Another Loki arrives

[norseloki]

Date: April 1, 2003, early evening
Status: Public
Setting: Just outside Tadfield Manor
Summary: Loki (II) arrives (complete)

Comments

[safehouse_guest]

"Which dessert would you care for, sir?" the waiter asked, setting the dessert menus down in front of them.

"Well, maybe they're just scared of fire?" Mary asked. "Unsettling how?"

[safehouse_guest]

"No, not very much," she agreed. "I must say I thought it would be more interesting, considering the sort of guests we've been having, but it's all been fairly quiet, actually."

[norseloki]

"Maybe they all start partying once you've gone home for the night," Loki suggested with a grin.

He studied the menu again, trying to see if there was anything else that he might like to try.

[safehouse_guest]

Mary couldn't hold back her laughter. "Oh goodness, no. I live here, and I've never heard anything out of the ordinary."

She noticed his scrutiny of the menu. "See something else you like, sir?"

[norseloki]

Loki looked up. "Not in the menu, no," he said, putting it aside.

[safehouse_guest]

She fought a blush. Surely he didn't mean that. "Well then, if you tell me, I can speak to the waiter..."

[norseloki]

Loki didn't quite manage to hold back a chucke. "I don't think the waiter can help, except maybe by telling me how much I owe him. But maybe you would like me to take you home?"

[safehouse_guest]

Oh. So he had meant that. There was no fighting the blush this time. Mary bit her lip. "Well, that would be very nice of you. My room is just off the lobby, though."

[norseloki]

Since leaving without paying probably wasn't a very gentlemanly thing to do, he signalled to the waiter.

"Well," he said to Mary, "I don't think any room would be very far from any other place inside this building."

[safehouse_guest]

The waiter appeared, setting the bill in front of Loki. It wasn't bad; two salads and two cups of tea were hardly expensive.

"That's true, and the lobby's hardly far," she replied.

[norseloki]

Loki paid the waiter, adding a generous tip. He could afford to be generous. If he needed more money, there was always gambling. Or he could go to Upper Tadfield or some other place nearby and relieve some people of their too heavy wallets.

He got up and walked around the table, offering his arm to Mary.

[safehouse_guest]

She smiled, standing and taking his arm. And here she'd thought gentlemen, like the sort in novels, were extinct.

"Shall we go, then?"

Don't giggle, don't blush, don't giggle, don't blush...

[norseloki]

"Certainly," Loki said politely and with a smile at her, then walked her to the door.

Once outside, of course, he'd have to let her take the lead, since he had no idea where they were heading

[safehouse_guest]

She could tell he was hesitant; of course, he wouldn't know where to go. He'd only just arrived, after all. Mary led him out and across the lobby, to a door just off the lobby, near the stairs to the other rooms. She paused, unsure. What was one supposed to do now?

"Well. Thank you for the dinner and company, sir, I had a lovely time."

[norseloki]

Loki raised her hand and brushed it with his lips.

"The pleasure was all mine," he said. Should he let it end here? Had he sat through the appetizer to dispense with the main dish?

"Although..." he added, letting the word trail off. He raised his free hand to brush back the woman's hair from her face, and left it there, waiting for her reaction.

[safehouse_guest]

She shivered at the brush of his lips against her skin, and again at his touch on her face. It was warm, and... it felt good. She blushed ferociously.

What was she supposed to do now? Lean in and peck his cheek? Smile and turn to open her door and hope he pulled her back? Stand there and lean closer? She realised she was already unconsciously leaning closer, and the blush intensified.