Post by THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO on May 8, 2012 20:43:20 GMT -5
There were plenty of things the Count of Monte Cristo knew that he had no business knowing. The tastes and symptoms of various poisons, for one, and the weaknesses of the stock trading system, for another. The man was an eternal learner, always studying something, whether pertaining to his work or simply for his personal enjoyment.
He was also quite observant, and saw things others missed, understood the meanings of things where others made assumptions. Years of training had led to near-perfection in this. Where once he had used the knowledge he gained to exact revenge, he now simply applied it to people-watching. That, and studying potential clients. He had missed many a bad deal and gained many a fruitful one just by watching the mannerisms of those who asked for his services.
A combination of these skills had led to him learning some things about his dear friend Jane Eyre. For one, she seemed to be enthralled by a popular singer and songwriter named Josh Groban. She had never said as much, but he could just tell. He found it amusing but endearing. She had good taste in music, at least.
That was not all he had figured out. Another revelation had led to him making plans to pick her up and spend some time with her on a certain day. He had made the suggestion without letting on that he knew the significance of the day. He had noticed that Jane had a disdain for birthdays, including her own, and he doubted she would appreciate him making a big event out of it.
So he had casually suggested "hanging out," as it was popularly called, on the day that happened to be her birthday. His excuse was that he'd had nothing to do that day; actually he had specifically kept his calendar clear for the occasion. She did not need to know that.
They made an odd pair - while they both were financially well-off, the Count loved to spend money, while Jane's largest spendings, he knew, had been to charity. Monte Cristo had been raised to consider birthdays joyous, celebratory occasions, while Jane's view was a touch more morose. Therefore, while Monte Cristo wanted to treat her birthday like the grand affair it was, with a lavish party and all of the city paying her their undivided attention, he wisely decided against that and went for something a little quieter.
It had taken him a while to decide what to do instead, until he realized he needed to think like Jane. Then the answer had come to him quite instantly.
He drove - he drove, rather than having his chauffeur drive them - to pick up Jane, who probably had little idea where they were going. They would not be traveling too far, just to a little place in Manhattan. When he reached Jane's place, he parked the car and got out to open the door for her. Despite knowing he should not dote on her, manners were manners.
"Hello, Jane." He gave her a hug and smiled at her. "Ready to go?"
Opening the passenger side car door, he helped her in and closed the door gently once she was settled, then headed around to the driver's seat. Soon they were on their way.
"I hope you've been well," he said, shooting her a glance as he maneuvered the car through traffic.
He was also quite observant, and saw things others missed, understood the meanings of things where others made assumptions. Years of training had led to near-perfection in this. Where once he had used the knowledge he gained to exact revenge, he now simply applied it to people-watching. That, and studying potential clients. He had missed many a bad deal and gained many a fruitful one just by watching the mannerisms of those who asked for his services.
A combination of these skills had led to him learning some things about his dear friend Jane Eyre. For one, she seemed to be enthralled by a popular singer and songwriter named Josh Groban. She had never said as much, but he could just tell. He found it amusing but endearing. She had good taste in music, at least.
That was not all he had figured out. Another revelation had led to him making plans to pick her up and spend some time with her on a certain day. He had made the suggestion without letting on that he knew the significance of the day. He had noticed that Jane had a disdain for birthdays, including her own, and he doubted she would appreciate him making a big event out of it.
So he had casually suggested "hanging out," as it was popularly called, on the day that happened to be her birthday. His excuse was that he'd had nothing to do that day; actually he had specifically kept his calendar clear for the occasion. She did not need to know that.
They made an odd pair - while they both were financially well-off, the Count loved to spend money, while Jane's largest spendings, he knew, had been to charity. Monte Cristo had been raised to consider birthdays joyous, celebratory occasions, while Jane's view was a touch more morose. Therefore, while Monte Cristo wanted to treat her birthday like the grand affair it was, with a lavish party and all of the city paying her their undivided attention, he wisely decided against that and went for something a little quieter.
It had taken him a while to decide what to do instead, until he realized he needed to think like Jane. Then the answer had come to him quite instantly.
He drove - he drove, rather than having his chauffeur drive them - to pick up Jane, who probably had little idea where they were going. They would not be traveling too far, just to a little place in Manhattan. When he reached Jane's place, he parked the car and got out to open the door for her. Despite knowing he should not dote on her, manners were manners.
"Hello, Jane." He gave her a hug and smiled at her. "Ready to go?"
Opening the passenger side car door, he helped her in and closed the door gently once she was settled, then headed around to the driver's seat. Soon they were on their way.
"I hope you've been well," he said, shooting her a glance as he maneuvered the car through traffic.
