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#Post#: 2748--------------------------------------------------
Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: August 4, 2013, 7:12 pm
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HTML http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/Danisvampiress/LayAllYourLoveOnMe.jpg
Summary: Twenty six year old liverpudlian waitress Penelope
finds herself in quite a sticky situation when a well known
rocker and his bandmates come stumbling into the pub one
evening. It would be just her luck to wind up serving them,
seeing as her shift had been over for a half hour already. It
took her boss only seconds to make her snap to it, threatening
to fire her otherwise. The evening starts off fairly calm and
casual, but the group soon become loud and almost like children
the more drinks they order. All but one; one manages to remain
sober and from there, the flirtation begins.
HTML http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92482373
HTML http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92482373
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ98ZOulSo
#Post#: 2749--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: August 4, 2013, 9:34 pm
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Oh.My.Lord! I'm in love with the summary and dear Penelope's
style! I don't think I can fathom words right now to tell you
how excited I am for this! She wouldn't be falling for a certain
ginger with a swagger would she? ;) I'm so excited! *hugs*
#Post#: 2750--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: August 5, 2013, 8:32 am
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You might have just hit the nail on the head with that one! and
I am pleased you like the sound of it. Apologies for the short
update but Axl is being as lovely as anything and my fingers
can't keep up with the speed at which I'm typing. More will be
added shortly.
----------------------------------------------------
A cool breeze seemed to bustle through the pub doors as five
ragged looking men entered, capturing the attention of the few
who still lingered around the tables. My eyes sparked to life as
the faded light behind them ignited upon realising who they
were. And of course, a little stunned at the same time. Now
would be an ideal moment to rush back home, which was only a few
streets away, to change my clothes. As this pub had no strict
rules on uniform, I had chosen to wear a bright yellow skirt and
Guns N Roses tee, which would no doubt get their attention if my
boss drilled on about serving them. My shift was over though and
I wasn’t prepared to hang around, knowing I wouldn’t get paid
for the extra hour or so that would be added on. Being that this
place was rather miniature looking from the outside, there
weren’t an awful lot of customers, thus leaving staff with
little to go home with at the end of the day. But, it was work
and much better than sitting around doing nothing.
Up until a few months ago, my life had taken a turn for the
worse and I found myself constantly at war with those around me.
Where I once had a lot of patience and was more or less
balanced, all that had changed. It was slowly working its way
back again but perhaps it would take a little more time. The
stress of having nothing to do during the day had played an
enormous part in destroying my personality, but I was on the
mend. If only my superior would quiet down and back away from me
a bit. Every single night without fail, he turned on me and
managed somehow to toss out a load of insults and threats. My
work was substantial and I saw no real reason for him to be so
cruel. I would normally ignore it and drone on, but it was only
ever directed at me. Even when I was the one who turned up early
most days and stuck around till way after dark; he didn’t seem
to notice or even care that I’d been putting so much effort in.
Unlike some others, I was quite productive. Now and again I
would catch sight of him tossing his fists against the counter
tops in the back, or trying to kick a hole in the wall to
somehow relieve whatever troubles were on his mind. I hadn’t
been brave enough to ask if there was anything I could do to
help him, yet at the same time, I cared nothing about his
welfare. He sought to make my life a living hell and I merely
understood that as a two can play at that game behaviour.
“Penelope, if you don’t move over to that table in two minutes,
you can pack up your belongings” he barked, noticing how
evidently shaken I was at the sudden demand, which kindled a
sickening grin on his face.
Though he had noticed my calm and collected temperament falter,
I was able to pull myself together again and turned on my heel
to face him. If looks could kill, he would no longer have a
beating heart. My eyes bore into his as though challenging him,
silently asking if he had anything else he wanted to throw at me
before I got on with my work. Somehow, he always backed down
during staring contests and I had to wonder why. Perhaps it
simply made him feel uncomfortable. Perhaps he knew he was
unable to control his anger and would no doubt lash out, thus
causing more trouble than he had intended. Which, I decided,
also made him a coward.
“You can leave when they leave,” he called as he slipped through
to the back, leaving me distressed.
Of all the wicked things he had done to me in the past by making
me work well beyond my hours, he had now chosen to make me stay
behind even longer. Prior to this, I hadn’t been too concerned
about staying back an hour or two, but these guys could be here
all night through till morning and I had to work again tomorrow.
In no way was I ready to fall back that long, at least not
without getting paid a decent amount for my troubles. But I knew
as well as anyone else that my boss would never cave. Money
seemed to grow on trees for him as he practically tore the
pockets of staff members and stashed the goods away for himself.
At present, I was making only thirty pounds a week and as most
would understand, that wasn’t nearly enough to get by. For food
and other necessities, it was fine. But when you had to pay
electric and gas, it was a nightmare. Only recently had I
stooped low enough to actually try and snag a bit of money from
friends and family, who bless their hearts, were more than
willing to lend a hand and had even offered to take me in for
the time being. Of course, I objected and with great
determination, had been striving every single day to earn tips
from my customers. It was usually the only bonus we received,
given the miserable and highly demented owner of the pub.
I had to bite back a rather loud and lengthy inhale at the
prospect of having all eyes on me as I approached the darkened
booth at which they had seated themselves. Each were holding up
a menu, but only two of them were visible. The others, as you
would expect from little tots, were trying and failing miserably
to disguise themselves as though I wouldn’t recognise them. And
with that sight, my stomach rolled and I couldn’t help but grin.
If they were so desperate to not be seen, perhaps they could be
a lot less conspicuous.
“Alright guys, welcome to the Cavern Pub, what can I get you?” I
asked, sounding as nonchalant as possible with a pair of green
eyes fixated on me as I steadied the pen over my notepad.
The weight of his gaze left my stomach turning and twisting
inside, but there was little I could do to ease the tension. If
what I felt inside was so awful, I could only hope it was not
showing on my face. Already though, I felt a rush of blood
locate that particular area and my nose felt as though it was on
fire. I prayed a silent prayer that they would hurry this along
and make it easier for me, but the three who had hidden
themselves were busy making animal noises from behind their
menus. Alright, so my assumptions had been proven incorrent.
They were not trying to disguise themselves at all, but simply
playing a game that only toddlers could endure. With that, I
very nearly stomped off to the bar and almost thought twice
about serving them until I looked around and found my boss
standing directly behind me, causing me to jump about a foot off
the ground.
“Fella’s, if you need anything tonight just call on Penelope and
she’ll assist you” he said, a smile plastered on his face that
only I knew was far from genuine.
His words hit home once again and I was left standing there in
shock after he gave my shoulder a squeeze and headed off in
another direction to settle a bit of banter that had broken out
on the other side of the pub. Here, my mind was spinning into
another dimension at knowing there was no way I’d be let off the
hook now and I pouted, visibly. The same green eyes as before
noticed my frustration and decided to speak up, ordering for the
lot of them as though it might take some of the weight off my
shoulders. It didn’t of course, but the sentiment was more than
welcoming and I smiled as I looked up at him after writing
everything down.
“I won’t be too long with your drinks, but the food might take a
bit longer” I said, offering up another smile as I turned and
headed back to the bar.
Though my focus was on the pints, the heaviness of eyes watching
my every move dawned on me. If he was still keeping his
attention on me, I would be falling all over the place for the
whole night, so I hoped that wasn’t the case. Perhaps he had a
very good reason to stare and the possibility that I may have
something on my face hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t
very well leave their drinks unattended, but the need to scrub
whatever was there off kept haunting me. Nor did I even have a
handheld mirror to check things over with. Maybe a spoon might
be of some use and so I quickly sped into the back of the pub
and grabbed one from the counter, raising it to eye level as I
examined every inch of my face, finding nothing. Okay, so I was
more than a little paranoid, but now I was really beginning to
wonder what he was so interested in. Couldn’t be me; surely not.
After returning only seconds later, I found the glass had
overflowed the lager was steadily pouring out over the rim,
right onto the floor. A mop was in order, but that was the only
thing this place didn’t have. Who would have thought that a pub
didn’t have general cleaning equipment. If I didn’t clean it up
soon though, someone was bound to fall and break their neck. A
small devilish part of me wished that would be my boss, but even
that was going a bit too far. Still, I scanned all around me for
something to clear the mess with before racing into the back
once more. Would it be this way all through the night? Making
mistakes and tripping over my own feet more times than I could
count? I certainly hoped not, or tonight would indeed be my last
here.
The earth shattering sound of a grown man screaming in agony and
tossing about a few selective words hit my eyes before my ears
as I bolted back to the front. In my hand, I held a rather large
but worn cloth and in the other, a bottle of flash. The sight
that met my line of vision was one I could have done without,
though. There, right in the middle of the mess I had just made,
lay my boss. He looked more than displeased when he caught my
eye and albeit highly enraged as he managed to pull himself up
from the sticky situation.
My inner voice reacted a lot faster than my mouth could keep up
and though I stood there shouting all kinds of apologies inside
my head, my voice was non existent. And there was absolutely no
time for me to dodge the fist that came my way, easily clocking
me at the side of my face. Immediately, my eyes began to water
at the sheer pressure the attack had caused and I knew a bruise
would soon be forming. Well, at least I wouldn’t have a black
eye, but it would look as though I’d had quite the mishap with
some dark coloured make up. Having fallen back against the door
leading to the back, I tried to push myself up until I stood
tall in front of him. His height overshadowed mine by quite a
number of inches and was incredibly intimidating. The side of
his leg was soaked with alcohol and the smell of his clothes
made me hold my breath. True it was that working in a pub when
one had such distaste for the scent of acoholic beverages was a
poor decision, but it was all I could manage. Though, I was now
beginning to doubt my ability to handle it much longer. He had
never lashed out like that before and maybe it was only because
he couldn’t believe he had fallen down. As it was instinct,
something flickered in his eyes the moment he pulled his hand
back and I could almost see a look of fear. He knew what he had
done and he, which came as quite a surprise, didn’t half regret
it as he practically ran into the back and out of view.
Even if he had not meant to cause any harm, he had and there was
no chance I’d be forgiving him anytime soon for laying a hand on
me. The side of my face felt numb with the intensity of his
punch and spotting a few broken shards of glass from an old
hanging mirror beneath the bar, I bent down to that level and
examined the damage he had done. There was no open wound, for
which I was thankful. At least that was something, but the fact
that I had just been beaten was evident due to the growing
blackness beside my ear. That also seemed to match the light
thumping that sounded almost like a drum roll as I stood up
again too quickly.
Setting a piece of the mirror back down and out of the way so no
one else would get hurt, I reached over for the cloth and
quickly began swiping up the beer. All of the glasses were
filled a few minutes later and I felt terrible for having made
them wait so long, but I’d no doubt make up for it by staying on
after hours. At their beck and call I was, though I would much
rather be all tucked up in bed back home.
“Sorry for the wait, guys. There was a little accident in the
back” I said, my voice low and weak as I set the tray down upon
their table and dished out the pint glasses.
“You don’t say! Was your face the result of that accident or
somethin’?” one of the guys piped up, propping his chin up on
his hand as he regarded the bruise that was obviously on full
show now.
Shrugging off his question as there was obvious sarcasm buried
in it, I turned to leave with the tray under one of my arms,
when the owner of those green eyes and man of my dreams grabbed
my wrist. Gently, as opposed to how my boss often twisted it
when he reprimanded me. Unwillingly, I paused and turned to look
at him with a great amount of self loathing and found his eyes
burning. Not with anything pleasant, I might add. There was
something potentially devasting and brutal in those emeralds now
and I couldn’t work out what was wrong, but I had an inkling.
They burned with all the fury of hell, emanating an absolute
volatile nature that most fans knew was not a good sign when
displayed by the green eyed, red headed vocalist. Up until now,
I’d managed to keep my fangirl levels to a minimum despite the
obvious sign of it upon my shirt. But seeing that look on his
face was enough to send me into overdrive. Tagging along with
all that anger was protectiveness. It was clear as day and
apparently, he recognised that bruise at the side of my face to
be domestic damage. He knew, I could see, that someone had done
that to me and I hadn’t just knocked into something or fallen
off a ladder.
“Where is he?” he said, in a hushed tone so as not to attract
the attention of the guys around him. Attempting still to keep
it quiet, he leaned in a bit closer and pulled me down toward
him. “Where is your boss?”
Reluctant to confess that the damage had been done by that
wicked man, I shrugged in response and received an even bigger
scowl than the one he had etched onto his handsome face before.
Only now, it was more or less directed at me given the big baby
that I was. Disappointment settled in his eyes and his grip on
my wrist was no longer there, as he let go and sighed. His
attention was diverted elsewhere when one of the guys knocked
over the stand containing the salt and pepper shakers. With a
roll of my eyes, I stumbled with every step as I went back to
check on their food. As they had only ordered a platter between
the five of them, I hoped it wouldn’t take too long so I could
get away from them, or him rather.
#Post#: 2751--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: August 5, 2013, 9:39 am
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I have no idea where to begin?! I adore this on so many levels,
it's fab! Although I really really really wish I could give poor
Penelope's boss a good beating that he deserves. Although I've
got an idea that Axl's going to make him wish he were never
born. My heart really breaks for her though, no one should ever
have to put up with that kind of nonsense. Personal opinion here
but any man who raises a hand to a woman isn't a man at all.
Keep up the A+++++++ work my dear!
#Post#: 2752--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: August 5, 2013, 12:32 pm
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I felt the need to make her boss a bit, or rather a lot, of a
dillhole so you'll have to forgive me for that one. I'm so
pleased that you're liking it so far and only hope you like this
next update, too. Axl is practically sitting on my shoulder so
hopefully he will stay there. My energy levels are running high
because of this one, so I'm sure it will last! and thank you
again, so very much *_*
----------------
Now sniffling and doing my best to hide my sadness, I reached
into the oven and pulled out the tray to check on their wings
and fries. It seemed that all was in order but my own
preferences took over and told me to give it all just a little
bit longer so everything was nice and crispy. I didn’t want to
keep them waiting though and the need to go home was high, so I
pulled out the food and tossed it all onto an awaiting platter
that was big enough to feed an elephant almost. Laughing at the
thought, I sprinkled some seasalt over the steaming dish,
grabbed a large tub of barbeque sauce and sauntered out toward
them whilst managing to balance it on one hand. I chose not to
eat such food myself these days, but the inviting smell of fried
chicken filled my nose and left my stomach grumbling in protest.
One of the other rules I did not much favour about working here
was the lack of time we had to have our own lunch. And we were
only ever allowed to have a sandwich from the local co op just
across the street. Whoever came up with these ridiculously
unfair terms and conditions was pure evil, and that was when my
boss popped into my head. Okay, so he didn’t actually own the
pub but he was the one who had been here running it for years,
long before I came along almost begging for work.
“Ooh, I get first dibs!” one of the blonde guys shouted as he
reached his hand over as soon as I set the platter down in the
middle of the table, but it was smacked away by the guy next to
him.
Though my mood was still sunken, the sight and fight that broke
out managed to make me laugh. The guy with black curly hair kept
swatting at his bandmates hand each time he reached over for the
bigger piece of chicken that sat on the edge right in front of
him. As far as the blonde was concerned, that was by right his
piece, as it was closest to him so no one else could have it.
But the other guys were having none of it. All five of them had
taken to arguing over who was allowed which piece and none even
hovered over the fries that I had been so determined to get
right, which was upsetting. Our pub was renowned for its fries
and here they were fighting over chicken they could have ordered
from the likes of KFC just up the road instead. Either way, I
was happy they had chosen to come here. Being a band and all
that jazz, the workers were more than likely to get a little
bonus added on to the paychecks if the group felt kind enough to
tip them. Or in this case, myself. This table was in my area and
being one of the last remaining staff members tonight, they were
assigned to me. A part of me hoped I would get lucky and serve
them well enough that they considered leaving some money. But
then, if they did that and my boss found out, he would take it
from me in a heartbeat to put in his own bank.
Sighing, a little defeated and without courage, I walked away
from the table and left them to it. For a few moments, I sat
back in another booth not far from them and kept an eye out in
case they needed anything more during the night. Their banter
only continued the longer I waited, though. Drinks were
requested every ten minutes it seemed and surely to goodness
they couldn’t have any more room for it all. All but one, or
maybe two of them, looked worse for wear. One of the two sober
looking guys looked as though he hadn’t had anything to drink at
all, but the other was a little dazed. The other three; they
were something else entirely. The mere sight of them as I
trudged over was enough to make me giggle, but I didn’t. My boss
would have my head on a stick if I so much as considered
laughing and joking with the customers. Yet another rule that
was rather stupid.
“Okay guys, knock it off. Anything else you might like before I
end my shift?” I asked, hoping their answer would be a
resounding no as I watched them fall about trying to leave.
To my luck and utter amazement, that was indeed their answer,
which left me with a huge smile on my face at the thought of
going home. For my troubles, the redhead dug around in his jeans
pocket and pulled out a few notes, placing them secretively into
the palm of my hand before I could walk away after thanking
them. For a moment, I paused and looked down at the money he had
given me and very nearly choked on air. There was a hell of a
lot more than the usual tip here and thought I was in dire need
of a helping hand, I couldn’t accept such a generous offer.
Absently, I shook my head from side to side and tried to hand it
back, but he only pushed it right back to me. A small smile
formed on his lips as he made a note of the happiness on my
face. I stood there for what seemed like forever with the money
grasped between both hands and a ridiculously beaming smile that
could easily outshine the sun if given half the chance. This
would probably pay for food for several months, so I was more
than eager to get back home and get some rest for grocery
shopping tomorrow. In his eyes, as I bravely looked up when they
were stepping out into the dark knight, there was all the
warmness of kindness of a good hearted person and it all shone
through without much effort. Unlike many others, myself and a
few friends found all that goodness inside of him here and
there, no matter what the tabloids said. This alone was proof
enough that he wasn’t a bad guy and that was enough for me.
I gave one last nod and mouthed a meager thank you, at which he
flashed a toothy grin before stepping out the door and into the
street with his bandmates. Now that they were out of earshot and
could no longer see or hear anything that was going on inside,
my boss made his move. Somehow, he had gone unnoticed by hiding
in a dark corner not too far from the bar and all but snatched
the money from my hands, which were now shaking with fear and
unbelievable anguish. It dawned on me that he really would do
such a thing and as I half expected him to just count the money,
hand it back and offer a well done, he did the opposite.
Apparently, this was just what he had been looking for, or so he
said. A train of lies slipped off his tongue as he told me he
had been in need of the right amount for months as he hoped to
improve the condition of this pub, but I knew better. No one
would believe him, even the regulars who came in for a beer
every night after work.
“But.. you can’t do this to me.. I need that money to live!” I
half yelled, my rage finally reaching boiling point as I grabbed
his arm and practically yanked him backward till he was facing
me.
The fury built in his eyes and was no different than that of the
look I had spotted in the redheads eyes earlier, leaving me
vulnerable once again. I understood then and there I had no
chance of winning this argument and though it was clear he would
not raise his hand to me again, the pure ferocity on his face
indicated he could do a lot worse. I could lose my job and that
would send me right back to where I’d started; right where I
didn’t want to be. My actions alone had caused enough drama and
at this point, I considered handing over my gear and signing off
forever, but he simply spat in my face and stormed into the back
of the pub. For a moment, I stood there blinking in disgust with
my body visibly shaken still. My hands were trembling and as I
rubbed my fingers together in search of the money I was holding
not too long ago, tears slipped down my cheeks. Well, seeing as
my customers had now left and would probably not be returning
here for years and years, I decided to head on home and wallow
in self pity all on my lonesome. It was much too late to call
around for comfort.
Unlike every other night where I would let my boss know I was
off home, this time it seemed pointless. He knew as well as I
did that now my customers had gone, it was my turn to leave as
well. I welcomed that if nothing else, but the hours I had
stayed on had been for nothing now I had no bonus to go home
with. Tossing on my jacket after throwing my apron aside, I
slipped off my work pumps and with difficulty as I was already
unsteady on my feet, pulled on my knee high boots. Unlike the
pumps, these actually went with my outfit. I jotted down a brief
note and left it on the counter top after finding that my boss
was nowhere to be seen. It read, quite clearly, that I would
most likely not be returning if certain conditions were not met.
What I wanted most and it was the only thing I really cared
about, everything else could go unnoticed, was a little respect.
I put all my time and effort into making sure this pub didn’t
land on its ass and all he could do was belittle me for it, when
I was the one making it work. Such arrogance that I had never
known in anyone else before.
Sighing in defeat, I tugged the jacket a little closer around
myself as it didn’t have any ties and hoped the temperature
hadn’t dropped too much since the guys had come in hours ago. It
was bound to have done that, though. A little after one in the
morning it was and my stomach continued to growl out of hunger,
but it was too late to feed myself and I knew if I did, I would
only regret it in the morning. The swelling at the side of my
face had gone down a fair bit, but the bruising was clear as day
even in the dark.
“Hey, how about breakfast?” called a voice from somewhere to my
right, startling me.
There, leaning back against the wall of the pub with one leg up
and his heel against the bricks, was that infamous redhead with
bright green eyes. They were still shining as they had been all
night and for a moment, I couldn’t collect the words I needed to
respond. My confusion was displayed clearly on my face for him
to see, though. It wouldn’t take a genius to work out I was
utterly confused.
“Breakfast, love.. your stomach has been complaining most of the
night,” he added, a sheepish grin on his lips.
Alright, so there was only really one outcome and I wasn’t about
to refuse a decent breakfast after almost starving myself since
I got to work this morning. An egg sandwich I’d had and all but
scoffed it down as my boss couldn’t stop yelling for me to get a
move on because there were people waiting. So naturally, I
nodded in agreement and gave a tiny smile as he pushed off the
wall and stepped closer. A little closer than he had been when
he and his bandmates were sitting at that booth; close enough to
smell the cologne he was wearing and much to my fancy, it was a
scent I adored; chrome. Not a great many guys wore this around
here but whenever I had random shopping trips around the next
city over from mine, it was always in the air.
“Urgh, you could hear that?” I questioned, shuffling from one
foot to another as he held out his arm for me.
How gentlemanly of him to make such a gesture. And here most
people believed him to be a bit of a tosser, when in actual fact
he was quite the opposite, but I was the only one who knew that
right now. His cool attitude put me at ease as we strolled in
silence away from the pub and toward one of the late night
indian restaurants, which I had to admit smelt wonderful as
subtle wisps of curry drifted through the air. Again, my stomach
made an ungodly noise and I cowered, tightening my jacket around
myself even more as though it would silence the embarrassing
noises, but the redhead only laughed in response.
“Take it you’re a fan of indian food?” he asked, but knew the
answer as my feet moved in that general direction.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that I would have to pay though he
had offered to take me to breakfast. And a jolt of panic rushed
through my veins as I no longer had the money to do so. The
thought of what he might say or do upon finding out scared me a
little. He had kindly offered a lot of money to a stranger out
of the goodness of his heart and she had lost it. Or rather, had
it taken from her. I fought with myself in silence as we found a
small table near the back out of view, in case someone spotted
him and wouldn’t give him the chance to make conversation. I
figured he would not be eating anything and then felt positively
awful, but was surprised to learn he wanted to order, too. At
this, I relaxed and felt a whole lot better about the situation,
knowing he wouldn’t be sitting there making small talk whilst
watching me eat because I absolutely hated that. It was an
enormous pet peeve of mine and whoever sat there watching would
get an earful.
As a waiter approached our booth looking rather flustered and
worn out after running about all night, I could easily
sympathise and offered an understanding look as he jotted down
our orders. I ordered a full english, consisting of sausages, a
grilled tomato, a slice or two of bloomer loaf, poached eggs and
beans – whilst the kind gentleman opposite me ordered a cheese
and ham omelette with a side order of hash browns. I noticed
that when he had quickly asked for two glasses of ice cold
mineral water, he was determined to have the waiter away from
our booth in a hurry. Perhaps he knew something I did not. Maybe
half the reason the guy was so flustered was because there was a
glimmer in his eyes, as though he knew exactly who one of his
customers was and intended on receiving at least an autograph
before leaving. It took all the strength I had not to break down
laughing at the sight; the two seemed highly uncomfortable in
one anothers presence after the tension built with the silence
that prolonged itself. All three of us looked quite the picture
at the moment, but I was the only one who seemed to be enjoying
the encounter whilst also hoping it would end soon.
Eventually, the agitated redhead silently asked him for the
notepad and pen as he quickly scribbled down his name with a
brief message of thanks. The waiter, looking quite perplexed
after having expected nothing, almost skipped away into the back
kitchen to put in our orders. Soon enough, he came skipping
right back with our waters and gave a cheerful grin and small
bow as though serving royalty. That was it for me and I just
couldn’t hold back my amusement any longer as a few bursts of
laughter escaped from my mouth. No matter how hard I tried to
stifle them, it was no use and I quickly brought my hands up and
buried my dropped my head down onto the table, now looking as
though I was crying instead. But they both knew I wasn’t and as
soon as the happy waiter retreated to the kitchen once more, I
was left to clear my thoughts and hoped I hadn’t angered the man
who was buying me breakfast at such an ungodly hour.
“Forgive me but I haven’t seen anything quite like that before,
Mr Rose” I said, dabbing at my eyes with a napkin and sipping my
water to soothe my throat.
The redhead smiled from ear to ear as I finally called him by
his name, indicating I knew exactly who he was but knowing all
the while he would have known that anyway, given the band
imprinted on my shirt. He was quick to correct me though and
told me to call him Axl instead, as he didn’t much like being so
formal and would rather I didn’t use his biological fathers
name. Having read a great amount of information on him over the
years, I knew to follow through what that particular request as
his childhood hadn’t been a very nice one. Time and time again,
he had been abused both verbally and psychically from a very
young age and recalling that had me sick to my stomach. A sudden
wave of sadness washed over me, but I quickly covered it with a
plastic smile.
“So.. Axl, what brings you to land of scousers?” I asked,
grinning all the while at my choice of phrasing.
He too seemed highly amused by my words and rubbed his chin,
chuckling before he gave me an answer that I didn’t think would
ever come. Or at least, I had no idea that would have be one of
his reasons. Apparently, the boys were massive Beatle fans and
that took me by surprise more than it should have. The Beatles
were of course what this city was known for, among many other
things, but they were sort of the highlight for any and all
tourists; and we certainly had a lot of tourists roaming about
day in and day out.
“The boys and I pretty much wanted to go all out on Beatle
museums and tours and whatever. But we only arrived this mornin’
so we haven’t really got around to any bookings just yet,” he
said with a smile.
I simply nodded, knowingly. Though this was my hometown and I
had done those tours several times over, it was always a new
experience. Each time I went, there was always something knew I
hadn’t caught before and I felt somewhat jealous that I couldn’t
go anytime soon. Without the money to pay for tours or even
museum visits, which seemed to cost just as much, I was left on
the side. Even those I worked with somehow found the money, or
snagged it from friends and family so they could have days out,
but not me. I was too proud to admit defeat and would never
accept a helping hand from family members even if it killed me.
And lately, it really was beginning to kill me. My health was
declining rapidly due to the small amount of food I had been
eating and no one seemed to notice but me. Not even family, who
should be a hell of a lot more concerned, but they seldom ever
listened when there was an actual problem. If there was
something going on that appeared artificial in nature, they’d be
there in a heartbeat, otherwise no. Every few months, they would
offer me some money, but I politely refused and let them know if
things did get too bad, I would come to them; but I never did.
“I know a few places, if you need any help locating stuff” I
suggested, hoping he would hear me out.
For a moment or two, he considered my offer and then gave a
slight nod as if telling me to continue, which I did quite
happily. The Beatles were one of my most treasured obsessions
and I knew absolutely every Beatle related location in the city,
which he would have to forgive me for. I seemed to drone on and
on for hours, only pausing every now and then to swallow my food
whilst he sat there completely fascinated and on the verge of
rolling on the floor with laughter. At this, I suddenly silenced
my ranting and weakly apologised.
“No no, it’s alright. You really are passionate about all of
this” he said, flashing his teeth as he smiled.
Oh, that smile was something that melted my insides quicker than
a flame would burn the wax of a candle and each time he threw it
my way, I blushed. There was really no need for anything fancy
as far as I was concerned because he had pretty much everything
he needed already written on his face. Such a welcoming,
soothing face it was and one I found I could look at for hours
on end, but at present I was trying not to stare. My plate was
almost cleared of everything as the conversation had dropped a
bit and gave me enough time to actually eat without choking on
anything. The sausages went first, then the eggs, grilled
tomato, beans and finally the slices of bread which were nicely
buttered. It seemed he had finished quite a while before me,
though. I looked to his own plate and grinned as I finished up
and dabbed at my mouth with the napkin. He followed suit, taking
it as a cue almost, though I didn’t know why. At the same time,
we both raised our glasses and as seemed fitting, clinked them
together and smiled brightly at one another. This was turning
out to be quite a night.
#Post#: 2753--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: August 5, 2013, 3:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Oh my stars! You've done it again my dear! I adore how you've
portrayed the boys and Axl's a right knight in shining armor. I
cried when poor Penelope's hard earned cash was taken in one
fell swoop. Can I just adopt this? This is just beyond marvelous
and I can't wait for more, I do hope your muse sticks around. By
the way, you've got me hard pressed for some fries over here and
I haven't had them in ages. Not to mention chicken! Gah, keep up
the fab work my dear! *hugs* A+++++++ work indeed! P.S. I'm
seriously going to make Penelope's boss turn up in a ditch or a
river somewhere. The guy's just urge! Quite the dillhole indeed!
#Post#: 2758--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Wolfy
Date: August 7, 2013, 1:35 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I am so pleased you're enjoying this one because I haven't had
energy like this in a long while, so it's a breath of fresh air
to be writing with such ease. I am so sorry for turning her boss
into a horrible man. I didn't want to, but he just sort of
popped up that way and had to stay. Hopefully, he won't be too
much of a bother to her in the future. Also, glad you approve of
how I portrayed the guys! Axl included. And thank you so very
much ^_^
-----------------------------------
“So, has this been a date or are you just a good soul?” I asked,
hinting at sarcasm as I wiggled my eyebrows.
As expected, he released a rather loud laugh which attracted the
attention of those around us, though they were few and far
between given the time of night. Casually, he leaned over the
table until our noses were but an inch apart and I wound up
holding my breath in anticipation, not knowing what he might say
or do. In what seemed to be a moment of hesitation, he gingerly
lifted one of his hands and I flinched outright. Having had
little time to understand he was not my boss, I felt guilty
immediately but did not move my head back. His hesitation became
more apparent, but he continued to move his hand closer until
his fingers softly brushed against the darkening bruise and I
winced, visibly. An apologetic look donned his face and I gave a
half smile in return; his hand now moving away until it rested
atop the table once more.
“You should put some ice on that before it swells,” he
suggested, tilting his head as he brushed a strand of hair away
from my face. “And try not to cover it up. That bruise isn’t the
only thing your locks are hiding.”
Was he flirting shamelessly or in good faith? I could not tell
the difference between the two as this was Axl Rose, frontman of
Guns N Roses and in my humble opinion, the greatest musician to
ever walk the earth. All of this would go unknown to him for as
long as I could hold out, of course. My thoughts and feelings
were often kept close to my heart and seldom revealed, even to
relatives, so I knew I wouldn’t have a hard time with it. But
the way in which my body responded to his words and gestures was
more than enough to have him guessing. A faint blush appeared on
my cheeks and travelled over the bridge of my nose and
practically set me aflame as his compliment finally sunk in. He
was calling me pretty and I didn’t quite know what to say, so I
hung my head and smiled coyly, which only prompted him to do
something else.
“Hey..” he cooed, gently gripping my chin and lifting my face
back up so I could see him, “Don’t hide that face, you should be
on the cover of a magazine.”
In all my years of living, I had never been given such a lovely
compliment and I still didn’t know how to respond. His grip on
my chin remained and he once again leaned forward over the table
and grinned. My shame was clearly entertaining to him and when
he parted his lips slightly, I held my breath. It seemed that
was quite a common thing for me to do lately, especially when in
situations I didn’t know how to handle. What was he going to do?
I asked myself over and over in my head, but a part of me knew
full well what he was doing. But he was insistent on making it
last forever because although there was little space between us,
he continued to inch closer with every breath he took. So of
course, when he licked the tip of my nose and pulled right back
looking proud of himself, I frowned. Although he found me pretty
and seemed to want to protect me from harm, though we were
practically strangers, there was no clear interest there.
Perhaps I was to be a friend or just a brief encounter, which
made me feel really small. As he had sunk back into his seat, I
did the same thing and with the hair he had placed behind my
ear, I brought it back around until half my face was hidden.
Glancing up threw my lashes, I noticed he had a dominant frown
on his lips but I didn’t even feel guilty. I understood I could
have the wrong idea entirely, but until he proved otherwise, I
was going to treat it as such.
“I will never be pretty enough to be considered for the cover of
a magazine and you shouldn’t be troubling yourself with my
insecurities. I’m sure you have a lot to be doing and the guys
are no doubt wondering where you are, so I wouldn’t want to keep
you. Thank you for the breakfast.. I.. should try to pay you
back sometime, maybe” I rambled on, grabbing my jacket and
almost racing out of the restaurant without putting it on.
Thankfully, there were no rain clouds present in the dark skies,
so I might just get away with this one. The faint sound of
footsteps followed as I walked briskly down the street but soon
took to running instead. I kept my jacket tightly under my arm
as I ran and turned every which way down alleys without much
thought for what might be lingering down each of them. Even if
there were dangerous creatures or harmful people, they wouldn’t
have the chance to catch me as I darted from one to another as
though lost in a maze. There were alleyways on both sides of the
street for the length of time I had been running, but still
those footsteps followed and I was beginning to grow tired. My
legs felt like cement beneath me and didn’t want to continue on.
Stopping to catch my breath, I rounded one more corner and
leaned back against the building with my eyes closed to avoid
any dizziness that might be trying to take over. Running so fast
and hard after just eating a large meal was never a good idea
and though many thought it would give you strength, it did the
opposite.
“So explain this to me, if you’re feeling up to it, love” came a
voice as the owner rounded the same corner and all but pinned me
to the side of the building I was leaning up against. The voice
didn’t sound at all friendly and I was more than a little
reluctant to open my eyes, but knew it was rude not to do so. “I
tip you almost nine hunred, buy you breakfast at one in the
morning, compliment you with what I believe are facts and you
run off as though I’ve caused more damage than that kn*b you
work for?”
Having now been able to catch my breath, I was about to offer a
decent response before my emotions took over instead and I broke
down right in front of him. He was right and I had been foolish
for responding the way I had, leaving without so much as a
handshake or warm smile, and then having procceeded to peg it
down the street as though he was some sort of murderer or
rapist. I’d done him wrong and all he had been trying to do was
show how kind a stranger could be. Well, he wasn’t exactly a
stranger, but I hadn’t known who he really was inside until
tonight and I’d no doubt blown a potential friendship already.
Tears welled up in my eyes and then poured down my cheeks as
though I was suffering at the hands of my boss all over again,
but I couldn’t stop them. His hold on me remained and though I
had no mind to attack him, he lay one leg between mine to save
any damage if I suddenly changed my mind. His hands rested on
either side of me so I couldn’t escape and he was looking at me
with puppy dog eyes. I couldn’t tell what was running through
his head, but I knew I owed an apology and would surely have to
make up for this in more ways than one.
“Axl.. you don’t want to get involved with me. You’re wasting
your time on someone who has little self worth and will probably
continue to ridicule herself the more you compliment her,” I
said, battling with my emotions as tears fell freely now from my
eyes.
Something changed in his eyes as soon as I had finished speaking
and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I desperately
wanted him to say something. I wanted him to agree and just
leave it at that so I wouldn’t cause him any trouble in the
future, but he appeared unwilling to do that. His hands remained
where they were so I could not run away from him again, and as
he opened his mouth to speak, I dropped my head back against the
building and waited with the patient of a saint. Whatever it was
he was trying to tell me was difficult, judging by how he opened
and closed his mouth every so often as though finding another
way to offer up a few words.
“Is it really that difficult to accept a helping hand when it’s
passed to you through a stranger?” he asked, his voice low but
loud enough for me to hear.
As before in the restaurant, he leaned in a little closer but
stopped only inches away, his mouth hanging open as it was last
time. My breath hitched in my throat but I fought to keep myself
sane as the tears stopped falling and I considered what he had
told me. He was right, in all he had said and there I was making
myself out to be an even more problematic person than my boss.
Surely, sooner or later he would find me a waste of space, but
then why was he so interested in keeping in contact and making
things better? I barely knew the man and he barely knew me and
yet we were now on the verge of an argument because I felt
insecure.
“No..” I muttered, dropping my head as I no longer felt strong
enough to face him.
Such closeness was a problem and it managed without difficulty
to earn a dominant blush upon my cheeks, that no amount of
looking elsewhere could hide. I figured he was simply trying to
see how far he could push me until I cracked, but the way his
mouth remained open and he didn’t move away from me, had me
thinking. If he was intent on doing something, I wished he would
just go right ahead and do it without making me wait. My insides
were at war with another and any moment now, I would probably
push him away and make a run for it all over again. Even more
insecurities; but I didn’t know how else to react. His movements
were bold, as were his words and because we had only met one
another just a few hours ago, I couldn’t quite trust him. The
only masculine figures in my life had been unkind toward me and
that made him no different until he could prove otherwise. And
the weight of all that dropped onto my shoulders, making my head
fall back against the bricks of the building, but my eyes closed
immediately. Not of their own will, but because of the small
pressure my lips were now feeling. It was soft and warm, but it
wasn’t his hand. Briefly, my eyes fluttered open to catch a peak
and I almost choked in finding he was kissing me. Absently, they
closed over seconds later and I somehow managed to lean in a
little closer, my arms coming up to wrap loosely around his
neck.
But then, I realised this was probably very wrong. With him
being such a star and known worldwide, this was surely just a
momentary fling. If my hopes were rising, it was time to break
it off, starting with the kiss. Though my hands were now shaking
due to the intensity of the moment, I was able to lightly push
his shoulders to let him know enough was enough. His eyes held
so many emotions when I did that; so much so that I couldn’t
tell which were coming and which were going. He stared at me for
the longest time, simply trying to understand me and work out
what was going on inside my head, but even I didn’t quite know
the answer to that one.
A little breathless due to the unexpected kiss, I opened my
mouth to say something but it closed again all too soon. His
eyes flickered and he tilted his head an inch or so. My hands
were glued to his shoulders, just in case he tried to lean in
again. I wouldn’t allow him to, as I knew myself very well and
wouldn’t be letting him stop anytime soon if he thought he could
get away with it a second time around. But those eyes and that
look.. they left me weak at the knees and all the strength I had
inside of me vanished.
“Don’t you trust me, Penelope?” he asked, his tone almost
heartbreaking.
“I d..” I said, stumbling over my words and cursing inwardly as
I fought for the right thing to say. I couldn’t tell him that I
did with all my heart because I barely knew him. But at the same
time, I would feel grief over telling him there was no trust at
all, even if it seemed more suitable.
“I..” there it was again, the inevitable stuttering that would
cost me all I was worth.
Before I could even tackle speech again, he leaned in once more
and caught my lips with his, this time intent on not pulling
away nor allowing me to move him. My hands that were resting on
his shoulders slid slowly down his chest and I mustered up a
little energy to push, but he wouldn’t budge. He was a lot
stronger than me by far and the slight curl of his lips
indicated a smile. Of course, he was having fun and didn’t much
feel like backing off again. Apparently, he had taken my
inability to shun him as a sign that it was okay to go in for
another, and I wasn’t prepared to deny the truth in that. Though
a meager part of myself told me it was wrong, there were
fireworks exploding in my head and their undeniable noise
suggested this was right.
#Post#: 2759--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lay All Your Love On Me
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: August 7, 2013, 5:41 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I...just...damn! This is perfect my dear! I've got to tell you,
I've never felt so bad for a fictional character in my entire
life and poor Penelope really breaks my heart. The poor dear's
been through a lot in her twenty-six years and lord knows what
exactly she's seen. She seems so haunted. I felt like I was
right there with them! Here's Axl playing the knight in shining
armor trying to bring her out of her shell a bit and show her
that all men aren't as horrid as her (the board won't let me
call him what I really want to) boss and the poor dear's like a
deer in the headlights. I must give you major kudos for that
steamy little cliff hanger ending there. My hand held fan got a
bit of a work out. I give you and your muse major gold stars for
this! Keep it up my dear, you're doing an outstanding job! I'm
so glad you have renewed energy, perhaps it's that handsome
gingery muse of yours! ;)
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