The museum was quiet. Torrential downpours did tend to deter visitors. Most of the custodial staff had left, and there was really only the business of locking things up left to Hugh. Ordinarily Monday nights he worked late on little side projects and paperwork here. The deluge outside had left him freed up for the day though. So he was ahead of the game.

He began his usual walk through to make sure display cases were properly secured and that lights were turned off. The security guards were doing shift change.

A little ways down off the main lobby there was a shadow moving, bobbing slightly side to side.

Hugh's loafers made a soft series of shuffling sounds on the waxed floors as he headed that way. Someone cleaning a glass display case front with windex and a chamois. Someone who's rear contours were familiarly pleasant as he moved towards her.

Diane has almost been enjoying the whole working thing. This job has lasted a suprisingly long time, meaning that the rent gets paid and Diana even gets her fags. Of course, this might have something to do with the fact she's having sex with her boss.

She's not honestly crazy about the whole cleaning thing, but ultimately it pays off, so she's content to stick with it for now. Although she's getting a tad stir crazy. All this having sex with the same person, working nine to five... It's not exactly her usaul scene.

Absently swishing her cloth back and forth across the glass, her mind is wandering, and is only pulled back by the characteristic shuffle of shoes on the floor that can only be Hugh. The security guards tap.

"Hey you," she says, not looking away from her display case.

He does have sex with other people, really if she wanted to opt out he'd let her. She doesn't have to sleep with him to keep the job.

"It's raining cats and dogs. You need a lift?"

She walked there that morning, in tight jeans and a paint stained black tank top, with the Autumn chill already in the air, and it took her all day to dry out.

"That would be great, thanks," she says. "Just let me stick this shit in the closet."

Language language.

As long as she curbs her tongue around visitors with small children, Hugh could care less.

"Sure. Lemme finish my walkthrough. Just meet me up by the alarm panels."

"Okay," Diana says. She finishes wiping down the window and hauls the cleaning supplies to the janitor's closet.

Waiting around for Hugh by the alarms, she tugs her bleach blonde hair down from its ponytail and snaps the bauble around her wrist. Her hair is frizzy and awful from humidity and chemicals.

Hugh walks up with his trenchcoat over one arm and his umbrella hooked over the other. "Put this on doll." he says handing over the coat and punching in keypad codes before swiping his security pass.

Hugh is such a gentlemen that Diana is suprised he's sleeping with someone as cheap as her.

"Thanks," she says, not protesting. She slips on his coat. "So how was your day?" There's a playful smirk toying around her lips.

"Boring. But there's always hope for livining things up." he tells her warmly opening the door for her so he can lock up behind her.

He doesn't think of her as cheap, down on her luck a bit, but Hugh tends to find the best in people. It's part of his charm, boyish optimism.

"Worst comes to worst I can set something on fire," Diana agrees with a bright smile. "Thanks."

It's still pouring outside but at this point that will only help her hair. She reaches up and flips the collar of the trench up, all badass.

He laughs. "Just not at my place. I burn enough leftovers with out setting anything else on fire there." He opens the umbrella and holds it over them both. It gives him an excuse to walk close to her, not that he really needs one.

Diane wasn't about to complain about his proximity anyway, but she's greatful the umbrella. It's nasty rain.

"All right, all right," she tells him, "we can go back to my place to set things on fire if you insist."

This is a joke. They never go back to her place. Hugh drops her off there sometimes, but never goes in.

She has never invited him, and he's never pressed the matter. It isn't his style to be pushy.

Diane simply feels Hugh is too classy for her flat. And too tidy. The place looks and feels like a refugee ship come drug den.

Hugh opens the car door for her and helps her slide into the seat. "Where to tonight?" he asks as he gets in on his side.

Diana gets in, and automatically switches on the radio.

"Wherever you like honey."

He nods and drives by a grocery store to make a pit stop for cookies and icecream before taking her back to his place.

Diane deliberates over flavours of ice cream.

"Help me choose! You're trying to make me fat!"

"I solemnly promise to help you burn calories whenever you feel like. Or to get you a gym membership if you really feel you need one." He says easily.

"God, like I would actually work out," Diane laughs. She's standing in the cold wave of air from the open freezer door and there are goosebumps running up her arms. "Cookies and cream or coconut?"

"Coconut." He says.

She takes out the container of coconut and closes the door with some relief.

"Got the cookies?"

"Chocolate macaroons." he says with a nod.

"Well come on then," Diana says. "We have food to consume."

Apparently they are having a coconut theme. Perhaps they should get up some pina coladas to go with.

Hugh does have something in mind. It's certainly likely he has all the fixings for the drinks in his mini bar.

Sleeping with Hugh is sort of like living in a hotel. Just part of the charm. She misses Tam though, and relationships that were actually based on something remotely resembling reality.

They get back to his place and have icecream and cookies, after he sings to her that he's got a lovely bunch of coconuts. He needs some levity and doesn't think it would go amiss in her life either.

Diane is pretty sure she's too sobre for singing, but she let's it slide. She has ice cream on her nose but a distinct lack of levity.

Hugh will forgive her. There's icecream on her nose for him to kiss off.

Diane cheerfully submits to having the ice cream kissed off her nose.

She's wondering, though, about Hugh and this whole thing. It's more sex then she's used to having sober for starters, and it's not like they have anything in common.

He isn't necessarily after the sex, if it happens it happens. Several of his other visitors of a frequent nature have come to suspect the man is just lonely with commitment issues. As for nothing in common, he doesn't care. She's nice to him, he really doesn't ask for more than that.

Diane is a young woman and thus cannot sleep with anyone without suffering existential angst about the whole thing.

At this moment however she is kissing away any dark thoughts, and Hugh tastes like coconuts.

If he knew it made her angsty, he'd probably stop. He really does just want everyone to be as happy as possible. Malice isn't in his nature.

Her kisses are soft and nice. He gives a soft hum of approval over them and kisses back.

A little angst has never stopped Diane... After all, if she let it get in her way she'd never get laid. Hugh's niceness is part of the problem of course. It makes her feel more guilty than normal. But he is nice. Not to mention he's got money.

So it all makes a change for the better really, and she doesn't mind the angst so much.

Hugh none the wiser goes with the flow here and keeps on with the kissing. He's in the habit of pretty much doing what his companions seem to dictate they wish for.

The kissing goes the way it always does. Hugh and Diane don't seem to spend a lot of time in meaningful conversation, and they still move with all the speed and urgency of either young love or a one night stand. Diane is tugging at Hugh's tie, and you can tell she's getting used to him. When they first met it had been so long since she'd dealt with a tie that she'd forgotten how to get the fucking things off.

Hugh likes wearing ties because women have to take them off of him. Like reverse dress up.

ooc// And then we had to cut for wild crazy sex for a bit.

bic//

The post-coital scene is typical. Diane is stretched out across the floor and propped up on the couch. The tie in question has been draped over a lamp.

Diana pulls herself up into a proper sitting position and glances over at Hugh. The look is soft and affectionate without actually being loving. They both know what comes next.

"Right, well, I need a fag."

He keeps a carton of her brand in his sock drawer now. He gives her a nod. "You know where they are."

She leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "You're a doll."

It's still warmish, heat hanging over from summer, but not really warm enough to go outside with nothing on.

She takes Hugh's dressing gown, as well as the cigarettes, and goes out on the balcony to smoke.

Regrets or no regrets, the sex is good and so are the cigarettes.