Post by american09mutt on Oct 17, 2009 2:04:54 GMT -5
Mindy and Mutt are sitting in a restaurant eating lunch wearing their Celtic Thunder gear, all set for a concert that evening. Mindy has on a Paul shirt, and Mutt is of course wearing her newly designed George shirt. They hear a loud tenor voice say “Well hello there! Nice seeing you again!” and Mutt’s mouth drops open as she sees Paul appear out of nowhere. Mindy turns to look behind her and sure enough, Paul is standing there with his arms out wide to give her a hug.
His eyes are red and a bit puffy, but Mindy is too shocked and excited to notice. Mutt is a bit more detached, and is taking it all in. Sadly being detached does not mean one is capable of speech. Mindy stands up to hug Paul, but all Mutt can do is sit there and stare at the dark haired figure behind him, the flinty eyes looking back at her quizzically. Mindy manages to stammer out an offer for them to sit. Paul plops into a chair, and Ryan carefully seats himself opposite Paul.
They wait with the two women until their check comes, Paul making small talk and Ryan politely trying to get Paul to leave. Mutt can tell that Ryan is obviously uncomfortable with her continued silence, but she can’t manage to make her mouth cooperate. Finally Mutt manages a small squeaking noise. Clearing her throat and going bright red as Ryan turns to look at her.
When the check comes, Mutt counts out the dollar bills and leaves them on the table. She then rises from her chair, and pulls on her coat. Ryan and Paul both comment on her shirt, and she finally speaks up, comfortable with the subject at hand. They walk off down the street, completely distracted. The lads apparently have nowhere else to be, and the ladies are not going to remind them.
Paul places his arm around Mindy’s shoulders as they walk and talk about his new single. Ryan and Mutt walk behind, talking about platonic things like the weather and her shoes. She is surprised he noticed her shoes, but then, she didn’t know the reason for them stopping either. "Life is a mystery you’ve just got to enjoy." She thinks to herself.
At a crossing, Paul helps Mindy off the curb and walks with her across the street, away from the arena. Ryan’s hand is suddenly on the small of Mutt’s back, and his hand holding hers, helping her step off the curb in her high heels. Mutt continues walking, but looks at him in shock. He seems a little shocked at himself, and pulls his arms away, tucking his hands in his pockets.
They continue walking, with him close enough for her to feel heat radiating from him, but never quite touching. Mutt glances at Mindy occasionally, listening in on Paul’s lively explanation of a prank they played on Damian earlier in the week. Every time Mutt glances at Ryan, she sees him look away. Paul notices this too, and whispers to Mindy about the situation.
She tells him about a local park with lovely gardens, and suggests they casually head in that direction. At the entrance, Mindy takes Paul’s arm and leads him off toward the roses. Mutt and Ryan, left all on their lonesome, stand and stare at one another. At length he offers his arm, and she tucks her hand into his elbow. They stroll along paths lined with great swaths of Irises and Tulips, Daisies and Hyacinths. She has no apparent reaction to any of them, simply enjoying the view, but with no obvious favorites.
Finally they reach the lilies, and she smiles slightly at the beautiful white Cala lilies. He stoops down and scoops one up, then tucks it into her hair, behind her ear. Mutt blushes bright red, lets go of his arm, and dashes off toward a stand of trees. Left alone, Ryan wanders around the gardens in search of Mindy and Paul in a bit of a gloom. He finally finds them sitting on a low stone wall. Mindy is holding a dozen pink roses and beaming brightly, trying to thank Paul but only succeeding in stammering badly.
Finally she just settles for a big hug, and then lets go abruptly as Paul greets Ryan. The simple reply was “I gave her a flower and she left. I don’t know what I did but…” She takes one look at Ryan’s forlorn expression, and drags the two of them off into the trees. “I think there are some lovely fountains this way. Mutt adores fountains.” And continues talking about the trees and the birds they hear singing. Paul has a smile spreading across his face, and Ryan’s even perked up a little bit.
They eventually find her sitting in a clearing made by a stand of weeping willows. A large fountain at its’ center, and Mutt sitting barefoot on the edge of the basin. Her bare feet dangling in the water, and her long brown hair flowing down her back in dark shining ringlets. Hearing their footsteps on the paved walkway, she turns around slowly, looking up at them through dark lashes. Her golden brown eyes catch the light, and Ryan lets out an unconscious breath.
Noticing his reaction, Paul and Mindy excuse themselves, and walk away toward the open grassy lawns. Ryan just stands there, spellbound. He walks slowly toward Mutt, almost afraid she’s going to disappear again. But she sits still, waiting for him to come closer. He sits on the edge beside her, his body facing away from the water. They sit like that under the warm sun, feeling the cool fountain spray as it glistens in the air around them.
Mindy and Paul sit on springy green grass, soft and cushioning beneath them. They talk about their friends, and their lives. Paul can’t help taking her hand and confiding in her. Mindy is so sweet and kind that he feels like she will understand him, no matter what his troubles. She is gentle and caring, making him feel loved and wanted. He finds himself drawn to this woman. Despite her obvious physical disabilities, she’s quite an amazing person.
Paul is suddenly distracted by his iphone going off in his pocket. The alarm was set to tell them what time they needed to head back to the arena. With an air of sadness, the two of them climb to their feet, and go off in search of their friends. Mindy looks down at her own hand in wonder, not able to grasp what she is seeing. It has just occurred to her that Paul Byrom is holding her hand. Thinking back, she realizes that he had been for quite some time. She simply smiles to herself, glowing on the inside.
They reach the fountain clearing, and pull up short, completely surprised. Mutt and Ryan are still on the fountain’s edge; his dark hair is wet and gleaming slightly. Her head is resting on his shoulder, and his hand is trailing it’s way through her soft curls. Ryan spots them, and his hand freezes. Paul waggles his eyebrows at Ryan teasingly, and Mindy just grins at him.
Ryan, places his hand firmly behind Mutt head, and lifts it off his shoulder. Rolling the joint to loosen it, he helps her stand. Balancing her with both hands, he assists her exit from the pool, and then waits as she slips her shoes on, carefully keeping her from getting any dirt on her wet feet. Making sure she has her balance, he then places one arm around her waist and the other in his pocket. She twines one arm around his back and leads him off down the trail toward the entrance.
Paul and Mindy follow at a casual pace, happy to spend a little more time on their own. When they reach the front of the restaurant, Paul offers to walk the ladies to their car. Mindy and Mutt look at one another, and smile impishly. They then pull hot sound tickets out of their coat pockets, waving them at the lads. Ryan and Paul are overjoyed, and gratefully walk them to the arena, leaving them to go in the rear entrance alone.
Some fans still spot the women, and question them mercilessly until the ladies manage to escape indoors. They watch the sound check, laughing to each other as they see Ryan and Paul trying NOT to look at them. Mutt’s blush growing more and more each time Ryan tries to look away and fails. Mindy's nudging her and winking obviously not helping.
After the sound check Mindy and Mutt head outside to meet up with some friends for a picnic dinner. They sit on the grassy lawns from before, and Mindy’s slight blush tells Mutt everything. They don’t dare tell their friends though, not just yet. It still doesn’t seem real to them somehow. By a mutual and unspoken agreement, they just skip over what they did that afternoon. Mentioning the gardens and lunch, but without any finer details.
They attend the concert, sitting front row together. Ryan looking right at her during Every Breathe You Take, and Paul staring at Mindy during Remember Me. Their pub friends found them afterward to congratulate Mindy for getting Paul’s attention. Some even slapped Mutt on the back for Ryan’s looks directed toward her. They were flushed and tired by the end, but too wired to sleep. They walk back to the hotel anyway, along with a slue of other fans, but end up playing spoons in the lobby.
With Mindy only able to use one arm, Mutt happily plays one-handed as well. Mutt types up a quick text to let her friends know that a lad has arrived at the hotel, and saves it to her drafts, just in case. About an hour after the show, as they are in a heated double elimination match, the door opens. In walks a tall blond with a gaggle of fans clambering in behind him. He stops to give autographs and take pictures with them, and Mutt casually sends a text under the table.
The reply she gets reads “OMG! DON’T LET HIM LEAVE! I NEED TO GET DRESSED! STALL HIM!" So that’s exactly what they do. After all of the fans get their fill, Mutt and Mindy walk up to say hi. They get his signature, and the obligatory pictures, then wave casually as they get back to their game. Seeing them do so, he walks over to watch.
As he’s standing there, he realizes he has never played this card game before, and really wants to learn it. And since his face isn’t on either of their shirts, he goes for it. “Hey, um, mind teaching me?” Mutt and Mindy both look at him for a second, then smile and begin explaining the rules. He too decides to play with only one hand, and turns out to be quite bad at the game. Or as Mutt puts it “An Experiment in futility”.
Half an hour later, Mutt’s texting friend comes rushing into the lobby with four other girls hot on her heels. They beg Keith for an autograph and pictures, then Keith extracts himself and waves good night, claiming that he’s dead tired. He waves to Mutt and Mindy as they look pityingly back at him. He heads toward the elevators, and disappears around a corner. The girls quickly disperse, having lost their main attraction.
As they return to their game, the doors slide open once more, this time revealing the tall bald Scotsman and a very sleepy-looking Damian. They willingly sign and take pictures, and Damian collapses in a chair to wait for Paul and Ryan. Mutt gets a HUGE George hug, getting him to sign her shirt as well. George then heads upstairs to go to bed, and Damian’s fans settle around him like a flock of birds.
He listens contentedly to them talk all around him, and glances blearily at the two playing cards on the sofa. His eyes widen slightly as he takes in the scene, and recognizes them from the concert. Talking, half to his little audience and half to himself, he starts telling the story of what happened at the sound check. He then states, loudly enough so it crosses the lobby, “I can’t wait to find out why Ryan and Paul were in such a good mood today.” Causing Mutt and Mindy to look at one another with a twinkle in their eyes.
Finally, at a little after 1am, Paul and Ryan stroll in. Their hair still damp from the shower and their eyes bright, they are set upon immediately by a flock of adoring fans. They sign things and pose for pictures, giving their full attention to their admirers. Mutt and Mindy wait patiently in line, and act the same as the other fans. When they have their pictures, the two women then head for the elevators to go up to bed.
Before the doors can close behind them, two figures come around the corner and dash through the doors. Paul leans against the back wall puffing for breath, then hugs Mindy. Ryan lays a casual arm around Mutt’s shoulders, and hugs her close for a second. He goes to press the button for their floor, but it is already lit up… the ONLY one lit up.
Getting off on the third floor, they all make their way down the hall. Turns out their rooms are only a few doors apart, and these two are sharing a room. So the four of them sit in the hallway chatting for awhile, sitting together. Then Paul starts telling a story about their travels, and the other three listen. As he talks, Paul is holding Mindy’s hand, and running his thumbs over the back of hers. Ryan is playing with Mutt’s hair, and running his fingers through the flowing mass of curls.
A length, Paul finishes the story, and hears Ryan chuckle softly. Peering over, he notices that Mutt has fallen asleep with her head against Ryan’s chest, her arms limp in her lap. “A long drive and too much excitement.” Mindy explains. Ryan lifts the sleeping Mutt into his arms, taking care not to wake her, and carries her to her room. “She looks like an angel when she’s sleeping” he mumbles. He and Paul help Mindy tuck her in, then hug Mindy good night.
Mindy giggles to herself, certain that Mutt will wake in the morning and wonder how she got back to their room. And who took her shoes off, placing them carefully next to her bag. But that can wait until morning, because for now, Mindy is also very tired, and they both have a long day of driving tomorrow to get to their next concert.
His eyes are red and a bit puffy, but Mindy is too shocked and excited to notice. Mutt is a bit more detached, and is taking it all in. Sadly being detached does not mean one is capable of speech. Mindy stands up to hug Paul, but all Mutt can do is sit there and stare at the dark haired figure behind him, the flinty eyes looking back at her quizzically. Mindy manages to stammer out an offer for them to sit. Paul plops into a chair, and Ryan carefully seats himself opposite Paul.
They wait with the two women until their check comes, Paul making small talk and Ryan politely trying to get Paul to leave. Mutt can tell that Ryan is obviously uncomfortable with her continued silence, but she can’t manage to make her mouth cooperate. Finally Mutt manages a small squeaking noise. Clearing her throat and going bright red as Ryan turns to look at her.
When the check comes, Mutt counts out the dollar bills and leaves them on the table. She then rises from her chair, and pulls on her coat. Ryan and Paul both comment on her shirt, and she finally speaks up, comfortable with the subject at hand. They walk off down the street, completely distracted. The lads apparently have nowhere else to be, and the ladies are not going to remind them.
Paul places his arm around Mindy’s shoulders as they walk and talk about his new single. Ryan and Mutt walk behind, talking about platonic things like the weather and her shoes. She is surprised he noticed her shoes, but then, she didn’t know the reason for them stopping either. "Life is a mystery you’ve just got to enjoy." She thinks to herself.
At a crossing, Paul helps Mindy off the curb and walks with her across the street, away from the arena. Ryan’s hand is suddenly on the small of Mutt’s back, and his hand holding hers, helping her step off the curb in her high heels. Mutt continues walking, but looks at him in shock. He seems a little shocked at himself, and pulls his arms away, tucking his hands in his pockets.
They continue walking, with him close enough for her to feel heat radiating from him, but never quite touching. Mutt glances at Mindy occasionally, listening in on Paul’s lively explanation of a prank they played on Damian earlier in the week. Every time Mutt glances at Ryan, she sees him look away. Paul notices this too, and whispers to Mindy about the situation.
She tells him about a local park with lovely gardens, and suggests they casually head in that direction. At the entrance, Mindy takes Paul’s arm and leads him off toward the roses. Mutt and Ryan, left all on their lonesome, stand and stare at one another. At length he offers his arm, and she tucks her hand into his elbow. They stroll along paths lined with great swaths of Irises and Tulips, Daisies and Hyacinths. She has no apparent reaction to any of them, simply enjoying the view, but with no obvious favorites.
Finally they reach the lilies, and she smiles slightly at the beautiful white Cala lilies. He stoops down and scoops one up, then tucks it into her hair, behind her ear. Mutt blushes bright red, lets go of his arm, and dashes off toward a stand of trees. Left alone, Ryan wanders around the gardens in search of Mindy and Paul in a bit of a gloom. He finally finds them sitting on a low stone wall. Mindy is holding a dozen pink roses and beaming brightly, trying to thank Paul but only succeeding in stammering badly.
Finally she just settles for a big hug, and then lets go abruptly as Paul greets Ryan. The simple reply was “I gave her a flower and she left. I don’t know what I did but…” She takes one look at Ryan’s forlorn expression, and drags the two of them off into the trees. “I think there are some lovely fountains this way. Mutt adores fountains.” And continues talking about the trees and the birds they hear singing. Paul has a smile spreading across his face, and Ryan’s even perked up a little bit.
They eventually find her sitting in a clearing made by a stand of weeping willows. A large fountain at its’ center, and Mutt sitting barefoot on the edge of the basin. Her bare feet dangling in the water, and her long brown hair flowing down her back in dark shining ringlets. Hearing their footsteps on the paved walkway, she turns around slowly, looking up at them through dark lashes. Her golden brown eyes catch the light, and Ryan lets out an unconscious breath.
Noticing his reaction, Paul and Mindy excuse themselves, and walk away toward the open grassy lawns. Ryan just stands there, spellbound. He walks slowly toward Mutt, almost afraid she’s going to disappear again. But she sits still, waiting for him to come closer. He sits on the edge beside her, his body facing away from the water. They sit like that under the warm sun, feeling the cool fountain spray as it glistens in the air around them.
Mindy and Paul sit on springy green grass, soft and cushioning beneath them. They talk about their friends, and their lives. Paul can’t help taking her hand and confiding in her. Mindy is so sweet and kind that he feels like she will understand him, no matter what his troubles. She is gentle and caring, making him feel loved and wanted. He finds himself drawn to this woman. Despite her obvious physical disabilities, she’s quite an amazing person.
Paul is suddenly distracted by his iphone going off in his pocket. The alarm was set to tell them what time they needed to head back to the arena. With an air of sadness, the two of them climb to their feet, and go off in search of their friends. Mindy looks down at her own hand in wonder, not able to grasp what she is seeing. It has just occurred to her that Paul Byrom is holding her hand. Thinking back, she realizes that he had been for quite some time. She simply smiles to herself, glowing on the inside.
They reach the fountain clearing, and pull up short, completely surprised. Mutt and Ryan are still on the fountain’s edge; his dark hair is wet and gleaming slightly. Her head is resting on his shoulder, and his hand is trailing it’s way through her soft curls. Ryan spots them, and his hand freezes. Paul waggles his eyebrows at Ryan teasingly, and Mindy just grins at him.
Ryan, places his hand firmly behind Mutt head, and lifts it off his shoulder. Rolling the joint to loosen it, he helps her stand. Balancing her with both hands, he assists her exit from the pool, and then waits as she slips her shoes on, carefully keeping her from getting any dirt on her wet feet. Making sure she has her balance, he then places one arm around her waist and the other in his pocket. She twines one arm around his back and leads him off down the trail toward the entrance.
Paul and Mindy follow at a casual pace, happy to spend a little more time on their own. When they reach the front of the restaurant, Paul offers to walk the ladies to their car. Mindy and Mutt look at one another, and smile impishly. They then pull hot sound tickets out of their coat pockets, waving them at the lads. Ryan and Paul are overjoyed, and gratefully walk them to the arena, leaving them to go in the rear entrance alone.
Some fans still spot the women, and question them mercilessly until the ladies manage to escape indoors. They watch the sound check, laughing to each other as they see Ryan and Paul trying NOT to look at them. Mutt’s blush growing more and more each time Ryan tries to look away and fails. Mindy's nudging her and winking obviously not helping.
After the sound check Mindy and Mutt head outside to meet up with some friends for a picnic dinner. They sit on the grassy lawns from before, and Mindy’s slight blush tells Mutt everything. They don’t dare tell their friends though, not just yet. It still doesn’t seem real to them somehow. By a mutual and unspoken agreement, they just skip over what they did that afternoon. Mentioning the gardens and lunch, but without any finer details.
They attend the concert, sitting front row together. Ryan looking right at her during Every Breathe You Take, and Paul staring at Mindy during Remember Me. Their pub friends found them afterward to congratulate Mindy for getting Paul’s attention. Some even slapped Mutt on the back for Ryan’s looks directed toward her. They were flushed and tired by the end, but too wired to sleep. They walk back to the hotel anyway, along with a slue of other fans, but end up playing spoons in the lobby.
With Mindy only able to use one arm, Mutt happily plays one-handed as well. Mutt types up a quick text to let her friends know that a lad has arrived at the hotel, and saves it to her drafts, just in case. About an hour after the show, as they are in a heated double elimination match, the door opens. In walks a tall blond with a gaggle of fans clambering in behind him. He stops to give autographs and take pictures with them, and Mutt casually sends a text under the table.
The reply she gets reads “OMG! DON’T LET HIM LEAVE! I NEED TO GET DRESSED! STALL HIM!" So that’s exactly what they do. After all of the fans get their fill, Mutt and Mindy walk up to say hi. They get his signature, and the obligatory pictures, then wave casually as they get back to their game. Seeing them do so, he walks over to watch.
As he’s standing there, he realizes he has never played this card game before, and really wants to learn it. And since his face isn’t on either of their shirts, he goes for it. “Hey, um, mind teaching me?” Mutt and Mindy both look at him for a second, then smile and begin explaining the rules. He too decides to play with only one hand, and turns out to be quite bad at the game. Or as Mutt puts it “An Experiment in futility”.
Half an hour later, Mutt’s texting friend comes rushing into the lobby with four other girls hot on her heels. They beg Keith for an autograph and pictures, then Keith extracts himself and waves good night, claiming that he’s dead tired. He waves to Mutt and Mindy as they look pityingly back at him. He heads toward the elevators, and disappears around a corner. The girls quickly disperse, having lost their main attraction.
As they return to their game, the doors slide open once more, this time revealing the tall bald Scotsman and a very sleepy-looking Damian. They willingly sign and take pictures, and Damian collapses in a chair to wait for Paul and Ryan. Mutt gets a HUGE George hug, getting him to sign her shirt as well. George then heads upstairs to go to bed, and Damian’s fans settle around him like a flock of birds.
He listens contentedly to them talk all around him, and glances blearily at the two playing cards on the sofa. His eyes widen slightly as he takes in the scene, and recognizes them from the concert. Talking, half to his little audience and half to himself, he starts telling the story of what happened at the sound check. He then states, loudly enough so it crosses the lobby, “I can’t wait to find out why Ryan and Paul were in such a good mood today.” Causing Mutt and Mindy to look at one another with a twinkle in their eyes.
Finally, at a little after 1am, Paul and Ryan stroll in. Their hair still damp from the shower and their eyes bright, they are set upon immediately by a flock of adoring fans. They sign things and pose for pictures, giving their full attention to their admirers. Mutt and Mindy wait patiently in line, and act the same as the other fans. When they have their pictures, the two women then head for the elevators to go up to bed.
Before the doors can close behind them, two figures come around the corner and dash through the doors. Paul leans against the back wall puffing for breath, then hugs Mindy. Ryan lays a casual arm around Mutt’s shoulders, and hugs her close for a second. He goes to press the button for their floor, but it is already lit up… the ONLY one lit up.
Getting off on the third floor, they all make their way down the hall. Turns out their rooms are only a few doors apart, and these two are sharing a room. So the four of them sit in the hallway chatting for awhile, sitting together. Then Paul starts telling a story about their travels, and the other three listen. As he talks, Paul is holding Mindy’s hand, and running his thumbs over the back of hers. Ryan is playing with Mutt’s hair, and running his fingers through the flowing mass of curls.
A length, Paul finishes the story, and hears Ryan chuckle softly. Peering over, he notices that Mutt has fallen asleep with her head against Ryan’s chest, her arms limp in her lap. “A long drive and too much excitement.” Mindy explains. Ryan lifts the sleeping Mutt into his arms, taking care not to wake her, and carries her to her room. “She looks like an angel when she’s sleeping” he mumbles. He and Paul help Mindy tuck her in, then hug Mindy good night.
Mindy giggles to herself, certain that Mutt will wake in the morning and wonder how she got back to their room. And who took her shoes off, placing them carefully next to her bag. But that can wait until morning, because for now, Mindy is also very tired, and they both have a long day of driving tomorrow to get to their next concert.