You should listen to Navi DuBleu. (heyheylisten) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-01-30 20:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, jefferson (the mad hatter), navi |
Some ladies prefer ladies.
Who: Jefferson and Navi.
What: Makin' friends!
When: Wednesday afternoon.
Where: Fayth.
Rating: PG-13 for swears.
Status: Complete!
Jefferson was happy to be back at work, frankly. He’d finished the dress for Verity Ashford, and was waiting for her to come and be fitted. He’d nearly completed Alice’s gift, and he was going to bring her to the shop when he saw her next. For now, he was minding the counter.
Lulu was out, at what she said was lunch, but he’d have bet was a hasty sojourn at her gentleman friend’s office. Being in love did make one do those things. He was trying not to think about the highly improper dream he’d had the other night about Alice and the back fabric counter when he heard the door.
A petite blonde walked into the shop wearing a blue tank top and jeans. Her hair was in a high ponytail that bounced to and fro as she walked, and she was smiling. Peering curiously about, she shifted her purse on her shoulder before she spied someone at the counter.
“Hello! I was wondering, um. Miss Lulu designed a corset for me last year, and I was wondering if I could get fitted again for standard bras? Pregnant. It changes the body.”
Jefferson didn’t design lingerie, but he could certainly take measurements. “Yes, of course. And congratulations. If you don’t object to a man taking the measurements, I can do that right this minute. Lulu is out at the moment, and none of our other lady employees are in this afternoon.”
“Oh, no, I figure the measuring tape will give you the same numbers as a girl with ladyparts.” Navi smiled broadly, extending her hand. “Navi Wisdom. And thank you! It’s our first, my husband and I are pretty excited.”
“Jefferson. And I just figure it’s best to ask; some ladies prefer ladies.” Wait. That came out wrong, but he just pushed past it. “If you could come back here, please?” He smiled. “My wife and I always wanted children, but it never worked out. I certainly hope everything goes well for you.”
“Oh, clinical boob touching doesn’t count.” She smiled and walked with him to the back area. She took her purse off and set it down, holding her arms out like she was flying. “I’m sorry.” She’d have asked if he could adopt, but it sounded like they no longer wanted the kids. From the way he was sad, it sounded like he kind of might not have a wife anymore. “You could always come babysit for me sometime. The husband wants a footy team. Sometimes I have to remind him I’m not a clown car. Tickles are torture, you know.”
Jefferson chuckled. “Your husband may need a gentle reminder of what ladies are capable of.” Both in terms of carrying children and kicking men when they needed it. He took up his measuring tape and went to grab a clipboard. “My wife passed last year - we stopped trying after her diagnosis - but before that, she sat me down and gave me a lecture on pregnancy and what I might expect.” He grinned at the memory, hoping it didn’t sound odd. Caroline had always managed to mix the silly and practical.
Navi smiled. “I should probably do the same thing. Oh, with pictures, so I can see Pete make oogy faces. I wonder if I could throw something together in Powerpoint.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at that image. “Maybe. Lift your arm just a bit more, please?” He started to measure, noting the numbers as he went. “Are you still able to work so far? If you work, that is?”
“Yup! I own and operate a plant nursery in Garden Grove, and I still run the numbers every day and go to sing to the plants. ... they grow better that way, promise.” She grinned lopsidedly, following his instructions. “You’re super good at this, you know.”
Jefferson chuckled. “I appreciate it; I’ve been doing this for fourteen years now. And really, a nursery? I didn’t know there was one in the county.” He might be making a visit; he liked plants, he was just bad with them. “Maybe you can suggest plants that I won’t kill by looking at them wrong.”
“There’s lots of flowering cactuses.” She knew that most people said plural cactus were cacti, but she also thought those people were silly.
“That might be the best idea. I have the proverbial black thumb.” Jefferson made another notation. “Does your husband work with you?” He was mostly just making conversation, but he liked her. She seemed compassionate and kind.
“Oh, no, he’s a grumpy gus. He kind of hates plants. And flowers. And the sun.” She smiled fondly. “Inside it all he’s super sweet, but he covers it up by pretending he hates the world. I caught him baby talking the cat the other day, though.”
“I’ve met men like that. I’ve met ladies like that. I suppose it takes all kinds. Though if someone doesn’t like the sun, California may be a bad choice.” Jefferson looped the measuring tape around the bottom of her bosom, craning his neck a bit to get the number off the tape. “Apologies.”
“He’s here for work, and that’s no problem, they’re sort of huge now. It’s weird, I just keep poking them, wondering if I’m having one of those weird dreams where everythings huge.” She smiled at Jefferson, liking how kind he was.
Jefferson blushed, but she hadn’t meant to embarrass him. She just seemed like the sort who … said things. “If I might, you could speak with Lulu about nursing brassieres. I don’t know if she’s done them - she designs the lingerie sold here - but it’s worth a shot.”
“I’m planning on emailing her.” Navi smiled. “But for the moment, I want the husband to be able to enjoy these. People who’re pregnant can still... for a while.”
Jefferson blushed even harder. “That’s understandable,” he said, looking away. “I have to imagine there are a lot of marriages strengthened by … that.” He wasn’t a prude, but she was a customer. It still felt a little odd.
“I’m sure! But uh, yeah. Fabric. Fabric is awesome. I like blue.” Blue was safe, right? Totally not a sexy color, either.
Jefferson chuckled. “You should be sure to choose colors that you like, incidentally, as opposed to any your husband might like. Blue would suit your coloring beautifully.”
“Well, yeah, that’s ‘cause - “ Oh, crap, did he know about the dreams? The people with powers and abilities? “It’s ... good.”
Jefferson cocked his head. “It is, yes.” He broke off, curious. “Why does it suddenly smell like cinnamon?”
“My per...fume?” Crap, were her wings out? She tried to crane her head over her shoulder.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”
“Um.” She sighed. There wasn’t anyone else in the shop, so why not? “Do you believe in magic?”
Oh, was that all. “I’m familiar with it, yes.” Jefferson chuckled. “I know someone who can light her cigarette with her hand.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She let her wings out, sighing contentedly and carefully, slowly, fluttering them. “I’m a fairy.”
Jefferson blinked hard, eyes going wide for a moment. All he said, though, was, “Give me just one moment, if you could put your wings back in; I need to get one last measurement.” He could keep his cool, for the most part, just he had to finish the job he’d been asked to do.
“It’s where the cinnamon sugar smell came from, and thank you. Just being able to stretch them helped.” They disappeared again, and she turned around so he could take the measurement he needed.
Jefferson tried to make it quick. Once he had what he needed, he set the tape down. “There. Stretch out if you need to, Ms. Navi.”
“As long as it doesn’t bother you.” She smiled, looking down, suddenly shy. Her wings were there again, soft and quietly sounding of wind chimes.
“As long as I don’t need to vacuum more than once to remove the glitter.” He could see it misting softly off her wings. It was oddly beautiful, if strange.
“Oh, no, it’s like dust, and I’ll vacuum, promise.” She smiled brightly at him, sitting in the chair. “You’re good people, like Miss Lulu. I think we should be friends.”
“Oh, you don’t have to vacuum.” Jefferson smiled. “And Lulu is really a great person to work for. I really appreciate her style.” He shook his head. “I’ve had real problems in the past, but I think it’s helpful to be honest with a customer - tactfully - instead of deferring to their every whim when it might be a poor choice.”
“I probably will anyway, so there.” She smiled broadly, nodding her head hard. “There are some people who come to the shop and say they want plants for projects like potpourri or something and I tell them no. Seedlings are for growing, thank you very much.”
“They can do that, just not with your plants.” Jefferson smiled. “Exactly. A short lady is welcome to wear a skirt that’s too long, but it won’t come from here as long as I’m alive.” It damaged the brand.
“That just reflects on you and Lulu,” Navi beamed. “Hopefully people understand that, though I doubt it!”
“As long as it reflects well.” Jefferson smiled. “If you don’t mind my saying so, I’m sure Lulu’s very pleased you shop here, ma’am. You dress very well.” She had a simple style that was both sweet and appealing.
“Aww, thanks! I just know what works on me and stick with it. I’m really basic.” She’d learned how to dress from reading French Vogue at the library because her grandfather would’ve been fine with her just wearing jeans and his button downs her whole life.
“That’s the best thing, in my opinion.” Jefferson smiled. “My personal style runs to the more gothic, as you can see, but I’d like to think I know what ladies like. Though hopefully, your husband likes everything. Men are often easy.” He teased gently.
“Oh, Pete wouldn’t know if I came home in a tent, he wouldn’t care.” She mimicked her husband. “Oi, Navi, what’re y’doin’ in clothes anyway? Take those off and c’mere so we can have fun marital times.” It made her laugh, and she smiled happily at the idea of going home to her husband. “You’re handsome. If you’re not taken, you will be.”
Jefferson laughed and blushed at the same time; his head might have swam slightly. “Thank you. It’s still a little too soon for me.” He did think of Alice, though, and couldn’t help but smile. It just sort of slipped out. “She says she’ll wait for me, but I feel bad making her.”
“You’re not making her do anything, unless you’ve got her tied up around here or something.” She tucked her wings back in, sitting down and looking at him. “You should trust the person you end up with. And part of that is trusting what they say.”
Somehow, he didn’t think to apologize or take back what he’d said. This Navi was very motherly. “I know, yet I still feel awkward. She’s a remarkable lady, and can do better.”
“That’s not your choice to make for her, though. Everyone falls in love with who they fall in love with, and that’s their life. If she’s chosen you, she’s chosen you.” Navi smiled and squeezed his hand. “Your chivalry is gonna bite you in the knee one day!”
“Do you think so?” On all counts, but really, he was mostly amused by her last statement. “Is chivalry so difficult?”
“It’s sometimes hard to be the honorable one. And honestly, your honor right now is doofy. She’s picked you. It’s already happened.” Navi shrugged. “And if she’s the type to change her mind so easily, that doesn’t bode well either.”
“My honor is … doofy?” Jefferson echoed, not entirely sure what she meant. “Alice does tend to pick one course and then not sway.”
“It’s not useful here. It’s stubbornness at this point.” She swung her legs girlishly, smiling at him.
“Never been told honor was a bad thing.” But he understood what she was saying, at least somewhat. Out of curiosity, he asked, “What’s your husband like? You said he was grumpy, but what else?”
Navi laughed. “Um. He’s kind of an M&M. He likes to pretend he’s gruff and has no feelings and grr arrrg I AM SECRET AGENT but at the end of the day, he does the right thing. He may complain about it, he may leave towels on the floor so I yell at him and my boobs move, but he’s always there to rub my back, and he was so happy when I told him I loved him.” She leaned back, smiling a little. “When I was having morning sickness, I told him to go get a pregnancy test for me. He put me on speaker the whole way, even when he was wandering around Walgreens, screaming ‘OI PEON FIND ME A PREGGERS TEST MY WIFE MAY BE FILLED WITH SPAWN’ or something like that. I apologized over the phone.”
Jefferson hadn’t quite expected so much, but he did just have to laugh after she’d finished speaking. “That makes a lot of sense, actually.” It did, in a strange way. “A specific type of man needs a specific type of woman. I think sometimes I wonder if I’m the right type for the lady I have an interest in. Though you and your husband sound very well suited.” He smiled shyly.
Rifling through her purse, Navi found a picture she’d made Pete sit still for. She was there, smiling happily, Pete was screwing up his face at the camera, and Zora was nuzzled up against his neck, the one-eyed one-ear’d cat with the singed fur looking for all the world like she was in love. “That’s my family.” Sitting back, she steepled her fingers. “What type do you think your lady needs?”
“That cat is wonderful.” He didn’t comment on the man because, well, what was there to say? “Alice needs someone who … I don’t even know. She’s very strong-willed and does her own thing, and yet she needs real companionship.” She’d said so herself.
“Zora’s my baby, I think.” She listened to Jefferson talk, fingers still steepled. “Hmmm. Sounds like you.” Her tone wasn’t sarcastic at all, nope, not one bit. Just like how the narrator is never sarcastic either. Not a whit. Nu-uh.
Jefferson looked confused. “Are you mocking me?” He didn’t know what she was getting at.
“I’m saying that ... it sounds like if you were in a different position, you’d really want to be with her, and you’d be happy. I just think that ... you should figure out where you are in your life. Worry about you. Make sure you’re happy with where you are, and if you’re still sad, if you don’t think you want to be with her, at least you have a friend?” She pulled her knees to her chest.
That made more sense. Jefferson nodded slowly. He blushed, though, realizing what he’d been doing. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been taking up your time, when your business has been taken care of.”
“You’re my friend now, and I help my friends.” Navi shrugged. It was plain to her, even if other people didn’t get it.
“I’ve never met anyone who makes friends so quickly.” It wasn’t a bad thing, just a new thing. “I think it might be a good idea to go see someone. It’s been a long time.” And as silly as it sounded, he knew Caroline would want him happy.
“I just know. Most people are my friends.” Navi smiled brightly at him, squeezing his hand. “And that’s a good idea, talking about things never hurt anyone. Promise.”
Jefferson smiled. It had helped, in an odd way. “I appreciate your frankness, Mrs. Wisdom.” He should probably get back to work, though. Lulu would have his hide if this much work was left undone.