Meet and greet

Who: Ian and Shoshannah
Where: The Drake Hotel
When: Lunchtime

She wasn't entirely sure what made her hail a taxi, or what made her tell the driver to take her to The Drake Hotel, but with her camera in her hand and her mind sent on adventure, Shoshannah set out to a place she was never allowed to go before. Her parents had forbid her from going to the Drake Hotel, among many other places, upon the ever-so-popular parental reason of "Because I said so", but now that little Shoshannah wasn't so little anymore, she decided it was time for her to get out and experience these places. She'd lived in this town all her life and still she'd never really been out of the Jewish stores and Synagogues that her family frequented. The only outside place she'd been was the library and while she loved it there, libraries didn't make for very many good photo opportunities.

She waited anxiously in the back of the car, smoothing out her simple black dress with a pair of black lace gloves over her hands. She was intent on looking professional, but obtainable. She assumed that if she started early enough, she'd be able to make getting dressed up for work more of a habit than a chore...not that she had a job. She was used to simply lazing about in her pajamas for most of her life, but now it was time for her to change that image as well. The dress was cap-sleeved, so her white jacket covered her arms and sheltered her from the cold. The buttons down the top of her dress kept her bust in check, something she rarely thought about. It ended in the style of a pencil-skirt, hose covering her legs, slipping into modest, polished black heels a little too small to be called pumps.

The driver unceremoniously announced that they were at the hotel, but Shoshannah barely paid attention to him. Why hadn't her parents let her come here again? The establishment was gorgeous to say the least. It was full of grandeur and promises of wealth and beauty. She was finally roused by a too-loud "Pay up and get out, lady" from the driver, to which she did instantly. When the driver sped off, she nearly found herself splattered with dirty, slushy, rain-water and she was thankful that she was not feeling lethargic right then so she could step back quickly enough to surpass the attack. Thinking nothing more of it and nothing ill of the driver himself, Shoshannah turned her sights back on the hotel. She admired it for a moment more from the outside before she started her stride toward the door.

In awe of the surroundings, she thanked the doorman when he held the door for her and made sure to clean the bottoms of her shoes on the mat outside before stepping into the lobby. It was overwhelmingly beautiful inside. Gilded and golden, lush and luxuriant. How she had managed to stay out of this hotel was starting to become a large question for her. The people were gorgeous, the staff impeccable. It was a wonder her parents thought anything ill of it at all. Without thinking, she removed the cap from her camera and started flashing shots of the lobby, hoping to preserve the decor and ambiance in film.

Ian was busy. Not that overwhelming type of busy, but the type that had kept him moving around for most of the morning. He had two new employees to get settled as quickly as possible without putting a major kink in his organization, plus a full day of work and a hotel full of guests. When Soshannah came in he was just finishing up talking to one of the clerks about the new guests who had checked in that morning. He had about five minutes before he had to meet with the head of the casino to go over numbers, but the young woman in black with the camera caught his eye. The press had taken an interest in the hotel since the ball, maybe eager to catch a glimpse of some of the more luxurious members of Eioldon City. Moving so he could intercept her, he stepped politely in front of the camera lens. "Can I help you?" He didn't recognize her up close, he knew that for sure, he wouldn't forget a face that lovely.

She'd just gotten the angle of the staircase right when something entirely not a staircase stepped infront of her. Lowering her camera, she caught sight of what seemed like a friendly, nice, pleasantly handsome man. "Oh...I'm sorry. Am I not allowed to take pictures here? It's just so beautiful I couldn't resist." Then, shifting the camera's weight into her left hand, she extended the gloved right one to Ian. "I'm Shoshannah. Shoshannah Hagel. It's a pleasure to meet you." She might have seemed a little too chipper for a Hagel in The Drake Hotel, but Shoshannah had no reason to be on edge. She still wasn't exactly aware that her father's situation with the DiGiovanni family extended to her too. "This is my first time here. I guess I should have asked the manager for permission to shoot."

Hagel? Ian managed to not look at her curiously despite the fact that he was exactly that, curious. "Pleasure to meet you as well Ms. Hagel," he told her shaking her hand with a pleasant smile. "And there aren't any rules about photographing the hotel, provided you aren't actually casing it for a heist." Ian's tone remained pleasant, smiling. "I'm Ian Sullivan, the hotel manager."

"A heist? I wouldn't even know who to take the pictures to for that." Well, that had been easy. She'd found the manager within the first few moments. Of course she couldn't blame him for intervening with an odd woman taking pictures in his hotel lobby. "I can't believe my parents wouldn't let me come here. It's gorgeous. What could they possibly have against this place?" Hazel eyes glanced around the lobby again, a smile breaking out on her face. "I'll try not to get any pictures with your guests. I know they might think it odd."

"Well, since it is your first time, would you like an official tour?" He had work to do yes, but this girl being forbidden from his hotel? That was beyond interesting. Offering her his arm, he motioned to the clerk he'd just left, giving them a signal to postpone his meeting. Of course the look that was shot back was one of interest towards Soshanna, wondering whom could be important enough to claim his attention.

"I'd be honored, thank you!" Shoshannah accepted his offer wholeheartedly and slipped her arm through his. The people were nice, the establishment was gorgeous. There was nothing here that she could see fault with. And so far, no slips in focus. This day was turning out nicely, if she did say so. Hopefully she could make it through this tour without slipping up or falling asleep. "You seem very proud of this hotel, Mr. Sullivan, with good reason. It should be in a movie, it's so beautiful."

"Not a problem, and thank you." Ian nodded, smiling brightly. "I am rather proud of it, which is good considering I'm in charge of it, but it's hard not to love it." He guided her through the lobby, pointing out the obvious landmarks and then guided around the corner to the casino. "This is our casino, the only legal gambling in town," he explained with a wink. It some cases the casino itself wasn't legit, but the general public didn't need to know that. The manager of the casino itself was eying Ian's guest closely, obviously curious as well. It was more than Ian could hoped for. He knew about her family, he was present in enough rooms to hear the name dropped, but she'd been kept from them long enough. Which meant if he could seduce the girl...well there was a way to separate her from her family. Already Ian could see the pieces falling into place.

His features weren't lost on Shoshannah either but as much as she could have liked to admire them, she found that a more insistent trigger was causing her eyes to stare off and her mind to wander. She barely listened to what he was saying when he talked about the landmarks.She caught herself staring blankly into the casino and tried to play it off as awe. Oblivious to the clerk before or the casino manager, she focused solely on Ian, hoping to keep her focus there as long as possible. "If I ever feel the need to gamble, I'll know where to go then. Do you ever gamble here? I know how to play Blackjack but not very well. I know the rules but I've never actually played the game."

Ian laughed lightly. "No I try not to gamble. I have enough vices as is," he explained. In reality he had very few vices outside of manipulating people. He drank only on occasion, barely smoked unless in a social setting and he stayed far away from the drugs peddled on the street. Still the average person thought of themselves as having vices rather than being free from such things so he played into that role. "What I know of Black Jack though, it mimics the rules. Avid players will tell you there's a skill to it, but I still think they are just betting on plain dumb luck." The look he gave her was conspiratorial, as if sharing some big secret. "If you head this way I'll show you our restaurant." Taking the lead again he pulled her around in another direction.

"I wasn't really allowed to play card games, so I wouldn't know. It seems simple enough." She responded to his look of secrecy with a grin of her own. She fought with reaching for her camera and ended up just leaving it around her neck. A picture of people gambling might get her in some real trouble. Shoshannah found herself trailing along beside Ian, not fighting against his lead. "If you're going to tell me it's the best restaurant in town, I might just have to have lunch here and decide for myself." Again, she flashed a coy smile, finding it very easy to share these small smiles with someone she'd just met. Here he was, proving that there were nice people in even places she wasn't meant to be.

"It's not too hard. Maybe we'll get you in there to play a hand or two." He told her with a smile. The way she hesitated with the camera made Ian wonder if she was still forbidden to be at the hotel, even though she was obviously here. "I was going to recommend lunch actually," he told her with a laugh as they found their way to the restaurant. "Because you're right, it is the best in town. Shall I get you a table?"

Shoshannah gave a small nod, a slight grin spreading across her face. Her parents would die if they knew she was here AND that she had gambled...but she was already here so why not give it a shot? "I'd love to try, and yes a table would be nice, thank you." She let go of his arm gently, letting her eyes roam across the restaurant. The scent of food wafted toward Shoshannah's nose and she wondered idly if it was kosher, but it didn't matter. Her parents were the strict ones in the family. Kosher or not, she'd try anything once. But as she thought about the food and the sounds of the restaurant, Shoshannah stared off at the wall. She had no idea if Ian had left and come back or hadn't left at all. She simply stared, giving a perfectly glazed look to anyone who saw her.

Ian had stepped away from her, conversing with the hostess at the restaurant who quickly left her post afterward, readying the table Ian had selected on purpose. It was one of the best in the house and yet at the same time, rather private. When he crossed the space back towards her it didn't take him long to realize that she wasn't focused anymore. "Ms. Hagel?" he asked calmly, gently touching her shoulder. Oh yes, this was very very curious.

It took a moment for her to register, but when she did, Shoshannah jumped a bit, blinking quickly. She realized quickly that she'd done it again and sighed inwardly. "I'm sorry...sometimes I have trouble focusing." She admitted, but instantly added, "I didn't sleep well last night." A little white lie, but still..It was hard to explain to people that she often fell asleep or barely paid attention to them and even harder to explain that she didn't mean to do these things. "Is the table ready?" She asked, hoping for a change of subject. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

Intrigued, Ian let her lie slide past him, just nodding. "It's alright, it happens to the best of us." His smile stayed pleasant, and he offered his arm again. "Table's ready, if you are of course?"

Slipping her arm through his once more, Shoshannah smiled, but behind it she was working hard to pull herself together. She'd been fine the whole way over here, so why should her condition start acting up now? "Of course." Once seated at the table, Shoshannah cast a glance around, a slow recognition coming on of just how private this table was. "...Do you often have private lunches with girls you've just met, Mr. Sullivan?"

Ian pulled her chair out for her, pushing it in once she sat. He didn't join her right away, merely paused in front of the table, reaching out to take the menu from the approaching waitress. In a flash he wished Amelia was still waiting tables. She would be a good person to to put on this girl. Amelia was sweet and intelligent, the type that Shoshannah would probably find appealing. "That depends Ms. Hagel, are you inviting me to lunch?"

She really needed to get her mind back on track. Focus, Shoshannah. She shouldn't let Ian Sullivan get her off track just because he was handsome and her condition was acting up. Taking her camera from her neck and placing it on the table beside her, she flashed Ian a charming smile. "You're a busy man, I'm sure, but if you're not too busy, some company would be appreciated. But don't neglect your job on my account."

"Technically you're a guest at my hotel Ms. Hagel, and most of my job revolves around keeping my guests happy." He moved around the table smoothly, sitting across from her. "So really, lunch with you would be a pleasant side affect of doing my job." He opened the menu, noticing that a few items from the ball had made it on the daily menu, even at the lunch hour. "Do you have any idea what you're in the mood for?"

"Everything looks so extravagant." She scanned the menu, noticing that she hadn't heard of more than a few entrees there. "Why don't you just pick something for me? What's the house specialty?" As she put the menu down, Shoshannah turned her eyes back to Ian. "Maybe you can help me with something. Why would anyone's parents forbid them from coming to a beautiful hotel like this? I don't see anything wrong with it. Is there some sort of seedy underground, back alley deal-room that I should be worried about?"

"Quite a few specialties," Ian told her. When the waitress came back by she did a lousy job of hiding her shock at seeing Ian sitting with the young woman. Hiding his look of disgust he told her their order, choosing a few items off the menu. Once the waitress was gone, he turned his focus back on Shoshannah, and her interestingly pointed question. "There is any sort of seedy underground, sadly we're just what we seem, a fancy hotel." Ian lied smoothly enough, completely believable when his hotel was nothing but. On the outside it was just as he said, but the DiGiovannis still did plenty of work out of the hotel, which still made it tainted. "People are sometimes just wary of what they don't know."

"It just seems odd. I don't see anything wrong with the hotel itself so I have no idea why my parents would forbid me from coming here. And you've been nothing but kind to me since I came here. I don't see why they'd worry." Shoshannah watched the waitress and her expression, a small smile coming from her once she left. "And you're sure it's not out of the ordinary for you to be seen eating lunch with your guests?"

"I can't see any reason either," he continued to lie to her without much effort. He rested his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers between them while watching her closely. "Maybe a little out of the ordinary, but still a pleasant deviation from the norm." Rumors would circulate, but that was probably for the best as well. Things would float back to Amelia and watching her deal with that would certainly be worth his time.

Shoshannah wanted to pay attention and she did for the first part of his sentence. She'd been looking right at him, making eye contact, really doing her best to listen to what he said, but by the time he'd started another sentence her eyes were glazed again. She hadn't physically moved so much as she seemed to be staring past him. Her eyes drooped a little, oblivious to anything he did or said until she felt a plate slide infront of her, the little woosh of wind made by their waitress as she set Shoshannah's salad down bringing the girl around just a bit. Her condition was getting worse since this time it was a process for her to focus again. First the woosh, then the muddled voices around her, and finally she found herself staring at Ian again.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Shoshannah attempted to play it off with a laugh. "I'm so sorry! I really must get more sleep. Whatever you said, I didn't hear it. Something about...out of the ordinary?"

He'd watched her eyes shift, and her attention slide to elsewhere. Ian probably could have said something else, try to shake her out of it directly, but since he was curious he didn't add anything on the end of his sentence, just letting it hold for a moment or two until the waitress startled her out of it with the salads. The smile he gave her was understanding, able to write the moment off. "I was just saying, it's somewhat out of the ordinary, but trust me, I don't mind."

Somewhat out of the ordinary was right, but Shoshannah wasn't thinking about the hotel anymore. She was frustrated with herself. Here was Ian, trying to carry on a normal conversation with her and she couldn't even do that. And he was so sweet to not judge her for it. It only annoyed her more that she was losing a battle with her condition. "I'm usually not this bad," She lied. "I apologize, really. I'm probably testing your patience but I promise I'm not bored or anything. It just...happens sometimes." The excuse seemed just as stupid coming out of her mouth as it had in her mind, but she couldn't take it back now. She picked up her fork and idly mixed the salad greens with whatever dressing they used, searching her mind for something to say. "I bet this is becoming one of the oddest lunches you've had in a while, am I right?"

"Not at all. I'm rather enjoying my lunch." The smile he gave her seemed honest and genuine. Really she was proving to be rather odd lunch company but not because of how she was behaving, rather who she was. She was too young to be anyone other than Hagel's daughter. Ian found it very interesting that she'd been banned from his hotel, which was probably for good reason. The family could easily use her, which meant Ian could use her even more. "Good food with a pretty woman is always the best way to spend an afternoon."

Shoshannah smiled. Well, wasn't he the charmer? It had been a while since someone treated her normally after one of her episodes. To her, Ian certainly wasn't acting as if she'd offended him. Lifting her drink, she extended it a bit to him in a sort of toast. "To food and friends, then." Taking a sip then placing it back on the table, Shoshannah settled into a sense of ease around him now that she knew Ian wasn't going to think ill of her if she slipped up. She was clearly clueless to any sense of attachment he might have to the DiGiovanni family and obviously clueless to her own inadvertent attachment to them as well. "I bet you get a lot of local celebrities around here, don't you? There are probably even some now but you're sitting here with me instead of them. That's really kind of you."

Ian matched her toast with his own glass. "To food and friends," he echoed, not taking a sip right away, but watching her with enough intensity of someone who would be interested, although not too intensely to seem intimidating. "We get a few here and there," Ian told her as he glanced around the room as if looking to see if he could spot someone. "They aren't nearly as interesting as you."

"Me?" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. More interesting than any of the local celebrities? "You say that to all the girls, don't you?" The concept of flirting with danger hadn't occurred to her and probably never would. "How am I more interesting than a celebrity?"

"Not at all, besides the girls who work here, there aren't many girls in my life," he admitted, dropping his eyes from hers, looking appropriately embarrassed. He cleared his throat a little, as if trying to move on from that moment of weakness. "Celebrities are focused on themselves, they seem to forget that those they are spending time with might have something to say as well." In reality he wasn't usually allowed near them. His job was to cater them, not directly rub elbows with them. They knew his name, but his cover was the slightly dull hotel manager. He'd only gotten as far as he had with that alias.

Shoshannah felt his pain and jumped at a chance to try and make him smile again. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't have any men in my life besides my family, really." Sensing that he seemed sensitive about the lack of female friendship he had, she followed his change of the conversation. "Still, what fabulous anecdotes you get from meeting celebrities!" Shoshannah added, attempting to cheer him up. "It's a lot more than most people could say." She'd been picking at her salad this entire time and by now had reached the end of it. "And if the salad is any indicator of the rest of the meal, I think you're right about this place being the best restaurant in town."

Perfect, Ian thought when she jumped to cover his embarrassment with an admission of her own. "I do find it hard to believe that you don't have plenty of suitors," he said politely although there might have been a little bit of hope laced behind it. As she finished up her salad, the next course came, including the daring fish plate from the ball which had gone over so well with the guests.

She had to fight not to laugh at his comment. Sure, she'd been on dates before, but none of them had stuck. The boys had never piqued her interest and, of course, she'd pushed a good number of them off by falling asleep during their dinner. She'd already lost her focus multiple times here with Ian and he was still acting as if she was just as normal as anyone else. "Well, believe it. I don't have any suitors at the moment." Her eyes turned to the dish that came out, surprise flickering in them. Fish for lunch? This place really was decadent. "This looks amazing! I can't remember a time I've had fish for lunch."

Ian took a bite of his food, watching her while he chewed. "I don't believe that, there's got to be someone." His smile was a little coy, but still friendly. "The fish is a special dish, put together for the ball, but it went over so well that I think they decided it should be a special treat for the everyday."

"Believe it or not, it's true." She said, returning his coy smile with a sincere one of her own. "They just don't seem interested and the ones that are don't interest me." She shrugged a little. "So I guess I'm still on the market." She took a bite of the fish, mulling over what he said. "So you host parties here too?" What she knew of the ball was what was printed in the newspaper. "Do you have these balls often?" She couldn't deny that they sounded interesting, especially for a girl who had seen so little of the world.

"Lucky me," he told her in his best charming voice. Taking a sip of his drink before moving on to let that comment sink in some. "We've had a few, more events are lining up from the ball doing so well. We don't have a lot of balls, but I'm hoping there's more on the horizon. It was great for the hotel."

The charm was working. Shoshannah seemed to be eating it up. He was an attractive man and he'd been kind to her the entire time she'd been here. Why not flirt a little? What harm could come of it? Besides, it would be nice to get to know a new friend better. "Lucky you? I think I'm the lucky one. If I was taken, I'd never have come here and met you." She flashed him a smile before reaching for her cup and sipping at her drink. "Do normal people get invited to these parties or is it celebrities only?"

The smile Ian gave her seemed genuine and a little excited. He inched his hand across the table, grazing his fingers across hers lightly. "Lucky for both of us then." He let her other question drop, enjoying only the matter at hand anyway.

It was almost too easy for her to believe him, he produced those smiles so effortlessly. Shoshannah glanced at their slightly touching hands, grateful that she had removed her gloves for their meal. A thought passed through her mind, something more forward than she would have expected, but glancing at Ian confirmed that she should just take the chance. What was today if not a day of seized opportunities? "...Maybe we could meet for lunch again sometime? If you'd like that."

Ian's smile bore nothing of the evil grin that he wore inside his head. Instead the face he showed Shoshannah was delighted. "I'd like that very much Ms. Hagel." Caught like a little bird in a trap.

Pleased with herself and the situation, Shoshannah smiled back at him with a more genuine emotion. Excitement. This was new and interesting and he hadn't completely shot her down after her earlier mishaps. "Do you have a piece of paper? I could give you my phone number..." She could only hope that her mother wouldn't answer the phone when if he called. "It's the one to my parents' house. I'm still there until I can afford an apartment of my own." She admitted, slightly embarrassed about that fact.

Effortless he produced both paper and pen, the little pad he carried with him, flipping to a blank page and handing it across the table to her. He took care to ensure that his hand grazed hers when she took the pad from him. "There's nothing wrong with living with family, especially if it's practical. I live here after all." He motioned about him, to the hotel itself.

"I don't think that living in this beautiful hotel is the same as me living with my parents and sister still." She laughed as she wrote down her number and name (just in case he forgot, which didn't seem likely since he'd been using her name the whole time), before sliding the pad and paper back into his hands. She took steps to insure that their fingers brushed again, the light contact drawing another smile from her lips. "Thank you for showing me around and joining me at lunch. It's been a...pretty fantastic day so far. How much do I owe for lunch?" She asked, noticing that the waitress hadn't brought over a bill yet.

Ian laughed lightly at her comment although he was also rather amused at how smoothly this whole encounter had gone. "I assure you, my apartment is by far nowhere near as luxurious as the hotel itself." That was honest enough, as much as Ian hated to admit it. In order to continue playing his game he'd been forced to keep the apartment modest, mostly a collection of used, mismatched and damaged furniture from the hotel itself, with a lovely lower floor view of the alley. It wasn't lost on him that she made the effort to touch him this time and his pleased smile was more honest than any other expression he'd given her yet. "The pleasure was all mine Ms. Hagel," he assured her. "And lunch is on me, consider it my treat." Standing from the table he straightened his shirt and vest and then held out a hand to help her up.

"A private tour and a lunch on the house. Aren't I a lucky girl?" Taking his hand, she stood with his help, grabbing her jacket off the chair and camera off the table. His kindness was not lost of Shoshannah. Ian had been a perfect gentlemen the whole time. Sure, they were near strangers, but all friendships started out with a stranger initially. Shoshannah would try to keep the lid on thinking that this could turn out to be anything other than a friendship...for now.

She chatted about this and that as they made their way back to the lobby. Shrugging into her jacket, Shoshannah gave one last, quick glance around the grand foyer before turning back to Ian. "Thank you so much for all this. I had a wonderful time." Upon saying those words, she realized they sounded quite like the two of them had just been on a date. She attempted to play it off with a smile. "Hopefully I'll hear from you soon, Mr. Sullivan."

"Call me Ian," he told her after helping her into her jacket and motioning for the doorman to flag her down a cab. "And I assure you Ms. Hagel, you'll hear from me."

"Ian," She repeated, her smile widening. "And it's Shoshannah, or Shannah, whichever you prefer." The perfect gentlemen. The doorman waved at them, Shoshannah taking it as her cue that the taxi was waiting outside. "I'll hear from you soon, then." She walked to the door, glanced back over her shoulder at him, smile still on her face, and finally disappeared through the door and headed down to the cab.