John Constantine thinks pronunciation matters (rhymeswithfine) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-06-14 00:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, audrey, john constantine |
Who: John Constantine and Audrey Baxter
When: early June
Where: Baxter bakery
What: Random encounter
Rating/Status: pg-13
Status: Complete!
Audrey was working behind the counter, as she almost always was. She had a tray of new pastries to try out, unusual flavor combinations that she thought might be interesting, and hopefully delicious. Combinations of savory and sweet, salty and sour. Interesting stuff, for sure.
The next customer who came in got a bright smile. "Would you like to try an apple, cheese and curry croissant?"
“Not really, luv. Ta, though.” John smiled back, because to be fair, the woman behind the counter had the sort of charm that was infectious. Bright blue eyes went up to the menu board, even though he really didn’t need to look at it to know what he wanted. “I’m afraid me stomach will revolt completely if I try anything before a cuppa. I’m new to all this, so tell me -- what’s the strongest sort of coffee a poor bloke can have in America?”
“Strongest in flavor or strongest in caffeine?” Audrey asked. Because those were actually different things. She stood up a little and dusted her hands off. “I can get you a cup of a light roast, those always have more caffeine than a darker roast. But the darker roast has more flavor--so something like an espresso... When people want something really strong, I normally toss a couple shots of espresso into a cup of light roast,” she said, babbling a little as she watched the man. He had amazing eyes. So very familiar.
“Let’s do that then,” he said, of the last thing she mentioned. “Strong on flavor and a big enough kick in the bollocks.” He grinned, and it was an easy, charming sort of smile. The counter looked good for leaning against, and there wasn’t a line, so he did just that, looking for all the world like he’d just made himself at home in this place, although he’d never been here before.
“You got it.” She turned and grabbed a medium sized cup, then started to fill it while brewing the shots of espresso. “I think I’m pretty good with faces, but I don’t know if I’ve seen yours in here before.” She started making small talk.
“Can’t say you have,” he agreed amiably, leaning his chin on his palm as he watched her work. “I’m new to the area, so this is the first I’ve been.”
“Oh, well then welcome!” Audrey said, giving him a smile. She couldn’t shake how familiar he looked, though. Maybe she’d seen him somewhere else. “What brings you to Orange County?”
John, on the other hand, did not really think Audrey looked familiar at all. “Ta,” he repeated, rather brightly. For as much as some people had been complaining on the network about California, John was actually finding that there were a great many kind people about; very welcoming. “Got a bit bored of what I was doing back in Liverpool. Thought I’d try something different.” He grinned again, nearly wolfish. “The coffee at Baxter Bakery, for instance.”
“Oh, Liverpool! I loved Liverpool when I was there!” Audrey said, giving him a bright smile. “I miss travelling.” And then she actually blushed a little. “Well, that’s a given. The coffee and pastries at Baxter Bakery are the best in the whole county. Possibly the whole state.” It was playful pride, and somehow she made it seem humble.
“Oh, you’ve been then?” John supposed it wasn’t really all that surprising, a lot of people visited England, after all. Her blush was a bit on the side of cute, and so John could only really smile some more. “Don’t doubt that, luv. Once I’ve managed the coffee, I might come back for some proof on all the rest.”
“You’re absolutely welcome to,” Audrey agreed with a nod. “And yes, back in my more rebellious days. Before shop and bank loans and growing up.” She sighed, wistfully, and passed the coffee with espresso shots in it across the counter to him. “There’s cream and sugar on the back counter there if you want to add some in.”
“A rebel turned adult,” John gave a sympathetic wince, “I’ve seen it much in my time. Shame for some, good for many, I suppose. Long as you had some fun, I suppose?” He took the coffee, and seemed pleased to just be holding and smelling the caffeine at this point. “Ta, but it’s black first off.”
“Ah, black like sin. Gotcha.” Audrey gave him a wink. “And yes. Had loads of fun. I don’t regret growing up, though. I’ve got a pretty fantastic life, actually. Great bakery, I love what I do, wonderful boyfriend, happy life.” She wasn’t trying to brag, she was just a very happy girl.
Black like sin. That made John smile all over again, because he liked how it sounded. A shame he didn’t write lyrics anymore, he’d have stolen it.
“Sounds like you’re happy,” he said, and did not seem bitter about it; it was nice to see people in good moods. It made his mood better, too. He sipped his too hot coffee and gave an appreciative sigh. “Oh yes. I know where I’ll be coming from now on.” Sometimes it was best to not slut around when it came to things like a well made brew.
Audrey appreciated a loyal customer. And that sigh was telling. She'd just made another one. "Well, now I’m even happier. Happy that you’ll be coming around more, I mean.” She said, giving him a bright smile. It wasn’t really flirtatious. Just a little.
That’s okay, he was only a little flirtatious in return. Again, he returned the smile. “You’ve shown me the way, yeah? It’d be cheating if I went anywhere else.” John had a tendency to flirt even when he wasn’t keenly interested. She was a lovely woman, to be sure, and he probably wouldn’t say no if he was offered - but he really couldn’t imagine that a woman like this was single, anyway. “What’s your name then, luv? So I know who to ask for when I come in next.”
"Audrey Baxter," she said, giving him a smile. "I'm not hard to find. I own the place, so I'm here pretty much all the time." She moved to wipe down the counted with a fresh rag.
John laughed at that. “Strewth! Easy to remember then. Can’t complain there, in any case.” At the very least, half her name was written on the sign, so he wouldn’t forget that. “I’m John, for whatever future reference.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, John.” Audrey said, still grinning brightly. She held out her hand for him to shake. “Just John? You know, there are a couple who come in here regularly. I’d hate to confuse you with one of the others.”
He shook with her, and smiled a crookedly amused smile. “S’pose it’s a bit common then, innit?” And judging from the great many Brits he’s spoken to on the network, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few of them came here, as well. “John Constantine, then. More than happy to go by the last bit if it’s easier.”
John Constantine. That name was so familiar. Audrey just needed a moment or two for it to click. John Constantine and Liverpool. She’d get there. “So, you’re going to do new things here, rather than repeating the same Liverpool boringness?” Audrey asked, teasing a bit.
“We’ll see,” John said, leaning his hip against the high countertop and sipping at his coffee some more. It really was good. “S’pose I’m too old for a band at this point, shame as it is t’say.” Then again, it’d been a while since he was in his prior band, anyway.
It all clicked into Audrey’s mind in an instant. She gave a little gasp, her face falling into one of shock. John Constantine. Liverpool. She lifted her hand to point at him, almost accusing. “Mucous Membrane! Now I remember you!” She blurted it out before all of the memories came back. Then she went rather red and broke into a conspiratorial grin. “I remember you.”
John’s eyebrows rose up in surprise, and he actually nearly spit his coffee. Nearly. He didn’t. But still, it’d been close. “That’s -- exactly bloody right. Mucous Membrane.” His punk band. And by the way she said it, she probably wasn’t implying that the show she’d seen was memorable so much as -- well. He gave a bright, happy laugh, completely lacking embarrassment. “Put on a good show, did I? Guess you did have a good time in England.”
Audrey laughed with him. She was going a little pink in the cheeks. That’d been such a long time ago! “Oh, you put on quite a show, all right. Rockin’ all night long.” She nodded. “Damn. What happened to the band? I’m afraid I lost touch.”
Well, it was nice to know that she’d had a good time, anyway. John was sure not every person he’d slept with could say the same - particularly back in those days. He’d been a little too drunk a little too often.
“Auch,” he said, with a half a pout. “They got old, didn’t they? Wanted jobs and homes and families. Rubbish. Punk rock ideals to the core, yeah?” He didn’t actually seem too terribly bothered by this. It’d been a while. He’d grown up a little since then.
Perhaps it was the booze goggles that made Audrey think she’d had a better time than she did. Perhaps it hadn’t been all that great for either of them, but he was a rock star, and she an adoring fan. That in and of itself was sexy enough.
“Ah, it’s hell growing up, isn’t it?” She teased a bit. “And you... you didn’t want a job or a home or a family?”
It kind of was hell growing up. John didn’t mind it terribly, but sometimes he was sure everything was a bit more boring than it had been when he was twenty five. Then again, sometimes he didn’t miss the dramatics.
“Not really.” He grinned at that, shrugging easily. “I mean, I’ve got a flat, anyway.”
“Well, that’s a start toward being a grown-up.” Audrey said, teasing. She shook her head a little, leaning against the counter. “I don’t own a place to live at all, just rent. You’d love my roommate, Nina, she’s wonderful. Somehow I surrounded myself with ex-pats,” she grinned a little, playfully. Merlin, Nina, Percy... it was crazy.
“There seem to be plenty of them around here, judging from the internet.” And gosh didn’t he feel funny comparing anything to the internet?
He didn’t feel the need to point out that even though she didn’t own a home didn’t mean she didn’t own a business. “Sure your roommate is a right lovely girl, too. Particularly if she’s from across the pond.” One of these days he might even meet someone who was from and had never left America.
"Oh, the internet? You mean Valarnet?" Audrey asked, grinning. "It's pretty popular around these parts." She was still shocked that someone she'd known from so long ago had just wandered into her life again. Well, ok, just the shop. But still.
Same difference. “Right. Valarnet. Whichever. It’s all a loss t’me, I’m afraid.” He waved a hand to show exactly how he felt about computers. But still. He grinned. “Hell of a coincidence meeting, innit? Christ.” And a good cup of coffee, too.
"It is!" Audrey said, blushing. "Never thought I'd see the day. But it's really wonderful to see you're doing well!" She brought the pot over to freshen his cup. "Now you're in the area, I'm fully expecting to see more of you."
John gave a lopsided sort of grin. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be coming in plenty, no worries there, luv. I’d best get out of your hair for now though, sure you have things to do.”
“I should get back to my baking.” She gave him a wink and stood up straight to put the coffee carafe away. “Don’t be a stranger, now.” She added, then turned to head into the back room with a smile.