Starring:
Guest Starring: NYU Dance Corps girls
Summary: …what.
Date It Happened: March 13, 2007
What.
Central Park
Sideline spectators are cheering. One black and white soccer ball is racing across the grass on North Field #7; two teams, both high schools, both doing a practice out of season are currently fighting to get the offensive with the ball. Dark brown hair with those bright highlights is seen on the field, even as Hailien slides one foot around the soccer ball and starts heading down the field with it, resplendent in her school's colors. She's quite good at it too, from the way she dribbles the soccer ball.
Some time early last month, Niki Sanders was in Central Park, zipped up in a winter jacket, talking desperately on a cell phone. It seems like ages ago — and at the same time, it seems like yesterday, because here she is again, walking along one of the unfamiliar paths, zipped up in a winter jacket, talking desperately on a cell phone. "I know what it looks like, but please, can't you just give me a chance? I promise, I can do—" The woman, her blonde hair pulled back into an imperfect ponytail, slows down on the path at the fringes of the high school soccer practice. The person on the end of the phone obviously cuts her off.
Though he doesn't /own/ a dog anymore, Lachlan is still a dog trainer, and he still has clients. Today he's working with a Jack Russell terrier that seems to have an inexplicable urge to chase any and all things that move. The owners have the added bonus of being well-to-do and competent, so the Scotsman has absolutely no problem in working with the hyperactive critter. Plus, it gives him some canine companionship. Dressed in his usual ragged T-shirt/jeans combination and with a leather jacket, he stands near the field with the terrier on a leash. The dog is watching the game with /great/ interest and occasional stands and looks as though it's about to bolt after the ball, but a word from the man in charge keeps the animal in check. Lachlan looks to be in a much better mood than he was yesterday. Cass is gone, sure, but at least he knows where she /is/ this time.
With one final markerstroke, Jack completes a hastily-drawn symbol on one of Central Park's numerous benches. Though it's poor, it's clearly a helix. Then he tucks his Sharpie away and pads off, whistling tunelessly under his breath. Though he still looks exhausted, Jack's spirits have finally improved, and he's had the sense to change into a fresh, dark grey suit with light pin-stripes. He's even scraped away the scrappy beard that'd been building up along his jaw. And then.. Lachlan and football? Sounds fun. Quietly, Jack slips up beside his friend. "Hey. Sorry about last night."
"You're fired!"
The infamous Jaden Cain has managed to once again cause a scene. Not here, in the office. He's actually taken to holding his cell phone with his hand, rather than use the new EvoSoft Bluetooth Earpiece (available in all electronic retailers). He's gripping the cell phone tightly as he makes his way, more or less, through Central Park. He pauses in his walking as his eyes are drawn towards something a hell of a lot more interesting than business. Less profitable, but more interesting.
"Uh, gotta' go. What? Wait, okay, you're not fired. Just… stop stealin' money, okay? If you need a raise, we'll talk about it." Jaden rambles distractedly into the phone, since he's more interested in the soccer game. "Okay, yeah. Gotta' go. Soccer. I mean… a meeting! Bye!" Click.
"SHOOT IT HAILIEN! SHOOT IT!" These are the loud, raucous screams that are hailed at the young sophomore, whose glasses are clearly seen glinting in the sun as she dodges around a NYC's Union High School guard and goes straight for the goal.
An announcer comes on: "There is a minute left folks, will number twelve, miss Hailien Hunter from NYC's Resident High School, make it, or will she not? Let's wait and see…"
Hailien aims up the shoot after narrowly saving the ball from getting stolen, and then she draws her foot back, and kicks- the ball goes soaring through the air - is it going to make it? Is Res. HS gonna win? Wait and see!
"…Yeah, well. Thanks anyway." Niki slides the phone away from her ear and folds it shut. While it's not fancy and top-of-the-line from EvoSoft and Bluetooth, it's red - and shiny and new, which is in no way a testament to her current dilemma. Finding a job is rough, even rougher than it used to be for Niki. She toys with the phone for a few moments, looking down at it with frustration setting into her features. She, for one, is uninterested in the soccer game - it's all background noise. When she eventually starts moving again, it's to wind her way toward a bench. /The/ bench. The woman stops a few feet away from the helix-marked bench and just sort of… tilts her head.
The excitement on the field is too much for the terrier, who begins bouncing up and down and yapping enthusiastically. Once again, Lachlan shushes the beast with a low word and a few bad signals to the dog's brain; the Jack Russell stops and sits quietly, trembling with pent-up terrier-ism. When Jack approaches, he's given a broad grin and a rough pat on the shoulder. "Ye've no need ta 'pologize ta me," the Scotsman laughs. "Already got yer note, an' ye've no' done me wrong anyway." Lachlan forgives so easily, except in matters of dead dogs and hurt people. "'M no' sure Cass 'r Elena were happy with ye, though. Ye talk to 'em yet?"
Jack gives his head a brief shake. "I will, though," he promises. "I was a right wanker to 'em, I'm thinkin'." Despite his words, he can't suppress a wide, toothy grin. "Got good news, though. Eliana's back from vacation." Though his wording is vauge, Jack's eyebrows waggle meaningfully. "I know you too aren't exactly fond of one another, but try and be happy for me, yeh? Now we're both whipped again." Impossibly, his grin grows wider as he pulls his best friend, Silver Flask, from inside his jacket. After taking a swig, he offers it over to Lach.
Hailien shoots, hits… and scores! She's swept off by her winning team to go change, and we'll just pretend it takes awhile because her player forgot about a family event but should be back within 30 mins.
Money makes Jaden's world go 'round, so he can afford the top of the line cell phone. In fact, EvoSoft is doing that thing where they're designing a new phone for the new year. Should be a great buy and Christmas gift! But for now, the youngest CEO on the block is just doing whatever he can to pay attention to the ball game that's going on. "Go! Go!" Apparently, Jaden is watching the soccer game with great awe. When the ball goes in, he pumps his fist into the air. "YES! YES! KICK ASS!" And this is the part where he does a very bad imitation of Will Smith's Gettin' Jiggy With It dance.
Must be just a random bit of graffiti. Niki sinks onto the bench, automatically crossing her legs. She drops her purse beside her, as if it might cover up the drawn symbol - it doesn't, but she ignores it all the same. She takes up an anxious sort of jostle with her cell phone, flipping it open and shut between two hands repeatedly; she looks out across the park just in time to watch Hailien's score without recognizing the girl from afar. The silver of Jack's flask catches Niki's eye more than anything, which means she frowns and promptly distracts herself with her cell phone. It doesn't work so well.
Who can refuse the offer of a drink? Not Lachlan, that's for sure. He takes it with a grateful nod, grinning good-naturedly at the mention of Eliana's return. "Nah, I feel sorry fer ye," he remarks, though he hardly sounds serious. He takes a gulp from the flask before passing it back, while the dog at his side whines as it fights the urge to bark and jump at the excitement on the field. "An' I'm no' whipped. 'M just keepin' Cass happy b'cause she's been good ta me." /Real/ good. He watches the players carry Hailien off the field, then catches sight of Jaden and quirks an eyebrow. "Get a load o' tha'," he grumbles to the Irishman, nodding his head toward the CEO — and then his eye turns to the bench on which Niki sits, and the mark thereon. And then back to Niki, because /wow/. Staring ensues.
No dummy, Jack follows Lachlan's gaze to the blonde. No offense, Jaden. She's just better looking. He lets out a low, appreciative whistle, then takes the flask back for another swig. After tucking it away, he gives Lach another nudge. "See that? An' I don't mean Ms. Pretty over there." He nods toward her purse, partially concealing the helix. "Tell Cass, would you?"
No offense to the rich CEO. Of course. He's too rich to really be, well, offended. He snatches out his phone and dials a number. "Shaggy? Yo, dude, it's Jaden." He's getting a little too excited, so he doesn't even really notice that he's walking off in the direction of the bench… where everybody has seemed to start converging on. He, of course, hasn't noticed the hot babe because he's been too busy watching soccer.. not football. "Yo, I got the best idea, man. No, better than Pocket Bongs." Sigh. "No, better than Aunt Petunia's Automatic Anchovy Remover." Rolling of the eyes. "Dude! Listen!" Dramatic pause. "Girls Soccer. With Bookies." What.
Niki is oblivious to the staring because she's A) used to it, and B) rummaging in her purse for God knows what. After a few moments, she leans against the bench and props one arm up on the wooden slats of its back. Hot or not, the woman looks pretty damn tired close-up, not to mention like she kind of wants to throw something. Thankfully, her phone is saved such a fate, since it's tucked away into her purse. Only then does she glance up, toward the victory on the soccer field and the various would-be by-standers.
Huh, what? Symbol? It takes a few moments for Lachlan's attention to be draaaaagged over to the mark in question, then a few moments more for him to recognize it. "Oh, uh. Yeah. I will." Cass? Who's Cass? Blonde. "She went ta go see 'er dad t'day." But then Jack should know that; Cass told everyone yesterday that she was going.
"I know," Jack replies, and his eyes grow a little hard. Yes, he knows he made an ass of himself to Cass, but he still doesn't think her taking off on her own is a good idea. "Any idea when she'll be back?" he queries.
Caught staring at Niki, Jack waves from across the football pitch. Uhh. Busted.
"Dude, I'm serious! Dude. DUDE! Duuuude. Listen!" Jaden then proceeds to launch himself into this wacky explanation that may or may not actually be good. Here's a glimpse, "So what we do is we get a hold of all the girls soccer teams in the city. We set up 'street' matches. Like… no rules, no holds barred, tank tops and gym shorts, jello shots… the whole ninety yards, right? Not only do we charge people to come to these, probably illegal as hell, events but we also set up the winners and losers. It's like… wrestling only less violent and all T&A." He actually makes it a point to slide right on past these crazy dudes and a dog, the bench, the hot lady on the benc— "Stop. Hammertime." He spins around and stares at Niki. Jaw actually dropping in a cartoonish manner, "I'll call you back." Pulling the phone away from his ear, he looks at Niki's uh… just Niki. "Hi. You probably don't know me, but I'm willing to marry you. Right here, right now." … oh wtf.
The blonde runs a hand across her forehead, swiping away a few strands of hair, guiding them back. Is she waiting for something? Someone? No. She's just taking a break. Niki just needs a minute. At least the man waving at her provides some sort of distraction, even though it only prompts a vaguely awkward smile - you know, the 'hi, I have no idea who you are' variety. It does not /compare/ to the look the young CEO earns next. She just gapes at him, completely taken off-guard. Her brows raise up, waaay up, and she laughs incredulously. It's good-natured; she's not laughing in his face! Well, she is, but she's nice about it. Sort of. She does, after all, have to let him down. "Hahahaha, what? I'm sorry, I think you're out of luck."
There's a door slamming noise, then sprinting back onto the field, clean and dressed, but still in her soccer jersey, grabs the forgetten winning soccer ball. "Hah!" The girl crows triumphantly, loudly, before she starts trekking straight for the little group of Jaden, Niki, Jack, Lachlan, etc.
"Nah, dinna know when she'd be back. Said she'd call when she talked with 'im." Despite his overreaction and concern last night, the Scotsman sounds quite distanced from this. Then again, he's had enough time to cool down and work out some tensions and now he has decided that Cass' father would /never/ do something to harm his daughter. Really. He's not worried. Almost automatically, Lachlan starts heading over in the direction of Niki and the bench, peering at Jaden curiously. Ugh, young idiot rich boy. The terrier bounces along at the Scotsman's side, merrily sniffing at anything within range and pausing to wag its stubby tail at the newly emerged Hailien.
Laughing, Jack cups his hands around his mouth and calls out, "Give the lad a chance, Ms. Pretty!" What? Lachlan's moving off? Jack shrugs, then trails after his drinking buddy. With Eliana exhausted and fast asleep, the Irishman Himself is buzzing on adrenaline and killing time until he can hit the sack as well. "C'mon, go easy on the boy," he murmurs. "I think he's funny."
"Luck? Who needs luck? I'm Jaden Cain." The announcement of his name would usually be accompanied by fanfare, but his best buddy Shaggy isn't here to make the sound so he just rolls with it. Somehow, through some crazy magic trickery, he flicks his wrist and out comes his business card. Evolution Software, name, phone number, that whole deal. "If you change your mind, and you should, that's my personal number." He holds up his cell phone with the other hand. "This number. Right here. This phone." In case she didn't understand it the first time or dozen. Apparently, Jack's words are heard by the CEO and he tosses his nod back with his head. "See? Even Crazy Random New York Guy believes in us."
Niki has a one-sided smile twisting her lips for Jaden - it's still disbelieving as all get-out, but at least it's a bit amused, too. She looks up at the various strangers from her spot on the bench, giving Jack a fleetingly unimpressed look, but her attention is mostly on Jaden, all things considered. However, his name garners absolutely no response from the woman. Micah would probably be freaking out, but the significance is /totally/ over her head. She slowly finds herself taking the business card - it's hard to deny taking something that's being handed to you. "I'm, um. I'm flattered, really, but I'm… /married/," she says, lifting her brows just a bit more, trying to get the message through. See the ring on her finger? She speaks the truth. "Do you do this a lot, proposing to random strangers in the park?"
There's a few more seconds, then Hailien is up at the group, looking around cheerfully, muddy soccer ball in hand. "Hey!" She chirps, staring at Niki for more than a few minutes. "Wait… don't I know you…" She pauses, then blinks twice. "Your the woman who threw that robber into the wall! At the bank robbery! Right before I fainted!" And nearly got shot.
"He prob'ly does," Lachlan remarks once he's in conversational range, "I mean he looks desperate enough. All tha' money an' he canna seem ta get a girl." He's grinning; his words aren't /really/ menacing. Really. And then Hailien pipes up with her own observation and his eyebrows shoot up. Wow. Beautiful /and/ tough. He's in love! No, wait, not really. Or at least not with /Niki/. Not really. Hmm.
Jack's eyebrows shoot upward, more at Hailien's comment than Lachlan's. Now approaching the group, he give Jaden a friendly elbow to the ribs. "Y'hear that, boyo? She sounds mighty dangerous. Perhaps you should reconsider." The amusement dancing in his eyes makes it clear that the advice wasn't actually meant to be followed. Someone has to egg the boy on, after all. "And married? I imagine she's got a big, strong husband." Behind Jaden's head, Jack shoots Lachlan a wink. Good times.
"I can fix that." Jaden says, though he's not even really trying to horn in on anybody's territory. As for the words that come from Lach, well, they don't sting the CEO. He's too rich and too Jaden to really care. He's been dissed before. He's not long out of High School which, well, has always been Diss Central. "But, I'll tell you what. Hold onto the card anyway. In case, I don't know, things don't work out or something." He offers a small smile and figures now would be a good time to stop staring at her, since she's all showing off the ring and stuff. Maybe he /does/ do this all the time. And now that he's no longer staring at Niki, he can see the rest of the people around. Blink. "Where the hell all you guys come from?"
"Uhm, I'm sorry, Mister… Cain, was it? But— " Whoa. Okay! So! Niki's pretty sure she's not going to Central Park for awhile after today. Her attention quite drawn away from Jaden by Hailien, the woman stares, a perfect deer-in-the-headlights. Her hand holds tightly around the business card that happens to be there. The smirk (which was starting to get ever-so-slightly wry) she had for the boys starts to fade. "Hey… yeah, I remember you," she says, smiling uncertainly - almost apprehensively - at the teenager. "I saw the ambulance take you away. Were you alright?"
Hailien beams, not aware at all of what havoc she just ensued. "Yeah, I was fine. Just got a little bit effin scared, if you get my meaning. I mean, man- that police dude coulda shot me, but he didn't, and I just fainted from the excitement and everything." She looks at the men boldly, thne remarks; "She isn't just strong, she's brave and stands up what she believes in and she helps protect others. This lady;" Meaning Niki; "Is a true hero! I'd be glad to meet her again." Oh, enjoy the irony, folks.
This is all /very/ amusing to Lachlan, especially Jaden and his inherent cluelessness. The Scot is grinning quite broadly. "Oy, he's finally got his face out o' 'er boobs long enough ta join the rest o' the world," he laughs in response to Jaden's question. He has no problems being a hypocrite; they're /nice/ boobs. As for the heroic bit, he grins over at Hailien, then at Niki. "Yeah? Yer like, wha', a Charlie's Angel mebbe?"
It would appear that the time for jokes is at an end. Not completely without tact, Jack withdraws a step and instead moves to stand beside Hailien. His brow is furrowed in polite curiosity. "A hero, y'say?" It's Jack's turn to size Niki up impassively, looking past the area where her stomach and shoulders meet for the first time, more or less. After all, when staring at someone's chestnuts, three /is/ a crowd.
Jaden is hardly really paying attention to the smaller crowd that's gathered, but knows that he probably shouldn't be in the middle of it. It could be bad for business. Well, bad for his popularity status. He listens in for a moment, but doesn't particularly know anything about what they're talking about and that's, well, enough cause for him to get the heck out of dodge. He looks at his wrist, the blinged out watch unable to truly be read. "I better get movin'. Got a major fortune 500 company to run." Maybe he's rubbing it in Lachlan's face a little. Just a bit. "You know how it is." Smirk.
Niki shrinks down inside her winter jacket, which she /really ought to zip up further, apparently/, as Hailien sings her praises. "I didn't really think," she tells the teenager modestly. "I mean, thanks, but— I'm not a hero," The latter is said with a look to the others, as well. 'Not a hero', in this case, doubles as 'not a Charlie's Angel' as well, for the record. She wants to make this clear, even standing up from the bench upon her high-heeled boots, swiping her purse away from Jack's marker drawing. She only glances swiftly the way of her ill-fated suitor when he leaves, then gives Hailien a knowing look. "You were pretty brave, too."
Hailien glances longingly down the track. "Well." She drawls happily. "I probably should be gettin' going. Can I get names, so my parents don't freak out when I tell them I was talking to strangers?" She pauses, and watches the group curiously, before she says cheerfully, "Well, got to go on and do my lessons. My favorite horse, Explicit, is down at the local Central Park stables. I'm going to take him out for a ride." You may kill Hailien now, or later.
No, Lachlan /doesn't/ know what it's like to run a Fortune 500 company, but he doesn't quite care either. As far as he's concerned, that sort of thing is /boring/. Drug-dealing is so much more entertaining, right? Right. He seems unfazed by Jaden's jab and instead gives a glance to Jack when he shows renewed (and not lewd) interest in Niki. Wait, did he miss something?
"Of course. My mistake." And it seems like Jack means it. Then he stops in his proverbial tracks and gapes at Hailien. Explicit? Horseride? Shaking his head to clear the foul bout of imagery, he holds one hand out unsteadily. "Uhh. Um. Jack. That's my name."
Belatedly, Lachlan offers his own introductions: "Lachlan Deatley. Call me Lach."
"Niki," the woman offers with a friendly smile, but even still, there's an uneasiness lingering about her. This is the second time she's been told she's a hero in so many days and it's… kind of ludicrous, not to mention completely, and perhaps illogically, unexpected. She tucks her hands into the pockets of her jeans as far as they'll go, which isn't far. "Central Park has horses? I thought that was only a police thing," Niki comments lightheartedly - probably not a native New Yorker, then - to no one in particular. Let's talk about horses instead of heroes, 'kay?
Hailien grins impishly. "Yep, horses." She then starts running towards the stables with a good-bye wave.
"Does anybody else hate stock brokers? I hate mine." Jaden hangs up the cell phone from having some kind of crazy conversation that even he didn't quite understand. "I swear, I'm seriously going to have to get an entire new entourage." He slides the phone down into the holster and once again looks around at the squad that's just standing around. "Hey. You guys. Wanna' party?" He looks around at Niki, Niki, Niki, Niki and, well, the other guys too. "I'm having big one. Major. Next week. Lots of people." Flash of smile. "You're all invited." Why? Because he's Jaden Cain and he does stuff like that.
"Interesting," is Jack's simple reply to all of this. Unabashedly, he plops down into Niki's recently vacated seat and pulls his flask back out for another pull. Then he produces a cigarette and lighter from his sleeve and proceeds to puff away contently. "Party? Sounds fun."
"Dunno, when is it?" is Lachlan's response, eyebrow rising inquisitively. He has to know because there's /another/ party that he plans to take Cass to next week, and, well, he can't go to Jaden's party if it clashes. It never occurred to him that both parties would be one and the same.
"I don't have to worry about stock brokers," Niki says, in the midst of giving Hailien a smile as she runs off. On the subject of the upcoming party, she quirks a slender eyebrow at Jaden. "What's it for?" Not that parties need a reason, but— well, she's not so much the party girl. Not anymore. On that note, she steps aside and glances down at Jack and his flask with a flash of unease.
"Duh. Me." Jaden says this like everyone should know it already. "Don't you all watch television?" He can't believe he hasn't been asked for an autograph or something. But then again, this crew doesn't look like they read the business section. "I… actually have no idea when it is. I'll have to call my secretary. She set up. God, I'd just die without her." He doesn't mention how hot she is, since he's still trying to work Niki.
Nearby, the door to a local dance studio opens up, and a svelte-looking African American woman in her early twenties steps out with her gaggle of mostly girl-friends, though there are several guys as well. They look to be a group of twelve, and all are wearing matching hoodies that say NYU Dance Corps at the back, red and embroidered with the silhouette of a dance at the back. Trailing a bit behind the crew is Elena, her dark hair tousled around her face from practice and toting a water bottle and chatting it up with another girl her age and height, but with blonde hair.
Well, Jaden's sure unhelpful, fwish. Lachlan peers at him as though he's grown three heads or something equally strange, then shakes his head. "Dunna know ye. Wha're ye, some kinda movie star 'r somethin'?" He doesn't /look/ like a movie star, and those are really the only sorts of celebrities that would interest the Scotsman (and even then, they'd need boobs). Speaking of boobs! His eyes happen to glance up when the dance corps makes its appearance, and it takes him a few moments of staring before he recognizes one of the faces (granted, he wasn't necessarily /looking/ at faces. Lachlan grins. "Oy! Elena!"
The sounds of Elena's name is enough to jostle Jack from his contemplation. He lifts his head and quickly searches the girl out. 'Scrappy' might be mad at him, but Jack still likes her. Hoping for the chance to apologize to the girl, he hauls himself out of his newly acquired seat and smiles. When he stands, the helix he scrawled on the bench earlier is visible. "Heya, Scrappy," he murmurs.
"Not lately," Niki admits offhandedly to Jaden. "Is it your birthday?" Although she glances in the direction of the dance studio - what she can see of it from here - she doesn't spot Elena until Lachlan draws attention to the girl. Even then, she's not sure; she narrows her eyes, looking with some mild trepidation. She tucks her hands into her pockets a little more snugly.
She doesn't see Niki yet. Elena whirls around hearing her name called, and she hesitates openly on approaching them on the street. Lay low damn it! But seeing the sign on the bench, she does her best not to look at it for too long. She'll just pretend…aha. She has an idea. She looks over at Corrinne. "I'll see you later on campus," she tells her friend, and turning around, she trots to the two underworlders with Corrinne looking on confused. Since when did Elena start talking to thugs? Trouble with her younger brother again, perhaps?
"I'm not. But my Mom is. Ever seen Bikini Her—" Jaden has to blink. And then blink again as his attention is drawn to the dance group. Girls. More girls. And more girls. Oh, a guy or two, but Jaden can look past that. "It's morphin' time." The little pep talk to himself is enough to have him spinning on his heels, forgetting about Niki (kind of) and waltzing over towards the troupe. "Ladies, ladies, ladies! How would each and every one of you like to come to THE party of the year?" Maybe one of them will recognize him. He really should get their names so that he can, y'know, date them all. Separately. Somehow. HE DOES NOT HAVE MAGICAL POWERS TO DO THAT BY THE WAY.
Honest.
Tia, the leader of the team, gapes at Jaden as he accosts her girls. "….what are you—"
"What party?"
"Is there gonna be booze there?"
"Oh my god, what sort of dress code is it?"
"Hey you're like, that CEO guy in the papers! Didn't the papers say you were like….12 or something?"
"*SIGH* -Ignore- my ill-informed friend, Mr. Kain, -I- at the very least know who you are," says an ice-blonde with pale blue eyes and a Miranda Frost From The Last Pierce Brosnan Bond Movie look to her. If she were in her early twenties and danced.
"Oh -shut up-, Miranda. God even when sweaty you sound so snooty…"
Elena just gapes at her crewmates as they mob Jaden about this party. They were college girls. In New York. Saying the P-word around them is like throwing Ryan Philippe in a screaming crowd of post-pubescents in an N'Sync concert.
Bikini /Hero/, maybe? Lachlan's eyes light up in recognition and delight, and a grin crosses his features. "Bloody— ! Yer mum's— ?" But then Jaden's gone, so he turns and addresses the next available person (or people, rather): "His mum's tha' woman in Bikini Hero!" Which everyone present would /obviously/ know, since they all watch Skinemax, right? Right.
Bikini Hero? Jack perks up and shoots a glance after the young businessman. "Holy crap! Sure, I'll go to the kid's party." Then he has the good grace to look a little embarrassed. He does have a girlfriend, after all. Clearing his throat, he tucks his hands behind his back and rocks onto his heels. Don't look at me. You can't see me.
Niki watches Jaden waltz off with a smirk. She knows his type! Lachlan and Jack are given a vaguely questioning raise of her eyebrows along with the beginnings of a laugh. Whenever Elena spots her, she has a small smile for the young woman, polite - or it would be, if it weren't a touch sheepish around the edges. "Well, I should…" The blonde turns, hitching her purse over her shoulder, as if to leave.
Jaden is in the midst of fangirls. YES. This is definitely going his way. "Yeah, my band is playing. You know, it's just going to be the kind of party that, well, you get drunk and dance the night away at!" Of course, this is NOT the kind of party that Jaden's PR people are planning, but there's going to be some interesting dynamics that are happening when the party time comes. "So here's what I'm gonna' do, ladies. I'm gonna' take all your numbers down. And each and every one of you are going to be my special guests of honor. Dress code is… Hot." He flashes a big ol' smile as he goes into his pocket for a piece of paper and pen to hand off to the girls.
"Oh…." Elena says, slowing down in her approach as she sees the blonde woman. It was her, the 'ridiculously hot blonde' Drake convinced her to stalk the other day. She slows down and glances at the boys on the other side. Were they together? Did they know each other. "Hi…listen, I'm sorry about what my friend said the other day. He can get a little excited. He just thought…you know. After the roof," she says lamely, gesturing to the side. "I won't make any excuses for him but….he's the noble sort, you know?"
Tia crosses her arms over her chest and looks -incredibly- impatient. She eyes Jaden warily, even as the girls crowd around him and the guys try to peer over their heads wondering just what the excitement is all about. But the pen is taken, and they get passed around. The girl who thought Jaden was twelve peeeeeeeeeeeeeeers at him closely. Yeah. He doesn't look twelve. And she smiles at him. "So Mr. Kain," she asks, swallowing a giggle. "What's your net worth?"
"Oh -please-," Miranda says with a roll of her eyes, taking the pad and scribbling her number on it, and passes it off to someone else.
"Bloody well better /believe/ I'm goin'," Lachlan agrees with Jack, nodding his head and grinning broadly. But … then his grin starts to fade a bit and grow into a more, well, horrified expression. Shit. /Cass/. /Cass/ and that /other/ party (even if it really is the same party). And then, the Scotsman's face contorts into a pained frown. Were he a dog, he'd whine. But even still, the Jack Russell terrier that he leads around lets out a whine for him, sensing something amiss.
And Elena is ignoring Jack. Not that he doesn't deserve it, but it still smarts. Frowing, he plops back down onto the bench and tucks away his flask. Sure, sure. Ignore the Irishman. Absently, he bobs a nods to Lachlan
Niki doesn't quite turn away; instead, she offers a more genuine smile to Elena. "Yeah, he seems like a good kid. I just don't think I'm the person he thought I was. I was there that night, but I'm not…" She looks between Jack and Lachlan, hesitant. "…convinced about that whole destiny thing." Unusual choice of words, but not too weird. Right? Wrong, with Niki's luck.
"She's destined to marry me!" Jaden calls over his shoulder, before turning back to the girls, "Don't worry. I'm not really getting married. It's a running gag. You're all over 18, right?" Finally, the words of the money hungry girl fall onto his ears and he looks at her, no surprise in his features. He has no guard against this kind of stuff, since his PR person is not around at the moment. "I have no idea. But I'll bet you a game of Strip Street Fighter that it's more than you think it is."
"It's okay. The world would be less interesting if we all thought the same," Elena says, a smile to Niki and bolstered up from the Awkward at the genuine smile. "Might as well be a hive mind if we all did that, and that's no fun. Still if he bothered you….I mean, I hope he didn't bother you too much. It's really just him. It's like him to fly in guns blazing. He's hotblooded that way, but sometimes he doesn't know how he comes across to people sometimes especially when he goes off like that. I'm glad you're not too wigged out about it." She takes a step to the side. "Anyway…I better go. Thanks again for understanding! Hi Scottish, how are you?" she asks, turning to the side and bumping into Jack, almost nailing him on the side with her backpack. "Whoops. Sorry, Irish. I thought I was farther than I was," she says with a nervous laugh.
"Hah. I'll take that bet. I play a mean Chun-Li," the girl, Andrea, says with a smirk. "Bring it on." And the girls shove her aside then, trying to sign up for this party that they just heard about. Miranda also eyes her fellow blonde across the way, but she turns back to the gathering with a small smirk. Yeah. That's right. Blondes rock.
Oh, hey, someone's talking to him. Lachlan kinda zoned for a bit there — probably something to do with Cass /and/ Candy, and they were very likely not the /purest/ of thoughts, judging by the faintest of smirks that has appeared on his lips. This all vanishes in a puff of hazy thought as he glances over at Elena when she speaks. "Oh, uh. 'M grand." He beams, then his lips pucker and he winces in sympathy when Jack gets crashed into. But, wait, was that— ? "Careful, there," he remarks to the girl, smirking again.
Surprised, Jack blinks and rights Elena with one hand. The other, balled into a fist, disappears into one of his pockets. "Steady on there, lass," he urges, and gives her a friendly pat on the back. Then he stands once again, apparently unable to decide which position he belongs in. Absently, he shoves his hand back into his coat.
Niki double-takes at the CEO kid and his gaggle of girls. She's poised to shout something back, but blinks and shrugs it off. "No, it's … refreshing that he thinks that way," she says to Elena. Clearly, they run in different circles. With a duck of her head to the Elena, and to the men she just met, she strolls around them to take up the path ahead, on her way back to the city that sprawls outside the park.
"I'm glad you think so, miss!" Elena calls over her shoulder - she didn't really catch Niki's name. But she does smile at the other blonde as she walks away, and then trots onwards. She doesn't look back at Scottish and Irish. She will just have to leave her troupe behind because they're so busy trying to wrangle their way into that famous EvoSoft party. Then again….she was working that day.
"You're so on. Winner gets all?" And that's when Jaden decides to wave a hand to indicate the entire gaggle of girls. Little do they know that he's got software developers at his disposal. Rigging a Street Fighter game should be no problem at all. "That means you all /have/ to come to the party because I'ma' have the bomb ass afterparty… after the party!"
"Winner gets all," Andrea remarks. And after Jaden's 'guest list' is filled out, the dancer troupe will giggle amongst themselves as they proceed to walk their way back to NYU, with Tia grumbling under her breath.
After Elena and Niki have moved off, Lachlan peers over at Jaden as he steps over to Jack's side, one eyebrow going up at the CEO's antics. "Bastard," he grumbles in a voice that Jack may be the only one to pick up. Jealous? Lachlan? What? His eyes soon go inquisitively and pointedly to the Irishman. Well?
Jack seems just as eager to leave as everyone else does. He chucks a quick wave to Lachlan as he pads away. "See you later, you dirty piece of Scottish trash," he calls the jibe out amiably. "Maybe come by the pub with your girl sometime soon, yes?" Hint hint.