Post by Scarlet Rose Harris on Feb 23, 2012 15:35:52 GMT -5
Scarlet maneuvered her way through the Empire lobby and looked down at her phone, sending Logan a quick text message that she would be home as soon as she could. Home. How weird was that? Her home was with Logan. Scarlet took in a deep breath and looked up, reminding herself that it always technically had been. They were just giving themselves a fair shot now. She walked into the back room where she saw the brunch set up at the table alongside her stepmother, her father and…. Riley? Scarlet broke into a bright smile and walked over to Riley as he stood from the table and hugged him tightly. “ Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?” she asked enthusiastically as her long arms wrapped around him. “ Well I was calling your father to discuss a bit of business and he invited me along for brunch” he said loudly with a cordial smile to Mr. Harris before he leaned into her ear as she hugged him, ‘ I thought you might want someone on your side’ he said as he placed his hand against her lower back. Scarlet smiled in appreciation and laughed quietly. “ Knight in shining armor.. Mackenzie is a lucky one” she said as she leaned away from the hug and walked over to her seat as Riley pulled it out for her. ‘ Yes, we were just congratulating Riley on his engagement to Miss Bannon. Quite an accomplishment.. such a pristine young woman, and part of such an established family,” her father noted, looking at Riley as though he was proud. “ Yeah and she’s awesome with a beer bong,” Scarlet said dryly as she crossed her legs and sat back in her chair, offering a polite smile to her stepmother as a stunned expression crossed her face. The laughter coming from Riley was charismatic, and seemed to loosen her parents up a bit as he spoke about his fiancé, ‘ Yes, Scarlet.. she is quite the host to a party.’ he said with a genuine smile before he lifted his own glass of champagne to his lips. Her father seemed to accept that way of phrasing Mackenzie’s teenage behavior. Scarlet was good at banquets, at events, talking to press, spinning what she wanted said that way. But not with her parents. She liked to push the envelope, make them uncomfortable. But Riley seemed to be able to do it so naturally it was like he was born with it. Him and Mackenzie really were made for one another. ‘ You know.. when all of you were kids I used to sit back and think of how some day you would run this country. Because let’s face it,… you will. You’re on your way right now. Riley started doing internships. Scarlet, you.. blossomed into who you are.. the media certainly takes to you anyways, they’re interested in your opinion. Or your.. private life.’ her father started off with a slight uncomfortable cough, ‘ But anyways, I always thought the power couple would be you and Riley. Riley sitting in my office someday, you on his arm serving as h-“ he continued before Scarlet cut in. “ His Jackie? I’m more of a Marilyn I’m afraid. Jackie was frigid.” she said, looking at Shannon before she smiled sweetly, “ She needed to get laid quite frankly. I’m a Marilyn.” she said , looking back at her father who was taking in a deep breath and sighing. ‘ My point is.. You kids are closer than you think to being the ones to run this town. Families like ours are essential. Riley and Mackenzie… I mean honestly.. that’s a marriage that they would have dreamed of back in royal times. And Scarlet after the hysteria about you and Logan dies down, well there’s just going to be no stopping you group of kids. You’re in every brink of importance in the world.. politics, entertainment, fashion, social media. You’re going to have a lot more pull and control than your parents did.” he said before he leaned forward to pick up his own glass of scotch. At eleven am. Scarlet puffed out her cheeks out of boredom. She was getting sick of his blue blood speeches.
Scarlet went to reach for her phone but paused as Shannon spoke up, ‘ Speaking of Logan, how is he doing? We saw the photos of you two at Serendipity.. that seems to be going very well,” she said and Scarlet looked at Riley cautiously before she looked back at her parents. She was always so careful of what information she gave them. Her father behaved as a politician first and foremost, and her father second. He would spin whatever she told him to make himself look good. “ It’s good actually.. he and I aren’t the same people we were growing up, so it’s nice that there is a sense of familiarity, but still finding new things to discover about him,” she said with honesty as she set her phone down on the table. ‘ He is currently working on a benefit concert for Joel Foster. I think it’s a non profit thing, for his fans. But donations are going to be accepted to be given to charities,” Riley said, seizing an opportunity to take the heat off of Scarlet. “ What happened to that Zach kid?” her father asked her, looking directly at her. Scarlet coughed beneath her breath and picked up a glass of champagne. “ He just wasn’t who I thought he was,” she said curtly, not wanting to go into it anymore than that. So what if there were people after her and that Zach was ‘protecting her by lying to her’. He lied to her. When she had been nothing but honest with him. ‘ And you didn’t want to give him a chance, he seemed so appropriate for you’ her father pressed, causing Scarlet to tilt her head back and down her glass of champagne. “ Why are you so impressed by someone without a college degree or a job?” she asked as she looked at her father. She certainly never looked at Zach that way, but it should be the way her father looked at him. He should look at him like he looked at every kid their age who wasn’t in college, who wasn’t being ‘ an asset to society’. So why was he so stuck on Zach? Why was Zach such a good option for her? ‘ I’m not saying I’m not thrilled about you and Logan, you know that’s something I’ve been waiting for, for quite a while now” her father explained, looking at her carefully. “ Then what are you saying?” she asked him, feeling herself become more and more defensive. ‘ Logan Renner has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now. He isn’t some boy in high school. He is established. Has a child. Is going through the publicity of a divorce… try to be a bit more…. I’ll say it in your words. ‘Jackie’ than ‘Marilyn’ with this media storm you have going. He’s a respectable man now, Scarlet. Don’t embarrass him.”. Scarlet tilted her head to the side and pushed her hair behind her ear. “ I’m sorry?” she questioned, but Riley was quick on her heels. ‘ Mr. Harris, if anything Scarlet has proven herself to be a media darling. She’s a political science major at Columbia, earns her grades but still maintains a social life. That alone shows her ability to juggle and is seen as a tremendous asset to Logan’s life right now. He needs someone that can juggle. And quite frankly as far as public image goes… maybe it’s not wrong for Logan to remind the public that he’s still a child. Maybe it’s not wrong for ….everyone..to sort of realize that we’re all still children,” he said, looking over at her father before he continued, ‘ Logan wouldn’t have someone around Kenzie that would be a bad image for her. And I think we can all agree that Blake Parker would never allow it, either,” he said through a small chuckle. ‘ The point is.. Logan is a powerful man. Extremely. He has contacts in every venue of the world, and he is an entertainment icon. But that’s the thing. He’s an entertainment icon. When the public thinks of what music they want to blast when they are out at the club, or on a roadtrip.. going through a break up, or just starting a romance, do they want someone that’s sitting in a desk with a partner who is.. frigid? They want someone that they can relate to, while at the same time lives a life that they can only dream of. We’re all fans of Blake Parker and Logan Renner together. They’re great for each other. They feed off of one another creatively for their work. But it’s in my opinion that at this junction in Logan’s life.. Scarlet is the best option for him. And he is the best option for her. You have an amazing daughter, Mr. Harris. It’s a shame that you are distracted by your own agenda to be able to appreciate that.” he said, setting his napkin down as he looked up at Scarlet, pushing his chair back in assumption that they would be leaving. ‘ You’re a political science major?” her father asked with a slight amount of surprise in his tone. She’d kept that hidden from him for quite some time now. Thanks, Riley. Scarlet placed her napkin down and licked her lips as she stood up from the table. “ Dad when I say I’m a Marilyn.. I’m not talk about the obsession with er wardrobe, the partying every night.. the long list of lovers…” she said, giving her head a small shake. “ I mean it is all of those things..” she licked the edge of her lips, but then took in a deep breath and sighed. “ She was also passionate. About everything. She made mistakes, she fell in love. She learned. And then she’d fall again, but at least she knew who was there that actually mattered. If there’s one thing I am.. whether I’m completely wrong, or doing the right thing for once in my life.. it’s passionate. I’m scared and I run away from things and it takes me a while.. but when I know what I want I dig my claws into it and I don’t let go. And she was amazing at getting what she wanted.. and being able to manipulate situations. You’re too stupid to realize that the entire time you’ve tried to puppet me along your career that I’ve been in the background manipulating almost every decision made in your private life. My major isn’t a homage to you. It’s because you’re right.. one day we will run this state, this country.. and I’m going to do everything in my power to destroy everything you’ve created. It’s where that passionate, manipulative, intelligent, promiscuous girl.. all wrapped up in a beautiful blonde Marilyn package kicks in. You can try to estrange yourself from me, but you said it yourself. The media, my generation.. cares far more about my opinion than yours and how are you going to establish a family agenda in your platform when you aren’t in contact with your own daughter? So we’ll continue doing what we’ve done all these years. I’ll stand beside you at banquets. Campaign for your presidency. But now every time I wrap my arm around you for a press photo.. you can wonder whether or not it’s the time I’m going to stab you in the back.”. Riley placed his hand along the side of her arm and turned her towards the door. ‘ It was a pleasure seeing you, Mr. Harris’ he said with a polite nod of his head as he led Scarlet away from the room and out towards the lobby.
Well Miss Harris.. it seems your debate classes have been coming in handy” Riley said dryly as he looked over at Scarlet once they stopped outside of the hotel. He needed to rearrange some of his meetings and was already working away tediously on his phone. Scarlet had no idea how he managed it. Running a multi-million dollar company he inherited. Going to medical school. Raising a daughter with the help of Mackenzie. And yet he never let anyone outside of Mackenzie see the stress it brought him. The Chuck Bass of their group. “ It’s just annoying how he talks about us Riley. It’s like.. we’ve all been bred to take over their spots. Like from the moment we were raised the only interest that our parents have had in us is to manufacture us into something to take over”’ she said, looking down the street for a cab. Riley maintained working on his phone, though he calmly added. “ Isn’t that what our lives HAVE been? What’s wrong with that? Scarlet. Look at me” he said, finally lowering his phone and stood in front of her. “ Do exactly what you said in that room. The man has given you opportunities. But he hasn’t taken the time to get to know who you are or how you’ll use them. His illest mistake was to give so much power to a stranger. He clearly hasn’t read the Art of War, and considering you grew up a teenage girl.. you lived it. Don’t put all of your cards out until you’re ready to play, got it? I live my life by a 70/30 rule when it comes to negotiations. Tell them about seventy percent of what you are willing for them to know and leave thirty to the mystery of it. If there’s anything people are scared of, it’s the unknown. You did good.. there’s a threat there but.. he isn’t sure what you’re capable of yet. So he’s made his biggest mistake.. but don’t make yours. Don’t show him how powerful you’re capable of being. Not yet. Let him underestimate you. All things will turn out the way they are supposed to. “ he said, taking in a deep breath of the cold New York air. “ I’m going to walk back to the office. Take my driver to go home.” he said, offering her a small smile. “ Don’t let him think you’re the little girl who hops around in taxis anymore. You’re Scarlet Harris. Since when do you back down from anything?.... I mean aside from relationships, and look how that is turning out,” he said before he wrapped his arms around her in a hug and squeezed tightly. “ I’ll see you at Blake’s for dinner with the group later,” he said in a wave as Scarlet slid into the backseat of the black town car. “ Miss Harris..” the driver said without surprise, “ Where to?”. Scarlet smiled as she took off her mittens and rested them in her lap, giving the address to her and Logan’s penthouse.
Scarlet got out of the car as it pulled up and bit the inside of her cheek as she looked between the doors to their building and down to the corner shop that had a few necessities. She shut the door and headed over to the small store and went through it quickly. She wasn’t a great cook, but that’s what take out was for, right? But she could still pick up a few things that even she couldn’t screw up on. Like strawberries. And chocolate for melting to dip it in. She could survive on that for months if it meant being with Logan. After checking out she went back to their building quickly, smiling politely at the doorman as she went inside. Scarlet got antsy as she stepped inside of the elevator, just wanting to be home and wrap her arms around Logan. The men in her life were better at handling her father than she was. She just got over emotional. Hell, her dad even had an odd appreciation for Shane. She narrowed her eyes as she thought about it. Maybe it’s cause he knew that out of Scarlet growing up with Logan, Ryan and Shane, Shane was the only one she hadn’t slept with. She was fairly sure he knew about it the second it happened to Ryan. He had just stared at him the next time he saw him. Like Ryan had some sign wrapped around him now or something. Finally the doors opened into their penthouse and Scarlet went inside, taking the scarf off of her neck and carrying the brown bag of strawberries and chocolate with her as she searched for Logan, finally finding him at a desk with papers in front of him. “ Hey,” she said happily as she came up behind him and dropped the brown bag on his desk. “ I made dinner,” she said sarcastically before she stayed behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest as she leaned down. “ What are you working on?” she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. “ Hey, I’m just.. putting together a new contract” he said, causing Scarlet to give a small nod. “ Is that really important?” she asked curiously, not wanting to distract him from important work. “ It’s nothing that can’t wait.. what’s up?” he asked, dropping his pen onto his desk. Scarlet smiled before she turned her cheek to face him so she could kiss the side of his neck. It didn’t take long for her to work herself in front of him, pulling herself into his lap as she started to unbutton her coat and tear it off. Quickly her fingers were searching for the hem of Logan’s shirt, eager to tear his off in the same fashion. After all, she hadn’t been lying. If there was one thing Scarlet would describe herself as, it would be passionate.
Outfit
Scarlet went to reach for her phone but paused as Shannon spoke up, ‘ Speaking of Logan, how is he doing? We saw the photos of you two at Serendipity.. that seems to be going very well,” she said and Scarlet looked at Riley cautiously before she looked back at her parents. She was always so careful of what information she gave them. Her father behaved as a politician first and foremost, and her father second. He would spin whatever she told him to make himself look good. “ It’s good actually.. he and I aren’t the same people we were growing up, so it’s nice that there is a sense of familiarity, but still finding new things to discover about him,” she said with honesty as she set her phone down on the table. ‘ He is currently working on a benefit concert for Joel Foster. I think it’s a non profit thing, for his fans. But donations are going to be accepted to be given to charities,” Riley said, seizing an opportunity to take the heat off of Scarlet. “ What happened to that Zach kid?” her father asked her, looking directly at her. Scarlet coughed beneath her breath and picked up a glass of champagne. “ He just wasn’t who I thought he was,” she said curtly, not wanting to go into it anymore than that. So what if there were people after her and that Zach was ‘protecting her by lying to her’. He lied to her. When she had been nothing but honest with him. ‘ And you didn’t want to give him a chance, he seemed so appropriate for you’ her father pressed, causing Scarlet to tilt her head back and down her glass of champagne. “ Why are you so impressed by someone without a college degree or a job?” she asked as she looked at her father. She certainly never looked at Zach that way, but it should be the way her father looked at him. He should look at him like he looked at every kid their age who wasn’t in college, who wasn’t being ‘ an asset to society’. So why was he so stuck on Zach? Why was Zach such a good option for her? ‘ I’m not saying I’m not thrilled about you and Logan, you know that’s something I’ve been waiting for, for quite a while now” her father explained, looking at her carefully. “ Then what are you saying?” she asked him, feeling herself become more and more defensive. ‘ Logan Renner has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now. He isn’t some boy in high school. He is established. Has a child. Is going through the publicity of a divorce… try to be a bit more…. I’ll say it in your words. ‘Jackie’ than ‘Marilyn’ with this media storm you have going. He’s a respectable man now, Scarlet. Don’t embarrass him.”. Scarlet tilted her head to the side and pushed her hair behind her ear. “ I’m sorry?” she questioned, but Riley was quick on her heels. ‘ Mr. Harris, if anything Scarlet has proven herself to be a media darling. She’s a political science major at Columbia, earns her grades but still maintains a social life. That alone shows her ability to juggle and is seen as a tremendous asset to Logan’s life right now. He needs someone that can juggle. And quite frankly as far as public image goes… maybe it’s not wrong for Logan to remind the public that he’s still a child. Maybe it’s not wrong for ….everyone..to sort of realize that we’re all still children,” he said, looking over at her father before he continued, ‘ Logan wouldn’t have someone around Kenzie that would be a bad image for her. And I think we can all agree that Blake Parker would never allow it, either,” he said through a small chuckle. ‘ The point is.. Logan is a powerful man. Extremely. He has contacts in every venue of the world, and he is an entertainment icon. But that’s the thing. He’s an entertainment icon. When the public thinks of what music they want to blast when they are out at the club, or on a roadtrip.. going through a break up, or just starting a romance, do they want someone that’s sitting in a desk with a partner who is.. frigid? They want someone that they can relate to, while at the same time lives a life that they can only dream of. We’re all fans of Blake Parker and Logan Renner together. They’re great for each other. They feed off of one another creatively for their work. But it’s in my opinion that at this junction in Logan’s life.. Scarlet is the best option for him. And he is the best option for her. You have an amazing daughter, Mr. Harris. It’s a shame that you are distracted by your own agenda to be able to appreciate that.” he said, setting his napkin down as he looked up at Scarlet, pushing his chair back in assumption that they would be leaving. ‘ You’re a political science major?” her father asked with a slight amount of surprise in his tone. She’d kept that hidden from him for quite some time now. Thanks, Riley. Scarlet placed her napkin down and licked her lips as she stood up from the table. “ Dad when I say I’m a Marilyn.. I’m not talk about the obsession with er wardrobe, the partying every night.. the long list of lovers…” she said, giving her head a small shake. “ I mean it is all of those things..” she licked the edge of her lips, but then took in a deep breath and sighed. “ She was also passionate. About everything. She made mistakes, she fell in love. She learned. And then she’d fall again, but at least she knew who was there that actually mattered. If there’s one thing I am.. whether I’m completely wrong, or doing the right thing for once in my life.. it’s passionate. I’m scared and I run away from things and it takes me a while.. but when I know what I want I dig my claws into it and I don’t let go. And she was amazing at getting what she wanted.. and being able to manipulate situations. You’re too stupid to realize that the entire time you’ve tried to puppet me along your career that I’ve been in the background manipulating almost every decision made in your private life. My major isn’t a homage to you. It’s because you’re right.. one day we will run this state, this country.. and I’m going to do everything in my power to destroy everything you’ve created. It’s where that passionate, manipulative, intelligent, promiscuous girl.. all wrapped up in a beautiful blonde Marilyn package kicks in. You can try to estrange yourself from me, but you said it yourself. The media, my generation.. cares far more about my opinion than yours and how are you going to establish a family agenda in your platform when you aren’t in contact with your own daughter? So we’ll continue doing what we’ve done all these years. I’ll stand beside you at banquets. Campaign for your presidency. But now every time I wrap my arm around you for a press photo.. you can wonder whether or not it’s the time I’m going to stab you in the back.”. Riley placed his hand along the side of her arm and turned her towards the door. ‘ It was a pleasure seeing you, Mr. Harris’ he said with a polite nod of his head as he led Scarlet away from the room and out towards the lobby.
Well Miss Harris.. it seems your debate classes have been coming in handy” Riley said dryly as he looked over at Scarlet once they stopped outside of the hotel. He needed to rearrange some of his meetings and was already working away tediously on his phone. Scarlet had no idea how he managed it. Running a multi-million dollar company he inherited. Going to medical school. Raising a daughter with the help of Mackenzie. And yet he never let anyone outside of Mackenzie see the stress it brought him. The Chuck Bass of their group. “ It’s just annoying how he talks about us Riley. It’s like.. we’ve all been bred to take over their spots. Like from the moment we were raised the only interest that our parents have had in us is to manufacture us into something to take over”’ she said, looking down the street for a cab. Riley maintained working on his phone, though he calmly added. “ Isn’t that what our lives HAVE been? What’s wrong with that? Scarlet. Look at me” he said, finally lowering his phone and stood in front of her. “ Do exactly what you said in that room. The man has given you opportunities. But he hasn’t taken the time to get to know who you are or how you’ll use them. His illest mistake was to give so much power to a stranger. He clearly hasn’t read the Art of War, and considering you grew up a teenage girl.. you lived it. Don’t put all of your cards out until you’re ready to play, got it? I live my life by a 70/30 rule when it comes to negotiations. Tell them about seventy percent of what you are willing for them to know and leave thirty to the mystery of it. If there’s anything people are scared of, it’s the unknown. You did good.. there’s a threat there but.. he isn’t sure what you’re capable of yet. So he’s made his biggest mistake.. but don’t make yours. Don’t show him how powerful you’re capable of being. Not yet. Let him underestimate you. All things will turn out the way they are supposed to. “ he said, taking in a deep breath of the cold New York air. “ I’m going to walk back to the office. Take my driver to go home.” he said, offering her a small smile. “ Don’t let him think you’re the little girl who hops around in taxis anymore. You’re Scarlet Harris. Since when do you back down from anything?.... I mean aside from relationships, and look how that is turning out,” he said before he wrapped his arms around her in a hug and squeezed tightly. “ I’ll see you at Blake’s for dinner with the group later,” he said in a wave as Scarlet slid into the backseat of the black town car. “ Miss Harris..” the driver said without surprise, “ Where to?”. Scarlet smiled as she took off her mittens and rested them in her lap, giving the address to her and Logan’s penthouse.
Scarlet got out of the car as it pulled up and bit the inside of her cheek as she looked between the doors to their building and down to the corner shop that had a few necessities. She shut the door and headed over to the small store and went through it quickly. She wasn’t a great cook, but that’s what take out was for, right? But she could still pick up a few things that even she couldn’t screw up on. Like strawberries. And chocolate for melting to dip it in. She could survive on that for months if it meant being with Logan. After checking out she went back to their building quickly, smiling politely at the doorman as she went inside. Scarlet got antsy as she stepped inside of the elevator, just wanting to be home and wrap her arms around Logan. The men in her life were better at handling her father than she was. She just got over emotional. Hell, her dad even had an odd appreciation for Shane. She narrowed her eyes as she thought about it. Maybe it’s cause he knew that out of Scarlet growing up with Logan, Ryan and Shane, Shane was the only one she hadn’t slept with. She was fairly sure he knew about it the second it happened to Ryan. He had just stared at him the next time he saw him. Like Ryan had some sign wrapped around him now or something. Finally the doors opened into their penthouse and Scarlet went inside, taking the scarf off of her neck and carrying the brown bag of strawberries and chocolate with her as she searched for Logan, finally finding him at a desk with papers in front of him. “ Hey,” she said happily as she came up behind him and dropped the brown bag on his desk. “ I made dinner,” she said sarcastically before she stayed behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest as she leaned down. “ What are you working on?” she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. “ Hey, I’m just.. putting together a new contract” he said, causing Scarlet to give a small nod. “ Is that really important?” she asked curiously, not wanting to distract him from important work. “ It’s nothing that can’t wait.. what’s up?” he asked, dropping his pen onto his desk. Scarlet smiled before she turned her cheek to face him so she could kiss the side of his neck. It didn’t take long for her to work herself in front of him, pulling herself into his lap as she started to unbutton her coat and tear it off. Quickly her fingers were searching for the hem of Logan’s shirt, eager to tear his off in the same fashion. After all, she hadn’t been lying. If there was one thing Scarlet would describe herself as, it would be passionate.
Outfit
