Faust in the Fall (Devi/Bill)

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

Devi cocked an eyebrow at Bill and studied him. And involuntarily, she thought You slick coward. Just ask me out already! Her rules be damned, she’d go out with him any time, any day. If he would just ask. Instead, these coy little games of omission seemed to be more his thing. Devi inhaled deeply through her nose and then out through her mouth, slowly, steadying.

“If you weren’t going to be working half the night,” Devi said. “I’d think you were asking me out, Bill. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong… But dinner and a show sounds a hell of a lot like a date to me… ”

Her tone feigned demureness. Silly me, it said. You couldn’t possibly be asking me out…! But her eyes leveled at Bill’s posed a challenge. If you’re asking me out, they said. Do it now. And if not, stop toying with my feelings.

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

Devi looked unconvinced and something in Bill’s chest sagged like a wet sandbag. But then something in her face changed, and Bill couldn’t tell if it was in his favor or not.

“If you weren’t going to be working half the night,” Devi said, “I’d think you were asking me out, Bill. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong… But dinner and a show sounds a hell of a lot like a date to me… ”

Devi sounded unimpressed and Bill felt an exasperated moan perch, ready to be released from behind his lips. He swallowed it and threw his hands up in surrender. “You caught me. I was just hoping if you said ‘no’ things wouldn’t get weird at the wedding. But now that it’s out there,” Bill crossed to her and leaned up against the railing of the gazebo. “Who said I had to work that night?” On the outside, Bill remained cool and collected—the same him with the devil-may-care attitude and laid back outlook. But inside, he was flailing his arms and praying to any god that would listen that this didn’t back fire.

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

Devi perched on the railing beside Bill. Her legs swayed, one brushing his for a moment too long.

“You said it yourself,” Devi said. “ ‘I’ll get you the best seat in the house’ implies that I’m gonna be watching an opera all by lonesome. If you’re gonna ask me on a date, Bill MaCarthy, I am not sitting by myself for three-plus hours. If I wanted to spend a romantic night alone, I can think of a million better things to do.”

She paused for a bit and agave him a lemony smile. Then, again touching her calf to his, she softened her expression. A coy smile, lowered lids, the tilted head.

“That said… If a certain stage manager could get the night off… I can only think of a small handful of things I’d rather be doing besides watching Faust with him.”

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

Devi pulled herself up gracefully onto the railing beside him and swung her legs, landing on his for a lingering second before flying away and back into place at her side. But even after she had moved her leg, he still felt it on his like a stain or a bruise he didn’t mind having. ”You said it yourself,” Devi said coyly. “‘I’ll get you the best seat in the house’ implies that I’m gonna be watching an opera all by lonesome. If you’re gonna ask me on a date, Bill MaCarthy, I am not sitting by myself for three-plus hours. If I wanted to spend a romantic night alone, I can think of a million better things to do.”

So can I, Bill thought, fishing around in his pocket for his early-reserved tickets for Faust. He could see them riding down the nighttime Champs at illegal speeds on his motorcycle. He could see their lips colliding and snapshots of her hand in his. It sounded better than a night at the opera and dinner, but too forward an idea for him to ask his brother’s wedding planner.

“That said… If a certain stage manager could get the night off… I can only think of a small handful of things I’d rather be doing besides watching Faust with him.” Devi said, leaning in until Bill could feel her breath on his skin. Her eyes were lowered, head turned and Bill turned his so that it could fit in place just perfectly. He reached up slowly, and touched her neck gently. Smooth, elegant skin beneath his own rough hands. He would remember her neck forever, even after Ben and Matvey sped off in a limousine to their honeymoon.

“I do,” he said, his face so close to hers he could feel her heat on his eyelids. “I do have the night off.” He had spoken to his two assistant stage managers and they were more than eager to step into his shoes for the night. They hooted and they hollered about the post-opera events Bill would experience, but he ignored them, thinking through what he would say to Devi to ask her. Her raven hair draped over the back of his hand like a velvet curtain and he fought the urge to play with it between his fingers. “Will you do me the honor of joining me, Devi?”

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

"Tell you what," said Devi, biting her lip. "You like deals. So. If the dance at the wedding goes well, I'll go and we'll call it a date. But if the dance -somehow - goes wrong... If you chicken out or if you have two left feet or something... Then I won't sit through any operas. All or nothing, Bill MaCarthy. Take it or leave it."

She was a high stakes kind of girl. And if Bill couldn't handle this simple of a challenge, he wasn't worth a thing to her. She craved adrenaline. Excitement. And a betting partner who could match her step for step, drink for drink, dance for dance.

Was it so wrong to hope Bill was that kind of guy?


Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

William MaCarthy

"Tell you what," said Devi, biting her lip. "You like deals. So. If the dance at the wedding goes well, I'll go and we'll call it a date. But if the dance -somehow - goes wrong... If you chicken out or if you have two left feet or something... Then I won't sit through any operas. All or nothing, Bill MaCarthy." Devi used his full name. For some reason, he liked it more than he logically should have. "Take it or leave it."

"Well, Devi Kumar," Bill said confidently-- he needn't think twice about this-- "Looks like you have yourself a deal."

OoC: Fin. BiC: