My Good Deed For The Day [Dorian Knight]

[poss]

Mid afternoon, the sun hoisted above the high rises that bordered the streets and giving light to the hectic life of the city folk. Everyone was on the move during the day- the hustle and bustle as the vast quantities of people pushed and shoved their way down the sidewalk, to and from shops. The street itself was alive with the passing of warm rubber rolling over the concrete, the constant buzz of engines as the lights, red, yellow and green decided when they would move and when the street would be backed up for blocks. Horns sounded, angry motorists flailing a fist outside the driver side windows, and pedestrians trying to find their way through the maze of vehicles to get from one side to the other. The open signs, the dazzling bright lights that even in the mid day sunlight, shone brilliant and eye catching to draw in customers. It was just another day in the city.

Each footfall was silent, yet sure footed and swift. Knees lifting high before her leg outstretched to swallow the distance again in that rhythmic fashion of a jogger. Fluid sway of her body as she kept a steady pace, sticking to the quieter streets yet still having to dodge around those that felt they deserved the right to the sidewalk over everyone else. A few weeks ago she almost took up jogging outside of the city limits rather than through, but her job pressured her to stay close. Hang tight. It wasn't all bad, it gave her a different perspective. As an officer only in the evenings, she had the day to herself when she did not have a client to train. Lately less and less people wanted a personal trainer- they would rather try fad diets and weight loss pills. Oh well, it was their health, and she didn't need their money.

The mid day was warm, yet not sweltering hot, and not too humid either. A clear sky which actually threatened later of showers as the thunderheads could be seen peeking over the horizon to the west. Perhaps that would mean another night off- always good to have. Anastasia was dressed in her usual jogging attire, a pair of short black shorts, showing the muscle of her thigh and down her calf with every lunge forward, and a white tank top. Sometimes she wore just the sports bra on hot days, but with the recent gun shot wound to the abdomen, she decided not to be an attention grabber. Black running shoes with ankle sheaths for the two 6" blades, and a pistol at her hip. Exposed, and not hidden from view. Jogging was the only time she never had her entire collection of weapons which usually consisted of a total of five blades and two firearms with extra clips of ammo. Well, she did have two extra clips of ammo, both a high silver content to ensure her ass was covered no matter who it was that was trying to bring her down. It was during a jog that she had actually taken on the gun wound to the gut, so she wasn't going to be found with less than what she currently carried, but sure wished she had more.

Today she stuck to familiar streets, the soft padding sound her shoes made on the hot sidewalk matching the beat of her heart that she could feel in her throat. Her idea of a jog was some peoples idea of a run- she always stuck to a high speed, training her body to go fast for long distances. Even being short, she could run faster than most men on the force, if not all. Turning at the corner of one block, and heading down the sidewalk at her steady pace, she spotted a few familiar faces. It was one of the streets she regularly jogged at. One of those faces was an elderly lady. Ana was not good with names, and was sure the elderly woman had told her on several occasions, but either way, every day she was in this area she would spot the happy face of this woman, and always made sure to wave. She had helped the woman home with groceries one time when she spotted her with more than what Ana herself would have carried alone. Truth was.. this lady was actually from a building that she had visited again recently. The 'Doc', Dorian Knight was in the same building.

Her pace slowed when she spotted the short old woman, who was just as petite as Ana was and even the same height. Her arms were brittle looking, but it was obvious she probably kept good care of herself when she was younger, and perhaps even now. Sinewy muscle coiled under that loose skin as she wrapped her arms around a bundle of groceries that was once again, way too much for one person to carry on their own. "Edna, What did I tell you about carrying all of this on your own? You should ask someone from the grocers for help, or have it delivered, you are going to take your back out before you hit fourty!" She joked, making the woman, whos name she remembered at the time, sound much younger than she was. Edna was easily around seventy years old, but still kicking it hardcore. Anastasia slowed to a walk and Edna handed her a few of the bags, still trying to carry more than she offered for help. The old woman never turned down someone helping her, but she would never ask for it, so it seemed. Ana laughed and took another three bags from the woman, making sure to take those with the heavy items such as Milk and eggs. They were only a block from Edna's, and Ian's building, but Ana never realized just yet that it was the same building. Perhaps running up to it in the middle of a downpour didn't allow her to take in enough details to put 1 and 2 together. Ana and Edna walked at the elderly womans pace, a shuffle of feet so to say, toward the building. She always helped her up to her door on the fourth floor once they got there, and even helped her put the groceries away.

[dorian]

Ana was not the only one who helped Edna cross the street – or carry her bags.


Edna, Ian knew, was an old woman as sweet and independent in her ways as she was habitual; she always shopped at precisely the same time of day, same day of the week - one in the afternoon, or somewhere thereabout, every Tuesday. She went to the same grocery store as well, one to which Ian was also a patron, and Ian, whose current profession included getting the majority of the work done before any normal human being found it necessary to brave the outside world, and getting the remainder of it done before midday, often saw the old woman out and about when he was on his daily ‘commute’ (a half-hour walk) home. Once he realized that she lived in the same building, he never let her carry more than she could handle when he happened to come across her.

The mean-spirited part of Ian brought on by his Fall didn’t want him lending a hand to anyone, but he justified his helping the nice old woman by noting that it took little effort on his part. He possessed a vigorously toned figure, and as such, carrying the groceries was hardly a problem. Plus, the woman lived in the same building, two floors lower. It was along the way, and, in his justification, more convenient than to have himself feeling guilty for the rest of the day about leaving the woman to fend for herself. This was, perhaps, Ian’s greatest – even fatal – flaw. He didn’t like to give credit to himself for good deeds – he didn’t think he deserved it, even though, from time to time, he was well overdue. In all truth, for Ian to be able to do any good deed, he had to demean the act in his mind until it was nothing nicer than taking out the trash. Alas, better good be done in the guise of simple rationality than not at all – no?


Ian was a construction worker; his day on the job consisted of dull, hard, methodical labor. While the man did consider the job to be somewhat mindless, his specialty lay in one of the most dangerous areas in the construction business: he was a tower erector, or a climber, which meant he worked on the building of skyscrapers, at the topmost levels, tens of stories high. He was truly the perfect man for the job, deft on his feet, and comfortable up high. He felt more alive up in the air than he did anywhere else; his job was little more to him than a place to daydream. Funnily enough, his job possessed one of the highest fatality rates in the country, mostly due to falls. Ian was practically immune to injuries that could prove fatal for any other man in his position, so he was a special commodity of sorts. While a direct fall might leave him with a broken bone, his balance was nearly infallible. One wing alone, it seemed, was enough to keep the man upright, 99.9% of the time.


Ian happened to be en route of his ‘commute’ back from work, walking at a steady pace, less hastened than that of the businessmen he passed, but a far cry from slow, when he thought he caught sight of the bobbing head of the distinctly short old woman from his building, Edna. He hurried to a light jog to close the gap between them, noting the groceries in her hands and fully intending to take them –until, that is, he watched someone else pull the groceries from her hands. Who had beat him to it?

"Edna, What did I tell you about carrying all of this on your own?”

Ian froze. He knew that voice, if only vaguely. From a dream? No, there was definitely something more substantial to it. He knew exactly how substantial when he saw a head bobbing next to Edna at her shuffled pace.

Blonde hair. Same height, and an almost fragile-seeming frame. It couldn’t be – but, upon seeing the gun at her hip, Ian no longer had a doubt.

Anastasia Steele.
What a small, small world.

He and Ana, newly met but the Friday before, both having the habit of helping the exact same old lady among thousands – maybe millions – within the city limits. Really, what were the chances of that? Ian didn’t announce his presence behind the two just yet. He was still a little too shocked at the circumstance. He slowed his own steps to follow evenly behind, wanting to be certain of the identity of the woman with Edna before he jumped to any conclusions. Though he saw the old woman often enough, he thought he’d seen the last of Miss Steele the night she had seen herself out of his apartment. That hadn’t stopped his thoughts from drifting to her from time to time, of course. After all, the night they had ‘shared’ had been more adventure than he’d seen in the entire course of the previous year.

He caught a better look at the two, and his theory was confirmed – it was Ana who was with the old woman. Sweat beaded and fell from Ian’s bronzed chest, bare and glistening in the brilliant light of day. A t-shirt, midnight blue in color, was draped over one of the man’s shoulders, straight, darkly stained jeans hugging his legs somewhat loosely. Dark boots covered his feet, and both his pants and his shoes were covered in various shades of dirt and sawdust. He brushed his hands over his legs, attempting to beat off some of the obvious grime, to no avail. Sweaty, and dirty. What a great second impression to make. And yet, Ian couldn’t help but call out just behind them, hoping that Ana, in her jogging suit, wouldn’t be quick to judge. Or if she did judge, judge as he’d done – favorably.

“Well, well - it seems like I’ve been replaced.” He offered a warm grin to Edna, before his gaze, now an electric blue, fell upon Ana.

“Is this just an uncanny coincidence, or am I in trouble again?”

[/size]

[poss]

Anastasia ran by this street twice daily. Keeping in supreme shape was one of her goals, and not only did it assist in her job but it was also the one time that she had to think about the recent events that she had gone through. She had always been slender and could eat whatever she wanted- pasta being a favorite, so it wasn't about keeping off pounds so much as it was to be healthy in general. Back in the city prior to this one, she had been an active member at the gym, working with free weights and yoga and a few other things that popped up. She was flexible in her regime, and in other ways as well. So far, however, she had not come across a gym scene here that she fit in to very well. Call her paranoid, but she found it unacceptable to leave weapons at home, like these gyms requested. The first time she went in they almost had a S.W.A.T. team called in- good thing she worked for the boys in blue and had every right to carry a weapon, but either way, their rules were not flexible at all. No weapons allowed, period. And thus, she stuck to jogging twice a day and working out at home- oh well, she never was the sociable type and people at those places seemed to love striking up conversations. It never seemed to go well when the most frequently asked question is "What do you do for a living" and her response was "I kill people."

And now, to have been on this block so often in the past month or so that she had lived in this city, and to be walking the same lady home from the grocers on and off yet never meeting Dorian until now- it was quite the coincidence. The busy sidewalk gave no warning that someone was following them. Luckily, it was mid day, the sun was high and the number of people were also a number of witnesses. Rarely would she be attacked at a time like this, so it never unnerved her at all when a voice sounded, catching her attention, from behind. She was calm, collected, and her response was that of any citizen rather than the paranoid sociopath that she was.

She felt a brow raise in surprise, and question when she recognized the voice, turning to face him with her arms wrapped around the numerous paper bags, with plastic ones hooped and hanging from her arms and elbows. With such a shield of objects she never felt as uncomfortable as would be expected in such an outfit, and yet she still felt a sense of .. butterflies. Wait.. what was that? No, that isn't possible- Ana never reacted that way around men, no matter how handsome they were while dripping with sweat and half naked infront of her. I mean... A blush crept to her cheeks, grinning as she met his gaze and about to speak when Edna took the opportunity first.

Her voice was shaky, but strong, and she stepped toward Dorian, who towered over her like a giant yet there was a warmth to her eyes like a mother looking down upon her child. Just.. in this case, the poor old woman almost had to strain her neck to look up to meet his eyes. It never seemed to bother her though, "Ian!" She exclaimed, rather excited as she reached out a pale, wrinkled and frail hand to pat him on the arm, turning so that her back wasn't to Ana, and was rather facing her than him. "This is the young man I have been talking about." Now directing her attention to Ana as she continued to pat Ians arm. "Isn't he handsome? You two are going to get to know each other, and I will not take no for an answer!" Her grin, that sparkle to her eye, and yet you knew that she would not let you verbally turn her down- not now, not with how pleased she was to have them both in the same place at once.

She looked back to Dorian, her smile still bright and as warm as the sunshine overhead. "This is Anastasia. You treat her good, she is better than any hootchie you will meet at a bar young man. Take her out to a good restaurant, show her a good time and .. and.. take those groceries for her, be a gentleman, will you?" Oh yes, Edna had a very strong motherly streak it would seem. Her smile reached her eyes as she patted his arm again, motioning toward Ana who still clutched the bags with raised eye brows. She never expected to meet him here.. but to have this woman speak in such ways was more than embarrassing. She had always humored the woman when she spoke of a 'handsome gentleman' in her building. But now. this was going to be interesting.

Anastasia spoke up, having to try twice before able to make her words audible. She was obviously taken aback. "Oh no, that's all right, I got the---" Edna waved her off and broke in with her crackly but stern voice. "Nonsense! Ian will carry them" And then she began walking down the sidewalk toward the building once again in her slow paced shuffle, leaving them behind her .. but not with much distance due to her pace. Edna was so pleased with herself, that she was glowing.

[dorian]

The whole situation was unbelievable. ‘Coincidence’ just didn’t seem like a strong enough word for all the individual twists of fate that the circumstance altogether contained. It seemed surreal, if not dreamlike, but it was definitely happening – the sensation of Edna’s gentle grasp on Ian’s forearm proved it. She lifted her warm gaze to meet Ian’s, and his playful grin widened into a genuine smile. He would have a difficult time admitting it if it was ever asked of him, but the man always felt a powerful surge of warmth coursing through his already sun-warmed body when the old woman gave him her look – one of pure, unconditional fondness. It was a look rarely bestowed on him by any other.

Though he towered over the old woman, she always made him feel as if he were a child. Beloved and promising, and – almost unconditionally – forgiven.

It was, to say the least, a sensation he had yet to grow accustomed to.


“This is the young man I have been talking about.” [/i]

Ian had to replay that statement through his head a few times before he realized what, exactly, the old woman was saying. She spoke of him when he wasn’t around? As if that wasn’t enough flattery and surprise – she kept going, calling him handsome, talking about him as if he wasn’t there. Sure, Edna had always showered him in compliments when it was just they two, but he could dismiss them, then. This was a little different. Anastasia was there, and, for some reason Ian couldn’t explain, that made the whole matter a thousand times more embarrassing.

Get to know each other? But they already knew each other, albeit, not extremely well. Ian dared not to inform the subliminally authoritative Edna of this fact, but kept an ever-so-slightly faltering smile firmly planted on his lips as a means of concealing his mortification as she spoke of them both, nodding slightly and letting out the faintest of laughs.

Ian found himself distracted for but a moment as his eyes flickered over to Ana once more. He noted her blush, somewhat relieved to see that she felt the same way as he did about the whole thing, though his embarrassment showed not in the form of redness, but his mannerisms. He seemed a bit more jumpy, perhaps? It was especially obvious as in the second Edna mentioned the groceries, Ian had already grabbed them hastily from Ana’s hands, also taking those which Edna still carried herself. He had no difficulty carrying them at all once he situated the bags in his arms, and when the old woman shuffled a head of he and Ana, Ian craned his neck somewhat awkwardly so he could see the younger woman walking next to him.
“I feel like I should apologize for this,” Ian spoke under his breath, adding a shaky laugh at the end. The bags eliminated his words from Edna’s notice. He did feel responsible for the awkwardness, for some odd reason – it was sort of like the mother-meeting-girlfriend scenario, only, Edna wasn’t his mother, and Ana certainly wasn’t his girlfriend. He gave Ana another look, noting her jogging outfit with a smile. Ian was also a patron of exercise, though the man usually took his own routine outside of the city; he preferred the view – most especially that of the sky – from the country. He would jump from gym to gym, when he had the money, but hadn’t settled down just yet. Ian was still relatively new to the city, after all. He’d been there no more than a year.

“Do you think we should tell her? That we know each other already, I mean,” Ian raised a brow as he offered the question, careful to look as they reached the building front and went inside. It was a little more pleasant during the day than the late night, it seemed. There was more light, and without the rain, the smell of mildew wasn’t as overpowering. Ian was about to say more, but Edna cut him off as they mounted the stairs.

“This was just so lucky, us all meeting there like that. I almost can’t believe it!” The old woman was beaming, a grin so large that her eyes almost disappeared into the wrinkles of her face. “You two will go out for the day, won’t you? Oh, I’m so sure you two will hit it off, I can hardly stand it!”

They stood before Edna’s apartment door, now. Ian was shocked silent but for his quickened breath, resulting from the walk up the stairs with armfuls of brown paper bags. He glanced at Ana, giving her a look as if to say, “what do you think?” He had nothing planned for the day, admittedly – though, he would need to shower before they did anything. He had that much decency. [/font][/size]

[poss]

It was rare, for Anastasia to feel so embarrassed. The heat creeping up to her face and the awkward laughter that seeped from her throat was not helping the situation either. In truth- she couldn't understand why she felt so awkward. She had been put on the spot many times in her life- hell, she worked with men 99% of the day and this was not the first time something like this came across. Usually she could joke with it, play along, or even try to embarrass the guys even more by winking or blowing them a kiss with some devilish grin. No.. not today. Today, she felt overwhelmed with embarrassment, and almost.. a tid bit of shyness? No, that couldn't be.. hardcore killers weren't supposed to have those soft types of emotions.

Numbness washed over her momentarily, unable to think of something to respond with, and everything seemed to move so quickly. Dorian took the groceries from her arms before she had really even noticed he had moved- her eyes having been on the elderly lady who winked a tired eye at her as she passed by and began moving toward the building. Ian spoke, and it seemed to snap her out of it. Her head turned quickly toward him, a silent gasp of breath and she blinked a few times before a smile was able to creep over her lip line. "Oh uhmm.. I don't know. I don't want to be the one to burst her bubble- I havn't seen her this happy since I met her!" she exclaimed, turning with a slow pivot to head toward the building, walking abreast Ian. "Wait a minute.. you know Edna?" Hesitation, her eyes squinting with confusion and brows knitting with question as she looked up at him as they walked, before she laughed softly. "Okay, so that was a little late, and the answer very obvious..just, wow." Shaking her head slowly as they walked through the threshold in to the building. Her gaze fell on Dorian as they walked through the building and she couldn't help but smirk, speaking quietly but with a tone of teasing to it, " So.. trouble making doctor by night.. and... male stripper by day?" she joked, trying to lighten the situation. And then Edna spoke up, snapping Anas attention to the elderly lady with as warm of a smile as she could manage, trying not to show how awkward she was feeling.

She began to ascend the stairs, not yet realizing that this was also Dorians building that she had been in the other night, keeping up with them even with as out of place as she felt. Not to mention under dressed. That is.. until she glanced back at Dorian and looked him over- her train of thought as her eyes washed over the planes of muscle once again derailed by Edna. Her eyes widened and she felt like a deer in the headlights, the old woman speaking of them going out today. That was quick! Already Dorian was looking at her, a look on his face that told her that she couldn't turn to him for support in the obvious attempt of escape that would be her stammering to find an excuse. "Uh- ah.. well.." Eyes darting between the two of them, both of their expressions not giving her much of a choice. Finally she sighed, and a smile- one that was so genuine it reached her eyes, and nodded. "Yeah, you know what, that sounds like a good idea." Looking from one to the other as Edna clapped her hands excitedly infront of herself, gasping with joy.

Her gaze fell to her own body, looking down at the jogging attire she was wearing, and once again realizing how absolutly embarassing the outfit alone was- let alone the situation. "I think I-- or, we, will probably have to get changed before going out in public again though. Unless we are going to a gym with a.. stripper act." She couldn't help but laugh, teasing Ian as she walked over to Edna and helped her open the door. She pulled a key from her own pocket, beside the holstered firearm, and plunged it in to the hole. The old ladies hands were so shaky- she had troubles doing it on her own sometimes. "I should help you put away your groceries though, first. Priorities, you know." Smiling, turning the key that Edna had cut for her (yeah that is just how trusting this woman was) and pushing the door open as it swung on silent hinges. Dorian was still holding all of the groceries, so Ana waved him in ahead of her, closing the door behind them- Edna already having shuffled her way to the kitchen as it was right inside the door to one side.

Edna's voice rang clear, still chiming with joy, "Oh nonsense dear you look beautiful." before she leaned in to Ana as she walked over to her in the kitchen and whispered, not all that quietly in her shaky voice, "I told you he was in good shape" winking, and only causing the rush of heat from embarrassment to flush Ana's face again. Luckily her back was to Dorian, and she tried to act as if she hadn't heard it.

"I live.. across the city, but my car is just a few blocks away- I have extra clothes in the trunk. How far is your place from here?" She asked, still not having realized it was his building, walking over to him to take a bag or two, make that three.. or how about four paper bags of groceries from him and carrying them to the counter, taking things from them and putting them in designated cupboards and in the fridge. Edna waved herself off to the washroom down the hall from the kitchen, as she usually did after a walk, leaving Ana and Dorian in the kitchen.

[dorian]

Ian, too, was having a hard time understanding why he was so uncomfortable. He was more jittery and nervous than he was embarrassed, but perhaps that was on account of the fact that he rarely found himself in situations where he was vulnerable. There – that was it! The whole reason he kept to himself was to keep out of situations in which he would be completely exposed, possibly causing himself or another harm in the process. The situation before him now was a mild case to attest to his reasoning – though, for some reason, Ian felt as if being so emotionally vulnerable now was worse than any physical vulnerability he had ever experienced. Maybe it was because he knew all too well how close to home emotional pain hit – you can distance yourself from bodily pain, even detach yourself, really, but emotions were attached to one’s very core. There was no escaping the pleasure. Certainly not the pain. That wasn’t the only reason he was uneasy, however. There was something else going on beneath the surface. Whether or not it had anything to do with being in such close quarters with a stunningly beautiful woman, or not – well, thankfully, Edna’s constant interruption kept Ian from thinking too hard on the phenomenally significant possibility.

As overly dramatic as it was, Ian’s breath caught in his throat while Ana stammered, eyes flickering nervously between he and the old woman. When looked back on, the whole thing would certainly be nothing short of hilarious. In the moment, Ian found himself almost scared to hear what Ana’s next words – apart from ‘uh’ and ‘ah’ – would be.

Her smile melted the frozen, fearful feeling that had gripped Ian for no more than a second. It took a minute for him to realize that she’d agreed. The reason why was beyond him, for a moment – then, Edna clapped with joy. Ah, yes – it was for Edna. That had to be the reason.

Ian nodded with earnest as Ana’s next words mentioned a need to change – that is, until she mentioned the word ‘stripper’ again. Then, after a brief pause, the man let out a hearty, if embarrassed laugh. To say that Ana’s stripper comments had taken Ian off guard would be an injustice to the very idea of understatement – he had stopped cold in his tracks when she fist let the joke loose, trying to find its relevance before laughter, broken only by shock, escaped his chest. He had forgotten, momentarily, about his only-half-clothed appearance, which was another large reason towards why he seemed to be ‘out of his element’. He didn’t mind the stares he got on the street from the women – sometimes men – who passed by, and he certainly couldn’t care less about what his coworkers thought when he took off his shirt. They were shirtless too, you know. Ian didn’t even care that he was shirtless in front of Edna (mayhaps because she told Ian she liked him better that way). No - the problem lay in the fact that when walking down the street, the interaction with those other, more clothed women and men on the street was exceedingly brief. Here and now, in the not-so-brief presence of Anastasia, Ian wouldn’t have minded putting on a turtleneck. Self-conscious? Surprisingly enough, it seemed that way. Ian wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable with his body, but more with the way the situation made his shirtlessness stand out. His only saving grace was that Ana, he hoped, felt a little the same way in her jogging outfit which, while exceedingly complimentary to her form, left less to the imagination than, say, a smock would.

Ian forced himself to push aside the ridiculous of the situation and accept that it was happening. “Yeah,” he nodded in agreement with Ana, “we should probably change. I’ve been to most of the gyms in the area, and I have to say, I have yet to see any dancing polls.” Ohhh, what was this? A bit of light humor? It seemed Ian’s nerves were coming around, as well they should. He was a man, after all, not a schoolboy – even if, when Edna spoke of Ana’s beauty, he couldn’t help but glance over.

Once the group had stepped inside, Ian allowed Ana to take the groceries from his hands. His arms weren’t sore, per se, from carrying the bags, but holding the careful position so as not to drop any had made him a little tense. It was as he stretched and flexed his arms to release said tension that Edna made her comment regarding his shape, and it was all Ian could do to keep himself for letting his arms fall to his sides like noodles. He cleared his throat somewhat loudly without exactly telling himself to do so, and was relieved as Edna left the room. Ana questioned as to where Ian lived, and that was the end of yet another bout of awkwardness. He kept a serious face as he replied, grabbing up some groceries himself to help put them away.

“My place? About – say, two stories up, and three doors over.” He got the nerve to joke once more, flashing a playful grin to Ana before he heard Edna’s echoed call from the bathroom.

“Ian, dear, why don’t you go shower awhile? Ana can help me put the groceries away. That way, you’ll both be ready around the same time.” Ian glanced over in the direction of Edna’s voice before his eyes flickered to Ana, and he nodded a few times over. He knew it was better to simply do as Edna asked, sometimes, rather than ask questions. This was one of those times.

“Alright,” He began, rubbing the back of his neck. He addressed Ana, turning to leave as he did so. “I’ll meet you back here, then.” With one final, small smile, Ian left the room.
[/size]

[poss]

She was beginning to feel more comfortable as the time went on. Perhaps it was the fact she knew she would get to change soon, out of this clown suit- or so it felt like she was wearing. Edna had left the room to use the washroom, and Ana immediatly began putting away groceries. Luckily she knew where most everything went, so it wouldn't take long. However, Ian's comment about where he lived momentarily confused her. Turning with a tilt to her head off to one side and a slight squint before her mind put together the pieces. The stairwell is what helped her put it all together- this was his building. Okay, now that was a bit more of a coincidence than her mind was ready for. "Wow.. yeah, it is, isn't it?" More mumbling to herself as she smirked, "It looks so much different in the daylight. I guess I should learn to pay closer attention." That was, indeed the thought that hit her the hardest. She was paid to be quick to observe and remember. She had a top notch memory, and could spend less than a full minute in a room before knowing as much about it as someone who maybe had the time to investigate. It was a skill- a 'stay alive' technique that did, indeed, save her life many times. Being around Dorian seemed to be ruining her concentration- her eyes now shifting to him once again as he began helping to put things away.

It had been years since she had felt this way around a man. Like mentioned before, she worked with men every day- in head office she was the only female beyond traffic cops. She had a bit more responsibility than making sure people followed a speed limit, she had a responsibility to put her life on the line in order to save a strangers. Which was why she didn't date. Men didn't seem to like a woman that they felt emasculated around. And the fact that they could never be sure if she would be coming home by morning, walking through the door or in a body bag, seemed to bug them as well. She was stubborn, hard headed, and did not like to be looked down at- which, most men she had met in the past several years, had a hard time with. Sure, she had a sense of humor, but when her height and the fact she had to practically break her own neck to make eye contact with most of the people she met was the butt of most of their jokes, it was hard to take them seriously, or even give them much respect. Oh no, she could handle a joke every now and then, and it wasn't 'sexist'.. it was simple a case of annoyance at times.

They also seemed to be girly boys around here. Men who didn't take chances with their women. Too shy to take a chance, some even asking permission before doing anything. It was like they were afraid of a lawsuit if they touched her. If they were too nice, they just couldn't work out, otherwise she had this sense of being the 'man' in the relationship and had a hard time picturing herself always having to console a crying man. Sure, men could cry- but she wasn't all that good with crying women, so when a man cried, it made her feel awkward as to how to handle the situation.

Taking the jug of milk and opening the refrigerator to find a place for it, she heard Edna's call from the washroom. Pushing a few things to the side to make room for the container, she closed the fridge door and turned to Dorian. "Okay that sounds good. I'll be here- I hope you don't mind having to run to my car with me to get my clothes after- I will need an extra set of hands." No, it wasn't because the bag was so big, either. She returned Ian's smile as he left and continued to put groceries away. It never took long before Edna same shuffling out of the hallway, her words ringing clear before she made her entrance, "Oh, Ana my dear, you two are so cute together. And I think he likes you- I haven't seen hm that nervous in a coons age." as she walked around the table to begin helping put things away.

Anastasia did not like to be called Ana, but when it was said by Edna, it never seemed to bother her. Plus, she wasn't about to tell the old woman she didn't like it. Normally, Anastasia didn't hesitate to speak her mind, but there was something about this woman that found a soft spot in her heart. Perhaps it was the fact she had lost both parents at such a young age, or the fact that she had never met her grandparents before, because they had died before she was born. Either way, it was actually comforting to have someone like her pulling the strings for once. The elderly ladies confidence was refreshing.

The groceries were all put away, and Ana had cleaned off the counters and the table, boiling some water in the kettle and making tea for Edna like she always did before she left. However,t his was the first time she had sat at the table with her while she sipped at it. She crossed one leg over the other, sitting across from Edna- facing the entrance in to the room- Edna with her back to it. Yes, Ana was still paranoid. At least from this angle she could have her gun out and ready before someone even made the first step in to the shag carpet of the room. The door was not latched, it was actually a few inches open. Edna liked, as well, to hear what was going on out in the hall. She liked the rumors and to know when her neighbors were coming and going. The conversation had not yet changed from the subject at hand. Dorian. If Ana had a moment to think between questions, she would have thought this elderly lady was in love with him. If not, she was, at the very least, fascinated by him. "He is a handsome young man, isn't he? He has such beautiful eyes, too! Wouldn't you say?" Edna said before bringing the edge of her tea cup to her lips and waiting for an answer. By now, Ana had already started feeling comfortable again. Even with the questions she was being asked, something about this woman made her feel open to discussion. "Yes.. he has very kind eyes, and is quite handsome." she responded, Edna's eye brows immediatly lifting in approval for her admitting it.

[dorian]

Ian raced up the next two flights of stairs despite himself, pulling the key from his pocket along the way so that, at the same time he reached his door, he also opened it. He left a trail of clothing along the floor to the bathroom, first shrugging the hanging shirt from his shoulder, before yanking off boots, peeling off socks, and shaking off his jeans. The boxers came off once he was in the bathroom. After snatching up a towel from the nearby closet, he leaped into the tiled shower and slid the glass door closed behind him. He didn’t bother to let the water come to full heat before getting in; he simply turned it on and started washing away.

Why was he in such a hurry? The question raced through his mind at a breakneck speed as he grabbed a container of body wash off of the shower shelf, haphazardly squeezing nearly half the bottle onto the body scrubber in his hand before rubbing himself down. The exfoliating scrub had an unbelievably refreshing feeling; all the sweat and grime from the long day’s work ran from off body with the water and foam. In honor of the day ahead, he made sure every inch was clean – arms, legs, chest, face. He gave his hair a rigorous wash, fingers pressing circles into his scalp before washing away the suds once more.

He gave himself a few seconds’ pause once he was fully clean, closing his eyes with a sigh as water beat down upon his chest and face. The moment of serenity granted him with a bit of time to think – where should they go? What would they do? He felt that in the very least it was the man’s job to do what he called the ‘blue print’ planning; outline an idea in paper and pencil so that they weren’t entirely worthless, but also so that whoever he was with could improvise to their liking and add detail along the way. The idea hit him soon after, and a faint smile touched his lips. He could only hope that Ana was prepared.

Alas, Ian wasn’t much in the dating scene; he would go on a date here or there, maybe chat up a girl at the bar every once and a while. But there was something holding him back from going any further – Ian never allowed himself to be interested enough in a woman to actually go anyplace far with them. He never gave them his all, never showed his true passion in contrast to his inconsequential mask of simple pleasantries and lackadaisical attitude. He never looked hard enough to see theirs. Of course, something was different, this time. But Ian couldn’t figure out quite what had changed. Ian didn’t like to be alone, but he was, and for a reason. If he thought he deserved better, maybe things would be different, but he knew too well from all that had happened in his past that it was much better for everyone else if he himself did little more than exist. The less he interfered with other people, the less they found themselves, say, brutally murdered? Indeed, a dark shadow hung over Ian’s past. That alone made it hard for him to move forward, for him to be so bold as to live as if he deserved to.

And that, precisely, was why he was so confused. If he didn’t think he deserved to have a good time, why had he agreed to take a beautiful woman out on a date? Had he changed without noticing? Or, was it simply that he wasn’t so far gone as to break an old woman’s heart in order to continue his own self-punishment? If he had to bet, he would choose the latter choice – however, Ian was an unlucky man. He didn’t bet, mainly because he was always wrong.

A hand moved to turn the water off, and soon enough, Ian ran a towel over his body, afterwards wrapping it around his waist and making for the sink. His shower had taken no longer than three minutes. A benefit of being a man. He pulled out shaving cream and a razor – if he was going to do this, he might as well go all-out. He shaved without accident, thankfully, and put on some cologne, cool but light in scent. His fingers sufficed for a comb.

After entering the bedroom, Ian tugged on what looked to be pair of simple black shorts that reached to his knees. They were made of a very light material and hung, somewhat loosely, from his hips. He then pulled a shirt over his head. It was a bit bolder than the shorts, colored a bright, electric blue. Ian pocketed his wallet and took the watch from his dresser before sliding on a pair of black and white Nike sandals. Though it was early and the sun was still hot, Ian grabbed a white jacket from the closet, as well as a few towels. On the way out, he picked up a pair of black sunglasses and pocketed them, too, half a grin showing on his face.

If Anastasia didn’t know what he had in mind the instant she saw him, Ian would have to laugh.

He made it back down the stairs with his total time gone being no longer than twelve minutes. Edna’s door was still open, as usual, and Ian entered with a courtesy knock. He saw Edna and Ana sharing tea, and raised a brow. He didn’t know what they’d been talking about, but Edna had an awfully smug look on her face. He ignored it and made his thoughts known.

“I was thinking we might head to the beach for a while. Have a swimsuit with you, by chance?” Funny how the man who was so uncomfortable to be shirtless before wanted to continue their relative clotheslessness – if not make it even worse. Maybe he hadn’t thought that entirely through, just yet.

Something had completely fallen into his lap, and instead of standing up and brushing it off like he normally did, he was planning on taking it to the beach. …Why? That one-worded question was enough impetus for him to keep going, to actually spend a day with this woman Anastasia, beautiful and bold, even if he didn’t know what was in store, or what, other than fate, had brought them together.
[/size]

[poss]

Ana had poured herself a half cup of tea, to please the woman who insisted that it was good for her. Truth was, Ana never liked the hot liquids. Coffee, hot chocolate.. tea, they never went over well. She enjoyed things an ice cold- iced tea would have been a better idea, but she kept the thoughts to herself. Bringing the cup to her lips, she sipped on the steamy fluid, the sweet aroma bringing a relaxing sigh as she leaned back in the chair. It was actually very good, but still very hot. It felt as if it were acid, eating through her lips, and she put the cup down with a shaky hand. Trying not to show just how much that hurt. Edna continued to talk about Dorian, never letting up. Ana tried to change the direction the conversation was going, turning to what better than the weather. "It is beautiful outside, wouldn't you say?" Ana asked, only to have Edna reply with, "Oh yes, that is why it will be a perfect day for a first date." She said 'first date' like she expected them to get married next week. Oh great, then she would be demanding grandchildren.

Ana was about to get up when she heard the knock at the door, and saw Ian slip in with towels. There was no doubt, especially with how he was dressed, where he planned on going. It was a great idea, the weather very suiting, and yet.. "How far is the beach from here?' she asked, looking to Edna, then back to Dorian as she stood, pushing her chair in and bringing her cup to the sink to wash it out, pouring what was left down the drain. She knew she couldn't finish it- it would take at least an hour and a half for it to cool down to a temperature that she enjoyed, so not worth waiting for. She felt a twinge of excitement. The beach. She hadn't been there for ages. She loved to swim- used to make sure that the motels she stayed at were either harboring one of their own, or were close to a local pool. But a beach was always more enjoyable.

At least now she wasn't the only one in shorts, and knowing that she would need to get in to a bathing suit made what she was currently wearing much more comfortable than it had been. Hell, she felt almost as good as if she was in pajamas. She had recently bought a new bathing suit, and had not yet taken it out of the bag in her car. She always carried a bag in the car, out of habit, and out of knowing that sometimes walking around with blood on your clothes through a busy city wasn't a good idea. However, going to the beach meant sand and salt water. Not good for weapons. Her gaze fell to Dorian. A slight judgment being passed as she glanced him over. She still never got any sense of danger around him. Surely he wouldn't be a problem- and really.. how often did someone get attacked at the beach? Don't answer that. She could leave her weapon in the car.

"If it isn't far, I can pick up a new bathing suit on the way- otherwise we can go to my car, I have one in there, and we could drive." She didn't mind either way. Like explained before, money was not an issue. Picking up a new one on the way would perhaps cut down on a lot of time wasted going to the car, so it would be worth it. She hadn't felt this excited about going somewhere in a while.. especially with going somewhere with someone. She wasn't used to dating, let alone going places with people. She was pretty isolated in her own little world these days.

She walked back over to the table, wiping a damp cloth over the area she had sat incase the tea had left a ring on the table, and then hung it back over the sink. Edna hadn't said much, just a big grin on her face, leaning back in her chair, overly pleased with herself. The elderly lady kept looking between Ana and Ian, like she was planning something but keeping it to herself. "You two have fun, and don't come home too early!" She said before standing up and walking over to the sink, "You better get going, it is already the middle of the afternoon. Don't want you two feeling rushed." waving them toward the door before she moved toward them, almost herding them to the exit with a damp cloth waving in her hand. She practically pushed them out the door in to the hall and blocked their entry in to her apartment, grinning ear to ear, then winking at Dorian as if they had a secret that Ana never knew about, then closed the door. Latching it. She must be serious.

Ana turned toward Dorian and couldn't help but laugh, a smirk twisting her lip line. "Something tells me Edna is up to something" she said, turning now toward the stairwell. It would be quicker to take a cab if they were heading to her car, otherwise she knew a shop near by that sold bathing suits if they planned on heading straight to the beach. She would let Dorian decide.

[dorian]

Ian wasn’t one for wasting things.

“We can head to your car and you can get the suit – no need to waste money on a new one if you have one that hasn’t even been worn yet. The beach isn’t too far, about a half hour walk, fifteen minute drive, in that direction.” Ian pointed down the street as he spoke – they had since departed from the building and the heavily embarrassing presence of Edna, now standing amidst the bustling midday crowd. He only knew the direction to the beach because the majority of his building sites were along the coastline – thus, walking towards the beach was part of his ‘daily commute’. It was strange how close he had been to the place without ever actually going there. He would look down onto the water and the sand and the people, stare across the horizon – then get back to doing his job.

Ian was rather keen on the details of things, and with that in mind, he too had considered Ana’s firearm – and also, the towels.

“If your car is on the way, we could take that, so that you’ll have your belongings close.” Though Ian felt a twinge at his pride for not having a car himself to drive them (the chivalry of his knighthood had yet to die, you see), he didn’t mind Ana driving if she wanted to. Ian wasn’t one to be put off or offended by capable women. As a matter of fact, while he was a longtime sucker for ‘damsels in distress’, he was quite a bit fonder of women that could handle their own, in the long run. His wife had been –

Time for a different subject.

Ian started down the road, turning his attention back to Ana’s previous comment. “To be honest, I’m surprised Edna doesn’t have more ripped shirt sleeves, with how much she keeps up them.” He grinned again – my, he was grinning a lot. Certainly more than he did in the average day. Week, even. “I don’t know what she’s planning now, but you can be sure it’s something devious and angled towards us, somehow.” He turned to look down slightly – not in the mean way, but the physical one – at Ana, but looked away again soon after. For some reason, it was hard to both think straight and maintain eye contact with her. He continued to talk and walk at the same time, seeming very focused on the direction they were headed and refraining from walking into people along the way.

Ian stopped when they reached the corner.

“Where’s your car, exactly? Would you want to take that?”
[/size]

[poss]

Ana nodded when he spoke of not needing to waste money on a new suit. Truth was, the one she had bought was a bit revealing. Can anyone say 'string bikini'? But oh well, she had planned on wearing it at some time. She was not shy of her body- it just seemed she should be wearing something a bit less.. revealing on a first date. Where is the 'leaving of it to the imagination' Oh wait.. did she actually plan on him ever seeing any more than what he was about to? Lets change the subject.

They were out on the street, a tid bit less busy than it had been at noon hour while she was jogging. People weren't in a hurry to go get food and make it back to work anymore, now most of the people were in the buildings bordering the street, pretending to be hard at work. Oh how she loved that she wasnt stuck in a desk job. Ana enjoyed being outside, and was rarely in her own apartment unless it was to sleep or shower- usually finding an excuse to leave and get out in to the 'fresh' city air, if you could call it that.

Dorians comment about Edna having something up her sleeve made her nod with a soft laugh, "Dorian, you have no idea. She is obsessed with you."[/b] She warned, jokingly, but serious at the same time, a smile on her face. "I have known her for maybe a month, and she talks about you every day. I.. never knew it was you though. I really pictured some old geezer, or.. at times, her imaginary friend. She really adores you!" She couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand slightly as she shook her head. It was horrible the things that Edna would talk about. She used to mention this mystery mans ass.. how cute it was. What kind of thing is that for an old lady to talk about? But now that she mentioned it... Okay, change of subject once again, shall we?

As they were headed in the direction of the beach, Ana realized that her car was not as far away as she had initially thought. She had been running for nearly two hours, and had been all across the city on foot, leaving her car in the same parking lot that she always did, twice a day. It was free parking, and yet there was security in the area to ensure that nothing was broken in to or worse yet, stolen. The car was her fathers. had been a project of his up until a few months before his death. It was passed down to her, and just like she had been advised by him as a child, she drove it like she owned it. 'If I wanted it to sit in a garage, parked and covered, then I wouldn't but rubber on it.' he was famous for saying.

"Yes, I think Edna is up to something. I can't believe she locked us out of her apartment!" she joked, shaking her head once again. It was the first time she had seen the door locked unless Edna was out. Ana sometimes made runs to the grocery store for her when she was busy, or not feeling well, so she was in that building often. How odd that she had never run in to Dorian before the other night.

They walked across one crosswalk on to the next sidewalk and Ana waved her arm to the right of them, a large parking lot with only a few vehicles. Mostly mini vans, and a few BMW's. It wasn't located near any of the main office buildings, so it wasn't as busy as you would expect a free parking place to be. "Actually I am parked right here." She said, stepping over a two and a half foot railing- yes, half her height, and looked over her shoulder to Ian to make sure he was following. Her hand pulled out a set of keys, and she walked past the two similar colored minivans, to the black beast behind them. 1969 Boss 429. Her baby. Shimmering under the midday sun, the beast awaited her arrival. Plunging the key in to the passenger side door, and unlocking it for Dorian before walking around to the drivers side. "You will have to give me directions to the beach- I have never been there. How far is it?" She asked, opening the driver door and slipping in. The black leather interior was a clean as the exterior, a white duffel bag in the backseat, and a few shotgun shells in the foot area of the passenger side. Under his seat was a sawed off shotgun, and to the middle console, two .45's were strapped in a home made holster. Made to grab easily from either seat.

She removed the 9mil from her hip, and pushed it under her seat before pressing her left foot to the clutch and turning the key. The engine roared to life- a deafening growl, the lights illuminating the area ahead of them in the parking lot even in the daylight. "Seat belt." She asked, something she would tell anyone and everyone, as she pulled on her own. Habit. Her right hand went for the chromed shifter knob and they crawled out of the parking spot in reverse, before shifting to first and creeping through the lot. Coming to a stop at the sidewalk, where they would turn on to the street and waiting for a break in traffic to pull ahead. The two lanes were rather empty, more people choosing to walk rather than drive in this area of the city, and she let off the clutch, right foot feeding the engine through the gas pedal.

It was a bit more tame than usual- the high pitched squeal of the rear tires as they squaked on the pavement, a coil of thick white smoke churning under the rear fenders as they spun, propelling the car forward with a fishtail of the rear as they took their lane. She shifted up twice before setting a steady pace. And yet, she kept it under the speed limit. Rare- but in truth, when you don't know where it is you are headed, it isn't a good idea to get ahead of yourself. "Just tell me when to turn." she said, glancing over at Dorian before looking back to the street ahead of them. The lights were sticking to green as they crawled forward in third.

[dorian]

When Anastasia drew up her hand to stifle laughter, Ian couldn’t help but be a little worried – in a comical way, of course.

“Oh, God. What does she say about me?” He ignored the dull throb in his head brought on by his light use of ‘His’ name, laughing rather hard despite it. “Do I even want to know? I can’t imagine she said anything good, if you still pictured an imaginary old geezer afterwards.” He teased. He almost didn’t want to know what Edna had said about him behind his back. Hopefully it was good things she talked about, despite Ana’s image of an imaginary geezer. But, at the same time, wouldn’t the good things be almost more embarrassing than the bad ones?

A dapper smirk slipped onto Ian’s face as he sent Ana a sideways glance. “I hope that, in not being imaginary nor old, I’ve surpassed your expectations of the man Edna described, rather than not living up to them.” Ian, completely oblivious to the old woman’s more feisty remarks, remained comfortable joking about them. “She really is great, though. It’s good to know I’m as much enjoyable company for her as she is for me.” He stopped to let out a sudden laugh, “You know, I think she’s mentioned you before. She always joked about fixing me up with someone, but she never got serious about it until a few weeks ago. It really is strange that we didn’t meet through her first.” Ian gave a shrug and shook his head, before looking up to see where Ana now directed them. He followed her over the railing, barely needing to lift his feet to do so (exaggeration), and couldn’t help but get a little curious as they bypassed minivan after minivan. What did the woman drive? He tried to think of some cars that women often drove, but stopped himself suddenly. Anastasia was no regular woman. Surely, she had something distinctly original to her name.

When he saw the black beauty, he was more than impressed. And, for once, his guess had been right. He breathed a ‘thanks’ and and opened the door with care before slipping onto the leather, and sitting back a bit, finding it almost too easy to get comfortable.

“You’re full of surprises, you know that? ” That was all he could say, a wry grin on his lips as he inspected the interior. The various firearms and shells did not elude his notice, but he didn’t seem to be that bothered by them. In fact, he was almost more relaxed after seeing them. That might strike one who noticed as odd. However, there was a little known fact about Dorian Knight that explained it easily enough – not that he would mention it without being asked. Sufficed to say, he was more in his element than one would assume, being in close quarters with weapons. The same applied to ‘bad guys’. A quirky, mysterious fellow, that Ian – especially when one considered the almost harmless vibe he normally gave off.

When Ana spoke of directions, Ian nodded. “No problem. To be honest, I haven’t really been there myself. But I work right along the coastline, so I can get us there easily enough. It’s just a couple miles.” Ian turned and put the towels he’d brought onto the back seat before reaching up to grab the seat belt at the same time Anastasia spoke the command.

There were a lot of things Ian would learn to expect from Anastasia soon enough. Crazy driving was probably one of them. He had stopped to wonder, but for a second, about how the woman would drive with such a monstrous beauty of a car. Half of him hoped that she didn’t waste it with delicate treatment – the other half would have preferred not to die.

As Ana started to burn rubber, Ian realized he would not be indulging safety anytime soon.

He didn’t tense up or appear frightened. More surprised, really, and almost a little impressed. The laugh that left him sounded comically shocked, however, and he looked to Ana with a faint grin, finding himself unable to fathom just how long he would remain alive after their ‘first date.’

“Three more lights, take a right. It’s a straight shot after that – say, two minutes until we get there, with the speed you’re going now.”

If he even lived through today.
[/size]

[poss]

When Dorian asked what Edna said about him, a twisted smirk appeared on her lips and she slowly faced him, the expression shifting to a grin with that look of 'you don't want to know'. It was true, Edna was obsessed with him. If that poor little old lady could, she would probably jump his bones. Okay, so maybe she seemed overly motherly.. maybe her obsession was in the view of 'my young man is so handsome now' type of thing, but either way you must admit.. it was somewhat creepy. No wait.. mothers don't check out the ass of their son, so scratch that. It wasn't somewhat creepy, it was very creepy. Dorian spoke of meeting, or surpassing the ideals of what Edna had put in Ana's head and all she could do was shake her, trying not to laugh. "There are many things Edna 'knows' that I do not think I will be finding out any time soon." she said winking playfully as they crawled into her car.

The interior was warm, but not scalding like most. She always parked it out of the sun, in areas that remained shady for the majority of the day. Helped the paint, and helped the temperature for when she returned to it. It was, like stated before, her baby. All that she had left of her parents. Everything inside screamed 'Dad' to her. The interior had been completely redone, none of it to factory. It was all in the tastes of her father. She remembered helping him wrench on it as a child. She remembered when it was just a frame, no engine, or moving pieces. Slowly, with hard work and the dedication of her father, it came together. He even painted it himself, built a paint booth specifically for the project. He lived and breathed this car, and now. in honor of him, so did she.

Once in the car, the door closing out the noises from the street as it shut she couldn't help but smile when ian spoke of her being full of surprises. "I will take that as a compliment." she said, putting the seatbelt on and then moving the car on to the street and down several blocks. Once he offered directions, she was free to drive as she pleased. She could chose a lane, she could also chose a speed. And with that, a quick flip of the wrist and they were in the far right hand lane with a rev of the engine, a streak of rubber left on the asphalt and a smooth recovery as the speed increased. She was not so much a crazy driver as she was someone who.. owned the road. She had great reflexes, and with her ability to take in details in such a short time span, she could get a good feel of the drivers around her as well. Not once did she ever make a close call- no way she would scuff her paint.

Taking the right hand turn three lights from where he had given the directions, after shifting down to second then quickly back up through third and in to fourth, they were on the homeward stretch. From here, she could see the water. The beach was a stretch of golden hue that came in to view intermittently. In less time than ian had thought they turned in to the parking lot. Several vehicles scattered across the pavement, but there were plenty of spots open. Yet she continued to search for a good one. At the end of the parking area, in the far corner bordered on two out of four sides by tall trees, and put the car in to park. The soft purr of the engine dying down to silence as she looked over at Ian, then grabbed the towel from the back and handed them to him. "We are here." stating the obvious was always a good time. She opened the door and stepped on to the warm pavement, immediatly kicking off her shoes and putting them behind the driver seat as she leaned it forward and reached for her bag. She unzipped it, and dug around, finding what she was looking for rather quickly. It was the tags that gave it away, and she ripped them off, tossing them back in to the bag before standing outside the car again. Her gaze fell upon Dorian once again.

This was going to be interesting. "I am going to need your help, I hope that's all right. Its nothing you can't handle." she said, giving note there were no change rooms in the area, let alone buildings of any sort. She had chosen an area with trees to one side on purpose. She needed to get changed. "If you could hold up a towel for me, that would be great." Motioning him over to her side of the car, the bathing suit in a crumpled pile on top of the car.

[dorian]

Ian sat back and did his best to enjoy the ride despite his automatic instinct to grab onto anything in arm’s reach and hold onto it for dear life. He was tempted to ask her if she happened to know the speed limit in the area, but he held his tongue. The car was obviously precious to Anastasia, and how was Dorian to know if her driving would be a touchy subject? Maybe he would mention it on the way back home, if things went well enough. There was something in him that wanted to test just how far he could go with their back and forth joking. He was feeling unusually devious, all of the sudden.

Ian let out a soft sigh as they reached a parking lot in one piece, taking the towels Ana handed to him before slipping out the passenger side door. He watched with a touch of interest as she rooted around in the bag, wondering, as innocently as he possibly could, what the woman happened to bring with her for swimwear. He hadn’t really thought ahead enough to question just how Ana expected to get changed – that was when she mentioned needing his help.

This would be interesting, indeed.

“Er – sure.” Well, this would certainly be a test to see just how much of a gentleman Ian was. Of course he had no problem with it – the only problem rest in the awkwardness of the whole situation. Then again – had their times together thus far proven to be anything other than awkward? Ian picked up a towel and held it to conceal Anastasia without a single question.

He eyed the bathing suit curiously where it sat on the car, but it disappeared too quickly for him to see any details. He glanced around – there didn’t seem to be anyone close by, thankfully. Unlike most men, Ian had little problem keeping himself from trying to see what was on the other side of the towel as Anastasia changed. Perhaps that was one of Ian’s best qualities – his downright stickler chivalrousness. Sure, it didn’t stop him from wondering – but it did stop him from acting. He waited as patiently as he could, blue eyes drifting to a sky of an equal color. Magnificent clouds dappled the pure blue, though none came near enough to the sun to cloud it over. It was, truly, a perfect day. To be sharing it with someone else – the first time, literally, in months – well, to say the least, it was a refreshing, exciting change.

“Almost ready?” He offered the question, but made no move to drop the towel. He kept his hands completely still.
[/size]

[poss]

It was the only idea she had. Either this or try to put it on underneath her clothes without offering those around a peek at her goods. And.. that wasn't an option she was willing to take. She would have shooed him off to go play on his own while she changed in the car, but the interior wasn't very roomy- she had tried that before. An excellent mode of transportation, but an awful change room. She waited while he walked around to her side to the car, her car door still open as she would use the car to help block the view from one side. The tinted windows would help, but the towel would help a lot more. She could tell he was somewhat uncomfortable, but she knew it was the only real option.

She started to peel off her clothing, her back to him, and not looking over her shoulder. Honestly, she never thought any man to be indecent enough to actually peek, but if they did, how was she going to stop them? She would rather not know about it. Ana worked her way out of her shorts after peeling off her socks- standing bare foot on the warm blacktop that was partially blanketed in sand from the nearby beach. Reaching up on to the top of the car, infront of her, she took apart the bottoms and the top, stepping in the bottoms and tying them at the hips. Oh boy, a lot more revealing than she had hoped- at least she wasn't one of those women that liked to gallivant in a thong bathing suit bottom. She decided to make some conversation, or at least, share with him what it was he wanted to hear about earlier. What Edna had said, "Edna said you had a cute butt." Ana said, trying not to audibly laugh, and glad her back was to him so that he couldn't catch the smirk on her lips. It was true- it is what the old lady had said- Ana just hadn't had a chance to see for herself.

The suit was black- a nice, simple color. She lifted the white tank top off, and once her bra was off, she held it close to her chest, but wrapped all of her clothes up in to a ball and tossed them to the floor of the backseat. Her hair, she pulled in to a high pony tail before she tied up the strings of the bikini top behind her neck. Hugging the material to her chest as it hung from her neck, she looked over her shoulder, still smirking from the comment she had made, "Thanks for the cover, could you help me tie this up, then I will be done." each hand grasping a string and holding it out behind her, handing it to him. She knew that it wasn't something a guy she barely knew would feel comfortable doing, but she had been rushed, and not tied it up before completing it at the top- so she continued to talk, breaking the ice so to say, "I hope the water is nice. I haven't been to the coast before." She was used to rivers and lakes, never having experienced swimming in the ocean before.

[Do we want to continue this by making a new thread at 'the beach' or just continue here?]