Challenge #33: That's What She Said...
Title: Party Crasher
Word Count: 457 + 602
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original - Hideaway
Pairings (if any): Arthur/Carly
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): Note: I thought of a creative way to do this ;)
Summary: Carly, Arthur, and Paul arrive at a Hollywood party that's crashed by Brandon Sloan.
Arthur (1st POV):
Arthur walked through the door and then straightened his tie. This wasn't exactly the first on his list of places he wanted to be. It was a little crowded, everyone was overdressed, and there was way too much food and wine for his upset stomach. Fortunately, he had Carly on his arm, looking beautiful, as always.
Unfortunately, Paul was tagging along tonight.
He suddenly felt a hard clap on his shoulder. "See you later, Buddy. I'm going to go check out the food table."
Arthur didn't know if he should be happy about this, or worried that Paul might embarrass him in front of some unsuspecting celebrity. He decided to forget about it all when Carly tugged on his arm and pulled him over to the bar.
"You should have a glass of wine," she said and plucked one off the end of the bar. "Maybe it'll help you relax."
He smiled at her and took it from her hands. "You're probably right. I'm just thinking--"
"That Paul might get into trouble?" She sipped at her own glass.
He glanced over to the food table. "He does tend to do that occasionally..."
"Well, stop worrying about him. You're here to have some fun!"
"Mingling isn't exactly my specialty." He let her pull him in by his jacket.
She was grinning at him now. "I didn't say you had to mingle."
"Maybe you should get a room instead."
Arthur was so startled by the interruption, that he almost spilled his wine all over Carly. He caught his glass just in time before it sloshed over the edge. That was when he turned his head to see none other than Brandon Sloan looking over at them with a sly grin on his face.
"Get lost, Brandon!" Carly said, one hand still clutching Arthur's shirt.
"Hmm..." Arthur put a finger to his lips. "Pretty sure this party is for those who are nominated for American Music Awards, and I'm willing to take a guess that you're not on the invited list."
Brandon's face immediately turned red. "Who's to say I'm not invited? You don't know that!"
"Not unless you're the guest of one of the nominees..." Arthur looked down at Carly as if she might have some information. They both shrugged.
Brandon's face only turned a brighter shade of red. "The two of you can go to hell!"
Out of nowhere, a piece of cake collided with the side of Brandon's face, and then crumbled to the floor. Everyone around them stood frozen, waiting to see what he would do.
Beside him, Paul shrugged. "Oh... whoops! I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry, pal!"
Without a word, Brandon turned on his heels and headed toward the exit.
Paul (2nd POV):
At the food table, Paul's eyes were large, and he filled his plate to the brink. He was just turning around when a blonde beauty walked into his view. She was about five foot, nine inches in heels, and wearing a sexy green dress. He almost dropped his plate. In fact, he did set it down right where he stood at the table.
"Hey! Where are you going? Aren't you going to take your food?" The man behind the table called to him.
Paul barely heard him and took off after the blonde beauty. He caught up with her near the DJ where she stood waiting to request a song. Once she told him her request, and turned around, Paul was standing there and met her with a smile. She looked a little startled.
"Hey," he said. "I'm Paul. I'm friends with Arthur Ramsey and Carly Callahan. I saw you over there and... you look a little sad. I'm wondering if you wanted to talk?" Okay, so not the best pickup line ever... but she did look a little sad, and she as alone, so maybe it was true. He crossed his fingers behind his back and hoped for the best.
Her eyes suddenly looked tearful. "You said you're Carly's friend?"
"Yeah..." He blinked back at her. "And Arthur's, too..."
She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to the edge of the room where it was a bit more secluded. "You have to tell me... do you know Brandon Sloan?"
Paul didn't quite like where this conversation was headed. If she thought he was going to hook her up with Brandon Sloan...
"Because I invited him here tonight," she said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "He had been so nice to me before, but the second we got here, he ditched me! And look where he is now!" She pointed across the room to where he stood, sure enough, talking to Carly and Arthur. "He's with Carly!"
"Ugh!" Paul groaned and then faced the girl again. "Well, I can assure you that Carly wants nothing to do with him, so don't worry about that. But let me tell you one thing... you shouldn't want anything to do with him either! The guy is a jerk!"
She sniffed. "I'm starting to get that."
Several yards from where they stood was a table with a giant cake, and a man slicing small pieces onto pretty paper plates for the guests. Paul grabbed the girl's hand and led her to the cake. "Excuse me, sir, may I have an extra large piece?"
"What's that for?" she whispered once the man handed Paul the plate.
He only winked at her.
Together, they crept up behind where Brandon stood, and just when Paul had determined that Brandon had embarrassed himself enough, Paul slammed the cake directly into the side of his face. "Oh... whoops! I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry, pal!"
Without a word, Brandon turned on his heels and headed toward the exit.
One by one, the guests began to clap. Paul looked over and saw that Arthur was smiling at him, so he smiled back. He took a small bow and waved to them all. "My pleasure!" he told everyone. "Just taking out the trash!"
Once the noise died down, he grabbed the girl's hand and led her over to Arthur and Carly. "I want to introduce you, but you never told me your name."
"It's Ashley," she said and smiled. "My father sort of runs things around here."
Paul's eyes suddenly widened.
Arthur elbowed him in the ribs.
Word Count: 457 + 602
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Original - Hideaway
Pairings (if any): Arthur/Carly
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): Note: I thought of a creative way to do this ;)
Summary: Carly, Arthur, and Paul arrive at a Hollywood party that's crashed by Brandon Sloan.
Arthur (1st POV):
Arthur walked through the door and then straightened his tie. This wasn't exactly the first on his list of places he wanted to be. It was a little crowded, everyone was overdressed, and there was way too much food and wine for his upset stomach. Fortunately, he had Carly on his arm, looking beautiful, as always.
Unfortunately, Paul was tagging along tonight.
He suddenly felt a hard clap on his shoulder. "See you later, Buddy. I'm going to go check out the food table."
Arthur didn't know if he should be happy about this, or worried that Paul might embarrass him in front of some unsuspecting celebrity. He decided to forget about it all when Carly tugged on his arm and pulled him over to the bar.
"You should have a glass of wine," she said and plucked one off the end of the bar. "Maybe it'll help you relax."
He smiled at her and took it from her hands. "You're probably right. I'm just thinking--"
"That Paul might get into trouble?" She sipped at her own glass.
He glanced over to the food table. "He does tend to do that occasionally..."
"Well, stop worrying about him. You're here to have some fun!"
"Mingling isn't exactly my specialty." He let her pull him in by his jacket.
She was grinning at him now. "I didn't say you had to mingle."
"Maybe you should get a room instead."
Arthur was so startled by the interruption, that he almost spilled his wine all over Carly. He caught his glass just in time before it sloshed over the edge. That was when he turned his head to see none other than Brandon Sloan looking over at them with a sly grin on his face.
"Get lost, Brandon!" Carly said, one hand still clutching Arthur's shirt.
"Hmm..." Arthur put a finger to his lips. "Pretty sure this party is for those who are nominated for American Music Awards, and I'm willing to take a guess that you're not on the invited list."
Brandon's face immediately turned red. "Who's to say I'm not invited? You don't know that!"
"Not unless you're the guest of one of the nominees..." Arthur looked down at Carly as if she might have some information. They both shrugged.
Brandon's face only turned a brighter shade of red. "The two of you can go to hell!"
Out of nowhere, a piece of cake collided with the side of Brandon's face, and then crumbled to the floor. Everyone around them stood frozen, waiting to see what he would do.
Beside him, Paul shrugged. "Oh... whoops! I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry, pal!"
Without a word, Brandon turned on his heels and headed toward the exit.
Paul (2nd POV):
At the food table, Paul's eyes were large, and he filled his plate to the brink. He was just turning around when a blonde beauty walked into his view. She was about five foot, nine inches in heels, and wearing a sexy green dress. He almost dropped his plate. In fact, he did set it down right where he stood at the table.
"Hey! Where are you going? Aren't you going to take your food?" The man behind the table called to him.
Paul barely heard him and took off after the blonde beauty. He caught up with her near the DJ where she stood waiting to request a song. Once she told him her request, and turned around, Paul was standing there and met her with a smile. She looked a little startled.
"Hey," he said. "I'm Paul. I'm friends with Arthur Ramsey and Carly Callahan. I saw you over there and... you look a little sad. I'm wondering if you wanted to talk?" Okay, so not the best pickup line ever... but she did look a little sad, and she as alone, so maybe it was true. He crossed his fingers behind his back and hoped for the best.
Her eyes suddenly looked tearful. "You said you're Carly's friend?"
"Yeah..." He blinked back at her. "And Arthur's, too..."
She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to the edge of the room where it was a bit more secluded. "You have to tell me... do you know Brandon Sloan?"
Paul didn't quite like where this conversation was headed. If she thought he was going to hook her up with Brandon Sloan...
"Because I invited him here tonight," she said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "He had been so nice to me before, but the second we got here, he ditched me! And look where he is now!" She pointed across the room to where he stood, sure enough, talking to Carly and Arthur. "He's with Carly!"
"Ugh!" Paul groaned and then faced the girl again. "Well, I can assure you that Carly wants nothing to do with him, so don't worry about that. But let me tell you one thing... you shouldn't want anything to do with him either! The guy is a jerk!"
She sniffed. "I'm starting to get that."
Several yards from where they stood was a table with a giant cake, and a man slicing small pieces onto pretty paper plates for the guests. Paul grabbed the girl's hand and led her to the cake. "Excuse me, sir, may I have an extra large piece?"
"What's that for?" she whispered once the man handed Paul the plate.
He only winked at her.
Together, they crept up behind where Brandon stood, and just when Paul had determined that Brandon had embarrassed himself enough, Paul slammed the cake directly into the side of his face. "Oh... whoops! I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry, pal!"
Without a word, Brandon turned on his heels and headed toward the exit.
One by one, the guests began to clap. Paul looked over and saw that Arthur was smiling at him, so he smiled back. He took a small bow and waved to them all. "My pleasure!" he told everyone. "Just taking out the trash!"
Once the noise died down, he grabbed the girl's hand and led her over to Arthur and Carly. "I want to introduce you, but you never told me your name."
"It's Ashley," she said and smiled. "My father sort of runs things around here."
Paul's eyes suddenly widened.
Arthur elbowed him in the ribs.