Louis Vuitton

[Deleted]

Andi Foster

Kate's lover, Theodore, looked a tad bit under the weather now when given his accent. It was only fair they traded. Andi smirked, anxious to hear just what Bill's accent would sound like. From his expression, it was gonna' be a good one.

“American… American…” He mused, clearing up his throat. Biting her lip, she leaned her back against the car door to look at him straight on. It had to be a tough switch. After all, American to British was not the classiest of changes. It was way more of a downgrade, and even though Andi Foster was American, she'd be the first to admit it. They were nasally and had a horrible whining sound.

“Is this American? Or do I just sound… moronic?”Theodore asked out loud, the sound making Kate cringe a little bit but she laughed mostly. He was sharper and louder, but not really near an American accent. Still, there was some potential.

"Not moronic, just not American." Andi laughed, dropping the Kate act for a quick lesson, and then scooted in close to him. "Here." She placed her two fingers against his nose to plug it slightly. His arm rested against the side of her chest, and she couldn't help but like a little too much the distance and touch.

"Now talk with a wide smile, be a little more in the nose, and drag out your vowels annoyingly."

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

"Not moronic, just not American," Andi said, scooting closer to him still. He swore if they were any nearer each other, the laws of nature and physics would be bent, and Bill couldn’t help but want to prove Newton wrong tonight. "Here," she continued, placing her cold hands on his face in the sticky summer heat. He could feel her chest moving up and down rhythmically as she breathed, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird against his own.

"Now talk with a wide smile, be a little more in the nose, and drag out your vowels annoyingly."

Bill smiled dryly, and shook his head. He pulled her hands off his face slowly, letting them droop onto her lap like limp pasta. “No, Andi. Not tonight. Accents aren’t me. Come on, be my British bird if you’d like, but I’m keeping my voice.” Having one American here who wasn’t well known and in headlines every week made it difficult enough to get in, but Andi could disguise it with a costumed name, and tailored-to-the-occasion voice. Bill wasn’t so lucky and didn’t want to give away their cover. Besides, he’d already butchered the song of her people, he didn’t want to leave it severed and bleeding on her nice dress. He was no Eliza, and Andi was no Higgins.

He shut off the car and unlatched his door. Coming over to her side, he offered her his arm. “My lady, if I may escort you…?”

[Deleted]

Andi Foster

The once enthused expression dropped into an empty smile. Bill took her hands into his and put them back onto her lap. Andi cocked her head at him curiously. Maybe she was offending him with her accent? It had been awhile and she could have totally been butchering the British drawl. If he wasn't into being American, she wouldn't blame him. It did get pretty irritating. It wasn't until Andi Foster had come to work here in Paris that she realized how absolutely awful the American accent sounded.

“No, Andi. Not tonight. Accents aren’t me. Come on, be my British bird if you’d like, but I’m keeping my voice." He told her, and she shrugged with a smirk, looking straight ahead. If he didn't want to play, fine. Bill had made it this far and agreed to crash a party so she couldn't harp on him for not having an accent.

The car stopped and she squinted out into the crowd of the rich and famous. Looking up into the sky, seeing the lights from the building that resembled lights flashing like a light house on water front. Obviously they wanted attention to say there was a party and they were getting it. The boats were probably getting confused and trying to steer toward land to get to this location. It was flashy and a little uncalled for in Andi Foster's opinion. If everyone did what was called for in this world then there would be no fun. Says the girl who is crashing said over the top party.

Having been engulfed at the scene, she didn't even realize Bill had gotten out of the car and made his way toward the passenger side already. “My lady," Andi blinked over to him and looked up with a dreamy smile, once again, the thought that he was attractive crossing her mind when his eyes looked down at her. "If I may escort you…?”

This was crazy. This was an outrageous idea for an evening. This was going to be wicked fun.

Grinning as Andi for a moment, she slipped out of the car, and then remembered her role as Kate. With an elegant and refined expression, which she mocked from all of the old romantic films she saw with women like Ingrid Bergman or Grace Kelly. Not exactly British, but they always had a zen-like nature about them with a sultry stare. She stood a little taller, her eyes more squinted with thought and her lips more puckered. She took a hold of his arm, threading it with hers, and her other ran up his, feeling up the fabric of his jacket. They were playing lovers, she was a twenty-seven year old who was lonely, he was fun and attractive, so Andi would be a fool to not take advantage of this.

"Please do, lover boy." She purred in a British accent, gazing into his eyes. Throwing in a little bit of herself in there, she winked sticking out her tongue a little bit in excitement, and then resumed right back to her Kate persona.

As they began walking toward the flashing lights and entrance that was crowded by paparazzi and passing posers, she felt her heart race and the adrenaline kick in. The fact that she was actually nervous was making this more exciting. Andi played it cool, but her grip on Bill was tightening.

"Madame!"

"Monsieur!"

Just before she could realize the voices were calling them, a bright flash blinded them as they continued to walk. A couple paparazzi had wandered from the entrance to snag a few photographs as the people approached. They didn't seem to question who they were but were thrilled that they were so vulnerable at this moment to get an up close and personal image. Andi guessed that it didn't matter who a person was during- the paparazzi would snap at anything and figure it all out later. So tonight, they were in the clearing to act as famous and extravagant as they wished.

"Beau couple!" One of them shouted to them, kissing two of his fingers and throwing it up into their direction. It didn't take her a translator to figure what he was saying about them. In a way, Andi Foster agreed.

Blinking, Andi put a hand to her chest, glancing back at the men with the cameras that clung around their neck. In a Kate voice, she smirked, "Oh, Theodore." She said over to him, "It seems as if we are quite the pair."

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

Bill still wasn’t adjusted to the idea of the night. He was no stranger to gate crashing, but he was a complete foreigner to such lavish parties. He considered, for only a fraction of an evanescent moment, turning around and driving home, but when Andi put her hot lips to his ear, purring "Please do, lover boy." like a British cat in heat, Bill simply had to keep moving. And together, he and Andi dove into the throng of glaring lights and gaudy glitter, of feigned fame and pretend fortune.

Bill put his hand on the small of Andi’s back, more out of need for support than need for her touch. He stood there, the pops and snaps of cameras blinding him. This was, when he was younger, what he thought the Michauds’ lives were like. But now, having grown up alongside Damien and his rich family, he knew better, seeing how much closer they were to earth than Bill felt now on this scarlet carpet.

"Madame!"


"Monsieur!"

People called out to them while Andi gripped tightly to Bill, his arm going numb in places from it, but the casual, placid smile on his face never wavering. He still wasn’t used to it, but he could play the role of Theodore, famous aristocrat or what have you. Just as long as he got to be Bill again when he was done, and return to his quiet, middle-class life in an apartment with no elevator.

"Beau couple!" A man shouted out. And Bill looked in his direction just in time for his face to meet the flash of a camera. It was something he hadn’t been associated with since he dated Victorine. It was an odd feeling, really, to be half of a beautiful couple again, knowing it was all a game.

"Oh, Theodore," Andi cooed in her British accent. "It seems as if we are quite the pair."

Bill smiled. “Why yes, Kate, it seems we are.”

“Lui donner un baiser!” someone in the crowed yelled out, and Bill didn’t have to think twice. He scooped Andi into a dip and planted a deep kiss on her lips, imprinting the taste and feel of them into his memory. After all, this was all a farce, right?

[Deleted]

Andi Foster


"Why yes, Kate, it seems we are."

He had said Kate, this wasn't real. Andi blinked back at him, still looking him as if the sea of flashes did not even exist. How would that sentence have sounded if he had said her name instead? She tried to think of the ring of it, the way her name would slide smoothly off his tongue in his charming accent and quirky cornered smile to end it off.

Turning to face roaring demands of the paparazzi, she smiled sharply, her eyes directing to one camera and then choosing the next, going down the line. The fun part about this was not getting her photo out there in some magazine or being the center of attention for a short while, but the fact that they were pulling a fast one on them without even knowing it! Call it childish, call it a waste of time, but to Andi, it was just another adventure to look back one day and talk about. Her and Bill would laugh about it for days to come.

Andi flashed a grin, titling her head to the side for a little more sass. She then wondered: Is this legal?

“Lui donner un baiser!” One of the paparazzi fiends called out directly to them, his eyebrows clutching at a wrinkle above his nose to make Andi feel like it was more of a demanding sentence.

Andi looked at him curiously, about to c*ck her head over to Bill because maybe he knew what he was talking about but then before she knew, she was swept up in his strong arms. Before she could make out what was happening, the heat of his lips filled her mind up with a dazed fog and she let her body collapse into his grip when he dipped her. At that moment she couldn't breathe yet her heart was pounding and she was almost certain that Bill had to have felt it against his chest. Andi's hands that had found a place against his shoulders, gripped the fabric of his jacket.

When they pulled back, Andi's half opened eyes and parted lips formed into an expression of wonderment. She wasn't even thinking about what had brought on the kiss or trying to make sense of it. She wasn't hearing the roar of laughs and cat calls, praising the gesture. She felt butterflies. Swallowing hard, Andi leaned into his arm and just breathed. No, this couldn't be happening. Andi could feel her cheeks heating up like oven burners and her hands breaking out into a clammy state. She felt, giddy, curious, and many other things that would leave her thinking tonight when she lie awake alone. Andi had felt these things before but they were now something bottled up and forgotten until this moment. It was something close to a crush yet more mature.

Before she could stop herself, Andi’s lips silently formed his name in a murmur so no one could see, her eyes still looking into his. She shouldn’t feel like this. A kiss was just a kiss and this was just a show. She hadn’t felt the touch of a man in a long time. She had never been dipped and kissed even if it were just for a show. She forced herself to remember this was a show. She wouldn’t allow herself to feel these things or explore them, and she absolutely was not going to seek this out. Past relationships were difficult for her to forget about. A once broken heart was difficult to mend. She was damaged goods.

“Kudos, my dear Theodore.” She purred with a wink, and shifted her weight upward so she was beside him on her feet. Feeling light headed and fuzzy, she leaned more into him and swallowed, turning away from the cameras and beginning to head into the party.

“Let’s get some booze.” Kate smirked.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

When Bill broke from the kiss, he watched Andi’s reaction. Her eyes fluttered and her parted lips formed a plump, red smile. She was beautiful, that was for sure, but lovely as she was, Bill couldn’t shake the feeling that gnawed at the back of his mind; the feeling that instead of lifting her slowly to her feet, he should drop her like a hot potato—a very elegant hot potato. It wouldn’t have been a malicious movement (though Bill was still fighting that twinge of annoyance from the accent debacle in the car), but rather, a desire to not get attached. The thin line between enjoyment and disillusionment was a treacherous path he walked daily, and tonight, as their lips met, he was once again on that high wire, trying not to fall either which way. It would be a lie if Bill said it was a particularly enjoyable experience, the kiss, but it would also be a lie to say it wasn’t nice. But Bill remained ambivalent, even when Andi gave him kudos. This was, in fact, all a game, and he’d be damned to let his heart get too involved.

So when Andi as Kate said “Let’s get some booze,” he was more than grateful, following her in to the party, hand resting tentatively on the small of her back. He really would need a drink, and a strong one at that. Unfortunately, this party would probably have little more than champagne and wine, but alcohol was alcohol.

‘Alcohol’ a voice in the back of his head said is strictly prohibited in your recovery plan.’ But Bill shut it out, possibly because a few drinks weren’t going to send him back to rehab, but possibly because the voice sounded annoyingly like Penny. Bill didn’t have time, or really, any desire to figure out which one it was as they were ushered into the blinding lights of Louis Vuitton. Bill had always pictured sheer opulence as bright and superfluously shiny, but he didn’t realize that was a reality. As he stepped into the store, he squinted and shielded his eyes-- either the diamonds hanging from the ceiling emanated their own light source, or the place was so pristine it literally glowed. All it was missing was a harp and a few floating cherubs and Bill would have been certain he was in front of the pearly gates of Heaven. Just standing there made him feel underdressed, unclean even. What started out as a whimsical vagary quickly turned into a complicated role play.

“There really had better be alcohol here,” he muttered to Andi. “And it better get here fast, before I get a headache from all the glittery,” Bill searched for a word, but coming up with nothing, decided on “…things. If not, you'll owe me one, Miss Foster."

[Deleted]

Andi Foster

His hand that settled at the small of her back felt like a fly and apart of her wanted to swat it with all her gut. Bill's touch after the math of being kissed was not a welcomed sensation she'd like to feel. Mostly, because Andi had enjoyed that kiss, and mostly because she was uncomfortable with how it made her feel to have just his hand at the low curve of her back. This was not going to be the cliche' Paris script. She was not the kind of lady to fall in love or go rolling around under the covers just after settling here. Which, why the crap was she even thinking and reminding herself of that if she weren't in danger of doing so?

The circling thoughts were getting her a little woozy and the boisterous party they had made their entrance to wasn't helping her case.

Andi's tight smile was nearing a pained grimace. These were the types of gatherings she couldn't stand. The pompously rich, chatting about business and drawling their words out because, for some reason, that would make them seem more wealthy. Really, it just made them seem all drunk and arrogant. Their noses seemed to be dangling up in the air by hooks from the ceiling they were so uppity. The lights were glistening off the jewels on the women, feeling like rays that could begin a grand migraine. The sea of people, the music, the fake purring laughter- it was just too much of ridiculous for one room.

It was going to feel so great to play them like a fiddle.

"There really had better be alcohol here, it better get here fast, before I get a headache from all the glittery,” Bill and Andi both looked around. “…things. If not, you'll owe me one, Miss Foster."

Smirking coyly, Andi grabbed his wrist from behind her, her eyes still looking out. Her hands found his and she brought his fingers to be entwined with hers, bringing him up to her side. "Trust me, one shot of the alcohol this place has is worth our cost of living put together." She murmured. She knew a thing or two about these parties. In New York City, she had been to her fair share. It was all the same- the rich and the famous.

"Now, Theodore," She drawled, blinking over at him. Putting a hand to her bare neck, she cleared her throat, "I'm quite parched. Shall we make our way to the drinks?"

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

"Trust me,” Andi said, her lips curling in a coy smile, “one shot of the alcohol this place has is worth our cost of living put together."

Bill was taken aback and almost stood still in his tracks. What did she know about his cost of living? Just because some of his clothing came from consignment shops didn’t mean he was poor. He had been there, done that, sang the song of the 42nd street Ragamuffins about scraping for dirty dimes and nickels in the hopes of having food for a week. But he was past that now, and living comfortably in a nice apartment. He was no millionaire, but certainly no alcohol was worth how much he made, how much he paid to live, and how hard he worked to get here.

"Now, Theodore, I'm quite parched. Shall we make our way to the drinks?”

He wanted to tell her to make her own damn way to the drinks and that he was going home to sleep in his nice bed in his nice apartment that he paid for with own money, but making scenes and dramatic displays of emotion was not Bill’s style. He sighed. “Fine. That sounds fine.”

He followed her to the bar and sat down, neglecting to pull her stool out for her. “So what’s our next move, Kate? Lead the way.” But Bill couldn’t help but let his mind wander as his eyes veered over to the bartender who looked lovely in her little suit. If this were any other night, any other place, any other scenario, he would probably be here, chatting her up and quite possibly leaving with her. But he was here with Andi, and Bill promised himself if things didn’t look up for him, he was out of here.

[Deleted]

Andi Foster

When he sighed, Andi's jaw clenched glaring over at him. "Fine. That sounds fine." She wondered if that was the word of the day or something, but kept that comment to herself.

They headed toward the bar. She swayed her hips a little more, adding a certain flare and attitude to this role. It all disgusted her a little bit- how they could spend so much on parties like this, but the hip swivel did feel silly and fun. They sat down at the stools. Andi's nails tapped along the surface, puckering her lips as if nonchalantly just mingling about, but really, scoping out the bar and what they were dealing with.

Looking over at her partner in crime, she smirked when she followed his occupied gaze at the bartender. She was now grinning, and returned back to making a plan. Boys will be boys, right?

Then it clicked.

Nudging Bill, Andi talked quietly to him, turning her head to look behind them but still murmuring in his ears. "Think you can pull out the charms as a distraction?"

She leaned away from him and winked, sliding out of the stool and away from him to go smoothly toward the end of the bar. She just needed the little Miss bartender to be a little bit taken back by those eyes of his, and ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

Bill wondered how long this would take. He had stage notes that needed to be documented and a cat to feed. He needed to be up early tomorrow for a six o’clock rehearsal. He wondered how drunk he could get on the weak alcohol provided here. And he wondered what the lovely bartender’s name was.

Andi nudged him hard in the ribs and Bill rubbed at the spot there, giving a quick little “Oi!” as her elbow jutted in and out of his flesh and bone. ”Think you can pull out the charms as a distraction?" she murmured in his ear.

He smiled, “Of course.” He made his way towards the pretty blonde.

“What would you suggest?”

“Well…” came her reply. “I’m not much of a champagne person, to be honest.”

Bill laughed. “Me neither. I’d much rather have a beer than…” he signaled to the bottles of bubbly child’s play behind her “…that any day.”

“I know what you mean,” she said with a laugh. “What I wouldn’t give for one right now and get out of this God-awful party… no offense.”

It was Bill’s turn to laugh, “none taken. It’s not my party. It’s not really my thing. I’d rather be at home.”

“With a beer no doubt,” she teased.

“It just so happens I have some.” How was this for a distraction? “What do you say we go there now and have a couple?”

The woman’s face lit up. “Oh, I’d love that. Absolutely. I can sneak away.”

“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Bill said, offering her his arm as she came around the bar. “My name is Bill, by the way. What’s yours?”

“Clarice.”

And together, they walked out of the noisy opulence and went off to Bill’s apartment to drink something more substantial.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

OoC: Open scene! BiC:

Charlotte Babineaux

Sometimes, Charlotte was truly amazed by her inability to think. It was an oxymoron, really, a psychology teacher not using her brain, but Charlotte was astonished by her lack of logical, analytical thought today. There was ice blanketing the roads, sunny as it was today, and when Charlotte went to get dressed for work, she slipped on her pretty purple pumps and slipped on the sidewalk as she made her way to the coffee shop. Ankle swollen and twisted so that it bent in ways bones were not built to bend, she scrambled for the pieces of her now broken heels as oblivious Parisians trampled her. Slowly, she eased herself up and hailed a cab to get to work. Barefoot, she taught all day, taking few breaks to sit down. But once that final bell rang, she and her iced and bandaged ankle made their way to search for new, snow safe boots. And though a teacher’s salary wasn’t exactly putting her in a pent house, a good pair of nice, winter-wearing shoes could do her well and after the day she was having today, she deserved a little splurging.

So she entered Louis Vuitton with high hopes and a hobble as she searched for a cute pair of shoes that would not fail her on the slick, icy roads.

And there they were, perched high up on the top shelf sat a pair of the perfect boots in her size. Carefully, she reached up and stretched until her fingers brushed the new, rubber sole of the furry masterpiece. But her twisted ankle, still agitated by this morning’s slip, trembled from the precarious weight and gave out, bringing Charlotte and the shelf of shoes down with her.

Could today really get any worse?