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xp_logsAfter a Hellfire club event with Adrienne, Manuel takes a cab home much later and decides to walk a few blocks before he happens on Tabitha at the mansion gates.
It wasn't until she pulled up to the mansion gates that she realized that the security system wouldn't recognize her new ride. That meant she would have to remember her security code.
It was three am, she was hip-deep in snow, and the keypad buzzed at her in a way that implied dire things if she didn't get her act together. If she remembered right, it was three strikes, you're incapacitated.
If only Dani would answer her phone. She COULD call Scott, but who wanted to be woken up by a former student at this time of night?
"Was it the weather or the poor company that made you leave?" Manuel asked, emerging from the shadowy sidewalk and stopped under the spotlight of the street lamp to tap the snow off his shoe with his cane. The snow muffled the sounds of the street as it fell, lightly resting on his shoulders as he tugged the cuff of his sleeve into place. Dressed in a black suit, a black overcoat and a maroon scarf, he looked as though he had walked out of a christmas scene instead of the Hellfire party he'd attended with Adrienne.
Tabitha put her hand to her chest as her heart stuttered nearly to a stop. She stared at Manuel with startled eyes before she let out her pent breath. "Are you trying to give people heart attacks?" She spent a moment remembering how to breathe before she went on. "I left for my own reasons. Damned if I even knew what they were. But I'm back now."
"I noticed, however I am assuming it was the company as the forecast was predicted clear the last few days. I was going to email you but I thought you should enjoy your stress free vacation. Was it everything you wished it to be?" he asked, coming up along side her and glancing down at the pad. "I see you have forgotten your code again."
Tabitha glowered at the too-cool-looking Spaniard. "Email would have been nice," she muttered as she tried yet another unsuccessful code. "Maybe I just want to test the security system," she said out loud. "Get everybody up at the butt crack of dawn, test their reflexes."
His hand brushed away the snow from the pad and he punched in the right code. "As much as I enjoy seeing you freeze to death, I do not enjoy freezing myself. Get in the car. I will drive you." He didn't take no for an answer, wouldn't allow a woman to drive for him anymore, unless he was paying her to drive a limo. As it were, his feet were now cold from his decision to have the cab driver drop him off down the street so he could enjoy the peaceful walk.
She raised an eyebrow as she kicked snow around to the passenger side. "Hope you can handle a 45-year-old clutch."
Climbing in the drivers seat, Manuel waited for her before setting off down the driveway. "I see you indulged yourself while you were gone. Are you going to blame stress on that too?"
Tabs stopped cold with the seat-belt partially buckled. "Are you TRYING to push me?" she asked, "because really, me losing my temper is never a happy thing." And she'd have to figure out how to get him out of her Mustang.
"Tempers are seldom seen as _happy_." It took them very little time to pull up to the mansion garage, careful not to grind the gears in shift and put it into park. "I would love to sit and talk, however I have a sixteen year old waiting for me."
"Jeez, de la Rocha, you take to cradle robbing? Wouldn't think your hot self would get that desperate." Not that she really thought he was boning jailbait, but sometimes her mouth just outran her brain.
"She is my babysitter for my sister, Tabitha. There is a very distinct difference between that, desperate and not interested. Of course, you of all people would know a thing or two of desperation." He pulled on the door handle and pushed, getting out of the car without waiting.
"I think I hate you," she said to the closed door. She flopped back into the Mustang's seat with a gusty puff of air. Then she remembered that she didn't have her room key either.
It wasn't until she pulled up to the mansion gates that she realized that the security system wouldn't recognize her new ride. That meant she would have to remember her security code.
It was three am, she was hip-deep in snow, and the keypad buzzed at her in a way that implied dire things if she didn't get her act together. If she remembered right, it was three strikes, you're incapacitated.
If only Dani would answer her phone. She COULD call Scott, but who wanted to be woken up by a former student at this time of night?
"Was it the weather or the poor company that made you leave?" Manuel asked, emerging from the shadowy sidewalk and stopped under the spotlight of the street lamp to tap the snow off his shoe with his cane. The snow muffled the sounds of the street as it fell, lightly resting on his shoulders as he tugged the cuff of his sleeve into place. Dressed in a black suit, a black overcoat and a maroon scarf, he looked as though he had walked out of a christmas scene instead of the Hellfire party he'd attended with Adrienne.
Tabitha put her hand to her chest as her heart stuttered nearly to a stop. She stared at Manuel with startled eyes before she let out her pent breath. "Are you trying to give people heart attacks?" She spent a moment remembering how to breathe before she went on. "I left for my own reasons. Damned if I even knew what they were. But I'm back now."
"I noticed, however I am assuming it was the company as the forecast was predicted clear the last few days. I was going to email you but I thought you should enjoy your stress free vacation. Was it everything you wished it to be?" he asked, coming up along side her and glancing down at the pad. "I see you have forgotten your code again."
Tabitha glowered at the too-cool-looking Spaniard. "Email would have been nice," she muttered as she tried yet another unsuccessful code. "Maybe I just want to test the security system," she said out loud. "Get everybody up at the butt crack of dawn, test their reflexes."
His hand brushed away the snow from the pad and he punched in the right code. "As much as I enjoy seeing you freeze to death, I do not enjoy freezing myself. Get in the car. I will drive you." He didn't take no for an answer, wouldn't allow a woman to drive for him anymore, unless he was paying her to drive a limo. As it were, his feet were now cold from his decision to have the cab driver drop him off down the street so he could enjoy the peaceful walk.
She raised an eyebrow as she kicked snow around to the passenger side. "Hope you can handle a 45-year-old clutch."
Climbing in the drivers seat, Manuel waited for her before setting off down the driveway. "I see you indulged yourself while you were gone. Are you going to blame stress on that too?"
Tabs stopped cold with the seat-belt partially buckled. "Are you TRYING to push me?" she asked, "because really, me losing my temper is never a happy thing." And she'd have to figure out how to get him out of her Mustang.
"Tempers are seldom seen as _happy_." It took them very little time to pull up to the mansion garage, careful not to grind the gears in shift and put it into park. "I would love to sit and talk, however I have a sixteen year old waiting for me."
"Jeez, de la Rocha, you take to cradle robbing? Wouldn't think your hot self would get that desperate." Not that she really thought he was boning jailbait, but sometimes her mouth just outran her brain.
"She is my babysitter for my sister, Tabitha. There is a very distinct difference between that, desperate and not interested. Of course, you of all people would know a thing or two of desperation." He pulled on the door handle and pushed, getting out of the car without waiting.
"I think I hate you," she said to the closed door. She flopped back into the Mustang's seat with a gusty puff of air. Then she remembered that she didn't have her room key either.
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