Ana Luisa Peralta (analuisa) wrote in nearside_rpg, @ 2009-11-06 21:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: jesse venture, player: ginger, status: complete |
Who:Ana Peralta & Jesse Venture
When: Monday Evening
Where: The Quill Cafe
Rating: PG
Summary: Jesse wants a friendly conversation. Ana is having a bad day.
Warnings: None.
Ana walked out from the back where she was checking profits for the day, thus far. She walked forward, making sure the customers were alright. "You can take a break," she said to one of the baristas. She went up front to check the counter when she heard the chime above the door. She rose a brow when she saw who it was.
Jesse tightly clutched his coffee in hand as he pushed his way through the door to the cafe. He shivered just a little after the door shut behind him, an aftereffect of the windy day outside. Instead of stepping right up to the counter, he instead immediately went to inspect the baked goods, just like he always did. Though he did flash a bright grin to the woman at the register. They'd seen each other around, though had hardly ever spoken. (Surprising, really, as Jesse would talk to inanimate objects if they would only talk back. Their one flaw.) "All right. What would you suggest for me?" He asked her, afterwards lifting his cup to his lips and taking a sip.
"I see you've brought your own coffee drink," she said, her accent thicker as the hours passed in the day. She walked over to the counter display. "Today's special is a crab melt on a crescent. We also have some fresh cupcakes, churros, and some brownies... Those are just my favorites, however." She leaned against the counter, her hip resting against the wood. "So, what are you doing here? I thought you worked at our competitor."
Jesse didn't say anything in response to her comment on his choice of coffee, though he might have waved it just a little towards her with a grin on his lips before taking another sip as she came over. Then he went back to inspecting the baked goods on display that she was pointing out. "Could you make my choice any harder?" He asked her, ignoring her last question so he could make a decision on his treat of choice. That choice was simple, however, as chocolate almost always won out over anything else. Brownies. Though those cupcakes with the chocolate icing... "I do," he answered after a few seconds, gesturing with his free hand to the logo on his cup. "No offense, but our coffee is way better. You've just got us beat on baked items."
She stared at him. "No. It's not." She turned on her heels and washed her hands and pull on her apron. "What will it be?" She asked him. "I saw you eying the brownie." She turned back around, small paper baggie in hand. "To go or for here?" She asked him, eyes meeting his. It was hard not to remember him. All of those tattoos, after all.
Letting it drop for the time being, he merely shook his head. Though at the mention of brownies, he suddenly perked back up. "Well, definitely a brownie for here," he said, though pursed his lips just enough to let it show that he was still thinking it over. "I'll probably get some cupcakes to go. Yes, I think I will. Half a dozen or so? Half chocolate- No, four with chocolate icing, and two with vanilla." Only then did he nod certainly, sure of his decisions. He tilted his head to the side somewhat to eye her up, absently swirling the liquid around in his cup. "You're a cafe," he pointed out needlessly. After another second, he elaborated further. "I work at a coffeehouse, meaning we specialize in this stuff," another gesture to his cup. "You don't. It's only logical that ours is way better."
Ana rolled her eyes, but pulled out a box to fill it with the cupcakes he requested. "So, I've seen you around town," she said, heating his brownie. "What are you doing on this side of the street?" She asked, starting conversation. It was late at night, after all. There were two couples, and just one person on their laptop. Some days there were crowds, but it was easy going this evening. She liked it.
"So..." She began. "What are you drinking?"
While she worked on boxing up his cupcakes for him, he made his way towards the register, resting his hip against the counter. "I just got off work, so I decided to get some treats for myself. A reward for being so awesome to all my customers all day." He placed his drink down on the counter, with perhaps a playfully watchful eye on her, to tug up the sleeves of his gray hooded sweatshirt. It was warmer in here than it was outside. "And it's just coffee. With a lot of sugar." Jesse smiled as he picked up his cup, holding it out to her when she next looked his way. "Want to try? I swear I won't tell on you." A pause, "I also don't have cooties. Promise."
"No, thank you," she said. "I have plenty of fantastic coffee right here." Ana tilted her head as she rang him up at the register. How strange. "Is that all I can help you with, today?" She might be the manager, but it was easy to read on her face that she was less cordial as the hours continued. Especially since she didn't have yoga classes this morning. She had longer hours to work.
He was unable to not wrinkle his nose at her statement that she had plenty of fantastic coffee right in front of her. He had to admit he was a little biased, but, well, if this place had superior coffee, then he'd be working here, wouldn't he? He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, again placing his coffee cup down on the counter, and shaking his head. "I think if I buy anymore sweets, I'll go into a sugar coma," he explained as he counted out the money and handed it over. He couldn't help himself, however, as he continued to speak. "I'm Jesse, by the way. I've seen you around quite a bit myself."
She watched him carefully, arching a brow. She couldn't quite read him. He was...strange, to say the least. Part of her wanted to laugh, but part of her wanted to know if he was joking with her.
Ana opened the register and sorted out the change. "I'm Ana," she introduced, almost grudgingly. She Tossed her hair away from her face without using her hands. "So... Jesse... How is work?"
His smile actually widened as she introduced herself, having been a little unsure himself if she was going to. She didn't look all that inclined to at first. "Ana," he repeated with a bit of a nod. "I'm glad to finally know your name." Reaching for his change, he shoved it haphazardly back into his wallet and re-pocketed it. "Work is... work." He replied with a shrug of a shoulder. "Boring, really. What do you do when you're not... abating my sweet tooth?"
"Well... I teach yoga at New Beginnings," she informed him, handing him the receipt. "Other than that... I could be anywhere, really. And yourself?"
After shoving the receipt in the pocket of his sweatshirt, he slid his warmed brownie closer to him and pulled off a bit of it to start eating it before it got cold. It wasn't nearly as good when cooled. "Yoga, huh? I could never be flexible enough for that shit." He flashed her a bit of an awkward look for a moment before it was gone. "I'm usually at my apartment. Or at the movie theatre. Do you like movies?"
Ana was quiet for a moment, then she couldn't help the small chuckle she released. "You should try it," she said. If only to see him make an ass out of himself. That would make her day.
At his second question, she looked away, but her small smile was still there. "I like movies," Ana told him. "Depends on what kind." Finally, she met his eyes, stretching her arms a little. Spending the day hunched over a counter was difficult work. "Why?" She leaned against the counter, stretching her back a little. It was almost ten. Just fifteen more minutes before they closed shop.
Jesse couldn't help the laugh at her suggestion. He wasn't exactly nonathletic, but yoga? The idea was laughable, so he did. Shaking his head, he pulled off another piece of brownie, then followed it up with a sip of coffee before he responded to her. "I tend to like independent movies. Like the ones that no one has fucking heard of except for me," he explained to her, turning a little to rest his other hip against the counter. "I'm simply curious about you, Ana," he added in response to her question, grinning at her until he went in for another piece of brownie. Really. It was just chocolatey deliciousness.
Ana stared at him, completely confused by what he meant by that. There was always some motive behind the words that came out of people's mouths. It wouldn't be a stretch, at all, to assume that Ana was un-trusting. She certainly was. She always wanted to know what people wanted from her. That's how it was in the past, after all. "Why?" It was a simple question.
Jesse gave her a bit of an odd look at her question, but finally simply shrugged. "I don't know. I like getting to know new people, and you're pretty new?" Was that lame? It sounded a little lame. "After seeing you around town so often, I figure I might as well try and start talking to you, anyway, before we become those weird neighbors that see each other around all the time and yet never know what to say to each other and it's been so long that they don't know how to start."
She stiffened a little, then sighed. "Okay." She realized how stiff and tense she was. She had to relax a little. "I'm sorry. I just... It's been a long day. I've had nothing but bad news." She rested a hand on her hip. "So... what is it that you want to know?" She asked him.
Happily downing another piece of brownie, he grinned at her, waving off her apology with his free hand. "Don't apologize. Everyone has bad days." Cleansing his palate with another sip of his coffee, he lifted a shoulder in a partial shrug. "I don't know, really." He eyed her for a second, as though trying to read her mind. It apparently failed, as he glanced down at his coffee once more. "Do you have any pets? You don't seem a pet person, but you never know."
"No pets," she said. "I don't have time to care for an animal. It's not in my best interest." She wondered if perhaps she'd be different with a pet around. Then again, she wasn't sure she'd even have the patience for an animal. Ana frowned lightly. "Do you have a pet?"
Jesse gave a sort of frown, but it seemed to be mostly out of sympathy for her than that he was actually saddened by her news. "Not even a goldfish? Those are almost as easy to take care of as a cactus." He smiled then, swirling his coffee once more. "Growing up, we had two cats at my house. They passed away, though. Then with school and a new apartment and everything else going on, I just haven't much thought about getting one for myself. Though if I were going to, I'd get another cat."
"I haven't the patience," she explained, storing away some food. "It's a waste of money for me to go and buy a pet that I wouldn't be able to afford, anyway. Besides, it's not like I'm lonely." She didn't care much for animals. She was busy, distracted, but admittedly just a little lonely. Still, to buy a pet she couldn't care for would be selfish and stupid.
"Did you want a bag to carry your box in?"
"Pets aren't just for lonely people," Jesse pointed out, all the while shaking his head at her question. He enjoyed showing off his baked good purchases, and that didn't work nearly as well in a bag as with a box. "They're simply companions that, well, usually love you no matter what. It's refreshing."
"Love is less than refreshing," she informed him. "It's painful, trying, and masochistic." Or, at least the love she had felt. Then again, it was her belief that love was only love if you were breaking dishes against your lover's head as often as you were making love to him. Real passion, or so she believed.
Jesse honestly looked quite taken aback by her sentiment. "I guess it can be a bit tough at times," he slowly said, vaguely agreeing with her. "It's got good points too, though. Obviously it's not all bad or there wouldn't be people spending their lives trying to find it." He liked the idea of love. He'd only thought he'd been in love three times, maybe, but it was good while it lasted.
"Once again, I apologize." She sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. She collected herself. "You like to talk about all the wrong sorts of topics," she said with a tiny laugh. "I just got a divorce about.. well a few months ago. He wanted a pet. He thought maybe we'd get along better if we had a pet or a child. We weren't ready for children. Our careers wouldn't allow that." She couldn't dance while she was pregnant, after all.
Ana sighed, putting away the food in the displays. "I'm sorry. It's just been a long day." The shop would be closing soon. Then, she could go back to her place and sleep it off.
"Oh. Shit." Jesse couldn't help but say a little under his breath as she spoke. He stayed silent long enough for her to point out how long the day had been, mostly by shoving an oversized piece of brownie in his mouth. Once he was finished, he reached up, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to make you bring up unpleasant memories or... yeah. Next time I'll let you pick the topics, yeah?"
A weak smile emerged on her lips. "Yeah..." She continued to put food away. "That sounds like a good idea." She walked over to some of the girls and told them to start closing procedures. "Maybe next time I'll be in a better mood."
He grinned back at her, picking up the last piece of his brownie and finishing it up. Picking up his coffee, he took a sip before he spoke. "You're trying to close up shop, and I'm standing here holding you up." He shook his head a little at himself. "I will let you go to do your job, Ana." He said as he lifted a hand for her to shake. "I think you were a very pleasant conversation, no matter what mood you claim to have been in."
To be honest, Ana was taken a little by surprise by his words. She shook his hand, meeting his eyes almost suspiciously. "Maybe next time... we'll have a nicer chat," she suggested. "Hopefully, I'll be in a better mood. Have a good evening," she told him.