allbedestroyed | A black tie adventure with doesntsing

Lowering his arm seems reasonable enough, since she's the one suggesting it. It's when she speaks again, lips so close to his ear, that it feels like her voice sends electricity down his spine.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," he admits. "The dancing, I mean. Mine, not yours. You're a great dancer."

He shuts his mouth then before he starts rambling any more.

"Thanks." She's not doing too much, all things considered. They're holding each other and moving slowly across the dance floor. "Just don't ask me to sing."

Gently, Midge rests her head on Robert's shoulder and lets out a slow breath. His arms feel warm and safe and she relaxes a little bit. "This is nice," she says. "You... feel nice."

It's easier to say things when she isn't looking right at him, when her eyes are focused on his lapel and the room beyond.

This isn't a date, he has to remind himself when she leans against him. This would be a terrible date. He wouldn't be impressing anyone if it were, and she agreed to come as a favour to him, that's all.

It would be so easy to hold her closer, to support her a little better so that she could rest her head on his shoulder for longer.

"It is nice," he agrees, because he's not sure what else to say at first. "Much, much nicer than being here alone. Thank you, again, for coming."

They had decided explicitly that this wasn’t going to be a date. It might not be a date, but definitions don’t stop Midge from feeling the way that she does. The thing is that he has impressed her tonight, and not by how he wears a tuxedo or how he dances. She’s impressed by how he’s handling all of this, despite being so far out of his element. She’s impressed by his knowledge and skills when it comes to wildlife. Midge doesn’t expect him to turn into a person that he’s not.

“Of course,” she replies, her head still on his chest. She can feel his heartbeat like this. “I couldn’t leave you to flounder all by yourself, could I?”

With a song this slow and a dance this gentle, and Midge relaxing against him, Muldoon finally starts to calm down. He could happily spend the evening like this, as long as the tempo doesn't pick up.

"You could have. But you didn't. You wouldn't. You're not that kind of person."

“I like to help, if I can,” she says.

Midge notices Hammond watching them, a smile on his face. It seems he’s happy for his friend. Midge hopes that this lie doesn’t cause any hard feelings later. She isn’t trying to hurt anyone. She just wanted Robert to feel more comfortable and confident at this party.

Midge picks her head up so that she can look at him. “You’re doing fine. When we talk to those guys again, just pretend that they’re hyenas or something. Just try to refrain from punching them.”

The older man has been Muldoon's longest employer, even beating out the warden's own father. They clash, as any long standing companions do, but they look out for each other too. That Midge is a particularly pretty woman certainly doesn't hurt.

"If they were hyenas they'd do whatever you told them," he grumbles before realising he should explain. "Hyenas are matriarchal. Women rule in their society."

Conceding to her advice, however, he sighs and nods his head. "I'll be good. I've had plenty of practice biting my tongue."

She raises her eyebrows. “Really? I guess I’ll have to handle them.” Midge doesn’t know a lot about business negotiations. She has Susie, her agent, to do negotiations for what she’s paid for shows.

The song ends and Robert lets go of her. There’s an overwhelming desire to crawl back into his arms where she feels warm, but she resists for the sake of decorum. She puts her hand on his arm again, leaving the dance floor as Hammond approaches them.

“Mr. Dixon would like to discuss his financial contribution with us.”

Well that puts a damper on things. But they're here for business, and so business takes priority. Muldoon nods to Hammond and turns to Midge to assure her, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

There's no need to doubt it, either. He hates these things. Here's just here for Hammond to show off that he's hired the best of the best. An impressive expert in lieu of a pretty face to distract the investors. Hammond's lucky that Muldoon brought someone to get him the best of both worlds.

For now all Muldoon can do is hope to get through this as smoothly as possible and get back to Midge.

Midge squeezes his arm and smiles at him. “You’ll do fine. See you soon.”

After Robert and Hammond leave, Midge goes to the bar and orders another martini. Sure enough, one of the three men from earlier approaches (the weaselly one) and starts to chat Midge up. She indulges him for a few minutes, until he starts to talk about his home in the Hamptons and the Cadillac that he drives.

“I’m taken,” Midge tells him, looking down at his hand. “And so are you.”

They can come to an arrangement, he says. Midge is so beautiful. She deserves to be with a man who can buy her anything that she desires.

“Listen, buddy, are you sure that you want to piss off a man that has punched lions in the face and carries a pistol with him everywhere he goes?”

A slight exaggeration, but it does the trick. Weaselly man looks worried now.

“That’s what I thought. Robert makes me happy and I’m not looking for anyone else right now.”

Midge wonders if someday that could be true.

The weaselly man leaves her alone at the bar.

Business meetings are excruciating. Usually Muldoon gets left out of these things for the same reason Midge gets into trouble: He often ends up saying something Hammond would rather he didn't. This time, thankfully, their prospective partners manage not to say something stupid enough to prompt Muldoon. That is apart from a brief moment as they start to part ways.

"... you should come over some time." Dixon slaps Muldoon on the back. "You too. But only if you bring that pretty lady of yours."

Muldoon's glare is enough for him to take his hand back as if worried the man might bite it off. Hammond, of course, runs interference and separates the two before anything worse happens. The warden is quick to seek out Midge to make sure she's ok.

He’ll find Midge looking at the huge Christmas tree in the ballroom. She’s always liked Christmas trees, even if she doesn’t celebrate the holiday. The white lights make it seem to glow and there must be a hundred glass ornaments on it, all reflecting different colors in the light.

She looks up and smiles when she notices Robert, Hammond not too far behind him. “How did it go?” she asks.

A lovely lady standing in front of a Christmas tree is a very picturesque sight. Muldoon slips his hands into his pockets, relaxing as he steps up beside her.

"Nobody needed to call any ambulances, so I'd say rather well." After pausing to enjoy the view, of both the tree and Midge, he glances around. "You didn't get ambushed, did you?"

“I did,” Midge replies, “by the weaselly one. I told him that you’ve punched lions and that you carry a pistol.” She takes a casual sip of her drink. “He left me alone after that.” Midge could have probably told him to fuck off of her own accord, but it was easier to make the other man think that Robert would kill him.

“He did quite well,” Hammond says as he approaches, “and I feel that I should warn you that the two of you are underneath the mistletoe.”

Midge looks up. Sure enough, hanging high on the tree above their heads is the little parasitic bundle of leaves, wrapped in a red bow.

“I’ll give the two of you a moment,” Hammond says, a sparkle in his eye.

Once Hammond is out of earshot, Midge turns to Robert. “We.. don’t have to. Your deal is done. We don’t have to pretend anymore.”

The two of them are standing close together though and her eyes go instinctively to his lips.

That is not the answer he expected, but no sooner has he started to get indignant on her behalf than she explains how she got rid of the man. It seems Muldoon managed to be of some use even when he wasn't with her.

Worrying about assholes soon becomes the last thing on his mind as he follows Midge's gaze up to the mistletoe. He hadn't even noticed.

Thankfully Hammond leaves them to it, and Muldoon ends up blinking at Midge as she hastily tries to give him an out. Which is ridiculous. He's not the one who would want and out.

"I suppose that depends," he says, keeping his voice low. "Would you like a kiss?"

“I…” Midge bites her lip, feeling her heart start to race. “I wouldn’t say no to one.”

They’re in a rather public place, but nobody’s really looking at them, save possibly Hammond somewhere. Midge briefly wonders if he orchestrated this, but that seems ridiculous.

She moves in closer to Robert and puts a hand on his chest. Midge is a bold woman, but she wants him to make the move.

That's all he needs.

Muldoon is stressed and anxious about fancy parties and people who would ruin your life in ways he doesn't understand. But this? This he's alright with. This is just him and a smart, beautiful woman who isn't going to be offended if he ties to make a move.

He cups her head with a warm hand and leans in for a kiss. For her he'll try to be gentle. He's not good at gentle, but he'll try. For a moment he gets lost in her lips and the kiss lingers before he pulls away and takes in her reaction.

She feels warm all over when he kisses her. He keeps it very gentle, though she wouldn’t have minded if he was a bit more rough. She’s okay with the fact that he’s rough around the edges.

Her eyes meet his when he pulls back, but she says nothing. Instead, after catching her breath, she leans back in to press her lips to his again.

The hesitation in the first kiss is much fainter in the second. He's firmer, hand pulling her close by the waist. He is more than happy to kiss her properly.

She appreciates that he seems less hesitant with the second kiss. Midge kisses him for as long as she dares in public, then releases his lips from hers.

She pulls back a little, just to breathe and to talk to him quietly. “Do you wanna get out of here? Get a drink somewhere?”

Robert’s done what his boss asked him to do. They’re no longer obligated to stay.

When she pulls away Muldoon isn't sure what she's about to say, but the suggestion to leave is the best thing she possibly could have opened with. Which means that she gets the most genuine and enthusiastic answer of, "Yes I do."

Then he takes her hand and immediately heads to go and get to the car. While they're waiting for it to be returned, Muldoon adds, "I'm not local here, so if you have any idea of where you'd like to go, I'll follow your lead."

Midge grins. “Is that the most attractive thing I’ve said to you all night?”

Then, he’s got a hold of her hand and is pulling her towards the door. “You’re not even going to say goodbye?” Midge glances over her shoulder and happens to catch Hammond’s eye. She gives him a little wave.

Outside, Midge stops Robert so that she can get her bearings. “We’re in Midtown… there a lot of bars and clubs here. I think we’re about two blocks from one I’ve been to a few times.”

"If I hadn't already done so, I would have kissed you for suggesting it," Muldoon is quick to quip in return.

Having left them at the mistletoe and now watching Muldoon hurry off with his pretty lady in tow, Hammond can't help but grin as he waves back to Midge. Goodbyes aren't what Muldoon's concerned with. Especially now his job is done. "They won't miss me. Maybe you, but not me."

One of Muldoon's favourite tips to people travelling somewhere unfamiliar is to make sure they get a good guide. It seems like he's managed to do just that tonight. So he nods, getting into the car as staff open the doors for them.

"Tell me where to go and I'll get us there."

“Well, there’s no limit on kissing, you know. You could do it again.” Just in case he didn’t realize that.

Midge turns to him once they’re in the car. “I think Mr. Hammond would miss you. He seems very kind. Did you ever realize that he’s got a kind of Santa Claus look going?”

Robert pulls the car out into the street. “Go straight and make the first right,” she directs him.

Well that will get a curious side-eye. He'll make a note of that for later.

Alright, that almost gets a snort out of him. Almost. "He'd love that you said that, you know. But he's my boss. He can see me whenever he likes."

Despite being a rather independent man, Muldoon is good at taking direction. It's much easier in a place like New York, the city is laid out so neatly.

A black tie adventure with doesntsing

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