Life and Breath Part 33
Title: Life and Breath
Author: Pink Rabbit Productions
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Part: 33
Date: 15 April, 2011
Rating: Personally, I'd call it an R, but some might consider it NC-17 at some point.
Disclaimer: The characters and situations belong to other folks far wealthier, more important (or at least with better lawyers), and hopefully more charitable and kinder than I. They include, but are not necessarily limited to CBS, Proctor and Gamble, and Telenext. The actual arrangement of words, however, remains my own as do any original characters. Meanwhile, there is likely to be all female romantic and sexual activity ahead, so if this is likely to get you, me, or anybody else arrested should you take a gander, please move along. Also, if you find that sort of thing offensive, you really probably shouldn't hang around anyplace I'm posting. Just sayin'....
Archiving: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Spoilers: Some early scenes definitely, plus anything through the spa trip is fair game.
Timeline: Unlike some folks, I don't have an exact scene where this one takes off. However, it's definitely set after the spa trip, but before Rafe's release from the halfway house. Oh, and it's after Natalia admits she's in love with Olivia to Father Ray.
Earlier Parts: | Part 1 (Prologue) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 |
Author's Notes: Been awhile since I've posted on this one. Sorry for that, but it happens. Just a short bit tonight, but I think I've got an idea how to handle some things that had me stumped before. Many thanks for the interest in its resurrection. Always helps me get back into a story when I know that people care.
Our Story So Far: Olivia and Natalia are hopelessly in love and adorable, the Beacon staff are taking bets, Frank is sulking and getting drunk while being prompted to investigate Natalia's past by a mysterious stranger who convinces Frank Natalia is a sexy con artist. Meanwhile, Holly Reade is in town and has stumbled into the hotel suite of love and figured out what's going on and is very curious. Cue an emergency to take Olivia away...
Life and Breath
Part 33
by Pink Rabbit Productions
Short, wide, doughy build that wasn't flattered by an ill-fitting suit, and cheeks that were best described as florid, Charles Davenport did a clumsy pivot, arms swinging wide as he threatened, "I swear, I'm going to sue your hotel."
The guest Olivia had been called to deal with was definitely a charmer. It was the third time, he'd gone over things and Olivia still hadn't gotten a coherent version of what had happened, but he'd threatened to bring suit repeatedly. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. Given the robbery and the expense of fighting a lawsuit, it was tempting to just give way, but she'd learned from hard-won experience that would probably just make things worse because the schemers were never content. They always pushed for more.
Crap.
He was lying-she was comfortably certain of that much-claiming luggage far in excess of what he'd likely had. Nobody with a suit that cheap and ill-fitting could possibly have that much priceless jewelry and cutting edge technology in their baggage. Unless she was mistaken, the little bastard was trying to take the Beacon to the cleaners. The only question was whether it was simply opportunistic greed or something more sinister. Was he the thief and this nothing more than a shakedown or was he a genuine victim simply trying to overplay his hand and get more than he deserved?
The guy wasn't in their database of scam artists. She peered at him with crystal-hard eyes as he paced another round, taking in the overacted outrage and zealous self-righteousness. But he was overplaying his hand so thoroughly that she couldn't help but be suspicious.
Still, an experienced con artist would probably have dialed it back a notch, maybe played the pity card mixed in with the anger, tried to get her on his side and not just bully her.
Opportunist, she concluded as she watched him. Less of a threat in some ways, more in others. They knew how to play the system, but con artists were practical creatures who generally backed off when it looked like they couldn't make any money. Greedy opportunists, on the other hand, were more easily outsmarted, but often damn near impossible to dissuade with logic.
Steepling her fingers together she fixed pointed look on her guest and offered a smile only the foolish would misread as kind, "I'm sorry for your losses, but could you repeat what you found when you returned to your room?"
He was fool enough to look triumphant, clearly thinking he'd backed her into a corner. "Well..."
* * * * * * *
TBC
Author: Pink Rabbit Productions
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Part: 33
Date: 15 April, 2011
Rating: Personally, I'd call it an R, but some might consider it NC-17 at some point.
Disclaimer: The characters and situations belong to other folks far wealthier, more important (or at least with better lawyers), and hopefully more charitable and kinder than I. They include, but are not necessarily limited to CBS, Proctor and Gamble, and Telenext. The actual arrangement of words, however, remains my own as do any original characters. Meanwhile, there is likely to be all female romantic and sexual activity ahead, so if this is likely to get you, me, or anybody else arrested should you take a gander, please move along. Also, if you find that sort of thing offensive, you really probably shouldn't hang around anyplace I'm posting. Just sayin'....
Archiving: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Spoilers: Some early scenes definitely, plus anything through the spa trip is fair game.
Timeline: Unlike some folks, I don't have an exact scene where this one takes off. However, it's definitely set after the spa trip, but before Rafe's release from the halfway house. Oh, and it's after Natalia admits she's in love with Olivia to Father Ray.
Earlier Parts: | Part 1 (Prologue) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 |
Author's Notes: Been awhile since I've posted on this one. Sorry for that, but it happens. Just a short bit tonight, but I think I've got an idea how to handle some things that had me stumped before. Many thanks for the interest in its resurrection. Always helps me get back into a story when I know that people care.
Our Story So Far: Olivia and Natalia are hopelessly in love and adorable, the Beacon staff are taking bets, Frank is sulking and getting drunk while being prompted to investigate Natalia's past by a mysterious stranger who convinces Frank Natalia is a sexy con artist. Meanwhile, Holly Reade is in town and has stumbled into the hotel suite of love and figured out what's going on and is very curious. Cue an emergency to take Olivia away...
Life and Breath
Part 33
by Pink Rabbit Productions
Short, wide, doughy build that wasn't flattered by an ill-fitting suit, and cheeks that were best described as florid, Charles Davenport did a clumsy pivot, arms swinging wide as he threatened, "I swear, I'm going to sue your hotel."
The guest Olivia had been called to deal with was definitely a charmer. It was the third time, he'd gone over things and Olivia still hadn't gotten a coherent version of what had happened, but he'd threatened to bring suit repeatedly. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. Given the robbery and the expense of fighting a lawsuit, it was tempting to just give way, but she'd learned from hard-won experience that would probably just make things worse because the schemers were never content. They always pushed for more.
Crap.
He was lying-she was comfortably certain of that much-claiming luggage far in excess of what he'd likely had. Nobody with a suit that cheap and ill-fitting could possibly have that much priceless jewelry and cutting edge technology in their baggage. Unless she was mistaken, the little bastard was trying to take the Beacon to the cleaners. The only question was whether it was simply opportunistic greed or something more sinister. Was he the thief and this nothing more than a shakedown or was he a genuine victim simply trying to overplay his hand and get more than he deserved?
The guy wasn't in their database of scam artists. She peered at him with crystal-hard eyes as he paced another round, taking in the overacted outrage and zealous self-righteousness. But he was overplaying his hand so thoroughly that she couldn't help but be suspicious.
Still, an experienced con artist would probably have dialed it back a notch, maybe played the pity card mixed in with the anger, tried to get her on his side and not just bully her.
Opportunist, she concluded as she watched him. Less of a threat in some ways, more in others. They knew how to play the system, but con artists were practical creatures who generally backed off when it looked like they couldn't make any money. Greedy opportunists, on the other hand, were more easily outsmarted, but often damn near impossible to dissuade with logic.
Steepling her fingers together she fixed pointed look on her guest and offered a smile only the foolish would misread as kind, "I'm sorry for your losses, but could you repeat what you found when you returned to your room?"
He was fool enough to look triumphant, clearly thinking he'd backed her into a corner. "Well..."
* * * * * * *
TBC