alternate_girls (alternate_girls) wrote in btvsal, @ 2010-02-16 22:36:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | brennan bale, place: la, ~shiloh stonestreet |
Talking Things Out
Who: Shiloh and Brennan
Where: Uncle Dave's Garage, Joe's Diner, then back to the garage
When: Afternoon - Monday, February 15
Shiloh's plans for lunch didn't go quite as she had planned. On the blonde's way out of Full Moon Records she came to find that her GEO Tracker had suffered a bit of a problem, the left front tire had somehow gone flat, which made the vehicle presently undrivable. The blonde called one of the local garages to come and pick the Tracker up so the tire could be replaced. Going along for the ride the blonde sat in front of the tow truck with the driver for the ride to the garage. Once there the blonde climbed out of the vehicle to head inside so she could pay for the work that needed to be done. In this case the removal of the old tire and the replacement with a new one.
Brennan had just gotten back from getting lunch for the guys and was emerging from the break room when he noticed the tow truck pulling into the lot. The lycan had planned on having lunch later and started he way toward the truck when he noticed the familiar blond head get out of the truck cab. Brennan paused at her sudden appearance and awkwardly stood there as she entered the garage.
"I'm.. " And that was all that came out of the blonde's mouth when Shiloh found herself stopping abruptly to stare at the sight of Brennan, the last person she had expected to see. Awkwardness seemed to surround the pair as Shiloh fought to find her voice again.
"I need to pay for a tire change." The blonde finally said hoping to get the payment process done as quickly as possible now so she could wait somewhere other then inside the garage while the actual work was done. This encounter had taken Shiloh quite by surprise and it left her not knowing what to say or if she should be saying anything at all.
Much like the other day, Brennan had a few streaks of oil on his face but he was wearing coveralls today, so whatever grease and oil stains he had were on them rather than his jeans or the black t-shirt he wore underneath. The lycan stepped aside and pointed out the office that doubled as a waiting room and while the blonde headed that way, Brennan asked one of the guys if he could do the tire change for him with the promise he could leave early while Brennan worked the rest of their shift after lunch. Brennan walked into the office and started pulling all the necessary paperwork and filled it out in silence. If Shiloh wasn't going to say anything about their most recent discussion, than neither was the lycan.
"So, this is where you work." Shiloh stating pretty much the obvious as she sat there while Brennan started filling out the paperwork. Despite finding this quite the awkward moment, Shiloh tried striking up a conversation with the guy as just sitting in silence wasn't something she handled anywhere near well.
"Yep," Brennan said shortly. The lycan was doing his best to ignore her, since it was clear by her reaction upon seeing him in the garage that she wanted nothing to do with him. But, as hard as he tried, it was next to impossible to ignore her. She was just...there. Brennan could smell the shampoo or soap she used that morning, hear her move, the beat of her heart. Twice, he had to scratch out what he was writing and start over because of the distraction until finally he finished and named the price of the repair, adding, "You need to sign at the bottom here." He indicated with the pen before setting it down on the counter.
Shiloh nodded, the blonde then reached for the pen and paperwork to sign her name at the bottom of the document before sliding it and the pen back over toward the man. And it wasn't that she wanted nothing to do with the guy, it was just seeing him at the garage had caught her completely off guard, which left for quite the awkward moment and leaving Shiloh not knowing what to say.
"Do you know when the car will be fixed?" Shiloh asked looking across the counter at the guy. She didn't think it would take all that long, but Shiloh did have a job to get back to, and if she was going to be delayed in getting back she would need to call and inform Grant of the delay and what the cause of it was.
The lycan kept the hard copy for David's records and tore off the yellow carbon copy for Shiloh, sliding it across the counter to her. Sticking the work order in the "current jobs" bin to his right, Brennan answered, "It'll be an hour and a half, at least. An hour to determine if your tire has a slow leak and another 30 to repair or replace the tire." He glanced at her, "I can...take you back to Full Moon Records if you need to be there."
"I wouldn't want to take you away from any work you need to get done." Shiloh returned managing a smile when Brennan finally looked her way. It wasn't that she was rejecting the offer, Shiloh honestly didn't want to pull the guy away from his work if he needed to get working on a car or engine or something.
Brennan shook his head and finally gave her a smile, "I can work on it here and back at David's." The lycan shrugged like it was no big deal, which it wasn't. A carburetor wasn't exactly a big deal for a werewolf to lug around and it would give Brennan something to do before he went out for the evening to deal with his personal business.
"I'm on my lunch and haven't eaten yet." Yes it was a hinted to invitation to the guy. Things seemed to have dropped a couple levels awkwardness wise, and Shiloh was wanting to talk to Brennan, she just couldn't seem to draw up the courage to make any attempt at doing just that.
"Tell you what, let me square it with my guy," Brennan gestured to his co-worker, "I'll buy you lunch while he fixes your car. We can...talk." The lycan excused himself to talk with his buddy, saying he'd cover the guy's shift the next morning. They shook on it and the lycan returned to the office, a small smile on his face, "Ready when you are."
"I wasn't expecting you to offer that, Brennan." Shiloh told the guy before he went to talk with one of the other employees. The main point of the invitation had been just what Brennan had mentioned. That they could talk. She hadn't been expecting him to pay for the lunch.
When the guy returned Shiloh grabbed yellow copy off the counter and tucked it into her bag. "Ready." She answered ready now to follow the guy out of the building.
In reply to what she'd said just before he left the office, Brennan shrugged upon his return, "It's not a problem, Shiloh." He grinned as he teased her, "Besides, I thought all women secretly liked it when men buy them food." The lycan chuckled and then grabbed the keys to the truck and led the way out.
"You make it sound like we're going grocery shopping where you're going to foot the bill." Shiloh shot back as she followed the guy outside toward the parked truck. "And some women do like it when a man buys them lunch or dinner, sometimes." Shiloh found herself admitting truthfully.
"Maybe I am," Brennan teasingly said in reply just as he opened the passenger door and then closed it after her before sliding into the driver's seat. Getting the truck started and smiled at her, "Sometimes, huh? Well, I'll keep that in mind." He then nodded his head toward traffic, "Where were you headed before you had tire woes?"
"Well if you are I have to forewarn you I'm not a cheap date." Shi teased back when they reached the truck. Shiloh thanked the guy as she climbed up into the truck, buckling herself in as Brennan closed the door. "Someplace that serves a decent burger." Shiloh was still familiarizing herself with the city, which was why she tried paying a visit to the various eateries around L.A. And today her tastes, food wise, leaned toward greasy burgers with the works and fries smothered in ketchup.
"A decent burger..." Brennan murmured as he thought about that for a moment, letting the vehicle idle and then he grinned, "That's easy; Joe's Diner." Shifting the truck into gear, the lycan merged with traffic and headed for the diner. When they arrived, he politely opened the car door for Shiloh again as well as the door into the restaurant. The place was decently packed for the lunch hour and the two of them were able to snag a booth in the back in a quiet corner.
When they reached the booth Shiloh unshouldered her bag and tossed it onto the seat near the wall before the blonde slid in. Once they both were seated a waitress showed up with a couple glasses of water and menus, which she left with the pair saying she'd give them a couple minutes to decide what they wanted for lunch.
Brennan didn't need to look at the menu to know what he already wanted; Two of Joe's half pounders, rare, with the works on it, and a heaping plate of fries. Yeah, there was no one that could put food away like a Were. Picking up his glass of water, the lycan took a sip and watched Shiloh as she perused her menu.
"You're staring." Shiloh commented softly as she took another moment to look over the offerings of the diner. The blonde didn't so much notice the man watching her, it was more that she felt his eyes on her as she had a couple times before.
Shiloh's words prompted him to apologize and Brennan glanced away, "Sorry..." He chuckled a little and then looked back at the blond as it was difficult not to stare. Initially, Brennan had been drawn to Shiloh because she looked so much Lauren. The lycan would freely admit that if he were asked. But over the weekend, Brennan thought long and hard as to why he kept coming back to her, well...besides the obvious; They kept running into each other all over the city it seemed. Now was a primary example of how different the two women were; Lauren wouldn't have said anything about his staring just now. She would've blushed and fidgeted in her seat a while before finally saying anything. The fact that Shiloh was upfront was something that Brennan liked and it made the blond all the more attractive. There were other, little things that set her apart from Lauren and just made Shiloh...Shiloh.
"So." Shiloh spoke up finally pretty much disturbing the silence that always seemed to settle between the two when they were together. "Do you know what you're getting?" Asking as she set aside her menu and then looked across the table at her lunch companion.
Brennan shrugged like it was no big deal just before he answered, "Two of the half pound burgers with the works and a plate of fries." It really wasn't a big deal for the lycan to eat that much. In fact, he could've eaten another two, but people usually looked at him funny when he admitted that.
"Someone's got quite the appetite," Shiloh commented casually,"I'm gonna go with the bacon cheddar burger with everything, fries and vanilla shake." The blonde announced as if it were important to share what her lunch was going to consist of.
Brennan felt the need to explain, "You could say that high metabolism runs in my family."
"I'm not doubting that, I've seen your cousin pack away a pretty large meal." Shiloh told Brennan just as the waitress showed up to take their orders. Once she had what they wanted and collected the menus the waitress left the pair to themselves as the place was kind of packed and she had other customers to see to.
Shiloh took a drink of her water, letting a brief moment pass before speaking up again. "You said you wanted to talk?" The blonde opened the veins of communication as she knew Brennan sometimes had a bit of a hard time saying what was on his mind, or at least getting a conversation started.
The lycan fidgeted with his glass of water a moment before he pushed it aside and got to the point, "I...thought about what you said over the weekend." Brennan paused, searching for the right words and finally admitted, "I was attracted to you, at first, because you look like her. But, you're not her, Shiloh. You're...more aggressive, open, and upfront than she was. Lauren was very shy and reserved and...you can't be her just like she could never be you." Wow, that was a veritable speech coming from Brennan.
Hearing the words brought a soft smile to the blonde's features. The time apart apparently seemed to have helped, Brennan at least, think long and hard on things and put them into a kind of perspective. "I've never been one who's afraid of speaking their mind. I know some guys find that quite the turn-off or a bit intimidating, but it's never been my style nor ever will be." Shiloh explained to the guy before taking another drink of her water.
Brennan chuckled at this, grabbing his glass and agreed before taking a sip of water as well, "Oh, I think you've quite proven that point several times." The lycan then excused himself to use the restroom and clean up before their lunch arrived. Brenn got the worst of the stains off his face...the coveralls were a different story entirely. They'd have to go into the wash as soon as he was done with them that day. When the lycan returned to the booth, he started to apologize, "Listen, I'm really sorry for laying what I did on you on Friday. You had the right to know. Actually, you needed to know all that. It wouldn't have been right for me to let things progress if you didn't."
"Which brings me back to what I asked you that night before I left. What do we do now?" Shiloh asked the guy after he returned frim the restroom. Shiloh knew now where his first attraction to her had laid. That he had come to the realization that she couldn't be the woman that she resembled. Do they move forward now or with Shiloh not being anything like the woman Brennan had known, had their relationship ended before it even had time to get started.
"There's only one way to find out, I think." Brennan shrugged, "...And that's to let things progress where they will." The lycan was interrupted when their waitress returned with their food and he fell silent as he applied mustard and ketchup to his burgers and drizzled more ketchup on his fries.
"And where do you think they're going to progress after this?" Shiloh asked with a light wave over the table and their lunch. "Or am I suppose to just sit back and wait to see what you might do?" Looking away from him then Shiloh reached for the ketchup and covered her fries with the red stuff, or rather she smothered the fried slices of potato with the stuff.
Brennan was a little distracted from Shiloh's question with her action to her French fries. The lycan chuckled softly and then teased her, "Have some fries with your ketchup." He grew serious and after taking a bit of one of the burgers on his plate and washed it down with water he tentatively asked her, "Would you...object to seeing a movie with me?"
"Sorry," Shiloh grinned sheepishly over to the guy after she set the ketchup bottle down, "kind of an addiction of mine whenever there's a plate of fries and ketchup bottle within reach." The blonde proceeded then to snatch up a couple of the fries, ketchup staining the tips of her fingers as she lifted them and slid them into her mouth. "Object?" She questioned after chewing and swallowing down the food in her mouth. Then not giving Brennan a chance to respond to that the blonde continued. "I think I'd rather enjoy it." She smiled softly.
The lycan cleared his throat then, fidgeting a bit in his seat, "Well, um...are you free this Wednesday? There's a small theater not far from David's that shows old movies."
"Do you know what they're showing that night?" Shi asked wiping off the tips of her fingers before she moved in to grab her burger and take a bite of the sandwich. She wasn't a big fan of old movies, but there were some classics she had seen and would watch more then once.
"Casablanca," was Brennan's immediate response after having more of his burger and water. Grabbing a few fries, they hovered in front of his lips as he said, "It's my favorite movie," Scarfing the fries down, the lycan shrugged and added when he could, "But, we can see whatever you want."
How could she decline seeing the movie with him now, especially since he stated it was his favorite movie. Sure it wasn't The Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life, or a Hitchcock thriller, but that didn't mean Shiloh wouldn't sit through a full showing of the film. "I guess it's settled then." The blonde spoke with a smile to the guy before her attention was returned to the meal before her, Shiloh taking a drink of her shake after consuming a few more fries and taking another bite of her burger.
"Are you sure?" He asked after finishing off the rest of the first burger, "We can see something else if you want." Brennan started on the second burger.
"I'm not prone to saying I'll do something when I actually don't want to Brennan Bale." And though she might have sounded a bit put off by the tone of her voice at being questioned for her answer Shiloh made she a smile shone through so the guy would know she hadn't taken any actual offense by what he said.
The lycan laughed in response and held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay! I get it." A smile lingered on Brennan's face even after his bagged another fry. At least Brennan knew things wouldn't be boring around Shiloh.
Shiloh smiled over to the guy. "I"m glad we're understanding each other." The blonde then worked on finishing off a good portion of her burger and a few more of her ketchup drenched fries, licking the tips of her fingers to rid them of the traces of the red stuff that stained them.
"So is this going to be like a movie and a dinner thing or just us going to the theater for a viewing of Casablanca?" Not that she was looking to get another meal out of the guy, Shiloh asked for the simple reason of wishing to know if she should eat before hand or hold off until a little later that night.
The lycan descended into silence as he polished off the last of his second burger and the plate of fries. He hailed their waitress for some more water at some point before answering Shiloh, sitting back in the booth with a thoughtful expression on his face and said with a shrug, "We could have dinner afterward, if you want."
"Why don't we just stick with the movie and maybe a walk afterward," as they seemed to connect better when out and about in the city. Shiloh could pick of some fast food after work, which could be quickly devoured when she got home. It would still leave her plenty of time then to get ready for their movie date.
"Okay," Brennan replied with a smile, thinking that was probably for the best. At least at first. Dinner and a movie could imply a multitude of things, things that Brennan may or may not be ready for and while he had admitted he was attracted to Shiloh...the lycan wasn't altogether sure if he was entirely ready to date-date...yet.
Shiloh was kind of relieved by Brennan's answer, the guy didn't voice as much, but Shiloh didn't want to come off as expecting too much from them going to a movie together. Sure she enjoyed his company, and there definitely was an attraction there, but sometimes guys liked to take the lead in these types of situations. And really, there was nothing wrong with moving slowly and getting to know another person before taking that big step into the whole dating scenario.
"I guess my Wednesday is all planned out, then." The blonde smiled with the hopeful thought that she wouldn't fall asleep halfway through the movie after a long day at work.
The lycan chuckled and then glanced to the clock on the wall. Internally, Brennan sighed as he noticed that it was about time to be heading back to the garage. But Brennan gestured to the clock anyway and said, "Well, I should probably get you back to the garage so you can pick up your Tracker."
Shiloh held up a finger to indicate she should be given a minute, the blonde then proceeded to eat the rest of her burger and then slid a couple more fries into her mouth, which was washed down with some of her shake. "Okay," Shi finally said grabbing for a napkin to wipe her mouth off with. At least she wasn't leaving all that much. Not something she usually did as the psi vamp normally cleaned off her plate, Shiloh just seemed to have gotten caught up more in their conversation then the meal in front of her.
While Shiloh finished off the last of her burger and attempted to clear off the fries, Brennan paid for their lunch and gave the waitress a decent tip. Heading out, the lycan held both the diner door and passenger door for Shiloh before they were off toward David's garage again.
The drive back to David's garage wasn't made in complete silence as the pair managed to engage in a little bit of idle conversation. After Brennan pulled off the road and into the garage and turned off the engine, Shiloh climbed out slinging the strap of her bag onto her shoulder. "Think they have the flat all fixed?" The blonde looked over the roof of the vehicle question Brennan after the man exited the vehicle.
"They should," Brennan replied with a smile and then teased her, "Why, quick to get rid of me?" The lycan chuckled and headed toward Shiloh's Tracker to talk to his co-worker.
Shiloh had been on the verge of giving a playful retort when Brennan turned and walked off. The blonde was guessing he had gone to check on the status of her vehicle. Instead of just standing there to wait, Shi headed off to the office as she still had to pay for the work done to the Tracker. When Brennan found her she'd still be sitting in the office with a check written out in the amount she owed for the work done.
"He's just about done," Brennan said as he entered the office and started printing up a receipt for the blond. Handing it over, he glanced outside before asking, "So...should I pick you up?"
"Well," Shiloh slid the check over to the guy and then took the receipt he offered her, "what do you want to do?" It was Brennan that brought up going to see a movie, after all, and Shiloh didn't want the man to think that they'd only do what she wanted to do. It wasn't even an actual date from the way she was viewing things at this point. "If you want it to be a Dutch night I can meet you at the theater."
Brennan chuckled a little at the Dutch night phrase. He lifted a hand to his head, scrubbing it over his hair, "Yeah, ok." He paused, thinking and then suggested after writing down directions, "...Seven-ish?"
"Sevenish." Shiloh repeated agreeing with the guy on an estimated time they'd meet up at the theater. "I guess I should be heading on back to work." The blonde said a bit reluctantly at having to make her departure. But then sticking around talking with Brennan wasn't exactly going to work in paying the bills that would be coming in toward the end of the month.