A rose by any other name...[M]{DamoniquexBrokecollege}

[Damonique]

When Delphine thanked him for his kindness towards her family, her eyes threatening to tear up as she gripped his hand tightly of her own accord, trying to express how much it meant to her, Darien couldn't help but smile the most genuine smile she had seen him wear. She had made him grin before, and he often wore the easy, 'fake' smile he so often used to disguise his true emotions, but this....this was real, and radiant, lips peeling back to straightest, whitest teeth that money could buy, contrasting against his deeply tanned skin and midnight-black hair.

He knew, somewhere deep down, that this was nothing to be proud of, that manipulating Delphine's emotions just so to achieve his desired results was at best opportunistic and at worst...well, much worse. But he couldn't help but bask in her approval and relish the opportunity to for once do something truly positive with his position. Yes, he had his charities and benefits, but those were as much a tax scheme and elaborate show for the public as they were a genuine noble act. One of the most important rules for a man in his line of work was to be loved by the masses...after all, they would be the ones sitting on your jury.

His answers concerning her store seemed to come as both relief and joy to the redhead as well, with unrestrained excitement at the prospect of hiring staff and running it in her own right without the weight of bills and debts hanging over her head. Delphine's thanks, her approval, her smile, then, was something else entirely, seeming to brighten the world around them simply by being. When they entered the resturant, despite having eaten here a thousand times before, through Delphine he could see it through her wide green eyes, curious and fascinated at the wonder and novelty of it all.

When they reached their table, Darien showed the same customary, old-fashioned courtesy he had before when they had gotten in his car, sliding back her seat for her and waiting for her to take it before moving to his own, and then finally removed his dark sunglasses to let her see his eyes. They were calm, hopeful, and the deepest blue, unmarred by the usual clouds of grey that hung over both they and himself.

As she pored over the menu, which was, thankfully, printed in English on the reverse side rather than just Italian, with descriptions of the dishes she surely could not pronounce, he busied himself uncorking the bottle and pouring them each a glass of the deep pink vintage rose' that the staff knew he favored early in the day, and offered Delphine her own with a flourish.

[brokecollege]

Delphine accepted the glass that was offered to her with a quiet 'thank you,' but out of habit, she didn't drink it. She set the glass of wine aside and picked up the menu. She first glanced over the Italian version of it, before flipping it over to examine the English side. Though, the English translation read just as foreign as the Italian. Each dish that she read was fancier than the last, with each having a dozen different fancy and unfamiliar ingredients.

After she had thoroughly studied the menu, Delphine set it down onto the table and turned her focus towards the floral arrangement in the center of the table. It was a beautiful arrangement, one that had been perfected by an experienced hand. She wondered if it came from the flower shop that they had passed by earlier--the one with the beautiful displays and pretty employee.

The young redhead smiled and reached forward, her fingertips grazing against the red petal of a tulip. "True love," Delphine hummed as she caressed the underside of the flower. "Red tulips symbolize true love. And daffodils--" her fingers moved across the arrangement to touch the yellow petals of a daffodil. "--they symbolize new beginnings." How fitting, that an arrangement between them would include a flower perfectly describing their situation. A new beginning.

"When I was younger, I had a friend who was always over at the shop. And she knew everything about flowers. I could point to any flower in the shop, and without batting an eye, she could tell me the name, the meaning of it, and its history. I think she was the one person in the world who loved flowers even more than my parents." she smiled. Sometimes, she and Delilah would just spend hours doing that.

Delphine would bring the random flowers that she found, and Delilah would sit them down in front of her and tell the redhead everything she knew about them. She pulled her hand back from the arrangement and set it down in her lap. "Everything that I know is thanks to her. She got married a few years ago, though, so I haven't seen her lately. Talking about her now makes me want to call her." she admitted.

[Damonique]

Darien drank his wine like a true cognizant, swirling it in his glass first, breathing deeply of the scent, and then taking one small sip to test it's flavor before nodding in approval and drinking more deeply. He did this both our of habit, the courtesies that had been drilled into him since childhood, and also for his own sake. The smell, the flavor, the texture....each sensation affected his others, courtesy of his miswired mind, turning even such a simple act into an experience in and of itself.

While he carried out this ritual, Delphine began to speak, leaving her own glass untouched and instead turning her attentions to the floral arrangement that decorated their table, studying each flower in turn and delving into it's meanings. Red tulips meant true love...yellow daffodils, new beginnings. Darien nodded along...enraptured. He knew these meanings by heart, and they were why this specific arrangement always adorned his table, replaced whenever even a single petal began to wilt. There was also a thorned rose hidden among the other flowers...representing loss.

And then the topic changed...for Delphine, it was just making a conversation as she discussed the dear friend she once knew who had taught her so much...an older girl with deep crimson ringlets, deep green eyes, and sun-kissed skin dotted with freckles. Who knew everything about flowers, wrote poetry, and had big hopes and dreams. Delilah. Darien went silent, heart pounding, nearly unable to breathe.

He knew...the second he laid eyes on Delphine and discovered who she was, Ms. Louise's daughter, the little sister Delilah never had, working the same job, half-raised by the same woman. The two were like twin souls, one walking in the other's footsteps. Footsteps that had brought her here....with more than a little help from Darien himself. And so she went on, surprising him twice. First that she had known of their engagement, as he knew Delilah had kept their relationship secret from almost everyone, for fear of what her family might think.

But thinking back to those days, before his happiness had turned to ash in his hands, those small words 'I do' into bile in his throat...she could hardly contain her excitement, and if there was anyone it was safe to share her happy news with, it would be the young girl she once worked with at the flower shop, naive, excitable, and harmless. But the call had never been followed up, just as a wedding had never followed their engagement...Delphine didn't even know her friend had been dead for years.

Darien was too caught up in his own whirling thoughts to respond, and the silence dragged on between them until he was saved by man approaching their table. He was large, older gentleman, thick of neck and waist, with a balding head and an oiled black mustache, who greeted Darien with a jovial slap on the back and a hearty laugh, followed by a burst of Italian, seeming not to notice the tension between them. That introduction finished, the man then turned to Delphine, offering his hand and switching to English.

"Madame, I am Amedeo Calzotta...proprietor of this establishment, which I hope you find to your liking. I see you've hardly touched your wine...it's a fine vintage, light on the tongue, chilled to keep you cool in such a fine spring day. But if you'd rather something else...champagne perhaps, water...even soda, simply ask." He expressed in the most accommodating of tones, and snapped his fingers twice, bringing forward two servers that waited behind him, each one carrying a silver platter. One contained a small, carefully-arranged salad of vegetables and local greens, which was set before Delphine, the other a plate of fresh-baked bread and a variety of fine cheeses, which was set between them. The servers retreated, but the chef stayed, waiting for either thanks or permission to leave from Darien.

"No need for such formality, Amadeo. This is Delphine, a dear friend I've gotten to know over the last few weeks and decided to show the sights. Delphine, Amadeo here is a close friend of my family from the old country, I enticed him to come open a resturant here a few years ago to remind these americian pretenders what real Sicilian cooking tastes like." Darien finally found his voice to say, introducing the two in an easy tone, hoping the prior subject might be forgotten in the distraction.

[brokecollege]

Before their conversation could continue, the pair were interrupted by a jovial old man. He greeted Darien with a slap on the back, a hearty laugh, and then a burst of Italian. Then, he turned to Delphine and, in English, introduced himself. He was Amedeo Calzotta, the owner of the restaurant. However, before Delphine could introduce herself, the older man turned his attention towards her untouched wine.

Delphine shook her head in protest and, with a friendly smile, picked up the glass and took a sip from it. How long had it been since she had even a sip of wine? Years. But, drinking it felt nice. She took another sip before setting the glass back down onto the table, "Oh, no, the wine is just as lovely as everything else in your restaurant. I've just been so caught up in my conversation.." she explained.

Well, she had been avoiding the alcohol out of habit. But, he didn't need to know that. The owner of the restaurant snapped his fingers, and two servers stepped forward carrying shiny silver platters. As soon as the dishes were placed down in front of them, the servers retreated to the kitchen. Delphine watched after them for a moment before she turned her attention to the dishes in front of her. They were simple dishes--salad, cheese, and bread--and yet they still seemed to fancy.

When Darien spoke, Delphine tore her gaze from the food to look at him, and then at the owner. She smiled. "It's very lovely to meet you, Mr. Calzotta. Your restaurant is by far the most beautiful one I've ever been to. I'll have to make it a habit to come here." she hummed.

[Damonique]

Amadeo seemed thrilled by the redheads reaction, thanking her profusely for the compliment, and Darien seized the opportunity to respectfully send the man on his way, and he acceded, promising to return when they wee ready to order and leaving them to their privacy, taking the small hint from Delphine that they were still in the midst of a conversation...the subject of which he was desperate to change.

Even though she reminded him of Delilah each and every time they spoke, sometimes by her words and habits, others by simply being someone he could project his desires upon, this was the first time she had spoken of her in such detail....and it was both sweet and painful for him to hear how much the younger woman had respected her, and still thought her alive somewhere, happily married. Another reminder what could have been, but now could never be. Darien knew it would come out eventually, but he wasn't ready yet. He hadn't spoken her name aloud in years...except just the once, in a whisper, when first he saw Delphine stop out of the back room of her mother's shop the day they met.

And even if he were able to tell her the truth, it would put a pall over whatever hope Delphine was beginning to feel for their arrangement to work. Darien knew well enough that no girl wanted to be second-best in their lovers mind to another, even if the other was long gone, to know that every time he looked at her with affection, or delight, or lust that he was only seeing a pale imitation of his true love. She couldn't know, not yet. So he returned to something he could speak of, and would surely pique her curiosity enough to leave thoughts of Delilah on the wayside. What the future he imagined entailed for her...

"Now that we've settled on what I mean to do for you. Seeing to your mother's treatment, securing the future of Louise's Garden, and seeing you own finances...we can discuss something else, more personal. What you mean to do for me in return...." He trailed off, his hand crossing the table to rest upon her own, gently, a reminder that their arrangement had as much to do with the heart as it did money.

He didn't expect her to truly love him, not yet, if ever....but he did want her to feel something for him, some favor or affection, perhaps even desire. Anything more than duty alone to form the foundation of whatever was to come. So he would be accommodating, at least for now until she became used to their...unique situation.

[brokecollege]

A few more words were exchanged between the trio Darien eventually sent the man on his way. Once the two were alone, Darien turned towards Delphine and, after mentioning all that they had discussed on their way to the restaurant, placed a gentle hand upon her own. Her turn. Delphine sucked in a nervous breath but nodded her head in agreement. He had done his part, and now she must do the same.

The thing was, she did not know how to do that. He had given her a vague idea of what he wanted--a perfect relationship without mistakes and uncertainty. But how was she to do that? Was she to set a schedule for this relationship--like when they would meet, where they would meet, what they would do when they meet. Or, was he to do all the planning and she was just to follow it? Or, was there to be no planning at all?

"I swore to you that, if you saved my shop, I would do whatever it is you wanted of me. And you told me that you wanted a perfect relationship without any mistakes. So, I will try my best to do that for you. Whatever you want, Darien, I will do. If you want to go to lunch, or on a date, or if you want me to.." her cheeks brightened, but she continued, "..if you want me to spend the night, then I will. You just tell me what I need to do to make this relationship up to your expectations, and I will do my best to meet them."

[Damonique]

Darien listened, sipping his wine casually as Delphine struggled to lay out her idea of what she thought he wanted from her, politely and calmly, accommodating as always, placing his needs above her own wants and wishes as she spoke of performing up to his expectations. After all, what else could she do after all he had done for her and all she had agreed to? He also couldn't help but detect the note of apprehension in her voice and the flush of embarrassment that filled her cheeks as she quickly skimmed over the more...intimate activities but had been suggested but never properly spelled out.

Flustered was always such a cute look on Delphine...the picture of innocence, reminding him how inexperienced in life she truly was, owing to not only her age, but her fairly sheltered life so far. Being forced to return home so early instead of continuing at college as she planned had forced the redhead to mature more than most in some aspects of her life and behind in others.

Few twenty-two year olds knew enough to apply for their own credit card, much less run an entire business by themselves, or understand what it meant to have a real, full-time job on which one's life depended. But Delphine did....and had done quite well at it, fer financial situation more an extended run of bad luck and a deck stacked against her than by any fault of her own. This he respected without question, and only made her a more appealing choice of partner in the complicated life he led.

But on the other hand, she still carried a wide-eyed idealism and sense of wonderment about the world outside of the home and shop that held the only daily routine she had ever known. Romance and heartbreak were she heard and read about while life passed her by, inhabiting the real of daydreams and fantasies untouched by reality, and her perception of relationships was skewed by having never truly experienced one. It left her pristine, a blank slate unburdened by ideas of 'normalcy'. Able to be taught, and eager to learn. Perfect for what his selfish, irrational desires wanted, no, needed her to be. He waited a moment, collecting his thoughts, before finally answering her.

"You catch on quick...but I never asked for a relationship without any mistakes. You will make mistakes, especially early on. But we'll handle them with a set of rules, agreements, compromises. Just because our arrangement is unequal, that doesn't mean it has to be entirely unfair. I'm not the easiest man to deal with, my life is more complicated than most could imagine...it's better for us both if you know what you're getting into up-front. So we'll talk, we'll negotiate, and we'll agree." He answered in his usual exact, precise, and businesslike manner....it wasn't unkind, but it was adamant. Over a decade of giving orders had honed that edge and left little room for compromises except when absolutely necessary. He'd give Delphine enough lee-way to calm her worst fears and allow her some small victories, but she would have to be careful not to overstep. And then he delved right into it.

"First come the simple things, most of which you already mentioned. I'm a busy man, there's only so much time to do everything in, and as much as I'd like to, I can't devote it all to you....so when I can, I will. I'll call you, and you'll make yourself free...sometimes on short notice. Usually I'll come for you, sometimes I'll send a car. Often it will be for pleasure, sometimes business. I'm often required to attend events, galas, benefits, dinner parties, the like, and find myself in need of female companionship. I have a few....friends, and a service, that usually provides for that, but I wouldn't disrespect you so now that we are...insieme." He explained with few pauses for clarification, and seemed almost about to continue before stopping himself and tilting his head inquisitively to hear out Delphine's thoughts.

[brokecollege]

Delphine would make mistakes, Darien corrected. She would make mistakes, but together they could handle them with agreements, compromises, and rules. Their relationship was unequal, he said, but that did not mean it had to be unfair. Delphine nodded her head in understanding. There was a brief moment of silence between them before Darien continued, though this time to explain what he expected from Delphine.

Darien was a busy man who had very little time for anything, but once he did have the time, he would call Delphine for company. And she was, of course, expected to make herself free--even if it was on short notice. She nodded her head again. He then explained that while normally he would come for her, there would also be times he would have to send for her.

Sometimes, it would be for pleasure. Other times, it would be for business. Business? So, she was supposed to attend the fancy galas and benefits with him? But, wouldn't that be embarrassing for him, seeing as how Delphine was... well, lacking in etiquette and class? However, she did not bring that to his attention. He added that while he usually would call on some women "friends" for such business events, he wouldn't do so during the duration of their arrangement.

"I understand," she stated with a nod of her head. So far, everything sounded pretty easy. All she had to do was come when he called and, in the event that she had to attend some fancy get-together, try not to make a fool of herself or of Darien. And then, when it came to pleasure, she had to... she felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. "I want to apologize." she quickly added.

"Before we go any further, I mean. I don't... well, I don't have much experience in terms of boys or relationships, or anything other than flowers really." she explained, "But I'll do my best to learn. And not embarrass you."

[Damonique]

Delphine, as expected, took his initial demands in stride. Why wouldn't she? The majority of what he required of her for now was less than what many men demanded of their girlfriends, but that was intentional. For one, he wanted to keep her comfortable, and open-minded as their dance began...and so that would mean obscuring certain parts of his life and activities from her view until she began to understand the demands of his life and her own place in it.

And then, for the umpteenth time, she apologized for her inexperience, not seeming to grasp that it was among the qualities that made her so singularly suited to become the object of his affections. Darien tightened the grip of his hand over her own reassuringly, and looked intensely into her eyes and seeing the self-doubt and nervousness there, and smiled.

"Delphine, don't apologize. I chose you, for me, and it wasn't a choice I made lightly. Today may seem to you like one long coincidence, but it wasn't. I knew already that you would need my help, and was just waiting for you to be ready to accept it. Instead of worrying about every little detail, you just have to pay attention, keep an open mind, and trust me." He answered with an resolve that brooked no arguments, that told how much confidence he had in her...or at least in himself for choosing her. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and placed it on her menu, pointing to a particular dish.

"Order that. It's tasteful, light, and suitable for a more...reserved palate. Don't let the name fool you, it's essentially just seasoned chicken with the Sicilian flair." He stated, masterfully changing the subject and putting an end to Delphine's half-hearted quest to find something familiar on the expansive menu.

[brokecollege]

Darien's grip over her hand tightened reassuringly before he, with a firm voice, told Delphine not to apologize. He chose her, and not just on a whim. Though, Delphine honestly had trouble seeing that to be true. Darien was just so... and she was not. But he insisted that he hadn't chosen her lightly, and that if she paid attention and trusted him then all would be well. Delphine nodded her head as she released a breath. Pay attention and trust him.

Sounds easy enough. Darien then withdrew his hand from over Delphine's to point to a name on her menu. She should choose that dish--despite the name, it was a simple dish that was perfect for a reserved palate. The young redhead glanced down at the menu, before turning her attention back towards Darien. Was her inability to decipher the menu that obvious?

She bit down on the inside of her cheek. How embarrassing! "Thank you," she murmured. When a waiter appeared beside their table a minute or two later, Delphine went right ahead and ordered the dish Darien had suggested. She then handed the menu the waiter and leaned back into her chair, allowing for Darien to make his order.

After the waiter took both of their orders and disappeared, Delphine leaned forward to toy with the wine glass in front of her. "Before, you told me that you wanted to be an artist." she stated suddenly, "Do you still partake in art as a hobby?"