WHO: Louis Bonaccord and Kalista Borgin
WHAT: A chance encounter
WHEN: Some time this week?
WHERE: Exotic location!
STATUS: Finishing in comments!
Louis leaned back into his chair, forcing himself to ignore the temptation to kick his heels up and lay them on the umbrella covered table. He was on Ministry business, but with a view like this beachfront restaurant was giving him, it was hard to maintain a professional demeanor. He was supposed to be meeting with his Belizean counterpart about some ministry exchange program that Louis found only mildly interesting.
But, being put on the assignment meant he got a week in this beautiful country on the MInistry’s dime, and he surely could get used to that.
He lifted his hand to order another drink from his waiter when his eyes caught sight of something much more enticing. Surprising, really. A face he’d thought he’d never seen, especially not in this country across an ocean, was walking toward him in a crowd and looking far more radiant in the bright sun.
Louis shot to his feet and made his way through the tables, hoping to stop the woman before she disappeared into the crowd on the boardwalk.
“Excusez-moi, mademoiselle!” he said, gently taking hold of the arm of the woman he had most thoroughly snogged at the Halloween event.
Kalista thought she was long over-due for a vacation, and it didn't take much to convince Augustus that she and Astrid needed some time away from the cold weather. He was hesitant at first, but she assured him they would be back before the holidays, and pointed out that he knew enough people to get a port key on a whim, should he decide he wanted to travel to their summer home in Belize.
Honestly, her need to get away had little to do with the weather, and more to do with an incident that had occurred on Halloween. It had taken her some time in the ladies room that night to make sure that her lipstick wasn't smudged, and that her clothing and hair weren't disheveled before she went home. Thankfully Augustus had been asleep, though even after she washed up and crawled into bed, she couldn't stop thinking about the phantom she had met at the party - more specifically, she couldn't stop thinking about the way he had kissed her.
She couldn't remember the last time a man had kissed her like that. He wanted her, and she wanted him. She damn near needed him by the time he finally decided to make a move, which was why she hadn't resisted like she knew she should have. She was a married, pureblooded woman; people expected her to be proper, and poised, and bear lots of children for her husband. She knew that people spoke in hushed voices about the fact that she hadn't been able to get pregnant since Astrid, though she and Augustus had tried. The thing was, even when they were supposed to be making love, there was no passion. She had forgotten what it felt like, to have a man find her desirable. She didn't ever speak with anyone outside of her social circle, so the men knew she was taken and never dared express their desires to do anything more than just speak with her. Augustus would have their heads, if they tried.
It was ironic, that she had been the devil on Halloween, since he was the one guilty of leading her to commit the original sin - he provided her temptation, and she had eaten the apple that was dangled in front of her face. The worst part was that she didn't regret it. She just needed to clear her head because she knew it would never happen again. That was what brought her to Belize.
The sun warmed her exposed shoulders as she made her way down the pier, her hair back to its usual golden hue in loose curls that fell over her shoulders. She had gotten someone to watch over Astrid for the afternoon, giving her some time to herself. She heard there were some shops along the beach, and had every intention of checking them out when the last person she expected to see came rushing towards her. She had only seen him out of her peripheral vision until he grabbed her arm to get her attention, though once he had it, her eyes widened as they focused on those baby blue eyes. They were even more impressive in the daylight, and she felt her pulse quicken as she looked up at him.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, pulling her arm away from his grasp, suddenly getting paranoid. She looked around before looking back at him, her eyes narrowing a bit suspiciously. "Did you follow me?" Really, what were the chances he would be there? It wasn't a ridiculous idea, especially she was starting to wonder if maybe the whole thing was some sort of set up.
Did he--what?
Louis took on a confused expression, standing back. He was just as surprised to see her again, especially with her hair as golden as it was, especially here in a completely foreign country, but he had not been at all suspicious of the strange coincidence. Louis’ travels and adventures had given him a good insight on the world, and he enjoyed how random life truly was.
“Why would I follow you?” he said, not trying to sound rude though he often came off that way. Louis crossed his arms, glad that he was in his ministry robes to give him some sort of dignity, and perhaps a bit of an excuse. Not an--excuse! He was here, on official ministry business! There was no reason for him to feel unnerved by her gaze, though it was a far different seeing her in the bright sunny day than in the dark shadows of the castle. He was also not under the influence of the rather strong punch that had given him an abundance of courage.
He needed to handle this all on his own. Bother.
“I am a junior ambassador for the Ministry,” Louis explained, patting the patch that rested on the left lapel of his robes. He looked her over, smirking slightly in approval. She looked completely different from the night of Halloween, but just as beautiful. Maybe even more so as the blonde seemed to be her natural color. That was a feat. “Would I be mistaken in saying you are here not for work, but for fun?”
His genuine confusion came as a shock, though now she felt like a dolt for having accused him of such a thing. She was pretty good at reading people, so she liked to think she would have known if he was merely feigning innocence. She ran her fingers through her hair, rolling her lips under as he questioned her logic.
"I don't know, I just-..." She let out a breath, trying to choose her words as she rubbed at her brow. "I've just had bad experiences with people suddenly showing up when I least expect them to." It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it was better than admitting that she was paranoid. It wasn't all too crazy of an idea to think that some mysterious stranger had been infatuated enough to find out more about her whereabouts. Then again, if he had gone through the trouble of finding her in Belize of all places, he surely would have discovered she was a taken woman during his investigations. The thought turned her stomach.
Her eyes traveled down to the patch on his chest as he explained his reason for being there, though she noticed the once over he gave her when her focus was back on his face. The appearance of that subtle smirk made her stand up a bit straighter, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She was very quickly beginning to remember why she had been so tempted to snog him in the shadows on Halloween...
Getting lost in her thoughts, she blinked when she realized he had asked her a question, her brows lifting slightly. "Hm? Oh...no, I'm not here for work." She paused, and then smirked. "Did the absence of an official ministry patch give me away?"
After she accepted his reasoning, Louis watched her carefully, a smile slowly stretching across his face. This was wild, was it not? The woman he had not expected to see ever again, was here, on the boardwalk of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. He was a sucker for a blonde, that was for sure, and it heightened his excitement tenfold. He gave a quick look around to see if his Belizean counterpart had arrived, and surmising that he could pull off a snotty, British comment about not wishing to wait around and waste time, he took hold of her hand.
“Come, then,” he said, his grin wide and eyes lit with excitement. Louis tugged her through the crowd, knowing precisely the spot that he was sure she’d enjoy. He’d gone adventuring earlier in the day to have things to talk about with his partner and had found this beautiful jetty that jutted out into the ocean so far that all you could hear was the crashing of waves, the city noise lost in the ocean.
“I’m Louis,” he said over his shoulder. It amazed him that it was so easy to take her hand and he had no idea what her name was.
