xxxxxThe strawberry blonde worried her lower lip between her teeth as she went down the hallway, her heart pounding in her ears. This would be just her luck; having Oliver Marsh show up on her doorstep had been the last way she'd thought to start off her last month of summer. She should have just slammed the door in his face when she'd had the chance, but no -- her sister had to ogle him and then be completely shocked by the fact that someone like Oliver had actually come to visit her. Libbey faltered while going down the stairs, realizing that Oliver had spent hours on a flight from England, considering he actually lived there, unlike her. Why would someone do that just to come see another person? It didn't make sense at all, really, unless he was just trying to make himself look better in another ploy to try and get her to think he had really changed (which had nearly everyone but her fooled). She snorted and rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the landing and headed through the living room to the kitchen. When she didn't see her sister in the room, Libbey sighed in relief; maybe that meant her mom still didn't know about Oliver being her... "boyfriend." "You called, Mother dearest?" Libbey queried, her tone slightly teasing.
xxxxxHer mother smiled warmly, pushing back her red locks. "Yes, I did. I was wondering what you wanted for dinner. Nicole's gone out with Grayson, which I was relieved to hear -- even on short notice -- considering she looked to be in a foul mood," the redhead explained, her mint green eyes glinting in amusement. Libbey, though she would typically find it humorous, couldn't help but feel nervous, glancing over at the stairs through the living room. If her mother only knew the reason for Nicole's pissy mood, she was sure it wouldn't be nearly as amusing to her.
xxxxx"I guess I'm up for anything, honestly. Have you talked to Dad about it?" she asked, cocking her head. "Where is he, anyway? He's typically home by now." She glanced around, as though he might jump out of the pantry or something.
xxxxxHer mother chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Your father suggested pizza," she answered, as though she was expecting Libbey to protest immediately. However, it seemed like she was getting the daughters mixed up since the strawberry blonde would eat pizza daily if it was healthy to do it. It didn't really help her mother's case that her daughter wanted her out of the house long enough to get Oliver out and have him possibly show up later.
xxxxx"Pizza sounds great to me. We haven't had it in a while. Can we have Irongate?" she asked eagerly. It was farther away than the others, which would insure that Libbey had the time to get Oliver out of the house and come up with some story to tell her parents since Nicole would definitely say something about it. Just the thought of getting her mother out of the house made her anxious, and she found herself glancing at the stairs once more.
xxxxxHer mother released a defeated sigh, shaking her head. "I suppose so. It's already bad enough that we're eating pizza; it could at least be pizza I'd like." The redhead turned around, grabbing her keys off the counter, and Libbey started discreetly moving towards the living room, ready to dart up the stairs the moment she could. Her escape was interrupted, however, as her mother turned towards her, eyes narrowing slightly. "Libbey, is something wrong upstairs? Did you or Nicole break something? You seem anxious to get back up there."
xxxxxLibbey shook her head, blinking innocently. "We didn't break anything, Mom. I just wanted to get back to my book. I'm almost done with it, and you know how I get when I'm that close," she answered, which was the truth. Her mother nodded, and for a moment Libbey thought she was going to get off the hook with such a simple lie.
xxxxxThen the redhead bit down on her lip and crashed Libbey's hopes to the ground. "Now you've gotten me worried, though." Libbey could barely suppress a groan at those words, and her mother easily pushed past her, heading through the living room and to the stairs. "I'll just look around quickly. It won't take but a few minutes."
xxxxx"Moooom," Libbey whined, following her mother up the stairs. She knew the first place that would be checked was her room since it was the only one to the right of the landing. "This is pointless," she tried appealing to her mom, but the redhead simply pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, turning the knob to the strawberry blonde's room and pushing the door open.
xxxxxHer mother's amused voice sounded through the pounding in her ears, "Oh, come on, it's not like we can't repla--" For once, Libbey had managed to make her mother speechless. Wincing, the strawberry blonde peeked around her mother to see that Oliver had (surprisingly) not moved from the foot of the bed; huh. "Elissabeth Kendal Cox. Explain. Now."
xxxxxLibbey closed her eyes and sighed before opening them again, meeting her mother's gaze. "This is Oliver Marsh," she answered. "My... boyfriend." The word sounded weird to her ears, especially in reference to the boy at the foot of her bed. "He, um, wanted to surprise me by showing up here." Jeez, she sounded uncertain even to her own self. She glanced over at Oliver, for once wishing he would turn on his charm and use it to help with her mother's irritation. They could definitely use that right about now.
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:28 pm
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
The door opened and Oliver stood, perhaps a bit too quickly, and straightened his back, clasping his hands behind his back. The rosy haired woman seemed to size him up, and in that instant, he plastered his finely practiced greeting smile on his face and came forward. "Good day madame," he greeted extracting his right hand from behind his back and extending it to the woman whom he could only assume was Lori's mother, "Oliver Marsh, at your service."
Thoughts reeled through his head. Out of all the outcomes he had played out in his mind on the trip here, this was definitely far from any of them. Replaying the events from the moment the door had been answered, he realized just what was going on here. At least he hoped he had it right. He did not recall ringing the doorbell, or knocking for that matter, meaning someone had spotted him standing there like a right fool. That was an embarrassment to be sure. Next, an unfamiliar face, though he could see now the family resemblance, answered the door. Not unexpected. Then, Lori's voice calling from somewhere inside, also not unexpected. What followed however, that was perhaps the most unexpected possibility he would have never dared imagine. The kiss still warmed his lips as he stared at the woman before him. Being quickly whisked away upstairs rather suddenly and ordered to sit would have normally offended him, being raised to give the orders and not take them, but in his daze, he had obeyed. All of this was still much to take in, and he resolved himself to think more on it later. Now, the task at hand was to survive a meeting with who he presumed to be the parents. What was it that Lori had said down there on the porch? Boyfriend? He cleared his throat. "I am Lori's boyfriend." agreed with what Lori had just repeated, a bow of the head to seal the deal. Glancing behind the woman, a smile spread across his face. He had somehow achieved the status he had been trying for all these years, and not a moment too soon!He gently took Lori's mother's hand and gave it a soft kiss, wanting to put on as much charm without being excessive. "I am sorry to intrude without prior communications, but I wanted to surprise Lori with a visit, as we had met at school and I missed her dearly when she came back here for the summer. I apologize for any imposition I have placed upon you. I was thinking selfishly. Please forgive me."
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Sorry it took so long. I was away from the computer.
xxxxxLibbey found herself in an odd situation. While she was glad that Oliver had picked up on the fact that he needed to schmooze her mother, she was also a little irritated that it was so simple for him to do it. And going by the stunned look on her mother's face, he'd succeeded a bit too well. She found herself gritting her teeth together in an attempt to keep from saying something she knew she would regret.
xxxxxAnd could he get that stupid smile off his face? Their so-called relationship wasn't real.
xxxxx"Oh, my," her mother finally murmured faintly, her lips curling into a pleased smile. "Oh, I'm sorry; I haven't introduced myself. I'm Libbey's mother. You can call me Kelsey. And, oh, no, no, we're glad to have you here! And that is so cute! A surprise visit!"
xxxxxLibbey piped up before her mother could continue to coo and gush over Oliver, as if he were her boyfriend and not her daughter's fake one. "Mom, you know how much I hate surprises."
xxxxxHer mother shot her a look over her shoulder. "Oh, Libbey, don't be that way. This young man came all the way from..." She trailed off, her expression becoming puzzled.
xxxxx"England," Libbey supplied, rather flatly.
xxxxxHer mother's eyes widened, and she turned to look back at the black-haired boy. "You came here all the way from England? Just to see my daughter?" the red-haired woman queried, placing a hand over her heart. "Oh, that is so sweet! You two must have something really special."
xxxxxLibbey winced and buried her face in her hands. No, no, no, no, no. It wasn't supposed to go this way! She should have just kept her mouth shut. Now Oliver probably looked like a saint in her mother's eyes.
No worries! And I totally forgot about quoting in the guilds. My apologies.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:14 am
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
"The pleasure is all mine." responded Oliver when Lori's mother found words to introduce herself. He stepped back and let the situation sink in for the both of them. He was going to have to play his cards very carefully, but he knew the ground was far more shaky under Lori's feet at the moment. He looked from mother to daughter as they exchanged words, and when the fact came up that he had come from England, he smiled sweetly, "Oh, think nothing of it. No distance is too great for such a wonderful woman as your daughter." Perhaps that was a bit thick in the sweet department, he thought after the words were out. Hopefully, if he had read Kelsey correctly, she was a hopeless romantic, in which case, he was safe for the moment.
Introductions aside, it seemed there was a brief and slightly awkward lull in conversation. Thinking quickly, Oliver closed the distance between him and Lori in a few strides of his long and slender legs, taking her hand in his gently, "Dearest, I was hoping to take you out to dinner. I fear there is much to discuss about our futures together in our education. Have you any objections?" He figured one out of two options would result in his proposal. One, she agreed and they could both have privacy to talk about what had just happened, and then he could relay the actual reason for his surprise visit. Two, he would be invited to stay for dinner by Kelsey, in which he would agree, and speak privately with Lori sometime afterward. Either way, he resolved to tell her his true feelings, and hopefully, retain the current position he now had in her life, be it fake or not.
xxxxxLibbey could barely suppress a scoff at Oliver's words. That was just a tiny bit much. She lifted her head to make a face at him, even though she knew it was a very childish way to express her feelings in regards to his words. There wasn't much she could really do, though, and a simple narrowing of her eyes would not have sufficed. Her mother, however, smiled brightly at the black-haired boy before looking at her daughter (who had managed to adopt a rather serious expression) with a somewhat playful glare, though Libbey knew her mother was slightly irate as she voiced her questions, "Where on earth have you been hiding this boy? And why didn't you tell me about him?"
xxxxxThe strawberry-blonde girl released a sigh and simply muttered, "It was a recent development." That would have to suffice her mother for now; she was not in the mood (or of the mind) to come up with some sort of romantic story as to how they had gotten together. And in her defense, she had spoken of Oliver before -- with complete and utter disdain. That thought struck her and nearly made her forget to breathe properly. Her mother was an easy one to fool, but her father? She sent up a silent prayer, hoping that he would not recall what she'd said about Oliver Marsh. She deserved at least that much assistance, didn't she?
xxxxxLibbey was practically zoned out when Oliver was walking over to her, and as such, she stiffened when she felt a very masculine hand (no matter how delicate) gently grabbing hers -- and very nearly jerked her hand away before realizing that would not work in her favor once her mother stopped entertaining her ridiculous romantic notions. Thankfully, Oliver speaking distracted her well enough, even though what he said caused her to stare at him like he had grown a second head. Like hell she would go out to dinner with him! But once again she couldn't respond that way -- and once again she had to stop herself before she did. She closed her mouth, glanced at her mother, and then looked back at him with a frown. "We're ordering pizza, though," she mumbled.
xxxxxThankfully, her mother didn't get angry like she'd thought she would; instead, the woman actually laughed. "Oliver, I'm afraid she's been reticent to really leave the house at all this summer. If you don't mind eating with us this evening, I'm sure you can manage to coerce her to go out tomorrow."
xxxxxLibbey was thankful that something seemed to be working in her favor. In order to strengthen her mother's resolve, should Oliver try to turn on his charm again, she added, "Besides, you need to meet my dad."
xxxxxThat seemed to work enough to jog her mother back into her right mind. "My daughter's correct on this; you definitely need to meet Noah before taking her out on any more dates. And I need to go and get dinner! Come on, you two, downstairs into the living room. Oliver, do you have a preference for what type of pizza you'd like?" The redhead moved to the door, making hand gestures for the two teens to leave her daughter's room. They couldn't very well stay in there alone.
xxxxxLibbey extracted her hand from Oliver's, quickly retreating out of her room (and away from him) as her mom had requested, leading the way down the stairs.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:16 am
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
Oliver inclined his head at Lori's mumbling, "What was that pet?" he asked, not catching what she had said. Her mother answered her for her and Oliver turned to face her, the same, charming smile twinkling in his steely blue eyes "I would love to join you for dinner.." Truth be told, he was famished, and the thought of not having to go anywhere after his long trip was nice. Letting go of Lori's hand, he followed the women back out of the room and down the stairs. The house was nice, if a bit on the small side compared to what he was used to. He found it quite cozy. He met Lori's mother's gaze when she announced she would be leaving to get the pizza, "Pizza sounds wonderful" He had missed the mention of it in the room, as Lori had mumbled it, and not very coherently. "I do enjoy a good mushroom and olive pepperoni."
At the foot of the stairs, Oliver remained a few steps higher than Lori, knowing he should give her some space for the moment. Even in a fake relationship, he did not want to come off as clingy. He waited patiently to be shown to where he was to meat her father. This was all going swimmingly! If he could get in good with her parents, she would have to give him a better chance to prove to her that he had changed for the better. He was still working out some personality flaws that she may have mentioned in one of her rejections, but having never seen anything wrong with himself his whole life, it was hard to see what was so off putting about him to get her to always react so strongly. He sighed and shook the thoughts out of his head. Right now, he needed to make sure Lori's father approved of him, and he had a feeling it would be harder to convince than it was for Kelsey. He looked down at Lori. "Your father then, my Dove?"
xxxxx"Pet"? Was he joking? Surely, he must be joking. He was not calling her pet names. Nope. No way. Not those at least. She knew they needed to have some sort of things they called each other, since they were supposedly in a relationship, but of all the names -- he came up with pet? It was growing increasingly difficult for her to keep her mouth shut in front of her mother because there were several things about this situation that needed clarifying as quickly as possible. This was such a ridiculous mess she'd gotten herself into.
xxxxxHer mother, however, was entirely oblivious to the fact that her daughter was acting a little off, her mind simply thinking it was awkwardness. Luckily enough, the woman trusted her daughter enough to know that nothing had happened, even if the two were alone in her daughter's room. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun at her daughter's expense. Filing that thought away, she smiled and shut the door to Libbey's room before following the two teens down the stairs. "Mushroom and olive pepperoni, huh?" she repeated, her eyes glinting in amusement. "That's Noah's favorite."
xxxxxLibbey had to refrain from rolling her eyes as she continued into the living room, dropping onto the couch in an oddly graceful movement. Of course Oliver liked the same pizza as her father. Abso-bloody-lutely fantastic. She frowned up at Oliver as he came to stand near her, her eyes narrowing slightly at the words "my Dove." Oh, yes, they were definitely going to talk about the names he was calling her. "He's not home yet," she answered rather shortly. Then with a wince, she made a vague gesture and added, "So you may as well make yourself comfortable."
xxxxx"All right, Libbey, Oliver, I'm leaving," her mother announced, leaning over the couch to peck her daughter's forehead. "Both of you behave." Libbey frowned, trying to puzzle out what her mother meant by that, but the woman made it painfully clear shortly after when she looked at Oliver. "Now, Oliver, I'm sure you two are excited to see each other again, but please be aware that no inappropriate behavior is allowed in my house, no matter that you two are technically adults."
xxxxxLibbey's face filled with color, and she quickly sat up, sputtering, "M-mom!"
xxxxxWith a laugh that sounded close to a cackle, her mother winked at Oliver. "Could never tell you were her first boyfriend, eh?" she queried teasingly. "Well, then, I'm off."
xxxxxAnd with that final farewell, the two teens were left alone.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 6:26 pm
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
Oh good! Already something in his favor with the father, be it a minuscule as pizza preference. It was still something. "Thank you for having me for dinner Mrs. Cox." He said gently after she repeated the pizza and toppings. He could not recall if he had thanked her previously or not. The situation was a bit stressful back there, but it seemed it had turned to suit him quite nicely thus far.
The annoyance in Lori's voice practically dripped like venom from a viper's fangs to one trained to hear it, but he kept his face calm and content, appearing for all the world to be happy just to remain by his love's side. "Thank you, I think I will." he mused and indeed made himself comfortable. He came around the back of the couch and planted himself on the cushion next to Lori, stretching one arm around and letting it rest on the back of the couch behind her. "I am most grateful for such hospitality." the sarcasm was barely noticeable his his softly spoke words, intending for only Lori to hear. Before a retort, he lifted his head and laughed along with her mother at the playful, but no doubt serious warning of propriety. "You needn't be concerned, Mrs. Cox. I would never show such disrespect after such a warm welcome, considering you found me alone in her room." His smile was bright and innocent as the kindly woman left the house.
He looked at Lori, his smile twisting to that of a tease, "Pink is a good color on you." he chuckled, though he was not referring to her clothes. Her flushed, flustered expression was darling. By the gods he was so attracted to her! He sat back and crossed his long, slender legs, his eyes flashing playfully. She was in quite a spot. Just where he wanted her, and he knew she knew it. This was going to be some fun. He had to keep reminding himself to show he was a changed man, however triumphant he felt at finally getting to her. His personalities were conflicting, but which one would win in the end?
xxxxxLibbey made a face at Oliver's sarcastic remark, instinctively leaning away from him. Her posture was slightly rigid, but she managed to stay seated until her mother left -- and at the sound of the door closing in the kitchen, she jumped up and took a few steps away from the couch. She released a sigh, pushing her strawberry blonde locks back from her face, trying to calm her nerves. Oliver spoke after she'd turned back around to face him, and she scowled at him. "Very funny, Marsh," she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Her green- and silver-colored eyes flashed angrily as he simply made himself even more comfortable on the couch and crossed his legs; she knew that pose, and she knew that look on his face. "Oh, come off it; this isn't real. Don't look so smug with yourself. If you had just kept to your side of the world, we wouldn't be in this predicament. But no -- you just had to come here, and my sister just had to ogle you and act as though it was the most ridiculous notion that someone like you could be looking for me." The thought still caused hurt to flash through her, and her arms lowered to cross over her stomach in a more defensive gesture. She had hated feeling triumphant over that look of surprise on her sister's face. They had used to get along so well, and Nicole had never had reason to be jealous. Libbey had been smart, but that wasn't ever anything people cared about -- and the guys had all been attracted to Nicole, which had been perfectly fine. The younger sister really couldn't have cared less about guys looking at her, and she didn't mind that they overlooked her. But then Libbey's intelligence and magical talents had finally emerged and received recognition, and when she'd come back from her first semester at the boarding school, everything between her and Nicole had changed -- and there was nothing she could do to fix it.
xxxxxAnd now Libbey had been reduced to lying to her sister about a boy -- because, if she were honest, Oliver was probably considered quite the catch by just about everyone but her, and even then compared to Nicole's current boyfriend, even Libbey would probably choose Oliver.
xxxxxBut there was no need in thinking on that. Setting her jaw, Libbey settled her gaze on the black-haired boy again. "Until I can figure out some way to stage a break-up, we're going to have to make this work. Fooling my mom and my sister isn't hard, as you can probably guess, but my dad is going to be a whole 'nother story. So we're going to need to discuss some things and maybe..." she trailed off, her nose scrunching up in slight distaste. "Maybe even... practice," she finished, the word being said as though it were the worst thing she'd ever thought of having to do -- which it was probably rather close. "The first thing I want to address is the names you've been calling me. 'Pet' and 'my Dove'? Really, Marsh?"
xxxxxAnd suddenly there was no sign that Libbey had been practically ready to sob just a moment prior. Instead, she was just back to her normal self, at least where Oliver was concerned.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:15 pm
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
Oliver kept the smug look on his face, despite the rather indignant rant about his side of the world and despite the voice in his head yelling at him to drop the tough facade and tell her the real reason you came all the way here. His smile faltered, the part of him that truly wanted her for more than just a feeling of accomplishment broke through, but as he could not seem to get a word in edgewise, he remained silent and let her continue. His smile fell altogether when she shifted from upset to suddenly defensive. She was hurt? He could relate to sibling rivalry and friction. He knew that hurt. He nibbled the inside of his cheek, feeling slightly bad about his arrival now. With a breath, the remorse was gone and he resumed his smug position, the smile a bit less prevalent on his face now.
She pause, but he knew she was not finished. He remained silent, legs still crossed, his hands now clasped at his knee. He gazed up at her, his cold, metal blue eyes locked onto her soft rosy eyes as she changed posture once again to a more aggressive and commanding stance. She was thinking. She was so cute when she tried to problem solve. He had watched her from afar on many an occasion. A different sort of smile tugged at the corners of his lips now. A softer, less pompous smile that was his true affections.
"I agree completely. There are a great many things we need to discuss with each other. As for practice, I need none. You however could use as mush as you can get." Stop it Ollie! Don't insult her like that! He yelled at himself. He disregarded his last thought, pride taking the reins. "Calling me 'Marsh' for example is a sure way of letting on that we are not even close friends. You must start calling me Oliver, or even better, Ollie." he uncrossed his legs, taking the conversation and direction from Lori and turning it around on her. Now he was doing the leading, and that was what he was used to. He stood, hands clasped behind his back, "Seeing as you lack experience, judging by what you mother had mentioned earlier about my being the first suitor in you life, I shall direct you. I, unlike you, have had plenty of experience before you came along. Now address me. I want to see if you actually retain the words coming from my mouth or if your stubbornness will keep you from progressing."
xxxxxLibbey went rigid, her eyes and face darkening in color as the anger in her rose. "Of course you don't need any. All you ever do is act," she retorted. "I'm sorry I don't constantly lie to the people around me. I have more respect for them than that." She gritted her teeth together as he completely disregarded what she said about the names he was calling her and instead grilled her on what she was calling him. "I'm not stupid, Oliver," she hissed, her hands curling into fists. Her fingernails were biting into her palms, but she didn't really care. It would keep her from doing something stupid -- like striking at him. His next words, though unknowingly on his part, caused her to flinch and step back as if she'd been struck, her hands uncurling. How often had she heard those words? Of course others had more experience, but it wasn't just because she was often overlooked; she didn't even want a relationship with a guy yet. Why did everyone always have to make it sound so awful?
xxxxxThe strawberry blonde forced herself to laugh humorlessly, for fear that she'd do something completely embarrassing like choke on her words. No matter how often she'd heard the words, and no matter that it still hurt, she would not let Oliver Marsh be the one to finally make her crack. She raised her gaze to look back at him defiantly, her eyes dark from a mixture of multiple emotions. "Oh, believe me, Ollie," -- and this time she used his requested nickname mockingly even if her voice was only laced with forced anger -- "I have heard plenty about your -- ahem -- experience." That wasn't exactly something he should be boasting about. He sounded like... like her sister. Oh, that was priceless. It all made sense now; Oliver was the male version of her sister, though he certainly hid it a little better, but at least she understood now why she found herself quite irritated by both of them on a daily basis.
xxxxxAnd then it really hit her. Oh, dear God, she was dealing with two of her sister. Why couldn't she have just left well-enough alone, for Pete's sake!? And once again his pomposity was starting to bug her, and she -- as has been already shown -- couldn't leave well enough alone. "What's ironic is that you are willing to dictate to me when it's my father you're meeting. So instead of being a bloody a** about this, maybe set the pride in the backseat for a couple of minutes and let me give you a few pointers before you start lecturing me again?" She wasn't asking for much, but really -- her father wouldn't be grilling her about anything.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 10:35 pm
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
Oh, good job Oliver! A right mess you've made. He thought bitterly to himself as Lori raged at him, hitting the nail right on the head multiple times. Yes, he acted all then time. It was what he was raised to do. If he was expected to succeed in the world and become as successful as his father, an act was all he was allowed to be. Looking down, he saw her clenched fists and stepped forward, daring her to retaliate. There was no denying he liked to reign over others, and challenging opposing forces was one of his favorite pastimes. However, when she recoiled so suddenly, he took a half step back. He was no longer smiling in any way. Instead, he was frowning. The situation was getting complicated. He needed to find a way of controlling it. A forced laugh made him jump. It had come out of nowhere, and he saw no reason for fake humor. Her next comment sparked inside of him, "Now hold there! I did not think you were one to indulge in rumors." He defended. It was true, he had been with many women, but to insinuate that he gave himself out to each and every one of them was preposterous! How dare she! He puffed out his chest slightly, a gesture inherited from his father when insulted.
He opened his mouth to give her his rage in turn, but relented, closing his mouth and forcing himself back down to a normal stance. She was right, as much as it annoyed him to admit it. After a few deep breaths to calm himself, he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair to compose his thoughts, eyes closed. His face, when not contorted in anger or pride, was rather peaceful, almost angelic. With a final exhale, he sat back down on the couch and crossed his legs once more, opening his eyes and looking up at her, calm and calculating. "Very well. How can I impress your father?" Now was not the time to argue. He needed to be on good terms with her family, and if that meant letting her lead in this dance for now, he would let her. At least until he knew the steps and could resume his rightful lead.
xxxxxLibbey had nearly snorted at his protest, her brow quirking at him as he puffed out his chest. Of course she listened to the rumors, but those weren't the only things fueling her belief. She very rarely paid heed to such ridiculous notions -- given the rumors she'd heard about herself at times -- but she knew there had to be at least some truth behind them, and even a slight truth in regards to something like that was enough to make her believe he had at least been with one girl. In her eyes, that was one too many. But she wasn't going to comment on that; in all honesty she didn't much care, so long as he didn't think she'd be on his list. When he opened his mouth to continue, she met his gaze challengingly, daring him to deny that he would need her help. If he did, she had half a mind to not assist him at all; it would be no loss on her side if her father didn't really like him. She was actually a little surprised and rather pleased (though she showed neither of those emotions) when he capitulated and finally sat back down, handing the reins back to her.
xxxxxShe made a quick face at his wording before locking her fingers together and tapping the knuckles of her index finger against her chin. "For starters, a warm smile every now and then wouldn't hurt. Acting all cool and collected, with only a touch of charm, is only going to make him think you're an a**." She paused, trying to think of a way to explain it, and a somewhat playful grin (though she would deny it was playful) curved her lips. "I've always been told he and I act quite alike, so try to avoid the things you know piss me off." Another glance at his calm and collected features made her sigh and roll her eyes. "And maybe attempt to look a little nervous about meeting him? I'm not sure how your other girlfriends’ parents are, but here we expect a guy to be nervous when meeting our father because they genuinely want to impress him." Was she possibly insinuating Oliver didn't genuinely care? Yes, yes she was. "And I'm going to repeat myself about the pet names you've been calling me. My family knows my aversion to them, so stay away from anything that isn't 'sweetie,' 'honey,' or 'baby.'" Her nose wrinkled a little before she added, "Actually, I'd prefer it if you didn't call me 'baby,' either, even if you can get away with it."
xxxxxThinking over the few things she'd told him, she frowned. Honestly, aside from the interactions she'd seen between Nicole's boyfriends and her father, she didn't know much else that would help. Sighing softly, she made herself move back to the couch and sit beside him, angling to where she could see him. "Now you can continue your lecture," she stated, relinquishing the reins.
io3121
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 11:52 pm
Oliver Copperfield Marsh
A warm smile? that was easy. As Lori had so eloquently pointed out, Oliver was quite good at acting. Knowing what would "piss her off" was also easy, but worrying. Apparently, there was nothing about him that did not piss her off. He would have to tread carefully there, which lead into her next tip. Seem nervous. That was not hard at all. If Noah Cox was indeed like his daughter, he had every right to be nervous, considering the whole point was to make him like his daughters boyfriend. As she spoke, he recalled upon the romance novels a few of his past infatuations had insisted on sharing with him. Perhaps he should stutter at his first greeting. Yes, and a look of being slightly lost would benefit him he thought. Eagerness to please, though it disgusted Oliver greatly, might help as well. He took note of all of this and returned his attention to Lori, who was still speaking.
She had moved onto the topic of pet names now, and her substitutes for what he had been calling her were horrid! "Really? 'Sweety'? 'Honey'? You Americans have the most trashy terms of endearment. No class, no imagination. This is why all decent romance writers are British. All authors in general for that matter." He scoffed. "How about 'My dear'or 'Love' or simply 'Sweet'?"
xxxxxIf Oliver weren't so infuriating, then maybe he wouldn't piss her off all the time. As it were, he was doing a terrible job at that second. "Trashy?" she repeated, her eyes flashing up at him angrily. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with them! At least they aren't referencing to animals or pets, like we're owned or something!" She pushed herself off the couch once again, her anger making it nearly impossible to stand being that close to him. "Those sorts of statements right there are what piss me off so much! Just because you're British and rich does not give you the right to act as though everyone else is beneath you! And for your information, I happen to like American authors, just like I like being called 'sweetie' or 'honey'! It's comforting and -- and informal! What about 'sweet' makes it better than 'sweetie,' huh? What about any of those terms makes them better than what we Americans use?" she snapped.
xxxxxShe liked England; she really did. But she loved her home, and she wasn't going to let someone diss it. Jesus, he may as well have just told her straight up that she was trashy, because whether he meant to or not, that's what it sounded like he was saying and at least then it would have been more straightforward.
