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Public Relations [Closed] - Printable Version

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RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 11-09-2018

It was difficult to continue being salty, with Renton doing his best to stay chipper and optimistic at her side. She stopped her quick and angry stride away from the gym. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, trying to quell the mix of moods she was feeling post-encounter with Owen. her eyes popped open again and she turned to look up at him. She could tell her demeanor was affecting him, even as he looked back down at her with those charming blues, wearing that almost permanent half-smile. She was reminded of the time they had been spending together, and the kiss that they had shared that very morning, and some of the feelings she’d been wrestling with dissipated.

“Sorry,” she muttered, reaching up to sweep back his bangs with manicured fingers, even though not a hair was out of place. “I wasn’t expecting to get into a wrestling match first thing in the morning. My adrenaline’s all spiked.” Her hand dropped from his hair, to smooth over the lapel of his jacket. She fluffed his pocket square, just to keep touching him.

“We can talk about it at lunch,” she answered. She didn’t want to keep talking about Owen, but it was work related, and she didn’t have a choice. Julianna could tell he was confused, because of...everything that was going on between...the three of them. “Speaking of!” She smiled, doing her best to shift the mood. “I wanna go out,” she announced, turning away from her and starting to walk again. Her tail swayed back and forth near her knees. Julianna was always taking him off the base when she could get away with because she knew it cheered him up. “Where should we get brunch?”

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 11-27-2018

Julianna sent a pleasant tingle through his scalp when she brushed his hair back and his head dropped to follow her hand with his eyes as it traveled over his suit. It was fussy of her but he didn't mind. He reached up and took her hand as she was fiddling with his pocket square.

He kept it even as she turned away and began walking again. He allowed himself to be lead by hand, perking when she mentioned leaving base. “Same.” He agreed enthusiastically. Anything to play hooky from work a little longer.

“Have you heard of Lavender?” He released her hand to retrieve his phone from his pocket. A quick search and he had pulled up the menu that she could hardly argue with.

When they arrived at the restaurant, it wasn’t terribly busy. They were too early to compete for a table with the lunch crowd. The hostess lead them through the airy, minimalistic space. The modern rustic decor tied the whole aesthetic together. Renton let Julianna follow behind the hostess while he brought up the rear.

Sitting alone at a sunbathed table was none other than the Brigadier General himself typing away on a tablet. He had a manilla file open on the table that he was staring at while he typed. He had a deep frown on his face and sighed visibly, shaking his head, and rubbing at his jaw before continuing to type. He had a french press on the table and a steaming mug of coffee. He stopped typing to pick up his coffee and sip at it. He raised his eyes to glance at the group that crossed the restaurant a couple of rows away from his table. His brows went up and he lowered his coffee turning his head to watch them pass.

Renton noticed Owen when he turned around to pull back Julianna's chair like a proper gentleman. He did a double take. Once they were seated and presented with menus, Renton blocked his mouth with his menu looking conspiratorial.

“So like don't be super obvious about it but check out your eight o'clock.” His eyes glanced in the direction he wanted her to look, sort of over her shoulder some. He wasn't sure if Julianna had noticed Owen or not.

Owen glanced over looking right at them as if he knew that Renton had directed Julianna to look. He glanced away again just as quickly. He seemee to be trying to pretend he hadn't seen them.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 01-06-2019

Julianna was in a noticeably better mood by the time they arrived at the cute cafe, in the middle of downtown. She had chatted at Renton on the drive, and there was a bounce to her step. She was very obviously unaware of Owen's presence mere steps away from them. She was still talking, about nothing in particular. Renton had asked her a few questions about the job she had had before coming to the CAF, probably to distract her from the dour mood the very same Brigadier General, mere tables away from them, had put her in.

There was an excited energy coming off of Renton has he pushed her chair in and came around the table to sit across from her. She could sense it, so her story trailed off and her ears perked to attention as he eyes followed him until he was seated. Opening her own menu, she left it laid flat against the table. Her ears rotated towards the crown of her head, some of the brightness left her face. Julianna had the sneaking suspicion that she didn't need to look. She did anyway, sitting up straighter she tossed her hair over her shoulder with one hand, and made a casual survey of the space.

Yup, it was Owen, like she had suspected. She sighed, leaning back in the chair and crossing one leg over the other. "Well, this is the last place I expected to see him," it was very clearly a complaint. Which was momentarily interrupted by the waiter coming around for their drink orders.

"Maybe he didn't notice us," she suggested hopefully after requesting a sparkling water. "Besides, it's not like he's going to come over here or anything." She chuckled quietly.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 01-10-2019




In direct contradiction to Julianna’s theorizing that Owen wouldn’t join them, Owen closed up his tablet and stood, tucking it, and the files under his arm. He picked up his coffee mug with one hand and the french press with the other. It was precarious, but somehow he managed to carry it all without letting the tablet or files slip from under his arm or his coffee slosh over the rim.

“Is he coming over here?” Renton whispered, trying to act occupied with his menu.

Owen stopped at their table casting his long shadow over it. “Well look who it is.” He said not unpleasantly. He bent to set down his coffee mug and press on their table. “May I join you? Or would that be disruptive to...” He was suggesting their brunch was a date. Perhaps it was.

Renton had a hopeful smile on his face, he looked at Julianna seemingly for her approval before he invited Owen to sit with them. “Sure.”

“Great.” Owen said somewhat dryly. Instead of sitting next to one or the other of them, he sat next to both of them by pulling a chair around to the side of the table which effectively put him at the head of it.

“Do you always work through meals?” Renton asked eyeing the files and tablet Owen placed off to the side.

“Mostly. Do you always eat through work?” He shot back playfully, directing the commentary even to Julianna. Obviously the incorrigible programmer was rubbing off on her. They made a cute couple. He couldn’t deny it, though it made him feel pangs of jealousy.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 03-09-2019

Julianna stared across the table at Renton. She tried to keep her face neutral but her heart was pounding in her ears. Despite this she could still hear the tell-tale sounds of Owen approaching their table. His over-large shadow cast itself over their table. She looked up at him, ears pinning backwards, not in any sort of response to him other than how incredibly tall he was.

Owen asked for permission to join them. Julianna was stunned speechless by this. Her lips parted slightly as her brow furrowed, but nothing close to a response came out. "That would be..." Renton answered for them. Her head turned again to look back at him. Ears springing to attention. Renton's blue eyes sparkled back at her. She could see the excitement on his features. A tight and familiar feeling settled like a rock in her stomach as her jealousy returned.

"Delightful." She finished finally in tone that was not convincing. Owen was already sliding a chair to the side of their table. Positioning himself in the middle of them and she wondered if that was deliberate.

"Sitting in an office all day is bad for your health." Her tail curled into her lap, as she reached for her beverage. Lime slices and tiny bubbles danced, suspended in the clear liquid. "Studies show that being outside in favorable conditions can improve mood and overall productivity." Julianna simply parroted something she had read at him, because she didn't know how else to respond. Still somewhat baffled overall by his presence and unusually playful attitude.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 03-10-2019


Owen was aware that he was only half welcome at the table. That is to say only one half of the seemingly new couple was open to his presence. He tried to ignore the sting of rejection and turned his face towards Julianna as she spoke. He wore an empty smile.

“Working is the new smoking, is that what they say?”

"Sitting is the new smoking, I think.” Offered Renton politely. He gazed searchingly at Julianna, feeling as if he had hurt her feelings twice that day. And both times over the same man. He regretted inviting Owen to sit with them. Renton’s foot moved under the table until it laid alongside hers. He lifted the toe of his foot off the floor to brush at her ankle.

“Right.”

The conversation fell quiet after the few exchanges banalities.

“I get plenty of recreation at divorce mediation. Nothing like a brisk divorce.” Owen deadpanned.

Renton blinked at Julianna and then back to Owen.

“You settling in okay at work?” Owen asked Julianna as if he hadn't said anything unsettling. The awkwardness of the moment crept up his spine and he couldn't have felt less wanted. He knew it was entirely his fault. But he didn't know how to fix it. He felt like he was trying to climb out of a sandy hole. The more he grasped at the walls, the more sand that broke away and buried him.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 03-15-2019

Renton's foot grazed hers beneath the table, and Julianna knew that she wasn't pretending to be pleasant very well. He was trying to comfort her, or to apologize about Owen's presence at their table. She wasn't sure which, but she knew he was bothered that she was upset. She took a small comfort in that, even though she was still pretty rattled to have Owen joining them for lunch. As if the morning had never happened. Or perhaps in spite of it.

Their table fell so quiet that Julianna swore she could hear ringing in her ears. Her attention flickered between Owen and Renton, who for the moment avoided looking at each other. She kind of wanted to know more about the divorce he had mentioned. It was a sort of tease into his personal life, that indeed made her want more of.

"I'm just saying a career isn't a replacement for a personality." Julianna crossed her legs, the foot that Ren was toying with remained on the ground. "I can get just as much work done here, as I could hunched over my desk all by myself." She looked to Owen. This line of conversation wasn't necessarily any warmer than she had been before. One of her ears fell lopsided as she considered how to continue.

"But that could just be the nature of my job. I get paid to make people socially acceptable, so I suppose if my clients are seen behaving themselves in public, I'm doing a good job."

Eventually, she realized that this did nothing to answer his question, and perhaps only insulted him further than her typically cold reception of him. "I think I am settling in fine. Give or take a few exceptions." She didn't look at Owen, but they knew what she meant. "I've never managed a single client, but..." but...what? She didn't really know what to say. Mention that it was nice to be able to know Renton on a more personal level? As if that wasn't clear. That she had a lot of downtime, which would completely negate her earlier statements.

Julianna only smiled and shrugged. "It is what it is."

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 03-16-2019

Renton kept himself quiet as he listened to Julianna and Owen speak for a few moments. His expression was on the pleasant side of neutral and his gaze mostly rested on Julianna though it flicked towards Owen to gauge how he was swallowing her words. She wasn't being unpleasant, but fair, Renton thought, given how Owen had been behaving recently. He rather enjoyed the mild way she dressed Owen down and tried to hide his smile behind a sip of coffee.

Under the table, hidden from sight, the toe of his shoe traced her calf up behind her knee.

Her
words, to Owen, were a kind of death by a thousand cuts. She seemed to know exactly what to say to cut him just enough. A part of him could appreciate that talent. It seemed quite in line with her profession.

“It doesn't matter if I'm on vacation or working seventy hours a week, I'm shitty either way.” He said with a self-deprecating smile. “That's why my wife is divorcing me. I'm completely unlovable.” He wasn't disagreeing with Julianna's critique of him. Instead, he was kind of apologizing with a verbal self-flagellation.

Renton's brows knit together in a brief frown before he countered Owen's statement. “I don't think that's true. Miss Tiesel seems to find you rather lovable.”

Owen snorted derisively. “I think you mean fuckable. And I didn't say I was unfuckable. Quite the contrary, actually. I'm well aware that my fuckability is my best quality. I appreciate that Miss Tiesel finds me fuckable but I'm not interested in screwing my secretary at this time."

In contrast to his vulgarity, with two fingers holding down the lid of the French press, Owen elegantly refilled his coffee. A perfect arc of steaming dark liquid pooled in the handsome mug. He gestured with the press, offering Renton a refill. Renton presented his mug to be topped off.

“You two seem to be getting along very well.” Owen observed, returning back to his original inquiry as to Julianna's work. “I think that bodes well for your success with this particular client.” Owen jerked his head some at Renton, who beamed back at them both. A good boy on his best behavior.

“I know my resistance to it wasn't well-received but -- I was -- impressed with your advocacy over the name tag issue.” Owen paid Julianna a rare compliment. “I’m not the only one who noticed. I’ve heard they may be looking at you managing the image of the entire organization someday. We do have our reputational challenges that really demand an experienced handler.”

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 04-07-2019

Renton was making a very obvious and suggestive path up her bare leg. Her gaze bounced to him. Her ears stood at stout attention. Her tail unfurled from her lap and was waving behind her head. She didn't miss the expression he tried to hide.

"Well, there's no accounting for taste," Julianna quipped about Owen's saucy secretary. She caught herself rolling her eyes over another sip of her water. She took a moment to look over her shoulder for their waiter. How much longer until this awkward encounter was over?

Julianna was aware that she was the only one feeling awkward. Renton was quick to forgive Owen for his earlier behaviors. Owen was refilling coffee like a perfect god damn gentleman. Though it was completely incongruous with the things that kept falling out of his mouth. They did look very handsome while on their best behavior.

They hadn't even ordered food yet.

"Strictly professional. How admirable."

Somehow she had lost track of the conversation enough for her and Owen to speak over each other. She'd been praising him for not fucking his secretary. Simultaneous to him noting how well she and Renton were getting along.

They irony was not lost on her.

Julianna shut up.

Which was fine. Owen was content to talk. Which was strange, but not unwelcome.

"Renton is easy to get along with," she pointed out. It wasn't untrue. The man was handsome, and charming and eager to please when he wasn't being mischievous. "Besides, my job is mediation, more than management," she admitted. Nodding to the compliment she almost missed. “Most problems are solved with compromise. Especially when dealing with adults that are going to do what they want. You have to make it so they want the same thing as you.” She paused to look at Renton. “Which I know sounds manipulative, but I try to have everyone's best interest in mind.”

She didn't feel like Renton was a client anymore. Her motivation to make she he was doing well and taken care of was driven by something stronger, now. She watched him, looking pleased as punch that they were all getting along for this brief moment. "That would be a tremendous undertaking." Julianna knew Owen wasn't bloviating about his inside knowledge. She knew his relation to the commander. "I would be honored to be considered."

Diplomatic as ever.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 04-08-2019

Renton let his foot fall away from Julianna’s leg as the other two began talking about her job managing him. He sighed to himself. The only sign of it was the billowing of steam away from his mug as he brought it back towards his mouth. He wasn’t complaining, per se, he just didn’t like to be reminded of his need to be managed.

As if summoned by Julianna’s thoughts, the waitress breezed up to their table and put her hands on her hips. “I thought you’d walked out on me, Mr. Hart.” She addressed Owen, using his name with a familiar and flirty manner.

“I would never. I just came to keep these two in line.”

The waitress gave Owen a breathy laugh for his joke and turned to take orders. Once the waitress had floated away again, Owen returned back to the topic they’d been discussing: Julianna’s future. Now that he was cooled off and clear headed he found his curiosity about her peaking again.

“And if they don’t need your services to manage our reputation, I’m sure you would make a talented special agent.” He had mentioned it earlier and it was no less true now that the heat of the moment had dissipated. “I could certainly use someone like you on one of my teams.”

Renton felt an irrational stab of jealousy though he knew it was highly unlikely that Owen could poach Julianna for some crazy tactical team.

“Where did you learn that killer right hook, anyway?” Owen asked smirking at her. He seemed proud that she had hit him so hard.

“Surprised a woman can punch?” Renton prodded gently.

“I’m surprised when I see anyone hitting like a professional.” Owen countered seemingly not appreciative of Renton's insinuation that Owen was being gauche. “But look at the size of her. Yes I was surprised!" He gestured at Julianna as definitive proof that his surprise was warranted. "You’re obviously practiced.” He said turning to her and cocking his head some, “Am I wrong?”

The talk about punches served as a reminder to Renton of his most recent punch to the face. Idly, he pressed his ring finger along his cheek bone. It wasn’t so tender anymore. He wondered how obvious the resolving bruise below his eye was. He should have had Julianna dab a little concealer on it. Though she might not have had anything that would have matched him in her makeup bag.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 05-09-2019

The waitress finally appeared but she did nothing to ease the tension Julianna felt. It was self-inflicted, she was leaning to hard away from trying to have a pleasant interaction with Owen. Silver ears dropped to the side of her head as she watched Owen talk to the server. She was convinced that this man could not be the grumpy general she had come to know. Was he smiling? Flirting? She was having a difficult time adjusting to this new attitude.

She ordered an egg white omelet without thinking about it because she realized she had never actually looked at the menu. "Do you come here often," she heard herself asking. He was right in front of her but she couldn't picture him frequenting the chic cafe.

Renton stopped touching her and she knew it was because they were talking about him. She glanced at him. The bottom half of his face was hidden by the coffee mug, but she could tell he was perturbed. Her eyes didn't linger because she didn't want to be obvious about the surreptitious game they had been playing under the table. If not for Owen, she would have reached across the table for his hand, but she hesitated in the general's company, even though she was sure he had been making comments about their personal relationship earlier.

"Oh absolutely not." Her ears popped to attention. "I would make a terrible field agent." She laughed, it sounded nervous. Her tail fell out of her lap barely brushing Owen's leg as it dropped towards the ground to sway idly. "I don't think I could handle the pressure. I am much better in an office."

She smiled at Renton because for a moment he looked pouting. She wanted him to know that she wasn't going to leave him.

"I have an older brother in the military," she offered as an explanation for her surprise punch. "He wanted me to know how to defend myself and so on. I humored him, mostly. I've never really imagined myself getting into any kind of danger, but it's useful I guess." She grinned at Owen, since the punch had been so effective for shutting him up.

Her gaze once again bounced to Renton. "Maybe next time you can throw Renton around a little bit," she said, teasing them both.

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 05-27-2019


The charming smile Owen had given to the waitress was briefly redirected to Julianna. Pale blue eyes shone with the good mood that bubbled up from inside him. “I do yes. I suppose you could call me a regular.”

Her tail as it brushed his leg drew his gaze that way. He watched the furred appendage sway next to the leg of her chair before raising his eyes to hers again.

Owen's brows lifted and he nodded as Julianna confirmed his suspicions that she had some previous personal defense knowledge. “Well he obviously cares for you giving you a few pointers to keep you safe in the off chance you need it.”

Renton sat up straighter and smiled somewhat bashfully at Julianna's suggestion.

Owen smirked, “I mean I'm always down to throw someone around. I guess The question is with or without clothes?”

Renton sputtered into his coffee and glanced helplessly at Julianna. He regained himself with a giggle.

Owen shook his head. “That's alright I'll let you check with her first.”

Renton's mouth fell open and he glanced at Julianna again. There was a blush forming across his cheeks. He was at a loss.

“I'm kidding.” Owen turned to Julianna again. “So your brother. What branch?”

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 05-28-2019

The mild mid-autumnal weather suddenly felt sweltering. Julianna's face felt hot and she knew an uncontrollable redness was spreading over her features. She didn't know she was such a sucker for charming smiles until she had met the two men she currently shared a table with. That flash of perfect teeth was something she never expected to see from the Brigadier General. She thought they didn't get along, but the way he was looking at her now made it seem as if they had never been anything less than pleasant acquaintances.

She knew his tail had touched him. They both looked down and then back at each other. "He's pretty typical over-protective manly man," she joked. "I guess he just figured if he can't beat up my shitty boyfriends anymore he'd teach me how to do it."

Julianna's deliberate changed of subject had worked, and Renton was now in the general's sights. Owen was still feeling frisky and his company was still recovering from his good mood when he dropped a suggestive line on them. Renton sputtered and Julianna's eyes widened. Ren giggled and a grin split her features at that nervous breathy noise. For a moment, she was shocked into silence and Renton was looking to her for help, but she had nothing to offer him.

"Renton knows what he can handle," she heard herself saying in a gleeful tone. Almost as if she was having an out of body experience. "And I know how to share."

She suspected his most certainly was not joking.

"Elliot is a marine."

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - saronym - 07-12-2019

A smooth grin spread over Renton’s face, and he petted his tie like a preening bird. “There’s plenty of me to go around, of course.” Mischievous baby blues flicked to Julianna first, then to Owen.


Owen leaned back in his chair seemingly satisfied with the flirtatious repartee. “I’ll take that under advisement, agent.” He eased himself out of the sexual innuendo and back into the more tame conversation that centered on Julianna’s biography.

“A Marine? Tough guy. Tell him if he wants to make some real money, the CAF is always looking to poach.”

The conversation was disrupted with the arrival of their orders. Owen’s was an elegantly plated eggs benedict.

“That’s dessert.” Owen remarked as Renton drizzled syrup over his order of French Toast.

Renton snapped his napkin sassily at Owen before spreading it over his legs. “Don't you even start, I've seen you ordering cake pops for breakfast at the cafe.”

"You spend way too much time hanging around the cafe, taking notes on what I'm ordering, and not working."

Renton scoffed playfully. "You like the attention. And anyways, what are they going to do fire me?"

Owen paused as he cut into his food. He pointed his knife at Renton and looked at Julianna. "You have your work set out."

RE: Public Relations [Closed] - megs - 08-04-2019

Julianna was more than aware how her work was set out for her. She smiled pleasantly at the men, feeding fluffy bites of omelette to her mouth to avoid continuing a conversation. They were content to eat and entertain themselves.

Later in the day, long after they'd left brunch and Owen, and when their respective duties were finished, Julianna was waiting for Renton in her car. It was creeping towards night, but she still had a pair of dark sunglasses on her face as she tracked the movement in the parking lot. She'd loathe to hear it, but she bore and uncanny resemblance to the grumpy general who had her so out of sorts with her sunglasses and her deep frown.

She was so lost in her head that she didn't notice Renton until he was opening the car door and sliding gracefully into the passenger seat. "Hey," she greeted simply, surfacing from her reverie and starting the car.

Julianna eventually took the sunglasses off as they drove into the city. It was getting to dark for them. Revealing her eyes turned her expression for cold and grumpy to something confused. Like she was puzzling out a particularly difficult problem.

'Let's play mini golf," she announced, suddenly, before Renton could think to ask what had her so worked up. There was an arcade-bar downtown with a mini golf course on the property that would serve her needs perfectly. She didn't want for Renton to agree before she was pulling into the parking lot. 'It helps me think."

Julianna paid for them to play one round on the 18-hole course. She chose a putter and a dark green golf ball. A synthy pop soundtrack played overhead as children and couples milled around them. Luckily it wasn't too crowded; it was a weeknight. Julianna's tail swayed back and forth behind her head. One of her ears had been stuck lopsided of the side of her head for some time now.

Suddenly, her ear popped up. Both standing at attention and swiveling towards Renton who was standing next to her trying to decide which color of golf ball he wanted. "Hey," she said again. Her ears pinned backwards, realizing how self-absorbed she had been. "How was the rest of your day?"