alternate_girls (alternate_girls) wrote in btvsal, @ 2010-08-28 17:55:00 |
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Entry tags: | place: la, ~liz todd, ~mai matthews |
First Meeting
Who: Mai and Liz
Where: Random Diner
When: Sunday Late Morning - August 22
Mai had managed to sleep almost the full during of her flight from London to Los Angeles, waking up on board the plane about fifteen minutes before the flight landed at the Los Angeles City airport. Everything had been prearranged by herself after being contacted by Rupert Giles. The flight, her temporary accommodations and rental car to use until she could get a slightly used one of her own for her stay in the City of Angels. Not having to meet with the head of the Watchers Council til evening, Mai was going to do the sensible thing and get herself something to eat after collecting her luggage and getting her car from the rental company. The woman hadn't had anything to eat since leaving England and was now just realizing how famished she was.
Since breaking up with Wesley and sending her sister to train in England (apparently they had a watcher more able to handle a special case like hers), Dr. Elizabeth Todd had been throwing herself more and more into her work.
After coming off yet another 20-hour shift at LAGH, the blonde sat n the diner, trying to drink enough black coffee to stay alert as she enjoyed her eggs and toast.
Mai was lucky enough to find a place to park near the entrance of the first diner she spotted. Grabbing her shoulder bag from the floor on the passengers side of the vehicle the woman climbed out and headed for the entrance dying for a freshly brewed cup of tea and a plate of kippers. A dish she was doubting the place would serve, but a woman could still wish couldn't she?
Entering the establishment dressed a bit more casually then usual, Mai only needed to wait a brief couple minutes before the hostess was able to seat her.
Being the friendly type that she was, Liz watched the waitress trying to find Mai an empty table and flagged them down. "I'm almost done... You can have this table and I can just take the rest of mine to go..."
"This is quite generous of you." Mai said with a slight English accent when she was led over to Liz's table. "And really don't rush," the woman smiled softly, "I don't mind sharing." At least not with a lovely blond. That thought, though, was kept back from the other woman. Mai might be bold at times, but there was always a time and place for that. And this happened to not be one of them.
And thank goodness she didn't, because Liz had never even so much as FLIRTED with a woman, and likely would have gone into shock.
"Oh, well thank you. I won't take long, I promise. Too tired to stick around very long..."
"Can I get a cup of tea, some toast and a menu." She requested of the waitress before the woman could wander off. "Take as long as you wish," Mai smiled over to the woman, "I'm Mai, by the way." Her smile lingered as she extended a hand across the table to the blond.
"Oh, excuse me. I guess manners go away after I've been awake almost 24 straight hours. I'm Liz." The sweet blonde rolled her eyes at herself, smiling politely. "Trust me... this seems like a crappy place, but when you taste the food? You'll totally understand why it's so busy all the time."
"At this point I could eat about anything regardless of how good or bad it might taste." Mai commented giving a friendly smile back to the blond. The toast she had ordered would just hold her over until she had a complete breakfast sitting in front of her. "24 straight hours? You poor dear. You must be exhausted."
"Well, such is the life of a doctor." Liz said with a sweet smile, reaching behind her to tie her long blonde hair into a loose pony. "Besides. I just broke up with my boyfriend lately, so... it gives me a way to not have to dwell on it, you know?"
"Well that completely sucks. Though are you sure throwing yourself into your work is the answer?" There were worse things, though, that Mai thought the other woman could get thrown into to make her forget and numb everything around her. She could however sympathize with the woman as she had gone through a break-up of her own about five years back.
"Well... can't say I'm SURE... but it helps." She admitted, shrugging a little. "It wasn't some messy, angry breakup... we still consider each other friends... I just... I don't think he ever TRULY got over his first love."
"No one every does, Liz." Mai commented back just as the waitress brought over her requested cup of tea and toast, along with a menu for her to look over. "So, do you have any recommendations?" Mai asked glancing over to the blond as she flipped the menu open.
"Well, depending on your tastes, I'd say go with the steak and eggs." The doctor gave a girlish, sweet giggle. "Your heart won't thank you, but your taste buds will."
"I think as long as it satisfies my belly I'll be good." Mai grinned. And a plate of steak and eggs certainly sounded like they would fill up her belly quite nicely. And when the waitress came back around a moment later that was just what the Watcher ordered.
"So... what do you do around here? I'm guessing... well, HOPING, for your sake... that 'm the only one here with a job that gives you 20 and 30 hour shifts..." She knew it was a necessary evil for her career, but damn, she didn't wish it on anyone.
"Actually, my job gives me zero hours of employment at the moment." Mai told the woman before taking a sip of her tea. "I came to L.A. at the request of a friend and am presently without a job." Which wasn't an actual truth, Mai had been summoned to Los Angeles to take on the duties of a Watcher to a Slayer she had yet to meet. All the details would be given to her once she met with the head of the Watchers Council. Hopefully some form of employment would soon follow after that.
"Oh, crap. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... to rub it in or anything... God I feel stupid right now. Please don't be offended? Between my breakup and just... worrying about my sister, I've been sort of thoughtless, I guess." She cutely had a look of real worry on her face, hoping she didn't offend the woman. They'd only just met, but Liz was honestly such a gentle person that she flailed at the thought of hurting ANYONE.
"I'm nothing of the sort, sweetie." Mai smiled softly showing that she was in no way offended as she reached over to pat Liz's hand in an attempt to relay that there were no hard feelings. " I came here with sufficient enough funds to see me through a couple months. And I guarantee it won't take me anywhere near that long to secure a job."
"Not to be assuming here, but are you a good typist at all? The hospital I work at is looking for a new person to take medical records... it's boring work but it pays decent." The perky blonde realized then that this was the most she'd really... talked in a non-work capacity to ANYONE since her sister had gone overseas.
"I'm better then decent at it." Mai admitted to the woman. The Watcher wasn't sure what job, if any, Rupert Giles might have lined up for her, but she was willing to consider the job Liz mentioned. An added incentive being that it would probably mean she'd be able to see the lovely blond on a daily basis. Mai was going with her gut feeling her concerning Liz, what some would call their gaydar, and what better way to get to know the woman then to see and interact with her everyday.
"I can't promise anything, but take your resume to LAGH tomorrow, drop it off with Keith in Facilities, and tell him you know Dr. Elizabeth Todd." She smiled, shrugging. "I'm not exactly a big-wig around there, but I'm respected enough that knowing me MIGHT help you get in..."
"I still appreciate the lead." Mai smiled appreciatively to the woman. "Not many would offer help like this to a complete stranger."
"Well, its just a lead. Wish I could do more, but..." The blonde gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, smiling. "I know its hard out there."
"You are quite the generous woman, Liz." Mai smiled bringing up the mug of tea to her lips to take a sip as she let herself regard the other woman for a brief moment.
"I try..." She said with a soft smile. "I'm also just... admittedly lonely. I don't have many friends outside of work, and now my little sister is in England..."
"Well," Mai reached into her bag to pull out a pen and slip of paper, "one good turn deserves another. Once I'm completely settled in the city we are going to have to go out so you can show me the true L.A." Scribbling her cell number down, Mai slid it across the table to the blonde.
"You know? I'd love to." Liz decided. She'd been cooped up in her own misery and her own little world since the breakup, and it was high-time she started getting some new friends. "I'll call, you have my word."
"Good." Mai smiled confidently. It was then that the waitress delivered Mai's breakfast to the table. "It smells and looks delicious." The Watcher commented to Liz, though it was more her starved belly talking. It still looked good to Mai.
"Well, since you're being kind enough to actually give me a new friend, the least I can do is buy your meal." Liz said with a sweet smile. "Trust me, I make enough money, and NEVER end up buying anything. So, this is no big."
Mai pondered that for a moment before saying anything. "Tell you what. I'll consent to letting you buy me breakfast if you stay long enough to have a bit of desert." Mai told the woman before starting in on her meal of steak and eggs.
"You drive a hard bargain." The young doctor laughed tiredly, before giving a drawn-out, dramatic sigh. "I suppooooooose I could stick around long enough to enjoy the strawberry pie..."