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Tweak says, "Bad day! No day-biscuit!"

Adrian Wilder | Leo Wyatt (orbme) wrote in thereincarnates,
@ 2011-12-26 12:02:00

Entry tags:

adrian wilder, patrick callahan

Characters. Adrian Wilder & Patrick Callahan | Leo & Piper
What. Piper and Leo meet for the first time, again. Or something >.>
When. December 26th, 2011.
Where. The streets of SanFran: a cafe near SFSU
Warnings. None

Adrian had already had a very full day this morning. Christmastime was always busy time for all commerce, which was a great thing for the bottom line but also exhausting. He had been working himself ragged for a number of reasons. Firstly, because he had to. He was now the owner, and the brunt of all responsibilities regarding the diner fell to him. But there were other reasons. These were the first Holidays ever without his dad, and Adrian's heart broke every time he thought about it. To make it all worse, his mother had decided to stay in Nevada with her sisters for Christmas, even though she knew Adrian couldn't be away from the diner around this time of year. He understood. If it was painful for him, it only had to be worse for his mother, being here in San Francisco or over at the diner without her husband. He got it, but it didn't smart any less to be missing both his mom and dad on Christmas. It had been just him and Angie this year. For all of an hour before midnight on Christmas Eve and a lazy day in bed on Christmas Day because they were both too exhausted to move. Angie was intent on making partner at her PR firm before she was thirty, which meant she too was away working her pretty little tail off while Adrian slaved at the diner. If he didn't absolutely love what he did, he might be a very unhappy young man. Thankfully he did love it.

In any case, his employees were a little concerned about him, and they had conspired with Angie to force Adrian to take a day off. He had gone in anyway, to supervise this mornings opening with the excuse of having to get some papers at the office, but then his staff pretty much glared him off the premises until he promised he'd go hang out and try to have some fun. Of course, he wouldn't leave until he made them promise to call him immediately if anything came up, no matter how small.

But, fun doing what, exactly? All Adrian knew was work, these days. What had he done for fun before he inherited the diner? Oh, right. Hang out with Angie, who took it upon herself to plan all of their outings. But Angie was working today. No rest for the wicked, right?

So, what to do with a day off? Adrian ran his errands after leaving the diner and was now sitting in a small cafe a few blocks from the university, nursing some fancy, Christmasy pumpkin spiced something or other beverage that had caught his eye. It was mid morning and he'd already done everything he could think to do. Maybe he should go to the bay or something. Or a museum. He hadn't been to one in a while. If only he could decide what the frick to do. He wasn't used to doing things alone any more, to be honest. He usually did whatever made Angie happy, didn't he? And what did that say about him? Huh. Something to think about.

Not that he was complaining. Adrian wasn't a whiner. His life was on track. Everything was in its right place. Right? Right. Then why was it that every time he actually had the time to sit down and think he couldn't help but feel like something was... missing?

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canstoptime
2011-12-27 08:44 pm UTC (link)

Patrick wasn't having the best of days. He was $2000 dollars lighter, and in about three months, he'd be $2000 dollars lighter again. Graduate school was killing him, but at least their house was paid for and they did not have to worry about that. That didn't mean he didn't have a multitude of other bills to worry about. Slinging his messenger bag over his chest, he slipped his receipt in the bag and began the trek to his car. At least, that had been the plan until he felt the familiar vibration from his pocket.

Please don't be Connor, he thought and closed his eyes in hope. He let out a tired sigh when he saw it was, and stared at the text: Need $80 for a field trip by tomorrow. Patrick frowned and let out a frustrated grunt that caused the people around him to stare. Go back to work! Stop texting me during class. Make that $2,080 dollars, he thought. This was too much stress for so early in the morning, and all without his caffine. It was then that he noticed the coffee shop and suddenly there was a calm that spread across him as he knew relief was just at hand. Rather than head for his car, he went straight for the Land of Caffine and Awesome.

Glancing at his watch, he winced. He wouldn't have time to make it to the office. Luckily, there was free Wi-Fi and he could work on his final audition piece for the editor, and also send the photos he'd wanted from the pet farm. Extra work meant extra money and he had no time for pride today. Once heaven was in his hand, the next objective was to find a table, which, currently, was far more challenging than it should've been. Had everyone decided to show up today? He just needed a place to sit, man.

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orbme
2011-12-27 11:03 pm UTC (link)

Okay. Days off officially sucked. Adrian sighed into his coffee. It was very good, but he had been working so hard for so long, that sitting here doing nothing was literally making him itch under the collar. He needed to be busy, but he knew if he went back to the diner he would catch hell from his staff and worse, they'd tell Angie on him, those weasels. He snorted and smiled, shaking his head at nothing in particular. He was lucky. The diner crew was like a family. They watched over each other. Adrian took care to weed out any rotten apples before they soured the workplace, and in return he had a pretty happy crew. It was only good business sense, he figured. It was hard enough to deal with customers sometimes with they all getting along.

So he was reduced to people watching. He hadn't really done this since college. What free time he had he usually spent with Angie, but now that things were more settled, and he had the diner running on his own personal system, it looked like he was going to start having a little bit of free time on his hands. He was going to need a hobby. People watching wasn't going to cut it.

He saw the young man scanning the cafe for a seat and gave him a sympathetic smile. He had completely lucked out. A girl too busy speaking on her cel to give any signs that she was leaving, suddenly stood up and walked away almost under his nose, so he got a table near the window. He felt a little guilty and so he gestured at Patrick, pointing at the empty chair across from him with a little shrug that said he didn't mind sharing.

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canstoptime
2011-12-28 04:46 pm UTC (link)

As great a city as San Francisco was, it was a busy place and the "kindness of strangers" wasn't something that he expected. Of course, he was from Jersey, so things were a little different there. People were loud, obnoxious, and other than some of the family's being big and welcoming, they didn't have time for nonsense. So, when he saw the other man offer him a spot at his table, it took about half a second to join him. He just seemed to flash back to grade school and the way their instructors had told them to shout Stranger Danger! any time they met someone they didn't know. He was fairly certain that didn't apply to crowded cafes.

Pulling off his messenger bag, he offered the man a smile and set the bag on the table and had a seat. "Thanks," he said, "I have a deadline, and I don't think I'm going to make it into the office in time." He was so glad they didn't have to clock in and they had relative freedom. It was the beauty of the digital age -- the office could be on the go, too. He grabbed the laptop from his bag and set up his little space and once that was done, he took a deep cleansing breath.

Now that that was taken care of , he smiled at Adrian and held out his hand. "Patrick." He chuckled. "Eternally late and always on the go. Thanks for this." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I really appreciate it."

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orbme
2011-12-28 06:48 pm UTC (link)

Adrian pointedly did not allow himself to stare at the handsome young man coming his way. He had a moment of rethinking the wisdom of inviting him to his table. Adrian did not look at other guys that way. No. Just... no. Well, okay, he had trained himself not to, at least. Besides, this was San Francisco and; especially around this area, so close to two major universities; handsome was the rule rather than the exception. Now Adrian was considered cute back home in Nevada, but he honestly felt downright plain here in the big city.

Nevertheless, seeing how harried, rushed and full of nervous energy Patrick was made him smile. It was amusing, but not in a mean way. More in the way a puppy furiously chasing its own tail or a cat intent on hunting down shadows was amusing. At least that's why he told himself he was smiling. It wouldn't be because the man's face looked impossibly cute intently focused like that. No. Adrian would never use words like cute to describe another guy. Never.

Damn, he's cute.

"No worries, man. I don't need two chairs," he said simply in response, grinning helplessly at Patrick. He could not believe he'd just thought that. Weird. He shook the proffered hand in a firm, but not overbearing, handshake. "I'm Adrian, recovering workaholic. Pleased to meet you, Patrick."

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canstoptime
2011-12-30 12:01 am UTC (link)

Afterward, Patrick had a one track mind. Make sure the story was done. Upload the pictures. Edit the pictures down to the best 5. Submit the obits to his editor. Breathe for dear life. Once that was all done, which meant there had been a long period of silence with Patrick sporting a determined look and a furrowed brow, Patrick leaned back in his chair. He glanced at the now not-as-hot-glass of coffee and he let out a quiet whimper of regret and took a sip. It might be pipping, but it was caffeinated and that certainly did the trick to calm his nerves.

It was only then that he remembered he wasn't alone. He flashed the other man a small smile and chuckled. "I'm sorry," he said, "normally I'm a little more talkative, but it was crunch time." He rubbed the back of his neck. God, he was glad the day was mostly over and he could let the tension go. Well, almost. He still needed to stop by the bank and withdraw the additional $80 dollars leaving them with a whopping $120 dollars in their bank account. God, he hoped that the stories would at least get him another $300 to get them through the end of the month.

"You're a workaholic?" he asked, vaguely remembering he heard it in between furious typing and flipping through the rolodex in his head. He glanced around him. "What brings you to the rest stop of the digital age?" It wasn't like most of the people here were not working. Sure, there were a few who were smiling, canoodling, or reading, but a large majority of people were on their laptops furiously typing while the others argued vehemently over their phone if they weren't chuckling with ease at a job well done. Still, he supposed the coffee shop was as good a place as any.

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orbme
2011-12-30 01:25 am UTC (link)

Adrian's eyebrows shot up for a moment when he virtually disappeared from Patrick's notice. It had been like flipping a switch. He was a little taken aback, but only for a few seconds. He was used to the relentless rhythm of city life by now. He'd been in SF long enough that he no longer considered it rude when people zoned out like that. He knew for a fact that he did the exact same thing when he was at work. Anything not work related did not exist for spells at a time. Still, he amused himself by watching the intent expression on Patrick's face while he worked. It made him smile.

He finished his coffee, and he was about to unobtrusively stand up and leave when Patrick leaned back on his chair, apparently done. Or taking a break, perhaps. Who knew? He smiled back at the apology. So the man had manners at least. "Oh, no need to apologize." No, no need, but it was sure nice that he had. "I understand completely. I run my own small business, and I'm told I can be a little scary when I'm real focused like that," he confided conversationally. Yeah, so... wasn't he leaving? There was something about this guy, though. He couldn't put his finger on it.

"Well, if you can believe it, my crew threatened bodily harm if I didn't take an enforced day off before the end of the year," he said, snorting with amusement as he raised his eyebrows and shook his head in a helpless expression. "So here I am. They can keep me out of the diner, but they can't make me go out of town. I just took over this year, you know. So, until everything's really under control I don't want to be too far in case something happens." He made a face and squinted one eye. "I know. I sound like a new parent, checking up on the babysitter every five minutes." He shrugged.

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canstoptime
2011-12-30 06:42 pm UTC (link)

The comment about sounding like a new parent hit close to home. "Well, at least they care," he replied with a small smile. "Business is rough," he said. "When I was a kid I used to dream about owning my own restaurant," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "I'd cook up these lavish meals some days for fancy parties or just do some down home cooking for my regulars. Something everyone enjoyed." He shook his head. "Then reality set in and I realized how terrible of a cook I am." He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips as he thought about the disaster that had been Thanksgiving this year. "It's cool that you own a diner, though. I'm sure it'll do well if you're a workaholic." He smirked. "I hear it's kind of a 24-7 kind of deal."

Closing his laptop, he grabbed it and slipped it into his messenger bag. "Instead I decided to become a hard hitting journalist," he replied in a tone that seemed to make it sound like some sort of Superhero, but he shook his head in dismay. "Still working on that bit. Turns out? Breaking into that world is kind of a headache. People think it's easy, but it's a lot like being an actor or a musician. Gotta audition and sometimes there are tests." He scrunched his nose. "I get enough of those in Grad School, thank you very much." He settled into his seat once again and took another sip of his coffee.

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orbme
2011-12-31 12:48 am UTC (link)

Adrian listened attentively, grinning enthusiastically when Patrick mentioned wanting to own a restaurant. Ah, a kindred soul! He had to laugh when he clarified he was a terrible cook. "Aw, man! Well, you know. Cooking is a talent, but one that can be learned." He chuckled softly, amused even as he replied. It felt good to share a laugh with a stranger. Adrian could not remember the last person that he'd had a non-work related conversation with who wasn't a customer. He shrugged at the next subject and smiled again. "We're doing all right. It's technically not a twenty-four hour diner but; I tell you. It sure feels like it sometimes."

"Journalist, huh? Well, that's gotta be exciting, regardless." He nodded thoughtfully. "You know, I talk to so many people every day... Seriously, I think I would have been better served with a degree in psychology instead of business administration sometimes. And what I hear from everybody is pretty much the same thing. Breaking into pretty much any profession these days is like that. With the way the economy's behaving, there are almost no cut and dried career tracks any more, I think."

Adrian was enjoying himself, and he was glad Patrick didn't seem to be in a huge rush any more. A part of him wished it could be as simple for him to get things done at the diner over his laptop, but his job was a lot more hands-on. He eyed his empty cup, and the tip of his tongue touched the corner of his mouth for a split second, a little unconscious mannerism of his. "I think I need a refill. Do you want anything else? My treat. It's really nice to be able to have a conversation that's not about some industrial piece of machinery needing maintenance, or the price of yams."

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canstoptime
2012-01-01 07:20 pm UTC (link)

"Yams?" he asked quizzically, and quirked a brow, though he wore an amused smirk on his lips. "That might be your first problem. Yams are usually a seasonal thing." He tilted his head. "Unless you're one of those health food nuts who offer yam fries instead of regular fries. In which case, I'm not sure we can be friends." He shook his head solemnly, but it was quickly replaced with a smile. He waved off the offer, though. "It's cool, man, you don't have to get me anything. Knock yourself out." He wasn't about to pick the man's pocket for a blueberry scone or a refill of his cold coffee -- especially someone he'd just met. He was glad, though. As great as grad school was, unless you lived on campus and could party with the students, the life of a grad student was not a social one. Add the responsibility of work and a teenager to help get through high school, and, well, he hadn't much time to make all that many friends. Let alone ones he clicked with.

While Adrian went to grab his refill, Patrick slipped out his fun and noticed eight missed text messages. The first three were from his editor -- story bought, photos bought, obits received. $400 bucks this time. Thank the Lord, he thought. The one was from Jack who fired a text just to say he sent Connor his Christmas gift. Nothing else. The last four had been from Connor himself. One telling him that he could not be tamed, two more pleading for the money, and the final a cheap ploy to play on his affections: I love you. You're my favorite brother. :D Patrick couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. Connor was relentless.

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orbme
2012-01-01 10:21 pm UTC (link)

Adrian showed Patrick an amused grin in return for his smirk and cocked brow. He snorted and laughed softly at his next words. "Naw, baby. It's old school home fries all the way at Buddy's." He frowned when Patrick declined his offer, however. Adrian loved being generous, and he wasn't used to getting no for an answer. "I'm serious, man. How about a muffin, or a scone? At least let me get you a refill," he would insist before going back to the counter to place his order, and Patrick's if he'd asked for anything.

He would come back soon after and sit down, feeling good about his new acquaintance. Usually Adrian was fairly reserved with people he'd just met. Some of his old horror stories of the small town kid newly arrived in the big city had stayed with him through the years, making him a little wary of strangers. But there was something about Patrick that not only made him like the guy on sight, but it made him easy to talk to, for some reason.

He had caught Patrick reading his text messages while he was at the counter waiting for his order, so he said, "Good news?" He wasn't trying to pry, just to make conversation.

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canstoptime
2012-01-02 08:06 pm UTC (link)

"Uh," he began as he stared down at it, and shook his head. "Nah, just my brother." He finished off his coffee and leaned forward. "You're not from around here are you?" he asked, amused. "You don't have the..." What was the word he was looking for? "Vibe. You know what I mean?" He glanced at the people who kept to themselves or were busy chuckling at something on their ipod or ipad or with the person next to them. "You kind of pick up on the townies and the immigrants," he replied. "I'm from Jersey, so." He shrugged. "I've tried my best to assimilate."

Then his phone blew up. "Sorry," he said with a soft chuckle. "It's probably my brother again texting when he should be paying attention in class." When he went to dismiss the text, because he didn't want to be rude, the smile on his face slipped and he frowned. "I have to go," he said suddenly, glancing at Adrian with a small apologetic smile. "He got into a fight and I have to go pick him up." God, he really didn't need this now. "It was nice meeting you, though," he said and held out his hand.

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orbme
2012-01-02 09:55 pm UTC (link)

"Guilty as charged. I'm a Nevada native," Adrian replied with a smile. "I was gonna say, you don't sound like you're from Jersey. So you have a bro..." he started, but was interrupted by Patrick's phone. He gestured at the man not to worry, to deal with whatever it was that had his phone beeping at him. He merely grinned when the man explained. "A handful, eh? No problem. It really was nice meeting you too." He shook Patrick's hand, and for the second time he liked his handshake. Firm, but not overbearing. Not lukewarm, not weak either. It was a good handshake. He reached into his pocket and gave Patrick his card.

"Here. Please come by the diner sometime. Bring your brother. First meal's on the house" he said sincerely. He liked the fact that Patrick took care of his brother. Family was important. Adrian had always wished he had brothers and sisters, so he liked to live vicariously through those who did have them. "You take care now," he finished. After Patrick left, he would ask for a to-go lid and walk out as well, drinking his refill as he leisurely walked back towards the diner. Let them yell. He could not go a whole day without checking on things with his own eyes. Besides, showing up without notice kept employees on their toes. He had hired good people, but it never hurt to let them know he was always around.

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