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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 22, 2015 23:03:49 GMT
Adam had grown up with the knowledge that being part of his social circle came with certain expectations. His parents had always been the type to show their appreciation and affection for friends, co-workers, and even societal acquaintances by showing up to whatever parties were being held. Whether it was an anniversary celebration, a birthday party, or some sort of corporate get-together, he had been dragged along as a way of showing that the Tylers were the type of people that you wanted in your corner. It paid off in return when his father was able to make new business associations or his mother was invited to join a prestigious association of some sort, and he supposed that the etiquette just stuck. But this would be the first social gathering of this caliber that he had attended with Riley and the idea of it was making him look forward to it more than he normally would have.
He had come home after work pleased with the fact that he now had her to come home to. "Hey," he greeted her with a smile. "I hope you don't have any plans coming up. Parker Blye's company is throwing together an event and I was hoping that you'd like to be my date for it."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 22, 2015 23:18:33 GMT
Riley had spent the day posting job applications, she'd had a very productive meeting with an old associate of hers and had even dropped by to bring her father lunch earlier in the day while he'd been at work. It was strange getting used to staying at Adam's, if only because it was so different than what she was used to. Even her apartment with Garrett had been nice, but she'd spent most of her time in a tiny campaign office. She was used to living arrangements that she would normally describe as cozy and, in a few moments of boredom when she'd tried to count how many steps it took to get from the front door to the opposite end of his living space, she realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore.
Since then, Riley had dismissed those thoughts, running to the nearest market to pick up some fresh ingredients to make dinner. It was extremely domestic, she kind of liked it that way though. When Adam returned home, she grinned at him. "Hi, how was work?" she asked. When he mentioned the party, she paused for a moment, suddenly focusing on the vegetables she was busy chopping. She knew exactly what was involved in these type of social gatherings and, even as part of the campaign, she'd always felt largely uncomfortable at them. It was a part of herself that she often refused to admit existed, but the part of her that was still seventeen and was often made to feel like she didn't have a place in this part of the world. But she'd done it, her eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets when she'd glanced at the price tags on the dresses she had to buy for these things and the pressure of actually being there and being expected to fit in. "You know, my idea of a date isn't all that fancy. A cheeseburger and a movie and I'm a happy girl," she pointed out.
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 22, 2015 23:36:19 GMT
He grinned at her and walked over to the kitchen, watching with amusement as she continued chopping vegetables. This was the type of scenario that he had always assumed came with being in a real, honest-to-goodness relationship. It wasn't something that he had ever necessarily sought out as much of his adult life to date had consisted of ensuring he passed the bar and working endlessly to prove himself at his uncle's firm. Women had never really been a factor in his life, at least not to the extent that Riley had quickly become.
"As much as I would love to take you up on that - I kind of have to go." He nodded. "It's just better to have the powerful people in this city on your side instead of having them angry over something as stupid as having missed out on their party."
He didn't want her to feel like she was obligated to go, but he was having a hard time thinking of going without her. He tugged off his tie and set it on the counter, not used to really having anyone do much more in the kitchen than plating up takeout and cracking open a beer. It was kind of nice seeing it used for what it was intended for. "I'm sure that Amber or Madison will be there if that helps to sweeten the deal?"
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 0:22:55 GMT
Riley looked up at Adam for a moment, she tucked her hair behind her ear and her brow furrowed and she was about to respond when he mentioned Amber and Maddy also being there and she took a deep breath. She knew it was petty, but she'd still been slightly jilted by how quickly her best friend had gotten along with the blonde woman. "Yeah, Amber and I were just about to start up a book club," she muttered as she added the vegetables into the pan she was cooking in and covered it to let it cook for a moment.
"And I just want to state for the record that I think if the powerful people in this city spent less time focusing on parties and night club openings and more time concentrating on the drop-out rate for high school students in the Bronx and economic disparity in Queens, that maybe the world would be a slightly better place," she pointed out. "All of those women buying dresses that they'll probably wear once and never put on again and the Society Page talking about who said what about who behind someone's back and who got snubbed on the invite list."
Realizing that she was ranting, she frowned and shook her head. "Sorry, none of that is your fault. I just don't really belong someplace like that, Adam."
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 0:39:10 GMT
He realized that maybe Amber wasn't the right person to mention if he had been hoping to get Riley to agree to come with him. He thought that at the very least they could have bonded over their mutual dislike of Eliot Quinn. At her rant he sighed. She had a fair point, he certainly couldn't argue that, years of practicing law had shown him that a lot of the same companies had their priorities skewed considering the sorts of lawsuits and addendums to bylaws he had to work on.
"I promise you that when you start changing the world and making it a better place, I won't ever ask you to come with me to one of these things again." He meant it too. She was absolutely right that there was a lot about these events that just wasn't practical, but for the time being it still seemed like a necessary evil and he wasn't sure that there was any way to make a clean excuse from it, even if he wanted to. The problem, he realized, was that he didn't. He liked the idea of showing up with Riley and showing her off by his side.
"But - if you're really against the idea, I won't make you come with me."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 0:48:13 GMT
Riley pushed around the vegetables she was sautéing with a wooden spoon before covering them again and turning to look at him, she chewed on her lip and reached for his hand, stepping closer to him and nodding. "First, let's start over," she nodded, kissing him softly on the lips. "Hi, I missed you today," she said with a nod. "And if you want me to be your date to one of these things," she started with a sigh, stepping back to the stove. "I can try. But I don't know how good of a date I'm going to be, Adam. Even when I worked them for the campaign, it was work - you know? Socializing, getting all dressed up, it's not something I'm good at. I don't belong there," she muttered.
"But if it's important to you, I can try it out," she shrugged.
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 0:59:36 GMT
He smiled back at her, squeezing her hand in response before she stepped back to the stove. "Riley, I don't think anyone can accuse you of not belonging. Besides, you have me now." It wasn't that he was trying to imply that the only way that she belonged at events like these were with him, because it wasn't, but he wasn't sure how to make her see that she had as much a right to be there as anyone else.
Adam had a strange inkling that he knew what the problem was, but he didn't know how to bring it up. He decided to just bite the bullet as say what he was thinking, "If you wanted, I'd be happy to ..." He trailed off, not sure that he wanted to go there after all. "I just want you to be happy and feel comfortable there."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 1:14:45 GMT
Riley's eyebrow ticked up when he said that she had him now, but for the time being she pushed it aside and focused on cooking for a moment. "Adam," she said gently. "I just feel like I stick out like a sore thumb at these things, you know? I tend to say the wrong thing, all the time - I mean, for God's sake instead of making small talk with Brandon Finn, I gave him legal advice," she laughed dryly. "And, this is also probably going to sound like the most shallow thing I've ever had to say and I hate myself for even uttering the words - but I don't actually have anything to wear to something like this. And the reason you're going is to make a good impression on the right people and I don't think you're going to do that with your off-the-rack girlfriend accidentally telling some friend of your father's that his attention to environmental issues when making an investment deal isn't helping the thousands of children diagnosed with asthma every year," she rambled. "I just don't think I'm the best person for these things. I think I'm going to actually, probably, make you look pretty bad," she shrugged, staring down at the food she was cooking instead of at him.
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 1:27:31 GMT
He sighed heavily and leaned against the countertop, watching her for a minute while he decided on how to phrase what he wanted to say. "First of all, I highly doubt Finn cared what you said to him. I don't get the impression that he necessarily cared to engage in small talk. Second of all, if you're that worried about what to wear then please feel free to take my card and go pick something out. Anything, I don't care as long as you feel comfortable wearing it. Hell, buy a flashy car if you think it'll make you more comfortable around all of these people. And third - I could really care less if you lecture people on their poor choices. There are a lot of people in this city with no sense of reasonable or realistic priorities and I'm not going to be upset with you for pointing them out."
The frustrating part of this situation was he knew that she would fit in wherever she wanted to. She was an incredibly likable, intelligent, and beautiful woman and he wanted to show her off to the city, the entire world even. "I don't think for a second that you would ever make me look bad."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 1:43:28 GMT
Riley froze for a moment, staring down at the stove before she turned the burner off and moved the pan to a different one. She took a very deep breath before turning to look at him, eyes narrowing. "I most certainly will not be taking your card to go on a shopping spree," she spat out. "The fact that you even think that that's something I would...Seriously?!" she asked, raising her voice slightly. She shook her head, pacing away from him. She turned off the oven and removed the chicken she'd been baking in there and placed it on the counter. Dinner was ready but she no longer had an appetite.
"You know, the other night when Eliot accused me of going after men with money, I didn't let it bother me. When people told me I didn't belong at our high school or at Georgetown or Columbia and that I was just a charity case, I didn't let it bother me. Because I have never asked anyone for anything in my entire life. I have worked my ass off to prove everyone wrong and earn everything I have, and I'm damn proud of that," she snapped. "But that - what you just said?" she huffed out a breath of frustration. "I am not Julia Roberts, this is not Pretty Woman, taking your credit card and dressing me up isn't part of some modern Cinderella story."
"I don't think I've actually ever felt quite as cheap as I do right now," she looked away from him. "I think I should go stay with my dad in Queens."
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 1:54:05 GMT
Watching her pace for a moment he instantly regretted everything that he had said to her. He hadn't made it seem like he was trying to pass off a hand-out or that he was trying to cheapen her in any way. The whole point of the entire offer had been to try and extend what he thought was a solution to a problem. He didn't think that it was such a big deal to have just agreed to have come with him to the event, to let him buy her a fancy dress, and to smile and make small talk with a bunch of people neither of them would particularly care for. What she seemed to be so fixated on now was the part that he thought would have been the most simplistic of the entire encounter.
"I don't know what you want then. You say that you don't have anything to wear or that you don't fit in and I just don't know how to make it all fit together. I want you to be there - I want to walk into a room filled with the pretentious assholes I've spent my entire life with and get to say that you are here with me. That my girlfriend is beautiful, insanely intelligent, and witty to boot. I want you to feel comfortable in whatever way you need to. If an expensive, fancy dress would make you comfortable - confident even - then I want to buy you the damn dress. Riley, I don't mean to imply that your worth is any less because you don't have the money that we all do. I would happily do whatever I needed to do to make you happy in this situation."
He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. "And fuck Eliot. You're not a charity case. You're definitely stubborn, though. So just do me a favor - just take the damn card and go buy yourself something nice because I want you to come to this event with me."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 2:15:26 GMT
Riley looked at him for a moment, she took a deep breath as she listened to him before stepping closer to him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him imploringly. "Adam, I want you to understand before I say this - that I love you. I love you every single thing about you. I think you're smart, I think you're focused, I think you're kind and I think that you're wonderful and nothing like the people we went to school with in any way that counts. But I can't explain to you what it feels like for me to walk into a room with those people, whether I'm wearing a potato sack or a custom designer ball gown, because you've never had people look at you the way they look at me. And I don't ever want you to have to learn, because you don't have to."
Taking a step back, she took a deep breath, her hands rubbing the back of her neck. "If it's that important to you that I go, I'll go," she conceded. "Keep your credit card, buy me a cheeseburger after. I can figure something out." She wondered briefly if she could borrow something from Maddy, or put something on her own card and take her time in paying back the minimum amount each month for a while. But pride prohibited her from taking his card and buying something.
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Post by Adam Tyler on Aug 23, 2015 2:30:29 GMT
The thing that he couldn't help but fixate on what that she said that she loved him. It was still new enough that he grinned when she said it and reached out to pull her closer to him. "Okay," he agreed. "Thank you."
He kissed her softly, still not entirely sure he understood why this had become such a problem for her. He wanted her to understand that he quite literally would buy her anything she wanted if she thought that it would make her more comfortable in awkward situations, or if it was something that he could use to show her how much he cared about making her feel like part of his life. Placing his hand on the side of her face, his thumb traced a small path across her cheekbone. "I really do love you and I want you to be happy." The last thing that he wanted for to force her to go to events and live in an apartment that made her unhappy, but he wasn't sure if he was selfless enough to offer her an out from those things because it might have meant an out from him too.
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