Summary:Jimmy and Felicia meet for drinks and talk. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Deep breaths. Pacing back and forth, trying to get rid of some nervous energy. It's well into the night, Jimmy is finished with work, and he's looking down at a card he's had for almost a month. That it's been almost a month is part of what makes him nervous to call. Kind of a dick move to leave her hanging so long, right? But still, he puts his courage together, raises his phone, and dials Felicia Hardy's number.
Felicia has been home only a handful of hours. She spent the night in a hotel suite with room service and a fluffy robe. She's been home just long enough to shred and dispose of the suit that was destroyed the night before by a discourteous werewolf with atrocious manners. Now, to find ice cream….
She is half-buried up in the freezer when the call comes in. She tilts her head, looking at the unfamiliar number, but she shrugs. If someone has this number, she had to have given it to them. Or they have been trying to contact her about her car warranty.
"Yessss?" she answers, on the third ring.
One ring. Eh, that's normal; people need time to get their phones out. Two rings. A little bit longer, maybe just squinting at the number. Third ring. Maybe she's bus-
Oh, she picked up. "Felicia! Hi!" He sounds a little surprised, somehow. "It's Jimmy. I don't know if you remember me; we met at the Aerie one time. Sorry it's taken me a while to call." Phones are always a little bit nerve-wracking for Jimmy. Almost invariably, someone on the other end of a phone is out of reach of his senses. It leaves him guessing wildly about what's going through the other's moods.
Oh, no. Jimmy is on an even playing field! Felicia's mood is masked. It's what cats do. She stands stock still, thinking for a moment, and then remembers that night at the club. "Of course I remember," she replies. "And it's fine, I have been SO busy lately, with all the…" She's gesturing vaguely, like he can see that somehow. "Stuff…How are you? I figured you'd effectively lost my number by now."
Hey now. Even playing fields are awful. If you're on an even playing field, something's gone horribly wrong. Jimmy slips his hands into his pockets while he paces — he's speaking via earbuds rather than holding the phone to his head. "Always so much stuff," he agrees. "I got pretty busy myself. Important exams and…" Well, she used the term herself, so, "…stuff." 'Stuff' covers a great many things. "I wouldn't dare lose your number. Just took a bit to work up the courage to call. You know, in case you'd just led me to an answering machine which played John Cena's theme, for some reason." Because she absolutely would just carry that around on business cards. "I'm… feeling an urge to go out somewhere. Maybe the Aerie again. How are you doing, Felicia?"
"Oh, I'm fabulous." She stuffs the ice cream carton back into the freezer along with her longings to sit and feel sorry for herself. (Those seem to take up more room than the ice cream.)
"So are you headed out there tomight, then?"
"That's plan A," Jimmy says. "Would you like to join me? Or, have something else in mind?" Whether that's something else just for herself, or an alternative for where they meet.
"Actually, I have no other plans for the evening," Felicia replies. "Maybe getting out of the house would be good for me." Contrary to Spider-Man's orders of bed rest. Hey, she rested in bed for half the day!
Ho boy, it's actually happening. "Then I'd love to see you there. I'll head over now; should I have a table or booth waiting for you, or just a spot at the bar?"
He remembers what she'd said before, about how she doesn't expect people to wait for her. He's going to do so anyway.
"Mm…how about a booth? Might as well get one reserved. They're hard to come by in that place. What time shall I meet you?" Felicia has already taken stock of her appearance in her reflection on the oven window, and she is strategically plotting her plan to get ready.
Jimmy stops pacing, instead moving with a purpose to his stride. He picks up his coat, slipping it back around himself. "Call it about 40 minutes? Gives me time to get there, get placed, and get settled in. Or round it up to an hour, if that's better for you?"
"Let's make it 45 minutes and call it a draw, hmm?" Felicia is moving up the stairs, already taking her damp hair down and ruffling it.
"It's a deal," Jimmy says, as if he's just struck a bargain instead of agreed to a meeting time.
45 minutes pass, and there Jimmy is. Yes, he managed to get a booth in the Aerie. He's not as dressed up as the last time she'd seen him, because he hasn't come straight from work: instead, he's in the tan coat, a black-and-white-checked polo shirt, and nice jeans. And this time… he is partaking, it looks like. Actual alcoholic drinks, and a thoughtful look on his face.
47 minutes have passed. Felicia arrives in a silver sequined dress with long sleeves but not a long skirt. She's wearing patent leather heels and clutching a black sequined…clutch…to her midsection. Her silvery hair is twisted up into an elegant updo, with strategic curls and waves escaping in tendrils around her face. "Ohh, are we imbibing, tonight?" she asks, looking surprised.
If Jimmy has noticed the time gone over, he hasn't shown it. He just keeps an eye on the door for when she does arrive… and then his eyes go wide when he sees what she's wearing. He slides from the booth, standing to greet her. But with a booth, there are no chairs to pull out, so he's not sure what the next chivalrous gesture is supposed to be. "You look amazing; I feel under-dressed." At the surprised comment, he nods. "The time of year… puts me in the mood. What are you having?"
"Why thank you," Felicia purrs. "Highland Park, Dark. Neat. And we will start a tab under my name." She would never expect anyone to pay for a hundred dollar drink. Or the one after that. "Tis the season, eh?"
Jimmy's eyebrows lift. She does have expensive tastes, though he does lift a hand. "I'd still like to pay for my own." Not outright refusing her, but at least making the offer. Either way, he takes the order back to the bar, and soon returns with it. "Mhm. Thanksgiving and Christmas, to a lot of people, they mean family. Not such a happy thought to someone without one."
"I'm sparing no expense tonight," Cat says with a smile. "I won't hear it. Yours are on me, and you pick just anything you want. Have one like mine. Best 17 year Scotch out there, in my opinion." Felicia gingerly seats herself and rests her hands in her lap. "But you have a fantastic girlfriend and clearly you have exquisite taste in the finer things in life. Family is overrated. They always just end up in jail. Or dead."
Jimmy tilts his head. Sparing no expense 'tonight'. "Is it a special occasion?" He settles back in across from her. Hey, at least the table blocks some of his view and makes it easier to avoid squirming. "Fantastic and open-minded, though I struggle to talk with her about things like this." He nods somberly. "In jail, dead, on the run… not in your life, and while other people talk about How Important Family Is, you don't even want them in your life…" He sighs. "Sorry. I'm bringing the mood down."
"Not at all. Sometimes you have to talk through things, yesss?" She smiles. "I've recently learned that the family you choose is more important than the family into which you're born. Thanksgiving has always been pumpkin ice cream and a skyline view, and it's always suited me just fine…" She shrugs. "I suppose the holidays are what you make them. But tonight just seems to be a good night to celebrate one more day of waking up alive on this big blue ball."
Jimmy purses his lips. A counsellor, of all people, should know the importance of talking through things. But… "I've just never really talked about it with anyone," he says. "Just kept it to myself, you know?" He smiles at her. "Thanks for listening. And you're right. It doesn't have to suit other people's traditions to be good. As long as it suits you, like the ice cream. So." He lifts his glass. "The finer things in life. Talking about my taste in company?" Referring to Felicia herself as 'fine' in the process, and he knows it. She can tell by the blush creeping up his neck.
"If that suits your cause," Felicia replies playfully. "Though I believe your taste shows in everything you do, ultimately. So what /do/ you do for the holidays? Certainly you're bound to have found coping mechanisms by now. Even if they suck."
"Turkey," Jimmy says. "I get a turkey at Christmas. That's one thing the orphanage always managed, so I stick with it. And I" Fly around in the form of a glowing-faced, angelic crusader and save lives. "try to put some good into the world. And…" He tilts his head. "I'd like to know more about you, but I already know the answers to the most relevant questions. You spend the holidays with ice cream and a nice view. Aside from the holidays, you like to collect art. What else do you think is important to know about you, Felicia?"
"Mmmm…I suspect that the most important thing is that life's too short to waste a moment being unhappy." She says to the guy who is probably like a billion years old. "But even if we lived forever, why would we want to waste time being unhappy? Life's a gift for the taking. And it can be exchanged, if you don't like what you have. Just takes the strength to make it happen."
Hey now. Jimmy is absolutely as young as he looks. It's just that he'll keep looking this way for decades to come. He sets his glass down. It's only halfway empty; the conversation has too much of his attention for him to remember to drink. "That's a good way of looking at it. If you don't like the cards you're dealt, fight for new ones." Or play some sleight-of-hand with the dealer. You know, either-or. "And what makes you most happy? Art, that's… an emblem. A result, but not the cause. Is it the possession, the beauty? The hunt, finding antiques wherever they may hide?"
Felicia smiles, her eyes suddenly sparkling with a mischievous green hue."The thrill of the hunt. The chase. The capture," she replies without hesitation. "When I want something, the hunt - the chase - is on. And I will stop at nothing to make it mine."
Jimmy smiles, scooting closer to the edge of his seat. "You make antiquing sound so exciting." Perhaps he suspects that there's more to it. Even if he doesn't, he wouldn't have a solid idea; he doesn't assume that everyone he meets is some kind of super-person.
"It doesn't /only/ apply to antiques," Felicia confesses. "Really anything I want…anything to which I aspire. Anything I can dream. It's already mine. Sometimes it just hasn't realized that, yet."
Jimmy's mind Goes Places with that. Far enough that he blushes, that he stammers. "R-Really now? That's, ah, ambitious of you. What's the last thing you… hunted that hard?"
Felicia laughs. It is bright, shining bubbles of sound that rise into the air around her. "I'm still hunting it," she says simply,then drains her glass. She lifts a hand, beckoning the waiter with two fingers. "Another. Make this one a double, won't you, Dear?" She turns back to Jimmy with a grin. "And for you?"
A laugh like that brings a new breadth to Jimmy's smile; there's just something nice about a good, bright, honest laugh. He smiles up at the waiter, too, though it takes Felicia's question for him to even look at his glass. "Ah, I'm not done with this one yet. But thank you." He considers her, head tilted. "And you're still pursuing it. But what is it you're pursuing, if I may ask? If it gets a woman as impressive as you so dedicated, it must be really something."
"Ohh, let's not spoil the surprise," Felicia replies evasively. "What kind of thing would you want to pursue with such dedication, Jimmy?"
Jimmy tchs, but doesn't press the issue. The question gives him something to think about, drumming his fingers over his glass for a moment. "Opportunity or ability," he says. "The kind of thing you pursue by training, by studying. Something which gives you more options, more things you can do. Like my medical studies, my internship. That's all part of one big quest."
"See? Then you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's easy to see how something could be that important. And if it is worth your desire, it's worth your time. So I say all's fair in your pursuit, and wish you godspeed with it."
Jimmy smiles. "Thank you. And the same to you, even if it's a more private pursuit." He pauses, chewing on his tongue while he thinks of something. "And this talk of 'desire' and 'pursuit' makes me want to say something flirtatious, but I just can't quite think of what."
With a grin, Felicia just shakes her head. "Seems to me that you just did."
Jimmy finally remembers to raise his glass to his mouth. Mainly so he can hide behind it, just a little. "I'm sure you could have come up with something much better. I don't know, maybe something like… pursuing a night out with you is worth much more than time?"
Felicia nods slowly, regarding Jimmy thoughtfully for a moment, then takes a mouthful of the scotch from her glass and holds it a moment before swallowing. "That's a good one. You'll want to save that one in your repertoire."
Jimmy's blush grows warmer. "I don't have a repertoire," he says, setting the glass down again. "It's just… playing off what you said, you know? About pursuits." He fidgets with his collar.
"Well, now. You're not bad at this. Not bad at all. That's a lucky girlfriend you've got there." Felicia arches a brow and grins. "So what are your plans for the holiday, then?"
Jimmy's cheeks flush, one hand fidgeting with his glass. "And I'm a lucky boyfriend. Especially given she's fine with me being out with you like this, and just wants to meet you if anything turns, ah, serious." He takes another good sip. The alcohol doesn't seem to have affected him too strongly. "Right now, just the usual. Get a turkey. Do some good. How about you? Ice cream and rooftops?"
"Ice cream and rooftops," Felicia replies with a nod. "But I don't see this turning 'more serious,' Jimmy. You see, I am a selfish kitten. I don't play well with others. And I don't share."
Jimmy smiles, raising his glass. "That's fine with me. Coming out and getting to know you better was all I'd hoped for. Flirting is a bonus." He actually seems a bit more relaxed, with that answer. Such a nervous boy.
Felicia grins and shakes her head. "You're almost TOO good at that. Especially with all the blushing."
Jimmy blinks, setting his glass back down. "Too good? What do you mean?" Clearly, he does not self-identify as Good At Flirting.
"Cute and blush and flirty," Felicia replies. "You know how to hit all the right notes."
Jimmy pouts. "Maybe the 'right notes' to someone who likes flirting like a hunter likes playing with prey. And who wouldn't blush when you grin like that?"
"Oh, flattery will get you almost ANYWHERE, dear Jimmy." Felicia take a swallow from her glass and smiles. "But I suspect there is more substance to you than just that."
Jimmy shakes his head. "Then I should probably stop the flattery; you have your rules, and I wouldn't want to even /tempt/ you to go against them. If you don't share, I shouldn't tempt." And there he is, being all serious again.
"A wise decision," Felicia replies with a wink. "I'm certain you have no problem at all finding all sorts of interest in what you have to offer."
Jimmy's cheeks heat as he shakes his head again. "Only once even tried to 'offer' it. So, ah. What would you want to talk about next?"
Felicia shifts a little in her seat with a slight wince. "I think…just perhaps…I might be wise to make it home earlier than later," Felicia confesses. "It's been a very long few days, and I can't have it catching up to me."
Jimmy's head tilts when he sees that wince, and perhaps 'feels' a flash of her discomfort. "Are you alright?" He slips from his seat to offer her a hand up. "Thanks for coming out tonight, Felicia. I'll hope to see you again soon."
Felicia rises, giving Jimmy her hand to help her as he offers. "Thank you, and yes, I'd like that. I'll stay in touch. Please take care. The holidays can be tough, but it sounds like you're on the right track for dealing with it."
Jimmy gives her hand a squeeze as he gets her onto her feet. He gives her a smile. "Thanks. And same to you. I'll keep an eye on the rooftops and see if I catch someone with pumpkin ice cream, eh?"
Felicia laughs."Thanks, sounds good. If you catch me, you can join me. I'll bring extra ice cream. Just in case."