xp_logs | Doug, Marie-Ange, Thursday evening (Reply)

Its a date. Doug and Marie-Ange go out, have a very, very nice dinner, dance some. Most of you have been there, you know how this works. Its ungodly cute. I recommend insulin.

Doug paced the lobby of the hotel for the fourth time. He'd tried sitting down in the large chairs, but he was still suffering from an excess of nervous energy. Fidgeting as he turned, he shot the cuffs of his royal blue dress shirt and adjusted the knot in his tie. He resisted the urge to check his watch again, because he knew that it was an unwritten law that the girl spend an extra five to ten minutes making everything right just to keep the boy waiting.

Marie-Ange stilled her fingers from fussing over her hair -again-, and tried to not fidget. She had been fine while she was moving, but standing still in the elevator was giving her a case of the nerves. Again. Even if was only a few floors.

As the floor indicator flashed to (1) and the elevator settled to a halt, she set her shoulders, and let the nervousness fade off her face, hoping that if nothing else, she looked confidant and calm, even if she most definitely was not anything like calm, and her confidence was probably still somewhere in Lyons.

Kitty smiled to herself, leaning against the elevator wall, far more comfortable in her loose jeans than her roommate-for-the-weekend. "Here we are," she said as the doors slid open.

Angie flashed a quick grin at Kitty, and stepped out of the elevator, heading toward the lobby at a careful pace. It only took a few moments before she caught Doug's eye, and smiled.

Doug's reaction was straight out of every cliché teen movie. His jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and the only thing that came out of his mouth was stammering.

"Angie...you...you look amazing," he finally managed. His eyes drank in the simple elegant lines of her pale green silk dress, and the way it set off her pale skin. Her hair was up in a simple twist, with a few small wisps hanging down to frame her face. The total effect was wreaking havoc with Doug's ability to communicate at all. Finally remembering his manners, he carefully took the coat Marie-Ange was carrying and held it so that she could place her arms into the sleeves.

Marie-Ange blushed slightly. "Merci. You look .. " She smiled gently as Doug helped her with her coat. "very handsome." While Doug picked up his jacket and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles, she watched him quietly. The blue-on-blue of his shirt and tie set off some of the lighter blond in his hair, and while she was sure he was nervous, he was hiding it reasonably well so far, with the exception of the jacket-fussing.

Kitty had been good, and decided not to bring a camera. Jamie might object later, but she figured this definitely fell under the "don't mess up first dates" clause of the girl code. Of course, that didn't prevent _all_ forms of torture... "Have a nice night, guys. Don't stay out past curfew, and don't do anything Jamie and I wouldn't do... Not sure what that leaves out though, so I'd say you're pretty safe to have fun."

Doug blushed rosily as he and Marie-Ange moved toward the revolving door. "Yes, mother," he replied jokingly. He gestured for Marie-Ange to precede him, and once they were outdoors, motioned to the bellhop to flag a cab for them.

Angie waved goodnight to Kitty, electing not to respond out of fear of making an inappropriately sarcastic comment, then walked outside. The Minnesota air was still wintry, beyond crisp into cold, epically for March, and she shivered a little despite her coat.

It was only a few moments before a taxi pulled up, and once Doug opened the door gallantly, Angie gracefully sat down, and slid over, careful of the hem of her dress.

Once they got into the taxi, Doug was somewhat at a loss for topics of conversation. He fidgeted slightly. "So...um, I see you finally found your shoes," he said.

Marie-Ange ducked her head, and smiled. "You saw my .. of course, you would have. Yes. One was under the bed, one had found its way back into my bag." For once, she found herself at a loss for -anything- to say, even idle chatter, and every single thing Ms. Frost had ever taught in Speech class, and every single ounce of social confidence had seemingly left her.

Doug was enchanted just to be with Marie-Ange, and his own conversational awkwardness matched hers, but he didn't mind all that much. In the blink of an eye, the taxi had made its way down to the waterfront, and they were getting out at Sophia, a restaurant Alison had recommended to them. Doug remembered to hold the door for her again, and they made their way to the maitre'd stand.

In her nervousness, Marie-Ange -had- remembered to make reservations, and though the maitre'd arched a silent eyebrow at her before checking the list, she returned the expression with the same, looking for all the world that she belonged there, at that moment, and no mere waiter was going to prevent her from having her table.

She honestly had no idea how she managed to keep her face straight as they were led to their table. Though the maitre'd hadn't actually -said- anything, it was obvious by the crowd that teenagers weren't generally expected, though to his credit, the host had not commented or even broken his polite smile.

Doug was also concentrating on looking like he belonged in such a nice restaurant, rather than seeming like a small child in his father's suit. As they arrived at a table by a window, Doug held Marie-Ange's chair for her before sitting in his own, unbuttoning his jacket and accepting a menu gracefully.

Once both Marie-Ange and Doug appeared settled and comfortable, an appropriately polite waiter appeared out of .. somewhere to take their drink orders, noting that the bar -could- make non-alcoholic versions of several popular cocktails. Angie was half-sure that there was a secret waiter dimension that they hid in, though she thought that might be half due to her not really watching where wait staff went before and after taking orders.

While the waiter was at the bar getting their drinks, Doug smiled at Marie-Ange before looking around the restaurant. "This place is amazing," he mused. "Alison has a good nose for nice places to eat."

Angie nodded in agreement. The restaurant was something -else-, and as Alison had promised, there appeared to be a small dance floor, though it was empty at the moment. "She said it has the two most important things in fine dining." At Doug's vaguely confused expression, she continued. "An excellent dessert cart, and a live band."

Doug grinned in reply, and quieted as the waiter returned with the drinks. Looking back at his menu for a moment, Doug politely looked to Marie-Ange to see if she was ready to order yet.

Marie-Ange nodded, and once their waiter had placed their drinks on the table, she quietly ordered, taking Lorna's advice from the previous week and deciding on seafood.

Doug, for his part, decided on a chipotle-glazed salmon. Nodding, the waiter took the folded menu from each teen and graciously exited the table, heading toward the kitchen and leaving the two to conversation.

Marie-Ange absently reached up to again fuss at her hair, then realized what she was doing, and forced arm down, resting it in her lap. For a few moments, she watched Doug intently, then relaxed into her seat, smiling gently. "Do.. I look as nervous as I think I do?" she asked quietly.

Doug smiled. "I...I wasn't looking," he replied. "Didn't seem right for the situation. Besides, I think I'm a little too busy being nervous myself," he chuckled.

Angie laughed, though not unkindly. "You have no reason to be nervous, but I imagine everyone has told you that already, yes?" She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. The last thing she wanted was for Doug to be uncomfortable or nervous, though sometimes it did seem his natural state to be worried about -something-. It was.. a date. It was not that different from spending time together at school, or eating lunch together in the kitchen.. "Would .. would it help if I told you myself? That you do not need to be nervous?"

Doug smiled nervously. "It might help a bit. I've...been trying to relax. I want this to be a good experience for you."

Angie smiled gently, and leaned forward just a bit. "Doug, we are here, together, it is a nice night, and you look wonderful. There is... " She lowered her voice. "There is nothing you could do to make this less than a good evening. I promise."

Doug leaned forward himself in response to Marie-Ange's movement. "I hope so, Angie. I want this to be a good evening for both of us." He smiled as the waiter arrived with their food, placing the plates in front of the teens before smiling and wisely leaving them alone.

Angie smiled and nodded her head at the seat next to her. In her handbag, tucked in their bag, and having been put there at the absolute last minute, were her cards. She was -almost- positive it would be completely and utterly gauche to bring them out - in fact, she was certain it would be beyond rude and verging on the territory of "acting like a weird teenager in public", which was not happening. "I could look," she said, with just a hint of teasing in her voice. "Nine of wands against the scallops.. I'm sure it could mean something important.. "

Doug grinned, then after a moment laughed out loud. "That would just be silly, Angie. Besides, what would it actually mean?"

Angie beamed. "That's easy. It would mean that there is entirely too much food, and that the scallops would require a test of strength to overcome." At that, she delicately took a bite of one of the scallops on her plate, letting out a tiny sigh of happiness. "Though I do not see that happening. These are wonderful."

Doug took a bite of his salmon and made a similar noise. "I love chipotle peppers. You like spicy?" he asked, making a motion towards Marie-Ange with another forkful of salmon.

"I .. like some spicy food, though I am not sure what a chipotle pepper -is-.. " Marie-Ange leaned forward slightly, and wrapped her hand around Doug's, and his fork gently. It was easier to guide his hand than to take the fork herself, and while she though he might not have minded feeding her, this way, she got to hold his hand for a moment.

Doug closed his eyes for a moment at the soft feeling of her hand against his. Opening them again, he smiled. "What do you think?" he asked.

Angie took a careful sip from her water glass, and smiled. "Good. A little spicier than I am used to. " She gestured at her own plate.. "Do .. you? It is only fair.."

Doug smiled. "It looks nice." He returned the favor, brushing his fingers against her hand while guiding it to his mouth. He savored the cream sauce and scallops. "It's good," he said.

Marie-Ange blushed when Doug took her hand, and only barely managed to hide a frown when his hand left hers. The two ate quietly, with brief moments of still-nervous conversation. They both paused once when a small jazz band took up their instruments to look up at each other, and duck away, an unspoken question on both of their minds.

Finally, when the pair had finished most of their entrees, and appeared to be slowing, Doug stood as the band struck up an upbeat number. Offering his hand, he swallowed nervously. "Would milady care to dance?" he asked in French.

"You only had to ask... I .. yes. Yes. I would." Angie replied, at first tentative, and then with growing confidence. She took Doug's hand, letting him gently lead her to the floor. After what felt like an eternity, but was more like a half-second, time moves oddly when you're nervous, they recovered from the moment of awkward fumbling that Angie hoped no one noticed, and began actually moving in time with the music.

Dance classes were paying off, as Doug was able to instinctively move to the music, despite his high level of nervousness. Just like in the airport, his senses were hyper-aware. A light floral scent clinging to Marie-Ange’s hair and neck, the soft smooth feeling of her silk dress where his hand rested gently on her flank, the way her one hand fit smoothly into his and the other curled around the back of his neck.

Marie-Ange let her eyes close, listening to the music. She could feel the warmth of Doug's hands, one resting on her hip, the other gently curled around hers. She brushed a thumb over the back of his neck, remembering entirely too well how sensitive it was, and she couldn't help but smile at the feeling that for once, everything was -right-.

Doug whimpered and missed a step in the dance. Training kicked back in, and he managed to pick back up where he missed. He cocked his head and shook it slightly, smiling down at the mischievous expression on Marie-Ange's face.

"My apologies" she whispered, entirely without regret. Just after touching his neck, she had, for an instant, worried that it might scare him off. That Doug had only misstepped, and had not gone pale or skittish filled her with visible relief

Doug read the slight spike of worry, and bent down to whisper in Marie-Ange's ear. "Nothing to apologize for, chere. You're right, nothing will go wrong tonight. There's magic in this night, can you feel it?" He blushed at the intimate feeling of whispering so close to her ear, but found himself lost in the moment.

Marie-Ange idly noted to herself that if anyone - anyone- but Doug had said those things, it would have made her snicker. Doug made the words sound honest, almost poetic, instead of silly. She smiled at him, meeting his eyes, completely lost for words.

The pair spent the rest of the song lost in each others' eyes, adrift in a haze of music and each other. The band finished the number to a light smattering of applause, and then began a slower number. Recognizing the tune, Doug moved his other hand to Marie-Ange's waist, drawing her closer as she placed her other hand on his shoulder. Moving slowly around, Doug sang along with the band quietly. "There's a somebody I'm longing to see / I hope that she / Turns out to be / Someone to watch over me..."

The couple,- and the term seemed far less loaded than it had in the days previous- continued to dance for a few more songs, running through nearly everything they had learned, and ending on an fast almost-swing number that Angie was entirely sure Doug was making up the steps to on his own. At least, she hoped he was, because she was certain -she- wasn't leading. Once that song ended, they headed back to their table, just a touch out of breath, flushed and both smiling brilliantly.

A moment after they returned to the table, their waiter reappeared, smiling gently at the flushed couple and producing a small dessert menu and describing the desserts to the couple. Doug looked quizzically at Marie-Ange, who seemed to defer to his lead. After a moment of thought, he selected a flourless chocolate waffle with ice cream for them to share, returning the card to their waiter.

Marie-Ange couldn't help but blush and giggle very quietly at the idea of sharing dessert. It was such a terribly normal, typical date thing to do, and she thought that other than the dancing, it was probably the part she'd been looking forward to most, with possibly one exception.

Doug grinned a bit himself at the sheer normality of it. When the dessert arrived, they both quietly dug in with the spoons provided, giggling softly at the joke that they were sharing without even expressing it. Finally, they finished the last of the dessert, and their waiter brought the check. Doug made an abortive move to pick it up before remembering that Marie-Ange had asked to pay in their IM conversation. He backed his hand off, chuckling slightly.

A few minutes later, and one moment of frustration over trying to calculate a tip while distracted by chocolate, Marie-Ange closed the slender leather folder the check had arrived in, with the barest edge of several bills peeking out. She caught the waiter's attention, and set the folder neatly on the table. "Whenever you are ready to go, we can. " she said, closing her handbag.

Doug smiled. "I don't really want this night to end, Angie. But we should probably be headed back to the hotel." He checked his watch, wondering where all the time had gone.

"I .. do not want to either, but.. " Marie-Ange's eyes passed over the table, Doug's jacket, his tie, and finally met his. "I would not say no to other nights.. " Her voice was quiet and hesitant. She hoped he agreed. She couldn't see any reason for him not to, and yet, the tiny voice in her head was suggesting that this wasn't going to happen again, in any form.

Doug nodded quickly. "Oh, definitely." Then, he realized he might sound a bit too eager and backed up. "I mean, if you want to." He blushed slightly.

"Why would I not want to?" Angie looked at Doug quizzically. "No. Do not answer that. I -would- like to do this again." She stood once Doug had, and again let him assist her into her coat. "Or.. something different. or.. " She trailed off, not quite what to say.

Doug smiled and tucked Marie-Ange's hand into his elbow as he led her toward the door. "Something different, probably. Variety is nice. Maybe a movie, or a play, or a concert...who knows." A cab was waiting for them at the door, as Doug had negotiated a time to return with the driver. He grinned as he handed Marie-Ange into the cab before entering on the other side.

If the cab ride to the restaurant was quick, the ride back was altogether entirely too fast. They had talked, about something, and Angie was sure the conversation was pleasant, she was just too content to remember exactly what it was about. Before either Marie-Ange or Doug realized it, they were back at the hotel, taxi fare paid, and walking through the revolving door.

The elevator ride was a similar blur, and before they could blink, the couple was standing at the door to Marie-Ange's suite. Doug scuffed one shoe against the other, very hesitant all of a sudden. "I...I had a really nice time tonight, Angie," he whispered softly.

"I did as well. " Marie-Ange answered, just as quietly.

Doug stood close to Marie-Ange, gazing down at her now that she had taken the heels that made her nearly as tall as him off. He wondered in the back of his head if he was brave enough to kiss her, and then realized he was being silly since they'd already kissed in the airport. Lowering his head slowly, he brushed his lips softly against hers before placing his hands loosely on her waist in a repeat of their dance together, kissing her more insistently.

Marie-Ange cheered joyously in her head, and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Doug's waist. She had hoped - had thought he might, especially after he had gotten so quiet. Nonetheless, when he did, she felt a swell of happy surprise that he had actually done it.

After a few minutes of lips touching and soft sighs and whimpers, Doug finally drew back, smiling widely. "Good night, my lady," he murmured softly in French.

Marie-Ange blushed, and gently nudged the door to her hotel room open. "To you as well, sir knight. " she said quietly before backing into the room and slowly closing the door.