Old Times' Sake (Marcelo)

[pyroprincess]

WHO: Stephanie, Marcelo
WHAT: A dinner date, supposedly to discuss business.
WHERE: La Navarra
WHEN: 7:30, Friday evening (prior posted due to my being away on Friday night)

Normally, before meeting with a fellow businessperson for an important discussion of relevant things, she would rehearse whatever it was she planned to say before her assistant, Reginald, who would offer a precise, learned critique. When she had declined to do so for this particular dinner, despite it being with a very important individual, the local "big man" of Veridian Dynamics, Reginald had understood implicitly that the real business of the "dinner meeting" wasn't really business at all, and instead he'd devoted himself to tending to her stock portfolio, as well as to the management of her current, fairly extensive property holdings around the 11th Street Shelter.

Instead, she'd spent the time preparing herself more personally, getting her hair styled, nails done and spending the afternoon at a beauty spa. She'd had something of a revelation, thinking in the time between when she'd sent the text to Marcelo and today. They'd had troubles in the past with being together often enough to sustain a relationship, but neither of them were happy apart from each other. Her and Marcelo. To wit, Stephanie wanted her Brazilian prince back, and like any Shaw worth their salt, what she wanted, she would get, and in style at that. Slipping into the dress she had chosen for the occasion, she looked at herself briefly in the mirror, making sure everything was just right.

She wondered what he thought about her invitation, whether he assumed it would be a mere business discussion after all, or if she wanted to simply spend an evening together as friends, or what she really had in mind. Stephanie mulled it over for a moment and decided she liked the idea of keeping him a little unsure, surprising him a little. For a moment, a little doubt crept into her mind- what if he didn't miss her as much as she missed him after all? She shooed away the undesirable and patently false doubt. No, the mistake she'd made, that they'd made was to let things go. If she didn't think she had the opportunity to undo that nasty mistake, she wouldn't have asked him out for dinner at her favorite restaurant.

When she arrived there, they greeted her with the respect many reserved for royalty- after all, this was her restaurant, even more than the one that she and Brooke owned. She knew its space as well as anyone, the owner included, whom came out to greet her with air kisses and just a slight air of familiarity. She was their best customer, after all. A very special  prix fixe menu with wine pairings (and a selection of their favorite spirits for pre-dinner and possibly post-dinner cocktails- and as they were in an entirely private part of the restaurant, they would even be able to smoke cigars if they wanted, public smoking laws be damned). Decor brought in specially from a company that had done similar services for the President, the British Royals on their last American visit and Tony Stark. No expense, no preparation had been spared.

Now, though, all that there was to do was to slowly enjoy a pre-dinner drink and wait for Marcelo to arrive. 1966 Domaine Boingneres armagnac, to be precise. Bold, but smooth. A complex flavour with a hint of mystery ...

Comments

[vesper_verde]

"I can see the gossip headline now "Stephanie Shaw Stuffs Second Most Eligible New York Bachelor Into A Cab: Did He Seem Bloated to You?" He chuckled and shrugged. Though he did have to do a double take at her admitting she was full. He drummed his fingers on the table a moment and hummed.

"Maybe that is a sign of the Apocalypse."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "No doubt Miss Report will be disappointed that my marriage to Brooke didn't work out."

"Starting to get full, darling. Not full yet. Not until dessert is over, at the very least." Then they'd have a short walk and ... well, see whatever it was he wanted to show her. And then after a brief spell to allow them to digest their feast, get reacquainted with each other on the very most intimate terms.

Dessert arrived, gateau basque, natillas, cherries preserved in various liqueurs and covered in chocolate. Served with a "dessert flight" consisting of small glasses of sherry, port, icewine and appropriate liqueurs.

"... strange, I think my hunger's returning."

[vesper_verde]

"Particularly since you landed me. I've seen a pattern. She doesn't like the women in her reports and gets hormonal over the masculine men." He made sure he added the qualifier to the types of males Miss Report seemed to drool over. Marcelo fit the requirements being extremely rich, good looking, and manly. Though he was always number 2 to Tony Stark, which really didn't bother him. He wouldn't have women dressed only in iPads showing up at his office.

His eyes widened at the desserts brought out. "Puxa vida. This entire dinner is going to take quite a bit of exercise to work off."

A lopsided grin covered up the softly nagging worry he had that his secret id reveal would send Steph in the opposite direction.

[pyroprincess]

"She really is kind of a contemptable harridan, but it doesn't matter. The moment she crosses the line from being mildly annoying to being any sort of genuine libel? She gets herself sued back to the Stone Age." Stephanie replied pleasantly, getting herself some of the dessert.

"Oh, I think I'll be able to help a little with that. As I should, really. I'm the one who stuffed you so." Stephanie grinned.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo shrugged. He was not usually on the bad end of gossip columns here. "I tend to ignore her. My secretary, not so much. But I think she just finds it funny. Crazy American celebrities."

He served himself what he thought he could eat, which was still a lot less than Stephanie. "I don't think I'll need help, unless your body's changed. Then I'll just have to explore."

[pyroprincess]

"Oh, me too for the most part. I understand gossip is simply part of the price for being well-known, but once gossip becomes libel, well, my image is worth protecting." She then gestured with her hand, as if banishing any unpleasant thoughts.

"Exploring could be fun." Not that anything had really changed, but the process of exploring itself ... "Of course, I'll have to make sure nothing's changed with you, either."

The dessert disappeared too and Stephanie leaned back, honest-to-god full for once.

"Alonso has a humidor if you want to finish the spirits with a cigar." She smirked. "If you do, I'd probably join you. Seems appropriate after a meal like this."

[vesper_verde]

"You are a very lovely image." He held up his thumbs and forefingers to make a rectangle he could close one eye and peer through.

He didn't comment on her exploring him because it would happen after his Vesper reveal. It could not happen. Or if it did, she'd find a lot more bruised and sore spots on his body than there should be.

"I could use a cigar to cap off dinner," he commented as he lowered his hands and opened his eye. "He have any Davidoff Royal Salomones?"

They weren't one of the ones labeled as 'the most expensive cigars in the world' but they were very good cigars nonetheless.

[pyroprincess]

She couldn't help but pose a little as he drew the "picture" with his hands. Having no means of reading his mind, she couldn't comment on that, though she'd noticed him being just a touch stiff walking in. Though that could simply be due to overwork, really.

"Of course he does." Stephanie grinned. "I made sure of it." And really, despite her having "asked" him first, it was her idea. Not that she indulged often at all, but it was nice every once in awhile as a cap to a particularly amazing meal or as a means of celebrating a personal victory.

"He also has a pair of Her Majesty's Reserve. Specially imported for our pleasure." If they didn't smoke them then, she would've taken them home herself.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo blinked at her. "Her Maj-..."

Those were expensive cigars. Seven hundred fifty dollars a cigar cigars. Tobacco soaked in the world's most expensive cognac. Not that neither of them had to scrounge to pay something like that, but it just provided a little more light on how all out Stephanie was going to get him back.

He managed a slightly less shocked grin. "Your highness, if I could have one of your Reserves, I would be honored."

And possibly a little fidgety to get his hands on one.

[pyroprincess]

When Stephanie wanted something, she went to get it. And she was, in a sense, something akin to royalty anyway. Shaw Industries was in a regency right now and once she got it, she'd be one of the wealthiest people on Earth. Besides, she had a taste for the good things in life and the money to indulge in them when she wanted to.

She responded by leaning across the table and kissing him, her lips perfumed with various fine wines and liqueurs from the night's dinner.

"An honour you will be granted."

The cigars came out with a complementary snifter of the self-same brandy.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo licked his lips after Stephanie pulled back. It tasted almost as good as kissing her without the alcoholic lip gloss.

He was slightly giddy about getting the very expensive cigar. He had not had one in awhile. There had been little call to relax and smoke a cigar in recent months with his non-stop day and night jobs.

So, when he had it lit and brandy in his hand, he took a puff and just tasted it in his mouth. He tried not to melt into a gooey puddle of contentment in his chair. He blew the smoke slowly out. "You and this cigar are amazing. Just hang around longer than the cigar or I'll be disappointed."

He grinned.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie lit her cigar with a little flare of pyroplasm and leaned back herself, content as a cat. Or a tigress, which might be a more apt comparison. She grinned and took a slow puff, savoring it before letting the smoke blow out.

"Oh, I plan to." Her grin widened. Her hand reached out to take his, fingers lacing with his.

"We'll have to buy a box of these. To enjoy once in awhile." She closed her eyes for a moment in sheer contentment. She was all but purring right now, full of delicious food, possessed of a fabulous buzz from extremely liquor and in the company of a man she'd missed so much.

She was happier right now than she'd been in a very, very long time.

[vesper_verde]

"A box of these and Black Dragons. I have some Brazilian ones at home." He made a face like it pained him to say the next bit. "They're not quite as good as these."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He had her now. He was going to enjoy it. Just in case. It would be nice to have one moment of sheer contentment to look back on if he had doomed things.

[pyroprincess]

A little while later, their cigars done, she looked at him for a long moment, studying his face, eyes going downwards a little. She smiled, slowly, sincerely and full of promise.

"I think we should go back to your place." The smile turned into a grin that stayed just short of being openly lewd.

For his part, Alonso would be getting a very nice tip for his services tonight in arranging this dinner. And of course, continued regular patronage.

[vesper_verde]

At least with both of them smoking cigars, neither of them would have a reason to complain about the taste of the other. Though Marcelo followed where Stephanie's eyes went and quirked an eyebrow.

Her suggestion gave him a small, internal jolt of energy. Nervous energy. He straightened out his tie and got up a little stiffly. He offered a hand to help Steph from her chair.

Not that she needed it, but it was a good excuse to touch her as any. "Your possible new home beckons."

[pyroprincess]

"Mmm, it does." Stephanie noticed that he got up a touch stiffly. "Maybe a massage first. For exploration, you know." She kissed him again, dipping down to kiss his throat a few times. She chalked it up to probably overwork. It wasn't as if she'd been lacking in it herself.

"Let's go, mi amor." After they went to get on their jackets, she sidled up close to him, laying her head softly on his shoulder as they walked out of the restaurant into what was, admittedly, a rather chilly New York night.

[vesper_verde]

Damn, Stephanie made it hard for him to remember his worries at times. Though they came rushing back once her lips weren't on his skin.

As much as he loved her, he wouldn't give up being Vesper. Even if it drove her away. He had a promise to keep for his mother's spirit.

But he put those thoughts aside as he slipped on his coat. When Stephanie got close, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You're lucky, querida. You don't have to suffer the indignity of stuffing me into the cab." He paused. "Or was that my indignity? It got a little hazy on course six."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie stayed close to him, the crisp air actually jolting her just a little bit out of her alcohol-and-fine-dining induced glow, though far from totally. She looked up at the sky, wishing she could see the stars, but having to content herself with city lights and the moon.

"I think a short walk will be good, anyway." She breathed in again. "I really do love this city." She'd lived most her life in Spain, but she'd long since adopted New York as her home.

[ngm_villains]

There were about five men who didn't quite fit into the neighborhood around the block. The things they had to do for gang initiation. Particularly since the gang had been harassed by a giant man-bat and wanted the toughest of the tough. One of the five noticed a couple walking along the street and paying attention to anything but the people around them. He nodded and signaled for the others.

Then he started following them. As long as they didn't walk into one of the nearby buildings, this would be an easy score.

[vesper_verde]

"A walk will work off some of the.... everything I ate. You do plan a wicked meal, querida." He gave her a squeeze with the arm wrapped around her. His hearing hadn't picked up anything problematic around them yet, so he was unaware of the men slowly converging on them.

"New York is nice, but it's no São Paulo." Marcelo loved everything Brazil. Warts and all.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie smiled warmly at him. "Well, it was a special occasion, yes?" She kept close to him, watching the city go by as they strolled, a frantic heartbeat that never stopped. Normally, she matched the city perfectly, all restless activity, but now she felt downright mellow.

"I'll have to go with you sometime. Finally meet your whole family." The thought stopped as she noticed shapes in her peripheral vision. Her expression narrowed.

"Marcelo." They were being followed.

[ngm_villains]

Not only followed but approached. The five initiates were surrounding the couple. One pulled a snub-nosed revolver out of his coat pocket while others got metal pipes and easily potable clubs to hand.

"Hey, lady. Donchu know it's not safe to walk around at night. Specially with a 'guy' like that."

Though guy wasn't the word used.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo caught the warning from Stephanie. He quickly used his hearing to get a number of people coming at them. Five to his ears. He slipped his arm off of Stephanie.

He spotted the gun but didn't think he could do the whole throw the invulnerable girlfriend at a gun thing on general principle even though it was logical. He was rapidly losing room to maneuver.

He held up his hands. "C'mon, guys. You don't want to do this."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie had the feeling that these men were not simply after wallets. If they had, she might have been inclined to mollify them simply to get the whole thing over with. But this felt different.

The man with the gun was the threat. Not to her personally, but to Marcelo. She made sure to step between the gunman and Marcelo, but along the way, she punched a wall. Hard. If they were observant, they would've noticed chips of stone coming out from the walls.

"He's right. You don't have to do this." She spoke calmly, firmly. As if she weren't some not-particularly-intimidating looking woman.

[ngm_villains]

"Nah. We gots to and want to. You're gonna get more than busted up knuckles, punta." The lead guy gave little more explanation before they descended on the pair. The one with the gun hung back a bit. His weapon wasn't for close-quarters but was good for stopping runaways.