Freedom Delivered (open!)

[Skye Malizia]

It arrived this morning. When Skye woke up, there was a package pushed under her door with her name on it. It was one of those letter-sized padded envelopes, and when she picked it up and shook it, the metallic jingle inside set her heart racing.

Yes, yes, yes... Il giorno felice giorno felice non posso crederlo. Finalmente!

She looped her finger through the keychain and shook it so she could hear that clangingsound again. When the Academy moved so quickly, Skye's Christmas present from her family was left behind. That didn't sit well with her, so she made arrangements for someone to deliver the car here. Her parents double-checked to make sure the agency was credible, and for her financial safety they altered the arrangement so Skye wouldn't pay until her keys were back in her hand, and she was comfortable behind the wheel again.

So here she was, having followed the directions on the letter delivered with the keys, and she wrote the cute guy who drove her Hamann Fiat 500 all the way to Washington a big fat cheque. She also inconspicuously added her number (not on the cheque itself; she knew it would be void if she tried), but instead she folded the cheque around her the slip of paper she wrote it on. He took the cheque and the paper slid out, and when he picked it up and realized what it was, Skye was already starting the engine of her long-missed gift.

She didn't know where she wanted to go. She drove everywhere, familiarizing herself with the neighbourhood until the full tank of gas dropped to only half. She paused outside a hotel, debating on getting a room just for a change of scenery. It couldn't hurt to inquire, although her parents might wonder why their credit card was being charged for a room when Skye was supposed to be staying at the school.

She parked and got out, lifting her sun glasses off her eyes and placing them delicately on the top of her head. She was wearing a pink, flowery spring dress and dusty grey ballet flats. She made sure her car was locked before she slipped her keys into her purse, and she walked into the hotel's front desk. There was someone already speaking to the lady behind the counter, so Skye waited patiently, looking at a magazine rack with brochures and coupons. She picked one up, looking inside curiously.

[Leogare Lasteulf]

Leo was screaming down the road, as was his way, when he found himself zipping by two of his vices in one compact package.

One would be a new car, now it wasn't exactly the most 'sporty' of cars, but it had it's strong parts. They couldn't all look amazing. The other would happen to be the cars owner, a young lass who'd just gone into some semi-fancy hotel.

Now the question was, did Leo want to waste his time trying to seduce yet another women when he was convinced this side of the country was populated with insanity?

That was a stupid question.

Leo slid his bike into the space in front of the young girls yellow car and dropped his kickstand, plucking the keys. He lifted his helmet and stowed it under his arm as he strolled into the hotel. Sure it might be vain of him to walk into the hotel just with the intention of flirting with a girl, but well, he was kind of vain anyway.

He walked right to the waiting area and sat down 2 seats from Skye, thinking it would be awkward to sit right next to her. Instead he simply glanced out the front window at her car and said simply.

"Nice wheels, haven't seen that model around here too much, you new in town?"

Outright lie, Leo hadn't been here much himself, but it was a decent enough starter.

[Skye Malizia]

She had to be a magnet for beautiful people. That was the only explanation. Skye cast Leo a sideways glance over her book of coupons.

"Yes, and no," Skye replied, a hint of play in her voice. She turned back to her book, flipping to another page. She wanted to play hard to get now, seeing as how she'd already given one boy her number today. Then again, that guy had driven her Fiat all the way to Washington, so in her mind, he deserved it. It may be a little conceited to think your number had any value, but when men treated them like gold, it was hard to think of yourself as worthless. So Leo was going to have to work for his chance with her.

A smile pulled on the side of her mouth he couldn't see. Skye spotted a coupon she might actually use, and took note of the page number. It was a special offer for lingerie... it gave her an idea.

She closed the coupon book, looked up at the front desk, and saw that the current client was leaning on the desk, and didn't look like they were going to leave any time soon. Which was perfect for her - Skye would have more time to test her theory. She sat in the chair next to him, which seemed a bit forward, but he had initiated the conversation.

"I have been here for weeks now but my car just arrives today," She explained, accent thick. While she spoke, Skye pictured herself, vividly, in a sexy piece of lingerie. It was a perfect fit, and classy as well as hot. She leaned back in the chair and turned to look at Leo, comfortable. Then she shot the image of her, in the exact same position, but wearing only that garment. It wouldn't last lost. Not even a second. Not even half a second. It was like a glitch in the theatre, as though Tyler Durden had got a hold of the film reel and added his own flare to the movie. Skye's suggestive image would last about the same time someone was electrically shocked. And then she was back to wearing her little spring/summer dress.

She knew she could flirt without her gift. But this was an experiment. How much harder would a boy work if he was given a little taste? Maybe what she did lacked in class, but what was the point in having such a fun gift if you couldn't abuse it every now and then? And it wasn't as though she was trying to rule the world. It was just a harmless trick. She could make Leo see things that were a lot worse than nearly naked women. But she wouldn't, because, in the best summary, she was Skye.

"You live here?" She hadn't seen Leo at the school, and he could pull off a couple years his senior and she would believe it. He was handsome, young, and he might have his own place. Which would be a plus; the downside of being stuck at school was every boy had a dorm room, and even if you considered it, you knew all their friends would have their ear pressed against the door. A little privacy meant a lot to the girl, even if she was truly less conservative than everyone thought she was.

[Leogare Lasteulf]

Leo shot her a smile as she responded, normal enough. Thank god for small blessings. "Oh, I see, needed someone to move the cherished whee-" And he stopped dead in his tracks, what was that? Either he was going crazy, or his mind had just decided that she was too freaking hot for her own good. It was usually the latter. But still, if her body looked like that.

This was a good investment. He regained his composure after a second, discarding his old topic. "Ah, actually I go to school here, I'm a big city boy myself. Working on being a professional V.I.P driver. Ya know, the tinted window and body double kind." He said, glad he had remembered his cover for why he was REALLY here.

Sure it was a nice idea, but way too structured for his style.

"And what about you? Move here to get away?" He asked, throwing the question right back at the young lady. This was going better then usual.

[Skye Malizia]

Her face was full of expression when he offered what it was he wanted to do for a living. She had never heard someone wish to be such a thing, but she certainly could see the glamour in that life. When he tipped the question in her direction, she thought for a moment before she came up with something acceptably witty.

"Oh no, I am here for professional drivers with tinted window and body double," She frowned at her grammar but hoped that he still understood her joke.

"No, I am in school here too. I don't know what I will do after," Skye said truthfully, never having given it much thought. She assumed she would just fall in love with one of the subjects they taught here and go from there, but so far that hadn't happened. Oh well, it was still too soon to know for sure.

"So why do you want to be professional driver?" Skye pressed, leaning forward and placing a friendly hand on his arm. It might look a little forward, but Skye was from an overaffectionate people where touching strangers was more than appropriate. She had a serene smile on her lips that revealed little more than her pretty features - it was difficult to tell if she knew the effect she had on men or if she was oblivious.

[Leogare Lasteulf]

Leo blinked once at her attempted joke. A foreigner, nice. He could tell it was an attempt to be funny, so he cracked a grin. At least she had a sense of humor.

"Yeah, school can be a drag, I know that. But why?" Leo hadn't expected this girl to ask him that, but he figured he'd field it. "Well I love speed, going fast, and I love cars, bikes, anything that moves. My eye caught yours, it's a nice set of wheels, you have good taste." He was not used to such open contact, not where he was from, but he figured he'd go with it. She was a foreigner after all, so he should respect her culture.

Add to that, she was freaking smoking, AND acting seductive. It was a good day indeed, and then he remembered something useful.

"Oh, didn't catch your name, I'm Leo." He said simply. Her arm was already lying across his, so he only gave a nod as he introduced himself. After all, he wouldn't break the contact until she did, that would be rude.

[Skye Malizia]

Skye listened attentively, truly interested as to what Leo found fascinating about the industry he wanted to be in. Her smile broadened ever so slightly when he complimented her car. She set her hand comfortably close to both of them, and when he introduced himself, she merely lifted it for a handshake.

"I'm Skye," The pretty girl replied. She brought her hand back to herself and she looked about the hotel lobby.

"I don't know why I am here," She added, whispering conspiratorially, "I go to boarding school, but..." she sighed, reflecting what it was she was thinking. Sometimes school felt like a cage, and Skye was too much of a free spirit to be cooped up in one. Now she had her car, which she associated with freedom and independence. She wanted to stay the night elsewhere, even if it was by herself. She thought about calling Elliot's new number and inviting her - and the thought of asking Leo crossed her mind for a whole of one second before she deemed it inappropriate. Plus, she didn't trust herself to be 'good'. A room with a pretty boy... she wasn't naive.

"New... landscape...?" She forgot the word for 'scenery' and blushed because of it, lips pouting attractively. "Sometimes it feels so small there. This," she gestured to the grand foyer, "this is much better. Are you staying here?"

It made sense that he would be - what else would he be doing in a hotel? She might be a little wierded out if he just stopped in to flirt with her. That, or terribly flattered. It would all depend on how it was phrased, if it was phrased.

[Leogare Lasteulf]

"Skye eh? Nice name, somebody had a poetic style." He said with a small grin to the attractive girl. Leo sat for half a second trying to piece together her English and then he understood.

"A change of scenery from school life eh? Yeah, I know what that is like, sometimes you just have to get out."

Oh crap! She asked if he was staying there, he couldn't answer honestly could he? He wasn't going to risk it, so he shook his head no.

"Oh no, just waiting for a friend. It's nice to have such lovely company though." He said with a smile to the young girl.

That's it, start with the small compliments. Soon enough, he'd have her eating out of his hand, as she already seemed drawn to his charm.

[Skye Malizia]

Skye smiled - she was fond of her name too, but she felt inclined to explain. "My name is actually Schuyler," she pronounced it 'Skylar', "So, for short, my friends call me Skye." Her name was actually Dutch in origin, but her parents really liked it, mostly for the nickname, and Skye was frequently mistaken as Irish or Scottish because of it. Her accent was the only definitive part of her.

"Yes! New scenery!" She snapped her fingers at the word she'd failed to come up with herself and beamed at his acceptance of her explanation. She easily believed him, because the truth might've been reason to leave, or to be terribly flattered. Luckily he was already doing that himself. His compliment made her smile grow before she could pull it into a more neutral expression, but altogether she had a delightful look about her eyes.

"So what are you and your friend doing when he comes?" Skye asked, curious. She had no idea she was pushing him for more lies, and she had no intention of making him paranoid. The girl glanced down at her purse as someone walked by, a force of habit, and she clutched it a little closer. When the hotel client left after browsing the coupon books, Skye loosened up again and turned her full attention to the young man she was sitting with.

[Leogare Lasteulf]

Oooh? Skylar eh?" He said, attempting to reproduce the odd name. Well, with a last name like his, he was hardly qualified to say what a normal name was. When she asked him what he and his friend would do Leo thought for a second, luckily she afforded him the time by seeming timid when someone walked by. That bought him the precious few seconds he needed, and when her gaze had returned to him, he had an answer prepared for her.

"We were probably going to see a movie with the guys, maybe hit a bar. I wasn't really planning anything special. Of course if something else came up I could always change my schedule." He could say more, but he'd leave it simply at that. Her reaction to this increased flirtation would determine how far it went, and that would be interesting indeed to see.

Just how innocent was this little lady, and how much of a women was she, compared to the country girl she pretended to be?

Subconsciously, he ran a hand through his hair awaiting her response.

[Skye Malizia]

Skye smiled, loving his reactions to everything. She liked him, and it was obvious he was interested too, especially by his thinly veiled proposition. She blushed gracefully and looked down, but instead of seeming flustered by his hint, she handled it like a pro.

"So... eager," She was proud to have found the right word so quickly, "to leave your friend." Skye was teasing him, and enjoying every moment of it. But she would never come across as fast and easy, so the naturally hard-to-get girl pulled out a look of regret that was also somehow playful.

"But I am afraid you must keep your plans with your friend. I have plans myself," Skye told him, "and they are not as... flexible as yours are." Again she patted herself on the back for using such 'advanced' English words in their conversation. Then again, she learned 'flexible' along with a bunch of other, less innocent words back with her friends in Italy. They had strange games there, such as, in best translation, 'Epic Truth', with categories such as 'Describe Yourself In Bed'. Skye played the game right before her trip to America, with an Italian-English dictionary with her. Five or six shots into the game... well, it was a fun night. One she decided right here and now she must do again. Maybe even with Leo, if the circumstances allowed it.

But for now, she thought it appropriate to end their first meeting. Not that she didn't enjoy his company - Leo was an endless fountain of compliments and entertainment, and she liked him very much. But too much of a good thing got boring, and Skye was determined not to ever bore her new friends.

"I should..." she gestured to the counter, standing. The girl gave Leo a departing smile and a refreshing, "Ciao!" before she had to turn her back. But before she completely removed herself from him, she couldn't help herself. The tiniest of peeks over her shoulder and a lightning quick image of herself in that sexy lingerie... from behind... completed her good-bye.

Until!

"Oh!" Skye almost forgot. She snatched a pad of note paper from the main counter, much to the worker's chagrin, and pulled out her own pen from her purse. She scrawled her number on the paper and pulled it off, handing it to Leo. "Call some time," she instructed, as though he might not be sure what to do with her number, "I want to..." she deliberately stalled here, "talk... again."

Yes, she knew what she was doing.