Escort Wanted

[Alexandrea]

"Yes, leaving it with someone who works in one of my stores would be fine. It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Vincent." Alexandrea said with a sincerely warm smile. "I do have other people to meet, you're right. But I enjoyed having a drink with you and I look forward to getting to review your resume'. "

The Allurist stood up and offered the young human a hand to shake, happy that he seemed to be in better spirits but was also being realistic. She wondered what the next interview would be like and hoped it would go as smoothly as the first one had.

[Vincent (DELETED 4093)]

Vincent gave a nod, he would pass out resumes tomorrow, tonight he may just pass out drunk, not that it took much for him to do that. While there was both a bright and dark side to this, he knew he shouldn't have expected anything else. Most people would like to have someone at close to eye level to talk to without that person standing on a chair to be somewhat close.

"Thank you for your time. Hope we meet again." Vincent said, exchanging handshakes before dropping down from the chair and was quickly lost in the crowd of people.

[Andrew McGee]

Apparently something wasn't right. Andy watched as the conversation began to take on those odd notes. It was nothing that one could hear or see exactly. Just slight changes in body language told enough. Some of the animation had calmed down as they shook hands. Either he or she had hit a snag. As the man made his way through the crowd, Andrew flagged down the bartender.

"Whatever the lady at the table is having and another for myself," He dropped the money on the bar and stood up and retrieved his cane. Glass in hand, he walked to the table and looked down at the woman.

"I am still debating why you would need a paid escort," he began as he sat down across from her. Andy laid his cane across his lap and removed his sunglasses. "There is only two reasons I can think of. One, your as rich as Midas and need muscle power when you are out and about or two, you as crazy as a rat in a tin can and no one will tolerate you."

The drinks arrived and he thanked the server and dropped a couple dollars on her tray. "And forgive my manners. I'm your eleven o'clock. McGee. Andrew McGee. Hope the extra drink was not too forward of me." He smiled his most enchanting smile.

He extended his hand to her and his inner alarm started growing louder now. Odds were she, or one of the people at the table behind her, was packing fangs. That in itself did not bother him as a rule. People were people in his view till they showed what kind of people they were. Some vamps were totally okay, such as his various employers, while others needed a healthy does of back the hell up and chill out. Which one was she, if she was a vamp. remained to be seen.

[Mordechai]

Silently Mordechai watched as the conversation Alexandrea and her first nominee drew to a close. They seemed to be parting on amicable terms, though he didn't see either of them looking overjoyed at the closing. The killer shifted silently in the shadows, eyes scanning over the crowd. The Metronome wasn't the type of establishment that the laconic killer would frequent. The flashing lights and pounding bass beat made it to easy to miss a subvert move, to easy to miss an attacker until it was too late. Shaking his head, slightly he realized another thing. All of them. Almost all of them, were allurists.

An older, balding male was making his way through the crowd towards Alexandrea now. Interesting, this one was not a sheep. His stature was that of a military man, but the thinning hair suggested more of an ex- than an active. Taking another sip from his empty bottle he turned his eyes back to the patrons in general for a moment as he waited for the second human to give it a shot. His attention would be divided though, this one bore watching.

[Alexandrea]

"There is only two reasons I can think of. One, your as rich as Midas and need muscle power when you are out and about or two, you as crazy as a rat in a tin can and no one will tolerate you."

“Why does everything have to be either or with some people?” Alex said with a cheeky grin. “Why can’t it be both?” The Allurist nodded, pleased at how well the man had treated their server and then gave a much warmer smile when he apologized if he had seemed forward.

“Not at all, It’s a welcome gesture and shows a lot of class if you ask me. And thus far I am quite impressed with your manners. Thank you for the drink.” Her hand reached out to meet his in a shake and for a split second her smile faded the smallest amount.

The touch of the man’s hand was warm and left’s Alexandrea’s with a slight tingle as the two parted after exchanging a healthy handshake. Right away the Allurist debated taking a closer look at her newest drinking companion, there was something about the older gentleman that was setting off small alarm bells of caution in the back of her head. She went ahead after just the briefest of hesitations, taking a long hard look at the human in front of her and then she knew. A Paladin.

Windbag was certain to have given out Alexandrea’s identity as a vampire to all the members of that ineffectual order most of the paladins seemed to belong to. Whether or not Andrew McGee was also in that group of vampire fans, remained to be seen. if he was then this Andy might have known as soon as he learned her name that Alex Q was one of the fanged crew.

And this whole meeting could a way to set her up for some kind of trap. Alex didn't know a whole lot about the Order of St James or any free agent Paladins but she knew she did know more than she should have.

That annoying creation of Madison’s unfortunate sire, Robert Pratt. the name of her friend’s unlikable sibling eluded Alex but whomever the twit had been, she had at one time actually acted as a kind of double agent. Betraying both her own kind and the trust of those paladins that had included her in their not so secret meetings. The blonde resisted frowning, the woman had gotten on Alex’s nerves badly, it was no wonder she had managed to forget the odd creature’s name.

Oddly enough, their mutual dislike of that female had been one of the only things Anemoi and Alexandrea had ever agreed on. The two hated each other and the Allurist wouldn't have been shocked if that loser stalker of Kiwi’s had decided to get some help, being unable to ever land a blow on Alex himself.

‘What kind of poker face do you have, Mr. McGee….’ Alex thought to herself and decided let the cards fall where they may, giving Andy a wide grin that the blonde knew perfectly well would display that one dainty fang she could never seem to hide well anyway.

She stayed ‘tuned in’ to the Paladin, not just with her ‘gifts’ but with her eyes. Alert for his body language to give away if he was surprised to see Alexandrea was a vampire or not. It still wouldn't be a sure thing but it would beat playing cat and mouse all bloody night dancing around the game of who was what and who knew it or not.

“So now, Andrew... may I call you Andrew?” In her mind, this Mr. McGee was already nicknamed ‘Slick’ but only time would tell if they would ever get friendly enough that Alex would call him that to his face.

“I’ll answer your question, seriously. If you will answer mine. I am looking to hire an escort so I don’t get hit on at every event I want to attend. I have no interest in ‘dating’ anyone new. Now your turn. Why do you want the job?”

Her tone was friendly, almost playful in fact. To anyone listening they might have even thought it to be flirtatious. But her eyes met the Paladin’s in a no nonsense kind of way, almost challenging him to try to deny what Alexandrea was.

“To be honest, I like you. I think you might be perfect for the job. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for you?”
And that was that, it was out in the open for sure now. She couldn't make it any plainer that she knew what Andrew McGee was without just coming out and saying; ‘Me Vampire. You. Paladin.’.

[Andrew McGee]

Well, so far she had not displayed herself as a psycho. That was always a big plus in things, but when she took his hand, his vibe went from in general vague to direct. So, she was one of them. Now his curiosity was peaked. Why would a supposed walking death machine need a bodyguard? Her explanation was direct and to the point, but something had shifted in the game suddenly. Her eyes taking him in a bit deeper. Was she beguiling him? (or whatever they called it. Could they do that?)

His eyes shifted to the right quickly and saw the giant had focused on them as well.

Okay, this was weird. Had he been made somehow? Usually he kept a low profile on things but it was not impossible to consider someone within the Order had rolled over on them and passed out their names to others. One point he had to give the vampires. He never heard of them screwing each other over as often as he heard of people doing it. Is this why his inquiry was so eagerly accepted?

He added the facts again and took a few other things into account. Location was all wrong for this. Too mixed of a crowd to try anything and not be noticed. Vamps, the majority of them, liked being unseen by the general public. If Miss Thing and the Giant had plans for him, he would assume they would have invited him to a more suitable location.

"Why do I want the job?" he spoke up. "I thought it would be a good way to earn some extra money, meet some new people, get a better view of what this town had to offer." It was the truth before he knew and still was as far as he saw things. He stayed relax. No sense moving too soon. If they wanted to start something, let them move first. It also occurred to him that he might be way off the mark on this too, so to move now would simply disrupt what could be a nice little arrangement to be had as well.

Then she said it.

Conflict of interests.

Okay. They both knew what each other was, and obviously the blonde was wondering the same things he was about her. Normally he would have busted out in laughter, but most of the vamps he heard of was not in tune with a sense of humor like he had. Plus the giant was still sneaking glances and how many others might be watching this woman's back right now. The question shifted in his mind now. Would this be worth it if he called the game wrong? He had no desire for a set of fangs like the ones forced upon his neo niece or to end up on a missing person's list.

"My interests are not conflicted," he took a pull from his cigar before sipping his drink. "My interests are mainly in people in general. Funny things people are. You got good ones and total *** hats. The trick is to sort them out and the hard part is they all look alike. All colors, sexes, gender preferences, religions," he leaned across the table now and lowered his voice. "And I imagine the same rules apply to those who have fangs as well. I am sure there are decent ones and total fuckwits among them as well."

He sat back in his chair and pulled a business card from his vest pocket and laid it between them on the table. "I took the liberty of sending you my resume before I left, so you should find it in your e-mail later tonight. I suggest you give it a read and if you still have a need and interest you can give me a call." He rose smoothly and hooked his cane over his arm. "Thank you for your time, Miss Quartermaine." he smiled. Discretion had to be the better part of survival he finally decided. If this was some kind of trap, he'd know it soon enough. If not, then she would possibly call and if she did the convo might be less tense than it was now. As he turned to face the exit, he locked eyes with the giant for a moment and winked, then smoothly began to stroll to the door.

Nothing pissed off a spy more than to be made. The wink should have said that much.

[Alexandrea]

The sensation of being watched was nothing new to the Allurist. It was something she had gotten so used to that when the feeling of the hairs standing up on the back of her neck happened, unless she felt in danger, Alex just brushed it off. And as the blonde conducted the interviews, the large Killer Mordechai remained unnoticed by her.

Sipping on her drink gingerly, as she was starting to feel the tiniest bit fuzzy, Alex nodded at Andy's replies at first. Most of what the Paladin shared were the expected kind or reasons. His mood got a lot more defensive at her bringing out the natural born conflict between her own kind and his and the visit took a somewhat downward turn. Ever the upbeat hostess, Alex grinned at the Paladin and set her drink aside to lean closer to him and agree with him.

"You're exactly right. There are good and bad on both sides of the fence. And I like to think of myself as one of the good ones. But then... don't we all?" The blonde brushed some stray hair out of her eyes and met his, her gaze serious and intense. "Not to be rude but if I had any intentions to harm you? You would have known it by now unless you're a lot less sharp of a guy than you appear."

Despite the look she had gave the man for a minute, Alexandrea was still smiling and cheerful. Only someone that knew her very very well would have noticed that she had been able to slip a knock out bomb out of her evening bag and was holding it unseen with the hand she had just been using to drink with. The other hand brushed lightly against her lips, as if to wipe away a drip of her drink but there was nothing there, it was just done to distract.

"Fuckwits." The woman frowned as she repeated it in a whisper, but loudly enough for the human to hear her. "I'm really not a prude, Mr McGee but if you do get the job I'll ask you to use language more suitable in polite company." All said in a low and even tone, there was not air of superiority about the Blonde. "It's not even about making a 'good appearance' although those can come in handy. It's just bad business to risk offending any potential customers or contacts when you don't know someone well enough to be so... causal with your vocabulary?"

Her head tilted a little after speaking, just giving Andrew a nod again at the mention of his resume' and shaking his hand with a smile after taking his card and wishing him a pleasant evening. His wink confused her. And she was mildly annoyed. For a moment her two slim pale hands held the business card as if to rip it in half, once she saw he was gone. But after a second thought, Alexandrea just folded it in half and after a quick glance to be sure no one was looking directly at her, tucked it between the twins.

Finishing off her last drink quickly, the Allurist waved for another as she looked at the time and wondered how the next interview would go, fishing out the cherries she ate both and then feeling a bit cross, allowed herself to do whatever came natural to her tongue with the bloody cherry stems.

[Mordechai]

Mordechai stayed to the shadows sipping at the empty bottle. Candidate number two was obviously one that had seen trouble up close and personal in his life. He had noticed the killer as he entered, while most were oblivious to the massive killer in the corner. He had also recognized the danger, as his eyes made occasional sweeps around the room, but always focused on Mordechai for a moment before passing on. An eyebrow raised as he subtly scanned the other male. A Paladin. Curiouser and curiouser. He had a confident, almost cocky attitude to his comportment. Evidence that he knew how to handle himself, but, why was he here? Mordechai knew that most paladins could sense vampires in there near vicinity... He had to know there were vampires in the bar, and now that he was that close, he had to know that Alexandrea was a vampire as well.

Mordechai watched the interview with what might have seemed bored curiosity, but in truth he was much more interested it seemed in when, not if, the paladin would start trouble. He had yet to meet a paladin that could carry on civil discourse with a childe of the night. The conversation had gone on for awhile, it seemed to have started out well. Alex's expressive face showed a change in the timbre of the conversation, drawing more of the killers attention towards the pair. Mordechai shifted slightly as the paladin stood abruptly, but smoothly, belying the need for the cane. The man started for the door, but not before tossing a wink in Mordechai's direction. The killer gave a short not, touching one finger to the brim of his stetson in an abbreviated salute. Apparently the man thought he was tricky, but kennedy had been insisting on him being polite lately, so he refrained from stepping out for a 'drink', and instead turned his attention back towards the blonde allurist. "That's two down, how many more to go?" he telepathically queried.

[Alexandrea]

Alexandrea chuckled and looked around for Mordechai, by his words in her head it seemed he had been watching the whole time. Spotting the huge giant now that she was looking for him, the blonde was laughing at herself for not seeing him sooner. The Allurist waved him over as she returned a message into the Killer's mind;

*Now serving number three. You're up next, Mr. Mordechai*

The waiter thought Alexandrea was waving at him, and the now pleasantly buzzed blonde went with it and accepted another drink as she waited for the other vampire to join her. From what she could tell in the subdued lighting of the club... the Killer seemed to be dressed as he always was. Alex hoped that she was mistaken, 'Slick' at least looked like he wouldn't refuse to wear a monkey suit, erm... tux.

[Mordechai]

Mordechai slowly rose from his seat. He was traveling 'light' this night, so the special harness' in the duster were empty. Just the ever present Fairbairnes in his boots. Slipping the duster off he folded it over his arm as he picked his way through the crowd towards the blonde allurist at the bar. His black silk shirt was stretched taut covering his muscular arms and chest. It did not take long to arrive, and he slid easily into the stool recently vacated by the paladin. His eyes slid casually but alertly over the crowd before turning to face the the one that had drawn him into the crowded bar that he usually avoided.

"It does not seem as though the first two applicants were able to provide the services that you advertised for Ms Quartermaine." The killer paused as the bartender pointed to his drink. He shook his head as he raised the empty bottle tilting it half way and swallowing, "Still good, thank you." Turning his undivided attention back to the woman beside him he tipped his stetson with one finger in greeting, "Perhaps you could give me a little more detail of the requirements for the position of escort?" A cocked eyebrow accompanied the query as he settled to await her answer.