LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY adrift)

Isabelle wasn't exactly sure what this was all about. She hadn't talked to Corwin for a few years. He wasn't the sort of person you keep in touch with. She was surprised to find him in Canada, calling her from his hotel and asking for a meeting.

She spotted him on the edge of a tourist crowd and moved toward him. "What do you want?" she asked, skepticism clouding her usual kind and open demeanor.

He grinned. "Nice to see you too," he replied, not in the least surprised by Isabelle's reaction. He opened his arms and leaned to place a light kiss on her cheek. "I've missed you," he added off handedly, as if that were a decent way to start this conversation.

She moved back from him as if stung by the little kiss. "So you got lonely and called me?" she retorted, deciding that her crude nature with Corwin was the right course. He liked her this way, if that was really believable. They had a lot of past, a lot of things that neither of them really wanted to dig up. This was glazing over more than anything else.

"No," he replied promptly. "I've got an assignment I need help with."

She could see where this was going. An assignment for Corwin was a thinly veiled attempt at using photography to go on vacation. "Where to?"

"No where in particular," he replied with a wry grin. His eyebrow raised slightly in intrigue.

"No where in particular?" she repeated, a bit flabbergasted.

"The destination doesn't matter. It's the trip itself. We're to photograph the guests as we travel."

"Fine then." She wasn't much in the mood for playing with him at the moment. "Flying, sailing, on the rails?"

"Sailing," he said, hoping her interest was finally piqued.

How very Corwin, she thought. "What's the catch?"

"We have to pretend we're married," he said with a seriously straight face.

"Right," she replied, "eating together, sleeping in the same bed, making nice in public, straight up to the fake sex. Pretty sure that won't happen Graves."

His grin turned into as smirk. "No catch," he relented. "Just some company with someone lovely. And it's nice to have a more artistic eye around."

"Are you finally admitting I'm better than you?" she asked, eyes bright with amusement.

He smiled and winked at her. "Is it working?"

She laughed, shook her head and looked away from him. "Always turning on the charm," she said lightly, looking at him as if he were an entirely different man than the one who stole her heart all those years ago. He was the same old Corwin, but something was a little different about him. There was a feeling of importance around him, as if this were one of those life changing decisions that she'd regret years down the road. "Say I go with you," she began slowly, "what then?"

"We snap pictures on the cruise. Come home, develop, get published. We split ways and maybe never see each other again." There was a tinge of regret in his own voice, something she hadn't entirely expected.

"So that's it?"

"That's it."

She frowned a bit and sighed. He didn't have to try very hard to convince her to do anything. That was the problem with Corwin and Isabelle. He was always on the side that got what they wanted. She was on the side that had to pretend it was what they wanted. "I suppose," she offered. "When do we leave?"

"Two days. Well… technically."

"Two days? Technically?" she spluttered. "Corwin, that's hardly time to pack."

"I know. You better get a move on if you intend to go."

She shook her head. "Where are we leaving from?"

"Manhattan," he replied gleefully. "Don't worry, I'll drive all the way."

She rolled her eyes. "Still worried about women driving your car. It's good to see you're still damn infuriating."

"Why change something that works?" he asked rhetorically, smiling at her still. "I'll pick you up at your place around 11pm on Thursday. Just to make sure we have time for traffic and rest stops. Be ready," he warned. He gave her a little wink and turned to depart, before glancing back. "Still have that two piece?"

"Get out of here!" she exclaimed, batting at him futilely as he moved away and did exactly as she'd commanded. Isabelle had the strangest feeling that she was going to regret this whether or not she actually decided to go.