Chapter Text
Professor Emmrich Volkarin isn't at this nice hotel bar to meet anyone. If anything, he's hoping not to talk to anyone. After a long day of speaking and meeting strangers at the Necromantic Arts Conference, he just wants a drink and peace and quiet.
Rook Ingellvar is at this nice hotel bar to meet someone. If anything, Neve's bachelorette party is the perfect place to not feel so alone. With Neve and Bellara already in bed watching a movie, Rook figured it's a perfect time to try to get some action.
The bar was scattered with a handful of middle aged men sitting alone. Rook had seen signs for a conference around the hotel and assumed it was for something boring considering the attendees seem to be mostly older men. Luckily this is exactly what she wants. Rook knows from previous experience that older men don't often need much convincing to spend a night with her. Her decision of who to sit next to at the bar was made for her as only one of the men were sitting alone with more than one empty chair next to him in each direction. As she approached him she noticed his deep purple suit, which is an interesting choice considering every other man in the bar has a black or gray suit on. His salt and pepper hair was styled very deliberately and he had more than one gold bracelet and ring on. His style choices were so fascinating she thought that maybe she'd actually want to talk to him instead of immediately bringing him upstairs.
“Is this seat taken?” She pulled out the chair next to him and sat without waiting for an answer.
He looked up as if he had previously been lost in thought and was shocked there was suddenly a woman next to him. He glanced around the bar for a moment to check and see if maybe the bar was packed and there was nowhere else for her to sit. But that wasn't the case, there were many open seats, he was confused as to why someone would sit right next to him given the options.
She was smiling at him, apparently still waiting for an answer even though she had already sat down.
“Not at all. You're welcome to it.” He would never be rude to anyone in this situation, but it was only after he said it that he truly looked at her. She was objectively stunning, with long straight dark red hair that reached her lower back, golden eyes, and a little black dress that hugged her plump curves tightly.
“Are you here for the conference?” He was not expecting her to start up a conversation with him, but since she did he can now assume she sat here specifically to talk to him.
“Yes. Professor Emmrich Volkarin.” He held out his hand as that was the polite thing to do when meeting someone knew.
“Rook Ingellvar. What are you drinking?” She thought it was very cute that he wanted to shake hands and exchange full names.
She caught the eye of the bartender, who was now on their way over to her. Before Emmrich could tell her about the Antivan red he was drinking, she pointed at his drink and then signed for two from the bartender.
The bartender placed the two glasses of red drink in front of them and walked off. Rook picked up her class and held it up to him.
“Cheers. To meeting new people.” She smiled and waited for him to match her gesture. He was so put together and handsome she was already wondering what he would be like in bed. He lifted up the glass of wine he had been nursing and repeated her words. He was still a bit confused as to why she was talking to him at all.
“Mmhhmm. That's a nice Antivan red, the vineyard must be near Rialto, right?” Emmrich was not expecting her to know her wines like that. She is becoming a puzzle he desperately wants to solve.
“Yes! You can taste the ocean air, can you not?”
“Yes, and the oranges! I love a handsome man that knows their wine. What else are you knowledgeable about?” Rook is flirting hard, she knows what she wants. She leaned in closer to him, elbow on the bar, head in her hand, and a sly smile on her lips as she crossed one leg on top of the other to draw his eyeline to her exposed thighs.
Emmrich's eyes did indeed sweep over her thick legs at the movement. He cleared his throat, trying not to think about her soft legs opening and closing. The way this young woman was batting her eyelashes at him made him fully understand what she was doing, even if he had no idea why she was doing it.
“Uh… I teach theoretical and applied metaphysics.” He's trying to stay professional, a gentleman, but she looks like she wants to devour him.
“Oh! That's what I studied!” Rook sat up, demeanor completely changed. Her intuition about wanting to talk to him instead of immediately bringing him upstairs was spot on. She doesn't believe in coincidence, this must be fate, she thinks.
“Really?!” Emmrich is so shocked and excited that such a lovely woman is interested in the same topics as himself.
“Yeah, I did my final thesis on the convergence and variance between spirits and wisps. Wait! Emmrich Volkarin! I read your book on wisps a few years ago! What was it called again?” Rook had completely forgotten about the idea of sex tonight. She's too excited to finally talk to someone that knows what the hell she's talking about when she tries to tell people about her studies.
“The Dawn of Consciousness: An Exploration Of the Nature of the Wisp! How wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it.”
“Yes! Of course! It was brilliant! How did you become such a wisp expert?”
Emmrich explained about his friendship with a wisp he had named Manfred and how in studying the wisp of curiosity he was able to understand more about the subject than most.
He and Rook continued talking on the subject until they were the only ones left in the bar. The bartender asked them if they wanted a final drink before they closed up.
Rook looked around the empty bar and remembered why she had come here originally. She looked back at Emmrich and thought about how now she really does want to have sex with him, but she also wants to stay up all night talking with him. She told the bartender they wouldn't need anything else before she proceeded to finish what she started.
“Would you like to continue this conversation in my room? I'm sure there's still something left in the mini bar.” She coyly smiled at him, hoping to entice him upstairs.
Emmrich was taken aback by her invitation. He had forgotten how the evening with her had started and had never been the kind of man to have a one night stand. He did wish to continue conversing with her, but he wished to formally romance her before they ever shared a bed.
“Unfortunately I have an early morning, more lectures at the conference. But I would love to continue our conversation. May I acquire your phone number so we can resume this at another date?” Why was he suddenly nervous?
“Sure. Do you have a pen?” Rook couldn't remember the last time someone asked her for her number. It made her want him even more. He retrieved a pen from his briefcase and she wrote her name and number on a bar napkin. Just like in the movies, she thought.
They walked silently together toward the hotel elevators, both lost in thought about the other. They pressed their respective floor numbers and stood next to each other in the elevator, arms just almost touching. Rook couldn't stop picturing what she wanted to do to him in this enclosed space. She pictured pushing him up against the wall and having a make out session with him while she grinded her hips on his, leaving him with a lasting impression (and hard on) of her.
Emmrich's mind ran through the possible ways he could say goodbye to her. He thought about kissing her hand, but that was a bit too old fashioned. He thought about a kiss on the cheek, but that seemed a bit too intimate. He thought about pushing her up against the wall and ravishing her lips and her neck, his hands grabbing at her wide hips and her full ass. The ding of the elevator arriving at her floor made him realize he never decided on a proper way to say goodbye to her.
She turned to him as the doors opened, an expectant look on her face. He looked down at her and panicked.
“Goodnight.” He said as he took a step farther back into the elevator, away from her. His mind yelled at him for being stupid and ruining an incredible night as she gave him a confused then disappointed look.
“Goodnight.” She stepped out of the elevator but turned to face him when she was in the hallway. She smiled and wiggled her fingers in a goodbye motion to him as the doors closed.
He was so thankful she hadn't just walked away, it left him with hope that maybe she will want to speak to him again.
Rook was giddy when she laid down for bed. She laid there thinking about Emmrich and realized she had such a big crush on him that she was probably about to spend so many nights thinking about him. She wondered if he really would contact her to see her again. She wondered what they would do next time they were together. Would he take her on a date or maybe he just wants to talk wisps and keep it professional. Someone as brilliant and tenured as him probably wouldn't even consider dating her, he probably just sees her as a student to teach and that's why he turned her down for the night and just asked for her number as a courtesy. He is a professor at the same university she studied at, even if she's post grad, he still probably finds it really inappropriate and is probably appalled at her age and the way she was coming on to him, she thought.
PING. Her phone lit up.
Could Neve or Bellara still be awake? Are they checking up on her? She looked at the new text.
I enjoyed meeting you tonight. I look forward to our next convergence.
EV
Rook's train of thought goes wild: Oh. My. Gods. I can't believe he already texted me. That definitely means he's thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him. It wouldn't be very professional to text this late so he must not want us to only have a professional relationship. And he used the word convergence, the same word I told him is what my thesis is about, he remembered. Oh, no, what am I going to say back? I can't just say ‘me too’. I want to flirt, but I don't want to be over the top, but I want him to keep thinking about me. Her mind ran a million miles a minute.
Emmrich was pleased with his text to Rook. He knew he didn't want her last impression of him that night to be that terrible elevator goodbye. It might have taken him almost an hour to craft the simple two sentences, but he thought it encapsulated everything he wanted to say to her. That he's still thinking about her, that he is genuinely interested in her, and that he wants to see her again, soon.
He set his phone down and looked at the clock in the room and groaned, he only has four hours until he has to wake up for the conference.
PING. His phone lit up.
He thought about leaving it until morning and trying to sleep, but his brain wouldn't shut off about what Rook might have replied to him. He couldn't sleep, his thoughts were only of her and that text, so he picked up his phone and checked it.
As do I. Don't keep me waiting too long.
xoxo RI
Rook was still holding her phone in anticipation to see if Emmrich would keep texting her. Luckily he's not the type to disappoint. A text comes back quickly.
I wouldn't dream of it.
Rook impulsively replied. She knows she should probably have just left it at that and gone to bed. But she couldn't help herself. Laying in bed thinking of Emmrich laying in bed was making her say stupid things.
What would you dream of doing?
Emmrich saw her quick reply and panicked. This is bordering on the possibility of becoming sexual. What else could she possibly mean? He can't possibly type out sexual things to a woman, he could barely say things like that out loud. But not replying would be rude and hurt her feelings. Luckily, a gentleman knows how to keep it romantic.
I would dream of your smile as you laugh. I would dream of how your golden eyes shine as they gaze into mine. I would dream of your soft fingers as they dare to lightly sweep over mine.
Rook stared and stared at the text. Holy shit that was not what she was expecting. She was trying to start sexting with him, so why does this feel better? Is it too much? Rook wished Neve or Bellara were up so she could get their opinions. She can't wait to show it to them tomorrow. But, Maker's Breath, how is she supposed to reply to this poem?
Well that text is definitely what I'm going to be dreaming about. xx
Emmrich wished he didn't have to work tomorrow so he could stay up texting her all night. There's always tomorrow night, he thought.
Goodnight Rook, sleep well.
Rook was very excited to fall asleep now, because then the next thing she knows it's tomorrow, and tomorrow she can talk to Emmrich again.
Goodnight, Emmrich.
Rook woke the next morning to Neve and Bellara opening the door that connects their rooms.
“Wake up Rook! We want to get breakfast!” Bellara was very loud as she woke up Rook.
“Did you end up having fun last night?” Neve asked her as she sat up in bed.
Rook blushed and reached for her phone.
“Oh, so you did have fun. What was their name?”
“His name is Emmrich and he didn't come upstairs but I gave him my number and he immediately texted me. Look at this!” Rook shoved her phone in Neve's face.
Bellara ran over and sat next to Neve as the two of them read the texts from last night.
“Wow! He sounds so romantic!” Bellara was wistful as she spoke, she was always such a romantic.
“Convergence?” Neve asked skeptically.
“It's like an inside joke.” Rook blushed again.
“And you just met him last night? He sounds intense. Just remember to take it slow.” Neve is always so cautious, how she managed to let her guard down enough to get engaged is beyond Rook's knowledge.
“Yeah, okay.” Rook isn't going to let Neve ruin this for her. Meeting Emmrich last night was kismet and Rook isn't going to let that go easily.