Lost Souls (Closed for bamagirlwriter)

NOTE: This is a closed thread for HavinFun50 and bamagirlwriter. Please feel free to read along and enjoy.

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He raised his class and beer sloshed over the rim dampening the cuff of his dress shirt as he cried out a little too loudly to be heard above the noise of the bar. “To the best pitch team ever!!!” Several glasses were raised toward his and a louder chorus of cheers and agreement sounded throughout the bar. He had taken his whole team out to celebrate, they’d just won the biggest deal in the firms history and Scott was feeling very good. The commission on this deal alone would keep him fat and happy for many years and he was beaming with pride and happiness.

A hand clasped him on the shoulder in a jovial fashion as the CEO spoke loudly into his ear, “I can’t believe you pulled this off you son of a bitch. This is going to make you in this industry. I can’t believe it finally happened.” The deal had been a year in the making and there were several very touchy moments where they both felt that it was going to all be for naught, but some creative thinking and sheer perseverance managed to save the deal and win the day.

“Thank you sir,” He noticed his boss was looking a little glazed with drink, but it was a special day so he made a mental note to have the bar staff call cabs for everyone before they left. “I couldn't have done it without the entire team behind me.”

Scott Clarke had been with the firm for almost three years and had risen steadily in the ranks. He was smart, competent and always looking for an opportunity to stretch himself and his team with new challenges. This deal would indeed make him in the industry, and he had already received a few phone calls from headhunters looking to poach him away just on the trip over to the bar.

It was a very good day indeed.

Celeste sat in the corner booth of the bar twirling the tip of her dark blond pony tail in her fingers and listening to the group of businessmen celebrate at the other side of the bar.. She was here celebrating with her best friend Julie. Jules had just signed a lease on a new apartment and was moving out of the shelter. Celeste was still in the shelter but she was hoping that would soon change.

She'd ended up there after a so called Dominant man and her boyfriend decided that he did not want her a week after she'd moved here. it was a disaster but she was steadily climbing her way out of it. Julie was paying for her drinks tonight because she'd insisted that Celeste be there for her. Celeste really didn't know anyone in the group and her sapphire eyes kept wandering over the room. Suddenly she heard one of the business men over the others. “To the best pitch team ever!!!”

that voice sounded so familiar that it had her looking for it's owner. when she spotted him, her jaw dropped. if that wasn't her college sweetheart, Scott, she'd happily let the entire bar tar and feather her. It looked like he was having a hell of a celebration too.

Celeste quickly excused herself from her friends and made her way to the group of business. as she walked she smoothed sweaty palms over her faded and worn blue jeans and wondered if she looked alright in the dark blue tank top she had on. she prayed it wasn't stained. the outfit had looked nice enough before she'd left but facing Scott again she wasn't sure.

as she approached him another man was speaking to him. Nervously she waited for them to finish speaking.

"Scottie?" she said from behind him, cursing herself inwardly as the nerves caused her voice to crack on his name.

As his boss slowly weaved his way through the crowd to find another person to congratulate, Scott rocked back on his heels and smiled. He almost missed the soft cracking voice behind him in the noise of the room, but it was the name that caught his ear. A name he hadn't heard in a very long time.

He turned slowly and had to literally look twice to make sure it was really her and not the beer making him see things. “Celeste?” He couldn't believe his luck today. First the deal, then the headhunters and now a long lost college sweetheart standing before him in the flesh. She looked… cute. Not that cute was a bad thing, not at all. He remembered she was always very attractive, but today she looked especially cute. Her ponytail swung freely high atop her head, and her faded jeans and dark blue tank looked good against her tanned skin. Even the slight smudge of peanut dust on her left breast looked cute.

He reached out and held her arms in both hands, “Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s you! Last I heard you were living out west somewhere, how long have you been in The City?” He leaned closer to give her a warm kiss on the cheek, but a sudden shove from the side by his boss, as he made his way back to the bar, knocked him so that his lips met hers firmly. His momentum kept them together for several seconds before he was able to regain his balance and withdraw slowly from the kiss. He hadn't meant to kiss her on the lips, but there was definitely a spark he hadn't expected when he did.

He leaned back a bit and stammered an apology, “I’m sorry, that was my clumsy boss.” Though truth be told he wasn't sorry at all and thought he would have to buy the man another drink.

Celeste made a soft "oomph!" as Scott's lips landed unerringly on hers. Oh my! she thought as fireworks went off in her head. She certainly had not expected a kiss from him to elicit that kind of response.

As he righted himself and stammered his apology she just stood there blinking and blushing.." umm" she said licking her bottom lip.." its... is fine. Uh yeah. I had gone to Arizona but alas there is not much use for a degree in paranormal psychology these days. i've been here for about eight months. What are you doing here?"

She hoped he wouldn't ask where she was staying. her embarrassment over her situation would be complete if she had to admit she was living in a homeless shelter to her super successful college sweetheart. "besides having a big celebration. how is life? wife? kids? i can already see you took the road to success like you always planned."

He wasn't sure why, but he felt almost relieved that she didn't seem to mind the inadvertent kiss. He recovered quickly but noted that his cheeks felt a bit warmer than normal. He hadn't blushed after kissing a girl since Junior High. What the hell was that all about?

“Thank you, you’re looking great! I love Arizona. I was out there for a corporate retreat and stayed the weekend to look around. It’s beautiful there.” He noted her hand was empty and motioned over a waiter to get her a drink. “You look thirsty, order whatever you want, we have an open tab.” He smiled and moved closer to be heard easier in the noisy bar. “Me, married? No. I haven’t headed down that road yet. I moved here right after graduation and haven’t looked back since. I can’t believe you've been here for 8 months and we haven’t run into each other!”

The waiter returned with her drink and he raised his beer to clink glasses with hers. “Cheers!” He took a moment to look her up and down again and at close quarters he could see that her clothes, though nice, were a bit worn and somewhat sun and laundry faded. “So what brought you to the city? Did you find a paranormal psych job here? I would imagine a few of the older buildings must have a extra guest or two wandering about.”

Celeste ordered a captain and coke, the same drink she'd been drinking since they had been in college. Her mind tumbled over the things he was telling her and came to an abrupt halt as he asked about her. with a deep breath to steady her she looked at the floor as she answered, "I'm staying at the Profugo Hotel... over on second street." she hoped he did not make the connection that the hotel was actually used as transitional housing for the Local homeless shelter. "and i'd say with most cities there is at least a few buildings with an extra guest or two. especially the historic districts."

"The Profugo, I'm not familiar with that hotel, is it new?" Scott noted her dropped gaze as she answered, but assumed it was because it's always awkward to meet an ex unexpectedly after so long. "Hey, remember that trip we took to DC? When we took that haunted museum tour?" It had been during their Senior year and they had decided to play hooky and go away somewhere for a long weekend on the cheap. DC wasn't horribly far, though it wasn't close. He remembered it was a long drive, but you can't beat free for an admission price when it comes to the museums. "That was a lot of fun. I remember you filling me on the real theories on the tales as we were going. You were better than the guide."

He took her by the elbow and motioned toward a small table on the other side of the bar where it was a bit quieter. "Do you have time to sit and catch up a bit?"

Celeste smiled at the memory of their trip. "Yes, I remember it quite well and often. It was a wonderful trip." and it had been in many ways. Scott had known how to fire Celeste's passions in every way. It had been one of her favorite things about him. In fact, she found it hard to remember why they had split up sometimes.

Scott had managed to lead her a few steps towards the table before Celeste stopped short and looked at her watch. it was nearly curfew at the hotel. "I'm sorry, Scottie, I can't tonight. I really need to get going before i get locked out of the hotel. Perhaps another time? Soon?" Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment that at her age she had a curfew but it was better than being actually on the streets again. Still, her eyes shone with hope that he would agree to see her again soon.

His smile at her fond recollection faded as quickly as it had appeared as she made her excuses for… for what? A rain check? A brush off? What kind of hotel locked their guests out? He tried to not look crushed by her need to leave, whatever the real reason may be, but the look on her face seemed to plead for forgiveness and perhaps another meeting.

“Uhhhh… yeah, sure. I understand, I guess.” He reached into his pocket and grabbed a napkin off the bar. “Here’s my mobile number, I don’t have any meetings tomorrow afternoon or evening, perhaps we can get a late lunch or early dinner if you have the time?” He quickly finished writing his number down and handed it to her with a genuine smile. “I’d really like to catch up, it’s been a very long time.”

He leaned in to kiss her for real this time and let his lips linger on her for a moment too long for old acquaintances. “Tomorrow?”