Dinner Date

[Existentially Odd]

He\'d arranged to pick Jenna up as soon as he was awake and dressed, knowing she\'d be finished work but still in the building, and that they\'d return there after he took her to eat.  He\'d booked a table at the most exclusive restaurant in the city the week before, surprised when the conversation had begun with him politely introducing himself and admitting that he thought what he was asking was an impossible task, only to have the Maitre\'D recognise his name and assure him that they\'d find something.

It was constantly amazing him, how much notoriety he was gaining in this city, with people he had no idea would revere an association with a vampire, even if they were part of the Oligarchy.  He had to admit that there were some perks to being in his position for a solid amount of time, and being known for his fairness.

He pulled up where she\'d instructed him to, his sleek luxury vehicle coming to a silent stop in a staff carpark.  He turned the car off and looked out through the passenger window, wondering if she\'d come out to meet him or whether he should go knock on the large delivery door he was near.  It didn\'t pay to sit and think about it, though; he got out of the car and straightened his clothes.

Kerr had put more thought into his wardrobe this evening than he had into his prior five hundred evenings of dressing up.  The double-breasted grey had been the second last thing he\'d put back in the closet, and only because he didn\'t want to make Jenna feel she was underdressed (he assumed she\'d change at work for their dinner date, but how ostentatious could she get?).  It would be appropriate for the restaurant, certainly, but perhaps a little stuffy and overdone, when he could do just as well in any of his three-button suits - and he was favouring a lightly coloured one to be worn with a thigh-length overcoat.

In the end, he\'d settled for neither, taking instead the sleek, simple Armani tuxedo off its hanger and putting it on.  It was rich black wool with a wide black satin lapel and a single button over his belly button, teamed with loose-legged trousers, a white collared shirt, onyx cufflinks and a wide black satin tie.  His shoes were, of course, shiny black leather and the only jewellery he wore was his titanium Panerai watch.  The scent he\'d chosen was light and fruity in the bottle but on his pulse-less flesh it turned deeper and muskier, whih he liked.

A quick glance in the car window as he closed the door assured him his tie was still straight and his hair was still smooth (though he gave the side a flick anyway, still given to marvelling at his shorter hair and clean-shaven face at times), so he clicked the security key and hastened over to the museum door Jenna had told him she\'d meet him at.  He knew he was on time simply because there\'d been no time (except \'between six and seven\') and he\'d arrive before the half hour mark.  Would she be there to open the secure door, though, or would he need to call?  He approached with a curious mix of excitement and trepidation fluttering in his chest.

[Trillian]

Jenna had disappeared into the staff powder room at quarter to six in order to change, locking the outer-most door instead of bothering with any of the three toilet cubicles.  There was a smaller staff for the first night-shift, (and a skeleton staff for the late night-shift), so her chances of being walked in on were slimmer the later it got.

Her no-nonsense business suit was exchanged for a burgundy gown with spaghetti straps, which flowed down her feminine shape without being overly clingy, and with a layered hem that tapered to her ankles.  Her low and sensible black heels were exchange for silver strappy sandles with a medium heel.  She hunted in her purse for the small jewellery container that held two delicate silver chains - one for her right wrist (while she removed her watch from her left for it would look overly cluttered) and the other to clasp around her neck.  After putting on her makeup, she let down her hair from her restrictive bun and brushed it out before putting it up once more, though this time in a more casual, looser fashion, piling her hair up and pulling a few wisps out.  She was pleased with the effect (having practised it last night over and over again so she could get it right quickly tonight).  It looked unplanned and spontaneous (even though it wasn\'t) and she was happiest with that.  Her small silver earrings held a small diamond in each of them, catching the light and finishing her jewellery trio.

She stared at herself for a long moment, wondering if she wasn\'t going a bit overboard with her preparation, for she didn\'t know the place he was taking her to.  She doubted he\'d show up in jeans and a t-shirt (like a disaster of a date once had), but the niggling worry was still there.  She checked the watch before she dropped it into her bag, quickly pulling out a little spray bottle of perfume, which was light and flowery, and remained so on her skin, before she hurried out of the powder room, pulling on the door and getting nowhere before she huffed at herself and unlocked it before trying again.  She let herself out, her arms laden with a handbag she wasn\'t taking and a suit she was no longer wearing, and made her way to her office, where she dropped the items off, grabbed a silver clutch and walked very quickly to where she\'d told Kerr she would meet him.  Somehow, she\'d spent an hour in the powder room, and now it was quarter to seven when she began to make her way to him.

[Existentially Odd]

A knock had barely registered on the large door and he\'d had no luck on the smaller (people-sized) door nearby either, so Kerr had shuffled about in the car park, looking around for a while, before he decided that he was a little early.  Jenna would likely be expecting him closer to seven than six, giving him leeway because she assumed a vampire would need full darkness to awaken.

Neither of them could have accounted for the fact that he\'d been so excited at the prospect of seeing her, he\'d awoken in daylight and begun getting ready even as the sun set.

Instead of pacing around in front of the doors, he\'d chosen to go back and wait at his car.  He didn\'t get in, he simply slouched against the bonnet, an elbow casually slung upon the side view mirror and the other hand tucked into his pants pocket as he looked at his surroundings and waited for the time to pass until seven o\'clock.  He was squinting at some pigeons roosting along the top of the building when he heard the door across the way open and he looked over, realising it was Jenna and moving instantly... but he only got as far as straightening up and pulling his hand out of his pocket before he stopped.

That was when she properly registered on him and he suddenly lost the ability to move.  Odd.  She was stunning, though, and deserved such a pause.  After a moment, he was able to walk over to meet her, smiling and feeling a little giddy, but happily so.  They met closer to the building than the car, because she\'d had to lock the door, but they were face to face when it happened, so he was able to lean down and slide a hand around her waist, to rest in the small of her back, and kiss her right cheek quite suavely.

It was a far more lingering touch than was appropriate for a friendly greeting peck though, and likely told her that he badly wanted to turn his head so that their lips would meet but he was restraining himself.  He pulled back slightly after his too-long kiss, and allowed his gaze to rove over her lovely face, ending at her eyes.  "You look beautiful," he told her huskily.  "And it\'s a damn good thing I don\'t breathe, because you\'d have knocked it out of me."  He smiled so that it lit up his eyes and straightened to lead her to his car, his hand still in the small of her back to guide her.

[Trillian]

She smiled at his compiment, thinking it was a little corny though it did appeal to her romantic side, which gave him another point in his favour.  She was still a little wary of investing too much emotion into this date however, mostly because of his admitting at the nightclub that he wasn\'t after a relationship of the lasting kind, but she couldn\'t stop her heart from singing out.
 
"Thank you, Kerr.  You look very spiffy," she said, reaching up to touch the low lapels of his tuxedo before lowering her hand.  She followed his lead to his car, not commenting on it (thinking anything she said might sound juvenile or tacky) but impressed with the fact he drove a luxurious sedan (as opposed to some little sportscar, that was always difficult for a woman in a long dress to get into and out of neatly).
 
She was modern to the point where she didn\'t mind a man not opening a door for her, but still old-fashioned enough to appreciate whoever did.  Kerr struck her as the type to be a door opener, and as they approached the car, there was a private smile on her face about whether he would or wouldn\'t.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr didn\'t even stop to think about such things, it was entirely natural for him to guide her to her door and open it for her, watching as she sank statuesquely down onto her seat and primly pulled her legs in.  He closed the door and mused, as he walked back to his side, how, as much as he\'d adored Ben (and always opened the door for him, treating him graciously),  there\'d been a distinct lack of sophistication with him.  Jenna was a lady and sophistication seemed to be simply part of her nature, which put him at ease, in turn.  Perhaps it came more naturally to educated women, and the fact that Ben was nineteen hadn\'t helped, either.

It occurred to him suddenly that he put a lot of emphasis on experience and that perhaps he\'d gone wrong in that sense when handing his heart to Ben (though he\'d been charmed by his love\'s innocence and openness at the same time).  Perhaps that had been part of his relationship not working and maybe he should give intimacy with someone another try, understanding where he\'d made mistakes and learning about himself, as well as what he valued... maybe he was just thinking foolishly because there was a heartstoppingly beautiful woman at his side who\'d completely charmed him against his better judgment, too, and he\'d better stop daydreaming before he got hurt again.

But everything heals with time, it\'s true, and maybe I\'m healed after all
Jack.  Ben.  Mandy.  Ben.  Ichabod.  Ben.
Maybe not...

"We\'re going to Echelon," he told her as they pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and back onto the busy city streets, Kerr guiding the car sensibly and at the speed limit.  "I hear it\'s very good, have you been there?" he queried conversationally, wondering if Jenna frequented high class restaurants.

She said she had money, so she could afford to, but they weren\'t like amusement parks or cinemas, where one could go alone and not feel out of place.  He supposed he was really asking her if she dated much, which embarrassed him when he thought of it that way.  Not only that, but he was asking her if she dated men who valued her company enough to put their names on a waiting list to dine a such a restaurant, and put effort into impressing her!  oh, dear.

[Trillian]

"No," she answered simply, "but I have always wanted an excuse to dine there." She looked over at him with a smile, pleased that he would think of somewhere so glamorous (and doubly pleased that they were going to a place that suited their dress, and that they complemented each other). "I\'m surprised you got in. I thought it had a long waiting list. Is this another perk to your esteemed position?" she asked, guessing correctly. With a priviledged life such as hers, she\'d come across it many a time - where a long waiting list would suddenly disappear when her father mentioned his name, or the impossible would become probably if he wanted to organise something ahead of time. The ability to do such things didn\'t impress her on its own, but she didn\'t think of it as pretentious. Rather, it was sensible of Kerr to take advantage of an opportunity.
 
"Do you like opera?" she asked, hoping he would say yes whether he did or didn\'t.  It was a bit of a leap - talking about the restaurant and then striding into the topic of opera, but she\'d had a showing to go to at the back of her mind for some weeks now, and knew nobody that would be interested enough to go (or interesting enough to ask).

[Existentially Odd]

"I am chagrined to admit that it is," he admitted sheepishly, making a show of pressing his hand to his chest and dipping his head deferentially as he admitted he\'d got through Echelon\'s waiting list by name dropping.  It hadn\'t been his intention when he\'d called, of course, it had just... happened.  Her smile when he made his little play with words made him feel it was just fine, though, and brought a smile from him as he looked back at the road, so all was well.

Her query about opera was random but he assumed she might be going to share an anecdote about something she\'d seen - there\'d been a recent season of Aida (which he loved but had missed, due to having no-one to take) that had caused a bit of a scandal due to the lead soprano had spent most of it ill and the understudy hadn\'t been as acclaimed.  Aida seemed the sort of opera that would appeal to Jenna, given its Egyptian theme, but the upcoming season of the very modern A Night at the Chinese Opera probably would, also.

"I love it," he smiled, glancing away from the road and over towards her momentarily.  "Though I must admit that I enjoy anything that involves an orchestra and a night out - I also love touring musicians and the ballet, though I don\'t go as often as I once did."  His voice turned automatically wistful at this admission, but he tried to keep things cheery with his next comment.  "It\'s fascinated me the way the same operas have changed from the time they premiered - when I was but a boy - to now, yet the music still resonates the same way."  Now his voice communicated his awe of the craft and the wonder of seeing the same thing in so many countries done so many ways but always the same.

"You enjoy it, I take it?" he asked her, sparing her another glance and a smile.

[Trillian]

"Yes," she said, after listening to his musing and liking the short tale he\'d treated her with about the changing face of opera through the ages.  "Nobody I know loves it enough to spend the small fortune demanded for good front row tickets - even balcony seats seem exhorbitant to my friends who think an opera should be the same price as a local concert," she said with chagrin, dissatisfied that an international troupe of musicians, singers, and theatrical stages should have to compete with a couple of guitars and a set of drums.

[Existentially Odd]

He snorted at such a notion, as offended as she was by the mere thought of it.  "Nonsense!" he pontificated.  "The value doesn\'t even compare - an opera is a tapestry of history; woven rich to begin with and becoming more complicated and valuable as time wears on.  You won\'t see Britney Spears\' creations in three hundred years, embellished and adored, with people clamouring to see them performed!" he scoffed, turning into the subterranean parking lot of Echelon - where there was a valet service.

He pulled up alongside the kiosk and put the car into park, leaving it idling while he hastened around to Jenna\'s side so that he could open her door (the staff were well trained, however, and didn\'t move forward to hand him his tag until he\'d escorted her out).

The thick red carpet leading to the elevator was a beautiful touch and Kerr offered Jenna his arm to walk it, liking that the style of the restaurant was pronounced, even so far away - it was a rooftop establishment, with excellent views by all accounts.

Once they were inside the lift, Kerr told the elevator operator (another classy touch in the building\'s favour, in his opinion) what their destination was and then continued the opera conversation.  His left hand still rested in the small of Jenna\'s back and he felt very comfortable with it there, liking the curve of her body as much as her warmth.

"Are you planning to go to the new opera opening next week?" he enquired, realising only as he looked down at her that she might have been asking him his opinion on opera not just to make polite conversation (as he\'d first assumed).  Perhaps she\'d been about to suggest another outing for the two of them; he wouldn\'t say any more until he found out, for he find that idea thrilling.

[Trillian]

She giggled at the Britney Spears comment, but said no more on the matter, thinking to herself that Kerr seemed genuine in his liking for opera, which made him all the more appealing.  Her thoughts took her over as they lapsed into what she felt was a comfortable (and companionable) silence.  Shortly after, they arrived at the restaurant, and she waited in the car until he opened the door for her, getting out and giving him a soft thank you before he took her arm and ushered her in.

At his question in the lift, she turned to look up at him with a smile.

"I was hoping to," she admitted, for she was going to give him time to ask her to go with him, and if he failed to think of it, she would\'ve asked him at the end of their night.  As it happened, he\'d seemed to take her cue and she now expected him to invite her to go with him, and of course she would accept.

[Existentially Odd]

"Shall I get us tickets?" he grinned, amused by her manipulations.  "Although, I must admit; front row\'s not really my favourite position so you may not wish to accompany me.  I tend to rebel and go for the middle row, middle seats or a balcony - for acoustic perfection, you see," he explained as the lift doors opened.  He tipped the elevator operator, who wished them a good evening, and stepped out into the restaurant\'s foyer.

It was a beautiful sight.  The seating area was sunken, down three carpeted steps that were beside the Maitre D\'s station.  There were three hundred (or so) degree panoramic views afforded by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows (blocked by the elevators, of course) that were somehow not blocked by the large, circular bar that was at the centre of the room.  The kitchens were on the floor below and the wait staff emerged and disappeared regularly from four sets of stairs near the bar.  A large dance floor with a small band and a female singer were off to their left as they approached the Maitre D.

The entrance area was a small platform with some lovely seats scattered around it - all were occupied by couples happily waiting for their table to be cleared.  Expecting to be asked to sit and wait as well, Kerr gave his name only to be spoken to with great respect and ushered to their table immediately - a window table on the opposite side of the room to the dance floor.  Kerr held Jenna\'s chair out for her and sat opposite her, looking somewhat bewildered, despite himself - a glance back at the entryway confirmed that a few of those waiting were casting envious glances his way.

"Well.  They said they\'d fine me something but I rather expected it might be at the back of the kitchen," he joked, sitting back to allow the waiter to dress his lap with a napkin.  He looked beside him and was somewhat startled by the sheer drop they were seated beside.  "I hope you don\'t experience vertigo?" he asked Jenna in concern.

[Trillian]

"I\'m just glad I have someone to go with," she said, shaking her head to imply she didn\'t care about the seat locations.

When she saw the restaurant, her smile broadened with approval.  It was an impressive location, and she supposed Kerr might think she needed to be taken to places like this (which wasn\'t the case, but it certainly ran in his favour), so it was a nice choice.

She sat when he pulled out her chair for her, and looked down at the view when he did.  At his question, she laughed softly and shook her head.

"Don\'t worry, I\'m fine with heights."  She then gave him a cheeky look.  "They wouldn\'t dare put the grand poobah of vampires near the kitchen," she said with mock indignance.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked at her archaic phrasing, a wry expression on his face.  Now there was something he didn\'t hear every day.  "Grand poobah?" he queried, reinforcing his humour at the words by laughing and shaking his head as he sat forward and rested his forearms on the table, anticipating their waiter\'s return with the wine list.

"No, I\'m afraid I\'m not the grand poobah.  That would be Lazarus," he informed her with mock ceremony.  "He holds the esteemed position without having to do half the work I do," he said with a wink, his bemused smile at her silly wording barely masking the bitterness he felt at admitting that what he did as an Oligarch didn\'t compare to what the Luminary did; nothing.

He glanced up as the waiter - who introduced himself as Henrie (with an accent to match, though Kerr did wonder if that was just for show) - and told them he\'d be looking after them this evening.  Kerr told him that he wouldn\'t be eating this evening (to which the man didn\'t batt an eyelash, to his credit) but his companion certainly would be.  "Start with the wine list and go from there," he told Jenna magnanimously, intending that he would be paying.  "Order a whole bottle if you wish," he added airily, a cheeky smirk flitting about his mouth as he handed her over to their waiter.

The notion that she would order a very old and expensive bottle of wine to drink by herself amused him no end; such an act would test his gentlemanly behaviours no end!

[Trillian]

A whole bottle by herself wouldn\'t be ladylike, so she simply threw him an admonishing look and selected a glass of red wine - a lable that was a blend of shiraz and cabernat sauvignon, thick and full bodied - which won the approval of Henrie.  She ordered the beef daube for her main, bypassing any entrees or bread starters, though did ask for a roll on the side.  Handing her menu over, she gave Kerr a curious look, and once Henrie left, she asked the question that had got her thinking.

"Is the smell of food still desirable for you?" she asked, for she would be horrified to learn he couldn\'t stand it.  With escalated senses, he would likely be overwhelmed by all the smells around them - she was able to smell the waft of salmon from the next table as it was served.

[Existentially Odd]

He smiled benignly at her, quirking his right eyebrow.  "Not as desirable as you, but certainly, yes," he told her brazenly, but did her the courtesy of continuing blithely on with the conversation in case it made her uncomfortable to hear such a thing (or in case she asked for details he would be embarrassed to give in a crowded restaurant).

"In some ways it\'s a detriment to have an exceptional sense of smell, however, because instead of simply smelling a beautifully cooked dish as a cohesive whole, I find myself picking out specific ingredients and weighting them, knowing which one predominates, debating how that would taste and wondering at the more obscure scents I pick up, but can\'t identify through ignorance and detachment.  It all still smells great, though," he assured her, glancing around the restaurant.

He looked as if he were merely observing the scene around him, but he was actually assessing the alertness of those nearest them - in case they managed to overhear him.  He would be required to perform some nimble mental work if that happened, but he feared how that would affect his appetite, and so he was reluctant.  He\'d fed the night before specifically so he wouldn\'t be bothered by such a thing when he was to be spending time with Jenna.  Moreover, he didn\'t want to be constantly distracted by her, so he\'d been sure to feed.  If he was forced into some difficult manoeuvres because of the mortals around him, however, that would change.