The Condo of Risk De Lorme

Part of a larger building of condominiums and apartments, Risk's condo is actually one of the smaller units at a paltry 1000 sq.ft. and sitting three stories above the ground, affording a lovely view of the harbor and marina from the balcony.



The next morning came too fast for Risk. He yawned widely and groaned as his alarm blared on the bedside table beside him. He rolled over and slapped his hand down onto the annoying box, effectively silencing the agitating blare of the alarm. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling the air-conditioned air of his bedroom chill his bare chest. He grumbled to himself as he slid from the bed and walked--nude, as he usually slept--to his wardrobe to pick out his clothes for the day.

At the sound of the alarm in the room close to hers, Lena groaned and pulled her pillow over her head, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge for a moment that it meant she had to get up. Finally with a deep sigh she sat up and rubbed her eyes before reaching a hand out in search of her glasses which she popped on her nose before climbing from the bed and stumbling sleepily towards the door. Need coffee. She thought as she padded towards the kitchen, no thought of getting dressed just yet.

The coffee machine had been set up the night before--a high-tech piece of culinary artwork, the coffee and espresso maker was already on and sizzling as it ground and cooked the coffee beans inside. It had been set on a timer to start when Risk's alarm went off. Flanked on either side of it Were things like sugar and mixing spoons, and a rack of mugs, all with the same white marble design.

"Perfect!" Lena smiled sleepily when she saw all the things for making coffee set out and waiting for her. She quickly made a cup of coffee then took a long sip, giving a happy sigh at its rich taste, before finally wandering to the window to peer out at the bright morning sky.

"So there is a key to your peppiness?" Risk asked as he emerged from his bedroom, showered and dressed for the day already. He smiled at her. "Coffee is key to everything, isn't it?" he chuckled, moving to pour himself a cup as well.

Lena turned quickly and grinned at Risk before nodding and holding up her cup. "Who knows what I'd be like without this." She joked as she tucked a piece of her still messy bed hair behind her ear. "All I need is breakfast and the beginning of the day is perfect."

Risk chuckled and nodded. "I agree. But we'll have to get breakfast to go, as I'm already dressed," he said with a sweeping motion to his snappy business suit, "and do not want to risk messy cooking." he smiled. "And you're running late for your second day of work already." he winked.

"Oh! Ok..give me a minute!" Lena exclaimed then after setting her cup down, hurried from the kitchen and back to her own. She quickly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a dark blue and white striped top and purple flared mini skirt and after changing into them she pulled on a pair of brown lace up ankle boots and swiftly braided her blonde hair before finally grabbing her bag and hurrying back out to Risk. "Ready!" She panted with a smile.

Risk smiled at her and offered her a fresh to-go mug of coffee. "Good. You look wonderful. Let's go." he said, grabbing his wallet, keys, and on-the-go coffee as well. "I've already called ahead for breakfast, so we can just pick it up on the way."

"Great!" Lena grinned as she wrapped her hands round her fresh coffee and headed for the door. "So do you have to go out for work or anything today?" She asked curiously over her shoulder.

"I dont know, honestly. I never know until I get to the office and see the contracts placed on my desk," Risk explained with a shrug as they headed out of the apartment. Just as he was locking it, his phone started to ring in his pocket. He reached in and pulled it out, clicking the 'answer' button without bothering to see who it was that was calling him. "Risk De Lorme, what can I do for you today?" he greeted, already in work mode.

Jade smiled into the phone. "Hey Risk it's Jade. I wanted to see what your schedule looked like this week so we could set up our lunch date. But if it's too early I completely understand. I kind of start my days a little earlier than most people."

Risk smiled. "Good morning, Jade! No, of course it's not too early. Quite the contrary, actually. I have yet to see my schedule at work as I'm heading in now. But if you tell me what day and time you would like to have lunch, I can pencil you in before other pesky appointments have a chance to steal the spot." he shrugged, giving Lena a smile as he led her out if,the building and to his car in the parking lot. He hit the unlock button so she could climb into the passenger seat, and dropped himself into the driver's seat.

Lena thanked him with a smile then opened the passenger side door and climbed in, making sure to buckle herself in for safety. She sat silently waiting for him, not wanting to disturb him as he spoke on his phone.

Jade thought on it for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. "It really doesn't matter to me. I'm normally back to shore by 1:00 every day so any day the rest of the week will work good for me. I don't really have dates, I'm the workaholic of the town." Jade laughed softly and shook her head. It seemed sad now that she said it out loud but it was true. "So you just let me know today, tomorrow. Whichever."

For the sake of safety, Risk decided to turn on his car while he finished his phone call, but did not start driving yet. He merely turned it on so Lena could adjust the air and music how she saw fit whilst she waited for him. He hummed and then said to Jade, "How about today? I'll order lunch to my office and you can stop by and eat it there--you'll get to see where I work." he said, his tone slightly bragging.

Jade glance up at Eric waving his arms at her. He wanted her help lugging something to the docks. Jade shoed him away for a moment and held up her finger. "Sure, today will be great. I get to the docks at one so I can be there shortly after if that's okay with you."

"Yes, that sounds just fine. Just text or call me when you're on your way so I can have lunch delivered before you arrive. Any input on what we should order?" Risk smiled, leaning his head back in his seat and rubbing his eyes tiredly. He didn't often look tired--in fact, Risk smiled a lot and always seemed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. But today he felt a little more exhausted than usual and the day have only just begun. He took another sip of his coffee.

"Do you care for Chinese? I haven't had that in ages. Otherwise anything really, I'm probably the least picky person on Earth." Hearing her name being called from Eric she sighed softly and hurried across the lab to help him with her free hand and stuck her tongue out at him. Really, couldn't he see that she was on the phone?

"No, Chinese sounds fantastic. I'll order a bit of everything. I hope you don't mind if Lena joins us. She is my new secretary, after all, and I want to give her every reason I can to keep working for me." Risk said playfully with a glance at Lena and a smile. "Especially once she sees what a horrible boss I am." He winked, clearly teasing.

"Sounds good to me and Lena is welcome to join us. It'll be nice to get to know her as well." Eric dropped the tank causing it to land on Jade''s foot. "Oh my god! Ow... Eric. I'm sorry Risk but I have to go... Eric just dropped a tank on my foot. I look forward to our lunch this afternoon. Talk to you later. Buh bye." Jade almost dropped her phone before falling to the ground to cradle her foot in her lap, glaring up at Eric.

"Someone's joining us for lunch?" Lena questioned curiously once she was sure the call had ended as she watched Risk with a bright smile. "Did I meet them last night?"

Risk had hung up the phone after a good-natured, "Okay, good bye, Jade!" before he looked at Lena and nodded. "Yes, Jade. She was at Sophie's last night." he confirmed, sliding his phone into its usual slot in the car's center console. He then shifted gears and pulled the car carefully out of the parking spot and through the parking garage towards the city streets.

---

Risk gave a happy and relieved sigh when they finally reached his apartment. He carried in the leftover Chinese food and instantly went to the kitchen to tuck it into the fridge. It was still fairly early in the afternoon, so he had time to prepare for his date with Madison. He looked over his shoulder at Lena and said, "So you really don't mind staying in alone tonight? You have plenty to entertain yourself... cable, movies, internet, books; I even have some puzzles and games." he said, shifting things around inside his fridge to make room for the many spare containers of food. "You certainly have plenty to eat..."

"Mmm I'm sure I'll be fine, it's not as if I can go on your date with you can I?" Lena replied playfully as she kicked off her shoes and moved to flop on the couch. "And I'm sure if I get lonely I can go for a wander and find someone to talk to. So don't worry about me. You should be worrying about yourself. Got a big date and all. Where are you taking her?" She asked curiously.

Risk laughed at her quietly and good-naturedly. "I already told you, Lena, I'm letting her choose the place. You commended me on it. Maybe I worked you too hard on your first day?" he teased, tapping her forehead with his finger as he passed the couch on his way out of the kitchen towards his room. "I'll hop in the shower, then."

Lena quickly swatted his hand away then nodded when he spoke of taking a shower. "I'll be here.. Watching TV.." She replied as she grabbed for the remote and began to flick through the channels.

Risk smiled at her over his shoulder, even if she couldn't see. He headed into his bedroom and closed the door over, but not completely. If there was an emergency, he wanted her to be able to get to him. Additionally, the idea of closing his door completely, or even locking it, was still foreign to him. He had lived alone for so long, with doors always standing wide open, it would be difficult to get used to closing them for the sake of privacy in his own home. He headed into his master bathroom and started up his shower. The water heated quickly as he undressed, so he could step right in. After his shower, he decided to shave his five o'clock shadow and douse his chin and cheeks in a sweet-smelling aftershave, in lieu of using cologne. He combed his hair to one side off his natural part, and brushed his teeth with his minty toothpaste. With all that done, he dressed in a pair of comfortable and rather modest black slacks and a deep maroon button-down shirt. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, but decided to wear a tie anyway, just for formality sake. He slipped into a pair of nicely shined black and white shoes, and after donning his silver watch around his wrist, headed back out to where Lena was sitting. "Well? Do I look presentable?"

"Well, well.. Don't you clean up nice, boss?" Lena grinned as she looked up at him from where she sat. "She won't be able to resist you, that's for sure. Are you heading out now?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

Risk looked at his watch and gave a nod. "I suppose I could, maybe stop off and get her some flowers on the way. What do you think? Would that be too forward of a first date?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Not at all. Its very romantic." Lena smiled before she looked at Risk with a smile. "Make sure to let me know if she's coming home with you or anything. I'll make sure to disappear. Don't want to ruin your big night or anything.."

Risk chuckled again lightly as he continued to did his shirt and hair. "Nah... Don't worry about that. I don't think she's that kind of girl. Then again, I don't know her that well yet, so I guess we'll see."

Lena tilted her head slightly as she listened to Risk speak. "She asked you out right? Do you really like her?"

"Well, I think she is very beautiful," Risk shrugged with a smile, moving to lean against the counter in the kitchen so he could look at her where she sat on the couch. "I won't know if I really like her until after a date or two. After all, isn't that what dates are for?" he asked, tilting his head.

"I suppose." Lena nodded before she cupped her chin in her hands and smiled dreamily at Risk, her elbows propped on her knees. "I wish I was going on a date. Had someone calling me beautiful. The most I get is, 'oh isn't she unusual'." She laughed a little awkwardly then suddenly flopped over to the side with a loud sigh. "I'll be fine.."

Risk chuckled at her again and pushed off of the counter. He walked to her, sat down on the couch beside her, and leaned over her with a hand on either side of her. He looked down at her face and said softly, "You are unusual. But unusual can be very beautiful." He smiled at her smoothly and then planted a kiss on her forehead before pushing off and standing up again with a sigh. "Well, I suppose I'm off. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Ok..have fun." Lena replied as she raised her arm and waved to him as she continued to lie on the couch. "I'll just be here.. all alone. By myself. No one but me.." She added jokingly before she finally sat up and smiled. "Don't forget the flowers."

"I won't!" Risk laughed over his shoulder. He grabbed his coat and headed out of the house after double checking for his wallet, keys, and phone. He headed out of his apartment to the parking garage and climbed into his car. With a rev of the engine, he was gone.

---

"So this is where you live? I was expecting something a little grander.. But I like it." Madison joked as she peered out of the apartment complex before carefully climbing from the car, her arms still wrapped around herself for warmth.

Risk stood out of the car as well, getting their food and her flowers and leading her inside. "Its my humble abode," he joked, emphasis on the word "humble." He led her inside his apartment from the elevator and clicked on lights as he entered. "My new roommate must be sleeping." he commented quietly. "Please feel free to shower. I'll get you some warm clothes and get a fire going."

Madison nodded and gave a word of thanks before she turned and headed for the bathroom, locking the door behind her then heading for the shower. "Home already?" Lena's voice spoke sleepily as she wondered into the living room, rubbing her eyes. She paused and blinked at Risk before tilting her head curiously. "Is it raining?" She asked taking note of his soaked appearance.

Risk looked down at himself and laughed a little. "Oh, no. Madison and I played in the water at the beach," he explained with a small blush. "She's in there showering right now."

"She's here?" Lena replied in surprise as she glanced towards the bathroom. "Does she need anything? She can borrow something of mine if she needs to.." She added quickly.

"Oh no, thank you, that's not necessary. She is going to borrow some of my warm pajamas while our clothes dry." he said with a grateful smile at her. "In fact, I'm feeling chilled myself. I'm going to change in my room. I'm sorry we woke you, Lena."

"Oh no.. no need to apologize.." Lena waved off his words with an embarrassed smile. "Well I'm just going to head back to my room.. you know, get some sleep.. Um.. enjoy the rest of your night." She finished then turned and scurried back to her room, making sure to close the door behind her.

"Good night!" Risk called after her with a warm smile. He chuckled and shook his head, then headed into his own room to change. He turned on his light so Madison would know which room he was in, and started to change out of his wet clothes. They were stiff from the saltwater now and still damp, so getting out of them was a bit difficult. He sighed in relief when he managed to strip down to his boxer briefs, and used a towel to dry himself off a little.

"Risk?" Madison's voice called softly from down the hall as she emerged from the bathroom. Moments later she appeared in the doorway of his room, rubbing her damp hair with a towel as another was wrapped tightly around her body. "You should get in the hot shower before you catch a cold.." She told him with a smile.

Risk looked up at her, but only briefly. When he saw her wrapped in nothing more than a towel, he averted his eyes respectfully and nodded. He was still in nothing more than his boxers. He went to his dresser and pulled out a long pair of warm pajama pants and a t-shirt and offered them to her in a neatly folded pile. "Make yourself comfortable. I won't be long." He smiled at her and then vanished into his own en suite bathroom, closing the door over gently and turning on the hot water.

Madison changed quickly into the pyjama bottoms and t-shirt then carefully braided her hair as she padded back towards the living room. She stood warming her hands over the fire before she moved to the couch and sat back on it, glancing round curiously at her surroundings.

True to his word, Risk finished showering and dressing in less than fifteen minutes. He appeared from his room, wearing his own set of warm pajama pants and t-shirt, and drying his hair with the towel around his neck. "Would you like something to drink? Water, juice... more wine, perhaps?" he offered with a smile as he moved into the kitchen.

"No more wine.." Madison chuckled as she settled back into the couch and watched him go. "Just some juice please." She added with a smile.

"Juice for the lady," Risk nodded and pulled out a bottle of sweet fruit juice. He poured it onto a glass of ice and brought it out to her with a warm smile, a glass of water for himself. He joined her on the couch in front of the fireplace and smiled at her.

Madison sipped lightly at her juice then looked at Risk and tilted her head. "I should see if Jace can come and pick me up. I don't want to overstay my welcome." She said to him. "But I'd like to see you again.. if that's ok?"

"You're not overstaying your welcome at all," Risk shrugged, "but if you want to leave, I will not ask you to stay. However, I would be more than happy to drive you home." His smile widened at her question of seeing him again and he chuckled. "I would be more than happy to see you again, yes. It would be fantastic." he said.

"I don't want to leave, I just don't want you wishing I would go already." Madison replied with a small chuckle. "So a second date huh? I wouldn't mind doing something where we stay dry if that's ok?" She joked with a playful poke to his chest. "Maybe the movies.."

"The movies are nice, but it leaves something to be desired in the way of getting to know one's date," Risk smiled. "You cannot talk during a movie... it's difficult to connect." He sipped his water slowly and eyed her over the rim of his glass. "But if you want to go to a movie next time, I would be more than happy to take you," he said when he was done drinking.

"Oh no.." Madison gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "I wouldn't be happy if I knew you weren't fond of the idea." She added with a small smile before she looked thoughtful. "Well.. How about we go out on your boat you spoke of earlier.. We will still see the ocean but won't have to get soaked by it." She joked lightly. "We could pack a picnic, make a day of it."

"You are quite fond of picnics," Risk commented, watching her with a smile. He sipped his water and then chuckled. "That sounds wonderful. What day would you like to go? I'm my own boss, so there's no arguing for days off." he joked.

Madison chuckled then gave a small shrug. "What about Friday?" She asked. That was a few days from now and even though she would have happily said tomorrow she didn't want to appear too eager.

Risk's lips upturned happily and he nodded. "Friday sounds perfect. It would be a fantastic entrance into the weekend." he said. He set his water glass aside and stood up from the couch. "You are welcome to stay tonight if you'd like. I am always open to a cuddle buddy. If you'd like to go home, however, we should probably get you there soon before your brother comes to call."

Madison glanced at the clock then back at Risk. "I'll sleep on the couch if that's ok? My brothers most likely already gone to bed.."

"If you would like. It pulls out into a bed, though. And, of course, my door will remain unlocked if you need anything." Risk said, without a hint of sarcasm or innuendo. "I'll get you some pillows and blankets."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Madison replied with a small smile. "I'll clean up the glasses whilst you do." She said before standing and politely taking his and her glass into the kitchen to wash.



Back to:
Blood of the Olympians
BotO Athens Harbor