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[sub][color=slategray]A [@smarty0114] & [@Bee] collab
Featuring: [color=82ca9d]Lawrence Townsend[/color] & [color=bd3f6e]Becca Helmsley[/color]
Location: The Macintosh[/color][/sub][/center][hr][hr]

The days after the party had been a blur for Becca. Between soccer tryouts and Jamie Callaghans article about Hailey, her days had been busy indeed. That’s why, when Ivy had come to her with the idea of a blind date, she’d been more than happy to agree. She needed some relief after this week, and she wasn’t about to go watch Star Wars while her brother paraded Parker around to the whole school. That was one relationship she’d never wrap her head around, but hey, if her brother was happy, she wouldn’t judge.

As Becca went about her spacious room, getting ready for her mystery man, she couldn’t help but think of another mystery man. The boy from the party, he’d been...excellent. It was rare she found someone who lived up to her standards, but he had and she dared to say, she missed him. [color=bd3f6e][b]“God, Becca what is happening to you? First Henry, now some rando from a party? You need to find somewhere to put these feelings before they bite you in the ass,”[/b][/color] Becca muttered to her reflection as she applied her makeup.

An hour later, Becca was standing outside The Macintosh, a high end restaurant where she had told Ivy she’d meet her date. Becca didn’t do anything that wasn’t on her own terms, everybody knew that. Draped in a [url=https://www.fashmates.com/set/5ba413f03aed3f520571ab0a-1537480581309]red, satin dress[/url], Becca scanned the crowd, until her eyes fell on the last person she expected to see. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, well, well, now [i]this[/i] is a surprise.”[/b][/color]

It had felt like months, despite it being only days. Nobody but a select few knew what truly happened behind the scenes, but it was as good of a time as any other to make his return, back to where he really belonged. Despite the rumors and sayings about his status, he was going to prove them all wrong. What you thought about this boy was going to be shattered today.

Lawrence Townsend had stepped out of the Uber which had taken him to his date for the night. He was a bit nervous, but it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. Years of football experience had prepared him for moments like this… but at the same time he still felt as unprepared as most would. 

He had a plan he wanted to carry out, he had a plan as to how he wanted to approach this date. It was better to break everything down methodically. That way, he knew what to do whenever certain things happened. As he got closer to the entrance of the restaurant, he could eye a radiant woman standing right outside.

Becca. The girl who had somehow agreed to go on a date with him. It was something that had been in the making for a while now, but Lawrence was more than glad that it was actually happening at this point. As soon as he got closer and got a better view of her, it was like he was punched in the face. All his plans went out of the window as he laid his eyes on what was probably the most radiant woman at this place.

[color=82ca9d]”I could say the same for you… god, you look great.”[/color]

A small, coy smile crept up Becca’s face as Lawrence complimented her. So, it was him, Ivy had set her up with. Well, Ivy surely didn’t disappoint. When she’d told her that the mystery man went to BHHS, she’d been a bit worried it would be someone like Riley Wells or some other whackjob. Lawrence Townsend however, was much more to her liking.

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, shall we?”[/b][/color] Becca asked, smirking and linking her arm with his, and leading him through the crowded restaurant, the noise of the customers blocking out any conversation. After a short walk through the restaurant, Becca stopped in front of a table in the back, removed from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the establishment. Here, there were only a few other couples, quietly conversing and enjoying the exceptionally expensive meal they’d paid for. Grinning at Lawrence, the raven haired heiress took a seat, and opened up her menu. [color=bd3f6e][b]“So explain this to me? You’re conspicuously absent for my arrival, and then I’m set up on a blind date with you?”[/b][/color]

Being with Becca right now had caused butterflies to be in his stomach. He didn’t know what was with this girl, but for whatever reason his heart was pounding out of his chest as the two made their way to the very back of the restaurant. It was a good plan, considering Lawrence wasn’t exactly comfortable being on a blind date with so many people around. It was better to be up close and personal.

Sitting down, he grabbed the towel off the plate and set it down on his lap, protecting his black bespoke suit. As Becca posed the question as to why he hadn’t been around lately, he shrugged. [color=82ca9d][b]”I dunno what to tell you. One day I’m here another day I’m there and now I’m back here.”[/b][/color] He laughed, before adjusting his tie. [color=82ca9d][b]”It’s just a lot of bullshit I don’t wanna go into.”[/b][/color]

Lawrence was quickly running out of stuff to say. This was going to go downhill pretty fast if he didn’t think of something to say soon.

[color=82ca9d][b]”So soccer, eh? Tell me what that’s like.”[/b][/color]

Becca looked across the table at Lawrence, not totally unlike a lioness surveying a herd of gazelles. Becca was a hunter, trained in reading everyone around her. By now it was practically instinct. So, when Lawrence neglected to go into his whereabouts, well, of course she was going to be curious. He was nervous, but that was to be expected. He was on a date with her, of course he was nervous. 

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Soccer is good. I got home just in time for tryouts. It’s...it’s a lot of fun,”[/b][/color] Becca said. If Becca loved anything more than being in control, or sex, it was soccer. Soccer was her passion, it was her talent. She loved being out on the emerald green, dodging between girls, sliding across the grass and knocking that ever moving ball off it’s mark. It was exhilarating. 

[color=bd3f6e][b]“I mean, it’s probably the same for you with football, but soccer is like, where I’m the most me! And that’s not to say I’m fake or anything, but it’s just my instinct to be out on the field, y’know?”[/b][/color] Becca felt relaxed with Lawrence, calmer. She could be more free with what she said. He knew her, well and that came with a certain ease of conversation.

Lawrence looked at Becca with a sense of admiration as she described what it was like being on the field. He didn’t know much about soccer, nor did he really fuck with it, but listening to Becca describe it was something else. She was so full of passion and devotion to the sport that it was hard to not listen to her despite his lack of interest in the subject matter.

He got the impression that Becca was loosening up, which was great for Lawrence. Now he could feel like he could open up a bit more. [color=82ca9d][b]”Yeah. I feel ya. It’s like me with football and when I just run free or run over someone. There’s nothing else like it and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. It’s just… a lot of fun, y’know? It’s fun playing it… but it’s even more fun winning.”[/b][/color] Lawrence smiled, before the waiter came by with their menus. 

Thanking the waiter before he left, Lawrence opened it to peruse the menu. There was a lot of shit he couldn’t pronounce, but he didn’t want to disappoint Becca either. He was just going to have to wing it for the time being. [color=82ca9d][b]”Do you know what’s good here? I’ve never been here before.”[/b][/color]

As Becca looked up and down the menu, she rattled off a list of some of her favorite items. [color=bd3f6e][b]“The lamb here is to die for, and the salmon is [i]amazing[/i]. I [i]looooove[/i] their foie gras too,”[/b][/color] she said, oblivious to the fact that Lawrence was in a wee bit over his head. Becca often forgot that other people weren’t quite as loaded as she and her family were.

[color=bd3f6e][b]“I have to admit, when Ivy set me up on this date, I did not expect you. I mean, I figured, it’s been a tough week, might as well treat myself, but this...this is more than a treat,”[/b][/color] Becca said softly, smiling over at Lawrence.

Lamb, eh? Lawrence wasn’t a big fan of lamb, but if Becca said it as good then it must’ve been true. He had settled on the rack of lamb, then. There was that. Good, he got the food out of the way so now it was back to cracking that tough shell of Becca’s. Putting the menu down, he was met by a rather flattering statement from Becca already. He inadvertently blushed.

[color=82ca9d][b]”Well, thank you! You’re a treat.”[/b][/color] Lawrence smiled, before the waiter came back ready to take their orders. [b]”Are you folks ready to make your order now?”[/b] He asked, a pen ready to write. [color=82ca9d][b]”Uh, yeah. I think I’ll have the lamb and an iced tea?”[/b][/color] Lawrence requested, before looking over at Becca to see what she was going to order.

[color=bd3f6e][b]“I’ll take the salmon and a glass of your best white,”[/b][/color] Becca said, handing the waiter her menu. [b]Right away Ms. Helmsley,”[/b] the man said with a curt nod, before hurrying away. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Perk of being a Helmsley, is wine with any meal you want,”[/b][/color] she explained.

Lawrence raised an eyebrow. Being a Helmsley? He was intrigued. [color=82ca9d][b]”Tell me more about these Helmsley perks.[/b][/color] He said curiously, leaning forward to listen to her a little more intensely. What exactly did being a member of her family entail?

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Being a Helmsley? Well, along with all the boring galas and annoying dinner parties, you get, well the world,”[/b][/color] Becca said, matter of factly. She wasn’t trying to brag. This was just her world. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Everybody knows me, everywhere. Here especially, but any major city in the world has a luxury hotel with a penthouse room, with my name on it. Any restaurant that’s worth a damn has a table reserved for me. I want someone to perform at my birthday party? Done. Being a Helmsley means getting whatever or [i]whoever[/i] I want,”[/b][/color] she said. 

[color=82ca9d][b]”Is that so? Sounds like a lot of fun.”[/b][/color] Lawrence nodded, before trying to think of another follow-up to the conversation. Lawrence was like a fish out of water right now. He didn’t know what to say right now. Even if you pointed a gun to his head, he couldn’t name another Helmsley besides Becca. He was gonna be in some shit pretty soon. [color=82ca9d][b]”Now tell me, Becca, what’s the most extravagant thing you’ve ever done?”[/b][/color]

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, once the whole family flew out to Paris for Fashion Week. Now, after everyone walks the runway, they all go out to a bunch of different after parties, and so that’s where my parents were. Meanwhile though, me and Brian and Baylee and like a bunch of other famous peoples kids snuck back into the venue. Abby Adams just said her mom sent her and the guards let us all in! So, we’re in and we start trying on all these clothes, I mean, stuff that’s selling for millions, and we just have this fashion show, all for ourselves. I have this picture of Brian wearing this Versace swimsuit, and it’s just hilarious!”[/b][/color]

Giddy from her story, Becca was startled by the waiter’s sudden appearance with their food. After a moment, he left, and the conversation resumed, after Becca took a sip from her glass of wine. [color=bd3f6e][b]“What about you? Most extravagant, fun thing you’ve ever done?”[/b][/color]

...just how rich were the Helmsleys? Paris for a week? Lawrence came from a bit of money himself… but nowhere near that level. It hurt his head just trying to comprehend how much money their family had. It dwarfed his stories of being the child of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. As the food arrived, Becca redirected the question to him and he was at a loss for words. He didn’t have a story that could hold a candle to Becca’s extravagant story.

[color=82ca9d][b]”Well… I guess there was this one time where my dad took us to Disneyland. The only twist was that he got some super special access so we were able to get behind the scenes and all that. We saw a head for Donald Duck and my sister, Lauren had the great idea to put on the head and walk around with it. The employees weren’t very happy about that but… my dad’s my dad so they couldn’t really ban him from it if they wanted his business.”[/b][/color] Lawrence shrugged, before glancing down at his food. Damn, it looked good. But he wanted to make sure that Becca had the first bite before he took his. 

[color=bd3f6e][b]“We come from very different lives,”[/b][/color] Becca said, smirking a little before cutting into her salmon and taking a bite. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Since you’ve been gone, I take it you haven’t heard of the latest developments at our lovely, BHHS?”[/b][/color] Becca asked in between bites of her food.

[color=82ca9d][b]”...what developments?”[/b][/color] Lawrence asked curiously, as he stabbed his lamb with a fork and tried to peel it of the bone. It was like a warm knife through butter. It was so tender and delectable, but before he could take a bite, he had to inquire further, [color=82ca9d][b]”...I was only gone for a week!”[/b][/color]

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, thanks to one Jamie Callaghan, it’s come out that Hailey orchestrated the whole Owen and Trixie fiasco. I guess her and Ophelia got pictures of Rose and Owen, and that’s the girl from the photos. Crazy stuff, and good for everyone else. It’s looking like HOT might be dead,”[/b][/color] Becca said, grinning wide. The recent turn of events couldn’t have worked in Becca’s favor any more than it did.

Lawrence wanted to slam his hands on the table. The recent development regarding the girls had him stirring. He knew that bitch was up to no good! [color=82ca9d][b]”I. Called. It.”[/b][/color] He smirked, [color=82ca9d][b]”Good riddance, if you ask me. Those people are not very good people.”[/b][/color]

 Becca grinned. A man after her own heart. [color=bd3f6e][b]“I agree, wholeheartedly. Hailey will be fine, of course. She’s dating Hana Park now, which is surprising to say the least.”[/b][/color] Becca took one last bite of her food before pushing the plate forward, signalling that she was done. As she took a sip from her glass of wine, she was hit with the realization that she was having fun. She couldn’t help but think back to the boy from the boat, and how much fun he’d been. Neither of these boys cared who her family was. They didn’t care about her father, they cared about her. That was refreshing. 

[color=82ca9d][b]”Hana… the drug dealer? Wow. Talk about an unlikely pairing.”[/b][/color] He shrugged, before finally taking a bite of his lamb. God damn, it was so good! It was so tender and soft. He definitely had to remember this place in the future. Maybe his dad would like it a lot as well. [color=82ca9d][b]”It’s been a week… how has so much happened? What the hell?[/b][/color]

[color=bd3f6e][b]“The world moves quicker than you think. A week can sometimes be a year, and many months can be...a lifetime,”[/b][/color] Becca said, punctuating a sentence with a sip from her glass. If anyone knew about how fast things moved when you weren’t there to see them. Her and her family were visitors, everywhere. They were never one place for long it felt like.

[color=82ca9d][b]”True that.”[/b][/color] Lawrence knew very well just how much life could change in a week. One day your mother could be in your life the next she was pretty much as good as dead. [color=82ca9d][b]”So… other than soccer, what else do you do at BHHS?”[/b][/color] Lawrence really hadn’t seen her around on campus, so he had no idea what she did.

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Traveling as much as we do, it’s hard to really get involved with anything. Soccer is hard enough, and I love to do that. I just don’t have time for anything else,”[/b][/color] she said, shrugging. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Not that there’s really anything else I’d like to do, anyways. It’s not like I’m going to become a cheerleader or something,”[/b][/color] she said with a giggle.

[color=82ca9d][b]”Really? I think you’d make a cool cheerleader, but nothing is as cool as you kicking balls into goals and shit. I think that’s super dope!”[/b][/color] Lawrence accidentally let some French slip out, but he was sure that Becca didn’t care. [color=82ca9d][b]”That’s how I feel about football too - American Football not soccer football… heh.”[/b][/color]

Becca blushed, and turned her head down to her plate in an effort to hide the flush of red in her pale cheeks. After a moment she grinned across the table at Lawrence. Did she like him? This was way too early to say. Yes he was cute, [i]very[/i] cute, but Becca Helmsley didn’t commit on anything sooner than the sixth date. That said, there was a [i]very[/i] strong possibility of a second date. 

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, I do my best,”[/b][/color] she said, once she’d regained her composure. [color=bd3f6e][b]“I’d never thought of you to be the type to make girls blush. This night truly has been full of surprises,”[/b][/color] the heiress said smoothly.

Lawrence resisted the urge to say that he knew he had that effect on girls. It was often that he got girls to blush just by staring at them, but for whatever reason making Becca blush like that was more of an accomplishment than getting Generic Gwen to smile. He was feeling good about this date. [color=82ca9d][b]”How’s your food so far? This lamb is freaking great!”[/b][/color] 

[color=bd3f6e][b]“My salmon is amazing! I’ll be sure to let the chef know that you liked it. He’s a family friend,”[/b][/color] Becca replied. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Can I expect anything after this dinner?”[/b][/color] Becca asked. She hoped the answer was a yes, she desperately hoped so. This was going far better than she’d expected.

[color=82ca9d][b]”Depends on what you mean…”[/b][/color] Lawrence winked, before he cleaned up the last bits of his lamb. The plate was practically clean at this point, save for the bones and a couple of green shit. He was ready for dessert. Sighing, he sat back. [color=82ca9d][b]”You feeling dessert? I’m feeling dessert.”[/b][/color]

Becca threw back her head with laughter, letting out a jubilant laugh before nodding in response to Lawrence’s question. [color=bd3f6e][b]“I’m always feeling dessert,”[/b][/color] she said, throwing in a wink of her own.

[color=82ca9d][b]”What kinda dessert you feeling?”[/b][/color] Lawrence inquired, putting an elbow up and leaning in closer to Becca. He didn’t know if she had the same idea of dessert, but it was worth a shot to find out. 

Becca gave Lawrence a coy smile as she leaned in to meet his advance. His cologne smelt nice, expensive. Good. That was a must if this was going where she thought it was. [color=bd3f6e][b]“Well, I have this cake back at my place. It’s to die for, we brought it back from Europe, but there’s so much of it. You should come over and...try some.”[/b][/color]

[color=82ca9d][b]”Your place? Well… I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to that.”[/b][/color] He smiled, taking a sip out of his tea. [color=82ca9d][b]”So… I’ll get the check and we’ll make our merry way on home, then?”[/b][/color]

[color=bd3f6e][b]“Sounds like as good a plan as any,”[/b][/color]