Lace Ravine

Chap. 4: Lace Meets Her Match - pt.3

The inside of the building was immaculate, with scratchless tile and sparkling metal walls that reflected Lace's image. Past the few people that were walking between the hallways on either side of her, was a check-in desk with an ancient Tarzoth man behind it, clearly waiting for retirement. She clacked toward him in her heels.

He didn't seem too surprised at her appearance, though it was hard to tell such emotion on a face as his. A Tarzoth his age would have seen a great many things in his time, and Lace figured that one human's existence wouldn't affect him much at all. He looked into her face with his three calm silver eyes, his silent way of asking her her business. She answered him in Leanna's voice.

"I'm here for an interview with Yoanda Bankks, on floor 150. I figured I should check in in case you needed to notify her."

The man tipped his head to one side, then the other, a Tarzoth's version of a nod. His words were garbled with age as he spoke. "I'll alert her. You can go on up. Second door on the left." Leanna's smile showed. It was not as if he had been overly kind, but just being treated as an equal was something she had missed. Hopefully, maybe, by some luck, everyone else in this building would be the same.

The elevators were in the right hall, and Lace went off, determined. She had her eyes set, time to go to work, and stalked what turned out to be a bit too fast. A ways down the hall, not used to these new shoes, her heel caught in between two tiles, and she tumbled forward.

She cried out as she began to fall. "Woah!" Moments before she lost her balance completely, two strong arms held her up.

"I gotcha! Are you alright?" A man's suave timbre sang down from above. Lace looked at the arms around her. They were human. Her head snapped up to see a darkly handsome face.

A murmur slipped from her mouth. "Even bigger woah..."

The man stared at her, just as amazed, and spoke as he helped her return to a normal stance, never glancing away from her eyes. "Are you a...?"

Lace interrupted him, captivated. "Human. Full blooded, Earth-line. You?"

He smiled, a breathtaking crooked grin. "The same." Lace leaned back, and very obviously began checking him up and down. God, he was something. He smirked playfully at her actions. "What are you doing?"

She returned a devilish red-lipped smile, and responded in a dangerously sweet tone. "Checking to make sure you're not some kind of douchebag."

A deep chuckle escaped from his throat. "Nice vote of confidence for a fellow human..." He read her body, and took a bold step into her personal space, allowing him to coax her at a lower volume. "and why are you analyzing me? How do I know you're not some kind of douche?"

Lace removed another inch of space between them, lifting her chin to stare directly into his stormy eyes. "Maybe I am."

He paused, breathing in her perfume, then answered. "Well you can stop looking." Another grin dawned on his chiseled cheeks. "I probably am too."

Lace pulled away just enough to extend her hand for a shake. "Leanna Corbin."

The man slowly captured her fingers, then shook. "Marc Cadillac."

She couldn't stop a quick laugh from escaping. "Ha, that's a stupid alias."

Marc stiffened. "No it's not."

Lace raised an eyebrow. "You named yourself after a car."

"No I didn't."

His denial sparked a bit of frustration. "Like hell! Cadillac. It's a type of car."