17668/A Quiet Evening In

A Quiet Evening In
Date of Scene:	16 April 2024
Location:	Tessa's Suite - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	Tessa and Shaw have dinner and discuss their plans for relaxation before a hectic week.
Cast of Characters:	Tessa, Sebastian Shaw

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Tessa has posed:
Tessa had extended an invite to Sebastian for a quiet, dressed down dinner in her rooms before a hectic week, and had kept things to a simple elegance even with the two of them dressed significantly more casually than dinner called for. The effort had been worth it, she thought, watching Sebastian behind the rim of her wineglass as they sat comfortably on her couch. "I'm very glad we had the time to do this," she admitted as she set her wine glass down. "I plan on leaving you as relaxed as possible before this week really kicks into high gear. Everything is in order, the board will play the parts they need to play, and we will end the week on a wonderful note for Shaw Industries."

For once she was out of her normal dark purple and in a vibrant red silk camisole and shorts with black lace accents that matched the tips of her perfectly manicured nails and red lips. Her hair was down, the dark, loose waves teasing the lines of her jaw and neck and brushing her shoulders before tumbling down her back, and her feet were bare, tucked to the side as she leaned in closer to Sebastian.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
It was going to be a hectic week, to be sure. For Tessa, at least. For Sebastian, not quite as much. Show up, smile, charm the members of the board that he had to. There was a lot to be done, of course, but the heavy lifting had already been done mostly by Tessa. The rest? Will also be done by Tessa. All he has to do is follow her instructions. He has the easy part. "I have no doubts that everything will go according to your designs, my dear." Sebastian does offer a smile back through that wineglass as he takes a long sip. "And once done with that, we can revel in our shared victory."

Sebastian was more commonly beheld, at least privately, in the black silk robe that he had donned for this occasion. But it was still something to see him outside of that rather restrictive, antiquated Victorian attire. "If this was the reward for such busy weeks, I should arrange them more frequently."

Tessa has posed:
Tessa gave him a flat look at the joke. "You would not do that to our free time." It was matter of fact, but she was completely confident in her statement. Too many hectic weeks would eat away at their time together away from the eyes of the public, and neither of them wanted that. She reached out a finger to brush his jaw and hummed thoughtfully. "We'll get up a little earlier than originally planned tomorrow so I can do your shave. It will look fine if we skip it, but I know you like the first day to be perfection." It served as a reward for her as well, getting to enjoy the thrill of his trust as her steady hands guided the straight razor along his face and neck while leaving smooth, flawless skin behind. A dangerous thing in the wrong hands, but nothing Sebastian would ever need to worry about with her.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"We can always generate more free time as needed. Simply divest us of some of our responsibilities. It would be fairly easy to do, in all honesty." Sebastian regards Tessa evenly, the taunting tease of reducing workload perhaps akin to torture to the woman who constantly needs to be doing _something_. At least as near as he can reckon. "Busy time, idle time, whatever time it is, we can enjoy it together. Work or reward." He tilts his head into her touch, giving the slightest of nods, not nearly enough to dislodge her finger. "You might be the only one who gets close enough to tell the difference," he notes. Not as an objection, of course. Affirmation. And if she is close enough to notice, then he does not mind attending to it. Her notice, alone, is worth care.

"What do you wish to do after we are done? I ought let you select how we celebrate its conclusion."

Tessa has posed:
"I want you to surprise me." Tessa grins at Sebastian, fingertips lightly stroking along his jawline. "Oh, I'm certain there are more than a few pairs of thighs that can always tell exactly how close your shave was on a given day," she teased. "And yes, we could shift more of our responsibilities away. I'll run the numbers, see what's minor enough to pass around. Maybe work on training up a few assistants that might become a boon to the Junior Court? Later. Tonight is about you. Us - taking the time to enjoy one another." The thoughts about shifting work around were firmly partitioned away next to the background noise of things she needed to keep an eye on for the week ahead. They were not what was most important right now - her focus on Sebastian was. Her eyes were intent on the side of his face as she catalogued every involuntary swallow or flex of muscle that followed the movement of her fingers. "What would you have of me tonight, Darling?" Not king, not boss, although he was always both. A more intimate endearment for a time where their roles weren't defining what they did. For all the partitions she always had up - necessary, with the way her mind worked - the ones she normally kept around her emotions were down, allowing Sebastian unfettered access to the full scope of her personality.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Is that even possible?" To surprise her, that is. Sebastian could think of the most outlandish idea possible, and still it would be one that had already occurred to Tessa. She would know his means, she would know his concepts. His desires. His perceptions of her desires (accurate or not). Simply put, there was nothing he could say or do that would surprise her. And she knew this, of course, which means that there was something she had in mind that she had already predicted would be the very thing that he thought would most surprise her. He know that, of course. But it is the game that they play, sometimes.

He nods as she talks through her plans, tacit and full agreement on what she is speaking of, what she intends. The work, easily comes. The play? His eyes twinkle with amusement as he indulges in her touch, allowing her to savor the same. "Do you wish for me to surprise you tonight, as well?"

No doubt she has already worked out what that surprise might be. The question is whether that is what she wants.

The trick, at least for Sebastian, is that no matter what it was beforehand, at the end, it always appears as if that is what she wants.

It would be infuriating if it was not such a constant stroke to his ego.

Tessa has posed:
"If I try very hard to turn off my brain for a while, perhaps?" It is incredibly difficult to truly surprise Tessa, but it is also incredibly endearing that Sebastian is willing to play the game and try. When he does manage it she tries to be effusive in her praise, regardless of how small the part that surprises her might be. He knows her possibly better than anyone except she herself ever will, and when he remembers something - even if it is small, seemingly unimportant - Tessa's goal becomes rewarding him so thoroughly he'll never forget, and will be incredibly motivated to remember more. Tonight she's thinking about how nice it is to just be the two of them, and also of the new swimwear she's ordered for this year. Sebastian hasn't seen it yet, and may not notice - he might look at their bank statements occasionally, and he'll recognize the La Perla brand, but she's not certain if he's aware of their swimwear line. He will be, by the time summer is fading into fall again.

She leans closer, lips pressing against his cheek. "Asking me that was a surprise. Would you like to implement your surprise, or would you like me to take care of you? They are both a winning option."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
The lack of success at surprising Tessa does not discourage Sebastian, not when the rewards for the mere attempt are so considerable. And perhaps that is part of Tessa's game, in as much as anything is a game between these two. So he will attempt, he will rarely if ever succeed, but at the end of it, the effort is what counts. At least for them. "I will have to do my best to ensure that you turn off your brain for as long as possible." Sebastian exists in an egotistical delusion that there are various times that he can help Tessa turn off her brain. Tessa likely allows him this delusion because it suits her, and if pressed on it, perhaps Sebastian might admit that he does not truly believe it. But it strokes his ego to think that he can, and it certainly encourages him to do his best to make the attempt. And they both win when that happens. As far as the swimwear goes? Sebastian pays far more attention to the finances than Tessa thinks, but he also knows that she appreciates her own surprises, her attempts at stealth. So it suits him to allow her to believe that he is blissfully unaware until she surprises him. It can work both ways.

He smiles against her kiss, and then leans back to look into her eyes. "Why not both?"