Veronica Mars is a marshmallow (ronmars) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2014-11-02 21:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, cinderella's prince, veronica mars |
Who: Veronica Mars and Cinderella’s Prince Tom
When: Monday, Oct 27 after these texts.
Where: His place
What: He made Pancakes.
Rating/Warnings: Low/None
Status: Complete
As usual Veronica had another long day at work. However instead of finishing her day with a drink, she was going to Tom’s place for pancakes. She had to judge for herself whether or not he really was the world’s best pancake maker after all. Plus it gave her something to look forward to during her last few hours of work.
She arrived at the address he had given her a little after eight. She hadn’t eaten since lunch time, it was safe to say she was starving. Even if the pancakes were the worst thing she had ever tasted, she would probably still devour them. The blonde knocked on the door and waited impatiently for Tom to answer.
Tom was home around six, and then tidied his place. (Not that it needed much tidying.) He hired a cleaning crew to come and do work on his luxury, three-bedroom condo every other week. The place was pristine. Only about fifteen years old, set near the top of a hill. The view from his patio was pretty fantastic. One could see all the way to the ocean.
He started to work right away, making the dough, letting it rest, heating the griddle. He even prepared some pretty amazing toppings; fresh strawberries, whipped cream, pure maple syrup. And he brewed some decaf coffee, making his breakfast at 8pm meal complete.
He was hungry by the time Veronica knocked on the door. Thankfully he had most of the pancakes finished. He jogged over to the door, pulled it open, and gave her a smile. “Come on in. I’m just about ready.” Then he jogged back to flip the flapjacks. “Hope you brought your appetite.”
“I’m starving actually” Veronica replied as she followed him inside the condo shutting the door behind her. “I hope these pancakes live up to all the hype. They smell good at least.”
Looking around his place the first thing she noticed was how clean it was, but then her eyes landed on the view from the patio. “Quite the view you have” she said nodding towards the doors before turning to face him.
Tom gave a little chuckle. He could see the view from the griddle--from the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Thanks. Though, it’s not exactly mine.” The view belonged to everyone, didn’t it?
“You a butter and maple syrup girl? I’ve got some fresh strawberries, too.”
“Good point” this guy was clever. She liked that. “You just get to wake up to it every morning” she added with a smirk. “Well I would hope you have maple syrup. That should be requirement for the world’s best pancake maker” Veronica was not going to let him live that down.
Of course he had maple syrup. Tom would be a terrible pancake maker if he didn’t have syrup. Or a terrible maker of pancakes. And, of course, he was neither of those things. “Well, you’re welcome to come over and wake up to it, too, if you like.” It was more an innocent offer than a flirtatious suggestion, but there was a tiny hint of that in there somewhere.
After a beat, he added, “I have a guest bedroom.”
Veronica was about to tell him not to get ahead of himself. Best pancake maker or not, she was not about to jump in his bed. But then he mentioned a guest room. “Guest room huh?” she raised a brow at him. “You know you probably shouldn’t have offered that. It kind of beats sleeping on my friend’s couch until we find a two bedroom place.”
“Yeah?” Tom leaned over a bit so he could see her better, after pulling the last of the pancakes off the griddle and turning the thing off. The dishes were left in the sink to be dealt with later. “...You’re welcome to crash here for a night or two, if you like. I mean, I’m sure you enjoy spending time with your friend and everything.” It wasn’t as if he was suggesting they become roommates, but he had no idea she was sleeping on her friend’s sofa.
Veronica noticed all the pancakes were done and began carrying some of the toppings over to the table. “I might have to take you up on that. Like when her boyfriend is over. Give them some alone time” for some random dude she met at Chipotle he was being much nicer than she expected.
Sitting down at the table she looked over at him. “Alright. I’m ready to try these famous pancakes.”
Tom brought over a platter of pancakes and a couple of plates. The silverware was already at the table. He had a jug of orange juice and a pot of coffee too. “It’s decaf,” he said, and then settled in with her to load up her plate. He passed it to her.
“Dress them how you like.” He responded. Butter and maple syrup went on his. “...so, you don’t like the boyfriend?” He asked, taking a stab in the dark. A lot of girl friends didn’t like their friends’ boyfriends.
Veronica decided to just go with one pancake for now, putting maple syrup and butter on it. Can’t beat the classics. Her next one she would probably go for the whip cream and strawberries. Let’s face it, that would be delicious too. She opted for a glass of orange juice over coffee, even if it was decaf. She had enough caffeine throughout the day to get through work. No need to add anymore now.
“Not particularly” she replied cutting into her pancake. “I haven’t actually met him yet, but from the things I have heard, he doesn’t sound like a good guy. Definitely not boyfriend material. Sharon could do so much better” she really just wanted what was best for her best friend, and she didn’t think this Remy guy was it. She couldn’t help but sigh before taking a bite. A smile slowly forming on her lips as she chewed, they actually were good. She wasn’t about to admit that though.
“That’s not surprising,” Tom said, unable to suppress a smirk at those thoughts. He cut into his stack of pancakes while he spoke, his eyes on them. “I mean, you must be really close with this woman to be sleeping on her sofa and finding an apartment together with her. So it would be hard for some guy to meet your expectations of what a perfect boyfriend would be for her.” He speared some pancakes and finally looked back over at Veronica while he bit.
“I went to Vegas recently with a gal named Sharon.” Wouldn’t it be funny if it was the same one? “Well, I went with a whole group, I mean.”
“Yeah, she was my best friend in high school, and then college roommates. When she found out I was moving here it just made sense to do the whole roommate thing again,” she shrugged taking another bite. “Maybe, but this guy is just bad news. He flat out told me he would never be a boyfriend, and yet a few days later he changed his mind? I don’t trust it.”
Taking a sip of her orange juice, Veronica raised a brow at him. “Oh? You went too? I’m pretty sure it’s the same Sharon. Her boyfriend took a huge group I think.”
“Oh, God.” Tom said, mid-bite, lowering his fork. “Sharon and Remy? That’s… that’s news to me.” He couldn’t help but break into a bit of a smirk at that, though there was a bit of trouble under it. “I had no idea that they were so close. She’s such a good-looking girl, she could do much better than him.” Not that Tom didn’t like Remy. He did, very much. He just knew how Remy’s mind worked. Remy and Tom were peas in a pod.
“See? My point exactly” even Tom didn’t think they were a good idea. She had no clue how well he knew either of them, but still, if some guy she just met saw what she saw, then it wasn’t good news. “How was Vegas anyways? Or are you going to give me the old ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ line?” she asked curiously, taking another bite of her pancake. It was delicious after all.
“Remy and I made a bet. First one to get a room key… I can’t remember what the wager was.” Money, but he didn’t remember how much. Ten grand? Something like that. “He won, the bastard.” Tom took another bite, grinning softly at the memory of the woman in the red dress. “...but he wasn’t about to use the key. I shoulda known. He spent the majority of the night with Sharon on his lap at the poker tables.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good bet. Should have been judged on the quality of the girl too. Not just who could get the key the quickest. Some girls are desperate” and now she knew more about what kind of guy Tom was. Although she had pretty much already figured that out. “That still doesn’t make him sound promising” she finished her pancake before stabbing another from the platter and placing it on her plate. This time she went for the strawberries and whipped cream.
“He didn’t even go after a girl.” Tom said, giving a sigh and a shake of his head. “Some guy at the bar. Poor bastard. Got his heart broke by Remy LeBeau. One of those all too familiar sob stories.” He finished his stack of pancakes. “Well? How’s the flapjacks?”
“What a douche” she cut into her pancake taking a bite with whipped cream and a strawberry. She pretended to ponder his question for a moment as she chewed. “They are alright” she replied with a smirk. “I don’t know if they classify as world’s best though.”
“They come with some pretty fantastic company tonight,” Tom said, giving her a little smirk. “I think that makes them taste all that much better.” Okay, so he was a little flirty. Old habits die hard.
Veronica made no attempt to suppress her eye roll this time. “Let me guess, you say that to all the girls” she raised a brow taking another bite of pancake. “I bet their clothes just fall right off at that” she added with a smirk. She was not that type of girl though. Especially not for a guy that just admitted to making a bet about a room key.
Tom laughed out loud. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth, just in case some piece of pancake was stuck in his teeth and wanted out at the force of the laugh. He shook his head. “No, I don’t say that to all the girls. And most of the girls who hear it already spent the night, so.”
Well that made sense considering pancakes were a breakfast food. “Ah. It all makes sense now. Why you are so good at making pancakes. Let me guess, lot’s of practice?” really the blonde should have figured it out earlier, but it hadn’t really clicked until just now.
Tom raised an eyebrow. “You’re just now figuring that out, are you?” He asked, then broke into a grin. “Lots of practice, yeah. I have friends over often. When I have people in the morning I like to cook for them.” Not just women. Sometimes guys would crash if they’d had too much to drink, or relatives if they came into the area. But yes, it was mostly women.
“Right friends” she replied with another smirk before finishing off her pancake. “I’m sure you have lots of those.”
“Well, I try to.” Tom said, quite honestly. “I don’t keep secrets. That’s how people get hurt. I date a lot. And I see a lot of ladies.” But because of that he could have his pick of the litter. And since he was spending time with Veronica--even without having slept with her?--it meant she was quite the pick.
“I’m not into relationships. Not right now. I don’t think I’d be good at it, so I don’t let it get that far. But I love spending time with people, so I don’t let the fear of commitment stop me. I just make it part of the deal.”
This guy was interesting to say the least. There weren’t many guys who would admit to all that. Most would just lie to get a girl in bed. At least the ones she was used to. “At least you are honest about it” she shrugged. “That says something.”
“Thanks.” Tom didn’t have to lie. If Veronica didn’t want to spend time with him, there was a line behind her. He was glad that she was over, though. He liked her. “Can I refill your glass?” He asked. More orange juice could definitely be had.
“Sure” she replied handing her glass over. “So about those business cards. I think it’s safe to say you can change them.”
Tom beamed as he poured orange juice into her glass. “I’ll make sure to do that. Shall I put you down as a reference? Should anyone need proof?”
“References don’t exactly go on a business card” she couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head at him. “Besides if you had them call me then you wouldn’t have to make it for them. And isn’t that the whole point? Invite a girl over with the promise of pancakes in the morning?”
“Nah, the pancakes are just a bonus.” Tom said, and playfully wiggled his eyebrows.
“I don’t know. They might just be the best part” she teased even though she had no idea if they were or not. She wasn’t planning on finding out tonight either. She took a few more sips of her orange juice, not quite finishing the newly poured glass. “I should probably get going. Before you try to prove me wrong on that one too” she teased again, winking at him.
Tom lifted a hand up and pressed it against his chest. “You wound me, Madam.” He said, then gave her a wink in return. “C’mon. I’ll walk you to the door.” Ever the gentleman. He stood before she did and moved to help her with her chair. Then he cleared the plates while she was getting ready to go. Jacket, or whatever.
And he joined her by the front door. “...I’ll be thinking about this all night,” he said, playfully, as he pulled open the door for her. “...y’know, how good those leftover pancakes will taste in the morning.”
Once again Veronica found herself shaking her head and laughing at him. “Well aren’t you a gentlemen” he may be a total player but at least he had some manners.
Grabbing her purse and jacket she made her way over to the door. “Somehow I think I’ll manage without them” she quipped walking out the front door. “Night” she called over her shoulder. She had a feeling that wouldn’t be the last she saw of him.