In Which Bela Meets Adam
Bela never wanted to spend three solid days trapped in the middle of nowhere with a Winchester again. Not that she didn't mind Sam, but there was only so much close contact like that she could take. On top of the questions he had asked her, and the things that had happened -- it was too close for comfort. Maybe, somewhere along the line, she would think of something to say to Sam regarding what had happened, but until then, she was happy to be back in her own space.
She placed her bag down on the coffee table, and started to unbutton the jacket to her suit, sliding it off her shoulders and letting her body drop to the couch. She was tired, she was sore, and she was ready to relax for a little while. Hopefully that wouldn't be considered too much to ask.
Adam had been waiting. Not a terribly long time, but waiting nonetheless. He was relieved when he sensed her presence and slowly made his way inside the building and up to her door. He'd polished himself up for the special occasion. Haircut, manicure, and a simple suit without a tie. He cleared his throat before knocking on her front door.
Bela sensed the demon in the room and frowned slightly. She wasn't expecting anyone, and considering who she had spent her time with lately, it didn't bode well for her. However, she kept herself calm, pushing herself up off the couch and making her way to the door, passing through the wards at the entryway, and looking in the peephole to see who it was. She didn't recognize him, not that she thought she would, and she paused for a moment, before opening the door and looking out at him with a frown. "Can I help you?"
His lips turned up in a bit of a smile, his hands clasped behind his back. She was quite beautiful up close. This wasn't going to be such a terrible job after all. "Bela Talbot?" he asked gently, raising his brows.
"Who's asking?" she replied, raising an eyebrow back, not moving the door any further than she already had.
He extended his hand. "Right, terribly rude of me. I'm Adam Monroe, Ms. Talbot. I was hoping we could discuss...business."
She looked him over again, for a moment, before backing out of the doorway, and gesturing for him to come inside. After closing the door behind him, she made her way back towards the living room. "What kind of business did you have in mind, Mr. Monroe?"
He stopped just inside the door and watched her from his spot. "There's an item I'm interested in and I'm told you'd be the woman to help me get it."
"That would be true," she said with a nod, pouring herself a drink and going back to settle into the couch. "I should tell you though, that I don't come cheap."
His eyes followed her and a smirk came to his lips. "I don't doubt that. I am, however, prepared to pay whatever your services might cost."
"Good," she said with a nod, before taking a sip of her drink. "Now what is it, exactly, that you're looking for?"
"A book," he said simply. "A very old book."
She looked at him for a moment, before raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific than that, Mr. Monroe. There are many, many old books in the world."
"I have documents on it. They end some thirty years ago, however. If you'd like, we could meet tomorrow and go over them. Maybe enjoy a nice meal at a Japanese place I try to get to whenever I'm in the city."
"And how much are you willing to pay me for my services?" she said, raising an eyebrow slightly. She didn't take a job unless she knew what she was getting into it for. That was just good business.
"Tell me what you would expect. It may...be a drawn out job."
Her head tilted to the side slightly before responding. "For finding a book?"
"No offense, dear, but were it an easy book to find I wouldn't here asking for your help."
"Well, unless the book is in pieces, I doubt that it will be all that drawn out a job," Bela said skeptically. "I have means of finding things that most people don't. Generally speaking, once I know a location, things go very quickly."
"Hmm. Shame." He left the air quiet for a beat, then nodded. "Well then, time aside. I'll pay you what you wish."
She studied him again for a moment, before responding. "We can discuss payment tomorrow. I want to know what the job entails first. However, this doesn't mean I'm taking the job as of yet -- I need more details first."
"Of course. Then we'll have lunch. I do appreciate you hearing me out, Ms. Talbot," he said kindly.
"Anytime, Mr. Monroe," she said with a sigh. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
His eyes studied her again, before he shook his head. "Not tonight. I should...leave you to your relaxing."
"I appreciate it," she said with a nod. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Monroe."
"And you, Ms. Talbot," he replied, giving a slight bow. "Have a good evening." With a little twinkle in his eyes, he smiled and turned to let himself out.
Bela watched him leave with a frown, leaning back against the couch slightly as she sipped her drink. This had all the earmarks of being an interesting job -- she just hoped that that was all it was.
She placed her bag down on the coffee table, and started to unbutton the jacket to her suit, sliding it off her shoulders and letting her body drop to the couch. She was tired, she was sore, and she was ready to relax for a little while. Hopefully that wouldn't be considered too much to ask.
Adam had been waiting. Not a terribly long time, but waiting nonetheless. He was relieved when he sensed her presence and slowly made his way inside the building and up to her door. He'd polished himself up for the special occasion. Haircut, manicure, and a simple suit without a tie. He cleared his throat before knocking on her front door.
Bela sensed the demon in the room and frowned slightly. She wasn't expecting anyone, and considering who she had spent her time with lately, it didn't bode well for her. However, she kept herself calm, pushing herself up off the couch and making her way to the door, passing through the wards at the entryway, and looking in the peephole to see who it was. She didn't recognize him, not that she thought she would, and she paused for a moment, before opening the door and looking out at him with a frown. "Can I help you?"
His lips turned up in a bit of a smile, his hands clasped behind his back. She was quite beautiful up close. This wasn't going to be such a terrible job after all. "Bela Talbot?" he asked gently, raising his brows.
"Who's asking?" she replied, raising an eyebrow back, not moving the door any further than she already had.
He extended his hand. "Right, terribly rude of me. I'm Adam Monroe, Ms. Talbot. I was hoping we could discuss...business."
She looked him over again, for a moment, before backing out of the doorway, and gesturing for him to come inside. After closing the door behind him, she made her way back towards the living room. "What kind of business did you have in mind, Mr. Monroe?"
He stopped just inside the door and watched her from his spot. "There's an item I'm interested in and I'm told you'd be the woman to help me get it."
"That would be true," she said with a nod, pouring herself a drink and going back to settle into the couch. "I should tell you though, that I don't come cheap."
His eyes followed her and a smirk came to his lips. "I don't doubt that. I am, however, prepared to pay whatever your services might cost."
"Good," she said with a nod, before taking a sip of her drink. "Now what is it, exactly, that you're looking for?"
"A book," he said simply. "A very old book."
She looked at him for a moment, before raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific than that, Mr. Monroe. There are many, many old books in the world."
"I have documents on it. They end some thirty years ago, however. If you'd like, we could meet tomorrow and go over them. Maybe enjoy a nice meal at a Japanese place I try to get to whenever I'm in the city."
"And how much are you willing to pay me for my services?" she said, raising an eyebrow slightly. She didn't take a job unless she knew what she was getting into it for. That was just good business.
"Tell me what you would expect. It may...be a drawn out job."
Her head tilted to the side slightly before responding. "For finding a book?"
"No offense, dear, but were it an easy book to find I wouldn't here asking for your help."
"Well, unless the book is in pieces, I doubt that it will be all that drawn out a job," Bela said skeptically. "I have means of finding things that most people don't. Generally speaking, once I know a location, things go very quickly."
"Hmm. Shame." He left the air quiet for a beat, then nodded. "Well then, time aside. I'll pay you what you wish."
She studied him again for a moment, before responding. "We can discuss payment tomorrow. I want to know what the job entails first. However, this doesn't mean I'm taking the job as of yet -- I need more details first."
"Of course. Then we'll have lunch. I do appreciate you hearing me out, Ms. Talbot," he said kindly.
"Anytime, Mr. Monroe," she said with a sigh. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
His eyes studied her again, before he shook his head. "Not tonight. I should...leave you to your relaxing."
"I appreciate it," she said with a nod. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Monroe."
"And you, Ms. Talbot," he replied, giving a slight bow. "Have a good evening." With a little twinkle in his eyes, he smiled and turned to let himself out.
Bela watched him leave with a frown, leaning back against the couch slightly as she sipped her drink. This had all the earmarks of being an interesting job -- she just hoped that that was all it was.