2024-12-19 - Her Ringtone is Jaws?

The true flood of holiday guests has hit Spellbound and the resort is teeming with activity. People are coming and going. The entire place is decorated for the holidays with oversized characters, giant presents like the ones on the midway, and more Christmas trees than one can shake a stick at. Despite that, there's still plenty of room for all the guests and their luggage.

Trace doesn't have a lot of reason to be over at the resort unless it's for a meeting and today he'd had a meeting to discuss a fireworks element with the hotel for an engagement celebration that would be launched from the roof. He's dressed for work in his black trousers, polished shoes, and a black turtle-neck beneath a comfortable leather jacket, his badge and name tag visible. He's walking out into the lobby with one of the event planners, engaged in the conversation and unaware that there are two familiar figures among the guests that he had not been expecting to see.

Marina and Stefano Accardi stand not far from the entrance, each one with a small roller bag and both on their phones. Trace's mother has thick dark hair with sweeping curls that is pulled up in a loose bun at the top of her head. She's dressed head to toe in a smart designer suit with pointy-toed heels and understated elegant jewelry. Stefano, Trace's eldest brother, is no less stylish though a little more casual than his mother in jeans and a sweater. He's about the same height as Trace, but appears a bit older, perhaps in his early thirties.

Enzo does find himself at the actual resort area from time to time. Normally, they have people on-site at the Storybook who can deal with irate guests, but with how busy it is for the holidays and seemingly understaffed, especially in the PR department, his service was needed there once more. In fact, throughout much of the day, he's been flittering around between speaking to tourist that need to wait a little extra before they are able to enter their rooms and taking donations or handing out pamphlets regarding the many events and ways to donate for the holiday season.

Unlike, perhaps, the other Storybook employees, he still wears her usual navy Hospitality colors, but with a candy pin next to his nametag to give off that holiday spirit. Having just sweet talked a group of women who were there to throw one of them a happy thirty-fifth birthday party. They liked him so much, they even gave him their number to join them that night, when he's off work, Enzo was just stepping out of the elevator and making his way across the lobby.

Trace happens to look up just in time to see Enzo getting out of the elevator and abruptly changes his path, turning so that he won't actually cross paths with him. Unfortunately, that puts him on a path directly across the lobby and toward his mother and brother.

Neither have noticed him yet. His mother is facing the exit, gesturing exaggeratedly with one hand as she clearly talks to someone animatedly on the other end. Stefano appears to be flipping through his texts and occasionally glancing at his mother, as though more waiting for her to be done than anything else.

It's then that Trace spots them, realizes he's in the middle of the lobby, and that Enzo is also still right there. There's a momentary groan and then he's quickly changing direction again to catch up to Enzo before he gets much further.

There was one good thing about busy days like this, the work hours seem to go by faster, because you're constantly doing things. However, if Enzo is stopped one more time by a little kid who wants to donate some cheap toy for charity, he would just lo--

This is when he spots Trace heading his, maybe, but he will slow down his pace if only to investigate the matter or trade some sort of comment for good or bad. "Is this something you could've just texted me about, because I have a terrible busy schedule today."

Trace is just about caught up to Enzo when he turns and asks if he could have texted him and for a moment Trace's expression darkens and he considers saying something glib. But at the last moment he grabs Enzo's arm, points down the lobby and hisses, "Do you want them to see you?" He knows Enzo will recognize them. He doesn't need to say who he is talking about.

And it's RIGHT then that they start to turn. His mother lowering her phone and both of them turning to walk right toward them. Trace looks for the nearest place to duck into and the only thing close enough? One of those giant presents. And so he pulls him, rapidly, in that direction.

When Trace actually grabs his arm, that does take Enzo by surprise. It's more interesting, really, than alarming, because usually Trace never seemed to be the aggressive type. And then he's shown the real problem in this situation. "I thought you said you weren't telling your parents." He says in a mostly accusatory tone when he looks in Trace's direction. But why was he Trace telling him now?

"Oh shit.." He mutters just as Marina Accardi starts to turn, possibly in their direction, and that's when he feels the tug as he's being dragged into... what exactly?

"Are people even supposed to be inside of these things?" Enzo just has to ask as they squeeze there way into the interior of a dimly lit, if there's much light at all, giant Christmas decoration. "What is your mom and brother doing here?"

"I didn't!" Trace hisses but he's already in motion, trying to drag Enzo with him into the box. It's a tall box, thankfully, about eight feet high, which allows Trace to clear the door that leads into it easily. Inside, though, is cramped, because it's filled with boxes of stuff. Stuff to be used for further holiday celebrations and new year's and there are no lights in it because it's just a box. If he even registers the surprise from Enzo at being grabbed, it is overridden by the current burst of adrenaline.

"Who the hell knows? Do you care right now?" Trace asks in a hushed murmur as he drags Enzo in and looks out through the crack in the door to watch his mother and brother approaching up the center of the lobby, arguing with one another about something. "Hell if I know. I found out ten seconds before you."

Out of all the places they could've hidden. Trace could have dragged him towards the elevators maybe! No, that might have put them in the line of sight of the rest of the Accardi clan. That doesn't mean that Enzo isn't annoyed being crammed in like this. In the dark.

"Maybe I do care right now, because obviously, they're here for you." If they didn't know that Lorenzo Castillo was here. "So why don't you just go out there and ask? They're your family. Why are you hiding in here too?"

Almost as if it were an afterthought, he does state, out of the blue, "Oh, before I forget, nice song choice." He's talking about karaoke.

The elevators were much further away and there's no guarantee they wouldn't have been seen before they reached them. The present was a gift of opportunity! "I meant about the box, Enzo.. not about my family." When he asked if Enzo cared. The question of why he doesn't just go out there and ask is answered with a vaguely irritated, "You're right. I should have just shoved you in the box." But now they're standing RIGHT there, their muffled conversation something about Trace's father Geraldo. "But it's going to look weird if I just walk out of a box. They're right there.."

And then it takes him a moment to realize that Enzo is talking about karaoke and without even thinking he says, "Nice pants."

"Move a little, let me see." Enzo tries to squeeze his way forward to get some glimpse of what's going on, but Trace was right, they were RIGHT there. This makes him withdraw back in the shallow depths of their cramped hiding spot. "Step out when neither of them are looking this way." He whispers, not wanting to be heard even more now that the Accardi clan were so close.

The compliment to his pants though, gets a muffled snort of laughter out of him, "Thanks. Glad you noticed."

Trace makes a slightly disgruntled noise as Enzo squeezes his way forward, pushing him out of the way and he backs up a little bit, bumping into some boxes, his eyes going wide, but apparently the noise not enough to have permeated the box as no one looks over. He is silent for a second and then he says, "Literally everyone noticed, Enzo." Then, after another moment's pause, "Why the shove?"

"True, it's hard not to notice." His pants. Enzo knew what he was doing that night. But then again, that was like any weekend for him.

From his non-vantage point, he can only see sliver of shadows and movements now coming from outside, so with Trace in the crow's nest, if Enzo wanted to unnecessarily help out in the timing of when Trace should exit the box, he's practically leaning against the other now. "I think... she's about to look away." He doesn't know, he can't see anything clearly.

Though the question, has him taking pause and he has to ask, "What shove?"

Trace smirks, which is hard to see in the dim light coming in through the cracks in the box. He leans in to take a look outside and watch as his mother picks up her phone again and answers it, talking rapidly in Italian, which Enzo can probably hear and understand as well as Trace can.

Marina says, "Yes, we're in.. Michigan. If he was going to run off to play with explosives, why couldn't he have at least gone to L.A. Or even New York. I don't know. I've sent Stefano to figure out where they keep him." Yes, where they keep him, like he's some kind of chained animal that the park is holding hostage.

"She's looking right at us.." well not right at THEM, at the box, but it's the same thing really at the moment.

The unnecessarily close press of Enzo against him means that he can practically feel the warmth of his breath with the question. "The SHOVE into the table at karaoke," he mutters. "I didn't even do anything.. or say anything.. or even look at you funny."

"Play with explosives?" Enzo repeats, but in English, sounding slightly amused at the way Mrs. Accardi describes it. He then has to ask, "Why did you come here instead of going to L.A. Or New York or even Orlando?" It's just a curious question now.

He now knew that Stefano was out of the picture, temporarily, now. And just as he's about to pressure Trace into stepping back outside, he's told that Mom Accardi is looking right at them.

"I don't even know what you're talking about? Did I accidentally bump into you when I was in the audience?"

Trace sighs faintly. Both at his mother, and then Enzo repeating her in English. Through the crack in the box they can see that Stefano seems to have gone off somewhere, suitcase in tow, leaving only Marina Accardi standing outside the box.

"I'd already done the big city and I've done shows in New York, and L.A. Not that she'd remember or that she paid any attention when I told her," Trace says as he keeps one eye on his mother, watching her. He starts to move to the door as soon as she turns for a moment, but then she swings back around and he eases back again. "This place.. was new. Different. And maybe I was curious about all the rumors."

But Enzo's response to his question has him muttering, "You slammed into my shoulder. It wasn't a 'bump'. It felt pretty pointed."

Hearing the way Trace speaking of his mother that way has Enzo pondering on a few things and he quietly observes through the slit to see whatever glimpse he can catch of Marina Accardi.

"Maybe not," He says on whether she paid attention to things that Trace may have told her about his work, "But she really wants you with the family now. It sounds like. Must be nice, at least a little, to have someone that worried about you and your well-being." He then shrugs his shoulders, "But it's like you said, I know nothing about you or your family and this all could be one big shit show that I'm missing out. And that's why you're here right now."

As for that whole bump thing, Enzo just sighs, "I don't know what to say. What do you think that was about, if it happened." Was that an admittance that it did happen?

Marina says, "We'll get him there, Geraldo. You focus on the case. I will get him back in time for the interviews, the photo shoot, and the party. He'll stand there and smile whether he likes it or not. Then it's your job to get him under control."

Trace lets his eyes close and his forehead rest against the side of the box as he listens to his mother outside and Enzo inside. "Oh yeah," he murmurs, "She's very deeply concerned about my well-being," he says, positively dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm here right now," Trace admits as he pulls away from the side of the box and looks at Enzo in the dimness, "Because the first thing I thought when I saw you come out of the elevator, and saw my mother standing there, was to make sure that she didn't see YOU." Then he just shakes his head and looks away again. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."

Okay, Enzo does have to wince at some of what Marina says over the phone. So maybe their family lives aren't all that different after all. This mention of the case does have him wondering if it's the one against his father or one of the many that the Accardi are working on. It's difficult to tell.

When Trace turns to face him directly in their small space and point blank tells him the reason why he's here right now, while Enzo's gaze meets with the other's stare for a time, they eventually lower in the low light, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Thanks." It's short and sweet, and for the most part, genuine.

"You don't... have to go out there, you know. Even when she's not looking." He probably feels guilty about wanting to kick Trace out into the lions den that is the Accardi clan whatever they are doing over there for the Holidays.

There's also no further mention of whatever happened at Karaoke. At least not from him.

His gaze lifts again, "So... what would make them leave?"

"You're welcome," Trace says with a little sigh. "I meant what I said. I'm not going to let them know you're here. Or your family either." Though the fact Enzo isn't trying to force him back out there anymore does seem to bring some small relief to the tension in him. "I have to face her eventually," he admits. "I can't just.. run around the island like the keystone cops are after me until she gives up. Because she won't."

What would make them leave? Trace opens his mouth to say something when suddenly... his phone rings. Usually he keeps it on silent but he'd been waiting for a call about this wedding meeting earlier. And now, it is playing... maybe appropriately... the theme from Jaws. If his mom is the shark? What is his ringer for his dad, one might wonder?

He scrambles quickly for his phone, grabbing it from his pocket to try to silence it.

Outside, Marina turns around as she hears Trace's ringer, but doesn't see him.

"What if someone told her that you'd already left?" Enzo is open to coming up with ideas and excuses as to why Trace is no longer at the park. "Maybe you could call ahead to your boss and hopefully reach them before your brother does and tell them to tell him that's what happened. You said you had to go home." Someone is used to lying, apparently.

And then the theme from Jaws plays and Enzo has to wonder WTF that is. That sounded ominous. At first he looks to Trace to check if the other heard that too and then he realizes that the Jaws theme was a ring tone and his eyes widen. He even reaches forward to help silence the phone if necessary.

"Tell me she doesn't know that your ring tone for her is the theme to Jaws..." He practically whispers as he quiets down to listen for footsteps.

"Trace Emiliano Accardi," Marina full-names him. Oh, she knows. "Are you.. in that box?"

And oh no, the footsteps are coming closer. There is not a lot of time to react. It's far too late. The ringer has been heard. Trace manages to silence it but there's no hope of escape now. She knows he's there. And in that particular moment he just freezes like a deer in headlights.

"Well... Huh." Enzo breathes out. "I guess she does know."

Not only did she know, she also used Trace's middle name, which is telling. And he could hear her footsteps heading this way.

Oh shit Think

Drawing in a deep breath, Enzo starts to very quickly shed out of his Hospitality blazer, his gaze looks from the slit in the box, then up into Trace's deer in headlight's eyes, "Kiss me." Maybe he should have said that he had a plan, but that's the first thing out of his mouth as he lets his blazer fall to the floor at his feet.

Trace's mind is running a mile a minute as he's trying to think about what he's going to say to his mother when she opens that door, and then blinks in confusion as Enzo starts pulling off his work blazer. "What?" he blinks, not quite sure that he heard that right.

"This is either going to end very well or very poorly," He murmurs quietly and quickly now when he hears Mariana Accardi at the door. There's no further instructions given as there's no time. Instead, Enzo reaches up to wrap his arms around Trace's back and neck, drawing him in close. Oh, he could pretend that they were making out, for sure, but instead in pure Enzo-style, he actually goes along with this plan of his and sees it through. His eyes close slowly when he presses his lips against Trace's as his fingers run through the other's dark hair. He even seems to be savoring this moment in the box.

It's when Enzo reaches toward him and pulls him closer that Trace seems to register that he had heard those words correctly. And then he's leaning in and when his lips touch Enzo's, he slips one arm around his waist and his other hand slides along the side of his neck, thumb brushing against his jaw. This kiss was supposed to be pretend, right? It's very convincing as Trace's lips part against Enzo's and he pushes him backward a little bit into the boxes, causing them to rattle a little more than the first time just as the door opens behind them.

Light pours in and illuminates them a bit, but while Marina can certainly recognize Trace, she can't quite see who he's making out with in that oversized present. She just stares for a moment and then closes the door. "Trace!" she hisses. << For the love of all that is holy get out here. >>

Trace was full of surprises it seemed and this was something that Enzo was learning the longer their little game went on for. For a moment longer, despite Mariana Accardi already calling for her son to step out of the box, Enzo will indulge further into this ruse of theirs, as his own lips breathes in the this sudden fervor of Trace's kiss. His own grasp tightens even more as his back arches, pressing him further against the other.

It's Enzo who withdraws first, slowly pulling away, still feeling that surprise and, perhaps amusement of this whole experience. Though if one looked carefully, they might catch that he is working to gain his composure with several practiced breaths. Then again, the space was dark, so who's to say. His hold on Trace does start to loosen.

Only once he's regained his own bearings does he actually look Trace in the eyes, "I hope that was worth what you're about to be going through now. With the fam. Sorry, I couldn't be of any other help." It's all spoken pretty casually.

Trace's own grip on Enzo tightens even as the kiss lingers and he makes a quiet sound against Enzo's lips at the fingers in his hair and the press of Enzo's body against his own. And then, when Enzo slowly pulls away, Trace does as well, releasing him and taking a half step back as he takes a few careful breaths of his own. Dark eyes hold Enzo's eyes for a few moments in that darkness. Maybe he notices that Enzo, too, is trying to regain a little bit of his own composure.

Reaching out, he presses a hand lightly to Enzo's chest and murmurs, "Just.. stay here. I'll take care of it," quietly. And then, after a moment more of studying him in that dim light, he turns and slips out, fast enough to immediately plunge Enzo back in darkness.

<< Mama. Let me help you with your suitcase. Which suite do they have you in? You should have called. I would have met you at the ferry! >> Trace takes his mother's arm in one arm and grabs her suitcase with the other and begins leading her off.

<< I see what you've been up to. Really, do you even do anything here? Or do you just cat around with the help? >> Marina snipes, as though Trace weren't also employed at the park. Perhaps she'd caught a glimpse of the discarded blazer. At least she hadn't seen any name tag on it if she had.

<< He's not.. >> is about all that can be heard of what Trace says next as he escorts his mother around the corner and into one of the elevators, leaving the coast clear for Enzo to leave the box.

It's not as if Enzo were about to move anywhere, but he does look down when Trace places that hand at his chest. While he may have had his breathing under control, his heart was still racing.

Only when he's left in darkness once more, does he stoop forward to pick up his blazer. He takes a moment to straighten out his dress shirt and adjust his tie before shrugging the tell-tale signs of Team Hospitality back onto his shoulders.

Listening to the conversation in Italian now, some of it makes him laugh. Especially the part about... cat around with the help? Who says that? He also then realizes that if Mrs. Accardi continued to make a fuss out there, his walk-talkie probably would have gone off, as someone would probably be wondering where he was, to handle that situation.

Once everything is buttoned and smoothed out, he takes another look outside of the giant present, before slipping out himself now. He has to wonder how poor Trace's Christmas was going to be like. Maybe he'll send a text to cheer the guy up.