Who: Penny and Jim What: Post show milkshakes after Taylor hightailed it out of her show. Where: Outside The Magic Store then a diner When: After her big debut
Penny had taken what Jim had told her to heart, she wasn’t used to writing her own songs, but she had decided to give it a try. He’d told her he preferred the original acts, for her to do what she was comfortable with, to make it more natural. She’d searched a whole day for inspiration, it wasn’t until Taylor the Latte Boy had made her a triple instead of a double latte and she’d realized her inspiration had been right in front of her for a whole month. She was no stranger to how adorable Taylor the Latte Boy was, it was no secret after all. And after that triple latte incident the words and music never stopped flowing.
She’d invited Taylor, he’d brought friends, she had seen him in the audience and she’d sung her heart out. He’d said he’d meet her after the show, and she’d officially been waiting for half an hour. In her rain gear looking terrible by now and getting angrier by the moment. She had hurt feelings, and her ego was much smaller than normal. It had been her first big show and she thought she’d done great. It had felt great to be up on the stage again. And now...It was nothing. Her life was over. Okay probably not, but she’d just needed some kind of reassurance that she was getting her life back. There was a time when the last thing that would happen was some barista standing her up after a big show. There was a time when people lined up to see her after a show, and now they were just running from her. Jim had thought the show had gone well. Penny had been phenomenal, not too many disasters had occurred and numbers were up. Sure, Penny had rambled all evening on about this Taylor guy - but hey, he couldn’t argue with the power of a muse! He worked on clean up duty until people started heading out the doors. He was looking for Penny when he found her and he offered a genuine smile as he came up to her side.
“You did great tonight,” he said honestly. He reached back to scratch at his head. “Where’s that Taylor guy? Is he getting the car or something...?” From the way Penny had talked, Taylor seemed like a hot date. He had just wanted to snag her before she rode off with him.
Penny turned when Jim came up next to her and she tried to smile but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Thanks, Jimmy,” she said sighing a bit. She looked around almost hopeful that Taylor had managed to just go get the car, but she knew better. Sort of.
She shrugged her shoulders, “Something must have come up,” she said trying to sound sure of herself. Jim raised a brow at that. He’d heard - or used that excuse often enough. Poor Penny. “Oh yeah?” Jim glanced at his phone which beeped then - remote posting, great - then looked up. He weight the odds and how likely the building was to blow up when things if he left.
No more than usual. He rubbed at the back of his head again, giving a little shrug. “You want to go do something to celebrate? You can check up with him later.” They might as well hammer out the rest of business and the only thing he had to do this evening was be awkward around Janet.
She nodded, she wondered if he bought it, and then she started to talk herself into it while at the same time vowing to find herself a new Starbucks.
“Oh Jimmy you’re my saving grace, I’d love to go do something to celebrate! After all, I did have a fantastic little debut,” she said putting her arm through his. She tried to think about what they ought to do, and it occurred to her that eating her feelings sounded like a fantastic idea. “Lets go get something to eat! Milkshakes are on me!”
Jim didn’t really have time to ask for a moment to wrap business up before Penny was looping her arm through his. For a tiny woman she was tought and extremely hard to say no to. (Well, so was everyone, but that was beside the point.) Jim shrugged, called back for someone semi-responsible like Jess to close up before heading out. “Diner?” he offered, from where they’d been the other night.
He led the way out, getting the door with a tight smile. “You don’t have to though-” Actually he was fairly broke. “You were the success, I can cover it.”
“Diner sounds perfect, oh! One more time after this and we’ll be regulars,” she thought that sounded like a wonderful idea. She’d been a regular at a few places before, some nicer than others, but it was always nice to be recognized.
She gave him an unsure look, she was willing to hand over plenty of money to the Magic Store, and she wasn’t sure if Jimmy had the money to be spotting her after performance celebration, “I don’t mind,” she said and left it at that. Though when the time came she’d foot the bill, eating her feelings and spending money was the perfect cure for a broken heart.
Jim, personally, wasn’t sure how much he could afford to be a regular - not with his pride and wallet intact. Despite that, he managed a smile. “I think they’ve got a website for things like that.” Oh well. Traditions couldn’t hurt. Offering a free seat to a performance might help matters? He shrugged and let the door shut behind her. “Where you own the place or something?”
He took a few jogging steps to catch up, offering his arm to her - it was polite after all. He chose to leave the subject, coughing. “So...uh, was everyone fine backstage? Sorry if I missed anything. Things were kinda busy.” Like always.
She tilted her head to the side curiously and looked at him with a confused look, “A website for things like being a regular somewhere? Is that why every person I follow on twitter wants to tell me where they’re checking into?” she had only recently figured out Facebook and Twitter, she wasn’t the most internet savvy person in the world, but she was trying. Her legions of fans would no doubt want to keep tabs on her through the magic of social networking.
She took his arm and smiled up at him, he was so cute she just wanted to pinch his cheeks, take him home, shrink him and keep him in her pocket. She’d take him out and look at him whenever she was in a bad mood. She sighed almost dreamily, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it mon cheri, everything was fine...” she said happily. Something about being backstage at the Magic Store was definitely not what she was used to but hopefully the money she planned on throwing around would fix the aesthetic problems. She wasn’t quite sure what to do about the craziness problems...Then again, it wasn’t until she thought about it in retrospect that any of it seemed strange. While she was there she was more than content to dodge fish, listen to bad jokes, deal with strange requests and watch while someone borrowed her dogs for a cowboy number. In retrospect it wasn’t at all what she was used to, but it was, above anything else, something she seemed to fit in with. Jim shrugged. “I don’t know? I don’t take part in much. I hear from Jeep and the like about it...I mean, the Creation forums are enough for me.” He saw most people he cared about in his day to day life - if he didn’t see them, they were in another world. Why waste on social networking sites? Beyond getting more people to come to the Magic Store that is.
Mouth tightening at the thought, he began to lead the way to the diner - fortunately it was close. With Miss Penny on their cast and possibly Miss Hartwig eventually, they’d have to get their numbers up. Just had to. That said, Jim allowed his lanky strides to become less tense and he offered a smile down to Penny. “Alright, I won’t.” She seemed like the sort to complain if there was a problem though - no offense meant.
When they finally reached the diner, Jim got the door, ushering Penny in. The man at the counter lit up at the sight. “Hey, weren’t you guys here last week?” His grin was broad. “I knew you’d be hooked. No one can resist Angie’s cooking for long-” A woman behind the long counter sent a scowl. “You talking ‘bout me again Mickey?”
Jim stifled a smile before sliding into a booth in the corner, taking a menu from the aforementioned Mickey. Once he went off, he leaned forward. “I think we’re lucky.”
Miss Penny grinned at everyone as she walked into the diner, she even went so far as to say her hellos, and remembered everyone’s name. It was this kind of behavior that had earned her the America’s Sweetheart title, she had decided that the rage that was bubbling inside of her had been ebbed by the presence of Jimmy and she decided that he was obviously her new calming force. Jimmy, Muffin and Cooper. Her “boss” and her dogs. Maybe life wasn’t going to be so rough here after all.
She sat down in the booth across from him and smiled widely ignoring the fact that her feet barely touched the floor. “You think?” she asked tilting her head a bit, “Tell me why!”
Jim laughed, picking up a sticky plastic menu and glancing over it. Cheapness. That’s what he was looking for (but not too cheap that Penny would be suspicious). “Because,” he said, with a great pause for dramatics. “We’re not back at the Magic Store. And we’ve got plans for the future that are going to sky rocket-” Not his choice of words, but it’s what Jeep said.
And he gave her a genuine grin. “Plus, an evening with friends. You can’t go wrong with that.” In Jim’s opinion. Friends and family were a mixed thing that always overlapped. He was happy just to be in a slightly wacky diner with a girl who could sing and was going to help the Magic Store. Plus, Penny was a good kid - er, woman. Older too, which made the wording weird. Jim shook his head before shutting his menu.
Penny looked over the menu and was seriously debating every piece of pie they had, and a big giant burger, she wasn’t sure if she and Jimmy were at the point in their relationship where she could eat all of her feelings in front of him. Maybe she could get about half of that...She appreciated his optimism, it was almost infectious. She thought she might swoon.
She rested her chin in her hand and smiled at him, “You are absolutely right, Jimmy,” she said sighing a bit. “Who needs stupid Taylor the Latte Boy when I have you?”
Jim did blink at that - huh, he hadn’t really meant...nah. Penny needed a break and he was here being a good friend. That was all. Cracking another smile, he shrugged. “You can’t beat friends over romance troubles.” At least, that was what he told himself.
Mickey swung by again, notepad out. “What’s it today, kids?” Jim managed to hide his snort, before coughing. He ordered short stack of pancakes - the joy of breakfast 24 hours - along with a plain milkshake.
She waved her hand, he was far too adorable. “Is that what we are Jimmy? I think that makes you my first friend here,” she said clearly pleased by this revelation.
When Mickey came by, and Jim ordered his food Penny looked up at him and then back at the menu, she ordered the French toast with extra powdered sugar and a chocolate milkshake to start. With whipped cream and sprinkles. It was definitely time for a sugar rush.
An eyebrow rose, attempting seriousness for a moment before laughing. “What else would we be?” Because they were far from enemies. Jim might consider everyone semi friendly a friend - and by extension family - but Penny deserved the role.
Once Mickey left, there was a small, awkward silence. Jim coughed and asked something which had crossed his mind. “How’d you get into the show business then?”
“Oh I don’t know, maybe we just work together, or maybe we’re just acquaintances. I’m glad we’re friends though,” she said swinging her feet idly, and taking a drink of the coffee that was always miraculously full at this place.
She sat back a bit and smiled, “I left home at 16, spent more years than I care to admit as far off Broadway as you can get, one night I realized I was about to get evicted and went to sing on the street to make some money. That night I met my husband who had some connections, and the rest as the say is tabloid history. The E True Hollywood story left some bits out, but it wouldn’t be as sensational that way.” She said winking at him. Jim grinned at her. He took his coffee with a mumbled thanks - to Mickey who was getting yelled at by the kitchen staff again - before sipping it. “You can’t go wrong with that,” he said cheerfully. The mug was put down and a hand went to her chin as went on.
“Guess you struck out lucky,” Jim said, with no faking his admiration. Penny had talent, honest to god, but Jim knew first hand how hard it was to make it big. as it was, she’d been big on Broadway and Hollywood. Until the husband thing, which he only knew hints of, it seemed like she had it grand. With another cough, “And no plans to really....pursue that on?”
“Oh I don’t know,” she said in regards to getting lucky, it had taken a very long time, but she had managed it. And then everything had fallen spectacularly apart and here she was, middle aged, in a strange place, and grasping at straws to make people adore her again. She briefly wondered if Mickey had a bottle of something stronger hidden under the counter.
She shook her head again at the question of whether or not she’d pursue it, “I’m breaking my rule just by performing at the Magic Store, Jimmy!” she said putting on her brightest and happiest face because that was better than the truth. “I’m getting a fresh start, but I get away with singing for you because I’m handing money over, I’m paying you!” she winked at him and at that moment really just wanted her french toast to show up.
Mickey probably did, but Jim wouldn’t have asked. He took it as humbleness on Penny’s part and admired it. Always a good trait. He’d spent enough time with divas over the years to be wary of them. He’d really ended up lucky with Penny walking into the Magic Store.
There was a surprised laugh in response. Oh well. Maybe it was one of those things about once-you-get-there-it’s-not-so-good. Jim refused to believe that being on Broadway would be anything less then fantastic. One day he would be there. One day he’d get away from the Magic Store, return to filthy New York City where the lights were always bright and traffic kept you up constantly. He’d be there, leading on Broadway in some production...and there’d be an applause, just for him.
Without any rotten fruit either.
“Pfft, I’d have taken you on without that. You’ve got more talent then most people at the Magic Store.” Which wasn’t a hard thing, frankly. Most shows ended with boos for a reason.
Penny was sure that it had been fantastic at one point, performing was important to her. She needed applause to live, she loved being adored, and she loved adoring her audience. But then it just got ugly, and she got ugly right along with it. “It had it’s moments,” she said putting on her smile again, she didn’t want to seem ungrateful, or take hope away from anyone else.
She was talented, she knew it, there was no use in pretending like she wasn’t. And she was a new kind of talent for the Magic Store but somehow she liked it there. Not just because she was so talented in comparison, but because she liked the obscurity of it all. She was surprised at how well she fit in. It worried her, and she loved it. “You have a good operation Jimmy,” she said. “It needs a little something, not sure what, an audience for starters,” she said chuckling. “But...There’s something there, and as soon as I put my finger on it...Oh Jimmy...It’s going to be amazing.”
Jim allowed that to drop, just as Mickey swung by with drinks outside of reliable coffee. “You kids doing alright?” he asked before jumping off to the next table. Weird enough for the Magic Store, even if Jim wasn’t sure if he was a Creation. His head tipped a bit before sipping at his milkshake.
“I try,” he said wryly. He wasn’t sure how much he believed it. Most days it was all he could do to keep his little failboat afloat. There was a laugh at the mention of an audience - definitely needed that. And someone with a bigger backbone then himself running the place. And Mr. Henson to come back one day. And another huge mind-boggling donation too. “With your help there’s no chance it won’t be,” he said, going with cheery optimism for now. It was hard not to at the moment.
She nodded and smiled at Mickey before taking a sip of her milkshake. “You do great! I mean it’s insane, and a mess, but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had. I’m just glad you’re letting me sing for you. I mean, I’ve got the talent, but everything is so quirky and I think if we could get people to stop the chewing gum chorus while I’m practicing my roller skating that would be great. But that’s a little thing.” She hadn’t yet run into any serious problems, she considered this to be a good sign of things to come.
She held her milkshake glass up to toast, “Here’s to...” she smiled brightly, “Us. And the Magic Store.” She winked at him then.
Actually the chewing gum chorus was far from the worst of their acts, but Jim gave a small nod. “We can always try? They should upgrade to blowing bubbles and popping them in time to the Chicken Dance at least.” Just a bit more marketable.
Jim’s winking skills were poor (he’d lucked out in dancing and singing instead, so it worked out), but he managed one back. “To us and the Magic Store.” His glass chinked against hers before he took a brain-freezing gulp. There was no chance anything could mess this up.