notorious-nick

[notorious-nick]

"oh, i've said too much," jo started, dramatic covering her mouth as if she'd just made the biggest 'oopsie' of the season. and then in the next breath she added- "i do think my nick will be more than interested to know about gabriela though." jo nodded, she was no stranger to a thriving career herself. "it's hard, isn't it? i'm sure gabriela will figure things out, the world is still hers for the taking." jo laughed again, shaking her hand and waving for the waiter to bring them more champagne. "this is our cross to bear. let's drink to it before she decides to interrupt."

"pass that along to who? has my gabriela got an admirer?" she enquired wondering if someone was finally brave enough to match her daughter. "you're doing better than lorenzo and i. gabriela is so career orientated and while i love that for her i don't want her missing out on life." she laughed along with jo at mrs fitzherberts dramatic show "she's haunting the halls with her horniness, good luck to ella and her home exorcism but i don't think we'll ever have peace from that woman"

[notorious-nick]

nick wondered how he should play this. gabriela archibald was not going to be happy when she found out that she was being babysat. she could take care of herself, of course she could but if atticus bass was worried... well, nick knew enough to know that was serious. "meetings, huh? i don't suppose they could just be email instead? we could blow off the rest of the day. take a drive, cause a stir. or i could stay here-," he started, raising a very suggestive eyebrow, "keep you going through your calls."

closing doors around them was dangerous. they both knew fine well what they tended to get up to behind closed doors. gabriela felt a smirk on her lips at nicks reminder of what he knew she liked, their marks gracing one anothers skin as the only confirmation of what had happened had been fact and not some fever dream.

"for the most part, i have meetings this afternoon to attend. why do you ask?"

[notorious-nick]

nick: my lips are sealed nick: ttfn xoxo

atticus: for now until we extract them atticus: appreciated. the more people we have on side, the better atticus: when has she ever liked anyone telling her what to do? atticus: don't answer that

[notorious-nick]

nick led gabriela to the dancefloor with ease, not giving another thought towards the upper east side's most notorious bores. she played the game beautifully which he admired, truly. but he never quite had the patience. "any time," he whispered back, even though they were out of earshot. any excuse to get a little closer.

"i'm sure your absence will be keenly felt. you might even send a few to their grave tonight from heart failure," he teased, hands settled on the small of her back as they danced. "in other words, you look stunning tonight."

this ball was going to the death of her, the cause? boredom. the older gentlemen rambled on keeping her trapped in the conversation. gabriela keeping polite and playing it smart by occasionally joining in on the conversation since they were all well known businessmen. she knew she'd get hired by them for freelance jobs if she played along.

hearing the men stop talking, gabriela looked up from her empty glass to see nick with his hand extended. not listening to the men protesting, gabriela passed her glass to one of them and took his hand without hesitation and let him lead the way "thank you" she whispered discreetly between them

[notorious-nick]

"i am uniquely qualified for such a job," nick grinned, holding his glass up to hers as the bartender set them down. "cheers to you, my darling. mhm. it has been quite the year, hasn't it? i'm sure we could all do with a little r-and-r." nick looked her over, careful to keep any concern from his face. "oh, you know me. i don't know the meaning of the word. are your parents both here?"

ceren turned her head and smiled at the sight of a friendly face "good, because i have no intentions of drinking alone" it had been the longest time they had without a catch up or bailing one another out of trouble "i'm alright, well enough. i won't lie and say that my bed isn't calling to me for some sleep. how are you? are you behaving?"

[notorious-nick]

"i thought that was a given," he said. nick vanderbilt had built a reputation on being a devil-may-care type. he took risks, he played fast and loose. but of course, atticus bass was going to bring up gabriela. how could he not? "the exits are covered as is every step she takes by the stunningly intimidating ms mahdavi and this event ends at a very reasonable hour. we're all going to be just fine." nick kept his composure and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "you might have a little fun tonight, atticus. give that intelligence you're so fond of a rest."

"nick, have you ever considered that you don't worry enough?" he countered "i would think you would be extra vigilant given the person that would be the most in danger. she is key" the implication was there. he might as well have shouted it to the whole room with how obvious his remark was. nothing stayed hidden from atticus bass, people should've learned that by now "that's famous last words. i suggest you start playing with that intelligence that you so boldly waste."

[notorious-nick]

"atticus, have you ever considered that perhaps you worry too much? familial obligations aside, it is still a party. isn't it the season to lighten up?" nick teased, quirking a brow in his direction. he finishing his glass of champagne, handing it to a cute waiter with a wink. he neglected to ask if there was anything he did like. "nothing bad is going to happen tonight. well, nothing catastrophic anyway."

atticus bass leaned against a wall in the back with his drink in hand. he was the grim reaper of the social scene and with the news of potential competitors trying to pull stunts, he was watching his friends and employees like a hawk. lili was on the case with her team but he still didn't like it, there were too many people in play.

"i don't like this..."

@tfrstarters

[notorious-nick]

"now there is a drink i can get on board with-," nick grinned, gestured to the bartender to make that two. he leaned on the counter, turning his attention to the ever-enchanting ceren celik-montgomery. it had been a minute since he'd managed to catch up with her again. although, from what he'd seen, she'd been kept very busy. "how are you, my darling? getting on well?"

the event was the last place she wanted to be. not because she didn't love a party, but in light of recent happenings in her life, ceren wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in blankets and out of the eyes of the upper east side.

putting on her best face, ceren manoeuvred her way around the ball, saying her hellos to people in passing until she finally reached the bar to order a drink "a belvedere and soda with three lemons, juiced and carcass out please"

@tfrstarters

[notorious-nick]

nick had left his mother to mingle with her many friends, hoping that she was bragging about him the most, when he saw gabriela. since atticus had alerted nick to a potential threat on the upper east side, he'd been reluctant to leave her be. then again, nothing had come of it yet. perhaps it was a false alarm? bad intel, even (although he'd try not to point any fingers). in any case, she seemed in desperate need of saving. nick finished his drink, leaving it to the waiter's tray with a wink.

sauntering over to the crowd, he interrupted by holding his hand out to her- "care for this dance?"

gabriela was bored out of her mind. older gentlemen at the ball had decided to talk shop and were rambling on to the point where she thought blood might start pouring from her ears. the last thing she wanted to do was talk business and yet here was being held hostage in the conversation. lifting her glass to her lips, she sipped her wine and silently begged for someone to save her.

@tfrstarters

[notorious-nick]

Thank you for understanding, Calvin. [ laughs ] Yes, it's a shame we have to let them make their own mistakes. At least, for a while. Jackson's definitely a better influence on Nick than anyone else. Peter's gallery is thriving, Chris is still on track to becoming a lawyer. And Nick might love arguing in court a little too much. How have you been though? And Nyla?

Ah well Josephine, I won't stop you from fawning over your own sons. They've got a great head on their shoulders. One of Jackson's better friends.

[notorious-nick]

"i do," she grinned back. jo might have loved to talk anyone's ear off about her boys but she knew the apple hadn't fallen far. for better and worse. "ah, noted. i'll have to pass that along. grandchildren. i think i'll be lucky to see a glimpse of our first one in the next decade. maybe peter." jo let out a laugh, alejandra wasn't wrong! "no, i think you might be on to something. ella fairchild will have to have this place exorcised if we're ever going to know peace again."

"i hope you mean yourself when you say that." she grinned "oh no, they're just good friends. they work together sometimes on cases but ultimately just friends, though i do wish she would find someone to settle down with. the call for grandchildren beckons." she wanted nothing more than for gabriela to be happy and find her love "fitzherbert is really making sure she's causing a scene, isn't she? what age is she now? are we sure she's not some kind of victorian ghost?"

[notorious-nick]

"thank you, alejandra. they've certainly learned from the best-," jo teased before raising an eyebrow. "atticus bass? are those two...? i mean, i'm sure i saw a glimpse of her earlier but not since. hopefully she's steering clear of a certain fitzherbert. how that woman is still kicking is truly a mystery."

"you should, they're great kids you've got. everything has been fine, the usual drama of the upper east side, but nothing not easily handled. have you seen gabriela per chance? atticus was looking for her earlier and i've not seen her around"

[notorious-nick]

Oh, you know me, dear... I could talk about my boys all night so you better go first and tell me how everything's been with you.

[notorious-nick]

Josephine Tsang-Vanderbilt University Dean/Lawyer

#quickfacts

Jo or Josie if you know her like ThatTM.

The original Cool Mom (don't fight her on this!). Jo knows her sons (Peter, Nick and Chris) better than anyone and let's be honest, they're all mama's boys! She's endlessly patient with them, letting them come to her and ask for advice before fixing everything for them.

Very passionate about art, loves to debate about it (loves to debate about anything, really). Josephine "have you heard my son Peter owns a gallery" Vanderbilt.

She taught Nick everything he knows about cars, even how to fix them up. In her youth, Jo was a reckless, thrill seeker who lived for pushing the limits. Nick didn't come out of nowhere, y'know?

Has a tattoo no one will ever get to know about.

Knows 110% of the gossip!!! She comes to these things to whisper about other people's lives.

The 'Vanderbilt charm' did not come from Adrian alone. Jo might not always want to but she knows how to work a room, defuse a situation, stir the pot if need be and look amazing all the while. She has been known to cause drama when bored.

Very much in love with her wonderful husband!

Connections:

Julie and William Vanderbilt (Tripp and Juliette's parents) - Jo's in-laws/family.

Felicia and Teddy Santiago (Felicity's parents) - Nick and Felicity were childhood sweeties so Jo got to know her parents well. There was a time when they might have been in-laws too, y'know.

Anne Vanderbilt (Nate's mom) - Jo's in-law/family (Adrian's sister). Bless Anne's heart, shall we say...

Howard Archibald (Nate's dad) - ex-brother in law and a travesty of a man.

Scottie Takeda's mom - Jo met her when she was in London, dicking around with her art degree and they became fast friends. Besties ever since!

Children: Peter, Nick and Chris Vanderbilt Husband: Adrian Vanderbilt Nieces/Nephews: Tripp and Juliette Vanderbilt, Nate Archibald

[notorious-nick]

if it were a choice, nick wouldn't have put atticus bass in his top five favourite people on the upper east side. at least, not for a party. he was ruthless, yes. smart. dangerous. he liked to push and nick liked to have fun. so, he met his gaze that threatened to pierce the very air in the room and smiled. "if you want to sink your claws into me atticus, you'll have to buy me dinner first." he chuckled then- "my condolences for the interns." nick let out a breath at his response, regaining composure quickly (although, the gabby of it all was still playing in the back of his mind). "ah, i see. we do what must to keep the lights on and our clients from making life altering mistakes. i'm sure you could make an appointment though, if you did want to see her. gabriela."

"they're more for picking out the flesh on the weak. do you consider yourself weak, nicholas?" it was a loaded question with several layers of intent wrapped up in it. atticus stared down the other, green eyes piercing the silence. "them getting eaten alive would do me a favour, they're all useless." coming to events like these were not things atticus enjoyed. however, they were far easier when there was decent company around. then he clocked it. gabby. oooh that hit a nerve, interesting. he stored that tibit of information away for later. "not that i would protest against lingering around her, i'm purely here for professional reasons this evening"

[notorious-nick]

nick barely fought off a grin at her words. he still had the proof of how much she liked that down his back. surely he had to focus though, this was serious. he was here on business. although... hadn't he promised to keep her close? nick gently closed the door behind him before taking the seat across from her.

"intimately," he replied, eyes lingering on those very lips before he leaned back. "are you office bound today?"

gabriela sat at her desk, slowly running her fingertips along her bottom lip, the memory of nicks lips on hers replaying since their time together. it was a distraction for long enough, her shaking her head and returning to her laptop determined to focus. the gods were being cruel when nick had turned up at her door.

"always. you know how i like to be on top"

[notorious-nick]

Nick grinned in response, watching as she leaned forward, eyebrow raised curiously when she... Grabbed his keys! He couldn't help but laugh. Nice. They twirled around her hands, teasing as ever. "Then you've caught me-," he said, voice low, eyebrows now utterly suggestive- "I'm not a true gentlemen after all." Nick liked her style. He offered his arm to her (sort of a gentlemen) in response. "Only if you let me work my magic behind the wheel, this time. In which case... let's get out of here."

Michelle couldn't help but laugh, "I should have guessed. I'm weak against a saucy temptress." She watched him bring out his keys, glad he wasn't just talking to talk. She leaned towards Nick, only to snatch his keys, twirling it in her hands. "See a true gentleman would have offered to let me drive." Though she had no desire to do that. "Anytime... Does right now work?"