Who: Percy Weasley and Audrey When: Friday, 2/8/13 Where: Baxter Bakery What: Hanging out Rating: Low Status: Complete
Audrey was finished with work for the day. She felt exhausted, but satisfied. The girls were behind the counter, waiting on customers, cleaning and restocking. Audrey had a team of very talented and hard-working girls who worked in her shop, most in high school or college, who took initiative and went above and beyond the call of duty. She’d trained them very well, and they all loved working together.
She was sitting in the lobby today, with a glass of iced tea in front of her, fiddling around with her new phone. She wasn’t really paying attention to the people coming in and going out.
“I see you don’t always just work behind the counter,” Percy said in greeting. He’d only entered a moment before, but was already equipped with a mug of black tea in one hand, and an armful of books in the other.
Audrey looked up and broke into a smile at the sight of Percy coming closer. “Well, not all the time, just most of it. Here to study?” She asked, then offered him a chair at her table. She had some silly game on her cell phone that was paused as she talked to him.
“Yes,” Percy said, giving a little face about it. But it was kind of a lie -- Percy Weasley liked very little more than he did setting himself down and learning things. Especially law -- there were so many fine points to all the rules, and loopholes to learn and catch up on. It was his favorite kind of thing, really. “I’ve got a test coming up soon that I need to be prepared for.”
"Oh?” Audrey asked. She didn’t know all that much about Percy and what he did. He was studying law, wasn’t he? For some reason she thought he was already a lawyer. Did they have to keep studying once they were lawyers? “What test is that?”
He would like it if she did think of him as one already! Alas, he was not. “Do you mind?” he asked, even as he pulled out the chair across from her and took a seat. “I’ve got the Bar Exam coming up at the end of the month,” he explained, a bit primly. Percy did so like to sound important. “For law.”
She didn’t mind. She motioned for him to please, have a seat. “Wow.” Audrey was really impressed. Well, she’d assumed he was already a lawyer, but hearing him speak about it was impressive. She was probably good for his ego. “I mean, that takes a lot of dedication and study. You always struck me as the studious type.”
Percy smiled, truly pleased that she’d said so. “I-- well. Yes. I am. Or I was before--- ” He didn’t know why, but he felt like he could confide in her, at least a little bit. More than he had anyone else around here, lately. “Can-- I mean. I don’t know you very well. I’m sorry. Nevermind.”
Audrey suddenly got the feeling that Percy had talked himself out of something. She raised an eyebrow, watching him, and gave a gentle nod of her head. “I’m the bakery confidante. You can tell me anything, and know it’ll only go to my scones.” She said, gently. “What’s on your mind?”
Percy laughed a little, just imagining her whispering secrets to her scones and raspberry tarts. “It’s...” he considered for a moment, and then shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
There was a gentle smile on Audrey’s features as she watched him. “Okay.” She wasn’t going to press him for more information. “But I’m here if it’s ever... y’know... something.”
Percy smiled, feeling both awful for not saying something and relieved at the very same time. It wasn’t time yet. Not yet. He wasn’t ready to talk about it. And anyway, he shouldn’t burden a nearly perfect stranger with his troubles. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” he said, once again back to that perfectly prim and proper Percy.
“You’re welcome.” Audrey said, giving him a smile. She lifted her glass for a sip of her iced tea, glancing around the bakery. There were a few people on the computers in the internet cafe portion of the lobby, and a couple of people in line. Most of the tables were full of people eating and drinking. It was a good day. Not too busy, but definitely busy enough.
Percy sipped his tea in silence for a moment, feeling a little silly about his moment of near-weakness. It wasn’t really like him to do things like that. Perhaps, he thought, he should seek out a therapist again. He really didn’t have the time for things like mental instability.
“Do you work everyday?” He asked, changing the subject completely.
“At least six days a week.” Audrey said. “I own the place, so I’m on salary... I practically live here, making sure things run. But the girls behind the counter are really good... I’ve been training them all to do things properly. Wendy’s been here for four years now, and she’s absolutely remarkable. She could probably run this place on her own, though I wouldn’t trust her to make a croissant or royal icing.”
Percy smiled, honestly a little amused. “I admire your work ethic,” he told her, and he was not even close to kidding. It wasn’t often he found many people as dedicated to things as he was.
“Thank you.” Though, most of the time it didn’t feel like work. That’s how she could spend so much time here and never want to go home. It was her home away from home. There were very few chores (if any) that she absolutely dreaded to do. It was easy, and fun, and everything she dreamed it would be. Audrey was happy. Very happy. Disgustingly so. “I do, too. I think if it was any other job, I might drag my feet a little more than I do. But I like coming here in the mornings to make pastries, and I like talking to my customers and employees about good food and good drinks.”
He wanted a job he liked more than anything some day. He was working toward it, of course, but... even with the bar exam a few weeks away, he still then needed to worry about finding a job. And then working his way up to something like an even vaguely respectable post.
He always tried his hardest at his jobs, but it was sometimes horrifying to him to realize he didn’t really like them when he stepped back and thought about it.
“That’s very lucky,” he murmured, thoughtfully.
“I am very lucky,” Audrey said, softly. She wasn’t trying to brag, she just hoped that others could find their own happiness like she’d found hers. “I don’t know if I believe in God, but whatever power that watches over people, it’s been good to me.”
Percy wouldn’t go on to a conversation about religion -- people already didn’t tend to like him when he spoke his opinion on most things. “That’s all you can ask, right?” He asked, sipping his tea.
“Exactly.” Audrey said, giving him a smile. “Don’t let me keep you from your studies,” she added. If he needed to focus, she could go back to fiddling around with her phone and ignoring the world around her.
Percy smiled, a peculiar kind of smile. “I never mind,” he said -- but even in saying so, he moved to open one of his books.