Jump to content

Innocents abroad (Modern day AU)


Chevi

Recommended Posts

Lucius wondered if anyone glancing their way could guess what was going on. Hell, even he had no idea what was going on. Yet.

"This doesn't seem like your sort of 'do though, does it? And I am here as an invited guest." 

"Nope, not really my crowd" he agreed.

"You're not here to do some sort of protest, are you? Cover us all in red paint and say we're all murderers for some inexplicable reason? Isn't that what your sort likes to do?" 

"My sort?" he smirked, arching an eyebrow. "No, I'm here because dear dad finally has something to hold over me. His invitation, not mine." he shrugged, glancing up. "What does your sort like to do? Other than stare at us from across the room?"

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Intrigue nibbled at her like a mouse on a crust of bread but she would not sink back down into it as she had done in Rome. What his father held over him should really be of no concern at all to her. He, himself, should be no concern at all to her. Nor would she rise to his bait. He had been staring at her! 

"My sort likes to have a nice evening with pleasant people raising money for a good cause." She glanced over her shoulder to see Jacob glance up from his conversation curiously. She offered him a little smile and a wave, as if to prove her point to Lucius and then turned back to him, trying to feign disinterest but irritation peeped through; "If you're here on behalf of your father, the least you could have done is to wear a tie." She scoffed and leant in a touch, "I don't think the people here really care what sort of point you're trying to make; I assume you're trying to say 'look at me, look at how little of a shit I give'?" She withdrew again, "Just a bit of advice."

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"My sort likes to have a nice evening with pleasant people raising money for a good cause."

"In that order?" he smirked. He was not convinced about the pleasant part, or the fact that she actually enjoyed it at all. He had been around this crowd long enough to question most people's happy facade.

"If you're here on behalf of your father, the least you could have done is to wear a tie. I don't think the people here really care what sort of point you're trying to make; I assume you're trying to say 'look at me, look at how little of a shit I give'? Just a bit of advice."

"Oh look, you sound just like dad" Lucius quipped back. "And the point I'm trying to make is that ties are uncomfortable. And that people shouldn't be wined and dined to coax them into giving money. But that's really just an added bonus." he glanced up again, seeing the boyfriend throwing them another look. "So, how is life as a conservative girlfriend?"

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment." she said with a smirk, "He's obviously a wise man. Shame about his disappointing offspring." She turned her profile to him and ordered another soda water with lime which the barman hurried to concoct. She glanced back over her shoulder at Lucius' question and smiled warmly at Jacob who returned a strained look of his own. It was flattering, that he was so evidently jealous. 

Taking the drink from the bar she sipped it - and wished it had vodka in it, "It's lovely. He's a good man - respectful, funny, handsome," Mediocre to poor in bed, "And would you know, when we go out on dates, he actually turns up." It slipped out before she could stop herself. Fuck him! She didn't want to rise to his bait, she wanted to act her morally superior self, but...she couldn't hold it in and instead tried to lean into it, "You know he's taking me to Mexico in a couple of weeks? I'm really very lucky." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Disappointing offspring indeed. Camilla was taking on the attitude of the elite with an alarming speed. Lucius wondered if she was still the same underneath it. With all the banter and resentment, he still thought she was much more than what she showed the world.

"It's lovely. He's a good man - respectful, funny, handsome. And would you know, when we go out on dates, he actually turns up."

There it was. The elephant in the room. Lucius felt at a loss of how to broach that subject at all without sounding like he was trying to make excuses.

"You know he's taking me to Mexico in a couple of weeks? I'm really very lucky." 

Of course. Boyfriend was probably getting antsy back there, watching Camilla having a conversation with another man. Mexico, indeed. 

"Sounds like you are living the dream" he noted lightly. He took a pause after. Things did not quite fit together, the way she was acting. "You know, I would have turned up if I could have."

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Of course you would have." She offered a twisted smile and sipped her sparkling water, "It doesn't matter anyway, it's ancient history now and I'm happy and you are..." She tilted her head to the side as if she was studying him intensely, "Well, you are you. One never knows if you're happy or stewing in judgment but..." She shrugged her shoulders, "As I said, ancient history." 

God why did this drink not have alcohol in? Still, she was proud of herself. She had rehearsed in her mind over the first month or so what she would say if she ever saw him again - it usually involved lots of profanity and a slap or two. She had never been stood up before. Camilla Birch was not a woman that got stood up. 

"And did you graduate?" She queried with a light, sing-song voice. If he wanted a polite catch-up, Camilla at her most false, then he'd get it. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one painful point in the whole disaster was that he never made the date. He could live with the rest, as embarrassing and frustrating as it had been, but there was really no way of coming out of having stood her up. Lucius sighed. His confession was probably not going to cut it.

"Of course you would have. It doesn't matter anyway, it's ancient history now and I'm happy and you are... Well, you are you. One never knows if you're happy or stewing in judgment but... As I said, ancient history." 

Oh, it so wasn't. The closest Camilla and Lucius had been to ancient history was when they had sex inside a monument. The rest was still seething, if her look and her tone were any indication.

"And did you graduate?" 

"No. Got kicked out of the program for getting arrested." he deadpanned. "Believe me I would have loved the date better than jail. For the record." he noted. Somewhere in the gala room a dinner bell rang.

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And there it was; the excuse. It was...not what she was expecting. Half of her was convinced he'd simply had a better offer, and the other half of her cycled through other excuses; he got hit by a moped and was in the hospital, he'd been mugged and lost his phone with her address, he'd used a fake name and was some psychopath...that he'd been arrested had only very occasionally come up as a possibility, and was one she'd discounted. 

She must have looked surprised, and it took her a few seconds to compose herself. "Well, it's a good job we never made it that far," she smoothed down the ruffles on her dress again, "I can't quite see myself with a dropout felon, somehow." She made no attempt to ask about the arrest despite how intrigued she was - got to keep the moral high ground, Camilla"But, we should go. Dinners at these things are quite formulaic and they don't like tardiness." She glanced over her shoulder to see Jacob standing waiting for her - his company having now left. He looked perturbed and is if he was going to stride over to introduce himself, so she moved to head him off. 

"Have a pleasant evening, Lucius." She drained the rest of her water and set the glass down on the side and turned on her heel to rejoin Jacob, stretching up to leave a soft kiss on his lips.

The problem was, of course, that not only were these dinners formulaic in their food and order, they were also formulaic with seating arrangements. There were always tables dedicated to the young - aka anybody under thirty and as she drew to a stop, their table of seven was almost full. The Rothberg's were already seated; a young couple from Long Island, he was the heir to a candy fortune, and then there were Lucy and Thomas Becker, she was training to be a corporate lawyer and he worked on Wall St in Daddy's firm, and then there were two places set for her and Jacob, and then one, to the right of her own setting whose name plate she couldn't read from her vantage point. "Who's sat there, Lucy?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

Edited by Sara
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Well, it's a good job we never made it that far. I can't quite see myself with a felon, somehow."

Lucius winced, against his better judgment. People in their social circles tended to be judgy, and Camilla had made a lot of assumptions about him from the get go. There was no reason why he should start explaining why he got arrested. They were ringing the damn bell for dinner anyway.

"But, we should go. Dinners at these things are quite formulaic and they don't like tardiness. Have a pleasant evening, Lucius." 

"You too, princess."

He watched her go, and then turned back to the bar with a sigh to get a refill on his drink. Agreement stated he had to stay through dinner. Wandering into the dining hall he looked around, locating his seat at one of the youth tables, and only looked up after he'd read the name tag.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

"That... would be me." he noted, taking a seat next to Camilla. This was going to be one hell of a long dinner...

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course it fucking was. She saw Lucy's eyes trail over their new guest at the table and felt a lurch of unexplainable jealousy in her chest. She suspected Jacob was feeling it too - although perhaps for an altogether different reason as he leant forward, in front of Camilla as she took her seat to extend his hand to Lucius. "Millie tells me you were in Italy together?" Oh god, the 'Millie' thing - she hated when he called her that, when people called her that, but it had been too long now and she couldn't correct it. 

She reached for the wine - wine with dinner was allowed, was acceptable, and took a deep sip. "Mhmm. Jacob, this is Lucius Roscoe - a friend I met studying abroad. Lucius this is Lucy and and Thomas Becker, Tara and John Rothberg, and this is my boyfriend Jacob Perry." She sipped again and felt Jacob's hand on her thigh, "I'm sure you don't know anybody here...this is Lucius' first function with us." She said to the group, feigning a smile, and wanting to die inside.

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Millie tells me you were in Italy together?"

Millie.

Lucius bit back a grin as the boyfriend offered a hand. They shook hands. Camilla drank some wine. She looked like she needed it.

"We were."

"Mhmm. Jacob, this is Lucius Roscoe - a friend I met studying abroad. Lucius this is Lucy and and Thomas Becker, Tara and John Rothberg, and this is my boyfriend Jacob Perry. I'm sure you don't know anybody here...this is Lucius' first function with us." 

Friend.

"Pleasure to meet you all." Lucius said pleasantly. The girl called Lucy gave him a brilliant smile. Thomas did not look very friendly. Lucius gulped down some of his brandy. Camilla might have been uncomfortable with sitting next to him, but Lucius hated social small talk in general. "So, Millie. Do you know the organizers of this event? It sounds like they are very passionate about good causes."

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She felt Jacob's eyes boring holes into the side of her face and she angled her face to him, away from Lucius, to give him a soft smile and a light squeeze of his spare hand. "A pleasure." He said with faux-enthusiasm. Jacob was nice enough, but plain as a book to read and she could tell that he was irked, most likely because Camilla had never mentioned a Lucius on her travels and he'd inferred something. Or maybe it was the lack of a tie, thing. Jacob hated informality. 

Millie. The prick. 

"I don't, I'm afraid. But it's all for a good cause, as you say. Are any of you going to bid on anything?" There'd been the usual rounds of donations to begin the evening but then some sort of charity auction was due to take place after dinner. "I heard there's a vintage Ford Mustang up for auction tonight," She sipped her wine, she really needed to slow down, "Lucy - you could use it to commute into Columbia" She turned her face finally to Lucius with a sly smile, "She's studying Law. Was it Columbia you attended, Lucius?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I don't, I'm afraid. But it's all for a good cause, as you say. Are any of you going to bid on anything?"

"Not sure yet." Lucius had not bothered to look at auction items yet. He was going to just write a check and leave the rest to the fancy guests.

"I heard there's a vintage Ford Mustang up for auction tonight. Lucy - you could use it to commute into Columbia. She's studying Law. Was it Columbia you attended, Lucius?" 

"NYU" he answered. "I'm taking a break." Lucy was still giving him looks so he flashed her a smile. She turned to her partner and whispered. Tara leaned over and whispered with her too. Lucius was beginning to suspect what they were whispering about. It seemed like they had a small argument over who should speak up first. Tara lost.

"So, Lucius... did I see you on the news recently by any chance?..."

"Oh, right!" John perked up too "There was that one article people were sharing..."

Lucius' smile tensed. Here we go.

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Camilla frowned. She loved a gossip, and hated being excluded so this really was the worst of both worlds. Clearing her throat she arched a brow at her friends across the table; "Don't you think it's a little impolite to be whispering at the dinner table?" The three of them then looked up and glanced between themselves and then back at Lucius. If looks could kill. Camilla shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 

"Article?" She frowned and turned to glance at Lucius and then at Jacob. The latter shrugged and sipped his own wine. She only used social media for photos, and reading the news was dull. She really had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. "What article?" She prompted again and John flashed a devilish smile; "Oh, I'm sure Lucius doesn't want to talk about it. Old news, right buddy?" He leant forward and slapped Lucius on the shoulder playfully but Camilla felt the room tense. 

Why did it feel like everybody knew something that she didn't?

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Lucius had any doubt before that Camilla did not know what happened to him, now he was sure. Whether she did not care or refused just like she had blocked his number, it was not clear. The others at the table, however, seemed to be very much aware.

"Article? What article?"

"Oh, I'm sure Lucius doesn't want to talk about it. Old news, right buddy?" 

Buddy.

Lucius winced at being slapped on the shoulder. Holy locker room attitude, Batman. This guy was his own parody. Patience ran out very fast, and Lucius turned back to the others, flashing them a polite a smile.

"I don't mind. It is old news. But if you have questions, I'm happy to answer."

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She caught the reprimand to John on the vey tip of her tongue and swallowed it back down. She had never seen Lucius look uncomfortable. Why should she have? They'd only spent a day together, after all, but he looked strained now, and his sentence was short. Happy to answer. Oh of course he was. 

But intrigue nibbled at her and she slanted a glance towards him. Nobody else was speaking - either because they assumed he would not take the bait, and now he did they didn't know what to do, or because there weren't any more questions left to answer. Either way, the silence was disconcerting and made even more so as a flurry of white-gloved, silent waiting staff appeared to lay down their soup course in perfect unity. The awkwardness was only intercut with an accented question of "Any fresh black pepper, ladies and gentlemen?" Camilla waved them away with a loose flick of her wrist, eyes still trained on Lucius. 

"What did you do?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucy and Tara looked equal parts intrigued and conflicted. These were not topics one talked about in polite company. Well, screw it. He did not regret anything, and if his father did not want him to be the topic of the evening, he should not have sent him to this shindig. Lucius glanced over at Camilla, who seemed to be struggling between curiosity and her well preserved anger. The former won.

"What did you do?" 

"I got arrested by the Italian authorities for illegally docking a ship."

Lucy and Tara sucked in a surprised breath now that Camilla had asked the first question.

"It was that ship, right? The one with all those people on it?"

Oh lord.

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Camilla frowned, and only re-composed herself after an eyroll at Jacob's poorly timed quip; "I didn't make you for much of a sailor, Lucius." Was that supposed to be some cutting remark? God. 

"People?" she frowned again, her soup course completely out of her mind, as was the wine temporarily. He stole a boat and went sailing with...people? And got arrested? And that's why he missed the date? What on earth...

"Migrants." Thomas retorted with thinly veiled disdain. That only confused her more, and she turned her body fully now, to look at Lucius. Intrigue had firmly won over now, and her anger lay forgotten somewhere in the pit of her stomach. It would rear its head again, she was sure, but not now. "You illegally docked a boat full of refugees?" She'd read that Guardian piece about how one should call the people refugees, not migrants. She heard Jacob scoff audibly behind her.

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I didn't make you for much of a sailor, Lucius."

God, could this guy be any more annoying? What did Camilla see in him anyway?

"People?" 

"Migrants."

Lucius sighed as the rich and slow worked the facts out among themselves. Camilla put the pieces together too by now, and she looked intrigued. And less angry.

"You illegally docked a boat full of refugees?" 

The guy was scoffing. Lucius fought the urge to curl his hand into a fist.

"We did. I was part of a crew. The authorities found out, and showed up to arrest me. And everyone else. At a very bad time, honestly."

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well. That was her told. She moved to take her wine up again and sipped it, letting the silence linger. On one hand, the irrational, spoiled part of her was still angry - he knew they had a prior engagement, and yet he chose to go to God-knows-where and do...that. At the very best he would have been late for their date, at the very worst well...it happened, no need to guess. On the other hand...good for him.

"We should eat, before it all gets cold." She said with a wan smile and gestured to to the soup. Things around the table were on a knife edge of polite awkwardness, Thomas looked at Lucius occasionally with contempt, Lucy and Tara looked fascinated. John looked bored, and Jacob...well...she didn't partucularly want to look next to her to see what he looked like. Better she not know how he felt about this sort of thing. 

Unfortunately, not everybody got her hint and Lucy pressed on; "That's so sad, what happens to those people. That's why John and I donate fifty dollars a month to the Red Cross." She smiled, obviously pleased with herself and Camilla had to choke down her bland tomato soup. 

"Was Millie involved with this sort of thing when she was in Italy?" She glanced up to Jacob looking at her curiously, with a polite smile on his face that belied annoyance. "She's so mysterious." She really wasn't, she thought to herself. She liked instagram, coffee, wine, the gym, Netflix, music and partying. That was about it. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, mood at the table was officially ruined. Good. If he had to sit through this misery, then they should too. Lucius felt resentment, mostly about the way people talked about what he had done. He did not need to be called any kind of hero, but many acted as if he had done some kind of an unsavory college prank.

"That's so sad, what happens to those people. That's why John and I donate fifty dollars a month to the Red Cross." 

"Kill me now." Lucius muttered, too low for anyone to hear. Probably.

"Was Millie involved with this sort of thing when she was in Italy? She's so mysterious." 

"Not that I know of" Lucius answered politely, looking up from his soup to spare a glance at Jacob. "I think she was more interested in archaeology."

@Sara

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She actually choked this time. Oh he was contemptible. She was defending him! In...a way! She was at least trying to save his blushes and he came out with...that. Prick. Utter, utter prick. 

She flushed as Jacob thwacked her on her back and she coughed, reaching for her water; "I'm fine, I'm fine." She swallowed and looked round, mortified. "Who knew you could choke on soup?" She let out a little laugh which was joined by the vapid crowd around them. She'd tried to take the moral high ground and it hadn't fucking worked, he was still being insufferable. So have at it.

"How long were you in prison for, Lucius?" She glanced at him blandly and pushed the remainder of her soup away - unwilling to choke on anymore of it. "I'm sure your parents are the most generous in Manhattan, I'm pretty sure my own would have disowned me if I'd tried a stunt like that." He wanted to be a dick? Fine. She would be too. This was her world, her sorts of people and he was invading it with his superiority. Fuck him. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Camilla choked on her soup, and it took a lot of effort from Lucius not to grin. He had been pushing the line, but so far no one noticed anything outside of the small talk. Except for her. Also Jacob was hitting her on the back. Idiot. Lucius' hand twitched again, as he remembered touching her in a whole different way.

"How long were you in prison for, Lucius? I'm sure your parents are the most generous in Manhattan, I'm pretty sure my own would have disowned me if I'd tried a stunt like that."

"I think someone must have told them it would be bad PR. Because, you know, we saved a bunch of people." Lucius shrugged. She was on the offense now.

"Yes, but, I mean" Tara piped up, oblivious "There has to be a more sensible way of doing that? Right? Like, donating money?"

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Quite right," Camilla agreed with a nod and a grin, her colour returning to normal as she reached to hold Jacob's hand. "Do you know what I think it is?" She said as she reached for her wine, taking a heady sip before placing the fine crystal down on the table, spare hand playing with its stem. 

"I think - and I mean no offence of course Lucius - I think it's a group of people who want to be heroes. Who spend their parents money on going to places like that just to make themselves feel better." She shrugged and raised her glass to her lips again, smirking over the rim, "I think people, real people with no money, are doing the hard work. I read something about it...voluntoursim, I think it's called?" 

Take that, prick. That free article an influencer linked had been good for something. How much, of course, of what she said she actually believed well...that was decidedly less clear. Part of her absolutely just wanted to make a point, make him feel uncomfortable, as he seemed to want to do at every turn with her.

 

TAG: @Chevi

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Camilla composed herself, and the flush was gone from her cheeks. Too bad, it was a good look. The look she took on next was somewhat smug, and he did not like it at all because he knew what was coming. The dig actually hurt enough to make Lucius win.

"Not quite the definition" he noted, sipping his drink. "Voluntourism is when someone travels to another country to do something they think is needed, without asking anyone local. And then they take a whole lot of selfies, and leave after a few months like they solved any issues permanently.

Tara and Lucy looked between Camilla and Lucius, sensing delicious drama. At least he hoped that was what they were sensing.

"And yes, local people do most of the work everywhere. The captain on our boat was a man from Rimini. But the crew was quite international. Quite a few rich kids like me. Because if we get arrested, we have a better chance of not staying in prison for more than a few weeks. And we get publicity." he tilted his head "There are about a dozen other boats, pulling just as many people from the water. One got busted the week after us, they are still in jail. Seen that on the news too?"

@Sara

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...