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OOM: Party
Jan. 8th, 2006 04:21 amDecember 31, 2010
"You're really going back to school?" Her brother Ryan sat across from her, Jeannie next to him on the large. Several of them gathered in a loose circle in the corner of an upscale cocktail lounge in NY's Grand Central Station. The rich wood, soft leathers, high ceilings and giant windows brought to mind an earlier era. The freeform jazz played every night only completed the ambiance.
"Yeah," he says, looking up briefly at his wife, who was talking to a friend. "I'm starting to believe all the jokes about lawyers. I think teaching's more my speed, anyway."
Chris wasn't surprised by this news. She couldn't remember the last time she asked her brother about his job and he hadn't gone on about what he hated about it. "Do you know where you're going yet? Are you going in the spring?"
Ryan takes a drink of his scotch. "Yeah, Fordham. They have a good program. What about you? Got any plan for that degree?"
"Not really." She still toyed with the idea of going back to CTU, she still might despite her recent promotion.
Jeannie turned towards them, looking as if she was about to say something when someone caught her attention and she smiled. "Look who's here," she said, eyes on Chris.
At that very obvious hint, Chris turned around and saw James walking towards the couch.
"Hey," she said as she stood to greet him with a hug. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Is Alison here?" She didn't see her.
"She is but she saw someone she knows when we were walking in. Still talking to them." James gave a small wave to Jeannie, having met her before.
"Ah, James, this is my brother Ryan. Ryan, this is James. And you both know Jeannie."
It was only a few minutes after the two shook hands and said their hellos that Jeannie whispered something in her husband's ear and then placed a hand on his arm. "Let's go dance."
He made a face and some vague whining noise.
"C'mon," she said, leading him away, towards the dance floor. "You can stand there and I'll dance."
Chris laughed, partly out of amusement and partly out of nervousness. It was a little strange being around James since last week, since she found out his feeling for her. Though she tried to hide it.
She took a sip of her drink. "So," she began, not sure of what she would follow it up with but not wanting the silence to grow awkward.
"Since I didn't get to see you on Christmas," he said, pulling a small box from his pocket, "I wanted to give you this now."
"Thank you," she said, slowly. She noted the box was suspiciously jewlery-sized. "I'm. I didn't get you anything."
Hands in pockets, he shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
Chris opened the box to find a gold-and-turquoise bracelet inside. Delicate and antique-looking, it was reminiscent of one she had seen in a book.
"It's Persian," he said.
"I know," she said softly, feeling a little confused. Chris holds the bracelet in her hand, not sure if she should put it on. "It's beautiful, thank you."
"Chris," his voice lower now, "I don't want to make you feel comfortable. I know what you said and I respect that. I just saw this and thought you would like it."
Her smile is more relaxed now. "Thank you. I just wish I had gotten you something."
"I'll count you singing the dreidel song as my gift," James laughed.
"You were singing too!" Smiling now, Chris slid the bracelet on her wrist and clapsed. Then she gestured towards the bar, "Do you want a drink? I think I need a refill."
"Sure."
"You're really going back to school?" Her brother Ryan sat across from her, Jeannie next to him on the large. Several of them gathered in a loose circle in the corner of an upscale cocktail lounge in NY's Grand Central Station. The rich wood, soft leathers, high ceilings and giant windows brought to mind an earlier era. The freeform jazz played every night only completed the ambiance.
"Yeah," he says, looking up briefly at his wife, who was talking to a friend. "I'm starting to believe all the jokes about lawyers. I think teaching's more my speed, anyway."
Chris wasn't surprised by this news. She couldn't remember the last time she asked her brother about his job and he hadn't gone on about what he hated about it. "Do you know where you're going yet? Are you going in the spring?"
Ryan takes a drink of his scotch. "Yeah, Fordham. They have a good program. What about you? Got any plan for that degree?"
"Not really." She still toyed with the idea of going back to CTU, she still might despite her recent promotion.
Jeannie turned towards them, looking as if she was about to say something when someone caught her attention and she smiled. "Look who's here," she said, eyes on Chris.
At that very obvious hint, Chris turned around and saw James walking towards the couch.
"Hey," she said as she stood to greet him with a hug. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Is Alison here?" She didn't see her.
"She is but she saw someone she knows when we were walking in. Still talking to them." James gave a small wave to Jeannie, having met her before.
"Ah, James, this is my brother Ryan. Ryan, this is James. And you both know Jeannie."
It was only a few minutes after the two shook hands and said their hellos that Jeannie whispered something in her husband's ear and then placed a hand on his arm. "Let's go dance."
He made a face and some vague whining noise.
"C'mon," she said, leading him away, towards the dance floor. "You can stand there and I'll dance."
Chris laughed, partly out of amusement and partly out of nervousness. It was a little strange being around James since last week, since she found out his feeling for her. Though she tried to hide it.
She took a sip of her drink. "So," she began, not sure of what she would follow it up with but not wanting the silence to grow awkward.
"Since I didn't get to see you on Christmas," he said, pulling a small box from his pocket, "I wanted to give you this now."
"Thank you," she said, slowly. She noted the box was suspiciously jewlery-sized. "I'm. I didn't get you anything."
Hands in pockets, he shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
Chris opened the box to find a gold-and-turquoise bracelet inside. Delicate and antique-looking, it was reminiscent of one she had seen in a book.
"It's Persian," he said.
"I know," she said softly, feeling a little confused. Chris holds the bracelet in her hand, not sure if she should put it on. "It's beautiful, thank you."
"Chris," his voice lower now, "I don't want to make you feel comfortable. I know what you said and I respect that. I just saw this and thought you would like it."
Her smile is more relaxed now. "Thank you. I just wish I had gotten you something."
"I'll count you singing the dreidel song as my gift," James laughed.
"You were singing too!" Smiling now, Chris slid the bracelet on her wrist and clapsed. Then she gestured towards the bar, "Do you want a drink? I think I need a refill."
"Sure."
