Room 220, Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles: Wednesday evening

[mparkerceo]

Parker was relaxing, and trying to plan out the next few days. Having Isabel and Cedric here, as well as nearly everyone else she knew, was going to make it more fun. Although Cal was pretty damn worrying. She'd never been *this* kind of crazy.

Which reminded her, she had to call Weiss.

Speaking of phones....

*ring*

[open after the first

Comments

[cantgetnorelief]

Back at the dorms, Anders picked up his phone and dialed Parker's number.

[mparkerceo]

Parker stared at the phone warily, then checked the Caller ID. "Hunh."

"Hey, Daisy." She lay back down on the bed and rubbed her temples. "Happy Late Christmas."

[cantgetnorelief]

"Happy late Christmas to you too, Parker," he replied lazily. "How's vacation treating you? Where's my hot Greek guy?"

[mparkerceo]

"Corinth. I couldn't get Leonides to agree to hide in my travel case, can you believe it?" Parker pouted up at the ceiling, smiling a little. "Vacation was-- good. Cycling around Athens with a hot Greek guy, after two days of family stuff with Daddy. I'm in L.A. now."

Her voice might sound a teeny, tiny bit woebegone.

[cantgetnorelief]

"I envy you that," Anders told her with a light chuckle. "The cycling with the hot Greek guy, anyway. Guess I'll just have to take a trip there myself sometime . . . what are you doing in L.A.?"

[mparkerceo]

"Family Christmas evolved into Corporate Christmas, and for once, Daddy let me off the hook when I said I had college applications to add to." Parker made a face. "So, Angel invited, and here I am. Getting dumped. Again."

[cantgetnorelief]

"Hey, say hi to him for me," Anders said, totally unaware of anything a certain vampire might have found out about him lately.

"Wait, dumped?" A little of the lightness disappeared from Anders's voice. "Hell, Parker, am I gonna have to go and knock some sense into some guy for you?"

[mparkerceo]

"I'll do that," Parker said, equally oblivious for now. "And if you could find him, sure. Except he's going home to the future, so, hey, I'm not much competition for entire life." She made a face at the ceiling. "And wow that sounds self-pitying."

[cantgetnorelief]

"Frak that," Anders told her. "You've put up with so much bad dating luck lately, you're allowed to feel sorry for yourself for a little while. I . . . don't think I could take it as well as you do." And boy, was that an understatement.

"No, seriously, Parker, I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?"

[mparkerceo]

"Find me the number of the nearest monastery? I think I've had it with this dating thing."

[cantgetnorelief]

Anders laughed. "Give me a minute to get up and go over to my computer, then. Only the best five-star monastery for you."

[mparkerceo]

Parker grinned, starting to cheer up. "One that makes wine. Ooo! Ambrosia! Yes! And has a nice view of the ocean. And possibly some really desperate monks."

[cantgetnorelief]

Anders snickered as he eased himself into his chair, pulled up a Google window, and started typing. "Northern California, then? That's wine country. And seriously, Parker, they're monks. Having a vow of celibacy is just about a guarantee of desperation!"

[mparkerceo]

Parker snickered. "We get me there, I'll reserve you a place in the sauna. They'd have a sauna, right? Because you need to steam out the wine. And we can repent later. That sounds good, doesn't it?" She sighed a little wistfully. "I'd even go barefoot if they wanted."

[cantgetnorelief]

"There better be a sauna. Hang on," he teased, shaking with laughter over the mental images, "let me add that to my search. And did I hear that right? You, offering to give up shoes? Lords of Kobol, this is serious."

[mparkerceo]

"I'm cursed," Parker said, enjoying her own melodrama. "I'm willing to forego footwear in order to lift the dark cloud over my sex life. Hey, do they have Kobol monks? Would they give me ambrosia if I promised to worship Aphrodite with them?"