Clumsy

Marie took his arm once more, curious to see what he meant by business. Still she walked with him, she'd learn in time what he meant when he said anything, that was for certain. Looking the party as they passed it once again, it seemed that the crowd was truly enjoying themselves. She looked way from the party as they entered a study, there being three men sitting there. The shock and surprise let her know that these were the gentlemen that did not believe that Mr. Ricardo could have any fun.

She took a seat in the chair he pulled out for her and smiled at the men as they were introduced, nodding her head only because it seemed that Damon was ready to get down to business at that very moment. She was silent as he basically said simple sentences to each man before shooing them off into the party. In a blink of an eye, the work was done and the men were sent of. His question about doing something else perked her interest, though she certainly had no clue what he could have in mind.

"I am fine with joining a party...You've already given me quite the treat just by inviting me. I don't need anything else." She said simply, not wanting to seem selfish for asking to do something else where there was such an event just happening outside of the doors.
 
Gazing at her in silence for a moment, Damon tipped his head. She was so curious. He had invited her along to an extravagant party and she certainly looked the part, yet she still acted the same as she had in his office when he gave her a job. Nervous, quiet, shy. It was bizarre to him. No other women had acted this way. They were greedy little whores, not worthy of spending more than a night with. That's why he truly never had an escort - though the workaholic thing was also a valid reason, he admitted inwardly.


"Marie, there is a very distinct difference between needing and wanting. You did not need to come here. You did not need to dress up. You did not need to sit here and act nicely while I conducted business that likely bored you half to death. You wanted to do those things - except the last one, probably," he said, a bit of a smile on his lips.


"I'm not asking what you need. I'm asking what you want. I like the people that I spend time with to speak their mind. Unspoken thoughts are the cause of dead men," he added softly.
 
Marie blinked a bit once he was done, his words seeming to sink in. She was not used to being asked about what she wanted...it was always about everyone else. The idea of it was...strange really. But, it was also nice. What she wanted...Well, if she had an idea of what she wanted then maybe she could answer him properly. The party was lovely and she did spend the money on the dress... But at the same time she had no idea what would be going on, just light chatting and eating probably. She wanted to really...do something. Looking to him again, taking in his expression for a moment or two, she spoke.

"I'd...I'd like to join the party." She said finally. "I mean, It really does look fun. And I honestly can't think of anything else that I'd like to do. If that is alright..."
 
Damon waited patiently as she seemed to be thinking over what he said. He meant every word, of course. It irritated him to not know what people in his presence were thinking. Not speaking everything to cross your mind is a good thing - saying all opinions can get you into trouble. However, he was a firm believer that most things could and should be said regardless of consequence. Besides, he hadn't asked her who she wanted dead. When she finally did respond, he nodded once and offered her a hand.


"Of course it's alright. I asked what you wanted. That means you don't have to ask permission," he reminded her, taking her hand and guiding her out of the study once she had stood.


"Damon! How nice of you to finally join your own party!" a woman exclaimed, laughing as she strolled over. Clad in a floor length, glittering green dress, she had a model figure and luscious red hair.


"Courtney, you wound me. I'm right on time, all of you are merely early. Allow me to introduce my companion for the evening, Marie. Marie, this is Courtney. She runs most of the banks in the city," he said, gesturing between the two women.


"Oh, Damon. You flatterer. You know it's my husband who truly works for you, not I. A pleasure to meet you, Marie. It's nice to see Damon with somebody other than Lukas," she said, giving Marie a kind smile before strolling off to find her husband.


"She steals from every bank she runs. Interesting, no?" he murmured quietly to Marie, his expression mildly amused yet serious.
 
Marie took his hand and stood, walking with him into the great open hall once more where the party was still going on. She barely had a chance to look around before A woman called to Damon and strutted over to them, her long gown flowing and making her look like a runway model as she moved. Marie was a little intimidated, if only by how lovely the lady looked. It seemed that her new boss knew plenty of...well endowed women.

It seemed that she was Married though as she mentioned that it was her husband who worked for him, not herself. Marie smiled and nodded her head at the woman, only waving as before she could actually speak the woman was rushing off again, probably off to find another conversation or her husband. It was around them that Mr. Ricardo commented that the woman stole from banks and made her blink in surprise.

"R...Really?" Marie asked softly, obviously shocked at how he said that so casually.
 
"Yes, really. I had a suspicion but that meeting just confirmed it for me. She will be dealt with accordingly. I know for fact that her husband has no idea. He also doesn't know about her seventeen year old plaything, but he will," Damon replied easily, speaking quietly for her alone as his eyes swept the room. All seemed to be in high spirits.


"There are some faces in here that you may recognize. The mayor is over there by the food tables speaking with the man who is going to run against him for office this year. There, dancing, is the owner of the largest brewery in the city. His partner is a florist whose shop is right across from your new apartment building," he commented, nodding toward the people he was talking about before turning to her.


"Would you care to dance?"
 
"That poor man..." Marie said softly as she looked back at the woman.

She found it strange that the rich and powerful could treat love and marriage so carelessly! If she had anything to say about it, the rich would have to go through marriage counseling to see if they really did love each other or if it was for the money! She turned away from the woman as he started to point out other people that she might know of, such as the mayor and is opponent, the city's largest brewery owner and a florist that worked across from her new home to name a few.

She smiled a bit as she looked over them all, it seemed that in this environment, everyone was just content and happy to pretend that real life was just chore during the day and that this was where they were meant to be. When he asked her to dance she blushed a bit and looked to him shyly.

"I hate to say I'm a terrible dancer...I might break your toe..." She said softly as she looked down at his feet.
 
Damon chuckled and shook his head slightly.


"Nonsense. Dancing is all in the leading. With a good partner, even the clumsiest hopeless dancer can find grace," he disagreed, placing one finger under her chin to tip her head up. His eyes were amused, and he was trying very hard not to grin at the mention of clumsiness.


"Will you trust me?"
 
Marie once again blushed deeply as he lifted her chin up to look into his eyes. For a moment she was speechless, mostly because of how intimate the gesture had been. Though, with his words and politeness, she found herself finding it very hard to turn down his offer of a dance, even if she was a risk of putting his foot in a cast of some kind.

"A-alright...If you insist." She mumbled a bit as she looked down again.

(Sorry for the shortness~ >w<)
 
"I hope you don't get out of that habit," Damon commented absently, not bothering to elaborate on which habit he meant for her to keep.


He took her hand once more and led her out onto the dance floor as the music changed from a rapid upbeat tune to one a bit slower. It still wasn't as slow-moving as a waltz and nowhere near as intimate, but it was definitely slowed down enough that she would be able to follow him.


Spinning her around to face him, he slid one arm to rest a hand against her lower back and kept her other hand captured in his own. He smiled down at her, completely ignoring everybody else.


"Stop thinking and allow your body to follow my guidance. If you overthink, you will stumble," he instructed quietly, skillfully starting to step with her around the floor.
 
Before Marie could think on his comment, she was dragged out onto the floor by him. The song was a slow one, though it was no waltz, a fact that she was grateful of. Still though, as he placed his hand on the small of her back and kept her other one tight in his grip, she found herself blushing. Waltz or not, this was still very close for two people to be, at least in her opinion. She looked down at her feet as she tried to avoid his, his words only making her give him a sparing glance.

"It's rather hard to do that...I mean...How can I dance if I don't think about it?" She asked as she looked back down at her feet once again for a small second.

She was more worried about making a fool of herself than anything else. That person she needed to be known as was the one that broke the hosts foot while dancing. She already had a similar reputation at her old job and certainly wasn't looking for another one like it. Still though, even with all the worry, dancing was fun. The movements were simple and even in her over nervous state she was avoiding hurting him...so far.
 
Damon chuckled softly and didn't answer at first, his steps effortlessly dodging hers as he stepped to the side and spun her away from him in a carefully calculated manner. Keeping a hold of her hand and going slowly enough that she wouldn't topple, he twisted and easily spun her quickly back into his arms. The possibilities of having utter control were quite extraordinary, when one took the time to explore them.


"Dance is not the same as, say, conducting business. There is no thought involved. Rely on your instinct, fall back on the guidance given and trust that you won't fall. The more tense you are, the more likely you are to make a mistake," he finally replied, his voice quiet yet firm as he was utterly confident in his words.
 
Marie let out a small 'eep' of sorts as he threw her out in a spin before quickly and skillfully pulling her back in. With flushed cheeks she seemed to lose her focus on dancing after that, making it so that he had complete control for a moment or two. When she did get back to herself though she blinked and looked back down at her feet worriedly, hoping she hadn't hit him in her dizzy state. She looked up at him as he spoke for a moment before she looked back down at her feet and sighed.

He made a good point, even though she still had no faith that she had any of the 'instinct' for dancing like he thought everyone had. Taking a breath, she did her best to relax, just letting him pull her along for lack of a better word. She would glance at her feet occasionally though, just to make sure she was avoiding his toes.
 
Watching her closely as he guided her easily across the floor, Damon started slipping in more complicated steps as he realized she had actually managed to relax. She was following his guidance without thought or resistance, and she looked incredible. A few people stopped and watched them, surprised to see Damon dancing at all. More surprising was that there was a girl willing - most either said no because of his reputation, or yes for the same reason. Entirely different reputations of course. Business and pleasure. He ignored that.


"You are doing remarkably well," he commented absently, his eyes on hers whenever she looked up. He smiled a little and spun her again at the end of the song, dipping her down when he pulled her back. Carefully pulling her back up and holding her close for a moment, he was about to say something else when he decided against it and released her, stepping back slightly to give her space. A few people cheered as the music changed, and he laughed a bit.


"I told you."
 
Marie only gave a small smile at his compliment, still a little more focused on her feet at this point. However it was not for the same reason. Now she was a little interested in them, as Mr. Ricardo's face was making her blush. It wasn't it fault though, he was an attractive man and she was not used to being so close to someone like him. Still though, she was having plenty of fun with all the dancing.

That dip at the end of the song though gave her a start, making her scream slightly as he suddenly threw her back and then pulled her back up without warning. It nearly gave her a heart attack! She looked up at him as he held her close for a moment, blinking curiously as he seemed to be thinking of something. The moment was left silent though until people cheered, the music having gotten sped up once more to a more group like beat.

She smiled a bit at him and put a hand to her chest, mostly to still her beating heart a bit.

"I suppose so...though a warning on that dip would have been nice." She admitted weakly.
 
"I'm very sorry," he managed, his tone betraying his amusement as he held back another chuckle. "I'm glad I decided against a full dip and only went with a minor one. I would hate to scare off my newest employee," he allowed, shaking his head a little. She was right, he should have warned her.


Interesting.


"Would you care for a drink? I suspect you can't handle more dancing at the moment and personally I'm not the biggest fan of faster dancing," he admitted, gesturing to the food tables and the waiters carrying trays of wine around.
 
"A drink would be nice..." She said with a smile as she looked over the dance floor. "And I would have to agree on the faster dancing...It's one thing if it's slow...I might cause a terrible injury if I dance around within a group." She joked lightly before looking back to him.

She moved a bit closer, if only to get out of the way of a small mob of dancers, and stood there. She had gotten used to being lead around by and she was very certain she would get easily lost if she did not stick close, with a hundred people taking up a small area it would be hard for someone of her height to find anyone easily.
 
Damon nodded and placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her through the crowd that parted for them. Without running into anybody or being interrupted, he got them over to the food tables and plucked two glasses of white wine from a passing tray. Offering one to her with a grin, he shook his head slightly.


"I don't think you'd cause terrible injury. Knock a few people over, maybe, but that would just be party entertainment," he teased, then took a sip of the wine and smiled at the crisp taste. He was a wine lover, to put it lightly. "Well, apart from making you fear for your life, I'd say you're enjoying yourself," he said, his tone faintly questioning.
 
"Oh yes, The party is just wonderful. I love it really. I've never been to anything like it, then again, I've never known people of this kind of wealth either." She said with a grin as she looked up to him, holding the wine he had given her gently. "I am glad you had invited me, even if it was to only prove that you could have some fun to a fellow business man."

She took a sip of her wine and looked over the dance floor quietly after that, her eyes roaming it slowly. She was rather happy just to watch everyone having a good time, it just allowed to to see what else was going on around her. She looked back to him for a moment before turning a bit and speaking.

"Mr. Ricardo, I hope you don't mind me asking this but by chance why do you do business at a party? I mean, not to say you are wrong or anything I'm just curious...I've never known anyone to do business at a party."
 
"Oh, that wasn't the only reason," he commented quietly, not bothering to explain herself since she went on to ask about his odd way of conducting business.


He had very good reasons, of course, it was just a matter of deciding whether or not he wanted to explain it to her. Glancing at her, he cocked his head and smiled. He simply had to sate her curiosity. Could he deny her nothing?


"A few reasons. One is that conducting business in a place like this with so many people in attendance makes it impossible for people on the outside to know whom I might be doing business with. A way to avoid spies, if you will. Another reason is that most of my employees are not fond of such meetings and avoid them at all cost unless there is immediate compensation for showing up," he explained, giving her a bit of a grin as he nodded toward the other side of the room where Nathan was clearly flirting with a pretty woman.
 
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