Teas and Tomes
Earlier today...
Jon was already there, waiting for Terasa to arrive, sitting at a quiet table, sipping a cup of tea and nibbling on scones, hoping not to be recognized. He was dressed in a cream-colored fisherman's sweater and khakis, a wool pea coat tossed over the back of his chair.
The bell jingle jangled when the door opened and the blond entered. The black wool trench was tugged at as she smoothed her way in, blue eyes scanning over the interior of the teas. It had been a while since she had been there but it was easy to spot out the single waiting figure. Peppermint taste on her tongue was inhaled on to steel herself and she started to sashay her way over to Jon.
Jon looked up from the papers in front of him where he'd been jotting some notes and smiled as he saw her approach, a small smirk when he noticed the sashay, wondering if she was doing it on purpose to impress him.
Dare to ask, dear Jon. Dare to ask. When she saw he noticed her approach she was quick to flash a brilliant smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Granger. Nice chilly day isn't it?"
He moved to his feet, returning her smile with one of his own, both polite and friendly at the same time. "Good afternoon, Miss Rider. Would you like to take a seat?" He gestured to the seat in front of him.
Her purse was lowered from her shoulder and she undid the buttons of her jacket in order to remove it. She was going to be as comfortable as possible for this. "I'd like that. I hope I haven't kept you long."
He pulled out the chair for her and waited until she took a seat, then sat down across from her. "Would you like something" Tea, coffee" A pastry?"
Taking her seat she crossed her legs, the trench pulled over her lap and the purse placed next to her. "A chai tea latte would be divine." And praying it would still her turning stomach.
"Anything else?" He moved to his feet so that he could fetch her tea.
She shook her head to him. "No thank you."
"Make yourself comfortable, Terasa. I promise I don't bite." He offered another reassuring smile and went to fetch her tea, leaving his own tea, scones and other belongings at the table.
Oh she had to still her tongue from lashing out something impish to that. A mysterious smile danced on her pale lips. She waited patiently for his return. As patient as one could be in this sort of situation. There was no fidgeting from the blond.
He wasn't gone long, just as long as it took to get her tea. Returning to the table, he set the tea down in front of her and retook his seat, ready to get down to business.
The handle of the teacup was turned and she smiled. "Thank you." She didn't pick it up but did adjust to gather it up and curve her hands in gentle caress to the cup.
"I have a few questions to ask you," he said after he got himself settled in, looking pointedly across the table from her. In his mind, he'd already hired her, so this was mostly a formality.
"Of course. Feel free to ask anything you wish, Mr. Granger." Her hands clasped on the table with the cup now resting between her wrists. Lovely blues settled on Jon like a gentle caress.
He smiled, almost seeming amused for some reason. Her eyes, though lovely, only reminded him of someone else. He already knew enough about her to hire her for the position, but he wanted to hear a few things from her own lips. "I'd like to ask why you'd like to be my P.A., what you think I expect from you, and what qualifications you have for the job." He folded his hands on the table and patiently awaited her reply.
Settling back in her seat she chuckled. "I won't lie to you, Mr. Granger. I do not have any qualifications. I'll also tell you I am not attempting at this job because I am trying to get close to you, your fame, or money. My only interest is the job. It sounds to be a challenge and quite frankly it seems you need someone who can get you back on track of things and keep you on said track. I am honest, trustworthy, and when I set myself into something I do it whole hearted. I have plenty of qualities but I believe it is better to be seen rather than spoken of. Can only take so much on a word of a stranger."
"So you want me to give you a chance to prove yourself, is that what you're saying, Miss Rider?"
"That is correct, Mr. Granger." She realized that it was probably asking a lot for the famous man to give her a moment of his time. Maybe pushing for too much"
"When you say get me back on track, what do you mean by that exactly?" He lifted his cup for a sip of tea, wondering just how much she knew about him, how much Vicki might have told her.
"Do I really need to point out your interview with The Head?" She said it calmly.
He frowned and stiffened a little, looking slightly defensive, his calm composure wavering a moment, when she reminded him of his interview with Ned. "And how would me having you as a P.A. have changed that?" he was genuinely curious now. He was unsure how anything anyone might have done could have changed that, how anyone could possibly have prepared him for it.
She watched every telltale detail from him and smiled reassuringly. A smile that was sure to calm. "You were unprepared. I would of made sure you were. Not only for his questions but you, yourself. Small little things, like me bringing that up seems to bother you. You need to learn to relax."
"Nothing could have prepared me for that, except maybe watching past interviews." He was definitely still beating himself up over that one.
Jon was already there, waiting for Terasa to arrive, sitting at a quiet table, sipping a cup of tea and nibbling on scones, hoping not to be recognized. He was dressed in a cream-colored fisherman's sweater and khakis, a wool pea coat tossed over the back of his chair.
The bell jingle jangled when the door opened and the blond entered. The black wool trench was tugged at as she smoothed her way in, blue eyes scanning over the interior of the teas. It had been a while since she had been there but it was easy to spot out the single waiting figure. Peppermint taste on her tongue was inhaled on to steel herself and she started to sashay her way over to Jon.
Jon looked up from the papers in front of him where he'd been jotting some notes and smiled as he saw her approach, a small smirk when he noticed the sashay, wondering if she was doing it on purpose to impress him.
Dare to ask, dear Jon. Dare to ask. When she saw he noticed her approach she was quick to flash a brilliant smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Granger. Nice chilly day isn't it?"
He moved to his feet, returning her smile with one of his own, both polite and friendly at the same time. "Good afternoon, Miss Rider. Would you like to take a seat?" He gestured to the seat in front of him.
Her purse was lowered from her shoulder and she undid the buttons of her jacket in order to remove it. She was going to be as comfortable as possible for this. "I'd like that. I hope I haven't kept you long."
He pulled out the chair for her and waited until she took a seat, then sat down across from her. "Would you like something" Tea, coffee" A pastry?"
Taking her seat she crossed her legs, the trench pulled over her lap and the purse placed next to her. "A chai tea latte would be divine." And praying it would still her turning stomach.
"Anything else?" He moved to his feet so that he could fetch her tea.
She shook her head to him. "No thank you."
"Make yourself comfortable, Terasa. I promise I don't bite." He offered another reassuring smile and went to fetch her tea, leaving his own tea, scones and other belongings at the table.
Oh she had to still her tongue from lashing out something impish to that. A mysterious smile danced on her pale lips. She waited patiently for his return. As patient as one could be in this sort of situation. There was no fidgeting from the blond.
He wasn't gone long, just as long as it took to get her tea. Returning to the table, he set the tea down in front of her and retook his seat, ready to get down to business.
The handle of the teacup was turned and she smiled. "Thank you." She didn't pick it up but did adjust to gather it up and curve her hands in gentle caress to the cup.
"I have a few questions to ask you," he said after he got himself settled in, looking pointedly across the table from her. In his mind, he'd already hired her, so this was mostly a formality.
"Of course. Feel free to ask anything you wish, Mr. Granger." Her hands clasped on the table with the cup now resting between her wrists. Lovely blues settled on Jon like a gentle caress.
He smiled, almost seeming amused for some reason. Her eyes, though lovely, only reminded him of someone else. He already knew enough about her to hire her for the position, but he wanted to hear a few things from her own lips. "I'd like to ask why you'd like to be my P.A., what you think I expect from you, and what qualifications you have for the job." He folded his hands on the table and patiently awaited her reply.
Settling back in her seat she chuckled. "I won't lie to you, Mr. Granger. I do not have any qualifications. I'll also tell you I am not attempting at this job because I am trying to get close to you, your fame, or money. My only interest is the job. It sounds to be a challenge and quite frankly it seems you need someone who can get you back on track of things and keep you on said track. I am honest, trustworthy, and when I set myself into something I do it whole hearted. I have plenty of qualities but I believe it is better to be seen rather than spoken of. Can only take so much on a word of a stranger."
"So you want me to give you a chance to prove yourself, is that what you're saying, Miss Rider?"
"That is correct, Mr. Granger." She realized that it was probably asking a lot for the famous man to give her a moment of his time. Maybe pushing for too much"
"When you say get me back on track, what do you mean by that exactly?" He lifted his cup for a sip of tea, wondering just how much she knew about him, how much Vicki might have told her.
"Do I really need to point out your interview with The Head?" She said it calmly.
He frowned and stiffened a little, looking slightly defensive, his calm composure wavering a moment, when she reminded him of his interview with Ned. "And how would me having you as a P.A. have changed that?" he was genuinely curious now. He was unsure how anything anyone might have done could have changed that, how anyone could possibly have prepared him for it.
She watched every telltale detail from him and smiled reassuringly. A smile that was sure to calm. "You were unprepared. I would of made sure you were. Not only for his questions but you, yourself. Small little things, like me bringing that up seems to bother you. You need to learn to relax."
"Nothing could have prepared me for that, except maybe watching past interviews." He was definitely still beating himself up over that one.