One Life Stand 016: A Deal with the Devil


Tessa: Tessa awoke that morning on the sofa with D no where to be seen. But there was breakfast for her, which meant he hadn’t disappeared. And he got to wake up with her still there, which was… a strange thing for her to be pleased about! After breakfast, showering, and grabbing her stuff, Tessa was off for a fun filled day of work. AND EXTRA WORK. If D was fired from his secret job, that meant she was really going to have to bust ass on getting them shows. And her budget. And maybe a loan… One night of sleep, awkwardly on the sofa hadn’t been enough rest. She forgot to eat lunch, and by the evening it was getting LATE. Like, going to miss dinner late and she was across town. Tessa caught the nearest bus. …but she hadn’t expected to fall asleep on the damn thing and miss her stops… -06:53 Jun 11
[D enters.] -07:07 Jun 11
D: D had spent the day in hell. If someone had said literally he would have believed them. The label was angry, very angry and had been trying to contact him. Which was why he had left early so they wouldn’t go there. And then he had met with him… and waited and waited and waited and waited, then get told they it was five minuted past the scedued time for tessa to be snatched… and tha he was free to go. -07:21 Jun 11
D: D had spent the day in hell. If someone had said literally he would have believed them. The label was angry, very angry and had been trying to contact him. Which was why he had left early so they wouldn’t go there. And then he had met with him… and waited and waited and waited and waited, then get told they it was five minuted past the scedued time for tessa to be snatched… and tha he was free to go. -07:21 Jun 11
Tessa: Tessa found herself waking up when an weird old lady nudged her complaining about the smell of cheese. “Cheese waah?” The lady kept on babbling even when the bus stopped, and Tessa hastiliy got off at her stop. Only… it wasn’t her stop. And by the time she realized she wasn’t walking down a -city- street, the bus was already gone. Tessa fumbled for her phone. Holy crap…! She should have gotten off that bus two hours ago! Which meant she was… Tessa had no idea. Grumbling, the first thing she did was call home to leave a message on her machine. This was exactly why D should’ve had a phone… “Heeelllooo. Don’t freak!” she muttered at the machine. “I am in.. um.. a town… with a light. And… a gas station. Weird wizard hat shop… Uuum. I gotta find out when the next bus is.” She was rambling at the machine now, wandering back to the stop looking for some sort of time schedule. -07:27 Jun 11
D: Home was the first place he headed, then to her work, then to where the band practiced, then home again. There was a message on the machine…. okay.. she was alive, but… no mention of kidnappers or what had happened. Town bus… screw it! He picked up Tessa’s landline only to reemebr it had been cut and then was pounding on next door’s door and then shoved the lady with all the cats out of the way to get to her phone and dialed tessa’s number. -07:32 Jun 11
Tessa: “What kind of dumb town doesn’t have twenty four hour station service! ….or a station…!” There was just a bench and there wasn’t even any schedule times. How was she supposed to know when the next bus was going to drive by? It was DARK outside and small one stop light towns were kinda creepy. Her phone rang and she jumped, almost screaming loud enough for it to echo down the street. Grumbling she dug out her phone again and answered. “Tessa Thorn, Dumbest Manager in the Universe, what can I do for you?” she huffed. -07:36 Jun 11
D: “How about telling me where you are?” he said, Or at least what you can see to I can come and get you.” he sounded worried, and irritated with being being constantly beaten with a handbag as he was trying to talk. “Any road signs, station name? Town name? Business? Anything.” -07:38 Jun 11
Tessa: “What is that sound…? Is that old lady in the apartment..?” And cats too. She heard cats. Tessa rolled her eyes, walking around the bench and glancing up and down the street. “Hum… I don’t know. The street sign is all spray painted over. And I am not sure if this is a wizard hat shop or a really weird sex shop. Don’t worry about it, though. I can wait for the next bus.” -07:42 Jun 11
D: “No you’re not getting on any busses. CUT THAT OUT! I’l coing to get you and we’re not comign back here, so just staw there you are and tell me how you got there.” The old woman was going to the kitchen probably to get a knife. “Sooner would be better than later.: -07:45 Jun 11
Tessa: “What are you doing to that old woman? You know she has a bad heart!” Tessa almost got distracted listening to his end. She finally shook her head. “I got on my usual bus near the Cinema and I fell asleep on the bus. It’s not a big deal, I can just wait for the next one. It dropped me here, there’s gotta be another one sooner or later.” -07:50 Jun 11
D: Out iin the country they don’t run at night, there usually just two or three a day.” he said as if he were an expert on the subject. “Alright I’ll follow it’s rout and find you. Then take you to my house out in the country. Shit shed got a gun, gotta go.” he hung up and backed out of the room slowly and then left down the hall and down the stairs. First thign was to find out the bus routs and get his car. -07:53 Jun 11
Tessa: “D, that’s gonna take you ho-” Hours. He didn’t have a car! She didn’t think so anyway? A bus would likely get there long before he did walking all the way out from the city. And she’d beat him senseless if he spent money on a cab. Urgh…! Tessa picked a direction and started walking. Eventually she’d run in to him, right? -07:56 Jun 11
D: HE did have a phone, but he hadn’t wanted tessa calling him when he was late and he was at a job. So he used that to call for his car and waited, it only too arounf 20 minutes but it felt like hours.. then he was talking to a contact about the bus rout and driving off into the night… “Fucket.” he was dialing on Yessa again on hi phone and he drove. “C’mon… pick up!” -08:02 Jun 11
Tessa: Twenty minutes of walking wasn’t normally a big deal. Unless you were really tired. Then it just gotta sucked. She almost hadn’t realized her phone was ringing she was plotting how she would rearrange her schedule to make up for being so late today. Tessa pulled it out again, frowning at another unknown number. “…is that you, D…? I think I am losing bars out here…!” -08:07 Jun 11
D: “The voice was unclear but there were definitly car noices in the background. “Are you still on the bus rout. I’ve pust passed Springfield and about half an hour away from a a hat shop called “the big topper” and… ” the engine was LOUD he was obviously not obeying trafic laws. “… urn… ou… Tess….” beep beep beep. “Damn!” oh well nothing to do now but wait and see if she called back and head in the direction he knew she had once been -08:14 Jun 11
Tessa: “Dangit… works every where my ass.” Tessa shook her phone, as if that was going to help it any. She did pause to see where she was. Trees, trees, more trees. The street wasn’t even asphault anymore, it was all gravel and rocks and dirt. Was this even a road? No street lights… and suddenly Tessa decided that walking trying to meet him was probably a bad idea. It was dark and she just had the light of her phone to keep her company, as she tried to redial or text him. …were those eyes in the trees?! She was going to die! -08:19 Jun 11
D: He answered. “Tessa!” he skidded to a halt outside the shop…. oh damn.. it was a fatasy sex shop! “I’m at the bus stop but I don’t see you… where are you?” -08:23 Jun 11
Tessa: “Lost worst than I was befo-ACK!” One wrong step in the dark and her heel broke which nearly sent her tumbling down in to ditch. Tessa caught her balance but… dropped her phone somewhere. “….damnit! Keep talking I’m here! Where are you phone…” Her yelp had jostled some sort of animal out in the trees and now she was really scrambling to find the phone before some critter up and stole it. -08:29 Jun 11
D: Dammit!.. right… where the hell was she? “Which direction did you go?” he yelled into his phone. “Where do I find you before somehtign does eat you?” he was worried, frustrated and ever though he didn’t want to admit it he needed a tessa snuggle. BUT HE HAD TO FIND HER FIRST. -08:32 Jun 11
Tessa: “Gotcha…!” On her hands and knees in a pile of leaves, she snatched up the phone and held it to her ear. “I walked towards the light and turned left. No wait, right. Definitely right. ….Wait are there really things out here that can eat me?!” That put a whole new level of danger on to this dark road. -08:34 Jun 11
D: He turned right and DROVE “If I run out of fuel out here we’ll both find out.” he said driving slower as the road got worse. Really tessa shoulfn’t have wandered off. Really really shouldn’t have. “I just passed a fallen tree with a… gate made of what looked like chaines…. sound familiar? -08:37 Jun 11
Tessa: “Oh my god, that sounds like some sort of serial killer’s back yard…! …D..?” …and her phone was dead. There was no light. There was not his voice. She was on a dark dusty road in the middle of the woods at night. With a broken heel no less…! This was horror movie written all over it! After shuffling down the street a little farther, Tessa found an old tree stump and sat down. She took off her shoes, dropped them in her bag and just stayed there. Serial killers only come chasing after the ones that run, right…? -08:40 Jun 11
D: He tried redailing, and redailing, and redailing… nothing, dammit looked liek he was driving around in the country looking for her. It was going to be past midnight before he found her at this rate, and he was scared, and hungry, but so was tessa and he needed to find her before the label did. -08:46 Jun 11
Tessa: This was wretched. Her feet hurt and she was starving and so tired… She might’ve even twisted her ankle, which was pretty dumb. But she could move it, so that might have just been her paranoia. There were all kinds of skitterings out in the woods and she almost -swore- she saw something huge with beady eyes out there…! Tessa snatched up her bag and dug around again. “Ha…! Flashlight!” It was just a little keychain but it was something. She flicked it on, giving a dull yellow glow on her stump. After awhile she was just so tired she ended up falling asleep with her back up against the stump. -08:50 Jun 11
D: HE found her, eventually, at 3 AM and got her into the car without waking her up. Then drove home to put her in bed. His snuggles could wait, for now he needed to call the label and set up a meeting. She’d be fine here until he got back… he hoped. The onto other one up was Chaya. -08:54 Jun 11
Tessa: It was almost noon by the time Tessa woke up. …and immediately she sat up in the bed looking around warily and ready for a fight. She very distinctly remembered sitting down in the woods and D mentioning chain fences and… if this was a crazy serial killer’s cabin, she aimed to survive! Except, it looked way too nice to be some rickety old cabin… Quietly, Tessa slipped out of the bed. -08:58 Jun 11
D: He got to the meeting point at 5 AM, then had been lectured for two hours and told to wait. He slept a little then but not much and not by choice. Then there was a heavy thud on the table in front of him and he lifted his head. It was his guitar, his instrament and tool for his.. other job. “You work for us. Imagine what would have hapned if he had gotten her. Refuse a job and we will, now go.” And then, driving back he was at his out of town place as a little past 1 PM -09:03 Jun 11
Tessa: There was curiosity about a really neat looking place… and then there was the fear of what sort of backwoods creeper had a really nice house and picked up women out in the woods. Tessa was imagining all kinds of crazyass scenarios. And then she sasw a big black furry monster….! Her first response was to scream bloody murder! And immediately locked herself in to the first room she found. Furry demons were going to eat her! It was a demon house! -09:06 Jun 11
D: He parked the car and got out, walkign into the door and up the stairs. It was a large place, a very large place but it was his, and used to be his grandma’s. “Chaya!” he called seeing that Panther staring at a door. “Schaya come here.” she didn’t move… “Is Tessa in there?” Dammit she had locked herself in! -09:10 Jun 11
Tessa: Breathe! Haha, demons.. that was silly. They didn’t live in well kept homes in the middle of woods. They liked populated areas. What was she panicking for? Other than the fact there was a giant animal going to -eat- her, of course. Wait, a voice! Tessa turned to lean her ear again the door. “Hey…?” -09:12 Jun 11
D: D knocked on the door hard. “Tessa you in there? I’m guessing yes since Chaya won’t leave the door alone.” he tried the bandle and found it locked. “Boss, open up.” -09:13 Jun 11
Tessa: “Wait. Before I open this door, you have to prove you are you. And not a demon or a wizard or a ghost or murderer or something!” If she was over reacting, fine! But it was better safe than sorry. She had a really bad night last night, and wasn’t about to have a bad morning too. -09:15 Jun 11
D: “Fine.. you always hum diamonds for tears when you work, and tap your foot against the leg of the desk at the end of each bar. When you’re nervous you like up pull on the hair behind your right ear and your favorite food is and I’m quoting ‘whatever D kooks for dinner’ or so you told your friend on the phone two months ago.” he sighed.. still having not slept properly.. “And how do you like my out of town house?” -09:19 Jun 11
Tessa: “How did you even know all of-” Tessa went ahead and opened the door to give him that skeptical stare. “Chaya! …and now I feel stupid.” Furry beast was the panther! So she had a screaming fit for nothing. “…your house?” Tessa was dubious. -09:21 Jun 11
D: He leaned against the wall. “This is my house…” he gestured at the walls around them “This is my pet.” he petted Chaya who was looking like she wanted to pounce on Tessa still. “I told you I had a place out of town. So feel mike staying on my couch for a while?” -09:23 Jun 11
Tessa: “This isn’t a -cabin- in the woods!” He grossly underestimated his home. And Chaya was his. Oh Chaya…! Poor thing. Tessa leaned to give Chaya a good pet and a scratch. “I didn’t mean to scream at you, you startled me… D was dumb and didn’t think to leave a note for me when I woke up…” Once Chaya was suffiently petted… then it was giving D a hug and heaving a relieved sigh! Tessa was eternally greatful not to be lost in the woods and in some crazy person’s house. D was a much, much better out come. -09:26 Jun 11
D: He put his arms around her and sighed. “I haven’t slept yet.” he said. “Apparently 3 am is a good time to be called to get your job back after a dicaplinaru hearing…” he was leaning on her more than he meant to and opening up to her more than he should. be he was just glad t have her back. “And I was worried, and searched for you all night.. ” he was nuzzleg into ehr now and clinging more than he should. “If anything had happened.. well.. I’m not letting that happen.” -09:33 Jun 11
Tessa: “You should go to bed. You really didn’t have to come and get me, I could have waited for the next bus.” He was worried, and upset… Tessa hadn’t meant to make him worry like that. “I’m sorry. I was just so tired I wasn’t paying attention. Are you sure you want to take that job back, though? You said you wanted to quit it, and I don’t mind doing the extra work.” Tessa held on to him, hugging him again, not just because he seemed to need but… she was glad he went out of his way to get her! -09:37 Jun 11
D: “We need the money.” he said “And they… made me an offer that was difficult to refuse.” he finally let go and pulled her out of the room and went down the coridoor and up another staircase to the master berroom that had a view all the way back to the city and over some of it. “We’ll sleep here, together, if you want to stay.. and theres a place downstairs where bands can plactice, and I can set up an occive for you.. with it’s own room.” he was sounding kind of excited. “And you won’t have to rent out other places…” He opened the door to the bedroom and there was the bed, huge comepared to hers… “I’d understnad if you wanted your own room though.. or prefered to stay in the city..” his tone was back to just pain tired.. -09:43 Jun 11
Tessa: “We did want to get a bigger place… no sense in buying one if we already have it?” Tessa didn’t need any convincing. …at least not at the moment. She was eyeing him. And then nudging him to the bed until she could shove him on it. Then Tessa was kneeling on the floor to take his shoes. “I’ll have to find out what time the buses leave from here. A cab would be way too expensive.” -09:49 Jun 11
D: “I have a car..” he said. “I just don’t like driving..” he was looking down at her and smiling, she was doing that being sweet things again. “You really are too sweet..” he said softly almost hoping she wouldn’t hear., then louder. “Snuggles?” D had no idea when he had become so sappy but… he felt like be neeed them. -09:54 Jun 11
Tessa: Off went his shoes, followed by her laughing. Calling her sweet and then asking for snuggles. He DID deserve them. “Until you fall asleep. Then I have to forrage for food. I skipped lunch and missed dinner and breakfast too.” Tessa finally rose to fuss at him until he was all the way in bed and under the covers. Then she wasted no time in crawling under them herself, scooting up next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. …it was probably the most comfortable bed she had ever been in! -09:57 Jun 11
D: “Just ask Genevieve in the kitchen to make you something.” he said softly. “Shes a good cook… I havn’t eaten either..” he kissed her forehead softly and pulled her in tight. “You’re the best boss ever, you know that?” here he was thinking baout marraige again… “If this is what marriage is like, I like it…” and then he was driftign off. -10:01 Jun 11
Tessa: Tessa was starving, but she didn’t want to leave. Resting on him and brushing her knuckles against his cheek while he fell asleep. He brought it up again, the marriage bit…! Tessa agreed though. If it was like this, she could be very very happy… -10:04 Jun 11

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