after we've lost everything.

Celeste had wanted for everything to go perfectly, but the longer the night seemed to go on the more her anxiety went up. While most hadn’t noticed the tiny little flaws they were glaring to her right now. Standing with her clipboard as she took a survey of the room and tried to figure out what to fix first. Writing little notes down on her paper and she looked up when she heard a voice. “I’m sorry what did you say?” She asked, she pushed her mask up slightly to prevent it from falling down further. “Are you looking for a certain room? I can help you find it?” She offered before they could even get a word out as she turned to point towards the staircase that lead up to the different rooms. 

As Nathan approached the young woman, someone he’d seen around the city frequently now, he offered her a casual greeting, but it seemed she was too lost in her own world to notice. But then, she was in charge, so of course she was. “Just saying hi,” he assured her with a casual shrug of his shoulders and an easy smile. “And no, I’m good, I can definitely find my way around here... even if it isn’t my hotel.”

abandoning his nearly untouched flute of champagne - and really, who could blame him? he’d had tea stronger than that bubbly shit - on a waiter’s tray, the investment banker took matters into his own hands and made a beeline for the bar instead. leaning against the counter, he smiled at the bartender, all syrupy sweet but sharp around the edges. “ i’ll have a single malt scotch, neat - portwood, if you have it, ” hugh started easily, already bored by the time he’d finished his order. his shortlived attention had already shifted, zeroing in on someone coming up next to him. “ or should he make that two glasses? ”

Was it bad that Nathan’s mask had already made its way up onto his head, ruffling up his hair? More than likely. But it had been driving his crazy and already well on its way to rubbing the bridge of his nose red raw. Poor choice there. As he approached the bar and heard the voice, a laugh escaped him. He knew that voice, heard it quite frequently —- well, as frequently as he wandered the halls of that particular hotel anyway. “You can make it two,” he responded, leaning casually beside the other male.

“Hm, so easy for things to take up our time. Sometimes makes me wonder how we can be so busy? Think about how much time we actually use up.” Atlas had gone through his moments of wanting to monitor his time better, cut back on one thing or another, not that it ever stuck. “I’m sure if you give it some time she’ll warm up and you guys will be able to find stuff you have in common with each other.” 

“More than likely a lack of time management,” Nathan said with a gentle laugh. “I know that’s my issue. I’m forever running around doing God knows what and then finish the day by asking, ‘what did I actually do today?’” Mostly he just ran around after everyone else, it seemed, which was a problem when you oversaw several hotels at a time. “One day maybe.” That was another problem, giving each other time, because they never ever did. Everything was time.

Fiona smiled lightly and nodded her head. “Going for the whole, times are always changing idea?” She offered, letting out a small breath as she looked around once more. This city was different from hers, but still had something familiar about it. Something she felt like she could learn to grow used to. “I’m guessing you’re a local? With how you talk about it.” 

A shrug was Nathan’s response to that, because he didn’t really know what or where he was going with any of it —- it was what it was. “Suppose I am,” he answered her, figuring it was easy to go with it for now, especially when he didn’t know how long this conversation would last. “Yeah, lived here all my life, never wanted to go anywhere else.” Aside from those fortnightly flights he took to New York anyway.

Huff of laughter left his lips at the other man’s comment, head shaking slightly as he did. “Not sure I have it in me to be that philosophical.” He shrugged slightly when he always tended to tell it how he saw instead of create metaphors or try to prompt reflection. But he supposed anything could be philosophical to the right person. “At least not intentionally.” With the scuffle seemingly dying down, his attention shifted back to the other man. “How’s business?”

“No? Maybe not then.” Nathan turned back to what was happening in front of him, pushing his free hand into his pocket. Not that deep conversations were above him, they’d never really been, but he doubted very much that’s what Bern was getting at even if it had sounded that way. “I’ll take your word for it this time,” he added then, although there was a bemused smile crossing his features. “Business is great, actually,” he answered simply. “Helps when you have places in a couple of countries, you know?”

Blue eyes widened in surprise when it finally dawned on her who she had just addressed and a flood of unwelcome memories came sweeping in along with the realisation. None of them strictly involved him but he was interwoven into memories she’d rather forget. A time she was trying to forget and a version of her she was doing her best to move on from. Still despite her discomfort, none of it was his fault nor did she hold anything against him for seeing her at her lowest. “Oh, um, of course.” Weak but genuine smile is sent his way as she gentle motions to the muffin once more. “The offer still stands.” 

It wasn’t the ideal situation or the ideal location, but Nathan was professional if nothing else. As jarring as it was seeing her there after everything that had happened, he knew there was absolutely no point in any dramatics of any sort —- all of that was a while ago now. “Alright...” his words were soft as he approached the table and took the muffin she’d offered to him. “Can’t say no to lemon and poppy seed.” A brief pause and he nodded his head. “Thank you.”

@nathanwilkes·

Ainsley was sitting at her favourite bar, the one she used to work at, sipping a pint after she got off work at the tattoo parlour. She was absent-mindedly scrolling through her phone when she noticed him walk in from the corner of her eye. Immediately, she set her phone down and smiled. “Hey, look who showed up!” she said with a wave, then turned to the bartender and gave him a nod to get Nathan his regular drink. “Wasn’t sure you were coming in today, how’s it been?”

There had been something about this bar, had been for years, that kept drawing Nathan back time and time again. The company did if course have something to do with it, but he’d never been one to come right out and say that to anyone these days. Admitting you enjoyed someones company led to getting attached and he did his best not to anymore. As he stepped inside, however, and Ainsley immediately clapped eyes on him he had to laugh. “You know me,” he answered her, spreading his arms wide and shrugging. “Regular as clockwork.”

Lexa sighed heavily, “I know, I’m just not really good at looking relaxed… or relaxing lately, but it’ll be fine, it’s just for my Coach,” she explained and then frowned at the question, “No, I live here…” She trailed off as she realized that he probably meant that she looked familiar, “but maybe I’ve stayed at one of your hotels, I’ve been coming once a year for Wimbledon since I was a teenager,” Well except for the very few couples of times she had to miss it due to injuries but overall she always did her best to be ready for the big ones, which is why she was currently, sort of, resting, when she should be in Dubai. “I’m Lexa, thank you for the picture.”

Nathan nodded his head, knowing how that was, then took a moment for her to get into position and snapped a photo for her. He handed the phone back a moment later. “That must be it,” he responded with a smile. “Wimbledon? You’d expect me to recognise you from there, but I never get any time to myself to even watch.” He chuckled lightly, shifting back on his heels a moment. “Absolutely no problem... and it’s Nathan,” he told her simply.

Eyes twinkling with amusement (and perhaps a little bit of inebriation), Lorena mirrored Nathan’s position, leaning back comfortably. Crossing her legs, she peered at him over the rim of her cocktail glass, watching his reaction. “Well, you’re here after last call, you’re on your own… and you strike me as a guy who’d’ve left with a distraction hours ago – if a distraction’s actually what you were looking for…,” she said cryptically, glass swaying in a fluid motion before coming up against her lips to allow her a sip, completing the playfulness of her demeanor. “It’s elementary, my dear Watson. You’re avoiding something.” Lorena let the words hang in the air for a moment, though not long enough to be given a proper response. “But it’s clear I’m prying into private territory, so… Two Truths and A Lie?”

As she spoke, Nathan's expression became amused, especially when she came to her last point. “What on earth gives you the impression I’m that kind of guy?” Was he repeating himself?  More than likely, but then, how often had he actually been referred to as the type of guy who’d be quite happy to come to a bar to leave with a distraction? Mostly he just drank a lot, distractions weren’t something he came looking for —- although if they found him he didn’t usually object. “I’m always avoiding something,” he added then, “That’s why I work so much.” His brows lifted for the briefest of moments, and then he lifted his glass to his lips to take a drink. “Two truths and a lie? You’ll have to give me a moment.”

“Yeah to think of it, I can’t really think of anything specific to hotels other than like….The cleaners finding condoms in weird places, I guess?  Does that happen at least?”  Although from looking at the man, Theo didn’t think he was on the cleaning side of the business. “I mean, I could go on a spiel about how it’s a capitalistic holiday, but I don’t even really care about that.  People just get crazy.  And annoying.  I mean c’mon–” he said nudging his head over to a couple that was just so in love and so sweet it nearly gave him diabetes. 

“That stuff does generally happen... a lot,” Nathan responded with a laugh. “You get a lot of seriously weird shit sometimes.” But that was always going to happen when people made your business their home away from home. It especially happened with long term residents. “You could, but I think a lot of people feel the same about it, just find themselves wrapped up in it anyway, no choice...” As the other man gestured to a couple, his nose wrinkled for a moment —- he supposed he didn’t feel the same way about all that anymore.

She looked over the older male in front of her, curious as to what might be going on his head. She usually wanted to find out what people were really thinking, but alas, not even she could obtain that power. “Hm, well, you never know. I mean, I’ve been here for a little over a year now, and feel like I’m constantly learning about the things that people find entertaining.” She spoke plainly, looking around to see if a small hole had opened up for her to escape through. 

Nathan realised that he was probably being cryptic about things, but then, that was pretty normal for him these days, it’s about all that he ever did. “I don’t think that ever changes, you know?” he answered her with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders, a laugh escaping a moment later. “It’s this city, forever changing, forever throwing out new ways to surprise you.”

Atlas laughed a little with a man and nodded his head as well. “My editors son tries to teach me about all the teen stuff, but I’ve never bee able to get into it. Honestly don’t feel like I have time for it.” He shrugged, giving a smile. “But you should always be proud of what you know. I think kids appreciate it in the end. When parents know about their stuff. Knowledge is power, right?” 

“Now that I can understand. But then, I never really have time for anything these days.” His own fault, of course, Nathan had made it that way for himself, he’d wanted to. “You make a very good point,” he responded with a nod of his head. “I’m sure one day she might, but she’s at that awkward age... or I am. Could go either way really.” He shook his head and laughed.

Lexa stopped dead in her tracks the moment the song on her earphones changed to her ringtone, she took a couple of seconds to get her breathing back under control and answered the call. “Hey!…. No, of course not, I’m resting like I’m supposed, but I was getting Cabin fever and I’m y’know getting to know the city, the… Big ben, the eye, the palace, all of it, I may use this time off to go to the Harry Potter tour and all… Wow, you know if you’re going to be my coach we’re gonna have to trust one another… Yeah, yeah, see you next week.” She rolled her eyes as she hung up and removed her earphones.

“Excuse me!” She called out to the closest person. “Could I bother you to take a picture of me?” She asked as she offered her phone while she pulled out a long coat from her backpack, one that would cover the sportswear she was wearing and a beanie. “Please make sure the sneakers are not in the picture…” She asked wincing. “And that I look relaxed?” She knew that had nothing to do with the camera or who was taking the picture but she couldn’t help it, she was supposed to be taking time off, a couple of weeks, to heal, it was just a torn quad but she and her team didn’t want to risk making it worse so close to Roland Garros, she looked at the camera and gave her best ‘on camera’ smile, which in her opinion was just smiling like a psychopath.

It was nothing unusual, to have someone grab you while you were walking the streets of London, and ask you to take a photo. Nathan normally obliged, so long as he wasn’t busy running anywhere else, which today he wasn’t luckily. He had a meeting in Mayfair, but there was no rush, he was ridiculously early already and figured a brisk walk would do him some good. He agreed to taking the picture before she starting barking out her instructions and had to raise his eyebrows in amusement, mouth quirking at the corners. “You realise you’re the only one who can make yourself look relaxed, by relaxing,” he told her with a gentle laugh.

Moments later he took the photo, however, and then handed the phone back towards her. His eyes narrowed for a moment then in recognition, he’d definitely seen her around before somewhere. “Are you staying in one of my hotels?” he asked then, which probably wouldn’t narrow it down all that much.

“That’s true, London has many sides to it,” she agreed, though she didn’t quite think that the cause of the ruckus was a brawl. “You don’t sound excited to be living here,” she quipped, for Evie London still very much felt like the dream it had done when she was a kid. “Well I mean the best musical is down the street at the Arts, but I may be biased,” she joked. 

“Don’t I? I've been here all my life, it’s just... home, I suppose,” answered Nathan. “There’s nothing new and exciting about it for me. I know a lot of people get that. The vibrant lifestyle and all.” A nonchalant shrug followed moments later, what else was there to say about it? “Suppose sometimes I’m looking to get out.” To escape the bad memories of his ex wife leaving more than anything else. “Oh yeah?”

Nodding slightly at the other man’s words, his gaze drifted back to the disturbance. “You can say that again.” Part of him could sympathise with it though he had never been one to condone violence outside of the ring. “Guess you can’t blame them for it though. We’re all fighting for space one way or another here.” He’d had to fight for his space in the ring, in the Olympics and more recently fight for the spaces that he’d turned into his gym. He didn’t consider this all that different from it.

The other man was completely right, of course, even if it wasn’t something that Nathan had thought about all that often. Here they were, in central London, and people were fighting over a spot to play their guitar —- it had to happen. If you wanted the money, you wanted the best spot for it. “What? On planet earth? Or London? Because if it’s the former it suddenly got very deep around here,” he chuckled.