Savannah Davies (jot_it_down) wrote in valesco,
@ 2011-05-29 03:18:00

Entry tags:

Geoff
Savannah was dressed to the nines – her hair pulled to one side, so that gentle curls of auburn were draped over the delicate curve of her exposed shoulder, smiling at the man who was standing in front of her. The smile should have been genuine, since most women were more than thrilled to get all dressed up, and wear suicide heels and bat their lashes at people, but she was just trying not be rude as the older gentleman rambled on about some sort of auction he had attended, where he had been the highest bidder on an old set of peacock quills. She lifted her brows to feign interest, and nodded her head along with what he was saying before she lifted her glass of champagne to her lips, taking a long, much needed sip before she lowered her glass and rolled her lips under, careful not to smudge her lipstick.

She did enjoy getting all dressed up, but…Savannah had always been the type of girl who would much rather be hanging around in jeans and a t-shirt, and had always been the one to be wrestle around in the mud with the guys instead of taking ballet lessons, or doing something else little girls were supposed to do. Having a twin brother definitely had an impact on her hobbies and interests, so standing there in a dress wasn’t really…her. The only reason she had come was because she felt obligated, since it was for a good cause, and because someone in particular had decided to join her.

That person met her eyes the next time she took a glance out to the crowd, and his soft blue eyes held her attention, this time smiling genuinely for the first time since she had been standing there listening to the old man. She would turn to her company, not wanting to appear rude, like she was completely ignoring him. After she realized he wasn’t going to stop talking unless she said something, she reached out to place a hand on his arm.

“I’m so sorry, will you please excuse me?”

A kind smile, and the old man nodded, warranting another smile (thankful, and apologetic this time), finally able to turn away from him to approach the Quidditch star who had been stopped by a few fans – sports writers, who she had tried to warn him again – stopping once she found a place in the small circle he had been standing in, gently clearing her throat to get the group’s attention

“I hope I’m not interrupting….”

Oh, she knew she was, but she didn’t care. Her eyes locked onto Geoff Brand’s, her target, stepping towards him so she could place a hand on his arm.

“Mind if I borrow you?”

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gavins
2011-05-30 04:01 am UTC (link)

It wasn't that Geoff liked talking to sports writers, persay - it was just that he'd spent most of his life being groomed to be a professional Quidditch player. He'd spent much of his childhood hearing about the terrible players who put too much of their 'negative' personal life out for the rest of the world to see, subsequently ruining their careers forever. Now every time he wanted to do something that he knew would be frowned upon by the press, he heard a little voice in the back of his mind (either his sister or his mother) reminding him of just how important reputation was.

Not that she had much say in that last department considering the father of her child, but -- well, he'd kept quiet about it. It was stupid that his sister's one silly mistake had to ruin the rest of her life. She seemed happy now, and that was what he'd really been worried about with all the silliness with Braith.

Well, that and the idea that the man might one day come to his house and beat him to death with nothing more than his bare fists, but he wasn't about to admit to that last part. He -- had his own problems with the Death Eaters that prevented him from staying out of their business completely, but he had been trying to work on his gambling problem so that he didn't have to worry about digging himself an even bigger hole. Having Savannah around as a distraction (and someone to spend his hard-earned money on) had been a huge step in the right direction as far as Geoff was concerned.

He smiled, turning toward the writers and giving a helpless half-shrug as he let Savannah pull him away. "Well, I can't in my right mind neglect my date. Sorry! We'll have to finish up that story later, though." He turned to Savannah once he'd gotten himself far enough away from the group of reporters that he'd no longer have to worry about them being within earshot.

"Thanks for the save, Sav."

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jot_it_down
2011-05-30 04:16 am UTC (link)

She snickered quietly as she wrapped her arm through his to take hold of his arm. “I’ve been stuck in an elevator with Bradley McDermitt and his holier than thou attitude more times than I’d care to discuss… In all honesty, I meant to save you a good 15 minutes ago, but I myself was caught up in a delightful conversation about Quills…” She let out a light sigh and then turned up to face him, giving him a smile. “I’m just really glad you were here, otherwise I never would have found a good enough excuse to get away…so really, I should be thanking you for the save.”

They would walk a little further before they stopped near a table that held some left-over hors d'oeuvres, causing Savannah to involuntarily scrunch her nose before her stomach made a quiet rumbling noise. She placed her hand flat against her belly before she turned to look over at Geoff.

“…did you at least enjoy your meal?”

She hoped that at least he didn’t think the food sucked just as bad, if not worse than the company at this event. She felt bad, that the only reason he was there was because of her, while at the same time also glad that he was there to experience the misery with her – misery loves company, as they say.

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gavins
2011-05-30 04:25 am UTC (link)

"Well, we can mutually thank each other for being convenient excuses out of conversations we really didn't want to be in either." He paused, though, not wanting Savannah to think he was too bothered by the press, "not that I really mind talking with the writers. It's just that very few of them want to talk shop, and a lot of them just want to gossip. I'm afraid I'm not very good at the whole 'gossip' thing. Maybe Leanne can help me practice how to tell better stories to sports writers."

Geoff let his gaze wander down to her stomach when it rumbled. It actually sounded angry - maybe it was offended at the quality of the meal that Savannah may or may not have actually eaten. He wrinkled his nose.

"Uh," he started, glancing over to the refreshment table, "I didn't have too much of it, honestly. I'm really in no position to judge food, but it just didn't seem like my sort of ... cuisine." Did that sound horribly rude?

"I mean, people don't really come to these kind of events for food -- they come to raise money, right? So that's what's important." And he'd donated a reasonable amount, so nobody could fault him for not nibbling at any of the slimy looking appetizers. His own stomach let out a loud groan and he glanced down at it a bit sheepishly.

"I guess I'm still a tad starved, though."

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jot_it_down
2011-05-30 04:38 am UTC (link)

She thought it was sweet, the way he kept trying to back peddle to make his words sound less offensive. She took another sip of her champagne before she placed it down on the tray that a waiter was walking by with. Her attention went back on him when he admitted to still being starved, and she looked out to survey the crowd.

“You’re absolutely right.” Her eyes were back on him. “And I’d say the both of us have made generous donations, wouldn’t you agree? We’ve helped a good cause …” she looked back out to the crowd, pausing for a moment before speaking again.

“With that being said…I don’t think they could possibly consider us to be rude, if we were to, oh I don’t know…leave this place and go get something that’s actually appetizing.”

She turned to look up at him, giving a nonchalant shrug, even if she looked a little mischievous – like she was hoping he would definitely bite the bait to get out of there and go and get something to eat.

“Just a thought.”

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gavins
2011-05-30 07:26 pm UTC (link)

Was she suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? It was certainly something he'd never consider out loud without someone else bringing it up, but -- well, he really did need to get some real food in him before he started to get irritable. Little did most people know that Geoff Brand found his mood suffering with a low blood sugar. He also didn't want to end up snapping at Savannah, so after a moment he nodded.

"I think that might be a very good idea. Do we have to make a stealthy exit, though?" It would probably be the fastest way to go about things, that was for sure. He glanced over to the door and then to the coat check near to it, noticing with some degree of pleasure that there were not many people milling about the front. It was starting to get late enough that those who had been invited and only wanted to party would be coming in soon enough - that meant that they'd have plenty of cover to make their escape.

"Did you have anything in mind?" He wanted to make sure they went somewhere the both of them would enjoy.

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jot_it_down
2011-05-30 08:15 pm UTC (link)

She was glad that he was in agreement with her idea, though his question made her twist her lips to the side as she too looked over towards where they needed to go to get out of there. “We can try…but you seem to draw a lot of attention.” She looked up at him, giving him a playful smirk. “I can’t bring you anywhere, if I’m trying to be stealthy…” She teased, and then went back to trying to map out their escape route in her head. She had a lot of experience when it came to being with people who drew a lot of attention because of their fame, but it seemed that Geoff was more modest than the others, and didn’t seem to get as much enjoyment out of all the attention.

His next question made her think for a moment, eventually turning her gaze up to him with hoisted brows. “Pizza?” Whether or not he was expecting her to say something a little more sophisticated, she wasn’t sure, but Savannah had always been a simple girl with simple needs. “Personally, I’d be absolutely thrilled if you were just in the mood for a burger and fries, but…I could definitely go for a slice of pepperoni.”

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gavins
2011-05-30 10:06 pm UTC (link)

Truth be told, the celebrity was just a side-effect of being a Quidditch player. He was sure that if he'd ended up working in the ministry, his grandfather's fame wouldn't have been enough to give him a significant advantage - and unlike some other peoples' families who seemed to desire successful businessmen, his seemed to be set on producing star sports players. Not a bad thing, he supposed.

It was refreshing not to have a demanding, annoying bint at his side. For some reason the Quidditch pitch seemed to attract that sort, and Geoff had long ago grown tired of it. He laughed.

"I think that would be a great idea. I like olives on mine, though, so maybe we should get them to put different toppings on one half." No need to be inconsiderate, after all. "Olives and pineapples are where it's at, really." He looked toward the door again. "It might be better if we go separately. I can go to the back hallway to the washrooms and then cut back around." Geoff was sure that all of this planning wasn't necessary, but it was sort of ... fun.

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jot_it_down
2011-05-30 10:37 pm UTC (link)

The combination of olives and pineapple made her nose scrunch again, not quite sure how those two could possible go together well. “I’ll have to take your word on that – maybe you can even let me try some of your half?” Suddenly she was looking forward to the pizza all the more, incredibly happy that her date for the evening seemed to thinking on the same wavelength as she was when it came to what they should be eating. His suggestion on going separate ways made her laugh a little, turning back to him with a grin.

“Maybe you’re a lot stealthier than I gave you credit for, Brand.”

They came up with a place for the both of them to meet up, and before she took off for the more generalized way of exiting the room, she reached up to give his arm a gentle squeeze before sending a quick wink in his direction – he way of saying ‘see you in a bit’.

She was able to make it past most of her co-workers without a hitch, though a lot of them asked her where Geoff was, to which she explained that he wasn’t feeling his best and had to leave early. They were more disappointed to know that the Quidditch player was no longer amongst their company than to know that one of their own colleagues was leaving. Worked to her advantage, since it let her slip away much quicker than she would have been able to if Geoff had still been at her side.

Truth be told, it was fun, acting like they were part of some sort of covert operation, taking separate routes to the same location just so they wouldn’t cause a commotion. Savannah even found that she was smiling to herself, both because she felt accomplished and because she was looking forward to reuniting with Geoff. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk, stopping in front of the book store around the corner where she had asked him to meet her.

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gavins
2011-05-30 10:49 pm UTC (link)

It wasn't very often that Geoff actually got to cut loose and relax. Time during the season was spent training for the games, and time between seasons was supposed to be spent preparing for the season itself. It was a never-ending cycle that left him with distressingly little spare time, especially with the pressure that he put on himself (and that may or may not have existed as coming from his parents). He also selfishly felt that if his sister beat him in Quidditch for much longer she was never going to let him live it down, and that bothered him more than he would admit.

Geoff turned the corner to the book store after he'd been sure that Savannah had already left, smirking to himself and sliding up beside her to give her cheek a quick peck and her shoulder a squeeze. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? And a lot better than having to wade through the throngs of my adoring fans," he snorted. Sure, he might've had 'adoring fans', but he didn't have any sort of fanatical following that would require wading.

"And I'll have you know that I am extremely stealthy. That is the key to my great plays on the field - I almost literally disappear." That wasn't at all true, but he doubted that she cared either way.

"So, pizza. Do you know where there might be a good place around here?"

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jot_it_down
2011-05-30 11:57 pm UTC (link)

She definitely didn’t object when he leaned in to kiss her cheek, rolling her eyes when he mentioned the ‘throngs of adoring fans’, though she did so while trying to fight off another smile. “I don’t know how you get anywhere.” She was playing along, though she did know that despite him making a joke about wading through crowds of fans, he did, in fact, have to deal with people stopping him on street corners to sign autographs or take photos, when he was recognized. Playing for Puddlemere definitely warranted the players a lot of attention because of how many times the team had been champions, in years past.

Again his words struck her as amusing, and she let out a short laugh as she switched her clutch from one hand to the other. “I was wondering why I had such a hard time keeping my eye on you on the field… Now it all makes sense.”

Looking around, Savannah considered where they were before she nodded her head. “There’s a place called Papa Giuseppe’s a few blocks from here…and I hear they make a mean pineapple and olive pie.” She gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow before tilting her head to gesture which direction they had to walk.

“Come on, Houdini. This way.”

Whether or not he knew who Houdini was, she wasn’t sure, but he had warranted the nickname because of his apparent ability to ‘disappear’.

Their walk was set at a nice, casual pace – sure, she was hungry and wanted to get to the parlor as soon as possible, but it was beautiful outside, and she liked the way the breeze felt against her skin. She also liked the company she was in, and how the moments of silence between them weren’t at all awkward, but comfortable.

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gavins
2011-05-31 12:06 am UTC (link)

"Well, as long as you know what direction you're leading me in," he smirked, sliding one of his arms into hers as they started the walk to the infamous Papa Giuseppe's pizza place. "But if you're lying about the pizza, I will have to think of a devious way to get back at you." He didn't know very many people who were into the idea of pineapple and olive in the first place, so he doubted that she'd tasted his particular style of pizza. Still, once you'd tasted the crust and sauce from a pizza place then you had a pretty good idea whether their pizza overall was going to be good regardless of the sort of topping you put on it.

He was glad to simply walk with Savannah - the evening was nice enough, and now that the Quidditch season was over and done with he'd have more time to spend with her even if he would have to beg out of the off-season practices with his sister now and again. Now that she had a man in her life as well, he was sure that she wouldn't mind so much.

"I'll even buy you a soda, generous gentleman that I am."

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jot_it_down
2011-05-31 04:21 am UTC (link)

It was such a different experience, being with a man who was actually a gentleman - he held doors for her, and he said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when appropriate. Not only that, but he made her feel like someone who was worth these little gestures, and that alone made her like the man at her side all the more. It had been too long since she felt like she was worth anything, seeing how she had sunk into a state of feeling like she was worthless due to all the epic failures that had been her previous relationships. At first, she had been terrified of letting anyone get through the wall she had put up around herself, but Geoff was patient with her, and she appreciated that more than he could know.

“You spoil me.” She quipped about his offer to buy her a soda, and pulled herself a little closer to him as they walked. He was warm, and even though she didn’t need the additional body heat in this weather, she enjoyed the way she felt when she was this close to him.

Arriving at Papa Giuseppe’s, Savannah stepped into the relatively empty parlor, and approached the counter with a smile. They definitely looked out of place, being so dressed up in such a casual restaurant, and the man who was working that night definitely gave them a strange look before asking what he could get them. She placed the order for a large pie, half pepperoni, and half olive and pineapple, and was told that it would take some time before it was ready. She thanked him, and then drummed her fingers against the counter before she turned, leaning her back against it to face Geoff.

“So…did you want to eat here?” She hesitated a moment before she spoke again, though it was only after she scraped her bottom lip with her teeth. “We could go back to my place, if you’d like. I’m sure the seating there is more comfortable, at least…”

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gavins
2011-06-02 09:27 pm UTC (link)

Although Geoff didn't think that offering to buy her a soda was spoiling Savannah (and he was fairly certain that she didn't really think so either), he was glad to at least have her be able to joke about it. So far she'd seemed to have very simple needs, and he couldn't fathom why it was that she had such an apparently bad track record with men. She did seem like she was a friendly girl - perhaps they'd just taken advantage of her. That wasn't something he wanted to think too long on, though, so once Sav asked him where he wanted to have their dinner, he managed a sheepish smile. It was a big step for her to want to have dinner at her place, he thought; she trusted him enough to show him her home for a long period of time. It was far more intimate than the settings their dates had been in so far.

And she was the one who'd suggested it, so it wasn't as if people could accuse him of taking advantage of her.

"Well, I think that heading to your place might be a good idea. I'm sure your beverage selection is a little better as well - no disrespect meant for Mr. Giuseppe, of course." It was just that people normally stocked their fridge with things that they liked. She might also have some more 'adult' beverages, should they choose to partake in them. Geoff stuffed his hands in his pockets, fishing out the total that the clerk had rattled off after Sav had made the order. It was only proper for him to pay since she'd been the one to take them to the lovely fundraiser. The food might've been lacklustre, but the drinks had been just fine.

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jot_it_down
2011-06-03 12:16 am UTC (link)

It was as she smiled in reaction to his response that she realized how long it had been since a man had made her feel…happy. She was happy, when she was with Geoff, and she wasn’t quite sure he understood what a big deal that was to her. She was still very reserved, and almost self-conscious about herself, thinking for a while that she had been doing something wrong with all the other men in her life.

But she felt confident, around him – something that had taken a little while, what with her paranoia that relationships always end barldly – but now that she did, she was able to see him as a kind, caring man with a good sense of humor, instead of someone who would potentially break her heart.

“Oh, of course.”

She said with another one of those bright smiles, going to place her purse up on the counter – at least making the reach to pay, instead of automatically assuming he would. As they were waiting for the pizza to finish baking, Geoff grabbed the pizza box, and this time it was Savannah’s turn to open the door for him, following out to sidewalk. Finding an empty alley, Savannah took hold of Geoff’s arms, making sure he was prepared to apparate before she sent them popping off to her apartment building.

Opening the door to her place, she pushed open the door in order to step aside, and let him in, directing him towards the kitchen so he could place the pizza box down onto the counter. She re-locked her door, and then made her way into the kitchen to join him, immediately opening up a cabinet, to grab them a couple of plates, holding the pantry open, not knowing which glasses to grab, since she didn’t know what they were drinking.

“How would you like a glass of wine? I’ve got a bottle of red sitting open…it’s a good year, from what I’ve been told.” She smirked. “I admittedly don’t know much about wine…but it tastes good, and it gets the job done.”

‘The job’, for the night, was to get of any lingering knots of tension that came with the idea of having him in her home. She wanted to be calm, and relaxed, and worry free – she hadn’t been that way in too long. It was like she was an entirely different person from who she used to be, because of everything she had been through – between the men in her life, and the Death Eaters, and…everything.

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gavins
2011-06-04 05:32 am UTC (link)

It was definitely a big step inviting him into her home, and Geoff tried to be respectful of that fact; he didn't sit down when they entered, not wanting to appear too familiar with the place (or accidentally sit down on a chair that would end up trying to eat him, because that had definitely happened on one occasion with a particularly awful date that he'd been on). He set the pizza box down and moved to open it with one hand, leaning against the edge of the counter.

"I'll have to take your word about the wine; I'm sure it will be fine as long as I don't drink too much of it and wind up making a fool of myself." He shrugged his shoulders easily. Wine and pizza seemed like a bit of an odd combination, but he wasn't about to question it when he was enjoying her company.

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