Painting the Town Red [Phoebe]

[William Demonte]

The Place: eater.com/uploads/2007_01_inside_deathandco.jpg

He's Wearing: miloventimigliafan.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=11881&fullsize=1

For the first time in his entire life, William Demonte was nervous for a date. He checked himself one last time in his bathroom mirror before heading out and hailing a cab. It only took about ten minutes to get there. The place wasn't too busy, yet it wasn't empty as to where it would seem like a boring place. Current popular music was playing in the background as mostly younger folks bought drinks and mingled. It was dimly lit, creating the perfect atmosphere.

He sat down in an open booth and soon enough a cocktail waitress made her way over to him. "Scotch on the rocks," he ordered from her. His fingers drummed on the table as he waited for Phoebe to arrive. About a minute later his drink was brought to him, and he began sipping at it. For a moment, he was afraid Phoebe wouldn't come... and then he saw her.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

((Outfit:: www.polyvore.com/phoebes_date_outfit/set?id=9481521)))

After school, she went straight to her apartment to start going through every second bit of clothing she could find. She was always like this before a date though atleast with most dates she had a day or so to panic and rush out to buy something new. This date however, she only had hours and most of that time was to beautify herself. She finally found a magenta chiffon dress in the back of her closet. She held up the dress in triumph and then looked around her room at the mountians of mess she just created for herself.
"I'll just clean it up later." She rushed to the bathroom and got herself ready.
About three hours later, she came back out. She did some slight soft curls in her hair and added dark eyelighter around her eyes. She checked herself out in the mirror before going. She thought she looked nice. Not too slutty and not too "Im a history teacher". Just her. She grinned happily to herself at a job well done.

She took a cab to the place since she hadn't been there yet. When she entered, she was in awe. The decor was just beautiful, really modern and hip. The place had great atmosphere. It didn't take long for her to spot, will alone in an booth. She gave him a smile as she walked up to him.
"Hey Will." She took a seat across from him. When the waitress came back, she ordered a screwdriver.
"I didn't keep you waiting too long did I? You know how us girls are." She chuckled.

[William Demonte]

Mr. Demonte, erm, William saw her enter and my oh my did she look gorgeous. The dress fit her curvers perfectly, and the shoes made her legs look sky high. How had he ever looked passed her before?

"Hey Will. I didn't keep you waiting too long did I? You know how us girls are." she said, sitting across from him. Hearing her say his first name was oddly enlightening.

"No worries," he said with a smile and leaning in towards her. "You look stunning, Phoebe," he complimented. William hadn't noticed until just then that his heart was pounding. Usually he was so relaxed and confident, but tonight he felt as if he could say the wrong thing at any moment. "So a screwdriver is your drink of choice?" he asked, making light conversation.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

The look that Will gave her was just....it just took her breathe away. It made her special. She use to guys always looking passed her at some other hot babe but Will was actualy looking at her, just at her.
"You look stunning, Phoebe,"
"Thank you, you do too." She met it. He always looked dashing especially tonight.
The waitress came back with her drink. She took a drink of it and enjoyed the taste of vodka and orange juice. The vodka was helping her nerves. Oh those first date nerves.
"So a screwdriver is your drink of choice?" Phoebe shrugged.
"It's one of the few drinks I remember. I try a lot of new drinks so I don't always remember the names. I wasn't a big drinker in college, so I didn't get the experience of knowing the different drinks." Phoebe chuckled remembering how her college years were spent, being a history dork. She shook away the member and looked back at Will.
"What about you? What's your favorite drink?" She look over at his glass unsure what he was drinking. She hoped she wasn't coming off as she totally dork for not knowing.

[William Demonte]

"Thank you, you do too." she said back to him. William gave her a nod and smile of thanks. He was used to getting compliments, but coming from her it felt like it meant much more.

"It's one of the few drinks I remember. I try a lot of new drinks so I don't always remember the names. I wasn't a big drinker in college, so I didn't get the experience of knowing the different drinks."

"Oh college..." he said shaking his head with a guilty smile.

"What about you? What's your favorite drink?"

"Well, in college it was anything to get me fucked up enough so I didn't remember a thing the next morning. Now, I prefer scotch. Nothing too fancy," he admitted, holding up his class to her. "What was college like for you? Since you didn't go to many parties or anything." William took a sip of his drink, curious to hear her story. That is, if she'd say.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

"Well, in college it was anything to get me fucked up enough so I didn't remember a thing the next morning. ' Phoebe laughed trying to picture Will as the typical college guy just drinking his brains away.
"Oh that's just great. "
Now, I prefer scotch. Nothing too fancy,"
"Right nothing too fancy." She gave him another smile and a nod of her head.
"What was college like for you? Since you didn't go to many parties or anything." Phoebe took another sip of her drink before answering.
Well college was kinda like high school with a bit more partying. I mostly focused on my goals which was to graduate and become an archaeologist or maybe an Egyptologist. I wanted to go out on digs and just discover something. Make it one big adventure. You know like Indiana Jones. Even as a kid, I would just go around digging up people's yards because my older sister told me all these crazy stories." Phoebe just lit up from head to toe when she was talking about her dream to become a great Archeologist. Her face and body language just beamed that this was something she had great passion over.

She took another sip before continuing.
"But then ofcourse out of college, you don't exactly get the offers you were hopping for. Everything changed when I got the invitation to teach at the Parthenon. I never even thought of becoming a teacher until then. " Phoebe paused for a moment, realizing she was talking way too much. She felt a bit guilty.

"So what about you? College? Childhood dreams?"

[William Demonte]

Watching her talk about her dreams, William could just see the excitement radiating off of her. And it was sickeningly adorable to him. "I bet you could do it someday. Don't give up," he looked own and took a drink. "That's one of the best pieces of advice I got in my life."

"But then of course out of college, you don't exactly get the offers you were hopping for. Everything changed when I got the invitation to teach at the Parthenon. I never even thought of becoming a teacher until then. So what about you? College? Childhood dreams?"

William gave a small smile before downing the rest of his drink. He was going to need the alcohol to help him along with the story."Childhood dreams?" he said with a bitter laugh. "College was just... a big mess. My parents, er, foster parents paid for me to go to NYU. I just went totally nuts. As important as school and learning was to me, my free time was spent getting completely fucked up. Drinking, drugs, you name it and I did it. My roomate, Rob, we were roommates each year. Inseperable. A brother that I never had." William put a hand through his hair, then rested his chin in his hand letting out a sigh. The dam had broke and now suddenly, everything was coming out of his mouth.

"One night I so was messed up, alone in our apartment. Everything was hitting me so hard that night, all the shit I've been through, and I couldn't take it. I was going to make a really bad decision, but then Rob came in and he changed my mind. He saved my life that night." He paused and shook his head. The alcohol had spurred him to continue talking. "A week later he died in a car crash." William stared at the table, shocked that he just shared that story with her. No one knew about that night, no one except himself and Rob. He motioned to the cocktail waitress as she walked by to get him a refill on his drink. When she came back with it, he downed it instantly. "I hated college."

[Phoebe Goodwin]

"I bet you could do it someday. Don't give up, That's one of the best pieces of advice I got in my life." Phoebe over at him as if she was seeing another new side of him. He just kept surprising her and she loved it.
'Thank you and I hope you would do the same for your dreams" She took another small sip of her drink.
"Childhood dreams?" She frowned at his bitter laugh, though the corners of her mouth were still curled up so her frown wasn't at all that serious.
"Come on, not one dream? I don't believe you. No dreams of being a fireman?"
"College was just... a big mess. My parents, er, foster parents paid for me to go to NYU. I just went totally nuts. As important as school and learning was to me, my free time was spent getting completely fucked up. Drinking, drugs, you name it and I did it. My roomate, Rob, we were roommates each year. Inseperable. A brother that I never had." Phoebe listened quitely, just making mental notes to herself to ask him later when they were over the first date step. She took note of him saying foster parents.
"Damn you were one hell of a party animal." There was no judgement in her voice, she was just having one hell of a time trying to picture the clean cut Will that she saw eariler that day be a regular college guy.
Within moments, Phoebe watched as Will's body language changed after he mentioned Rob. There was something there that made Will tense.
"One night I so was messed up, alone in our apartment. Everything was hitting me so hard that night, all the shit I've been through, and I couldn't take it. I was going to make a really bad decision, but then Rob came in and he changed my mind. He saved my life that night."
Phoebe's eyes were round and full of compassion. She stayed quiet, unsure of what to say to him. She had went through a wave of depression. It was a period in her life that she hated to think about so she could imagine how hard it was for William to talk about it.
"A week later he died in a car crash." Phoebe took in a sharp inhale of breathe, not expecting that turn in his story. She extended her arm across the table and her hand took hold of his other hand. Her hand was warm over his. She had always been known for having very warm hands.
I'm so sorry" Her thumb rubbed against his knuckles.
"I hated college."' Phoebe nodded.
"Ya I do too. " Phoebe thought for a moment whether or not she should share her story. She decided she should since he just shared a lot to her. Phoebe let go of his hand and leaned back in her seat.
"Ya...while in college, I went through a depression for a few months. It was right after some shitty relationships and I was being hard on myself with school and everything. I think the worst part was telling my family and friends, who seemed to have be completely clueless to the whole thing. I guess I hid it pretty well." Phoebe put on a smile but this time it just didn't meet her eyes. Flashes her memory were in her mind of how her mother and father took the news. She was snapped back to reality as the waitress came back. Phoebe just noticed that her drink was gone.
"Can I have one of what he is having?"
She turned back to Will and shook her head. Her smile widden as the cloud over her head passed.
"Okay no more. Okay Will what do you do on your days off? And don't you dare say grading papers cause I wont believe it. You know what I mean." She pointed her finger at him just to try and act like she was very serious cause she really did want to know more about him.

[William Demonte]

"Come on, not one dream? I don't believe you. No dreams of being a fireman?"
William smirked at her before he said, "Me a fireman? Come on now." He shook his head before continuting. The only time he had dreams was when he was much younger, with his real parents. After what happened, he was done having dreams. And his foster parents weren't much help at trying to rekindle them.

"Damn you were one hell of a party animal." William shrugged. "I guess so. Everyone was, really. We had access to so much stuff." Partying was partying. It was his only excape in college. Getting so out of his mind drunk and high was the best way to forget everything. Rob helped him a lot... He started to tense up, the words just bursting to get out of his mouth. For some reason he knew she wouldn't be judgemental abouth him. Besides the alcohol was making his decisions right then. Well not really, he just liked to use that excuse.

I'm so sorry" she said as her hand grabbed his. This time he didn't shrug away like when she hugged him. William bit the inside of his cheek, wishing he hadn't blurted those things out. But he couldn't take it back now.

"I hated college."
"Ya I do too. " she said letting go of his hand and leaning back in her seat. William managaed to give her a weak smile.
"Ya...while in college, I went through a depression for a few months. It was right after some shitty relationships and I was being hard on myself with school and everything. I think the worst part was telling my family and friends, who seemed to have be completely clueless to the whole thing. I guess I hid it pretty well."

He frowned. William couldn't picture someone as happy and bubbly as her to be so down in the dumps. Then again she probably wasn't expecting someone... like him, to have such an unexpected story to tell. "A lot of times, parents just don't get it anyway. They either ignore you or condemn you if something goes wrong. I can relate to you on that one."

The waitress was on her way by, and Phoebe ordered herself a scotch and Will ordered himself a water. He needed to cool it down with the drinking for a little while. That scotch got into his system way too fast, causing him to say things he was no where near ready to say. William cursed himself internally.

"Okay no more. Okay Will what do you do on your days off? And don't you dare say grading papers cause I wont believe it. You know what I mean."
"You're about to be disappointed but... grading papers. I'll hang out grading papers at home by myself during the day, well that's if my daughter-" he cut himself short quickly, afraid he messed things up by saying that, but he went on. "-isn't home. Later on I'll go to the bar or something." The waitress came back with their drinks, and he sipped at his water anxiously, though he hid it well. His body was disappointed with his new choice of drink; it revolted the water and screamed for more liquor. William wasn't about to order another scotch just yet. But it was going to be soon since he just blurted that he had a daughter, even if she was just a foster daughter.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

"Me a fireman? Come on now." Aww and she was just imagining him in the sexy fireman outfit. She quickly had to stop thinking about that cause then she wouldn't be able to continue their conversation which she was enjoying.
'Okay maybe not a fireman but surely you have some kind of dream of the future now. Explore the world? Write a novel? If you don't have one I'm going to make it my mission to help you find one. Dreams are great to have. They pick you up when you are having a bad day. They are your life umbrella for when it starts to rain." She smiled when she added her own little quote about the life umbrella. It was something that just came into her mind just then.

During the conversation about her past, Phoebe's eyes were mostly on the table and at her hands. Whenever she talked about very personal stuff, she tended to look away from people's eyes since she was most vulnerable during those moments. But there was something about Will that made her feel like he wasn't judging her like other people. When she told most people about her depression, they would look at her like she was crazy and they would always wondered if she was still like that. She was grateful that Will wasn't like that.
"A lot of times, parents just don't get it anyway. They either ignore you or condemn you if something goes wrong. I can relate to you on that one." Phoebe nodded and took her eyes off of the table and back at him.
"Ya, it's kind of sad how some parents just don't know their kids as soon as they start school. I don't know. I would like to think when I have a kid I would be different. You know just more in tune with them. " Phoebe shrugged. Phoebe was still trying to hold onto be young at heart and it helped being a teacher. She figured if she could stay that way then it might be a bit easlier to raise a kid, but then again she could just be dreaming.

"You're about to be disappointed but... grading papers.
"Wait no, no, no! That is unacceptable!" Her smile was just beaming cause she couldn't believe it. She just found it too funny.
"Im just going to have to show you how to have fun. No one just sits around and grades papers for fun. That is still work." It was final she was going to have to show Will how to have fun again. She was going to start bothering him every day and hopefully find something that he would like to do for fun.
I'll hang out grading papers at home by myself during the day, well that's if my daughter-" Phoebe noticed that he paused after he said daughter. If he was expecting her to freak out, she didn't. She actually got even more excited. This was a totally new side of him. She leaned in more eager to find out about his daughter. Phoebe always wanted to a daughter though she wouldnt' mention it to Will cause that might freak him out since it was just their first date.
"-isn't home. Later on I'll go to the bar or something." The waitress came back and handed Phoebe her Scotch on the rocks. Phoebe took a sip and thought it wasn't so bad thanks to the ice but it wasn't her favorite drink either.
'Okay now you have to tell me everything about her. What's her name? How old is she?"

[William Demonte]

William found her response to his favorite past time very amusing. Then again he felt silly, because it really wasn't all that great. He watched carefully at her reaction to him having a daughter, and he was surpirsed to see her lean in, interested.

'Okay now you have to tell me everything about her. What's her name? How old is she?"

"Well, you probably know her from one of your classes. Alex Samuels." he began, fiddling with his glass of water in front of him. "She had a lot of other stuff going on I guess, and was going to be placed in a new foster home. So, I adopted her. And its working out really well so far. She's a great girl." Alex was a great girl, and William really cared out her. Sure, they had their moments but it was nice to have company once in a while.

Willaim looked up at Phoebe, wondering what she was thinking. Then he wondered why he cared so much about what she was thinking. He finished up his water, and ordered another scotch. This time he'd drink it much much slower.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

"Well, you probably know her from one of your classes. Alex Samuels." Phoebe's smile just ran from ear to ear. This was just amazing to her since she absolutely adored Alex. Alex reminded Phoebe of herself in so many ways, mostly with her bubbly personality.
"Oh my gosh, I love Alex! She is such a cute kid. How did that happen?" Will answered her question, "She had a lot of other stuff going on I guess, and was going to be placed in a new foster home. So, I adopted her. And its working out really well so far. She's a great girl." Phoebe hadn't heard that Alex was going through some hard things in her life though she did notice a change in her personality. She started to come to class and not really caring any more.
"She is a really great girl. I love her presentations in my class. She always really gets into them more so than the other kids. You are really lucky to be her dad. Have you guys done anything interesting since you became her father?"
Phoebe sipped her scotch slowly since it had more alcohol in it than in her screwdriver. She tried to picture how William was as a father. He would be the one to keep the kids straight and order while Phoebe was more of the crazy parent that liked to have fun with her kids.

[William Demonte]

"She is a really great girl. I love her presentations in my class. She always really gets into them more so than the other kids. You are really lucky to be her dad. Have you guys done anything interesting since you became her father?"


William laughed and ran a hand through his hair. Sure there have been quite a few interesting... incidents. Like Alex walking in on himself and a student while on the couch, being not so discrete. He wasn't about to tell Phoebe that story though. No one else needs to know that he screws around with students. He shifted uncomfortably, but then smiled up at her. "Not much. We're both busy doing our own things, but I make an effort to cook her a meal most days, even though I'm no good at cooking."

Phoebe made a point to him that he really didn't spend enough time with Alex. Maybe he'd take her out somewhere one day to the zoo or arcade... whatever it is that kids do. Honestly, William was clueless when it came to raising a kid. He just did his best to make sure she had everything she needed, but other than that he was lost.

"How about you? Kids? Married?" he asked chancing a quick glance at her hand to see if there was a ring.

[Phoebe Goodwin]

"Not much. We're both busy doing our own things, but I make an effort to cook her a meal most days, even though I'm no good at cooking."

Phoebe nodded. She knew what it was like living in a house where everyone was too busy to even see each other. Meals seem to be the only time in the day where everyone would get together and for at least an hour just talk about their days. She made a note in her head to maybe have a playdate and invite Alex along.
"How about you? Kids? Married?" Phoebe showed off her ringless hands to William.
"Nope nothing at the moment though my future is wide open for the possiblity of the two. Right now its just me, my cat and my dog. " She was smiling thinking about the possiblities of the future. She wanted a family so badly. It was something she dreamed about as a little kid, having her dream wedding and then having kids. Right now the dog and cat would have to do.
"Were you ever married, Will? Or are you married?" She looked across the table for the ring on his finger though she knew that some guys like to take off their rings at bars.

[William Demonte]

"Nope nothing at the moment though my future is wide open for the possiblity of the two. Right now its just me, my cat and my dog. "

William smiled before taking a sip of his drink. He wasn't much of a pet person. Well that was because he never had one before. Its not that he hated animals, he just didn't get why people kept them in their house. But he figured it was nice for Phoebe to have some company.

"Were you ever married, Will? Or are you married?"

"Me, married?" he scoffed. "No. Never. They normally don't stick around for that long." They didn't stick around for long at all. He was lucky if they stayed the night. William wasn't much of a relationship person. There was one he had back in his college days which ended bitterly. Other than that, its be a long string of one night stands for him. Was he ashamed? No. Did he wish things were different? Maybe. He just doesn't know any better. He doesn't even know what love is. He doesn't even know that he doesn't know.