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Who: Harper & Xander
When: 5:30 PM
Where: Nevermore

Arriving in town a few hours before, Xander had made quick work of finding a house to rent. A small one bedroom on the outskirts of town. His new landlord was a bit annoying at first, but once he'd paid up for the next two months in advance he'd walked away without anymore questions. Once he'd established residence he began the long task of getting familiar with his surroundings.

He was still getting used to everything now as he made his way into the next stop on his list of stores and shops that might prove useful. He entered Nevermore and sauntered around, his fingertips grazing across the spines of a few books on a shelf near the corner. Tidy. Everything put in it's place. Whoever worked here was extremely on top of their job. He respected that. A person who could do their job and do it well. His blue eyes flickered across the bindings taking in the titles. Unusual ones of paranormal activities and skills. His eyebrow cocked as he continued moving throughout the store.

Harper was in one of the mid-to-last rows of the store, she had let Herbert go for the night and was finishing up the last of the organization, it still wasn't perfect, but she had made Herbert run through and straighten the shelves they hadn't gotten to yet. They had finished half the store that day, which was pretty impressive considering. When she heard the little bell that signaled the door opening she peeked her head out. "Evening." She said with a smile, to the figure- not noticing yet if it male or female- "If you need anything feel free to ask, and so you know we're closed in..." She turned her wrist to look at her watch. "About a half hour."

He followed the females voice around to the row where it came from. "Thanks." he offered, walking down the aisle where she was working. This aisle wasn't as tidy as the rest, but she was working through the books. He flashed her a smile, one side of his mouth rising slightly higher than the other. "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you." he said to the woman as his eyes drifted over her. She was pretty, but she dressed a bit like she wanted to blend in the background. Shy being the most likely scenario.

Harper pulled the two books in her arms back on the shelve, her cast throbbed from the weight of the books- she had to stop doing that. "Yea." She said, tucking some strands that had falled loose from her pony tail behind her ear. "But it keeps me busy, and needs to be done." She still wasn't sure -why- but it needed to be finished soon. Harper looked at the man, his smile made her smile a bit. She hadn't been expecting anyone to come in so late after everything that happened, or at least so close to closing but she wasn't going to complain about a nice looking man stepping through her doors. "Can I help you find anything in particular?" She asked, glancing over the few piles of books on ghosts resting on the floor that were intended for the bottom shelves if she ever got the rows moved up.

He shook his head. "No, no." he replied. "I'm just... getting used to the town. Seeing what it has to offer so to speak. Just arrived today." he told her. A little truthful information never hurt, though this little tidbit would probably be all the girl got, at least for now. His eyes caught her cast and he pondered what the girl could have possibly done to put herself in a cast. Most likely nothing outdoorsy, she didn't seem to be much of the tomboy type, at least visually. "How rude of me..." he said offering out his hand to her, careful to use the one that she could actually shake. "Alexander." he offered. "But please, do call me Xander."

It was a wonder that the vampire had only managed to break her left arm instead of her right one, thus not impacting on every moment of her life. She reached out and shook his hand, a little strange... not many customers shook. "Harper." She replied, it was a nice name. "No nickname." She added with a small smile.

She'd made a slight face when she shook his hand, so small that most people wouldn't have even detected it. It showed that she wasn't used to such formalities as shaking. People in town must be pretty close knit he thought to himself. "Lovely." he replied to her name, building up his trust factor with the woman would be easy if he played his cards right. He returned her smile and released her hands, looking down at the stack of books and then back up to the girl, catching her cast in his vision and then her eyes. "Would you like some help?" he questioned. "I'd feel just awful if I left you here without at least offering."

She laughed a little. "No, thank you though. Like I said, it keeps me busy." Harper fiddled a little with the sleeve of her shirt. "And it's an on-going project too." Harper looked at his really pretty eyes for a moment before shaking her head, her cheeks redenning every so slightly. "So, you're new in town." God, it was if she was in high school again meeting her first guy, why did all the new ones have to throw her for a loop? She just had to put on her 'good store employee' persona again. "How do you like it so far? Anything I can help you locate that you haven't found yet?"

She found him attractive. Perfectly clear from the crimson tone that overtook the curve of her cheeks after she looked away from him. Perhaps gaining her trust would be even simpler than he'd first expected. He shrugged. "It's surprisingly small. I'm from a big city so it's an adjustment." Another tidbit of truth though he didn't delve to far into his personal life with the woman. "I think I've gotten all the important things down." he told her.

"Food, gas, hospital, home and recreation." She listed. "Pretty much all the town's got... well and the education." Harper said with a little shrug. "If you're a student." Harper tried to hide her embaressment and flusteredness that she always seemed to get around... well... guys. Ok every guy but Herbert, and even then she'd been known to put her foot into her mouth on occasion.

He shook his head. "Nah, no education for me." he replied. "Got that out of the way already." Again he didn't delve into details with the girl. "Are you a student?" he queried, he was trying to get her age without actually asking. She didn't look like she was in highschool, but she couldn't be much older than 18 if any. She had no wrinkles so she was well under 30.

Harper shook her head, she was used to answering the mundane questions of her life in small talk with customers. "No, just a working stiff." She replied. "This place takes up plenty of my time." And failing out of college the first time really gives you no reason to want to go again.

18 at least, nineteen at the most. "I see. You mustn't work all the time though. What do you do for fun around a small town like this?" he questioned. Again pludering for details. At this point in his life he spent so much time asking people questions about their lives that he really didn't even realize he was doing it sometimes. His brain seemed to be programmed to take in all the information around him.

"What any good bookstore employee does." She said, lifting one of the books with a pleasant smile. "I read." Which was true... which was sad. Harper really only had three acts to any one of her days; work, read, sleep. Social she was not.

"Very attractive quality." he told her, his fingertips running across the edge of the book. "Now are you just saying this because you work in a book store, or do you actually enjoy the passtime?" he questioned, his eyes flickering up to hers.

"Bit of both." She replied, not wanting to admit to her complete lack of a social life. "It's all about the knowledge we gain right?" Harper put the book back on the shelf. "And the stories that spark the imagination. Besides, I've never been good at video games and stuff like that."

He nodded. "Yes, knowledge we gain. Couldn't have said it better myself." he agreed. This girl was smart, at least smart enough to fill her mind with words from books. Another attractive quality, but he let that thought drown amidst the others running through his brain. He flicked his hand up to glance at his watch. "You're closing up soon, you said. Are you sure I can't pursuade you to let me help you out? I promise not to think less of you as a book store employee." he teased, his smile curling at the corners of his lips as his eyes locked again with hers.

Harper shook her head. "Thank you, but really it's nothing and is only tedious in it's simplicity; alphabetizing and shifting books." She smiled. "It's also a project that won't be finished tonight, so if I don't finish these shelves today it's not that big of a deal."

He smiled at her regardless. "Well can't say that I didn't offer to help." he told her. "Perhaps then I can talk you into dinner then?" he offered. "I owe you at least that for your time. Humor me." Again he smiled, his eyes catching the light as waited for her response. He felt if he could gain her trust she may open up to him a little about the town and perhaps give him some insight into what types of people lived here. The murder of the elderly couple looked almost as though it were gang or cult related and if it were, perhaps the culprits had traveled through the bookstore.

-That- Harper wasn't expecting. "Umm..." Her brow furrowed a little as she considered it. "Sure?"

Bait set, and definitely taken. Hook, line, sinker. A smile drifted across his lips and one side rose in a little smirk. "Good." he told her. "Well since I'm new in town, you get to choose to which restaurant we venture. Did you want to drive, or would you like to ride with me?" he questioned. This question would tell a lot just by her answer. If she said no, chances were that she wasn't quite as trusting, or that she had a car that she couldn't just leave at the book store. If she said yes, then perhaps she trusted him a lot already which would be a good sign.

"I would drive... if I had a car." She informed him. "But... should you actually want dinner." She said, looking at her watch. "I should probably close up. It'll only take like... ten minutes." Harper told him. "If you wanna wait in the sitting area in the front?"

No car, and quite trusting if she was going to let him drive. He smiled and nodded heading out to the front sitting area like she'd suggested. He sat down and began to ponder all the information he'd collected. If she trusted him, chances were she was a pretty trusting person, that or not many untrustworthy people came across her path. Of course there was the third option that perhaps the girl just trusted people and never thought to question said trust even if she came in contact with untrustworth people. His eyebrows raised slightly. He'd have to see how much she divulged at Dinner to really tell which option was the correct one.

Harper pulled the drawer out and deposited it into the safe, choosing to prepare the deposit for the morning seeing as she'd be the one opening anyhow and she was a little hungry. She made sure to set the machine for the phone and grab her bags. "You'll wanna wait outside while I set the alarm." She told him gesturing at the door as she walked to the back.

He headed out the front door and leaned against the building. While he waited he pulled out his cigarettes. It'd been a good while since he'd had one and his nicotine cravings were rearing their ugly head. He lit the stick and returned the lighter and pack to his jacket pockets and gave the cigarette a couple quick puffs. Much better. he thought to himself.

A few moments later the lights were off and Harper was out the door and locking it up. She put her keys into her pocket and pulled her jacket over her good arm, reaching around clumbsily to pull it over the shoulder of the arm that couldn't fit through the sleeve due to her cast. "Ok. All done." She said turning to him. Harper made the smallest of faces when she saw him smoking. Not a fan of it herself, she also wasn't the type to get on someones case about something so long as it didn't blow in her direction.

She made a face when she caught his cigarette. Obviously she didn't care for smokers, but she didn't voice her opinion. He flicked the butt to the ground and stomped the ember out. "Shall we?" he questioned as he headed for a truck parked right in front of the book store. A little Toyota. Xander did his best not to attact too much attention to himself no matter where he was. His car was no different. He pulled the passenger side door open for her to climb in.

He was a bit of a gentleman, that was nice. "Thank you." She said as she climbed in, everything a little akward with only one good arm. And with the bad one still hurting... she probably should get back to the hospital. Harper strapped in and waited for him to join her before speaking. "I know this cute little Italian place open until 9 tonight four blocks north and about five west." She told him. "If you like Italian."

He smirked at that. "Caravelli." he told her. "I am Italian." Well the statement was mostly true. He was 'raised' Italian, but he wasn't about to go into detail with her about his parents not actually being 'his parents'. "Alexander Caravelli." he stated again. "Italian is good for me." He cranked the car and pulled away from the curb heading in the direction the girl had started.

Harper stayed quiet during the ride, watching out the window, she actually couldn't remember the last time she'd actually been in a car- that was sad. No, wait, it was when she went to the mines with Dorian- still was sad.

"You're not very talkative. Something on your mind?" he questioned. "Or perhaps you find me a bit forward asking you to dinner on the same night that we met..." She was quiet, posture somewhat relaxed, but she stared out the window. This last little told him that she must have something on her mind that was silently eating away at her.

"Bit of both I guess." She replied. "I don't know if you've seen or read the news, but this town's been through a bit recently and this is one of the first quiet nights to process it all." Especially the whole developing power thing. "And not many guys invite you to dinner twenty minutes after meeting you." Harper explained.

The town had been through a lot lately? Interesting little tidbit. He shook his head. "No, I haven't seen the news... not much of a television watcher really..." He sighed a little as he pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. "And I'm sorry if I made you feel weird..." he told her, the statement partly true and partly just to make her feel better. "But of course, you could have said no, and seeing as you didn't.. I'm assuming there's something you like about me, despite our twenty minute friendship... if you want to call it that." he said, putting the truck in park and turning it off. He stuffed the keys in his jacket pocket and turned towards her. "So, what is it you like about me?" he questioned. "I'm intrigued."

Harper shrugged slightly. "Nothing really I guess." She opened the door and climbed out. She walked to the front of the car and when he eventually joined her she smiled. "I just have a good feeling about you, and my feelings are normally right."

He followed her to the front of the truck and shook his head. "A good feeling, huh?" he questioned with a return smile. "Well I guess we'll just have to see how right you're feelings are." He smirked and led her up to the door of the restaurant, pulling the glass door open and letting her enter ahead of him. She went on gut instinct. Interesting quality. Most people had to get to know a person in order to form trust, this one however seemed to base her trust on how the person made her 'feel'. He pondered that thought as the waiter seated them.

Harper shrugged her jacket off and put it on the back of her chair before sitting in it. She had been her a few times before, the only place she went when she wanted to 'spoil' herself with a dinner out and she always ordered the same thing. Therefore she didn't bother to pick up the menu. "They have really good food here." She informed him.

He smiled. "Good." he told her. "I'll have to let you know if they cook as well as authentic Italians." he teased. "But no one ever cooks as good as a guys mom." he smirked a bit at that, but the smirk disappeared after a moment. In all honesty he really didn't know how his real mother cooked, just his adoptive mother. He pushed that thought to the back of his head as he poured over the menu. "So... Harper... tell me something interesting about yourself." he said, not looking up from the menu. He was curious as to what the girl might offer up as information.

"I'm psychic." She told him, completely serious- for a long second. Harper cracked a smile and laughed before he could really respond. "Nah, I'm really just a normal girl who didn't like college and got a job at a bookstore. I am the manager though- at least while the owner is away. So I guess that's something."

He looked up at her when she'd said 'psychic'. She wasn't lying. Despite the fact that she'd cracked a smile and then laughed, he read her face like an open book. None of the signs of lying. Her eyes didn't dart away from his, she didn't get the little quiver in her voice, she didn't get the slight beading of sweat that most people do when they lie. And she wasn't joking either, he could read that fact in her eyes, despite the smile, they weren't as bright as those of someone who was joking around. He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure whether he believed in psychics or anything paranormal for that matter. But the girl did, at least enough to think she was a psychic. He ignored the statement as if she'd not even said it. "Didn't like college?" he questioned, his eyes flicking back to the menu. "And why's that? The classes or the teachers?"

Harper shook her head, "No, I loved the classes and most my teachers. Just outside sources." It wasn't something she was going to elaborate on. Hard to explain to someone how witnessing your brothers death from close up while more than 4 hours away in your dorm room impacted your concentration and dedication to school.

He nodded and let the matter rest there. Putting his menu down, his gaze flickered up to her again. "So tell me, do you always accept invitations to dinner from strange men who wander into your bookstore?" he questioned with a teasing grin. He figured this statement came out a lot better than 'do you sleep around'.

Harper chuckled a little at the question. "I wouldn't know, hasn't happened before." Which actually answered the unasked question as well. "Do you normally invite young bookstore employees to dinner after wandering into their store?"

Didn't sleep around. That was clearly evident. A quality that actually attracted him more so to the woman. Despite the fact that the man never really trusted someone enough to get into a alter ready relationship, he did have the want in the back of his head buried deep. He wanted marriage and children, eventually, but the women he ended up with tended to grow tired of his incessant need to solve each case that was presented to him. Grew tired of the lonely nights when he was out working and eventually left without so much as a goodbye. He couldn't really blame them. He shook his head. "No, I guess... I just had a feeling." he told her, using her own words.

"Seems to be a lot of that going around." She said with a little smile. "Sure hope we're not catching something." They were interrupted by the waiter before Harper had a chance to give Xander a chance to reply to take their drinks and orders if they were ready. Harper ordered a diet soda without ice and would hold off on the food order until Xander was ready.

"Give me a coke." he told the waiter. "I could use the caffeine. Uh... I think I want..." he glanced over the menu again quickly and finally decided on Chicken Parmesan which he told the man. He glanced up at Harper. "Order whatever you'd like." he said with a smile as he handed the menu to the waiter.

She ordered the shrimp on angel hair pasta in a garlic butter cream sauce. She handed up her menu and rested her hands on her lap. "Thank you for bringing me." Harper looked over to him, figuring she'd get it out of the way and break up the anticipated uncomfortable silence that came after ordering.

He smiled and gave her a quick nod. "Not a problem, really. It's my pleasure. If I wasn't here with you, I'd be in my lovely little one bedroom. I must say the view is a lot nicer where I'm sitting now." Flattery. One way of breaking the ice. Again a small ploy to get the girl to open up to him more.

She chuckled a little. "Thank you. So, if I may ask. What do -you- do?" He did after all know what she did and she was a little curious, maybe it would hint at his sudden proposal of dinner.

He wasn't expecting her to ask him this question so soon, so he hadn't really prepared a lie yet. He sighed and decided to go with the truth. "I'm an private investigator." he told her. "But don't worry, I'm not investigating you." He let his eyes trace across the woman's features to see if he could read a bit into what his admittance might have sent her mind into thinking.

She wasn't surprised or anything really, it was his job and she'd just been curious. "Cool." She said, which would have probably been her answer had he said Doctor or shoe salesman. "Any interesting cases?" Harper asked, not really expecting him to spill, client confidentiality and everything.

He shrugged. "I've seen a lot of cases. Some more interesting than others. Some... not so much. It's a job I guess." He wasn't exactly willing to divulge anymore than he already had. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure why he'd let her in on that much information. He ran his fingertip across the rim of his glass.

Not much talk happened after that, dinner came they small talked about her mostly, the store, the town and mundane things like movies and music and everything else normal people talk about. Once they'd finished eating and denied desert they were ready to go. Xander paid the check, which wasn't something Harper was expecting and on their way out to the car she told him as much. "Thank you again for dinner, you know you didn't have to pay." She wasn't used to it.

He smiled and opened the passenger door for her. "My mother taught me better than to ask a woman out and not at least pay the tab. It was my pleasure really." After she climbed in he shut the door and headed around to the drivers side, buckling in and turning the truck on. He would have lit up a cigarette at that moment had she not have made that face earlier. "So... can I drop you off at home?" he questioned. "Or would you rather me take you somewhere more... public?" he smirked a little. He wondered exactly how much trust he'd gotten from the girl.

Considering she lived in a complex, she didn't mind being dropped off at home, not like they'd know the exact place she lived once she entered the building. "Home is good." She said as she gave him directions. Harper belted up and raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn, it had been a long day.

He nodded and pulled out of the parking space heading out of the restaurant and back out onto the road. She must have had an extremely long day by the way she was yawning now, that or she'd not gotten a lot of sleep the night before. He was pretty sure that it might be a combination of the two. "So... your 'good feeling about me'... think it's true?" he questioned as he drove.

Harper shrugged. "Time will tell, don't always get the answers right away." She explained. "Sometimes it takes a while." Other times it doesn't. But she had enjoyed herself at dinner, which was something going for him.

He smiled at that, flashing it towards her with a quick turn of his head before returning his gaze to the road. "Does that mean you might be willing to see me again?" he questioned. "I mean strictly for proving or disproving your theory."

Harper smiled softly, brushing some hair behind her head. "I think that could be ok." She told him.

He nodded as he pulled up in front of her building. "Well how bout I write down my number and you give me a call when you think you can deal with me again." he told her playfully. He pulled a napkin off the sun visor and a pen out of his pocket and scribbled his name and number across it. He folded it and handed it to the girl. "Guess I'll be seein' ya." he told her as she climbed out of the car. He watched her as she made her way into the building and then he pulled away from the curb and headed for his own home. Contact number 1 made, now all he had to do was wait for a return call. The more he talked to her, the more information he'd be able to uncover.