[Jenn – Downtown – Rose Garden – Bar – BoL – A]
Jenn got out of the Uber in the location she’d had sent to her – The gallery was nice, and in a prime location; she felt like she was so out of her depth. She’d been to the classy Elysium a few times before it had moved, and even there she’d felt like an impostor. In this place, dressed in a gorgeous red dress and made up beautifully by Annelie, Jenn felt like she herself was some kind of fraud.
The Uber driver bade her goodbye and she murmured a noncommittal response, not meeting the man’s eye and turning toward the gallery. She uselessly took a deep breath, clutching her purse nervously like she was late for the prom, and headed inside.
She was surprised to find that the front of the gallery was outfitted as a bar, and she made her away to the bar, nervously biting an immaculately painted lip as she caught the eye of the bartender. “Uhm… I was told there’d be refreshments?” she asked in a small voice, and, when given the choice between beer and wine she raised her eyebrows. “Uhh, wine please?” a glass of deep red but tellingly opaque liquid was placed before her. She gave a nervous smile, unsure of whether she was supposed to pay, but the bartender didn’t ask for anything; it looked like Tobias, who’d sent her the invite, had catered the event. She’d have to make sure to thank him when she got to meet him.
She looked up and down the bar, nervously wondering if any of these people were Roses she should know. Mentally she shook herself; All of them are Roses I should know! she thought, but she struggled to work up the courage to actually go and speak to any of them. Instead she perched at the bar sipping her bloodwine like a wallflower, glancing around at the other Roses that were arriving.
In spite of herself she was hungry, and kept sipping at her glass, fangs clinking against the edge of the glass every time she put it to her lips. Maybe some alcohol in the blood will help, ‘cause damn I’m bad at networking on my own.
She felt her phone buzz in her bag and jumped, putting her glass down to check it, thinking too late that checking her phone at a party might be rude or something. It was from Annelie though, so she was happy to try and filter through the Malkavian’s incomprehensible text speak.
The content of the text concerned her though, and she frowned, anxiety spiking before she tapped a message back.
To: Annelie
be careful! rando dudes with motorbikes might not have the best intentions. cant w8 to see your lions tho. love u.
She sent the message and set to worrying about Annelie on top of worrying about herself, and sipped her drink once more, the clink of her fangs on the rim a quiet but audible sound.