Judy Martin (boston_bitch) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-02-09 23:20:00 |
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Entry tags: | sister jude martin, zevran arainai |
Who: Zevran Arainai & Judy Martin
What: Making acquaintances
Where: Coffee shop in the building across from Chez Queen, downtown LA
When: Saturday
Rating: Teen for mentions of naughty things
Status: Complete
Judy was downtown to meet with a potential employer, but she needed a coffee first. She had a bit of time to kill, so she popped into the Starbucks on the ground floor of an apartment building. There were only a few people in there, and she was able to order a double latte, giving her name to the worker and waiting patiently.
Behind her in line was a man who was on the short side of average but powerfully built for his size. His hair was long, in a low ponytail, and he wore leather trousers with boots and a black tank top. He was calm, quiet, carefully appraising the people in the room with some interest.
When she heard the worker call her name - “Judy?” - she stepped forward, managing a smile. “That’s me.” She took her coffee and went over to add cream and sugar.
Zev recalled what Roy had told him about Oliver’s new lady friend. “I am sorry for asking, but is your last name Martin?” Zev’s voice was accented lightly, marking him as a Spaniard.
Judy blinked, turning around. “Yes. May I ask why?” He was polite and well spoken, but looked kind of … strange. “Not thinking we’ve met before.”
“No, I apologize. My fiancé described his godfather’s new paramour to me, and you looked very much like her.” He bowed deeply. “I am Zevran Arainai - I am Roy’s.”
“I - oh. Wait. You’re engaged to Roy.” Judy had to think a second, and then laughed. “I’ve been out with Oliver once, and we’re probably going to dinner again. I don’t know if I’d say that qualifies as a” - what? - “paramour.”
“Ah, then perhaps Roy was exaggerating. Ollie seems quite taken with you, though.” Zev smiled, ordering his own cup of hot chocolate before standing by her again. “I see why!”
“You’re sweet.” Judy had to marvel at the ability of the Queen family to jump to conclusions. “I’m just an old lady. How long have you known Roy?”
“You are hardly old. You look perhaps forty-five.” Zev thanked the clerk for his drink, paying and tipping, and walked with Judy toward a table. “Ah, a few months. We were friends before we were anything else.”
“Fifty-five. Flatterer.” She sat across from him, crossing her legs. “He talked to me online. Actually wrote a letter visible to the whole internet about my ‘seeing’ Oliver.” She wasn’t about to call the kid anything negative in front of someone who loved him, so Judy hedged her words. “Kinda seems like that family has growing up to do.”
“I am simply honest.” He smiled, leaning back. “It is true, they do, but they will prove themselves to be wise in odd ways at times.” He loved how damn perceptive Roy could be sometimes.
“I haven’t met your Roy in person, and I haven’t met the sister.” Judy took a pull of the coffee, sighing. “Only heard about it from Oliver. And he isn’t exactly unbiased.” Well, he wasn’t. As much as she liked him, Oliver wasn’t going to be dispassionate about his own family.
“Ollie is ... have you ever known a large dog that was very open in his affections? That jumped on you and may have made you uncomfortable? But meant very well? That is Oliver Queen.” Zev smiled to himself, tucking some stray hair behind his ear.
Judy couldn’t help the laugh. “My first gut instinct was to say ‘He didn’t make me uncomfortable when he jumped on me.’ But I know what you mean.”
“You know what I mean! Boundless enthusiasm beyond reason.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I am sure he did not make you uncomfortable. He is quite ... possessing of stamina, so I hear.”
Judy laughed louder, though she did keep the details to herself. “I didn’t have any complaints, but it was a nice time. It wasn’t just for sex.” She tried to think about it. “I thought he’d sail in and try to charm me - which wouldn’t work - and sail off. He didn’t do any of that, and I appreciated it. I think I surprised your man. Guess Oliver tends to see younger women.”
“I think it is because he is not as mature as his peers in some ways. Perhaps you will help him to grow. He has always been a son of privilege, I think it stunted his growth in ways.” Which was ironic, coming from Zev; he’d come from money too. Technically.
It did rub her a little bit the wrong way, that people kept talking so poorly about Oliver, and yet they knew him better than she did. “With all due respect, it kinda seems like you could say the same for your man.” You had to have either a sense of privilege or awfully big balls to post an open letter on the internet about your parental figure’s love life.
“Oh, yes. Roy is ... he is learning. He has come a very long way since the time I first met him. He hasn’t punched anyone or run away from home in weeks!” Zev’s tone was teasing. Mostly. “I love them both - Ollie in a fraternal way, I assure you - because I understand them. I am a bit of a lost boy myself.”
Judy raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like an interesting home life.” Christ, no wonder Oliver was so tired. “You’re probably good for him. Roy, I mean. And I understand the feeling of being lost, let’s say that.”
“The two of them have a long and colored history. I doubt anyone but those two will ever know all of it. I put it this way - I was Roy’s twenty-first birthday present. Literally. Ollie hired me.” He chuckled to himself, looking down at his hands. “It was serendipitous.”
It was hard not to laugh hard at that. “What do you do for a living, by the way?” He sort of looked familiar, but she didn’t want to presume. “That Oliver could hire you?”
Zev grinned. “What don’t I do? Well. What you did with Oliver? I do that on film. ... not with Oliver, but yes.”
“I thought so!” Judy cackled, never mind the noise. “A friend of mine gave me one of your … works. I think it’s called The Naughty Professor.” It was hot, and yet she’d never laughed so hard in her life.
“Oh! I remember that, they gave me prescription glasses the first day on set. I kept falling until they gave me glasses without correction.” He wrinkled his nose. “Such a headache I had.”
“Aw. Well, I’m glad they fixed it. You were … busy.” She was grinning. Oliver, you naughty boy. “It’s slightly weird that Oliver hired you for basically his son, but I’m glad it worked out anyway.” Her parents would have died before admitting that women could like sex for any purpose other than popping out kids.
“I don’t think that he intended me to seduce his godson, merely to jump out of the cake and strip.” That was Zev’s innocent face. Look at it. ... it’s probably not working.
“Ah, okay.” Judy was laughing, though. “I guess there’s no accounting for what’ll grab you. I’m really not sure I could handle it, but I’m a jealous bitch.” How the hell could this Roy kid be okay with the man he loved having so much sex with so many other people?
“I’ve since retired from performing. I always said if I got married, I would stop, and once I proposed I announced my retirement. I simply write and direct now. And directing is just funny.” He’d shown Roy the unedited sides once, and neither of them had been able to stop giggling.
“I imagine. There’s nothing quite so funny as awkward sex.” Judy chuckled. “Had a couple guys fall off the bed, in my time. When I had long hair, that got leaned on a lot.” She shrugged. “It’s good to see that goofy side of it. Makes it less intimidating.”
Zev nodded. “The movie I am directing now, I tried to leave some of those parts in when I told the editor what to look for. If the participants look charmed, happy to be there together, it is that much better to watch. I do not believe it should be as difficult and tense as most people think it should be.”
“I’ll bet it sells well.” Judy smiled. This was weird, but still. He seemed nice. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody like you. Most of the time I’m matching wits with people who aren’t quite as observant.” With what he did for a living, he had to be a student of human nature, just like her. “I worked in Washington for a long time, so you get good at reading people.”
He bowed his head a little. “I am not an orphan, but my father wanted little to do with me growing up. We children starved for affection grow up knowing how and when to ask for it. We are more in tune with emotions, I think.”
Somehow, she didn’t think anything of telling him her own situation. “Ma died young and Dad fucked off when I was eight. I hear you.” Judy drank more of her coffee. “You do raise yourself up by the bootstraps.”
“The nuns taught me well, I think. I learned what I was good at, and I’ve marketed myself well. I’m a businessman more now than anything else.” He crossed his legs and smiled at her. “You were a politician, no?”
“Not really. I was a senator’s chief aide. I kept people out of his office and helped with running it.” She laughed. “I got a little teaching from nuns myself, I grew up in the church. I’m from Boston originally, and in Boston, you’re Catholic.”
“I was in boarding schools that were very religious. And if you were an aide, and you ran his office, you were a politician!” He smiled, shaking his head. “My father is one as well. I am not allowed to mention his name, that is how good he is.” He offered Judy a bit of the muffin he’d bought.
“Not allowed?” Judy echoed, confused. She declined the muffin, looking up at him. “Where are you from, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Barcelona. I have a ... contract with him.” He licked an errant chocolate chip off of his thumb as he ate the muffin, trying not to look sad or detached and failing.
“A contract?” Judy’s eyes grew hard. “What, he doesn’t like what you do?” She couldn’t help but feel protective. It was probably some Freudian crap, but she felt for people didn’t have fathers. At least Oliver was doing the best he could with Roy.
“Not at all.” He smiled lopsidedly. “There was also some drama surrounding my birth. He’d rather not have another scandal about me.”
That still left a bit of a bad taste in her mouth. “You don’t need my pity, but that’s … ” Well, wrong, for starters. “Cruel.” Every kid needed a parent. At least one. Someone to keep them safe and explain the world.
“I always thought so as well. But it is what it is. Que sera, sera, no?” Zev knew it would never change so he never asked for it to change.
“I guess all you can do is learn from it.” If there was anything to be learned. What an ass. In Spanish she said, “A quien se hace de miel las moscas le comen.” Loosely translated? People can only abuse you if you let them.
Zev laughed. “I did not know you speak Spanish! My English is not perfect - I have a few ... oddities? But I am close.” He smiled and shook his head. “I am happy and in love, I do not want for anything, and I love my work. I do not think I am missing him overmuch. It is a good place, where I am. I hope you and Oliver, either together or on your own, find much the same!”
“I learned Spanish a few years ago. I’m not fluent, but I do pretty well.” Judy smiled. “The senator I worked for did a lot of foreign aid, so it seemed like a good idea. And yeah, I figure that’s the best way to go about everything. You move on.” She chuckled. “And you didn’t pick up a booze habit on the way!”
“Oh, no, I do not like drugs. I like to be in control. Even when tied up.” He was possibly the powerest of bottoms when he did choose to do that. Winking at her, he sipped his drink. “Though I understand the appeal. There are times that my compulsive need to have a partner could have been seen as an addiction.”
“I got axed from my job because I couldn’t stop drinking.” It wasn’t even something shameful anymore, just factual. “I’m in AA now, been sober almost ten months, but still. Control freak tendencies, I guess.” She grinned crookedly, laughing when he joked about being tied up. “Some people think that sex addiction is bullshit, but it’s real. I have no idea about your life, obviously, but I know it exists.”
“I do not think I ever got there, but I am sure I could have.” He reached out to put a hand over hers. “Congratulations. Ten months is a triumph! We should celebrate, we are friends now, no?” He smiled at her, finding her laugh delightful. It was unassuming and bright and it made him feel warm and content. Ollie had picked well!
Judy just chuckled. “You’re sweet, but let’s just keep going a day at a time. I did tell Oliver about it, though.” Hell, at this point she figured Oliver had just been happy to meet someone he didn’t have to take care of.
“That is what I mean, you have lasted ten months. Soon it will be ten months and one day. So many minutes of success.” He smiled and folded his hands. “In my business, I see many addicts. I am familiar with all of their stripes.”
“I guess that’s pretty common, yeah.” Judy nodded. “I never used to think that I was “that type”, whatever that means, but it humbles you. Pretty quick, too.”
“What type, human?” He shook his head. “We have all wanted to retreat to safety in our lives.” Some people more than others.
“Just never thought I’d be so weak, at the time. I understand it better now.” Judy smiled a little crookedly. “Everyone’s got their stuff. The only thing I wish is that it hadn’t cost me my job. But eh, you move on from that stuff, too.” She checked her watch. “Actually, I should be moving on from this table. I have an interview in about fifteen minutes, but it’s right down the street.”
“I shall walk you.” Zev stood up, feeling his hair come loose from the ponytail and catching the elastic as he stood. He wrapped it around his wrist and ignored the whispering that came from behind him. He’d been spotted. “Unless, that is, you wish to avoid the press.”
“Oh, let them.” Judy snickered. “They’ll probably think I’m your grandmother or something. They didn’t catch me with Oliver, so maybe it’ll throw them off the scent or something.” She rose, getting her things together.
“I doubt they will do that, you are attractive and I have no family.” He smiled once she had her purse and offered her his arm.
“Did you know your man wrote an open letter on the internet to ‘the woman dating his godfather’?” Judy asked, taking his arm with a grin. “If anything will get the press on me, it’ll be him.” They headed out the door, and she simply ignored the few people whispering and rustling in their bags.
“I did not respond because I was amused and assumed that whoever was dating Ollie would be able to handle herself.” He smiled up at her, as she was a bit taller than he in her heels. “I am pleased to discover that I am, as usual, correct.”
“Why do I think you’re usually correct.” Judy chuckled, starting to walk with him down the street.