The Beach, Saturday Night

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

Announcer: The role of Jack will now be played by Jessica Szohr due to a contract dispute.

Jacqueline Nevaeh D'Anjou-Gnocchi, bohemian heiress, walked along the shoreline with her sandals in one hand, staying so close to the water that the waves came up to lap at her perfectly manicured toenails. The rough sand would probably chip at the pearly nail polish, but she was heedless of that tonight.

No, all she saw was the waves, and the moonlight dancing upon them. They made her think about the past. Her father, stern yet always with a smile for her; her mother, cut down in the prime of life by a freak July snowstorm; her career as a model in Paris; and, of course, the love of her life.

But they'd all been in Oak Hill Heights, miles and miles away. She'd left all those memories behind to come to Fandom. So many good memories ... and so may terrible ones.

She shook her fist to the sky.

"I will start again."

[OOC: Open post!]

Comments

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Now that Bruce had Riley's commitment to a favor, he didn't really need to keep the contract that would just serve as a paper trail back to him if something bad happened. And so he needed to dispose of the contract in the most dramatic way available to him: he went to the beach, lit the contract on fire, and let the ashes fall into the sea.

Then he looked over at the woman cursing the sky. "You didn't see anything, okay?"

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

Jacqueline turned toward the voice, eyes blank. "Okay," she said, puzzled. "What didn't I see?"

What with all the sky-cursing, she maybe wasn't the most observant person right then.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Absolutely nothing important," Bruce said as the remainder of the contract turned to ashes and fell into the water. "But I know what I do see. A beautiful woman who shouldn't be alone on the beach like this."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

Jacqueline smiled sadly. "I probably shouldn't, but I don't know anyone to be with," she said. "I left everyone I ever knew back in Oak Hill Heights."

Tilting her head, she offered him a hand to shake. "I'm Jacqueline D'Anjou-Gnocchi. And you are....?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Bruce Wayne, professional philanthropist," Bruce said, taking her hand to shake. "And I don't have any other plans at the moment, so I'm available if you don't mind the company."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

"Not at all," Jacqueline said, smiling at him flirtatiously. "We can walk, and you can tell me about the island. I've heard there's a diamond mine."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"There is, but none of those diamonds shine as brightly as your smile," Bruce said. "Also, it's run by the Skywalkers. And you don't want to deal with them more than you have to."

"But otherwise it's a nice place. Beautiful views, orphans being helped everywhere you look, hotels close to the beach. It has everything you could want."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

"Sounds wonderful," Jacqueline said wistfully. "Maybe I should start working with the orphans myself. Modeling gets so shallow after a while."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I should have guessed you were a model. It's so obvious now," Bruce said. "And if you're interested in working with orphans, I could get you a job with the Wayne Foundation. There are some positions I think you could fill."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

Jacqueline chuckled. "I'm always interested in filling positions for such a worthy cause," she said. "Especially with such a handsome boss."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"In that case, would you like to check out my home office? I think it could be informative to see where you'll be doing such fine work," Bruce asked.

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

Jacqueline seemed to hesitate for a moment at that, but nodded. "Of course. Shall I stop by in the morning?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

If Bruce was disappointed that he hadn't seduced a person he'd met two minutes ago to spend the night with him tonight, he didn't show it.

But he was.

"There's a funeral I have to attend in the morning, but my schedule frees up after that," Bruce noted.

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

If Jacqueline hadn't already checked the f'list somehow known he would be in his home office the next morning, she might have considered staying the night.

Alas.

"Of course," she said. "But I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. Was it lupus?"

It was often lupus.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Sadly, no. It's much worse," Bruce said. "Caffeine overdose. It's a scourge around here." He was smiling too much. He was way too proud of that scourge.

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

"I lost the love of my life to a caffeine addiction," Jacqueline said in sad acceptance. She wasn't sure what was with the smile, but she'd ignore it for a chance to monologue. "The last time I saw him, he was climbing into the dumpster behind the Oak Hill Heights Starbucks. He -- he liked to lick the espresso filters. He loved that more than he loved me."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Any man who can't see that you're worth far more than garbage espresso filters doesn't deserve your love," Bruce said. "Remember that, Jacqueline."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I know," Jacqueline said. "That's why I left him. That and the fact he wouldn't get out of the dumpster. Anyhow" -- she tossed her hair over her shoulder -- "I'm sorry about your friend."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You're so kind," Bruce said. "But I try not to look at the past. I'd rather focus on the future. And that short-term future is starting to look much better, thanks to you."

[psychoticbiotic.livejournal.com]

"And I'm feeling less alone in this town," Jacqueline answered, then impulsively reached for his hand to squeeze. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Please. Call me Bruce," Bruce said as he took her hand. "All my friends do, and I can tell we'll be very good friends."