Instantly infatuating • •

[veronica trinity hart]

Ronnie had been to her fair share of parties over the years. She had been walking red carpets when she was barely able to say her full name, and by the time she had mastered high heels she was owning them. She might have only been the daughter of a rock star, but she had gone on to become a name in her own right in the modelling world, even if she had semi-retired now to focus on designing. Some people, her mother included, thought it was a temporary move and that Ronnie would soon be back permanently on the catwalks of Paris and Milan, and not just when someone called her up and begged for a favour. She was happiest when she was designing, but that didn’t mean she was going to skip the big parties and the nights that she had grown far too accustomed to. She could probably party as well as her dad by now, which was probably worrying given her looks and status as a rockstar’s little girl all grown up.

However, the reason her dad didn’t rush from coast to coast when there was a photo of her dancing in a nightclub wearing some tiny little dress was simple. He knew Ronnie could take care of herself. She might have inherited her mother’s stunning looks, but she had her father’s fiery and wild attitude. She said mouthfuls that had him and his bandmates shocked at times, but he couldn’t ground her when he knew he had learnt it all from him. No, Ronnie was quite capable of handling her own, even in New York City where she was far away from her family. Tonight was no different really. She strapped on a pair of skyscraper heels and pulled on an outfit that would turn heads before straightening her hair down her back and fixing up her make up. It was a therapeutic routine for Ronnie, something she enjoyed while she sipped at a Malibu and lemonade she had made up after getting out of her shower earlier.

Tonight’s event was a gala of sorts at the Apollo. It was different from Ronnie’s usual social events, but her dad had asked her to go along since they had fond memories of the place when they were still near the bottom of the fame ladder. Ronnie wasn’t even a thought back in those days, so she had no idea what her dad was on about when he told her the stories over the phone, but she agreed all the same. There was a ticket waiting for her to collect, promise of live entertainment and some silent auctions. An open bar promised a good night and if it turned out to be a dire mistake, she could always make a quick appearance and then take her cute outfit to another great party. Any night of the week she could always find something in the city to occupy her until the stars were ready to fade away. She slipped inside, handing her ticket at the door and made her way to the bar. Ronnie didn’t know of anyone familiar coming tonight, but she was the type who could strike up a conversation with just about anyone, so she wasn’t worried about being alone here. She ordered a Cosmopolitan and perched on a stool, glancing around as the rest of the attendees began to filter in.

• • •

TAGGED! Gideon Malcolm Farraday
WORDS! 542!
OUTFIT! Minxy Model!
LYRICS! So Long My Lover - - - King The Kid
NOTES!

[Gideon Malcolm Farraday]

Normally, Gideon avoided this sorts of events. He wasn't so interested in the famous or infamous group gatherings and much preferred something a little more sedated. In fact, Gideon usually preferred being out there, searching out the pieces Farraday Antiquities sold. But he was the only one available from the auction house with the Farraday name so he was the one who had to be there to oversee their auction pieces. And deal with the silent auction itself. He had his staff taking care of the important bits of running it discreetly but he was still there to have a face to the Farraday name and in case someone in the crowd really needed to know about the obviously old pieces scattered in among the expensive resort getaways, the single six figure vehicle, the month long stay at the villa in Northern Italy, the concert tickets and everything else rich, entitled people thought they wanted and needed. Gideon was happy to stick to things long since created.

He had always been a huge fan of history and being able to know the story of a piece in his parents private collection, his own or something that was currently on display at the New York auction house was fun for him. It didn't actually matter that it was his job and that he needed to know it all; he absolutely loved it. These nights though, were ones he could do without more often than not and he was counting down the minutes until he could leave. That count down and boredom was the real reason he was sitting at the bar, nursing his drinks through to the next. He like everyone else dressed up in his Sunday best that was a designer tux; one of the only three he actually owned, and walked the red carpet, despite having been there earlier that afternoon to make sure the antiques that were being donated to the auction were delivered unharmed.

By the time everyone had arrived and the event really woke up, Gideon was ready to get the hell out of there. But he couldn't. And the drinks weren't nearly as strong enough for his liking; which was why he was making sure the bartender had a full glass replacing the empty one just as soon as he put it back on the little napkin. He had been planning on mingling a little bit before disappearing somewhere else in the theatre if it really got that boring. Fortunately, or not depending on how one looked at it, he was called away to speak with an older woman who wore too much perfume, and blatantly obvious costume jewelry who was interested in the antique mantle clock. The event had barely begun and already people were unable to read the little information cards next to the auction options. Once he finally excused himself, he returned to the bar and ordered the same drink he'd had before and sat to wait for it.

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || veronica trinity hart
Words || 497
Clothes || Dashing Gentleman
Music || Fifty Shades of Crazy --Chase Rice
Notes || <3

[veronica trinity hart]

There was little that could surprise Ronnie at these parties. Big names didn’t make her gush and fall over herself because she had grown up calling bigger names and brighter stars her uncles and aunts. The biggest names in classic rock were at her house regularly when she had been growing up and she knew all the stories and had even been there for some of them. Plus, there were the models that inspired those on the catwalks today. They were around when her mom had been at her peak. Ronnie was not easily impressed in a world of big names, simply because she had grown up in that world and her own name floated around somewhere, usually with people asking when she’d be back. It was a question she never gave a deep answer to, because she knew how words could be twisted and she also knew how to throw a punch when someone stabbed her in the back. It was the last thing she needed to see the following morning after something like this. It was for a good cause and didn’t need to be overshadowed by cat fights or troubled stars who didn’t know when to walk away from something. That was something else Ronnie had seen too much of in her short life. Problems came in all shapes and sizes, and Ronnie had learnt from those horror stories that life was too short to allow oneself to be miserable. It might be hard to walk away from the spotlight, but she’d give it up in an instant for her happiness, and in a way she already had.

Even now she kept away from the small group of models she had once known well. Ronnie had drifted from them after she had quit the runway jobs, so now they tended to avoid her unless they wanted to know the truth behind some scandalous gossip. She never gave it to them, but they never stopped trying all the same. In truth, tonight seemed to her to be slow. It wasn’t the kind of party that would keep her up until sunrise, stumbling for her bed with a catlike grin on her face. She figured she’d look for something at the auction – maybe something her dad might like from the past – and then head on home early enough to catch the end of one of those late night movies. It was rare she was in bed early, but even Ronnie needed a change of pace every once in a while. Besides, it wasn’t like she couldn’t make herself a cocktail at home and indulge in something rich and sweet. She had a box of expensive truffles a friend from the fashion house had given her the week before, and they were still unopened.

She was very subtle when it came to people watching. It was a skill she had picked up over the years of socialising and being backstage at fashion events and rock shows. Ronnie knew who was putting on airs tonight, and whose outfit cost as much as her bar tab already. She overheard snippets of gossip, and had an incline as to who was trying to impress who all without moving from her barstool. Her mother had taught her well, even though she had no desire to know half of those things. When the man came to the spot beside her, she knew where he had come from and who he had been speaking with; it was hard not to though considering the perfume trail that followed that woman around the room. “Fake a noticeable disconcerting habit, like saying like a lot, and people will excuse themselves quicker.” She crossed one long leg over the other, ignoring her dress when it slipped higher up her thigh. “It’s not rude on your part, and people won’t think you even know you’re doing it, but they’ll just have to leave you alone.” She sipped at her Cosmo and then flicked her gaze across to him. “Believe me, it works. It’s how I get rid of guys I’m not interested in without causing a scene.” Some of them were sweet, and she was flattered, but if they weren’t her type she didn’t always want to break their hearts. She knew when one or two had really taken a brave step to come and talk to her and she didn’t want to destroy their confidence by rejecting them outright. She could handle letting them believe they were the ones to walk away from her.

• • •

TAGGED! Gideon Malcolm Farraday
WORDS! 760!
OUTFIT! Minxy Model!
LYRICS! So Long My Lover - - - King The Kid
NOTES!

[Gideon Malcolm Farraday]

Gideon found these charity nights dull but they brought in a lot of attention for Faraday Antiquities. And whatever brought in business to the well-established auction house was a good thing. Gideon wouldn't normally be the face of it though. Normally it would have been his parents but his mother insisted he is the one to do it; claiming he needed the experience if he was going to run the business one day. Gideon enjoyed the acquisition of pieces, globetrotting and occasionally getting his hands dirty in the little junk shops masquerading as antique shops. He liked the feeling of finding something precious in a dumpy back alley "antique" shop. If it wasn't too expensive, he didn't mind handing over the cash for it, acting like some dumb idiot who doesn't understand the art of the haggle. Truth was, Gideon wasn't much of a fan of bringing the prices down when he found something he knew was worth a small fortune. They were low-level clerks at the end of the day, not really sure what they had in their possession. They only really ever knew that it was old and probably worth something to someone. Gideon had a well-trained eye for these things having grown up surrounded by them and learning about them. So whenever possible, he acted like a dumb tourist, paying for whatever he was after at the price they'd set and walked away. He knew full well that he could easily mark up the price by a thousand or more and get it without question.

The young Farraday had started to think of the antique game as exactly that; a game. One where the rules were convoluted and changed depending on the subject matter. It's what he imagined the world of celebrities was like. Although, he could never understand how anyone would want their faces splashed all over the internet and the papers, garnering too much attention. Then again, Gideon was a man who had preferred being the man behind a curtain. He also preferred to be in front of a canvas of his own with paint in his hair and no recollection of how it got there. Gideon was at the party because his mother asked him to be there and she was his mother and footing his second go at university. He'd already run the gamut once before, crossing that finish line and securing himself a degree. Now he was doing again, for his own pleasure, though it still helped the family business; which was the real reason his parents agreed to foot the bill a second time around for him.

Gideon was counting down the hours until he could leave and do anything else. He was definitely going to suggest they ask Torrance to attend the next event, whatever it was, instead of him. She was a Farraday, too. Just because she decided to become an accountant instead of an associate for the auction house shouldn't mean anything, she was still family. "It's a good idea." He agreed with a nod. "Unfortunately my job requires me to be eloquent and people know this even if they don't know me." He offered as a reason why he found himself stuck speaking with every single person who happened to catch and hold his eye too long. If he could get away with a subtle stutter or an irritating tick like overusing the word like, he would have done so in a heartbeat, without a single thought.

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || veronica trinity hart
Words || 581
Clothes || Dashing Gentleman
Music || Fifty Shades of Crazy --Chase Rice
Notes || <3

[veronica trinity hart]

Ronnie knew what people saw when they looked at her. She was a model with great legs, and the daughter of a rock star famed for living up to the stereotype of them. People often expected Ronnie to be some demanding party girl who would act like she owned the room she walked into. Ronnie could certainly hold herself that way, but only because every model who had ever walked a runway knew that was how to walk. She didn’t click her fingers at the wait staff, or demand that everyone treated her like she was some kind of celebrity royal. Ronnie could do plenty for herself, and she wasn’t the type who would ride on her parent’s coattails. Her name would be known because of her own hard work and achievements, which so far was sadly just the stint of time she had been a model at her mother’s behest. Still young, still learning, there were plenty of years left for Ronnie to make her stamp on the fashion world without having to watch her figure, hold her spine perfectly and play to everyone’s fancies on the catwalk.

She lived her life the way she wanted to. Yes, she partied, but not as hard as the few gossip columns that took interest made out. Most nights the room was often still in focus – just about – when she kicked off her high heels and found her bed. Ronnie knew how to enjoy herself, but it was frustrating how many things were read into that. She could laugh and dance with a drink in her hand, pose for silly pictures with her friends, and sometimes they did fall over, or say stupid stuff because that was what happened. They had their personalities and brought out the best (and sometimes the worst) in each other. If Ronnie had brought company along with her tonight, she could guarantee she wouldn’t be sitting around politely mulling with a cocktail. There would be giggles at the very least, hushed whispers about things going on in the room, and maybe a few teasing dares just to keep the night interesting.

She chuckled softly, wondering what that kind of life was like. Ronnie might have had security when she was growing up, and still had the option of it now, but no one expected her to be eloquent and polite, even though her father had reminded her that manners mattered. “You could always get someone else to rescue you from that tower, Rapunzel. You might not be able to feign an obnoxious trait, but that isn’t the rule for everyone else.” She pointed out before taking a long sip of her drink. Maybe it was a girl thing, but Ronnie thought everyone knew that friends bailed friends out all the time from awkward situations. She was forever rescuing a friend from a creepy guy by dragging them away for her “favourite song” or for “problems” of her own. “Not your fault if someone else is a complete show. Or pretending to be one.” Ronnie said with a wicked smile. Plus, there were nights when playing up were so much more fun than just dancing and hanging out with friends. If Ronnie thought she could keep a straight face, she might have considered acting, but she was never serious for long.

• • •

TAGGED! Gideon Malcolm Farraday
WORDS! 557!
OUTFIT! Minxy Model!
LYRICS! So Long My Lover - - - King The Kid
NOTES!