calling for Daniel to pick both of them up and drive them home. 

The whole night was a big blur for him. The only thing he remembers is the morning after and the hammering headache that came along with it. Ashley vanished as soon as the sun rose over Manhattan. David woke up to an empty room without any trace of her beside the messy bedsheets.

He didn’t hear from her until a few weeks later when an article of him was written by Forbes magazine. He was listed as one of the youngest billionaires. She found the magazine on a stand while making her way to work and called the company. After trying to reach him for a few days Andrew was finally alerted. 

Ashley met up with him that same afternoon and told him that she was pregnant and that she was going to terminate the pregnancy. David had never considered having kids up until that point. He thought they were all very cute, but never imagined himself with one. He didn’t say anything. He just told her that it was her body and her decision. David couldn’t sleep that night. He kept rolling around and he felt like something was terribly wrong. Something had woken up inside of him and even though he had decided to no intervene with her decision, he still did. 

He begged her to get an abortion and offered to take full responsibility when he was born. That still wasn’t enough with Ashley. She wanted more and it wasn’t until a few days later when David finally figured it all out. She wanted money for the baby. Ashley wanted him to pay her for the baby that she was carrying and once again after much thinking, he did. He paid Ashley and an incredible amount of money for him. David didn’t care how much money it was. Money was dispensable and he could always make more. He couldn’t make another Henry. He was one of a kind. At the end of the day, David was going to be able to raise Henry and watch him grow up. 

The day that Henry was born was the last time he heard or saw Ashley. Within hours she had signed off all of her parental rights and had given David full custody. She had also cashed in all the money. Since then they have been together. Everything absolutely everything came after Henry now. All the long hours in the office and the traveling was all for him. David wanted to give him the world. 

Andrew sets his coffee down before leaving him on his own. He sits back and starts working until he is interrupted by the head of international relations. The company has been having trouble with the branch in Canada and David still couldn’t under why. They were always above the budge and below the income requirement. He knows he has to drop by soon, but he first wants to gather all the correct information before flying in and firing a few people. 

“The situation with Canada can’t continue like this. If it does I am going to forced to fire him” Jacob Wilson is the appointed CEO of the Canadian branch in Ontario.  David rarely speaks to him because he has trusted him since the beginning, but things have been slightly off lately. 

“I think it’s for our best interest to find out what’s going on over there. It’s a sinking boat and with the expansion happening soon we can’t risk ourselves for the other investors to pull out” Alexander points out before taking a sip out of his coffee. 

Before David can say anything else the door burst open and in walks Valentina McCoy with all her might. If there is one thing that David can’t tolerate is being interrupted in one of his meetings especially so abruptly. 

“Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” Her voice is loud and stern, but it doesn’t faze him. David turns to look at Alexander, whose eyes look like they are about to pop out of his body. He can defiantly sense the awkwardness of the entire situation. 

“I am sorry Alexander. I’ll keep me posted if anything else emerges” They both rise to their feet and shake each other’s hands before Alexander slips out of his office before the mayhem commences.  

“Answer me!” She stumps her foot on the ground. Her body is leaned forward and her yaw is clenched. David remains silent only making her angrier. He unbuttons the first two buttons of his shirt, trying his best to put his thoughts together. “David! Why the fuck have you answered me?” She hisses. 

“Who do you think you are?” His back is facing her as he looks at the skyline. 

“Why can’t you fucking look at me?!” Her voice is louder and by now everyone on the top floor knows that she has arrived. David quickly turns around and chuckles. 

“I asked you a question. Who the fuck do you think you are?!” She jumps a bit at his loud, demanding voice. He was sick and tired of her childish actions. “You can’t just barge in here like you own the fucking place and yell at me in front of my employees” 

“I sure can! especially when you aren’t answering my texts” Her voice is lower and she has stepped back. She felt intimidated by his current state. David’s eyebrows are knitted and his hands are on his wooden desk. 

“You are fucking nobody. You are just a daddy’s girl, who thinks that she can buy her way out of everything. You think your fucking beauty and your bank account grants you the right to do whatever the fuck you want, but that’s not how things work. You have no fucking right to burst through that door without knocking or without letting me know. This isn’t your fucking house where people come in and out whenever they please. This is my goddam company, Valentina”  His weight is all distributed on his hands as he leans forward and demands respects. She is speechless and on the verge of tears. 

He is so fucking done with her. He enjoyed her company until it lasted. This was the last straw. No one messed around with him, especially in his workplace. 

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET TAGGED!

[peachyparkerr]

for the both of us (p.p.) | 3

 summary: a look into peter and y/n’s past makes peter rethink everything. 

note: hi! I didn’t post last week but here’s part three, I think there’ll be two more parts! let me know if you want to be tagged in it!

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

When I woke up she wasn’t next to me. My heart sank a little before I noticed the note she left for me. 

“Peter - I woke up early and went home to have breakfast with my parents. Didn’t want to wake you, but I left breakfast in the fridge for you. Happy will pick you up later to take you to Stark Industries for your suit fitting . — Y/N”

I waited for the sinking feeling to go away but it didn’t. I just knew that there was something else I was missing, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it yet. I didn’t want to think about it, so I tried to focus on the fact that yesterday was good. She actually talked to me, it was my bed and my arms that she was in. 

She missed me, and until she said it I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear it. 

So I told myself that I was paranoid, that I didn’t have to worry about a thing, that last night meant something and we’d finally be together. 

And that’s what I told myself all day until Happy picked me up to go to Stark Industries. 

“Hey Happy, when is Y/N getting to the suit fitting?” I asked

“Oh—she’s not coming. I think she said it was Harry’s little sister’s birthday? Did she not tell you?” 

There was that sinking feeling again. 

“Oh...right..right. I must’ve just forgot or something.” I lied. 

Happy was quiet for a moment before looking at me through the rear view mirror. 

“Look Peter, I don’t know what exactly is going on with you and Y/N, but I know you guys will figure it out. “

“You think so?” 

“You guys have always found a way to work it out, and you always do it best together, so it shouldn’t be any different. “ 

The rest of the car ride was quiet. I tried to keep Happy’s words in mind as I let my thoughts flash back to before I left—a time before there ever was a Harry to worry about—and how perfect things were with Y/N then. 

*flashback*

I had known Y/N for about a year at the time. I was starting to see her as more than a friend and feel things for her that were definitely more than brotherly love. But out of fear that I’d find a way to mess it up I refused to say anything until I knew for sure how I felt about her. 

I was swinging through the city in the morning when I noticed the time.  Y/N would be leaving for school soon and I thought I’d stop by her apartment for a quick visit. I also noticed the flower stand outside her building already opened, so I bought some daffodils for her—her favorite spring flower—and swong myself up onto her balcony. 

I tapped on her window lightly three times before she noticed me and I went into her room. 

“Peter!!” She excitedly yelled as I took off my mask and she ran towards me to give me a hug.  “What are you doing here?” 

“Thought I could swing by—literally swing by now that I think about it—bring you some flowers before you went to school.” I said hugging her tightly before letting go and handing her the flowers. 

“They’re so pretty! Daffodils?” She asked, admiring the bunch of flowers and then looking back at me

“Yeah!” I then realized that I sounded a little too excited. “ I mean - yea...yea I remembered that you said they’re your favorite spring flower. A-and I wanted to..I don’t know..bring you something nice to start off your day.” I scratched the back of my neck nervously. 

“That is so cute and sweet! Thanks Parker.” She then kissed my cheek, making me flush a deep red. I paused for a second to process and to try to stop my breath from hitching in my throat after the fact that she not only just did that—but that she thought it was cute. Did she think I was cute? I mean probably not...but she kissed my cheek...”you’re cute” I imagined saying to her...but I was getting ahead of myself. 

“So...want a lift to school?” I asked as I felt my throat hitch by just looking at her 

“I would BUT my dad will kill me- and probably kill you- if he sees “Stark Daughter Swings through Manhattan with Spider-Man” in the papers again...but how about after school? We can go to that old fashioned frozen yogurt place you’ve been talking about. Only if we walk though-“ She laughed making my heart flutter. 

“Okay, it’s a date! Wait not a date-Unless you wanted it to be a date-it doesn’t have to be a date—“ I rambled on and on until she cut me off by quickly kissing me. I froze. 

“It’s a date. “ she said smiling at me. “Now, I’m going to be late for school so I have to go. But I’ll see you downstairs at 3!” And then she rushed out the door. 

I was still processing that she had just kissed me for the first time when I felt the heat in my cheeks rise even more. I put my mask back on and was on my own way to school. Yet, I couldn’t help the happy expression on my face that was hiding under my mask. 

The whole day I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear just at the thought of her. I must’ve annoyed the shit out of Ned by how much I was talking about her. 

As soon as school ended for me I rushed over to her building and waited in the lobby for her. Soon enough I was met with her angelic light coming towards me. 

“Ready to go, Parker?” She asked 

“After you, m’lady.” I said making her laugh. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink and I mentally patted myself on the back for making her blush instead of it being the other way around. 

We made our way to the yogurt place, arms linked together. It started raining on our way there but I had brought my umbrella and we huddled close together to fit under it. When we got there, I payed for our yogurts and we sat at a table by the window to watch the rain.

“Do you ever think about how pretty the rain is, Parker?” She asked me admiring the raindrops falling on the window 

“I think you’re pretty, does that count?” 

“God Peter, when did you get so cheesy?” She  turned her gaze towards me and then looked down at her yogurt to hide how much she was glowing.

We were quiet for a second before I spoke up again.

“So, Y/N about this morning...I...I-“ I was so nervous. I wanted to tell her how I felt but I couldn’t quite understand it yet and couldn’t find the words to explain it. 

“Peter, how about we make a promise?” She said 

“Okay what are we promising?”

“To be honest when we can, to be there for each other always, to never hurt each other, and to always figure things out together? I don’t want to force you to explain things to me when you can’t explain it to yourself, so I think this just might be easier, for now.” 

I smiled at her and raised my pinky.

“Okay, pinky promise?” 

“Pinky promise.” We linked our pinkies and it was me leaning in to kiss her this time.

||.

Things were so uncomplicated then. If I hadn’t left nine months ago, we would be together. We would’ve figured out what we were together, I wouldn’t have taken so long to realize that I loved her. But now that she was with Harry, could we really figure it out together? Is there an us to figure out? 

Was there ever an us to figure out? 

[missjanjie]

Like a Million Dollar Bill | Jessence

Title: Like a Million Dollar Bill Summary:  Jaida has recently come to terms with being a widow after her husband suddenly passed under totally normal and not at all suspicious circumstances. As the sole heir, she also suddenly finds herself richer than she could ever imagine. But she doesn't stay a lonely widow for long, as one night at her friend's lounge brings a woman into her life that might even be more valuable than her fortune. Word Count: ~3.2k Relationship(s): Jessence (Jan Sport/Jaida Essence Hall) Rating: E Notes: this is my submission for the black girl magic fic challenge so a note for that is the title is from the song 'million dollar bill' by whitney houston. also big thanks to @janssports for beta-ing

Read on AO3

-

“That finalizes everything, Mrs. Whitham, and again, I am so sorry for your loss.” The man from the probate court shook Jaida’s hand before she got up to leave.

Jaida did her best to maintain the miserable expression she had on through the funeral. She thought about the disdain she felt when the man used her married name, how desperate she was to regain her sense of individual identity. She was free, only if she played her cards right. But this was a long time coming, to say the least. “Thank you so much, sir.” She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief before leaving the room.

Sitting on a bench in the hallway was her younger sister, Heidi. She got up and took her hand. “You good?” she asked gently, coming off as nothing more than the concerned sibling of a grieving widow. But the look in her eyes reminded Jaida that she knew. She knew it all. Someone had to, lest the burden of keeping a secret became overwhelming and came out to the wrong person.

And Jaida continued to play her role, standing upright and swallowing thickly, because she was just struggling to stay strong. “I will be,” she said with a tremor in her voice.

“Who did he appoint as the…” Heidi furrowed her brows as she wracked her brain. “What’s the word again? For the person that’s gonna transfer his funds to you?”

“Executor,” she answered. “And it’s his sister, lord help me.” She sighed. Her deceased husband’s family had never been fond of her - due both to the twenty-year gap that existed in their relationship and outright racism. The only upside to that was no one outside the family took their complaints very seriously, but that didn’t mean she was at all happy to have to deal with her. “Anyway, I’m gonna go to Shea’s lounge tonight. She’s got a new singer, should be cute. You wanna come?”

Her sister shook her head. “Naw, I gotta get my ass up early to finish packing. Gonna take some time to move into that fancy-ass mansion.” She chuckled. It might not have been the best time to be visibly excited, but she was so thrilled to get herself and her dogs out of her one bedroom, seven hundred square-foot apartment.

“Suit yourself.” Jaida shrugged as she pulled her coat on. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

------

The lounge Shea owned was chic, calm, a place Jaida would probably still frequent if it wasn’t her best friend’s pride and joy. It was the type of place where she could dress up to go to, without feeling like she had to be on her best, most reserved behavior. And after all of the day’s events, she just wanted to relax, entering the club and making a beeline to her friend.

“Hey, I’m so glad you made it!” Shea beamed, hugging her tightly. “Just wait until you see our new act. She’s fresh out of university with a fancy musical theatre degree, and the bitch can sing. It’s fucking angelic, Jaida.” She didn’t mention Jaida’s husband’s death at that moment. While she didn’t know exactly what happened, she knew how miserable Jaida had been, how there hadn’t been any love between them in god knows how long. She knew how poorly he treated her and that his death probably wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Jaida chuckled, walking with her to the bar while Shea ordered them a couple of drinks. “Damn, you really hyped her up, I’m gonna just take your word on it,” she assured, taking a sip of her drink when the bartender placed it beside her.

“Just come on, her set’s about to start,” Shea threw some money down on the counter and pulled Jaida along to one of the velvet couches so they could sit and watch.

Jan walked onto the stage, the spotlight framing her perfectly. She wore a strapless wine-red dress that just hit the ground and was tailored perfectly to her body, accentuating her curves while giving her an air of elegance one would expect from an upscale lounge singer. And her voice was as enchanting as Shea had talked it up to be and then some. There was no doubt that every patron of that lounge had their attention fixed solely on the stage.

“So, what do you think?” Shea asked once the first song had ended.

Jaida grinned, her gaze never breaking away from the singer. “I think I’m in love,” she retorted.

Her friend looked at her and let out a soft laugh. “What, are you following in your husband’s–may he rest in peace–footsteps? She’s twenty-two.”

“Bitch, I’m forty, not eighty. This is a new chapter in my life, who’s to say I can’t include a hot twenty-something in it?” Jaida scoffed.

Shea finished off her drink. “You know what? I respect that. I’ll introduce you two once she’s done,” she decided.

And true to her word, Shea took Jaida backstage once Jan’s set was over. “Wonderful job, darling,” she said as she walked in. “Jan, I’d like you to meet my dear friend, Jaida. We met when we were both in college, so, back when we were about your age.”

Jan looked at Jaida, tilting her head. “Well, how’s that possible when you’re clearly not a day over twenty-five?”

Shea rolled her eyes. “Oh lord, I’ll leave you guys to it,” she said and left the two of them alone.

Jaida chuckled. “Don’t you worry about her,” she said to Jan. “But anyway, you really were fantastic out there. That fancy college degree I keep hearing about did you well.”

Jan smiled, absentmindedly twirling her hair around her finger. “Why thank you. With all the debt it plunged me into, it better.”

The older woman clicked her tongue sympathetically. “Shit, how far in the hole are you?”

“About thirty grand.”

Jaida glanced around, then sat down beside Jan. “Listen, don’t go telling nobody, but I got you. I’m a couple days away from coming into a lot of money, like, well into seven figures.” She didn’t give a specific number because she wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked, but she could hire someone to explain it to her.

Jan’s eyes went wide and her jaw hung open. “A-Are you sure? I mean, thank you, that’s so kind. But if you don’t mind me asking… How’d you come into that kind of money?”

“Inheritance,” she replied, biting back a smirk.

“That’s just… incredible. If there’s anything I can do to thank you…”

Jaida waved her hand, brushing the suggestion off. “You don’t have to do anything. But I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to let me buy you a drink when you’re done for the night.”

Jan fluttered her eyelashes and shifted closer to her. “Of course, I was hoping this might be a little more than a random philanthropic act.”

This brought a feeling of relief to Jaida, the last thing she wanted was for Jan to feel obligated to express romantic or sexual interest in her. “I’ll see you on the other side, then,” she hummed as she got up and returned to the lounge, ready to watch Jan on stage for the rest of her shift. The only time her gaze broke was to text her driver to be on his way.

And once it ended, the two of them reconvened at the bar, with Jaida ordering them both a drink. “So, have you always been a singer?” she asked casually.

“Oh yeah, since I was four.” Jan chuckled. “At the end of the day there was just no other choice for me.”

“I like a girl that knows what she wants out of life,” Jaida mused, taking the glass once it was set down in front of her and sipping from it.

Jan smiled, lips just barely pursed around the rim of the glass. She sipped slowly, then set it down as she looked at her. “Then tell me,” she prompted, “what do you want?” She leaned ever so slightly closer, a sultry air lacing around her words.

Jaida smirked, pointedly looking her over. “Something about five-foot-four, brown eyes, voice of an angel…” she listed, voice trailing off as she spoke. “You know, something along those lines.”

Jan set her glass down once it was empty. “You better be taking that something back to your place then,” she replied simply.

“I intend on it,” she hummed. “You ever been in a Rolls Royce?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”

Jaida grinned, leaving cash down for the bartender before getting up. “Come, Ralph is waiting out back for us.”

Jan tilted her head as she followed. “Ralph?”

“My driver. I inherited the staff as well, but they all liked me better anyway.” She chuckled as they went outside and stepped into the car, exchanging casual greetings with the driver.

While Jan did try to keep her attention on Jaida, she was distracted by how luxurious and pristine the car was, and when they pulled up to Jaida’s house, her eyes went wide. “This is where you live?” she gasped softly.

“Not too shabby, huh?” Jaida hummed as they got out of the car. “A lot of the staff lives here, no point in having a bunch of empty rooms. And my sister’s moving in tomorrow,” she explained, leading her inside.

Jan was trying her best to listen, but taking in everything around her meant her focus was being pulled in six different directions. It reminded her of her first time in Manhattan — everything was big and shiny, but she didn’t think she could touch anything yet. The first thing her hand felt was the railing of the spiral staircase she was following Jaida up.

“And this is my room. It could do with an update, I ain’t gonna lie. But she’s comfy and spacious, can’t really complain.” Jaida hummed. She had been the one that had pushed for such a big bed, and although she was quick to adjust to sleeping in it alone, she was more than happy to bring in new company. She turned to see that Jan had taken off her shoes and thrown herself onto the bed, sprawled out on her back and giggling softly to herself. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Sorry, it just looked so inviting. I couldn’t help myself,” Jan replied, sitting back up.

Jaida smiled as she toed out of her heels. “I’m not mad, you look good in my bed.” She hummed, letting her eyes rake over Jan’s body.

“I’d look even better up close,” she cooed, beckoning Jaida closer with a curl of her finger.

“You know, I think you’re right.” Jaida chuckled as she crawled onto the bed, then on top of Jan, straddling her waist as she kissed along her jawline.

Jan tilted her head back, baring her neck as Jaida’s lips traveled down it. A breathy gasp slipped out when Jaida began littering her neck with hickies until she finally moved up to kiss her properly.

Jaida kissed her hard, deeply. It was the first kiss in years that made her feel so alive, that made her keep going back for more because the taste of her lips became instantly addictive. Her fingers tangled in Jan’s hair, pulling her head closer while her free hand unzipped the younger woman’s dress.

Jan wiggled out of her dress, not wanting to have to break away from Jaida to take it off properly. Her hand wandered across Jaida’s back until she felt the metal of the zipper under her thumb, then unzipped the dress in a swift movement.

When they did have to come up for air, Jaida took another look at the girl beneath her. “You always wear lingerie like this under your work clothes?” she teased, her finger tracing along the outline of Jan’s lacy, strapless bra.

“It helps me stay in the zone. You know, the soft, sultry lounge singer.” She hummed, walking her fingers up Jaida’s arm. “And it seems to have worked,” she added, her fingers stopping on Jaida’s bra strap and playfully tugging it down.

“Guess you got me there,” Jaida murmured, pressing another kiss to her lips as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her hands glided forward, cupping Jan’s breasts with her thumbs massaging her nipples at a teasingly slow pace, smirking when it elicited a soft moan. She trailed her lips back down Jan’s neck, to her collarbone, then between her breasts.

Jan’s back arched up, body already yearning for more touch, and whimpering softly when she felt Jaida’s tongue swirling around her nipple. Her thighs instinctively parted as soon as Jaida pulled her panties down, but she was past the point of feeling any sort of embarrassment - she knew what she wanted and was ready for it.

And who was Jaida to do anything but give right in? After finally undressing herself, she nudged Jan’s thighs apart with her hand, then gently traced her finger along her folds. She eased one finger in first, curling and pumping it slowly, her eyes trained on Jan’s face, watching her get more and more worked up. “That’s it, good girl,” she murmured as she worked in a second finger and built up her pace. She looked down with amusement when she saw how Jan was thrusting her hips forward, as if she was trying to fuck herself on her fingers. “And so eager,” she teased.

“Just love the way you make me feel, Mommy,” Jan purred in a way that sent chills up Jaida’s spine.

Jaida smirked and leaned over to kiss her. “Cute,” she murmured before moving down between Jan’s legs and, before Jan could offer any response, she replaced her fingers with her tongue, thrusting it and swirling it around.

“F-Fuck!” Jan gasped out sharply, hips pushing up again. Her hands gripped the comforter beneath her, knuckles turning white from the tightness of her hold.

And Jaida was only encouraged by that. Her tongue moved steadily and swiftly while her thumb rubbed at her clit. Her free hand kept her balanced by gripping onto Jan’s thigh, which helped keep Jan in place as well.

Jan was trembling and moaning, her body was red hot and she could feel her pulse racing. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hips bucked up despite Jaida’s grip. “A-Ah, fuck!” she nearly yelled as her orgasm hit.

It was only after Jaida was certain Jan was fully spent that she came up for air. “That good, baby?” she cooed, running her hands up and down Jan’s body.

Jan felt like her soul had left her body, feeling completely numb and utterly spent in the best possible way. “So good,” she breathed out. Once she regained the ability to remember how to move, she sat up. “Let me take care of you,” she whispered, and was already pushing Jaida onto the bed before she could get an answer.

Not that Jaida would’ve ever dreamed of objecting. She laid back with her legs propped apart to give her room, and tried her best to watch her, but the second she felt Jan’s tongue against her pussy and easing its way in, her eyes fluttered shut and her body shuddered in pleasure. She supposed it didn’t surprise her that Jan was talented any way she used her mouth, but god, that girl was an overachiever.

And Jan was nothing if not eager to please. She didn’t let up for a second, not until Jaida came as hard as she had, and even after that, she lingered for a moment, just in case. Then she moved back up Jaida’s body and kissed her sweetly.

Jaida hummed contently and wrapped her arms around Jan. “That was so good, baby,” she praised gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before shifting so they could be under the covers. “Think you’re about ready to call it a night?”

Jan nodded, letting out a soft yawn. “God, I’m gonna sleep so well tonight,” she murmured as she nestled herself against Jaida.

“I sure hope so,” she retorted lightly as her eyes closed.

------

The housekeeper let Heidi in that morning, and Heidi didn’t think much of it. She knew her sister had never been a morning person, and they never did set a time for her to come over. Considering she didn’t need to bring any furniture, the transition to moving in was easily handled by herself, with some help from the security guard - she could only go up and down that long staircase so many times with arms full of luggage.

Once she was more or less settled in, Heidi went back downstairs to go into the kitchen with the intent of raiding Jaida’s fridge for some breakfast. What she didn’t expect to see was a white girl in one of her sister’s silk robes leaning against the counter and drinking coffee. “Now who in the fresh hell are you?”

Jan was unphased by this. “I’m Jan,” she answered. “You must be Heidi, Jaida’s told me so much about you.”

“Well she ain’t tell me shit about you, so my question remains unanswered,” she said bluntly.

“Right, that makes sense, since we just met last night,” Jan mused. “Anyway, I know you’re just moving in and stuff, I’ll go let Jaida know you’re here.” She finished her coffee and put the empty mug in the sink before going back upstairs, happy to see that Jaida was a little more awake than when she’d left. “Your sister’s here, by the way,” she said as she sat cross-legged on the bed.

Jaida sat upright. “This early? Damn. Well, I better make myself decent and go talk to her,” she said, getting out of bed and throwing on a t-shirt and sweatpants. “I won’t be long, boo.” She kissed her cheek before she made her way downstairs.

“You got some ‘splaining to do,” Heidi said as soon as Jaida came into her line of vision. “Now, who was that pretty little thing wanderin’ around here in next to nothing?”

“Jan’s the new singer at Shea’s lounge. Listen, I know it was fast but… I don’t know how to explain it, there’s something special about her. We had this connection that I just know is more than intimate.”

Heidi stared at her blankly. “Do you hear yourself right now? It hasn’t even been a month since the funeral and you’ve got a co-ed up in your room.”

Jaida sighed. “Look, I’m not planning on flaunting her out and about yet, but I’m not gonna deny myself just because the dirt on his grave is still fresh.” She chewed her lip. “This is the first time I’ve been happy in years, Heidi. I need you to let me have this.”

Her sister was quiet for a moment. “You really think this girl’s gonna make you that happy?”

“I do.”

“Then I won’t stop you.” Heidi gave in without any more resistance. “Just don’t go mixing any of that white powder into her drink, she seems real nice.”

Jaida rolled her eyes, then quickly glanced around to make sure they were alone. “Don’t you worry, arsenic milkshakes are off the menu.”

[artificialqueens]

Like a Million Dollar Bill (Jaida x Jan) - Joley

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note: this is my submission for the black girl magic fic challenge so a note for that is the title is from the song ‘million dollar bill’ by whitney houston

“That finalizes everything, Mrs. Whitham, and again, I am so sorry for your loss.” The man from the probate court shook Jaida’s hand before she got up to leave.

Jaida did her best to maintain the miserable expression she had on through the funeral. She thought about the disdain she felt when the man used her married name, how desperate she was to regain her sense of individual identity. She was free, only if she played her cards right. But this was a long time coming, to say the least. “Thank you so much, sir.” She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief before leaving the room.

Sitting on a bench in the hallway was her younger sister, Heidi. She got up and took her hand. “You good?” she asked gently, coming off as nothing more than the concerned sibling of a grieving widow. But the look in her eyes reminded Jaida that she knew. She knew it all. Someone had to, lest the burden of keeping a secret became overwhelming and came out to the wrong person.

And Jaida continued to play her role, standing upright and swallowing thickly, because she was just struggling to stay strong. “I will be,” she said with a tremor in her voice.

“Who did he appoint as the…” Heidi furrowed her brows as she wracked her brain. “What’s the word again? For the person that’s gonna transfer his funds to you?”

“Executor,” she answered. “And it’s his sister, lord help me.” She sighed. Her deceased husband’s family had never been fond of her - due both to the twenty-year gap that existed in their relationship and outright racism. The only upside to that was no one outside the family took their complaints very seriously, but that didn’t mean she was at all happy to have to deal with her. “Anyway, I’m gonna go to Shea’s lounge tonight. She’s got a new singer, should be cute. You wanna come?”

Her sister shook her head. “Naw, I gotta get my ass up early to finish packing. Gonna take some time to move into that fancy-ass mansion.” She chuckled. It might not have been the best time to be visibly excited, but she was so thrilled to get herself and her dogs out of her one bedroom, seven hundred square-foot apartment.

“Suit yourself.” Jaida shrugged as she pulled her coat on. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

——

The lounge Shea owned was chic, calm, a place Jaida would probably still frequent if it wasn’t her best friend’s pride and joy. It was the type of place where she could dress up to go to, without feeling like she had to be on her best, most reserved behavior. And after all of the day’s events, she just wanted to relax, entering the club and making a beeline to her friend.

“Hey, I’m so glad you made it!” Shea beamed, hugging her tightly. “Just wait until you see our new act. She’s fresh out of university with a fancy musical theatre degree, and the bitch can sing. It’s fucking angelic, Jaida.” She didn’t mention Jaida’s husband’s death at that moment. While she didn’t know exactly what happened, she knew how miserable Jaida had been, how there hadn’t been any love between them in god knows how long. She knew how poorly he treated her and that his death probably wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Jaida chuckled, walking with her to the bar while Shea ordered them a couple of drinks. “Damn, you really hyped her up, I’m gonna just take your word on it,” she assured, taking a sip of her drink when the bartender placed it beside her.

“Just come on, her set’s about to start,” Shea threw some money down on the counter and pulled Jaida along to one of the velvet couches so they could sit and watch.

Jan walked onto the stage, the spotlight framing her perfectly. She wore a strapless wine-red dress that just hit the ground and was tailored perfectly to her body, accentuating her curves while giving her an air of elegance one would expect from an upscale lounge singer. And her voice was as enchanting as Shea had talked it up to be and then some. There was no doubt that every patron of that lounge had their attention fixed solely on the stage.

“So, what do you think?” Shea asked once the first song had ended.

Jaida grinned, her gaze never breaking away from the singer. “I think I’m in love,” she retorted.

Her friend looked at her and let out a soft laugh. “What, are you following in your husband’s–may he rest in peace–footsteps? She’s twenty-two.”

“Bitch, I’m forty, not eighty. This is a new chapter in my life, who’s to say I can’t include a hot twenty-something in it?” Jaida scoffed.

Shea finished off her drink. “You know what? I respect that. I’ll introduce you two once she’s done,” she decided.

And true to her word, Shea took Jaida backstage once Jan’s set was over. “Wonderful job, darling,” she said as she walked in. “Jan, I’d like you to meet my dear friend, Jaida. We met when we were both in college, so, back when we were about your age.”

Jan looked at Jaida, tilting her head. “Well, how’s that possible when you’re clearly not a day over twenty-five?”

Shea rolled her eyes. “Oh lord, I’ll leave you guys to it,” she said and left the two of them alone.

Jaida chuckled. “Don’t you worry about her,” she said to Jan. “But anyway, you really were fantastic out there. That fancy college degree I keep hearing about did you well.”

Jan smiled, absentmindedly twirling her hair around her finger. “Why thank you. With all the debt it plunged me into, it better.”

The older woman clicked her tongue sympathetically. “Shit, how far in the hole are you?”

“About thirty grand.”

Jaida glanced around, then sat down beside Jan. “Listen, don’t go telling nobody, but I got you. I’m a couple days away from coming into a lot of money, like, well into seven figures.” She didn’t give a specific number because she wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked, but she could hire someone to explain it to her.

Jan’s eyes went wide and her jaw hung open. “A-Are you sure? I mean, thank you, that’s so kind. But if you don’t mind me asking… How’d you come into that kind of money?”

“Inheritance,” she replied, biting back a smirk.

“That’s just… incredible. If there’s anything I can do to thank you…”

Jaida waved her hand, brushing the suggestion off. “You don’t have to do anything. But I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to let me buy you a drink when you’re done for the night.”

Jan fluttered her eyelashes and shifted closer to her. “Of course, I was hoping this might be a little more than a random philanthropic act.”

This brought a feeling of relief to Jaida, the last thing she wanted was for Jan to feel obligated to express romantic or sexual interest in her. “I’ll see you on the other side, then,” she hummed as she got up and returned to the lounge, ready to watch Jan on stage for the rest of her shift. The only time her gaze broke was to text her driver to be on his way.

And once it ended, the two of them reconvened at the bar, with Jaida ordering them both a drink. “So, have you always been a singer?” she asked casually.

“Oh yeah, since I was four.” Jan chuckled. “At the end of the day there was just no other choice for me.”

“I like a girl that knows what she wants out of life,” Jaida mused, taking the glass once it was set down in front of her and sipping from it.

Jan smiled, lips just barely pursed around the rim of the glass. She sipped slowly, then set it down as she looked at her. “Then tell me,” she prompted, “what do you want?” She leaned ever so slightly closer, a sultry air lacing around her words.

Jaida smirked, pointedly looking her over. “Something about five-foot-four, brown eyes, voice of an angel…” she listed, voice trailing off as she spoke. “You know, something along those lines.”

Jan set her glass down once it was empty. “You better be taking that something back to your place then,” she replied simply.

“I intend on it,” she hummed. “You ever been in a Rolls Royce?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”

Jaida grinned, leaving cash down for the bartender before getting up. “Come, Ralph is waiting out back for us.”

Jan tilted her head as she followed. “Ralph?”

“My driver. I inherited the staff as well, but they all liked me better anyway.” She chuckled as they went outside and stepped into the car, exchanging casual greetings with the driver.

While Jan did try to keep her attention on Jaida, she was distracted by how luxurious and pristine the car was, and when they pulled up to Jaida’s house, her eyes went wide. “This is where you live?” she gasped softly.

“Not too shabby, huh?” Jaida hummed as they got out of the car. “A lot of the staff lives here, no point in having a bunch of empty rooms. And my sister’s moving in tomorrow,” she explained, leading her inside.

Jan was trying her best to listen, but taking in everything around her meant her focus was being pulled in six different directions. It reminded her of her first time in Manhattan — everything was big and shiny, but she didn’t think she could touch anything yet. The first thing her hand felt was the railing of the spiral staircase she was following Jaida up.

“And this is my room. It could do with an update, I ain’t gonna lie. But she’s comfy and spacious, can’t really complain.” Jaida hummed. She had been the one that had pushed for such a big bed, and although she was quick to adjust to sleeping in it alone, she was more than happy to bring in new company. She turned to see that Jan had taken off her shoes and thrown herself onto the bed, sprawled out on her back and giggling softly to herself. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Sorry, it just looked so inviting. I couldn’t help myself,” Jan replied, sitting back up.

Jaida smiled as she toed out of her heels. “I’m not mad, you look good in my bed.” She hummed, letting her eyes rake over Jan’s body.

“I’d look even better up close,” she cooed, beckoning Jaida closer with a curl of her finger.

“You know, I think you’re right.” Jaida chuckled as she crawled onto the bed, then on top of Jan, straddling her waist as she kissed along her jawline.

Jan tilted her head back, baring her neck as Jaida’s lips traveled down it. A breathy gasp slipped out when Jaida began littering her neck with hickies until she finally moved up to kiss her properly.

Jaida kissed her hard, deeply. It was the first kiss in years that made her feel so alive, that made her keep going back for more because the taste of her lips became instantly addictive. Her fingers tangled in Jan’s hair, pulling her head closer while her free hand unzipped the younger woman’s dress.

Jan wiggled out of her dress, not wanting to have to break away from Jaida to take it off properly. Her hand wandered across Jaida’s back until she felt the metal of the zipper under her thumb, then unzipped the dress in a swift movement.

When they did have to come up for air, Jaida took another look at the girl beneath her. “You always wear lingerie like this under your work clothes?” she teased, her finger tracing along the outline of Jan’s lacy, strapless bra.

“It helps me stay in the zone. You know, the soft, sultry lounge singer.” She hummed, walking her fingers up Jaida’s arm. “And it seems to have worked,” she added, her fingers stopping on Jaida’s bra strap and playfully tugging it down.

“Guess you got me there,” Jaida murmured, pressing another kiss to her lips as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her hands glided forward, cupping Jan’s breasts with her thumbs massaging her nipples at a teasingly slow pace, smirking when it elicited a soft moan. She trailed her lips back down Jan’s neck, to her collarbone, then between her breasts.

Jan’s back arched up, body already yearning for more touch, and whimpering softly when she felt Jaida’s tongue swirling around her nipple. Her thighs instinctively parted as soon as Jaida pulled her panties down, but she was past the point of feeling any sort of embarrassment - she knew what she wanted and was ready for it.

And who was Jaida to do anything but give right in? After finally undressing herself, she nudged Jan’s thighs apart with her hand, then gently traced her finger along her folds. She eased one finger in first, curling and pumping it slowly, her eyes trained on Jan’s face, watching her get more and more worked up. “That’s it, good girl,” she murmured as she worked in a second finger and built up her pace. She looked down with amusement when she saw how Jan was thrusting her hips forward, as if she was trying to fuck herself on her fingers. “And so eager,” she teased.

“Just love the way you make me feel, Mommy,” Jan purred in a way that sent chills up Jaida’s spine.

Jaida smirked and leaned over to kiss her. “Cute,” she murmured before moving down between Jan’s legs and, before Jan could offer any response, she replaced her fingers with her tongue, thrusting it and swirling it around.

“F-Fuck!” Jan gasped out sharply, hips pushing up again. Her hands gripped the comforter beneath her, knuckles turning white from the tightness of her hold.

And Jaida was only encouraged by that. Her tongue moved steadily and swiftly while her thumb rubbed at her clit. Her free hand kept her balanced by gripping onto Jan’s thigh, which helped keep Jan in place as well.

Jan was trembling and moaning, her body was red hot and she could feel her pulse racing. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hips bucked up despite Jaida’s grip. “A-Ah, fuck!” she nearly yelled as her orgasm hit.

It was only after Jaida was certain Jan was fully spent that she came up for air. “That good, baby?” she cooed, running her hands up and down Jan’s body.

Jan felt like her soul had left her body, feeling completely numb and utterly spent in the best possible way. “So good,” she breathed out. Once she regained the ability to remember how to move, she sat up. “Let me take care of you,” she whispered, and was already pushing Jaida onto the bed before she could get an answer.

Not that Jaida would’ve ever dreamed of objecting. She laid back with her legs propped apart to give her room, and tried her best to watch her, but the second she felt Jan’s tongue against her pussy and easing its way in, her eyes fluttered shut and her body shuddered in pleasure. She supposed it didn’t surprise her that Jan was talented any way she used her mouth, but god, that girl was an overachiever.

And Jan was nothing if not eager to please. She didn’t let up for a second, not until Jaida came as hard as she had, and even after that, she lingered for a moment, just in case. Then she moved back up Jaida’s body and kissed her sweetly.

Jaida hummed contently and wrapped her arms around Jan. “That was so good, baby,” she praised gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before shifting so they could be under the covers. “Think you’re about ready to call it a night?”

Jan nodded, letting out a soft yawn. “God, I’m gonna sleep so well tonight,” she murmured as she nestled herself against Jaida.

“I sure hope so,” she retorted lightly as her eyes closed.

——

The housekeeper let Heidi in that morning, and Heidi didn’t think much of it. She knew her sister had never been a morning person, and they never did set a time for her to come over. Considering she didn’t need to bring any furniture, the transition to moving in was easily handled by herself, with some help from the security guard - she could only go up and down that long staircase so many times with arms full of luggage.

Once she was more or less settled in, Heidi went back downstairs to go into the kitchen with the intent of raiding Jaida’s fridge for some breakfast. What she didn’t expect to see was a white girl in one of her sister’s silk robes leaning against the counter and drinking coffee. “Now who in the fresh hell are you?”

Jan was unphased by this. “I’m Jan,” she answered. “You must be Heidi, Jaida’s told me so much about you.”

“Well she ain’t tell me shit about you, so my question remains unanswered,” she said bluntly.

“Right, that makes sense, since we just met last night,” Jan mused. “Anyway, I know you’re just moving in and stuff, I’ll go let Jaida know you’re here.” She finished her coffee and put the empty mug in the sink before going back upstairs, happy to see that Jaida was a little more awake than when she’d left. “Your sister’s here, by the way,” she said as she sat cross-legged on the bed.

Jaida sat upright. “This early? Damn. Well, I better make myself decent and go talk to her,” she said, getting out of bed and throwing on a t-shirt and sweatpants. “I won’t be long, boo.” She kissed her cheek before she made her way downstairs.

“You got some ‘splaining to do,” Heidi said as soon as Jaida came into her line of vision. “Now, who was that pretty little thing wanderin’ around here in next to nothing?”

“Jan’s the new singer at Shea’s lounge. Listen, I know it was fast but… I don’t know how to explain it, there’s something special about her. We had this connection that I just know is more than intimate.”

Heidi stared at her blankly. “Do you hear yourself right now? It hasn’t even been a month since the funeral and you’ve got a co-ed up in your room.”

Jaida sighed. “Look, I’m not planning on flaunting her out and about yet, but I’m not gonna deny myself just because the dirt on his grave is still fresh.” She chewed her lip. “This is the first time I’ve been happy in years, Heidi. I need you to let me have this.”

Her sister was quiet for a moment. “You really think this girl’s gonna make you that happy?”

“I do.”

“Then I won’t stop you.” Heidi gave in without any more resistance. “Just don’t go mixing any of that white powder into her drink, she seems real nice.”

Jaida rolled her eyes, then quickly glanced around to make sure they were alone. “Don’t you worry, arsenic milkshakes are off the menu.”

[graceandfamily]

Rita Gam: “My friend Grace Kelly”

A style icon who favoured old sweaters, the Hollywood star-turned-princess was full of paradoxes, friend and fellow actress Rita Gam tells Nick Miller.

By Nick Miller (March 11, 2012)

'THEY used to have stories. Today we don't have stories as good as that,'' says Rita Gam, 84-year-old star from Hollywood's golden age, sitting upright and respectable in her New York apartment as she remembers past roles. ''Even though some of them were B pictures they were terrific - nice stories, interesting.''

There would be a girl, well-bred but independent, glamorous, beautiful, stylish, make-up and clothes just so, admired, feisty. There would be complications, arguments, wit and danger and romance, and then the frame misty as she falls into the arms of a moustached older man, or a prince, then a wedding, a happy-ever-after or a tragic twist.

(Above: Rita Gam and Grace Kelly in 1956)

But I'm not there to hear that story. I'm there to talk to Gam about her close friend, Grace Kelly. We're inside a 100-year-old block in midtown, with an ornate facade, a concierge and that old New York attitude, in an apartment decorated with movie posters from Hollywood's prime.

It must be frustrating for such a successful film, TV and stage actress to be constantly interviewed about her best friend. But Gam only once looks at the absence of a watch on her wrist, saying: ''I've got another five minutes of talking about Grace in me and that's it.''

(Above: Rita Gam at 84)

I show her a book, Grace Kelly: Style Icon, published to accompany an exhibition curated by London's V&A museum and soon to open in Bendigo.

''Oh, this is very Grace,'' she says of the cover, from a 1955 Cosmopolitan shoot at the height of Kelly's movie career.

But when she flicks through the pages, her eyes are drawn to a casual Kelly on the streets of Manhattan, the Empire State Building over her shoulder, her clothes smart but demure.

''That's what she wore a lot,'' Gam says. ''Skirts and shirts. She was not much of a 'lunch girl', who would go to lunch and dress up.''

(Above: Gam [back row, third from left] at the wedding of Kelly and Prince Rainer of Monaco in 1956)

This is Grace Kelly: Style Icon (it says so on the cover). Adored by the public, sought-after by designers. Still the touchstone reference for the Oscars red carpet; the woman who bridged the golden age of movies and the modern era - the first modern celebrity, a Princess Diana-come-January Jones.

But talking to Gam, a more complex version of Kelly emerges. ''She was not a fashionista in any way,'' Gam insists. ''You've got to separate what was created by the studio system, which was a make-believe image of a goddess.''

(Above: Rainer and Kelly with children Caroline and Albert at Princess Stephanie's christening in 1965)

The Kelly that Gam knew exploited, then transcended - but never embodied - the public role that the Hollywood machine decreed for the leading ladies it owned.

Her life was a dance between image and reality, PR confections and real-life fairytales. Yes, she did marry a prince; but their first meeting was a contrived magazine publicity stunt. Yes, she was a fashion icon, but her private dress sense was conservative and her palace closets were packed with old sweaters.

KELLY and Gam met in New York in the early '50s as hard-working young TV actors and models. Pittsburgh-born Gam was married to a young director, Sidney Lumet, and Grace was the daughter of a well-to-do Philadelphia family (her father an Olympic medal-winning rower and construction millionaire), determined to make her own life in the performing arts, and succeeding at it.

They met on the sound stage of a show called Danger. ''She was playing some villainess or other - she was very cute,'' Gam recalls. ''We were introduced by Sidney. He said, 'Oh Rita, this is Grace. Grace Kelly, this is Rita.' 'How do you do?' ''

It was not a movie-star moment. ''She was a very nice girl - she could have been a kindergarten teacher. She had scrubbed clean, sympathetic looks. It's just when the camera hit her she became absolute magic.''

Others noticed, too. John Ford cast her in her first movie role after seeing a screen test and exclaiming: ''This dame has breeding, quality and class … I want to make a colour test of her - I'll bet she'll knock us on our ass!''

Gam and Kelly signed with MGM and became close friends when Gam moved to Los Angeles a year or so later. She had been put up at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

''I was very uncomfortable [there],'' she says. ''I was a woman alone, and if I sat in the lobby I would get hit on, and I was lonely. I would be calling New York and Sidney all of the time.''

At the suggestion of her agent, she called Kelly, who was on the cusp of fame as Rear Window, her second movie with Alfred Hitchcock, was finishing filming. Kelly was lonely too, having left behind in New York her on-and-off paramour, European designer Oleg Cassini.

''I called Grace and she said, 'Oh come for tea today', which I did. She was living with Prudy Wise, her secretary, a girl from the south. It was just a one-bedroom Hollywood apartment in the Hollywood flats. I don't know, we were just having tea and she said, 'Well, why don't you move in with us? Three is as good as two is as good as one.'

''So we did, I moved into her flat and it was rather fun, it was like we were sorority girls.''

In those days, Hollywood was ''a party town'' and ''pretty wide open'', Gam says, in suggestive but decorous tones. ''We would get hit on by industry wolves.

''I remember once, [Kelly] had a little gold Chevrolet, a couple of years older than was current, and [an acquaintance] said, 'Oh we'll send a car for you'. His name was Charlie Feldman, he was a big agent, and I said, 'Grace they're going to send a car for us'. I was on the telephone, and she said: 'No, tell them we'll drive ourselves.' I said: 'Oh, OK.'

''Well of course she was smart, we were in control of our destiny. We left that 'party' of four - two gentlemen, Charlie and his South American friend - and drove safely home down the Hollywood hills. [Kelly] was really much more wise than I was.''

It's a recurring theme as Gam remembers Kelly - a smart girl becoming a smart businesswoman who saw through the Hollywood machine and was fearless about imposing her own demands on it - in fashion as much as anything else.

''Basically, she was suburban in her tastes,'' Gam remembers. ''[Even as a princess] she had closets full of old tweed skirts that she hadn't worn in years, and many many blouses that had long since seen their day, and tonnes of sweaters that were well-washed and well-worn.

''She didn't have any particular style sense, I don't think. I think she addressed that as an actress. She didn't read a lot about fashion. [She relied on] not friends but professionals.''

Kelly befriended and relied on the studios' top designers. But she kept one eye on the result. In her first leading role (Dial M for Murder), even as she was learning how to act on film, she overruled Hitchcock on a costume decision, telling him that if her character got up in the middle of the night to answer the phone, she wouldn't bother putting a big velvet robe over her nightgown. She also had a fight with the make-up man who she thought was putting too much rouge on her. ''After that, I had his confidence as far as wardrobe was concerned, and he gave me a very great deal of liberty in what I wore in his next two pictures,'' Kelly said.

If style means anything, it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it. ''The subtlety of Grace's sexuality - her elegant sexiness - appealed to me,'' Hitchcock told his biographer. ''Grace conveyed much more sex than the average movie sexpot. With Grace you had to find it out, you had to discover it. Everybody wants a new leading lady but there aren't many of them around. There are a lot of leading women, but not enough leading ladies.''

Of their first meeting, Cassini later wrote: ''I saw her only in profile. I saw the utter perfection of her nose, the long elegant neck, the silky diaphanous blonde hair. She wore a black velvet two-piece, very demure, with a full skirt and a little white Peter Pan collar.

''Later, when she stood, I saw that she had a pleasing figure, tall, about five-foot-eight, good broad shoulders, subtle curves and long legs - a very aristocratic girl, not the sort you simply called for a date.''

The Hollywood system marketed her as the antithesis of Marilyn Monroe, whom Fox had recently discovered, feeding magazines lines that drew Grace as the all-American dream, a fine but approachable noblewoman who men wanted but women would also want to be: respectable, white-gloved, fine-bred and pretty. When Marilyn Monroe was asked what she wore to bed she replied ''Chanel No 5''. When Grace was asked, she replied: ''I think it's nobody's business what I wear to bed.'' Article after article punned on her first name.

Grace found it all amusing. But she told her biographer that this ''respectable'' image of Hollywood felt unreal, when the reality too often was ''full of men and women whose lives were confused and full of pain. To outsiders it looked like a glamorous life, but really it was not.'' After her Academy Award for best actress (tellingly, for her role in The Country Girl, in which she played ''a woman who had been married 10 years and lost interest in clothes, herself, everything'') she turned down most of the roles she was offered. The pressure and grind of Hollywood left her exhausted and disillusioned.

But she was also setting the mould for the modern movie star, taking control of her own PR from the studio. For Photoplay magazine she invited a photographer to take unprecedented candid shots of her and her sister on holiday in the Caribbean, in casual clothes and away from the studio's platoon of retouchers. The photographer Howell Conant wrote: ''You trusted Grace's beauty, you knew it wasn't built from clothes and make-up … [it was] natural, unpretentious.''

And then came her prince. Paris Match magazine set up a photo shoot of her with Prince Rainier of Monaco, as a promotion for its Cannes coverage. Gam recalls that the dress Kelly wore for the occasion she considers her biggest fashion faux pas. ''She would make jokes about it.''

Months later, Rainier arrived in New York. ''She called me, and she said, 'Come up for drinks on Thursday, I want you meet my prince.' I thought she meant her newest boyfriend and indeed it was her prince,'' Gam remembers. ''When I first met him … I wasn't blown over - you know, it wasn't Clark Gable, he was just a nice guy. He wasn't handsome, he was short and dumpy - [but] he was fun, he was well-educated, he had a good, funny British sense of humour, and he was intelligent, so I mean, what's not to like? And rich.''

''She was romantic, she would go with somebody for a long time and she was looking for the perfect person. And she fell in love with Rainier and that was that. She just allowed the romance of the times to sweep her away.''

This was the ultimate fairytale - the lavish royal wedding, the palace life in Monaco, dressed by designers.

And then there was the reality. More than 1600 reporters and photographers (more than covered World War II) turned the wedding into a mob scene. ''After the honeymoon she [and] Rainier slept for two days. It was exhausting and it took [them] a long time to recover from it,'' Gam, who was a bridesmaid, remembers.

''She didn't have a clue [what she was in for],'' says Gam of what followed for Kelly. The royal family forbade her from making any more films, which devastated Kelly. But Kelly was resourceful, playing the new role of princess in the same way as she had approached her movie career.

She switched from Hollywood's designers to the cream of the European fashion houses, and took to the kind of roles that princesses perform - benefits and balls, and patron of the arts.

''I don't think Grace changed from the minute I met her to the day she died,'' Gam says. ''She had an extraordinary PR sense and she had a strong sense of who she was and what she wanted to say. She allowed herself to be used by the talented fashion people of the time. And she enjoyed it. [But] I certainly don't think of clothes [when I think of her]. I think of friendship, I think of a loyal good friend, and somebody with a lovely voice and lovely face.

''You know, I see her very clearly, even though it's 35-odd years since she's gone.'' (Kelly died in a car crash in 1982.) ''She had a very strong presence … Everyone should have a friend like that.''

Grace Kelly encapsulated the latter part of Hollywood's golden age. At least, that's the legend, that's what people say. ''And well they should,'' says Gam. After all, it's a good story.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon is curated and organised by the V&A Museum, London, and the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. The exhibition will run from today to June 17 at the Bendigo Art Gallery.

[colinandezra-blog]

The Lobster interview Thrillist NY | September 9th 2016

Colin Farrell talked to me about love, longevity and lobsters by Matt Patches

‘God, love is still as confounding as ever. Just, what is it? It's unquantifiable.’

Manhattan's Baccarat Hotel is an old-fashioned luxury establishment where pleated silk drapes the walls, cafe tables are cut from immaculate white marble, and anything that could be crystal is crystal. But its bar is more like a cavernous speakeasy -- a chillingly empty one when I arrive to my interview with actor Colin Farrell to discuss his new movie, The Lobster.

Everything's a little off at the timeless setting -- Farrell himself, who appears to have walked off the cover of a fashion magazine; the view out the window, with mist drifting along the city block, just to make this feel as much like The Shining as possible; and the surreal conversation, which focuses on a movie about true love, carnal instincts, futuristic dystopias, and transforming human beings into animals. The venue for the chat with Farrell about The Lobster was so perfect that we didn't even notice that lobster rolls were on the menu.

This place is extravagant. C. God, it really is, isn't it? It's so empty.

Have you shacked up in any peculiar hotels over the years? C. The Parknasilla, the place we shot The Lobster, was pretty spooky not to just take the opportunity for some free publicity. Beautiful, but it was just old. It was on the west coast of Ireland, in a town called Sneem.

Is it close to where you grew up? C. About three-hours drive. From one coast to the other. Dublin is on the east coast and then Sneem is kind of southwest on the lip of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the movie, society threatens to turn your character into an animal if he doesn't fall in love within a 45-day window. Your brother had already been turned into a dog. Do you have a new sympathy for animals? Have you gone vegan? C. No. I am a carnivore, yeah. Or, omnivore. Every now and then I get a hankering for a piece of red meat.

What were you shooting when you learned about The Lobster? Did you experience dramatic whiplash? The movie is idiosyncratic in every way imaginable. C. I was in-between jobs and I don't think I had anything lined up. Had I lined up True Detective? I'm not sure if True Detective was on the cards because that came after The Lobster. I had seen Dogtooth, [director] Yorgos Lanthimos' previous work. I hadn't seen Alps yet, but I heard that the same director who did Dogtooth is making his first English language film. I thought this should be interesting, based on what an experience I had in the theater watching Dogtooth and how overwhelmed and assaulted my senses were. So I read the script of Lobster and I found it head-scratchingly good and beautiful and absurd and violent. A kind of kaleidoscopic experience.

Do you go to the movie theater often? C. I love going to the movies. Yeah, all the time. I'm a fan of film, first. I would hate just because I'm involved in the making of films for that to cut into my enjoyment of them as a cinema-goer. Room had a really kind of strong effect on me, when I saw Room. That moved me because of the writing and particularly the physical situation in the first hour of the film, it felt like there was a particular cinematic [experience] that was created, represented by the unusualness of the world that she presented to the child. I think that Brie Larson is amazing, but just to see a kid go through what you see that child go through in the film, I thought was incredibly moving.

The Lobster speaks universally about love, but do you think the idea of people scrutinizing romantic relationships satirizes Hollywood in a specific way? C. Not at all. I think the filmmakers have bigger sights than having a poke at Hollywood or any of those conventions. Yorgos and his co-writer start off with whatever the idea is they start off with, whether it's to do with romantic love or relationships. Then it branches out and becomes bigger and bigger and, as it needs to, the story involves.

So you didn't binge-watch The Bachelor to prep for the movie. C. No, never. That's my sister.

You and she attended the Met Gala together the other night. What the hell is that event like? C. Crazy, man. You stand there and you go on the red carpet and then you walk around the museum and then you sit down and have dinner and then you leave. It was my first time there. It was easy, actually -- it wasn't as overwhelming as I thought it would be. The red carpet was a bit of a big affair, but it was all incredibly well-orchestrated. Jesus, it was like a military mission.

The Lobster swings for the fences with its exploration of love. Did you walk away from the movie with romantic enlightenment? C. No, no. God, love is still as confounding as ever. Just, what is it? It's unquantifiable.

Though there are reporters who scrutinize your love life on a daily basis. That must be relatable. C. Yeah, there's that. Through the years you learn to try and turn a blind eye to that. It's not always possible to ignore what's being said or what's being spoken of in regards to you life. I live in Los Angeles, but I don't feel like I live in Hollywood. I truly don't. I'm not outside of it in a negative way. I'm not not part of the community. I go to the Golden Globes or whatever and I see people that I work with or people that I've gotten to know a little bit through the years. Outside of that or outside of the twice a year where I may step on a red carpet, I have no part in that world. I have a couple of kids and I have a couple of mates.

A big shift from a decade ago. C. Ah, yeah, ten years ago I was more... Life was just different. Just tipping 40 now, so life is very different than it was ten years ago.

Your character wants to become a lobster because he'll live for 100 years. Share the feeling? C. I wouldn't mind living for 100 years.

Really? What would you want to see? C. I don't know, whatever year 87 provides for me.

What will they think of Minority Report in 100 years? It's kind of a bit dated already! No, no, but shit's just moving very quickly. Retinal scans and tube stations and shit. Things are happening very fast.

Is that scary for you? C. No.

Now a moment of reflection. It's been a year since you jumped to HBO for True Detective. How was that experience, in retrospect? C. I loved it. I did, I loved that character. I loved playing Ray Velcoro. I really, really did. I could have kept going with it for a while. I know the receipt of it was sketchy. The first year was so strong, across the board, and it was such a shock to people. It came out of nowhere, seemingly, so the expectation was high and also the expectation of disappointment was present and all that kind of stuff. But I loved, from the inside, telling that story. I loved it.

[vintagemichelle91]

A Hard Lesson in Matrimony: Chapter 6

Author’s Note: The time has come for Mike and Maggie’s wedding! Come along and see how Natalia and Rafael pulled off a dream wedding in just one night! @rauliskafan and I hope you enjoy this final chapter to this installment of A Hard Lesson Series! Stay tuned for more to come your way! 

           “Here she comes!”

           Rafael led Maggie towards the sound of Rollins’ excited voice as she fluffed Jesse’s hair. He promised to never let her fall. Suddenly he wondered if his legs would hold up on the sand.

           “Well, ladies? We’re doing this!” Maggie held out the chiffon skirt tinged in a pink hue, a series of white swirls adorning the bodice and dotting the barely there bolero sleeves. And he only knew that much because Natalia hoped for the gown from the moment she laid eyes on it.

           “Maggie,” Natalia whispered. “I’m so happy for you.”

           “Thanks for helping me with the threads,” Maggie said. “I…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at Violetta, the little girl stomping forward with her tiny brow furrowed.

           “You know this not the dress I wanted,” she said.

           “I’m sorry, Violetta. Did I make a mistake?” Just having calmed her down, Rafael moved to steady her when Violetta smiled.

           “It okay. Mami like your best fairy godmother.”

           Natalia fell to her knees to kiss her pink cheek as Violetta waved one fingers before her mother’s eyes.

           “But no smoking, Mami.” Natalia looked to Rafael in confusion as he sighed.

           “I’ll explain later,” he promised when a stray piano and a single trumpet played a Rodgers and Hammerstein overture.

           “Fitting that it’s Cinderella,” Rafael whispered.

           “Let’s hope I can live up to the hype, counselor.”

Rollins walked down a long red rug spread over beach. Liv went next, helping Noah along to ensure that he balanced the ring, Natalia winked over her shoulder.

           “I’ll see you when you’re a wife.” Natalia’s feet glided against the carpet as she minded the flower girls.

           “Violetta thinks it’s a competition,” Maggie said. A bouquet’s worth of petals spilled to the ground and Jesse finally gave up and set her basket aside, running to her mother as they all joined the groomsmen on the makeshift altar.

           And then the music shifted into bridal chorus.

           “We good?” Rafael asked.

           “We’re almost golden,” Maggie muttered.

           “Let’s get Cinderella to her prince.”

           Folding chairs adorned with ribbons and unfamiliar faces save for Alessia and Lucia met their procession. Rafael stayed a step back as Dodds shook his hand and helped Maggie to the small platform wreathed in ivy, his smile brighter than the sun.  

           “Who gives this woman to be married?”

           He froze. For a moment, Rafael felt as if it was his first attempt before a jury, the words trapped in his throat and his notes forgotten. Until he found Natalia’s eyes, saw her sweet smile. As his gaze shifted to Maggie, he savored the chance to speak before a crowd. not to argue for a condemnation. Much better to praise a promise, and he took the ballerina’s hand in his.

           “I do,” he said. “Best wishes, little sister.”

           Kissing her cheek, Rafael was ready to join his mother and Alessia in the front row when Violetta waved him closer.

           “Muñequita?” he asked. “Is something---?”

           “You stay, Papi. You belong up here with us.”

           His mother laughed with Alessia, and he searched his mind for some way to bow out gracefully when Maggie spoke up.

           “I should have thought of that myself, counselor,” she confessed. “Please don’t go.”

           She smiled through her veil, and Rafael stood at the Noah’s side as the celebrant, a minister from the chorus, spoke up.

           “I understand that the couple has written their own vows?”

           Maggie sighed, her light breath causing her veil to billow as she looked into the sergeant’s eyes.

           “The night we first met,” she began. “I wasn’t very friendly to you. I said you had a square jaw. Didn’t think that you could dance.”

           She tightened her grip on his hand and took a deep breath.

           “Your face is so fine. Maybe we still have to work on the dancing.”

           The bridesmaids laughed as Dodds grin expanded.

           “It’s a funny thing when you’re on the stage. Maybe some of our guests know the feeling.”

           The actors acknowledged their understanding as Maggie turned away and looked to Natalia before finding Dodds’ eyes again.

           “Everyone’s looking at you. Still it’s… sometimes it’s like no one sees you. But you see me, Mike. All of me. Natty told me that you were a hero.”

           Rafael shared a look with his wife, their minds connecting around the memory of the man taking a bullet that spared Violetta from harm. Now the little girl stood strong and rapt, watching a fairy tale come to life before her eyes.

           “I love that you’re so brave. That you keep the world safe. I didn’t think someone like you could ever love me. But there you were. And I love you back. So much. Mike, I want to see your face every day. I… I only want to dance with you.”

           Her lips touched his cheek through the stream of lace as the water rippled a few feet away. Dodds peered at her for several long seconds until Fin nudged him and he clasped Maggie’s arms.

           “I don’t know if I can top that,” he started. “I keep thinking about when you first said you loved me. Up until then I wasn’t sure if you did. If I was enough.”

           “Oh, Mike.”

           “Tia Maggie, it his turn.”

           Natalia tried to shush Violetta as Dodds shot the little girl a quick smile.

           “Thank you, Little V,” he continued. “I really want to say this.”

           Dodds touched her face as his smile broadened.

           “I’ve had lots of love in my life.”

      He nodded at the Chief, the older man starting to tear up as Liv met his gaze.

    “Lots of love here today. But never anyone like you. Never someone so sure and funny. Maybe a little crazy.”

   Their noses touched through the veil as he wrapped one arm around her waist.

           “I want all of it. All of you. Tomorrow’s not enough. I’m banking on forever, Maggie.”  

           Fin took the rings from Noah’s pillow. Maggie parroted the celebrant’s words as she pressed the golden band into place.

           But Dodds had an addendum at the end of his vow.

           “And I’ll always give you my coat to keep you warm.”

           Maggie lowered her eyes as her lips curled into a smirk.

           “We won’t be cold anymore,” she murmured. “Not as long as we’re together.”

           When they were pronounced man and wife, Dodds lifted the veil, smiling, seemingly lost in her stare until Violetta jumped up.

           “Kiss her, Tio Mike! Why I have to tell you that?”

           The sergeant saluted the flower girl and pulled his bride to his lips, the wedding party and the actors clapping as the miniature orchestra started a new tune, the actors’ voices meshing in perfect harmony.

Ten minutes ago I saw you I looked up when you came through the door. My head started reeling, You gave me the feeling The room had no ceiling or floor…

The couple laughed as Natalia lifted Violetta into her arms.

“Natty, you really didn’t have to do this,” Maggie said.

“Yes I did. What are sisters for?”

I have found her, she's an angel With the dust of the stars in her eyes...

    Kissing her cheek, Maggie started to walk back up the aisle, and Rafael held up his wrist and the cufflink.

           “You didn’t let me fall,” Maggie said.

           “It was all you. You were perfect.”

     Leaving the altar and making their way back to the castle, Rafael watched Natalia take Fin’s arm as the others paired up until he was left with Noah.

           “You and me, kid?” he asked.

           “Papi!”

           Violetta scampered back upon a trail of flowers, her father ready to take her hand when she batted him away.

           “Noah my date!”

           His daughter pulled the ring bearer up the aisle as Rafael laughed and looked to the other lonely little flower girl and held out his hand.

           “There’s a party inside.”

           They climbed the stone steps and walked through a lobby bearing posters of previous productions with a variety of medieval touches, empty armor plackarts, swords and shields.

           “What do you think, Jesse?” he asked.

           “I think Sonny brought lunch!”

Several long tables were full of food. Jesse hugged Carisi’s legs as the detective tasted the sauce and smiled.

“How’d you manage this?” Rollins asked.

“I knew this town sounded familiar,” he said as he checked the antipasto spread. “My cousin Anthony knows this guy Tuddy who left Brooklyn to set up shop. Would you believe that he started with a hole in the wall pizzeria?”

           “I think I saw that place,” Rafael admitted as Liv handed him a drink. “They did all this?”

           “Don’t let appearances deceive you, Barba,” Carisi continued. “Tuddy’s got a whole place right by a winery just west of here. They do weddings.”

           “You’re just mentioning that now?” Rafael asked. The detective’s tongue tied as Natalia joined them. “It could have come in---”

           “Atticus, hush,” she said as she tipped the glass towards her husband’s mouth. “Maggie had to have a castle.”

           “And you granted her wish.”

Entering the theatre, seeing the sets for Cinderella’s ball as the lights dimmed, Fin took a microphone from one of the actors and cleared his throat.

           “Ladies and gentleman, I give you, all the way from Manhattan, Mike and Maggie Dodds.” Maggie giggled at the sound of her new name and they waltzed around the faux flowers and Christmas lights looking like magic, the actors breaking into song again as they snapped pictures and Rollins sighed.

           “Nice,” she started. “I could go for something like this. Someday.” She found her glass empty as Carisi offered her a refill with Jesse in his arms.

           “Remember; I’m full of surprises.”

           Rafael saw her cheeks flush as the first dance came to an end and the director of the troupe invited the others to join them on set. Noah rushed forward first as Jesse asked to be let down.

           “Watch it!” Violetta warned. “Noah all mine!”

           Rafael watched the little boy hide behind a pumpkin as the girls became fascinated by the ladies of the company in their princess garb and Liv went to save her son.

            “I’m dizzy! And it’s fabulous!” Maggie exclaimed. With Natalia back under his arm, Rafael followed the happy couple to the lobby and stole a stuffed mushroom as Maggie spun under Dodds’ hand.

           “Thank you,” the bride said. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

           “We were so happy to help” Natalia assured her.

           “And Carisi did the food,” Rafael said.

           “Natty, don’t you love our friends?”

           She hugged her sister as Natalia adjusted her veil.

           “And our family.”

           Rafael pulled Dodds aside as they talked and he poured him a drink.

           “Feeling good?” the ADA asked.

           “Think I’ll like being married,” Dodds admitted.

           “Only a matter of time before they’re dragging us on vacations.”

           “Double dates to the opera,” Dodds said.

            “Are you a fan?”

            “I’ll learn. How hard can it be?”

            Rafael clinked his glass with a smile.

    “We’ll start you off with Puccini. It’s our favorite. And Natalia can correct you if you get anything wrong.”

    They moved back to their wives when Natalia called after her mother.

    “Is something the matter, Mommy?” she asked.

     “No I… I just want to check on…”

    Trevor emerged from the shadows with his hands in his pockets. The music from the theatre turned to a pop tune and Rafael saw Dodds ready to show the man the way out when Maggie cut him off at the pass.

    “You came,” Maggie started.

   “Alessia… she let me know about the change of plans. I wanted to see you on your big day.”

           “Is that all?” she asked.

           “It’s more than I hoped for.”

           The lobby stayed silent save for the clinking of a few actors’ cutlery against their plates.

           “I probably should take my leave now,” Trevor said. “You know there’s a train station not a stone’s throw from here?”

           “We are well aware,” Rafael answered as Trevor took Maggie’s hand.

           “Be happy, my darling…” As he raised his eyes, Rafael followed his gaze to the pair of sapphire gems adorning Maggie’s ears.

           “You… you wore them?” Trevor managed.

           “Something old, borrowed, and blue” she said. “Do you… you can stay and have some food. A few drinks.”

           “A dance with the bride?” Trevor hopefully asked.

           “Maybe we can arrange that, too.”

           Taking Dodds’ arm, Maggie moved back to the theatre as Natalia caught her father’s eye.

           “Something new?” Trevor asked.

           “It’s a start.”

           The party carried into the night, Liv and Maggie changing partners on Cinderella’s set. The Chief smiled at the bride as Natalia waltzed Trevor in their direction. When Maggie ultimately accepted the Englishman’s hands, Natalia passed by Rollins and Carisi talking softly in the wings and fell into the front row.      

           “So…”

           “A job well done, Atticus.”

           Kneeling in the aisle, Rafael pulled his bride into his arms and kissed her neck, basking in the music of her laughter as she played with his hair.

           “Best trip to New Jersey I ever took.”

           “You just didn’t want to schlep all the way to Vermont.”

           “But you know that I would have.”

           She was silent as she slid to her feet in the blush pink dress, her delicate fingers straightening his tie before guiding him to the back of the theatre and finding a quiet corner resting under a coat of arms.

           “Thank you,” she started as she stroked his cheek.

           “All I had to do was keep from falling,” he joked.

           “So light on your feet,” she teased. “But I mean… thank you helping make this happen. For loving my sister.”

           He looked back to see Maggie in her husband’s arms as the actors tried to match her steps.  But the ballerina would not be bested as she hiked up her skirt, pirouetting on pointe...

           And Dodds captured her in mid-spin.

           “Look at that will you,” he said. The sergeant lifted her off the ground, Maggie’s skirt looking like angel’s wings as the actors applauded and she slipped into his kiss. “He can dance.”

           “It’s because they fit,” Natalia said as she turned his eyes back to hers. “Just like us.”

           “Hermosa… I told you that I love it when we’re in sync.”

           “Which we are. Which we always will be.”

           Wanting to take her to the beach, to walk with her on the sand and simply see her face in the moonlight, he stalled when a squealing voice sliced into the mood.

           “What you two doing?” Violetta asked. Smiling, Natalia smoothed her skirt and took hold of her tiny hands.

           “Are you liking the party, my little love?” she asked.

           “I think Tia Maggie look so pretty.”

           “Yes she does,” Natalia agreed. “A bride is always happy on her wedding day.”

           “Were you, Mami?”

           “I…”

           Even in the shadows, he saw his wife’s eyes mist over as she held his face and sighed softly.

           “It was the day I got everything that I ever wanted.”

           Rafael longed to meet her lips when Violetta pulled them back to the crowd with surprising strength and climbed the steps to the stage.

           “I gonna get married, too!” she declared. “Me and Noah.”

           The little boy ran off in the other direction with Fin in pursuit. But Violetta was unfazed.

“He get used to the idea,” she said. “And I be the best bride!”

           “Oh no,” Rafael warned. “No weddings for you.”

           “Never, Papi?” she whined.

           “Maybe one day, muñequita,” he conceded as her little face fell. “Let’s say when you’re… seventy-eight.”

           Natalia laughed as her little girl’s head turned in an effort to work out the numbers.

           “Okay,” she said. “But I not gonna let my hair get gray, Papi. There products to fix that.”

           “Sweet pea, silver only makes your Papi more special.”

           When the music picked up again, Rafael saw Fin asking Rollins to try a few steps as Carisi twirled Jesse on the stage. Taking a cue from the cop, he lifted Violetta into his arms and reached for Natalia’s hand.

           “Sure you wouldn’t rather have someone else?” he whispered.

           “Not as long as I live, Atticus.”

           “Make it longer,” Rafael said. “Like my brother-in-law said, I’m banking on forever.”

           “It’s a deal.”

           They danced until the break of dawn. Only then did Maggie scurry back to the beach to toss her bouquet.

           “All the single ladies!” Maggie cried out.

           Several actresses took center stage on the sand. Lucia urged Alessia forward and Violetta demanded a chance when she saw Jesse getting in on the action.

           “What can it hurt?” Rollins said. “Pretty sure they won’t---”

           But Jesse did. To Violetta’s supreme frustration. She looked ready to burst as Jesse approached her mother with the bouquet in hand.

           “You’re next, Momma.”

           Rollins blushed and hung her head as Carisi offered her a mimosa in the morning air.

           “Amanda?”

           She accepted the drink as Jesse smiled.

           “Sorry!” Maggie said as she hugged her niece. “I was aiming for you.”

           “I guess it okay,” Violetta finally conceded. “You happily ever after, Maggie?”

           The bride’s eyes turned towards Dodds, his tie askew, an unending smile plastered across his face, and the ballerina kissed her niece.

           “All the way, Violetta.”

           “Then I rest my case. That what I should say. Right, Papi?”

           Loving his little lawyer and his hermosa flor holding out her hand, Rafael grinned.

           “Couldn’t have put it any better, muñequita.”