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#Lenore thinks she looks fabulous
blackvelvetcorvid · 1 month
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Only the best girlboss ever
Bonus
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I imagine her mildly disgruntled
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hotvintagepoll · 23 days
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Propaganda
Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche, The Sound of Music)— Eulogized as a ravishing beauty whose looks were merely ornamental to her craft, feast your eyes on Eleanor Parker. Listen! I know you're thinking of the Baroness in Sound of Music and saying NO I won't protect the woman who tried to steal him from Maria but forget about that (like you personally wouldn't shoot your shot with Plummer)! The trailer for Scaramouche describes her character Lenore as "The glamourous queen of the nightlife of Paris. A flame-haired wildcat" and this is a woman who was able to pull off that role, and you get the vibe she was like that irl too. There's a story about her changing hair colors that never fails to make me laugh. Take note of her stunning eyes! Her amazing legs! And to see her in motion is to make note of the aura about her, she has an amazing presence. Fall in love with Eleanor Parker today, and make your vote count!
Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady, Sabrina, Roman Holiday)—Growing up, Audrey Hepburn desperately wanting to be a professional ballerina, but she was starved during WWII and couldn't pursue her dream due to the effects of malnourishment. After she was cast in Roman Holiday, she skyrocketed to fame, and appeared in classics like My Fair Lady and Breakfast at Tiffany's. She's gorgeous, and mixes humor and class in all of her performances. After the majority of her acting career came to close, she became a UNICEF ambassador.
This is round 3 of the tournament. (yes I know it says round 2 in the poll. sometimes I post these when I’m sleepy.) All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]
Eleanor Parker:
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“When I’m spotted somewhere, it means that my characterizations haven’t covered up Eleanor Parker the person. I prefer it the other way around.” So shy she was actively nervous about winning awards in person, her personal life remains mostly behind the scenes. But on screen? she was a force majeure. It's a shame the role most people remember her in is the Baroness in The Sound of Music, but then again, it did make Christopher Plummer reminisce upon her passing “I was sure she was enchanted and would live forever.”
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Listen we all know Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews had insane chemistry but the Baroness deserves some love too! She has such a glamorous presence but not in a hard way
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She will be known as the fabulous baroness in TSOM, but she was so much more than that. Just as comfortable in westerns or melodrama, the scheming other woman, and the beauty that wins the heart of every man in town.
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Audrey Hepburn propaganda:
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"She may be a wispy, thin little thing, but when you see that girl, you know you're really in the presence of something. In that league there's only ever been Garbo, and the other Hepburn, and maybe Bergman. It's a rare quality, but boy, do you know when you've found it." - Billy Wilder
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Raised money for the resistance in nazi occupied Hungary. Became a humanitarian after retiring. Two very sexy things to do!
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where to begin......... i wont her so bad. i literally dont know what to say.
My dude. The big doe eyes, the cheekbones, the voice. The flawless way she carried herself. She was never in a movie where she wasn't drop dead gorgeous. Oh, also the fact she raised funds against the Nazis doing BALLET and she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her humanitarian work.
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"It’s as if she dropped out of the sky into the ’50s, half wood-nymph, half princess, and then disappeared in her golden coach, wearing her glass slippers and leaving no footprints." - Molly Haskell
"All I want for Christmas is to make another movie with Audrey Hepburn." - Cary Grant
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I know people nowadays are probably sick of seeing her with all the beauty and fashion merch around that depicts her and/or Marilyn Monroe but she is considered a classic Hollywood beauty for a reason. Ironically in her day she was more of the alternative beauty when compared to many of her contemporaries. She always came off with such elegance and grace, and she was so charming. Apparently she was a delight to work with considering how many of her co-stars had wonderful things to say about her. Outside of her beauty and acting ability she was immensely kind. She helped raise funds for the Dutch resistance during WWII by putting on underground dance performances as well as volunteering at hospitals and other small things to help the resistance. During her Hollywood career and later years she worked with UNICEF a lot. Just an all around beautiful person both inside and out.
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No one could wear clothes in this era like she could. She was every major designer's favorite star and as such her films are time capsules of high fashion at the time. But beyond that, she had such an elegance in her screen presence that belied a broad range of ability. From a naive princess, to a confused widow, to a loving and mischievous daughter, she could play it all.
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Look at that woman's neck. Don't you want to bite it?
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ververa · 4 years
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heeello, I have a request!! Can you write a Leonore Osgood x Reader where the reader is her seamstress? ✨💗Something where Leonore starts to order more dresses as an excuse to see her more often and flirts with her at every good opportunity. I think Leonore is a very confident woman, so she may have taken the initiative to kiss the reader as soon as she thought she had a chance, not being able to withstand a rejection
thank you and sorry if I made mistakes, I'm not very good at writing in english :/
ps. I love your blog💖
“Beyond The Wildest Dreams”
A/N: Thank you so much for this request!!! I had a lot of fun writing it 🤗😅 It's longer than I intended and it's only a few of all the ideas I had for this fic 🙈 So, I actually may write a 2nd part or since I have a few requests for Lenore I may combine them
Anyways I kinda feel like it's not exactly what you wanted, but I hope you will enjoy it!! 😇
Also many thanks to @misssmephisto who always supports me and who helped me a lot with this fic!!! 💜💖💜💖💜
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Lenore Osgood x fem!reader
Word count: ~5k
The moment you saw Lenore Osgoode for the first time the whole world simply stopped existing. People around you, models, photographers, former and possibly new clients, even your nervousness - caused by the very first fashion show of yours, was long forgotten, as you watched the gorgeous blonde taking a seat at the audience, right in the first row. She didn't quite fit with the rest. She was fabulous.  No other in the room stood a chance with her. Self confidence radiated from every fibre of her body, not to mention that one look was enough to tell she was an enthusiast of refined style. She was with no doubt upper class. Her outfit itself indicated that she was one of those filthy rich people. Normally you tried to stay away from them, not feeling well in their company, yet this one time you were ready to make an exception. Who could ever blame you? Lenore truly distinguished herself and looked absolutely stunning dressed in a long, red dress and a mink coat. 
She was beautiful and tall - you could put on her whatever you would want to and it would drape perfectly, only adding to her captivating charm. But clothes were more than that - for you at least. It wasn’t just about materials draping nicely or the person looking good. You considered clothes to be a person’s second skin. A layer supposed to not only cover all the imperfections, but also hide their dark secrets and sins, at the same time giving out a hint of their attitude. And that particular approach of yours combined with your skills made you an exceptional designer and  a wonderful seamstress. On the other hand though, it made you misunderstood by many people - especially your fellows - which seemed to be the dark, less nice side of your profession, but you didn’t care about it at all. You were too busy, positively bedeviled with work, to spare your precious time to think about it.
As your eyes set on Lenore you immediately knew that you wanted nothing more, but to dress her up in all the finest materials you could get. Tailor her clothes to fit whatever was her guilt, to match the darkest parts of her soul. You looked her up and down, for what felt like a hundredth time that evening, and still you couldn’t get enough. You were ready and highly likely to come up with yet another project just like that. You knew for sure it would be something different. It had to be special, exclusive, hand-selected, designed just for her and as spectacular as the woman appeared to be.
The images of Lenore in taffeta and silk kept crossing your vivid imagination. You were just having some debate with yourself on what colour would suit her best, though much to your dismay you were brought back to reality by one of the assistants working there with you.
“Miss Y/L/N, we have a little problem backstage”
You turned towards the young man, resigning from watching the blonde and reluctantly giving your full attention to the man. 
“I’m coming” you nodded and - after glancing at Lenore one more time - you followed him to find out what kind of problem he was talking about.
~~~~
Lenore sat and watched, but she didn’t even bother to pretend she was interested. She had a sense that being there was just a waste of time. And as a worldly woman that she beyond any doubt was - she hated wasting her time, especially in places like that.  Shabby and tasteless. Full of inelegant, crude people who tended to get above themselves way too often, while in reality they had absolutely no idea what true sophistication and fashionability were. They came there to watch the show, but it had nothing to do with them being interested in fashion. It was just another way of exposing their self-importance. Lenore knew it better than anyone, but that was all right with her. She used to be like them too, though she no longer needed to prove anything to anyone. That's why for her being there was more like a torture.
If it hadn’t been for her impulsive and capricious decision to fire her tailor she wouldn’t even think of attending such a ridiculous event like a fashion show in a small, prospectless town. What could she possibly see there? Nothing. Those were simple people, not accustomed with high standards and clearly not ready for any fashion revolutions. Lenore hadn’t expected anything spectacular. There was no use in getting her hopes up, since she was there only because she needed a new seamstress. Enjoying the show was far from probable and she was well aware of it. Yet she went and stayed there. Fairly sick to death, but determined, hoping that if she put up with all the inconveniences, she would manage to find what she was looking for. 
Cheap clothes and shoddy jewellery - was all she got to see for the first hour or so and that was enough to drive her crazy. Lenore wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Those people's taste or rather lack of it - cried to heaven. Calling something like that a fashion show appeared to be some barbarous jape. And at that point Lenore was fed up and ready to leave. It was so naive of her to envisage witnessing something groundbreaking, but there was still one more line of clothes supposed to be walked out - and that was it. A real breakthrough. Something out of the ordinary. Something that Lenore wanted, but didn’t know it before.
She watched - suddenly interested in everything that was happening on the runway. Models walked down one after the other, then disappeared, but each one of them - presenting another outfit, left Lenore even more astonished than the previous one. 
Lenore Osgood had always been a material girl, but she felt no remorse about it. Clothes were her own kind of cakes and ale and she felt no shame choosing the perfect fabrics and jewelry that would suit her fancy, after all she had enough money to afford whatever she desired.
At that point all she wanted was that one particular line of clothes. The show wasn’t over yet, but Lenore already knew she was going to be the one to buy all those outfits. She kept waiting though - well aware that the last outfit was supposed to be the most extraordinary one. However she didn’t get to see it, as instead of the last model some man appeared on the runway - informing there was going to be a short break, because they had some problem. 
Lenore huffed. She had never been a patient person and so - obviously - she wasn’t going to wait like others.The heiress stood up, flicked her long coat and not paying any attention to people - who intently observed her every move, not even trying to be discreet- she headed out to the backstage. She couldn’t care less about the rules or the fact that unauthorized people weren’t allowed there. It did not apply to her - that was how Lenore perceived every prohibition she encountered. She had never been the one to care much for the commonly accepted norms. She simply did what she pleased, completely unbothered by the possible consequences. Even more so at that moment - she just needed to meet the designer face to face. After all it didn’t happen often that someone managed to captivate her like that.
How surprised she was when instead of a man - as she incorrectly assumed the artist to be a male - her eyes set on you - a young woman. That’s when her amazement doubled. 
At first Lenore stopped, slightly confused. She didn't speak up immediately. You weren’t there alone and she couldn't interrupt you and deprive herself of the opportunity to watch you working.
Some young, very tall and skinny woman stood there next to you. Lenore figured it must have been the model, supposed to walk down the runway as the last one. Lenore examined the woman’s body and immediately noticed that the dress she was wearing did not quite fit her - that was the problem apparently.
Lenore stood a few meters away. Not too far, so that she could see what you were doing, but still not close enough for you to notice her presence.
The blonde observed how your hand reached for some pins and then how you put a few of them in your mouth.
"I'm sorry, Y/N" the model said, sobbing
"Please, stop apologizing. Everything is alright" you mumbled, not really able to speak, because of the pins you kept between your lips.
"I destroyed the dress..."
"You didn't destroy anything. Now calm down and let me fix this little malfunction" you said, crouching behind the girl.
You took a seam ripper in one hand and held the fabric of the dress with the other. Normally seam rippers were used to help with occasional mistakes, but you were prone to experimenting with different sewing tools. Necessity is the mother of invention - you often said. And just like that, in one swift move you ripped one of the seams - only to pin it back together with pins within seconds. Except after that little operation of yours the dress became a bit looser. Not too excessively, but just enough to fit the model. 
“See? It’s fixed.” you said, proudly looking at the result of your work and zipping the dress “Now, stop crying. There’s no need to cry” you reassured.
“But I couldn’t put it on…”
“Because it was too small”
“Exactly… I-I… I need to lose weight” she said in a breaking voice.
“No” you shook your head “Clothes are supposed to fit you, not the other way. Now go”
The woman nodded and rushed out, passing by next to Lenore, who was standing there with a cigarette in her hand - shamelessly checking you out.
“I must say, that was very impressive” the heiress stated, thereby making you aware of her presence.
You quickly turned around and were instantly met by the blue eyes and probably one of the most entrancing smiles you had ever seen. There she was. One and only Lenore Osgood in the flesh. You couldn’t help the gasp - she looked even better up close.
“I… Umm… Can I help you, madam?” you asked, internally scolding yourself for taking so long to say anything.
“Actually, you can, darling”
“I’m listening” you said, trying to act as natural as possible, despite the fact the nickname she used made your heart skip a beat.
Lenore pulled at her cigarette, then smiled - obviously pleased with your answer.
“You are the one who designed those close” she stated, but with a hint of uncertainty. 
“That’s right” 
“Well then, allow me to felicitate you. It was a wonderful show - the last part at least” she stated, rolling her eyes as she remembered how sorely dull the beginning of the event was.
“Thank you” you beamed at her words.
“You are welcome, darling” her smile got even wider - making you wonder if she realized what effect that goddamn nickname had on you.
“Now, let’s say I have an offer for you. What would you say if I asked you to work for me?” she continued.
How could you say no to her? You would most likely be out of your mind if you had denied such a proposal. Her invitation was one of those you could not and definitely did not want to decline. How could you do it after she bought all the outfits from your new collection - paying even more than they were actually worth. Not to mention that working for her was what you dreamed about ever since you saw her.
That's how you found yourself standing at the door of Lenore's mansion the very next day. She wanted to know what other ideas you had and see different projects of yours, so you took your binder and sewing planner with you. As you nervously waited for someone to open and let you in, you held the items tight, pressing them to your chest - as if they were some precious treasure.
"Miss Y/L/N? Come in, Ms Osgood is waiting for you" an older woman informed, as she led you inside.
You followed, looking around - taking in every detail of the house interior and trying to memorize it. You always held to a particular belief of the house being the image of its owner's soul. Some people found it ridiculous, but in that case it was true. Lenore's house was as superior, noble and remarkable as the heiress herself.
"Y/N!" the blonde called and you turned round. You immediately stopped, when you caught the sight of her.
Lenore was slowly descending the stairs - looking as gracefully as ever. You smiled to yourself, when you realized she was wearing one of the outfits that you created. You had never felt such joy and pride seeing your previous clients wearing something that you designed. But to be fair, none of them radiated with such regality as Lenore. No one could ever match her dignity or a sense of majesty, and apparently that was what made your projects look even more exquisite.
"Is it alright if I call you by your name, dear?" Lenore asked, stopping for a moment to allow her little monkey jump from her shoulder to the shoulder of the woman who let you in.
"If I'm allowed to call you by yours" you smiled.
"Absolutely, darling" the blonde said enthusiastically, as she moved towards you. A smirk appeared on her face, indicating that she did not miss the way you blushed at the nickname. "Let's sit down, shall we?" she suggested, pointing to a spacious room, where a white sofa and armchairs stood.
You nodded, as you moved to sit in one of the armchairs.
"Would you like something to drink, Y/N?" Lenore asked.
"Just a glass of water, please"
"Darce! Bring Y/N a glass of water" she ordered, clicking her fingers.
You shifted in the armchair. The woman in front of you made you feel nervous for some reason, but you tried to act professional.
"You wanted to see my projects, so I brought my binder…" you said, a bit hesitant.
"Wonderful!” she exclaimed, grinning “May I?" she asked, as she reached out for the item.
"Of course" you passed her the binder and then observed, as she intently studied each page.
"Your water, Miss Y/L/N" the older woman said, handing you the glass.
"Thank you" you smiled, carefully taking the vessel from her.
"What a talent and creativity!" Lenore praised, glancing at you with a smirk on her face, not paying attention to the other woman.
You smiled, taking a sip of the water - hoping it would actually help with calming your nerves.
Lenore spent almost an hour on deciding which of your projects she would like to get. She obviously liked them all, but she needed her clothes to be different. She needed them to be extraordinary, fancy and expensive. And so you suggested creating something just for her.
You were a hardworking person - used to staying up late to finish sewing different outfits. You always went all out and thereby made your clients satisfied, but with Lenore you wanted more. Making her satisfied simply didn't seem enough. You wanted to impress her, blow her away. Little did you know that the heiress already was spellbound - not only by your projects, but by you yourself.
Lenore had never met anyone who delighted her so much. Such manners, such a style and sophistication. Not to mention you were so extremely accomplished for your age. All that impressed her in a way, but also fascinated her. She was truly enchanted by you. No wonder. You had a peculiar background, attitude and approach to the real world. You were a rare sample and Lenore happened to like thinking of herself as a connoisseur. She liked uncommon things. That's why she desperately wanted to have a taste of that extraordinary, magical power that radiated from you. A taste of that particular thing that made you so special. Though before she decided to do anything, she needed to make sure you would not disapprove of her. Because rejection was something Lenore didn't take well.
Lenore figured out that taking things slow was a good thing to do. She decided to warm you up a little and make sure that she actually had a chance. She didn't want her intentions to be too obvious. Lenore had always been a little skeptical of displaying any sort of affection. She'd rather play around. Yet she couldn't deny it felt sort of different with you.
Lenore loved teasing you more than anything. You always seemed so stressed and flustered whenever you would come to her house to deliver yet another outfit - and she found it adorable.
~~~~
At first you would come to her house once a week. Each time bringing with you a different dress and a few of new projects for Lenore to have a look and either go with them or tell you what she would like you to change. She rarely wanted to make any adjustments though. Lenore appreciated all of your ideas - only occasionally asking you to make a particular outfit in different colour or use another kind of fabric than you had intended to at first, but she never criticised you. As a matter of fact, she was always praising you. Maybe even too excessively. She complimented basically everything about you - from your creativity and ideas to the way you dressed. It appeared that she knew exactly what to say to make you blush - of which she was not only aware, but also took pride in succeeding in doing it. However, as much as you loved it, you could not quite help all the worries that clouded in your head - when you began realizing that Lenore became someone more than just your client and boss.
It had been going on for months. You grew so used to spending time with her and designing clothes for her that at some point your life turned to be all about Lenore. Everything either reminded you of her or inspired you to make another outfit that would fit her and only her taste. Lenore and even her monkey became such a huge part of your life, that you couldn't picture yourself not doing all of the things  you were doing and you definitely could not stop thinking about Lenore. To say that it scared you would be an understatement. The realization of your true feelings made you freak out completely. So much so that you did not know what to do. So much so you couldn't act the way you used to before. That's why you decided to take a break - hoping it would help you distance yourself. 
You enforced your idea immediately - as instead of informing Lenore face to face, you called her.
"Ms Osgood, I need some time off for… personal reasons" you told her.
Lenore agreed of course, though that sudden phone call took her by surprise. She knew something wasn't quite alright, when you used her full name, but she didn't ask any questions.
She kept repeating everything that had happened the past week, yet she couldn't figure out what was actually going on. You had never taken time off before and the way you called whatever was happening - "personal reasons" caused her a lot of distress. What did that even mean? Were you in trouble? Was she supposed to do something? And why was she so worried about it?
At first Lenore tried to convince herself that she didn't really care. But she did. Her little game turned into something utterly different without her even realizing it. You turned out to be far more than just her seamstress and she appreciated you for more than only your brilliant mind or skills.
Lenore truly cared about you and missed you dearly. She missed your smile and seeing you blush at her compliments. She missed listening to you talking about your projects - so passionately. 
Lenore was a grown-up and experienced woman, however she had never felt the way she felt with you. With you everything was different, new. And whatever she desired at the very beginning changed.
While you locked yourself in your apartment and lost yourself in work - as an attempt to distance from her, Lenore kept thinking of all the ways she could get closer to you. She was so desperate, so lovesick that she - the great heiress was ready to beg, even bow before for you if that was what it took.
You didn't expect Lenore to turn up at your door. It had been three days, you were sure everything was on the right track and you would manage to cure yourself of your fascination. Though, the moment you opened the door and saw Lenore in all her glory, everything came right back to you. All your feelings hit you again - that time with doubled power.
"Lenore… w-what are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you too, Y/N" she said, passing by you - not waiting for you to invite her inside.
You took a deep breath, trying to calm down. How could anyone be able to make you feel so weak and yet so empowered at the same time?
Lenore walked in, then looked around your apartment. It wasn't too big, but she had to admit it was classy - you perfectly combined living space with workspace. But your flat wasn't what interested her the most. The heiress turned round to face you and offered you a cocky smile, as she took in your form. Lenore was used to seeing you in various dresses and heels, though that day you looked completely different. You were not only barefoot, but also instead of a dress, you had a white shirt and denim overalls on. Your hair was put in a messy ponytail and a measuring tape was draped around your neck - signifying that you were working.
"So, how can I help you?" you asked, not looking at Lenore.
The blonde smiled. "I was just passing by and thought I'd check on you"
"Check on me?" you repeated, raising your eyes.
"Yes" Lenore said calmly "Would you mind if I stay here for some time?"
"I-" you were about to protest, but it was too late, since Lenore sat down on one of the chairs and lit her cigarette.
"So, have you managed to resolve those personal reasons of yours?"
"Not really, I guess" you said, watching Lenore cross her legs.
The way you stared at her body didn't go unnoticed. Lenore didn't miss how flustered you got either, but she said nothing. It wasn't the right time - not just yet.
You sighed, approaching a table on which you had different materials laid. You got back to work, trying to ignore Lenore's presence. It was hard to focus on anything though. It was impossible when she was sitting there and watching you, but you kept trying anyways.
Lenore didn't speak for a few minutes. She simply enjoyed the moment - the possibility of watching you work and being around you in general.
"Is this a new project?" she asked, dragging on her cigarette.
"Actually yes. It's going to be your dress for the party that you're attending next month"
"Oh. Well, it looks nice"
You laughed at her words.
"It doesn't look like anything yet"
"I'm sure it'll be wonderful. Every project of yours is, darling"
You looked at her, not able to contain the smile caused by her compliment.
And that smile was what motivated Lenore to make the first step. 
"You know, I was thinking about you for the past few days," she began, as you focused on pinning the fabric together again.
"They don't appreciate you enough. I mean those men you're working with. They're wasting your potential. You should work for your own brand and not for theirs"
"Well…" you were about to say something, but Lenore cut you off.
"And I figured out there are two ways I could help you in"
"Yeah?" you said, but still didn't pay much attention to her words.
"Yes" Lenore stubbed her cigarette and stood up, as she continued "I could either become some kind of your patroness. This is the first option, but personally I like the second one more" she explained, as she stopped on the opposite side of the table.
"What's the second option then?" you asked, reaching for yet another pin.
"Well" Lenore smiled. You were still so oblivious "I could be your sugar momma" 
"Shit!" you cursed, as you accidentally hurt your finger with the pin "W-what?" you choked, looking at her. Your eyes were wide open, as Lenore approached you and carefully took your hand in her own. She then slowly brought the finger you had just cut to her lips and kissed it.
"I said…"
"No. I k-know what you said… I… I just…" you stuttered, not able to form any coherent sentence.
"Which option do you like better, sweetheart?" she asked in a low voice.
"I…" you gasped, staring at her lips.
You couldn't bring yourself to speak, so instead you leaned in and kissed her. You could feel how her lips formed a smirk and even though your eyes were shut at that point, you could see that damn sly smile.
"I was hoping you'd go with the second option" Lenore chuckled.
You wanted to respond to her words, but before you managed to regain the ability to think properly - Lenore lifted you up and made you sit on the table.
"Your dress…" you tried to protest, but were immediately cut off.
"I'd rather take you this time" Lenore said and captured your lips once again.
That definitely wasn't what you had expected when you accepted the job offer. You hadn't even dreamed about it. And even if you had, being so close to Lenore, feeling her warm hands on your body and her soft lips pressed against yours was beyond any wildest dreams you could ever have. 
Tag list: @midnight-lestrange, @natasha-danvers, @stopkillinglilyrabe, @welshdragonrawr, @saucy-sapphic, @yang12e, @xixxiixx, @pradababey
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jmsa1287 · 4 years
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In Ryan Murphy's 'Ratched,' Starring Sarah Paulson, an Origin Story of Campy Proportions
I liked “Ratched” more than “Perry Mason” at least!
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How many times have audiences seen Bruce Wayne's parents murdered in a dimly lit alleyway? (Spoiler alert: It happened most recently in Todd Phillips' "Joker.") It's an origin story told countless times to varying degrees of success but one that Hollywood is obsessed with retelling.
Creators seem to love the origin story (and not just when it comes to superheroes) and we have no shortage of such tales, even on the small screen. Just a few months ago, HBO's rebooted "Perry Mason" showed how the iconic defense attorney (played here by Matthew Rhys) went from a private investigator to the bullish lawyer we know today. For "Ratched," which hits Netflix Friday, producer Ryan Murphy attempts to do the same but with another iconic character, Mildred Ratched, the demented nurse from Ken Kesey's 1962 novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." (Louise Fletcher played Nurse Ratched in the 1975 film for which she won an Oscar.)
"Perry Mason" was undoubtedly an expensive show to make; it was rich in detail and every frame looked like Rhys was transported back to the early 30s. But it was a dull story and maybe one we didn't particularly need. Despite Sarah Paulson's wonderful performance, the same goes for "Ratched," co-created by Evan Romansky, though its problems stem from the opposite of the issues that plagued "Perry Mason." Because the show is a Murphy production, the new series is heavy on over-the-top camp — a hallmark of his projects — while trying to infuse the story with 2020 wokeness (see his previous Netflix series "Hollywood").
Set in 1947, "Ratched" takes place before the events of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." The show follows Mildred as she squeezes her way into getting a job at a leading psychiatric hospital in Northern California where its head doctor Richard Hanover (Jon Jon Briones) is working on a number of gruesome experiments to test on willing patients — many of whom happen to be gay. While trying to get a job as a nurse she often bumps up against head nurse, Betsy Bucket (a wonderful Judy Davis, who knows exactly what kind of TV show she's in). It's soon revealed that Mildred has an ulterior motive for wanting to work at the facility, which has something to do with Edmund Tolleson (Finn Wittrock), a murderer sent to the hospital to for evaluation to see if he's fit to stand trial for his crimes. And throughout the show, we get flashbacks upon flashbacks that show us how Mildred became the twisted Nurse Ratched best-known from the award-winning film.
"Ratched" starts off strongly with Murphy behind the camera (he directs the first two episodes), setting up the show to be a Hitchcockian thriller (there's plenty of nods to the master of suspense sprinkled throughout the first two episodes). But as more characters are introduced and more plot is revealed, the show quickly reveals itself to be another Murphy misfire albeit not his worst.
Fans of Murphy — and Paulson — will likely think back to "American Horror Story: Asylum," the second season in the FX anthology franchise, which was also set in a creepy mental health facility during the 50s. It was also Paulson's first leading role in the series and that season was incredibly pulpy and camp, featuring aliens, Nazi doctors, and serial killers. For "Ratched," Murphy and Co. (which includes writer Ian Brennan, who is a frequent Murphy collaborator and penned several episodes here), strike a similar tone but also try to shoehorn 21st-century politics into the story. Most notably, "Ratched" is another period piece that prominently features queer people. ("Lovecraft Country," "Perry Mason," "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels," and Murphy's own "Hollywood" all have queer plotlines with varying levels of importance.) And again with "Ratched," queerness is displayed as suffering and suffocation because of the era in which the show is set.
Still, the show is visually stunning and often uses candy-color sets and costumes to perverse effect; you'll never see a more fabulous looking lobotomy. A shoutout goes to the supporting cast — including Davis — who prop up the show, like Sharon Stone, who plays Lenore Osgood, an extremely wealthy heiress with a vendetta who complicatedly gets involved with Mildred's plans. Cynthia Nixon also stars, playing Gwendolyn Briggs, the assistant to California Governor George Milburn (Vincent D'Onofrio) who begins to fall for Mildred.
"Ratched" is heavy on style and OMG moments, failing to serve a gripping origin story worthy of its main character. Despite its misgivings, it's still at least more entertaining than a stuffy prestigious drama.
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To Find a Home
Happy holidays everyone! I had the honor of being the secret santa for the-piece-of-toast this year, who requested something with Lenore. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into a post-dinner party world. Enjoy!
After that disaster of a dinner party, life and afterlife at Poe’s house had initially returned to a state of normality. Well, what Edgar and Lenore would have called their state of normality. Edgar hid in his study all day, writing poems of ravens and of Annabel’s eyes. Lenore experimented with the vodka left behind by Dostoyevsky, playing bartender for none but herself. It was quiet, almost like the kind of simple quiet they had both relished in the past, for it meant they did not have to see each other. But it felt like something was missing, a piece of the puzzle that they hadn’t noticed before was now gone. And then a fabulous tornado blew back into their house to turn everything upside down in the best possible way.
It was dark and quiet and altogether far too still in the library. The abrupt slam of the front door startled Lenore, who had been lounging there, reading an incredibly bizarre novel involving time travel as she sipped a martini. Dropping the book, she reached for one of the knives she and Edgar had hidden all around the house after, well, everything (one can never be too careful). Once she could hear who was rambling loudly in the front hall, she relaxed back into her chair. “Edgaaaaar! Stop brooding and get down here! Where’s Lenore? Lenore, get your frilly little butt- ah, there you are.” The door opened and Lenore saw a velvet frock coat entire the room. The wearer took in the ghost draped across the chair and the book on the floor, and his eyes lit up. “Ooooh, which of my works are you reading? I’m rather partial to The Importance of Being Earnest myself, but really, they’re all spectacular. So which is it?”
She grinned at him, feeling the notion to tease someone for the first time in months. “Well, none of them, of course.”
“Blasphemy!”
“Like you could talk, when was the last time you-” She was cut off as Edgar rushed in, panting and wielding a fire poker like a sword. “Who is it? Where are they? Lenore, what’s going on?”
Raising one eyebrow, Oscar’s lips twitched into a sly smile as he turned around. “Edgar, darling, we really need to work on your sense of style. Or rather, find you one.”
“Oscar, what are you doing here?” Exasperated, Edgar turned around to leave before being forcefully pulled by the back of his waistcoat by Oscar.
“Oh no, you can’t leave. I’m about to change your lives.” Lenore cocked her head and gestured at herself. “Okay, Edgar’s life and your afterlife of course, Lenore. Because while you two have been sitting here moping, I’ve come up with a plan!”
“To do what?” Tentatively, Edgar
“Oh you’ll see.” Smirking, he pranced out in the direction of the kitchen. “Come along now my brooding little friends, this is definitely a discussion that will require alcohol.”
Looking at each other, Edgar and Lenore could only shrug and follow, as neither could deny that the spark of life, of hope that Oscar had brought was striking their curiosity.
Slamming a hand down on the table, Lenore stared into the beady eyes hidden behind a gauzy veil. Huffing, she started again. “Look lady, I want my best friend back, and she’s unfortunately dead, so I need your help to do that. Her name is Annabel Lee, she was strangled eight months ago.”
Looking around Lenore, the medium tried to gain the attention of the men hiding at the entrance to her stall. “Sir, I don’t just raise spirits, I can also get rid of them.” Looking an irate Lenore up and down, she added, “This one I’ll banish for a reduced charge, she’s really quite annoying. How long has she been haunting you precisely?”
Summoning all of her inner strength, Lenore reached across and grabbed the chin of the woman, forcing them face to face. “Hey no, don’t look at Edgar, I’m the one talking to you here. I don’t need to be banished, I have an afterlife I am very much enjoying, thank you very much, it would just be like so much better if it had Annabel in it. It’s not like I don’t know how to help her, I mean, hello, I’m already a ghost! Now, hang on, I am not done talking here...”
A few steps away, her far more lively allies were watching the spectacle with wide eyes. “She does realize we do actually need this woman’s help right? I mean, I don’t know how to raise a ghost, otherwise I’d have brought Mary Anne back forever ago. You obviously don’t know how. And we’re trying to rise quite a few,” Oscar muttered under his breath.
Amused at someone else finally being on the sharp end of Lenore’s tongue, Edgar held up his hands in surrender. “Eh, it’s Lenore, she feels better when she can argue with someone. And besides, have you ever seen her not get her way?”
“True, it’s rather terrifying really.” As Lenore and the medium finally started bartering pricing and services, Oscar began calculating the odds of walking out of here with an empty purse, which were unfortunately high, but expected considering Lenore’s antagonism of their only lead. “Why did we let her talk to the psychic again?”
“We lost rock-paper-scissors, which was truly a terrible way of determining this now that I think about it.”
“Oops.”
It may have taken a few weeks to gather all the items needed to perform a summoning of this magnitude, but they did it. Everyone who had died that night came back, with the exceptions of HG and Eddie-Eduardo-whatever his name was. No one quite knew why HG didn’t return right away, but the mystery quickly became irrelevant when he popped up in a puff of smoke. Not really knowing what to do with themselves, all the ghosts returned to their previous homes, but everyone drifted back to the old house in the woods over time.
In the beginning, Lenore had to give the rest of them a crash course in ghosting. There were only so many times falling through the floor or accidentally dropping a glass mid-sip was funny.  Shelley fell into haunting the halls as a spirit unnaturally quickly, but Lenore was going to write that off as her innate creepiness coming to the forefront. It took Annabel a while to embrace the spookiness, but she tended to stay with Edgar most of the time anyways. Learning how to properly haunt someone never quite reached the top of her to do list. Mary Anne took to projecting herself in the paintings hung throughout the halls. She referred to it as poetic justice and loved scaring the crap out of Ernest whenever he came over to attempt wooing Annabel again. Louisa generally stayed outside in the greenhouse and the trees, frolicking like the nature spirit she had always wished to be.
The creaky old house finally felt like a home. It was typically filled with the constant arguments of its inhabitants (Edgar and Lenore) (or Ernest) (or Oscar) (they all argued quite a bit, let’s be honest), the cawing of attention and treat seeking ravens, muffled explosions from the basement, and an assortment of other strange noises that had melded into a comfortable cacophony that meant all was well. Their friends (and yes, Edgar could actually call them his friends now) were constantly coming and going, both those alive and dead. Life (and afterlife) was good.
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hotvintagepoll · 1 month
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Propaganda
Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche, The Sound of Music)— Eulogized as a ravishing beauty who's looks were merely ornamental to her craft, feast your eyes on Eleanor Parker. Listen! I know you're thinking of the Baroness in Sound of Music and saying NO I won't protect the woman who tried to steal him from Maria but forget about that (like you personally wouldn't shoot your shot with Plummer)! The trailer for Scaramouche describes her character Lenore as "The glamourous queen of the nightlife of Paris. A flame-haired wildcat" and this is a woman who was able to pull off that role, and you get the vibe she was like that irl too. There's a story about her changing hair colors that never fails to make me laugh. Take note of her stunning eyes! Her amazing legs! And to see her in motion is to make note of the aura about her, she has an amazing presence. Fall in love with Eleanor Parker today, and make your vote count!
Véra Clouzot (Diabolique)—at the end of Diabolique she’s running around in just a nightgown and my roommate had to slutshame me because I kept getting distracted from the plot by a hint of nipple or her backlit legs also her hair looks great in that movie
This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]
Eleanor Parker:
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“When I’m spotted somewhere, it means that my characterizations haven’t covered up Eleanor Parker the person. I prefer it the other way around.” So shy she was actively nervous about winning awards in person, her personal life remains mostly behind the scenes. But on screen? she was a force majeure. It's a shame the role most people remember her in is the Baroness in The Sound of Music, but then again, it did make Christopher Plummer reminisce upon her passing “I was sure she was enchanted and would live forever.”
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Listen we all know Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews had insane chemistry but the Baroness deserves some love too! She has such a glamorous presence but not in a hard way
She will be known as the fabulous baroness in TSOM, but she was so much more than that. Just as comfortable in westerns or melodrama, the scheming other woman, and the beauty that wins the heart of every man in town.
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Véra Clouzot
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hotvintagepoll · 1 month
Text
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Propaganda
Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche, The Sound of Music)— Eulogized as a ravishing beauty who's looks were merely ornamental to her craft, feast your eyes on Eleanor Parker. Listen! I know you're thinking of the Baroness in Sound of Music and saying NO I won't protect the woman who tried to steal him from Maria but forget about that (like you personally wouldn't shoot your shot with Plummer)! The trailer for Scaramouche describes her character Lenore as "The glamourous queen of the nightlife of Paris. A flame-haired wildcat" and this is a woman who was able to pull off that role, and you get the vibe she was like that irl too. There's a story about her changing hair colors that never fails to make me laugh. Take note of her stunning eyes! Her amazing legs! And to see her in motion is to make note of the aura about her, she has an amazing presence. Fall in love with Eleanor Parker today, and make your vote count!
Sheila Guyse (Sepia Cinderella)—sheila guyse was a popular actress and singer in the 40s and 50s, appearing on broadway and in several independent films with all-black casts "For several years, Ms. Guyse (rhymes with 'nice') was compared to stars like Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne and Ruby Dee, black actresses who broke through racial barriers. But by the late 1950s she was out of show business, a result of some combination of health problems, a religious conversion and family obligations. [...] 'It wasn’t easy to be a glamorous movie star with people following you for your autograph and now you’re home making pancakes,' [her daughter] Ms. Devin said. 'She did it, but I don’t think it was easy.'" [submitted video below the cut]
This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]
Eleanor Parker:
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“When I’m spotted somewhere, it means that my characterizations haven’t covered up Eleanor Parker the person. I prefer it the other way around.” So shy she was actively nervous about winning awards in person, her personal life remains mostly behind the scenes. But on screen? she was a force majeure. It's a shame the role most people remember her in is the Baroness in The Sound of Music, but then again, it did make Christopher Plummer reminisce upon her passing “I was sure she was enchanted and would live forever.”
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Listen we all know Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews had insane chemistry but the Baroness deserves some love too! She has such a glamorous presence but not in a hard way
She will be known as the fabulous baroness in TSOM, but she was so much more than that. Just as comfortable in westerns or melodrama, the scheming other woman, and the beauty that wins the heart of every man in town.
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Sheila Guyse:
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Stop the World & Melt with You: Chapter Six
Hey look! It's done! Yay! Sorry this took for-freaking-ever to get out, but I hope it was worth the wait. Thank you to everyone who has put up with this rollercoaster, you guys rock!
I apologize for the long absence of updates, but finals season sucks, so will be so glad when that's over next Thursday (for me at least). I then have three weeks before summer classes start up, so hopefully I'll have an update of don't trust the devil inside set to go soon. I also may decide to ignore studying for Business Law again, and it might pop up later this week.
Chapter Summary: Date night going off without a hitch seems a bit too good to be true...
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Lenore was at the office, leaning back in her chair with her feet up on the clean part of her desk, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. It was Friday afternoon, and she did not give a shit what anyone thought of her behavior. She had a date tonight.
“So, the plan is dinner at your place at seven, right?”
“The plans haven’t changed in the past two minutes Lenore.”
“Oh hush you. I swear I’m not purposefully being neurotic, I just want tonight to go perfectly.” Sighing, Lenore’s anxiety over the evening bubbled up again, leading her to sheepishly rush through the next question. “And we’re having?”
“We’re getting takeout from Mia Z’s, as previously agreed upon.”
“Sounds perfect, I don’t think we need the entirety of the New York Fire Department crashing a date, our friends seem do that enough all on their own. And remember-”
HG cut her off, rattling off Lenore’s favorite order by memory. “‘Fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and all the extra garlic, with a side salad and fresh breadsticks.’ Did I miss anything? I promise I am completely capable of planning a proper date Lenore, scout’s honor.” He paused, the rest of her comment coming back to him, before continuing indignantly, “And I am not that bad of a cook!”
“Please, you know you love the garlic. Whatever you end up with is also going to have a shit ton of garlic in it, we’re having Italian, it’s kind of a given. Hate to break it to you my dear Professor, but you got kicked out of the Boy Scouts. I do believe it was for setting three tents on fire, if I’m recollecting that lovely story correctly- ”
“-it’s not like there was anything in any of them! We had barely begun to set up camp!”
“You were twelve!”
“So? I’ve always been advanced for my age!”
“Okay, discontinuing that train of thought, you are so completely and utterly that bad of a cook. Baking, I will totally agree, you bake amazingly well. There is a reason you’re always in charge of dessert. But cooking? Nope, you suck at cooking.”
“Balderdash, cooking is incredibly difficult! Baking is easy, all you have to do is follow the directions and stick everything in the oven. One has to pay far more attention when cooking and make adjustments on the fly and I become distracted much too easily and then we end up with a mushy ball of spaghetti.”
“Relax, babe. I’m just teasing. I know enough to make sure we’d survive if all the takeout joints in the city suffered an untimely end, I promise.” Smiling softly to herself, she was about to keep poking at her boyfriend’s culinary ineptitude when her phone started to vibrate again. Pulling it away from her ear, Lenore glanced down at the caller ID. “Hang on, our favorite drama king is calling on the other line, I should probably grab that.”
“Alright, I’ll see you tonight, I love you.”
“Love you too Goggles. Okay, now I gotta go. Later gator!” Mentally floating on cloud nine, she hung up, switching over to the call from Oscar. Before she could even say hi, he started rambling.
“Lenore! Why on earth were you taking so long to answer your bloody phone? Nevermind, more important gossip is at stake. Did you hear about what just happened with Charlotte and Anton? Apparently, they were dating! Even though she was totally riding solo at the party for New Years! And making eyes at Ernest, which is just ick, I mean hello, it’s Ernest, I wouldn’t date him if you paid me. Not that Lottie dearest such a bloody prize herself! Plus, didn’t she used to have a thing for- oh nevermind, not important right now! Where was I? Oh, right, anyways, now she and Anton broke up! And she’s being cross with me, well, more of an uptight bitch with me than normal, in any case. Do you think that means he wants to hook up with me again? I mean, I know it was just a few times and it was months ago, but she’s acting so pissed at me, that has to be it, right?” Finally stopping for breath, Oscar sucked in a deep gasp of air, relieving his poor overworked lungs.
Rolling her eyes, Lenore adopted an overly perky tone and chirped obnoxiously, “Hello, Oscar, how are you? Oh I’m feeling fabulous, thanks so much for asking. Charlotte and Anton were secretly dating and then they broke up? Gasp, so scandalous!” For full effect, even if he couldn’t see her, she mockingly swooned back in her chair, hand to her forehead.
“You’re hilarious Lenore, truly hysterical. Now, I need your help,” he pronounced. Quite seriously, Oscar pondered, “Do you think ‘frenemies before men in my sheets’ would be an applicable motto here?”
Snorting loudly, she responded, “Babes, not actually a saying.”
“I don’t care in the least, it’s appropriate.” Oh good Lord, he actually sounded offended.
“You’re never appropriate.”
“True, oh well. We need to get dinner tonight, I must call a strategy meeting to determine if I’m allowed to go after that scrumptious hunk of man.”
Bolting upright, she braced herself for a long argument. “I can’t tonight Oscar. I have plans already.”
“What?”
“Plans, I have them.”
“Well cancel them, we need to have a council of war.”
“I am not canceling my date with HG again!”
“But-”
“Nope. Not happening. We are going on this date if I have to stick the rest of you in a padded cell for the duration of it.”
“Mean. Charlotte would murder me in minutes and I doubt you want to put your brother and Ernest together in a confined space, especially with Annabel.”
“The rest of you can buffer. And besides, Edgar has been surprisingly sedate in his celebrations after the breakup. I’ve only caught him dancing in the kitchen like twice. This week.” Thinking about it, Lenore added, “I’d honestly be more worried about him decking Ernest if he propositions her again. I do not need to deal with the hospital paperwork if he breaks his hand. Not that she can’t deal with the idiot on her own, but Edgar is feeling euphoric and white knight-like right now.”
“This is all hypothetical you know. You can’t actually lock all of your friends away just so you can get some.”
“Exactly, it’s all hypothetical so I have plausible deniability. Plus, I’ll have a foolproof alibi as of seven. Besides, this is not about getting some!” Realizing how loud she’d gotten, Lenore lowered her voice and tersely whispered, “Okay, not just about getting some, because trust me, that needs to happen too.”
Her friend burst into laughter over the phone, which was not helping his case, at all.
“Screw you, Oscar, I want to fucking jump my boyfriend alright, so fuck you. No, this is about the fact that HG and I haven’t been able to be alone for more than like half an hour without getting interrupted! I mean, seriously, we’re cursed! We haven’t had a complete date yet. And all of you suck, because our friends are like half the problem.”
“Calm your tits, Poe, you’re being ridiculous.”
“Am I though? Am I really? I needed to have surgery, nobody that we know is capable of knocking, the fucking computers broke, Annabel and Eddie broke up, and we made out in your closet. None of these things equal a date! Hell, none of those things even equal third base!” Chest heaving, Lenore realized she was way too worked up to get anything else done for the day. “Damnit, okay, I need to leave before I bite anyone’s head off.” Beginning her end of the day routine, she listened as Oscar spoke in his patented dial down the wonko voice, officially coined as such by Mary Anne during an extended episode of writer’s block.
“Okay, I have basically no idea what any of that means, because you’re acting more than a bit bonkers. And please don’t tell me you’ve decapitated anyone today, because I’m assuming life in the Big House puts a damper on the hotly anticipated sexy times with the boytoy.” Oscar rolled the last words, laced with so much innuendo that Lenore tripped and banged her head against the wall. Swearing at herself, she could just hear her friend’s trilling laugh before he continued.
“Just go and enjoy your date, I’ll keep the masses from descending, barring an actual emergency, in which case, you can bet your ass I’m calling you. There is no way in hell I’m dealing with one of those without someone else who could possibly be deemed a semi-rational adult.” Which was entirely reasonable, because the frequency at which their friends ended up in the hospital or overnight lock-up was borderline terrifying to think about.
“How exactly are you planning on doing so?”
She could see his habitual generous hand-waving in her head. “Don’t worry your pretty little head over it. Feel free to primp and pamper as needed, as I’m sure in my utter brilliance I can come up with some way to distract them for the whole night. As payment for such a wonderful good deed, I expect full details tomorrow at our strategy meeting, darling. Hmm, maybe we can do brunch.”
Finally realizing he was entirely serious about herding the cats, a grin broke out over Lenore’s face as she rushed to the elevator. “I’m going to hug you tomorrow, so freaking hard. Thanks Oscar, really. Thank you.”
“Oh quit gushing, you’ve stroked my ego enough. Now, I’d say let’s grab breakfast, but tomorrow’s Saturday, and I highly doubt you’ll be up anytime before eleven, so brunch seems necessary.” The wiggling eyebrows were practically audible through the phone. “And you are giving me all of the details. I’m in a dry spell here.”
By now, she was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the ground level button to light up. The easy banter was pleasantly distracting, but damn if she didn’t want to fast-forward a few hours. “And that guy you were hooking up with last week at the party was all a figment of my imagination?” That didn’t mean she couldn’t get Oscar back for all the earlier teasing.
Sniffing, Oscar corrected her haughtily,“A romantic dry spell bitch. I am having exactly as much sex as I want to be having, thank you very much. It’s the sappy romance part that’s lacking.”
Smirking, she cooed, “Aww, hook-up prince Oscar wants to be romanced.”
“You know I can invent all sorts of ways to crash your date, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Ding . Finally let out of the crushing mob leaving work, Lenore headed for the exit, then stopped short when she saw who was standing just inside the lobby. Switching direction, she grinned widely and cut off Oscar’s retort. “It appears my date has mysteriously arrived early to whisk me away from work, so I’m gonna go. Later Oscar. And thanks for the whole distracting everyone thing.”
Sighing, he replied melodramatically, “Fine, leave me and go be romanced and ravished by your wonderful boyfriend. Don’t forget to be safe and use protection!”
“I’m hanging up now!”
“Remember, all the details!”
“Goodbye Oscar!” Laughing, Lenore tossed her phone into her purse before running the last few steps and hurling herself into HG’s waiting arms. Nose buried in his scarf, she felt a sense of contentedness she hadn’t realized she was missing settle in. Glancing up through her eyelashes, Lenore pressed her lips to his cheek, cold from the January chill. “Hi.”
“Hello my dear Lenore.” Warmth pervading his tone, HG tilted her head upwards, kissing her gently once, twice before resting their foreheads together. “Apparently, I have been uttered useless and distracted all day. My assistant basically forced me out of the building, said that they could handle everything until Monday.” Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, he added, “I came straight here.”
“I’m glad you did, Oscar had to talk me off a cliff.” At his questioning glance, she shrugged. “Nothing bad, just want tonight to actually happen. He has agreed to amuse to children for the night, barring extreme circumstances.”
“How thoughtful of him.”
“I owe him brunch and gossip tomorrow.”
“Ah, so not entirely selfless.”
“Well, he wanted to grab dinner and figure out if he could hook up with Charlotte’s-”
Cutting her off, he rumbled, “Lenore, I could not possibly care less right now.” Still locked in his arms, Lenore found herself reeled in again, engaged in a heady, needy kiss. One of his hands grasping her braid, she felt every ounce of love and want poured into it, losing herself to the electrifying sensation and kindling desire that had been simmering for weeks, possibly months. Remembering where they were was difficult when HG seemed hellbound to erase any thought not of him, though Lenore’s remaining shreds of common sense reminded her they were bordering on the lines of inappropriate for public viewing. Determined to keep a level head, she abruptly pulled away, stopping his lips from chasing hers with a finger.
“Okay, hang on.” Undeterred by her attempted stern look, HG lightly kissed the finger still holding his lips back. Rolling her eyes, she removed it and tried not to giggle when he pouted. “Babe, not helping. We need to head back to your apartment, like now. I am not getting arrested for public indecency at work. Now let’s move. We can always call for Mia Z’s later.”
Placing a hand to his chin, he pretended to mull the idea over before holding out his elbow. “A sound plan. Shall we?”
Locking her arm with his, she smiled. “Oh, we shall.”
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