It had been quite some time since Ollie had visited Teas n' Tomes. He passed by it almost every day on his way between his loft and the Inn, but he hadn't actually stepped foot inside the shop since before he left Maple Grove. Cally's summons changed that, however. When he received the note to meet her there tonight, he was a little unsure of whether or not he'd actually show up. Since his most recent talk with Caroline, he'd been taking steps to get the redhead off his mind. It hadn't been an easy task. But he'd decided that it was probably for the best that he stop obsessing over her and get on with things; maybe he'd even find a girl who was sincerely interested in him. And then pigs would fly and mate with dragons and the city would be overrun with fire-breathing pigs.
Cally stepped up to the place, working her cellphone to buzz if someone important needed her. The phone was stuffed into her bag and the door opened. The shop's spirited bell gave away the red-head's entrance. "Well, there goes the element of surprise." The red-head turned her eyes to find Ollie and he was shot a smile. "Hey! I didn't keep you waiting too long did I" Wait - don't answer that." A woman's right to be late!
He gave her a vague smile and shrugged. "I haven't been here long," he explained and glanced down at the half-finished croissant and empty cup of coffee that sat on the table in front of him. He closed the sketchbook - a brand new one, with only one drawing in it - and set his charcoal stick atop the cover at an angle. He stood and pulled out the chair opposite of him for Cally.
"Always a gentleman." Cally strolled over and took the seat he had pulled out for her. "Thanks. I didn't call you out at a bad time, did I?"
He waited until she was settled before retaking his own seat. "No, I was just working on another commission. Can I get you something to drink" Cider maybe? Are you hungry' They have fantastic pastries here."
"Some coffee would be great. I am still bone weary from Fashion Week." Leaning back in her seat, the red-head smiled. "Surprise me with a pastry or two?" She was leaving it to him to pick something good!
He nodded and rose from his seat. "Be back in a jiffy," he said before heading over to the counter and ordering a coffee, a blueberry scone and an apple-cinnamon muffin. As he waited for the order to be filled, he attempted to casually turn and glance at Cally over his shoulder. He frowned softly, wondering why she'd asked him to meet her here. Maybe she was getting married and wanted him to hear it from her first.
The red-head sat and stared at the empty seat across from her. Weary didn't really place correctly how she looked. Exhausted from end-to-end. But people didn't know how thin she had been spreading herself - not that they needed to know. Shrugging off her bag, Cally drew it on her lap.
He caught those tell-tale signs of exhaustion in her face and the lines of her body and he shook his head minutely. He'd have to tell Lola to stop working them both so hard. A soft snort when he imagined Lola's answer to that and then the order arrived. Paying the girl behind the counter and adding a gold coin to the tip jar next to the till, he carried everything back to the table and set it down gently in front of Cally. "I can't remember if you take milk, cream, or sugar in your coffee," he said apologetically and hovered at the table's edge until she gave him her preferences.
He startled the red-head out of her zone and a smile was prettied up for him. "Two sugars and some cream." Two spoons of sugar and a bit too much cream - the red-head liked her sweets. She motioned him to his seat. "Don't worry - I can drink it black too. Probably should just to keep myself here!" Cally grinned and winked at him.
He nodded and sat down, perching awkwardly on the edge of his seat. He leaned forward, resting his elbows in the table and gave Cally a thin-lipped smile. "So....Lola keeping you busy?" God above, he was horrible with small talk!
"Not really. I mean with fashion week, yes! But I had work and my sister and " well, just a bunch of stuff to deal with, too." Cally sighed as she stirred the creamy coffee. Entranced by the swirl the red-head silenced for a number of ticks. "Pretty sure ya wonderin' why I requested ya here."
He nodded, watching her carefully, remaining silent until she spoke again. His hand itched for the pencil; how he longed to capture her pensive look!
Lifting her eyes, Cally nodded and smiled to him. "Well, I think I would rather show ya. So why don't ya do me a tiny fav and close those eyes o' ya's for me" No peekin'!"
A brow arched and he blinked. "Um....Okay," he said hesitantly before putting his hands firmly over his closed eyes. He felt a bit ridiculous and was infinitely glad that the shop was mostly empty so that no one could witness this.
Cally laughed quietly to see him actually cover his eyes - now that was cute! He seemed a bit more at ease, too. Opening her bag the red-head pulled out the thick, bright blue wrapped gift and placed it on the table. A little nudge forward had it knocking against what looked to her like a new sketchbook. "Okay."
The sketchbook banged gently into his elbow and he uncovered his eyes to look down. Both brows arched upwards when he saw the paper-wrapped box. He looked up at her, a quizzical expression in his eyes. "For me?" he asked hesitantly. It wasn't his birthday and Valentine's Day had been weeks ago. "What's the occasion?"
"Yup, for you." Sip of coffee as the red-head watched his reaction, a smile hinting at her painted lips. "No occasion; ya can call it an apology, if ya want. Go ahead and open it. Ya might understand a bit better."
He nodded and reached for the box, carefully and circumspectly peeling off the paper to reveal a wooden box with two locks on it. He frowned and glanced up at her, wondering if her face would give away any clue as to what was inside. He carefully shoved aside his own coffee cup and the sketchbook so he could set the box down on the table and flick open the locks.
Never play poker with Cally; she had one hell of a poker face. Sips of coffee taken, the red-head watched on wearing that smile. She wanted to witness first-hand since she missed his expression over the cellphone. Judging from his later reaction of having to learn how to use it, he didn't really seem to like the idea of a cellphone.
Cally stepped up to the place, working her cellphone to buzz if someone important needed her. The phone was stuffed into her bag and the door opened. The shop's spirited bell gave away the red-head's entrance. "Well, there goes the element of surprise." The red-head turned her eyes to find Ollie and he was shot a smile. "Hey! I didn't keep you waiting too long did I" Wait - don't answer that." A woman's right to be late!
He gave her a vague smile and shrugged. "I haven't been here long," he explained and glanced down at the half-finished croissant and empty cup of coffee that sat on the table in front of him. He closed the sketchbook - a brand new one, with only one drawing in it - and set his charcoal stick atop the cover at an angle. He stood and pulled out the chair opposite of him for Cally.
"Always a gentleman." Cally strolled over and took the seat he had pulled out for her. "Thanks. I didn't call you out at a bad time, did I?"
He waited until she was settled before retaking his own seat. "No, I was just working on another commission. Can I get you something to drink" Cider maybe? Are you hungry' They have fantastic pastries here."
"Some coffee would be great. I am still bone weary from Fashion Week." Leaning back in her seat, the red-head smiled. "Surprise me with a pastry or two?" She was leaving it to him to pick something good!
He nodded and rose from his seat. "Be back in a jiffy," he said before heading over to the counter and ordering a coffee, a blueberry scone and an apple-cinnamon muffin. As he waited for the order to be filled, he attempted to casually turn and glance at Cally over his shoulder. He frowned softly, wondering why she'd asked him to meet her here. Maybe she was getting married and wanted him to hear it from her first.
The red-head sat and stared at the empty seat across from her. Weary didn't really place correctly how she looked. Exhausted from end-to-end. But people didn't know how thin she had been spreading herself - not that they needed to know. Shrugging off her bag, Cally drew it on her lap.
He caught those tell-tale signs of exhaustion in her face and the lines of her body and he shook his head minutely. He'd have to tell Lola to stop working them both so hard. A soft snort when he imagined Lola's answer to that and then the order arrived. Paying the girl behind the counter and adding a gold coin to the tip jar next to the till, he carried everything back to the table and set it down gently in front of Cally. "I can't remember if you take milk, cream, or sugar in your coffee," he said apologetically and hovered at the table's edge until she gave him her preferences.
He startled the red-head out of her zone and a smile was prettied up for him. "Two sugars and some cream." Two spoons of sugar and a bit too much cream - the red-head liked her sweets. She motioned him to his seat. "Don't worry - I can drink it black too. Probably should just to keep myself here!" Cally grinned and winked at him.
He nodded and sat down, perching awkwardly on the edge of his seat. He leaned forward, resting his elbows in the table and gave Cally a thin-lipped smile. "So....Lola keeping you busy?" God above, he was horrible with small talk!
"Not really. I mean with fashion week, yes! But I had work and my sister and " well, just a bunch of stuff to deal with, too." Cally sighed as she stirred the creamy coffee. Entranced by the swirl the red-head silenced for a number of ticks. "Pretty sure ya wonderin' why I requested ya here."
He nodded, watching her carefully, remaining silent until she spoke again. His hand itched for the pencil; how he longed to capture her pensive look!
Lifting her eyes, Cally nodded and smiled to him. "Well, I think I would rather show ya. So why don't ya do me a tiny fav and close those eyes o' ya's for me" No peekin'!"
A brow arched and he blinked. "Um....Okay," he said hesitantly before putting his hands firmly over his closed eyes. He felt a bit ridiculous and was infinitely glad that the shop was mostly empty so that no one could witness this.
Cally laughed quietly to see him actually cover his eyes - now that was cute! He seemed a bit more at ease, too. Opening her bag the red-head pulled out the thick, bright blue wrapped gift and placed it on the table. A little nudge forward had it knocking against what looked to her like a new sketchbook. "Okay."
The sketchbook banged gently into his elbow and he uncovered his eyes to look down. Both brows arched upwards when he saw the paper-wrapped box. He looked up at her, a quizzical expression in his eyes. "For me?" he asked hesitantly. It wasn't his birthday and Valentine's Day had been weeks ago. "What's the occasion?"
"Yup, for you." Sip of coffee as the red-head watched his reaction, a smile hinting at her painted lips. "No occasion; ya can call it an apology, if ya want. Go ahead and open it. Ya might understand a bit better."
He nodded and reached for the box, carefully and circumspectly peeling off the paper to reveal a wooden box with two locks on it. He frowned and glanced up at her, wondering if her face would give away any clue as to what was inside. He carefully shoved aside his own coffee cup and the sketchbook so he could set the box down on the table and flick open the locks.
Never play poker with Cally; she had one hell of a poker face. Sips of coffee taken, the red-head watched on wearing that smile. She wanted to witness first-hand since she missed his expression over the cellphone. Judging from his later reaction of having to learn how to use it, he didn't really seem to like the idea of a cellphone.