Live While We're Young

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe Livingstone was once more in New Zealand. She hadn't been here in a year or two, not since her break up with Leo Shepard. Chloe had actually found herself in love with him until he dared to cheat on her. Chloe Livingstone was a prize catch, not someone you traded in. He shattered her heart with his confession, and Chloe had fled. Back to her money, her family, her career. Chloe was a successful model in both the muggle world and the magical community. She had been modeling since her eighteenth birthday. The Livingstones were a wealthy family that lived in Manhattan. They were part of the upper elite class in the muggle world. Chloe's father made his money off of a hotel chain, as well as a few classy restaurants. There had been plenty for Chloe to use to distract herself from her break-up. Parties, alcohol, shopping, modeling. That was what Chloe spent her days doing these days.

Chloe was one of her father's exclusive hotels for wizards and witches only. She placed a second pearl earring in her right lobe, finishing her outfit. The dark-haired girl took a step back to take in the full effect of her stunning outfit. The blue dress hugged her curves in all the right places, and it matched her sapphire eyes perfectly. The model nodded her head, ruffled her curls, and nodded to the butler. "Have a good evening Ms. Livingstone." he told her as he opened the door for her. One of the perks of being the owner's daughter, she got the penthouse complete with a staff to wait on her. "Thank you." she said curtly, striding confidently into the elevator. It carried her down to the lobby of the hotel. Chloe stepped out, not bothering to look around her. She headed straight for the bar lounge. She often turned to the liquor, had since high school. Just another part of her world. The gorgeous girl put a coy smile on her lush red lips. "What does a pretty girl have to do to get a drink around here?" she asked the barkeep with a flirtatious smile. It wasn't long before he returned with what she wanted. Her blue eyes scanned over him, not finding him all that interesting at all. Chloe dismissed him and began to survey her surroundings. Surely, there had to be someone worth her time in this place.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

It might was a Saturday night when everyone was putting their jobs' duties aside to enjoy some quality time with friends and loved ones but Leonzio was focused once again on his work. He was going to meet an informant that could shed some light on the case he was assigned. Fortunately for him the informant was going to be a woman from what he had found out from the owls they had exchanged. Much better than having to spend his night with a bald, middle-aged man. He was feeling comfortable with the fact that the meeting was going to take place at a hotel. A crowded place was safer in case the whole arrangement was a trap. Leonzio was always considering the other side of the coin. He didn't want to meet with unforeseen situations

That was why he arrived earlier at the point of their meeting, to examine the place and get to know his whereabouts. He entered the hotel's lounge radiating an air of quiet confidence but with no arrogance in his demeanour. The three-button suit he was wearing was tailored to precisely match his broad shoulders giving him the agility he might needed in case something was going to turn wrong. He didn't hesitate and went straight towards the bar.
"An apple martini please." he ordered the bartender before his deep blue eyes scanned the room. In a matter of seconds he spotted all possible exits and it was enough time to discern any signs of suspicion among the habitues.
"Thank you." he said as the bartender returned with his favourite cocktail. He took a sip of the sweet sour drink, scanning once more the room. His gaze met the heavenly blue eyes of the woman that was sitting at the other end of the bar. She also looked like she was searching for something and Leonzio hoped to be the women that he was going to met. The night was going to be much more pleasurable if she was going to be his informant. Without further hesitation, he took his drink and approached her, taking a seat right next to her.
"Tell me that you are not my appointment. I'll have trouble talking with you about business." he admitted. It was going to be a hard task to concentrate on a talk about criminals when he had someone so beautiful in front of him.
"Leonzio." he introduced himself tersely when his eyes had more to say.

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe had already finished one drink and ordered another from the bartender when a man approached her. He was attractive, around her age or slightly older. One might describe him as tall, dark, and handsome. He asked if she was his appointment, flirting with her along the way. The corners of her lips turned upwards in a small smile. Chloe admired the fact that he had the guts and nerve to come straight up to her like that. She found it very appealing. Boldness definitely won points in her book, though that was also how she had ended up with some rather shady characters. At that moment, the bartender reappeared with her lemon drop. Chloe thanked the man, giving him a rather sizable tip before turning her attention back to the handsome man who had introduced himself as Leonzio. Chloe's thick eyelashes fluttered as she looked over at him. "I'm afraid I have no appointments this evening." she informed him with a smirk on her lips. Chloe leaned forward, towards him, resting her arm on counter. Her voice had a seductive tone in it that she had learned to use with men long ago. "Pleasure to meet you, Leonzio. I'm Chloe." the beautiful model told him with coy smile on her lips. She wondered if he would recognize her.

Chloe straightened, picking up her martini glass. She placed the smooth glass to her lips, tasting the sugar on the rim before the liquor slipped down her throat. With delicacy, she placed the half full glass back on the wooden counter-top. She pursed her lush red-lipsticked lips as she gave her attention back to Leonzio. "So, what kind of business are you in Leonzio that you would meet at a hotel in the early evening with someone you do not know?" she asked him, a bit of wickedness in her voice. It was a bit odd. Her bright blue eyes scanned the room, wondering who his meeting was actually with, or if that had simply been an excuse to talk to her. Chloe wouldn't blame him if it had been. Men had pretended far greater things than that to get her attention before. The dark-haired young woman took another sip of her drink as she waited on his reply.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

Leonzio took off the thin slice of green apple that was decorating the rim of his glass.
He took a bite off it as the woman finished her drink and ordered a new one. Few were aware that Leonzio was the type of person that was paying attention on other people's actions and reactions. A residue of his job or just his personality, whatever it was Leonzio could guess that the woman was an adorer of parties and nighters.
Not really the type of lifestyle he was following but he could adapt for a night when his company was consisting of a such beautiful woman.
"I see. Then you're waiting for your date." he said in order to find out if she was alone for tonight or not.
"The pleasure is mine." he replied and raised slightly his glass before taking a sip.
His deep, blue eyes were captivated from her smile and he couldn't help but wonder why she was alone.

Her question cornered him. He had no idea what to reply to this. He wasn't supposed to share anything regarding his job, especially to someone that he had just met. Her beauty wasn't going to mislead him when his mind was taking into account every possible scenarios, even the most unlikely. He was in a mission, what if she was also for a mission for their adversaries. He looked towards the crowd as if he was looking for someone to arrive at any minute. His attention however, returned inevitably back to the sapphire eyes of the woman next to him.
"Well, that's embarrasing." he began and lowered slightly his head with an awkward smile.
"I'm on a blind date." he nodded embarrased and took another sip.
"It seems though that my date fled or she would be here already." he chuckled, not believing how fast he came up with these excuse. It seemed that something similar had happened to his informant cause she was nowhere to be seen. He hoped that she was alright and she hadn't been found by the adversaries.
"Excuse me for my curiosity but how come a woman like you is alone on a Saturday night?" it was a genuine question from his part but he wanted as well to shift the spotlights on her.

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe twirled a piece of her dark hair between her fingers, a casual gesture that she often did. She smirked at the very intentional statement that was not directed as a question. Yet, she knew that he wanted to know if she was waiting for a date. Chloe took another sip of her drink, intentionally making him wait for her response. "No, I don't have a date tonight." she told Leonzio with a small smile on her lips. Chloe thought he might find it strange that she was sitting alone at a bar as she probably would in his situation. However, as a model, she was often alone when she worked. That was, until she went out and found herself company.

Chloe finished off the last of her drink as she listened to Leonzio say that he was meeting a blind date. It sounded a bit odd coming from such a handsome man. Besides, that wasn't exactly busy. It might sound a bit suspicious, but Chloe didn't really care. It wasn't like she would be sticking around to find out. All she wanted was a little fun tonight. Chloe smiled a bit seductively as she answered Leonzio's comment. "Well, it's her loss." the dark-haired beauty replied. Chloe laughed a bit at his question. At that moment, the bartender came up and placed another drink in front of her even though she had not ordered another one. "For you Ms. Livingstone. From the gentleman at table four." he told her with a smile. Chloe accepted the drink, looking over to the man who was staring at her. She nodded her head with a shy smile on her face, a look she had perfected at the age of thirteen. Yet, Chloe gave her attention back to Leonzio. She found him more intriguing. "I have a job in the morning. I haven't been to New Zealand in a few years. I didn't want to see the person I last came here for." she answered with simple honesty.

 

[Leonzio Aiello]

His lips mimicked the smile she gave him when she confessed that she was alone tonight. As unlikely as that may have sound, the woman seemed honest with her response.
"I guess it's my lucky day then." he said and drank the remaining of his cocktail at a draft before placing the empty glass on the bar and he backoned to the bartender for another drink.
"Her loss, my gain." he mentioned as he fixated his gaze on her. The bartender interrupted him as he brought his drink along with another one for her although she hadn't ordered it.
He instantly turned to see the man who had offered a drink to Chloe as the bartender explained.
"It seems you have an admirer at table four." he commented. "It's alright. I like some friendly competition." he added and his attention returned back to her. His gaze could be compared with that of a lion fixed on its prey.

His first impression was that she wasn't from New Zealand and he was right as she was visiting the country not really living there as well.
"I thought so. I would have definately remembered you if you were from around here." he commented when she shared that she hadn't been in New Zealand for years. Not that he was a resident of New Zealand for a long time, just for three years.
"So it's business that brings you here. From what I have before my eyes, I can guess that you are working as a model." he said that as a compliment, unaware that she was indeed a model with an international career.
"And from where might Chloe be coming from?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't getting too inquisitorial, influenced by his profession.

 

[Chloe Livingstone]

Chloe looked down, feinting modesty as he told her it was his blind date's loss but his gain. When the new drinks arrived, Chloe smirked at his comments. It wasn't odd or unusual for this sort of thing to happen. Leo had hated it when it happened when they dated. He was always jealous of the attention she received from the opposite sex. She still remembered the fight they had in the middle of Times Square in New York City when he saw a provocative ad of her on display there. Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "It happens." was all she replied back to his comments. Though, the look in his blue eyes sent a shiver of excitement and longing down her spine.

Chloe picked up her drink and took a sip of it. It was good as usual. The slender brunette smiled slightly at Leonzio as he said that he would have remembered her. She did find it slightly odd that he had not recognized her thus far. It was obvious that he had no idea. Chloe smirked at the irony of his guess that she was working as a model. Leonzio was just trying to flirt with her, but he had guess correctly. Chloe laughed quietly. "Actually, I am." she told him with a grin. She stuck her hand out to him. "Chloe Livingstone. International model." she said with another beautiful laugh. She didn't intend to tell him that it was her father's hotel, though it was possible he might guess at it now that he knew her last name. "I'm from New York City. I travel frequently for work though." Chloe told him, twirling a piece of her dark hair absent-mindedly. "What about you Leonzio? Where are you from?" she asked him curiously.