After Midnight

[InnerKitty]

Although his facial expression didn't say so, Shadows eyes and his body posture told her that he didn't seem to like talking about himself or his past. So she decided not to press him further everyone had secrets... heaven knew.

The waiter turned to take her order. She'd not even seen the menu she'd been so busy talking. "Oh, uh.... Shadow? Would you please order for me? I have no idea what I should get."

Unconcously she curled her tail up into her lap waiting.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow laughed lightly. "Bring the lady a salad and the house lamb chops."

The waiter nodded, jotted down their order, and slipped off. Shadow turned back to Champagne and casually reached over to brush a lock of hair from her face. The backs of his fingers caressed her cheek softly for a moment before he slowly withdrew his hand. "I want to thank you again for agreeing to accompany me tonight. I understand my request was a little... sudden."

 

[InnerKitty]

His skin was so warm

She looked down at her lap smiling shyly and idly groomed the fur with her fingers. "Well, you are the most interesting person I've met in a long while, so... I couldn't resist." without lifting her head she looked up at shadow through her eyelashes.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow smiled softly at her. He felt calm and peaceful with her, despite having only known her an hour. She had a presence that...

"You're a performer yourself. You know that we have to be interesting because we make a living on our personalities." He reached a hand out to her, hoping she would accept it. "When I met you, I saw in you a warmth and sweetness. Joy seemed to dance in the air around you. That's why I asked you to join me tonight. There's no experience quite like spending time with a woman of your graces."

Shadow rarely gave compliments, and the sincerity in his voice conveyed that clearly. He saved praise and flattery for exceptional situations. But the way this vixen had so brightened his evening just in the short time she had been with him made the coyote believe that every word and more had been earned.

 

[InnerKitty]

Champagne felt a little overwhelmed, yet trully flattered. It was all, whatever IT was, moving too fast. Someone needed to lift the tension she was feeling...
She looked at him sternly... "you sir... flatter me." She raised her eyebrow and paused for his reaction.

Then she took his hand and broke out in a big smile "Please! keep it up!"
She laughed her golden curls falling about her shoulders, her eyes bright with humor.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow kept his face calm and placid as she fixed him with that stern look. Part of being a performance artist meant never letting yourself show fear unless it was intentional. He was wondering if he had crossed any lines, but wasn't about ot show that anxiety.

When Champagne smiled and laughed, relief washed over him. "Ah yes. Flattery will get you everywhere. I do believe my roguish charms and devilish good looks help, though." He gave a cocky, toothy grin for emphasis and laughed again.

 

[InnerKitty]

"they certainly do." She smiled coyly at him.
"there is something about you that is .... intriguing..."
She stared deep into his eyes, seeing his loneliness being hidden by a master, he'd learned to hide all his feelings, except those he wanted seen, and those, she thought, were surface and shallow feelings. But she was just speculating and it wasn't her place to analyse him, she was here to share an evening with a new friend, to have a good time and enjoy his company. He was very interesting after all.

"So do they have a dance floor here? Do you want to dance?" She looked around as she asked, not knowing the club well enough to know where to look. She had to think of something to say or do, without a discussion of his backgroud. she was having a time trying to figure what to talk about, dancing would at least be a distraction, if they only had a place to dance.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow stood and took Champagne's hand. The dance floor was at the other end of the restaurant from the club section. It was specifically designed for people who wanted a slow dance with quieter music and ambience than those who wanted to spend a night of energetic dancing until sun-up. There were only a few couples on the floor at the moment, and an old jazz tune was playing.

Shadow smiled softly. He held her hand in his and wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her in a slow waltz. To some, it may have looked a little unusual. A gorgeous vixen in fine evening wear was dancing with a coyote who was slightly shorter than her and dressed in a mixture of contemporary fashion and American Indian trappings. It was certainly a notable switch from many of the other couples present in the restaurant. All eyes seemed to be moving to them unconsciously. By being so different, they were the stars of the evening.

And Shadow didn't seem to notice any of it. His eyes never left Champagne's, just as the soft, content smile never left his muzzle.

 

[InnerKitty]

Dancing with him was.... magical. She smiled at her own inner joke.
Strangly she'd never noticed till now that her shoes made her taller than him, she didn't want that. Many men feel insecure if the woman is taller, and truth was, she wasn't, she was just wearing stacked high heels, they added a full 4 inches to her height.

"Shadow?" she whispered, "could we stop for just a moment?" She headed for the edge of the dance floor. She fixed him with a stern gaze, "Now you just wait here, I will be right back! Don't you go disappearing on me!" She smiled, her dimples showing and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back!"

She left him at the dancefloor and quickly moved to their table. Sitting down, she unstrapped the heels and placed them under the table. Hurrying back to the dancefloor she found Shadow and hugged his neck, happy to see that she was just below his eye level. that was better.

"I'm sorry, those darn shoes were killing my feet! They might have looked nice in the store, but they were not made for walking... or dancing!" She pulled him out onto the dance floor and placed his hand on her hip and waited for him to lead her across the floor...

 

[DrStein]

Shadow couldn't help but smile. She just didn't want him to feel shorter than her. The truth was that he really didn't mind. He was only 5'4", but his work performing had taught him not to be self-conscious about his height. Though in full honesty, he was surprised to find that Champagne was about the same height he was. Like him, she carried herself in a way that made her seem taller than even those heels could have done.

He continued to lead her in the slow dance, content not to speak. He didn't need to for this.

The song came to a close, and Shadow kissed Champagne's hand softly before leading her back to their table. Their salads had just arrived, and the main course was not likely to be much longer. "If I may ask, what got you into dancing? Lifelong pursuit, or something you just sort of fell into?"

 

[InnerKitty]

"Oh, I just love to dance, in high school I was at every dance they had." she took a bite of her salad, chewing thoughtfully, she swallowed, "then in high school I joined the dance team and later the dance team in college. Took some theater, more dance and voice while I was in college. Dropped out about2 semesters from finishing with a Bachelors in Performance Art.. just plain ran out of money, my parents made too much money for grants and loans, and I wasn't about to ask them for it, they thought I should be in teaching.. or business or computers or something. But I loved performing!" She took another bite of her salad, chewed and swallowed, "So.. I dropped out. Worked here and there, and then ended up at Josie's, just like I said."
She took another bite of salad, looking up at Shadow, smiling.

 

[DrStein]

"Sounds to me as if you made the right choice," Shadow mused before taking a bite of his salad. "Many people find themselves in professions they don't want because others told them it was more practical. I have a brother who's in med school right now. I could never live with a job like that, it would drive me crazy... er, I mean. Crazy-er."

People had often accused him of being insane to perform some of the stunts he did, and they were probably right. It was a compulsion more than anything. Shadow had to test the limits of what was possible for a performer to accomplish. His latest show was proof enough of that. The sequence for Against the Wind was one of his finest works to date, consisting mostly of his own original illusions that had taken years to develop.

"It's much better to take a job you enjoy and struggle for a few years than to get rich off of one you don't like simply because certain people considered it 'respectable.'"

 

[InnerKitty]

She chortled, "In my case it was lucrative, not respectable. They wanted to make sure I could make a living without struggling. And I appreciate it, It is what famiies do, at least my family, they get in your business with the best intention, completely sure that you are too young or too... out of touch with the real world to make up you own mind and do something worth doing." she smiled a sad smile, "So I did what I wanted. and maybe I wasn't ready for the real world. Maybe it's lessons were harder than I thought... " she stopped for a moment, playing with her salad, staring at her dish.
The music stopped and for a moment the room hushed. For a moment she seemed lost in thought or memory.

Then she looked up at Shadow, a half smile on her face, "but, I made my own decisions, my own mistakes, my own successes. And I think it has made me a stronger person somehow."

Music began playing again and conversations resumed. The waiter appeared at the edge of their table, carrying their order.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow knew the story of facing the real world all too well. Poverty, sickness, ignorance, and exploitation were all part of life growing up for him. He knew he needed to get out of that life, and when he hit the streets for the first time, they hit back pretty hard...

Their order arriving was a welcome distraction from that train of thought. Shadow knew his dwelling on these subjects was all part of his condition, he just hoped that things would improve soon.

"For the gentleman, the steak royale..." The steak itself was cut thick and grilled medium. On the side were some steamed vegetables and rosemary potatoes.

"And for the lady, the house lamb chops." The chops had an exotic smell to them, cooked with a Moroccan spice rub. They came with garlic chick peas and two kabobs of onions, cherry tomatoes, and peppers.

"And of course a bottle of pinot noir as you requested." The waiter paused and looked at Shadow with a raised eyebrow. "You're a fan of the movie Sideways, aren't you Mr. Velazquez." It wasn't a question, more of an inside joke.

"What can I say," Shadow laughed, "Paul Giamatti is my favorite actor." With a flick of his wrist, he produced a twenty from thin air, which he handed to the waiter before he headed off to his next table.

He turned back to Champagne and smiled as he poured her a glass of wine before pouring one for himself. "Here's to a beautiful night."

 

[InnerKitty]

Champagne lauged a little at the irony that she was drinking champagne.

"Cheers." She smiled and clinked his glass with her own.
Taking a sip, she smiled again at Shadow. "I love Giamatti! I even saw the Incredible Screw-On Head, even though it is animation. He did the voice, and you could just see him saying all those lines. He was awesome, althought I admit the movie was... strange. Luckily I once dated a comic book geek, and well, I can follow strange movies." She giggled, dimples showing at the corners of her mouth, and she took another drink.

Looking down at her plate, her mouth watered, "MMMM! It all looks so good! Forgive me Shadow, if I quit talking for a while and eat!" She smiled up at him then dug in.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow tried to supress his laughter a moment. He merely carved up his steak and ate slowly. As usual, the food was fantastic. He was content to enjoy it in silence as he admired Champagne from across the table. She had the most adorable smile.

He sipped lightly at the wine. It was a very rich flavor, and had a lovely scent. He wasn't about to have too much, though. Getting drunk would put a damper on the evening and just undo his efforts to hold back his condition.

 

[InnerKitty]

"MMMmmmmm..." she closed her eyes in pleasure and an expression of intense pleasure played across her face as she chewed. She swallowed and took another bite, replaying the same scenario again and again with each bite until it was all gone.

She emptied her champagne glass and sat back in her chair, a deeply satisfied sigh iminating from her lips. "Ahhhhhhh, that was delicious! I didn't realize I was hungry until I started eating!.... mmmmmm..." she smiled at shadow across the table.

"Oh look! my glass must be broken." she held it out for him to see, "see? there's nothing in it and it was full just a while ago... must have a leak," she winked at him with a devilish grin,"or maybe its magic!"

 

[DrStein]

Shadow smirked slightly. "Magic, huh? Are you sure you're not just saying you'd like another glass?"

He poured out another glass for her and took another sip of his own.

 

[InnerKitty]

Shadow smirked slightly. "Magic, huh? Are you sure you're not just saying you'd like another glass?"

He poured out another glass for her and took another sip of his own.

She laughed, and picking up her glass, raised it towards him, "ahh, you've figured me out already!" Tilting the glass to her lips, she took a long sip, her eyes smiling at Shadow over the rim of the glass.

 

[DrStein]

Shadow lifted a brow and smiled. "Don't drink too much, now. There's more to enjoy this evening."

He quietly finished his meal and called for the check. "I thought we'd have desert at my place."

 

[InnerKitty]

Champagne reached out across the table and laid her hand over his reassuringly, "Oh, now Shadow, I promise you, I am quite far away from too much. I used to drink the frat boys under the table and still be able walk to my dorm, sleep and wake up the next morning without a headache." she shrugged, smiling, "I just seem to metabolize alcohol differntly than the average girl."

She leaned back in her chair and leaned down to gather her purse, "So, are we ready to leave?"

 

[DrStein]

Shadow nodded once and took out his Amex card. He paid for the check in short order, silently insisting that the evening be on him. Some had accused him of showing off his wealth, and perhaps in some small degree they were right. Shadow was making an impressive income through his corporate gigs and his unusual stage shows, and after pulling himself from living in poverty, he liked to express in small ways that he now had the ability to give back to others.

"My apartment is a little ways up town."

 

[InnerKitty]

She smiled, her dimples showing. She noted that he paid for their meal without hesitation. very nice.

She stood up to follow him out, all the while wondering what would happen as the night progressed.

 

[DrStein]

The drive over to Shadow's apartment was relatively short. It only took a few minutes. He lived in a condo about a mile outside of a corporate suburbia. The two of them took the elevator up to the 6th floor and from there moved four doors down the hall to Shadow's.

"Make yourself at home, and I'll get desert ready." He opened the door and let Champagne in first.

A short hall with a closet on the right opened into the living room. A pale, beige carpet covered the floor and the walls a soft white. Shadow flicked on the lights revealing only a couple of floor lamps and a set of track lighting in the ceiling. A leather sectional sofa was arranged in front of a flat-screen TV on the far wall. Beside that was a print of Jackson Pollock's "Alchemy" framed on the wall between two doors. Recessed shelves in several walls held a number of odd mementos ranging from American Indian crafts to Japanese weaponry and statues. On the right was the kitchen with a window in the wall looking out into the living room. A sideboard underneath the window held a large collection of framed pictures.

It was a very spacious apartment, and Shadow apparently didn't want too much furniture cluttering it up. What he did with all that space was unclear, however. "Would you like to eat out here or in the kitchen?"

 

[InnerKitty]

Looking around Champagne admired his taste in decor. It was decidely masculine, and sparse, but that made sense, after all he was a male.

"Hmm?" she'd been staring at the Pollack and nearly missed his question, "Oh, um, it doesn't matter, whichever you want to do" she walked over to the shelves and looked at the various and sundry objects there with much interest.

Her feet hurt, she'd been ignoring them, but they were really starting to hurt now. "Um, Shadow? do you mind if I take my shoes off? My feet are killing me?" She didn't really wait for an answer and began pulling them off. She placed them in a corner out of the way, along with her purse. She padded across the room and looked in the kitchen window at shadow, leaning her elbow on the ledge, her long blond hair spilling over her shoulder. "So, what are we having again?" She smiled in his direction, her chin resting in her hand.