Date Night [Closed to Corry]

[willcabot]

Stretching up onto the balls of his feet, Will reached up brushing his hands against the ceiling of his boat before pulling himself up. Swinging into his bedroom, he kept himself distracted and hummed under his breath as he tried to not overthink his choices for the evening. It was a strange feeling, being nervous; it wasn’t one he usually liked but well, for Corry? For Corry he could learn to live with it.

Unhooking the towel from his waist, he dropped it to the floor before stepping into his trousers. Couldn’t possibly think about wearing underwear, it wouldn’t be like him at all and it really would ruin the line of the suit. Picking out a shirt that would no doubt compliment rather than clash- he had learnt his lessons from the Hawaiian prints of his youth- with Corrine’s well, everything, Will dressed for the occasion before picking up something he’d kept for a while. A pair of cuff links he’d worn when he’d been spotted at the same premier as Corry, he’d been technically her date for the evening they just hadn’t been spotted together but it was still his bed that he’d found her in later wearing nothing but jewellery.

Spraying on the minimum of cologne, he looked himself over before cracking a half smile.

“You’re ridiculous old man,” Will murmured, as he ruffled a hand through his hair. At least by changing on the boat he didn’t have Alex hovering over him and asking him twenty questions although Will was starting to suspect Alex was harbouring his own crush on someone which Will would have to investigate soon. “Get it together Cabot. Not like you haven’t done this hundreds of times before.”

He hadn’t though. Not really. There was only one other person in his life he’d actually been on a date (or rather dates) with and that had ended disastrously. He’d been out with women, he’d been seen with women, he’d taken women to bed but dating? That was usually out of his area of expertise. And he really didn’t want to mess this one, in particular, up.

Grabbing the keys to his car, Will slid into the seat before driving at breakneck speed to Corry’s. Pulling up alongside her house, he buzzed through to the entrance before driving along her driveway to park in front of her house. Knocking on the door, he pushed his hands in his pocket and waited for her to answer.

Comments

[starsfallen]

Corrine has been back in town for less than 24 hours. She still wears the exhilaration of her acting career renewed. The shining lights and the cameras glued to her every move. Having a role again. Not to mention working with a respected director at the top of his game who believed in her. Still believed in her. After everything. The film won't be hitting festivals until later in the year, and her part is remaining unannounced until then to avoid unnecessary publicity, but she feels her Ophelia is this generation's definitive portrayal. Besides, she can afford to be picky right now. Selecting the right roles, rather than finding exposure in the wrong places.

She's found her footing again. Fallen back into the graceful confident stride of theatricality. She's finding herself again.

And then there's the matter of Will. The very opposite of grace and confidence. Corry stumbles over her own feet at every thought of him now. And she's been thinking about him too much. Big things, like if he actually has feelings for her and for how long and if she has for him and what exactly any of that means. Little things, like what his siren form looks like or his bad habits when no one's watching and he's not dreamboat Sir Valiant. Or how the hell to have a date. A real date. A grown up date. Corry hasn't been on one since high school when she and Eli entertained a courtship mostly because that's what it seemed they should do. And her awkward nervousness and uncertainty about how to proceed mirrors what they felt when they tried blindly fooling around - because that's what teenagers did. But its a bizarre reversal. Corry and Will have the physical down - to perfection if she's honest and there's really no modesty needed there - but when it comes to something like dating she's next to clueless. She had no place for it in her old life. Acting was - is? - her great true love and sex brought the fun and intimacy without it ever getting in the way of her life.

But she wants this. She wants this and yet she's so thrown by the whole affair that she can't even decide on a proper outfit. It's the new hair, growing out again but still so short it simply does not go with most of her old things and she has to be beautiful without looking too formal and casual while still blowing his mind. The man did spend almost a quarter million dollars for this date. She vetoes a blue couture number and a white and black cocktail dress and a silk magenta gown. Has fully completed styling a champagne sun dress and loose updo when the butterflies in her stomach tell her it's all wrong and she tears it off and starts from scratch. She's about to give up and just suggest making it a naked date, which maybe defeats the purpose of having an occasion together that isn't sex first everything else after, when she spots the white fabric at the end of her closet. She'd ordered it straight from the runway but never found the opportunity to wear it. Too casual for formal affairs and too formal for casual affairs. And then came the - everything, and it went forgotten in her flooded life. As soon as she drapes it over herself, catches sight in the mirror, she knows it is perfection. She looks a modern goddess.

The setting has long been set. For hours, in truth. Long before the fashion fiasco. She's unsure if it's too much or not enough. Some shifted furniture. Well placed candles. The right scenery. Dinner prepared by Siren Cove's finest gourmet caterer. So when Will knocks, he receives no answer. She's already there. Waiting. Stomach aflutter, soul dancing with nervous energy.

There's a note on the door. "Come and find me." and leading from the steps of her entrance is a trail of flower petals. Orchid and rose. Both of which have draped his bed on times they shared it. She thought at the time that he was just adding to the lascivious scene, but now she's not so sure. The trail bends around the side of the house, around the pool, past the guest house, and down the stone stairs which lead to the beach.

She's there waiting for him. Table set for dinner, highlighted by candles and the dusk sky. Waves rolling in behind them. Corry in her white dress. And his necklace, of course.