Life Unexpected

[CrazyBliss]

OOC:
Name: Jourdain Taylor
Age: 22
Looks: http://i53.tinypic.com/i3b48k.jpg
5'8, 110 pounds, belly button pierced, and a tattoo of a cross on her back right shoulder.



IC:

Everything in Jourdain Taylor’s life was going according to plan. She was going to a top notch college, the University of Southern California, majoring in Business. She was also the president of her sorority, Chi Omega. Jourdain made friends everywhere she went; she had that type of personality. The only thing she was missing was a boyfriend. All of her sisters were trying to get her to go out on dates, but being a business major, she was too busy applying for internships.

The summer before her Senior year she spent her time working for a top rated Business firm, and she was hoping to get the job when she graduated. Jourdain couldn’t wait for the move in date, since she finally got the presidents room at the Sorority. After she had all of her things perfect, she told her sisters that she was going to go meet a couple of people at the student union. As she passed the mirror, she stopped, fixing her long blonde hair, as she moved her hands down her Red USC shirt, and over her tight fitting jeans, with the knees torn. She also had on a pair of black flats, and she smiled into the mirror, walking out the door.

Once she got to the union, she walked over to the student shop, buying a bottle of water and then began walking back up the stairs, not paying attention as she bumped into a guy walking down the stairs. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, stepping back a bit as she looked up at the person in front of her.

 

[Zom_Dom]

OOC: Name - Paul King
Age - 24
Looks - 6'1", 180 lb. twice pierced ears, three in right cartilage, left arm sleeve tattoo from shoulder to wrist, iron cross on back right shoulder blade, KING in old english down the back of left leg. Short dark hair, forest green eyes.

-----​

IC: Paul pulled the dark coffee colored apron over his head and folded it in half, setting it in the locker before slowly rolling up the sleeves of his white cotton shirt. The cool air felt good against his skin, though he knew it would surely not last long when he got outside and into the sunshine. Grabbing the large black messenger bag from where it lay on the floor next to the bank of lockers, he drew it over his head in place of the now discarded apron and turned to leave the tiny employee changing area. As he passed through the door and once more into the area behind the counter of the coffee shop he was rapidly trying to leave, he heard the high, shrill voice of his manager calling to him. "Paul! Your shift changed again! You're in at six tomorrow, don't forget!" With a slight wave and a sigh under his breath, Paul hastily made for the door, past the throngs of college students and professors and other locals sitting and standing scattered about.

As he stepped out into the sunshine he smiled. At least it was still nice outside, and he only had one errand over at the student union before he was free for the day... That meant homework, of course, but at least he wouldn't have to sit through another day of lectures until the day after tomorrow. Shaking out the loose jeans that hung over his black leather shoes, he took a few steps away from the cafe in which he'd been trapped for the past few hours. The things I do to keep a roof over my head... he thought. At least it meant he'd have food and room and board and didn't have to live in the dorms; and the schedule worked around his classes. Still, things would have been so much easier if he and Sara hadn't broken up...

He'd followed Sara to USC from their home town where he'd originally been studying, mainly because she wanted to 'see the world,' as she'd always kept telling him, and he simply wanted to be with her. Still, that clearly hadn't worked out and for the past two months he'd been on his own, focusing on work and school then work then school then... At least it kept him busy, and for that he was thankful and happy. He quickly made his way to the union and dropped off a few papers he'd promised to pass along for a friend, and made his way back out into the warm sunshine. As he began to make his way slowly down the steps, digging around in his bag, he walked right into a young woman coming up. Shaking his head softly, he reached out to make sure she hadn't fallen and was alright, and spoke, "I'm sorry, I just didn't see you..." They spoke at the same time and he laughed softly, his cheeks flushing with embarassment as he gestured for her to continue.

 

[BornAgain20_09]

.............................

 

[CrazyBliss]

Jourdain shook her head, laughing slightly as she looked up at the man in front of her. “No, It’s my fault, I think I was walking on the wrong side of the stairs. I should have just paid attention to where I was going instead of looking at my cell.” She said, smiling, before looking down. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here on campus before, I’m Jourdain.” She announced, holding out her hand, just like the professionals do. She took a step back so he wasn’t standing on the stairs.

She moved a hand through her hair, brushing it behind her shoulders. “So, what’s your major?” She asked, moving her free hand to the back pocket of her jeans. Jourdain just couldn’t stop smiling as she looked over at the guy in front of her. Her mind wondered back to her last boyfriend she had. They were together all throughout high school, voted most likely to get married. She went to USC, and he went to UCLA. Over the summer, They rarely spent time together, since Jourdain was pledging. One night she went over to his house as a surprise and found him in bed with her best friend. Things ended after that, and that was the reason she didn’t really date during her duration of college.

She closed her eyes for a second, coming back to the present as she forced a smile.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul smiled softly, readjusting his bag so it hung behind him the right way, and took her hand, clasping and shaking it gently. "I'm Paul, and it's a pleasure to meet you Jourdain. And yeah, I don't think I've seen you around either, but that's not surprising. I'm either at home, in class or at work down at that little cafe on the south edge of campus... As I'm sure you can probably tell by the ever present smell of coffee I seem to carry with me everywhere..." He gave a nervous little laugh, his cheeks flushing again as he slung his bag a little higher on his shoulder and cursed himself for not going home and changing out of his work shirt.

"I'm majoring in philosophy of all things. I know, I know, I'm already working at a coffee shop and I don't even have my degree yet." Smiling warmly as he repeated the punchline to the joke he'd heard a million times already, though it stopped being funny after the first four or five times... "What about you? What are you majoring in?"

He cocked his head slightly to one side, questioningly, and thought to himself that perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that he'd had to come all the way to the union before going home. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually spoken to another person outside of class or work... Studying Jourdain's face, which had suddenly gotten a bit of a far away look to it, he tentatively asked, "Everything alright? I didn't bang into you too hard, did I?" The smile suddenly returned and he sighed briefly in relief, before adding, "So, are you off to class or are you done for the day already?"

 

[CrazyBliss]

Jourdain smiled as she shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too Paul." She replied, letting her hand drop to her side. "And that major sounds pretty fun. I'm majoring in Business. Boring, I know." She answered his question, looking up into his eyes. "My sisters all give me hell for it since I'm gone most of the time trying to study." She said, her voice trailing back off when he asked her if everything was alright. She nodded, "No, you didn't," She laughed, shaking her head. "I was just thinking of something that I haven't thought in a long time." She replied, putting on a smile as she moved her hands to her back pockets.

"And I'm done for the day, Just walking around campus, I was heading to meet a couple of friends. I just had to get out of the house before all of the pledges come, life can get a bit hectic when they come around." She stated, shrugging her shoulders. "How about you? Done for the day, or just on break?" she asked, raising her eye brow.

She studied Paul again, noticing the tattoos he had on his arm, noting that he probably had a past. She shrugged it off, thinking it was kind of a turn on, seeing she had never really met anyone that had tattoos like that, since she was in the business world. "But, I think I should get going, they're probably texting me like crazy now. It was really nice to meet you Paul." She said, her voice growing soft.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul opened his mouth to reply, then stopped, wondering what exactly to say at that point. Technically he was done for the day, with classes and work at least, but there was always something left to do, be it homework or random errands, little things that added up over time... Suddenly he heard the voice of his ex whispering in his ear, "There you go again, analyzing things, everything!" Shaking his head, he tried to dispel the faintly calling memory and return his attention to the present, and Jourdain.

"I suppose..." he began, breaking off as he saw the way she was studying him. When she spoke again he gave a brief nod and a thin, tight lipped smile. Oh well... he thought, then brightening a little, his smile broadening as he shrugged his bag a little higher on his shoulder. "Well, you shouldn't keep them waiting, then. And I don't want to take up what little free time you have. It's been a pleasure, Jourdain." Grinning slightly, he reached out and took her hand again, giving it what he hoped was a business-like shake before stepping aside to let her pass and taking a few hesitant steps down the stairs. On a whim, he stopped and turned to face her again, calling out, "Hey, Jourdain. You know, if you ever need a place to study, or even have some free time, I work at the cafe down at the south end of campus. Stop by, free coffee..." He grinned and winked at the offer, hoping it didn't come off like some stupid pickup line, then turned and resumed his walk.

 

[CrazyBliss]

Jourdain smiled, "It was a real nice pleasure." She told him, shaking his hand as well, feeling reluctant to let it go as she started to walk up the stairs. She turned around, looking at him after he said her name, smiling as he told her about the free coffee at his work. "I'll think about it." She called back, laughing as she continued up the steps, a slight smile on her face that she couldn't seem to get rid of. She pushed open the student union doors as she saw her friends.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," she smiled as they went on, having fun catching up on what they each did over the summer. Jourdain's mind traveled back to Paul though, Thinking She just might stop by to get some coffee. She didn't know what she was feeling, but it felt good.

After a couple of hours, Jourdain said goodbye to her friends as she walked back to her house, bombarded by all of her sisters and pledges. Her best friend, Kylie, saw a slight grin on her face, before whisking her away to her room. Jourdain just smiled, and went on talking about her summer to her, as she looked out of the window.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul smiled softly to himself as he made his way across campus, unconscious of what exactly had put him in such a good mood. Perhaps it was the sun shining down through the cloudless blue sky, or maybe it was the sight and sound of all the bustling, happy people around him. Something in the back of his mind told him, though, that it had more to do with the chance meeting outside the union. No matter the cause, by the time he made his way through the crowds and finally back to his own place he felt positively buoyant.

He lived in a small student-sized apartment just off the actual campus, though it was run partly through student housing. That meant that while it was affordable on his meager salary, it also tended to be noisy at all hours of the night and not exactly full of modern conveniences. Still, it was what he could afford on his own and he liked the fact that the studio apartment allowed him to live without roommates. It might not be the quietest place to study, but at least he could do homework in relative peace and come and go when he pleased without worrying about waking or disturbing anyone.

As he made his way through the building up to the top floor and his apartment, Paul felt the smile tugging at the edges of his lips again, and by the time he'd gotten the key into the lock it was firmly planted upon his lips once more. It still hadn't faded as he dug out the lengthy paper he'd intended to write that afternoon, the first big paper of the term. Try as he might over the course of the next hour he found he couldn't really concentrate, Jourdain's bright smile flashing past his mind's eye every time he tried to focus. By the end of the second hour he gave it up for the night and decided to take a walk to clear his head and found himself looking forward to work the next day for some strange reason. As his feet flopped idly along the walkway that led back to the heart of campus he sighed softly and told himself with a laugh, "This is what you get for hiding all the time. One pretty girl smiles at you and you're a mess for the rest of the day..."

 

[CrazyBliss]

As she finished talking to her sisters, she walked up to her room, closing the door behind her as she sat on her bed. She sighed contently, smiling as she walked over towards her laptop, checking her email. She moved a hand up, running it through her hair before grabbing a towel, a black pair of cheerleading shorts, a red tank top, and a pair of black panties. She walked towards the shower, locking the door behind her before she started stripping out of her clothes.

She looked into the mirror, before stepping into the shower, starting the water as she let it fall down her body. After she washed up, and dried off she was back at her room, laying on her bed after turning off the lights. Jourdain had to wake up pretty early in the morning to get ready. She let her eyes close before drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face.

------​

When Jourdain woke up, she groaned, always hating the mornings. She sat up, and walked over to her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. She finally decided on another pair of jeans, a long black t-shirt that she got from her sorority, and a set of red laced panties and bra. She packed up all of her things into her backpack. Then she went to her mirror, and applied makeup, and straightened her hair. She smiled as she walked down the stairs, grabbing a pop-tart before walking to her class.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul glanced at the old fashioned grandfather clock that stood against the wall opposite his bed. It was getting on towards late evening and he'd finally managed to finish the work he'd been attempting to do for the last several hours. His schedule was finally clear and yet it was almost ten o'clock so there wasn't much left of the day at all. Still, the night was warm and not overly humid, so he decided to go for a jog to help clear his head. Several hours of poring through old texts and writing then rewriting and defending arguments had made him a little crazy. The only break he'd taken since getting him from his earlier walk had been for a very light dinner, and then he'd returned to his homework. Still, at least it was done and he wouldn't have it hanging over his head for the next few days.

Standing a bit stiffly and stretching out his tired, cramped muscles, he moved slowly to his closet and pulled off the outfit he had been wearing all day. Even then he could still smell the faint aroma of coffee which had insinuated itself into the very fabric of most of his wardrobe, thanks to his job at the cafe. Pulling on a pair of black shorts and an old, slightly tattered t-shirt, he laced up his trainers and left, closing and locking the door as quietly behind himself as he could. There weren't any wild parties on his floor that night, which meant that everyone else was either sleeping or studying or out. No reason to slam the door and disturb anyone, though. He jogged for a good twenty minutes before he finally felt the detritus of classes and the day begin to break away from his mind, and he finally felt good about calling it a night. The final stretch on the way home was the hardest, actually, as by then he felt relaxed and calm enough to fall asleep on his feet. When he did finally make it home he managed to pull off his shoes before falling onto the bed and passing into a light, dreamless sleep for the next several hours.

When he awoke it was early morning, and the faint rays of sunrise were attempting to push past the thick curtains which were drawn across his window, the solitary source of outside light and fresh air for that room. The one in his tiny kitchenette was open, making that space seem much brighter. A shower helped Paul regain some of his humanity, at least in appearence if not in actual feel, and soon enough he was dressed for both work and prepared for class, though he grumbled softly to himself about wishing he could wear somethign besides a white shirt and dark pants every day. Patting his pockets to see if he'd forgotten anything, Paul shook his head and wandered out the door, locking it behind him and setting off for work.

 

[CrazyBliss]

As Jourdain walked across the campus, she looked down at her cell, checking the time and a few texts. She yawned, moving her hand up to her mouth, then a thought of her meeting with Paul popped into her head, and she started smiling widely. She walked to the Business building, moving to her regular seat in the class, near the front, but not exactly in the front. She took out her notebook and pen, as she opened up her laptop, looking at her email, as her thoughts kept winding back to Paul.

After her business class, Jourdain had about an hour to eat, so she decided to go to the student union, a place where she thought was a good place. She got some food, before sitting down, and opening her laptop once again, searching the web, and trying to get her mind off of some things.

Jourdain really wanted to see Paul again, and she agreed to herself to go and take up on his offer tonight.

-----

After all her classes were over, Jourdain walked back to her house, reapplying her makeup, and holding a house meeting. After that was over, she told her sisters that she was going out and would be back in a few hours. She grabbed her purse, and started to walk towards the coffee shop Paul said he worked at. Once she got there, she saw him inside, and she took a deep breath before going in, and walking up to the counter.

"So, what's good here?" Besides you, She said, and thought as she smiled looking over at him.

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul hummed softly to himself, a little tuneless melody while he worked, cleaning down the countertops slowly and methodically, making sure he didn't miss anything. It had been a rather slow day, but at least it was drawing to a close. Judging by the clock on the wall, he only had another hour, maybe an hour and a half, and then he'd be out for the evening. He could make it that long, at least. Then of course he'd have to find something for dinner, and seeing as how he really didn't like the idea of going back to his cold, dark apartment, and the food at the union cafeteria wasn't ever that great, he figured it might be a decent night to go out.

Suddenly Jourdain's face popped into his mind, and he couldn't suppress a smile. His tuneless humming got a little faster and a bit brighter, the smile quirking at the edges of his lips and tugging them higher and higher. After the counters were finished he turned towards the front counter and giving the tip jar a shake. After his cut, and what he had in his pocket, he easily had enough to cover dinner that night. Maybe even a little something extra depending on how much was in his bank account, which seemed to vary between almost nothing and less than nothing.

Turning around to polish the espresso machine on the back counter, Paul couldn't help smiling as Jourdain's smile swam into view in his mind's eye once more. It was hard to concentrate on much beside it while it was there, but his job certainly seemed a bit more enjoyable this way. And either his hearing was being affected by an overactive imagination, or something else didn't quite line up because he could swear for a brief second that he'd actually heard her voice as well...

Frowning slightly and turning around, he almost dropped the rag he was holding in surprise. He hadn't been hearing things, she was actually there! The bright, inviting smile was just as he'd pictured it and his returned quickly to his face as he walked up to his side of the counter. "Hey, glad you decided to drop in. I guess it depends on what you feel like..." His mind was doing backflips out of excitement at the moment, though he tried to remain as calm outwardly as possible. "I'd probably recommend a latte, at least to start..." He grinned and nodded questioningly, moving towards the espresso machine. "Perhaps something with a little less caffeine in it? Unless you've got a lot to get done tonight, in which case I can make you something that will keep you up for two days straight!" He finished with a flourish, laughing softly and grinning at her. "How was your day, by the way? Any new random guys knocking you over in an attempt to get to know you better?"

 

[CrazyBliss]

Jourdain laughed quietly, shaking her head. "How about you surprise me." She said, leaning against the counter, watching Paul work. She smiled, kind of missing the way of someone looking at her that way. It had been years since she even tried.

"My day was pretty good, Spent most of it in the business building. Then I had a meeting for my house. But, no. Sadly, I didn't run into any other guys. I was hoping though." She said, looking down at her hands before she tilted her head back up.

"How about yours?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the counter. She honestly never had tried to start anything with any guy. Sure she had a lot of dates, but none of them seemed good enough to date. She did have her standards after all. She missed the way a guy touched her, how a guy kissed her. She missed being part of someone else's life. Every girl felt this way at some point. But, Jourdain was on a 'no boys' policy for most of her college career. And frankly, it was starting to get to her.

"I mean, did you happen to run into any other girls?"

 

[Zom_Dom]

Paul nodded along as she spoke, his hands going through the familiar motions of work, pulling out a small steel pitcher and pouring in a spot of milk before placing the coffee basket and two small shot glasses in their places on the machine. Twiddling the knob on the side, he began steaming the milk as a small chuckle escaped his lips and he turned to look at Jourdain again, a wide smile upon his face. "Sounds like you've been busy enough without the guys. I'm sure your schedule's pretty full..." He trailed off as the steam began hissing and a heady foam began to build within the pitcher.

The chuckle turned to a full laugh as he thought about his own day. He'd thought back on their chance meeting a few times and had hardly been able to get her smile out of his mind, but did that count as noteable? "My day was pretty boring actually. Finished up a paper, got some sleep, took a couple of nice long walks... There's a really beautiful park a little ways off campus where I go sometimes when I can't concentrate, and I went there and sat for a while."

As he pulled the pitcher from the steamer, Paul pulled a large ceramic coffee cup from underneath the counter and placed it beside the machine, pouring in first the espresso and then the milk, topping it with the rich foam and forming a little four leaf clover shape into it with a spoon. "There, for luck." He pushed the drink across the counter and smiled at her again before taking a breath. Suddenly his heart began pounding again and his jaw dropped open a little as he thought about the rest of his answer.

"To be honest, aside from you the only girls I seem to run into are my boss here and one of my professors... My building's full of guys, party animals mostly, but without a room mate my own place is pretty quiet." What was he doing? Why was he rambling on about this? Perhaps it was because it had been so long since he'd actually held a decent conversation with a woman outside of class or work. It was nice, especially considering the last real relationship, even a friendly one, he'd had with someone his own age had been his ex...

Shaking the thought from his mind, he motioned for Jourdain to take the cup. "Tell me what you think. Grab a seat and relax for a bit, I'm sure you're tired after all that running around." He grinned and winked before continuing, "Any big plans for the rest of the day?"

 

[CrazyBliss]

Jourdain nodded to his statement about being busy. "I'm only busy so I won't become what I was with my ex." Jourdain said softly, looking down at her hands. "Don't get me wrong, I would love to meet someone, there's nothing better than the feeling of falling for someone." She added, looking back up at Paul. She watched him make her drink, as she smiled, leaning her chin on her hand.

"At least you have somewhere to go when you can't think. I tend to walk to this place Brian used to take me. It just reminds me that I'm better without him. And it's easier to think for me." She told him, looking up into his eyes as he handed the drink to her. "Thank you," She told him, lifting the cup up to her lips, taking a drink slowly. "That's really good." She said, smiling.

"No plans, today's the one day I have to relax. What are you doing tonight?" Jourdain asked Paul, smiling softly, looking up at him as she continued to drink the coffee he made her. "I usually don't hang out with anyone other than my sister's. Seeing I live with them and All."