betagainstme | 1949 - Kentucky Derby

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jasper

1949 - Kentucky Derby

Alice Whitlock had not missed a single Kentucky Derby since waking up in 1920, and not even a search across the country for the Cullens would make her miss this year's. She had excellent odds on last year's winner and she wasn't about to waste them.

"I have a box," She murmurs to Jasper as she sets her oversized hat on her head and smooths the blue dress she wears, fluffing the crinoline. "With the du Ponts this year."

She slides her little white gloves on and smiles at him. "They're old money. From the Civil War. They like that I win. I sat with them last year too. Just...they'll love you. Good ol' Southern boy and all."

It's an overcast rainy day...not perfect conditions for those attending and participating, but perfect for certain vampires.

"Plus," She whispers as they begin climbing the stairs to the box, her betting information clutched tightly in her fist, "Once the race starts, no one pays attention to anything. You'll be fine."

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With his gaze firmly hovering near her shoulder and a hand at her back, Jasper keeps close and tries not to twitch too much in discomfort at being surrounded by so many humans at once.

He's been starting to get used to it more. Being around humans with Alice at his side. Still. There are a lot of people here.

He clears his throat. "...What do you mean by a box?"

She stops on the stairs, smiling at a couple who pass them, and then looks at him. "Like...a special seating area. Overpriced and ridiculous. Are you okay?"

He nods because the words lump up in this throat and he has to cough them out. "Fine. I'm fine." He attempts a smile. "If I need a ...breather, I'll let you know. But I want you to have a good time and not worry about me."

He ducks under that ridiculously large hat of hers to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's less crowded with the du Ponts." Alice promises. Her fingers stroke his cheek. "I promise."

She takes his hand again and leads him up the stairs, to the box where a family is already there, mingling. One woman looks at her with recognition.

"Miss Alice, you haven't aged a day! Who is this?"

Alice glances back at Jasper before lifting her left hand where her engagement and wedding rings rest on her finger. "I eloped. This is my husband, Jasper."

Trying to relax, Jasper looks to old manners and smiles at the woman though he keeps his hands to himself with an arm around Alice's waist and the other tucked behind his back. "A pleasure, Ms. - ?" He looks to Alice for the rest of the introduction.

"Denise du Pont." The woman smiles graciously. "Pleasure to meet you, Jasper. Make sure you get a good spot to see the race. Your wife is quite the gambler."

Alice ducks her head and laughs as she waves her papers at Denise. "I'm all set."

She takes Jasper's hand and leads him to a pair of seats set a little further away from the rest of the family. "We'll stay over here for the most part. I bet on Ponder this year. Ben Jones trained the jockey and the horse...his horse won last year too. Excellent odds."

Jasper settles into the seat heavily, keeping a tight hold on Alice's hand. It's not that bad. And Alice's excitement is warm and infectious that his smile comes much more brightly than before as he focuses on her instead of the others in the box. "I've no idea who you're talking about, darlin'. Who's Ben Jones?"

Alice sighs at him. "I'm going to have to buy you a book about horse racing."

She squeezes his hand. "We did lock the car right?"

Alice and her cars. Tsk

"Why do I have to read a book when I have such an expert on hand?" His lips press against the top of her hand. "And no, we forgot to lock it and someone is driving off in it right now."

"Because I'm an expert at the betting process. I just know things about the races but not enough to actually tell you. You need a proper education on the subject and book learnin' is the way to do it." She grins and then punches his shoulder lightly.

"Don't say that. She's my baby!"

"You locked the door, Alice. I checked." He did, because he knew she would ask and worry and fret. Even when she can see if something was about to happen to it. "And how about we read a book together? That way you know enough to reteach it to me when I forget..."

He trails off suddenly, his brow furrowed as he turns his attention to the family with them. Denise du Pont is trying very hard not to look in their direction while being very interested and alarmed in what Alice just exclaimed, loud enough for the whole box to hear.

She catches him looking and then smiles, thin-lipped at being caught eavesdropping. "I'm sorry," she directs to the both of them, but mostly to Alice. "But did you say baby?"

Alice jerks around to stare at her. "No--what? No, my car! My car is my baby. I love my car."

She laughs nervously, a strange tittering sound that is an octave higher than her normal chime-like giggle. One hand goes to her mouth as she turns back around and glances at Jasper.

"Oh look!" She points over the railing. "Everyone's lining up, we'll start soon."

There's relief and disappointment at the lack of a scandal, something Jasper raises an eyebrow at, and everyone soon turns their attention to the start of the race, eager and greedy to win.

Jasper turns back to Alice with a slight smile and a low, inhuman whisper, "Awkward."

Alice rolls her eyes and leans her head on his shoulder. "Like the du Ponts need more scandal. Every big, rich family has some pregnant unwed daughter somewhere. They should just concentrate on their own."

She leans over the rail and points out the horse she's bet on. "Ponder. We've got a lot of money riding on him winning. Cross your fingers."

Her grin is easy though. She's already won.

He leans forward to watch the race, his eye on Ponder, and while the horses run their laps and the crowd cheers them on, his attention drifts to the crowd itself. Excitement and worry suffocate the air, the confidant and insecure.

Jasper crosses his fingers and holds them up for Alice to see with a wink. Her confidence is the brightest in all the place.

She laughs brightly as Ponder crosses the finish line in--

"Two minutes, four seconds and twenty milliseconds!" Alice beams as she jumps up and cheers with the rest of the crowd who bet correctly.

She leans down and kisses Jasper, her hat tumbling off the back of her head.

Blinking under the weight of the cheers and Alice's kiss, Jasper's more than a little dazed by the rush of it all. "That it?"

She shrugs. "I didn't bring us to the pre-race stuff. There's no point. We can't eat or drink and...I didn't want to tax you. Maybe anther year."

She's practically vibrating. "Baby, we just won a lot of money."

He laughs then, his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "I know, I managed to figure that on my own." He bends to pick up her hat, plopping it back down on her head and fixing it right. "So now what?"

"We wait for the rushing hoards of winners to thin out and then we collect our winnings." Alice leans down and kisses him again. "We'll just hang out here for now."

Sitting back down, he pulls her into his lap to wait. He hides his face against her shoulder. "So you've done this every year?"

"Since 1921." She nods. "I didn't do it the first year, I was too scared to go anywhere near a human."

Her fingers comb through his hair. "I like people too much to stay away though."

"I'm sorry you had to go by yourself." He's always sorry he took so long in finding her. "Next year we can come early."

"Don't be sorry," She whispers kissing him again. "We have forever now."

Alice looks up and smiles at Denis du Pont as the other woman steps up, her things gathered in her hand. "Well, I assume you did well with all that hollerin', Miss Alice. I'm sorry you weren't able to join us for the early festivities this year."

Alice shakes her head. "It's okay, Mrs. du Pont. There's always next year."

Of course, they'll have to switch seating partners after a while.

"I just hate that you were alone," Jasper murmurs before Mrs. du Pont walks up and when she does he manages a smile over Alice's shoulder at the woman. "I'll be sure to get her here early."

Denise offers her hand to the Whitlocks before hurrying off to join her family. Alice turns to card her fingers through Jasper's hair.

"Well, everyone else will be going to get food after this. So. What do you feel like? Deer? Bear? Elk?" She laughs.

He'd had enough earlier as precaution for the race and he'll eat again, his throat still burning. He laughs, making the slight face that comes without thought whenever the options are mentioned - however easier and more enjoyable this new lifestyle has been for him. "Um. Whichever you want, hon."

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1949 - Kentucky Derby

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