Topic: It's Good To Talk

Mataya · Date: 2010-12-15 22:13 EST

Most people would think that wearing high heels in icy conditions was a bad idea. Most people would be right, but that never stopped Mataya De Luca from wearing what she wanted, when she wanted. And today was a heels day. With her usual confident stride, she made her way past shops and cafes to Teas'n Tomes, where she fully intended upon hiring one of the best actors she'd ever worked with, or die trying.

She'd telephoned Jonathan Granger with the express purpose of hiring him for the new Rep Company she was forming, and to her delight, he had agreed to meet her to discuss it. Which was why she was letting herself into the cosy little teashop/library just a little early, to be there when he arrived.

Jon was of like mind, wanting to get there a little early, a little bit anxious to see her again. It had been a few years and he had often wondered about her. He wasn't sure if it was some quirk of fate or chance that had led him to her again.

He was dressed to impress, wearing a black suit and tie, his face clean-shaven, hair neatly combed, not a hair out of place. He was sitting at a table, sipping a cup of tea, munching on a scone, and reading some tome of choice, possibly a book of Shakespeare.

Stepping through the door, 'Taya took a moment to get her bearings, and her jaw dropped as her eyes landed on him. "Well, well, well," she laughed teasingly, making her way over to where he was sat. "Still scrubbing up to perfection, I see?" She grinned, leaning down to hug him gently. "How've you been, Jon?"

He glanced up when he heard someone enter, smiling broadly when he recognized her and moving to his feet to return her hug. "You look gorgeous as ever."

She chuckled brightly, shrugging her shoulders as she dropped her bag down beside the chair opposite his. "Better, I'd hope," she smiled. "I'm not staring cross-eyed at the world anymore. Can I get you anything?" There it was, a gently oblique reference to their days snorting anything to hand together, just to get it out of the way. Her smile was still bright, though, as she gestured toward the counter with her purse.

He moved to pull out the chair for her, remembering his manners. "I'm good. Would you like anything?" He made no comment regarding her reference to their snorting days just yet. He was having a slight case of jitters.

Her brows rose with charmed surprise, head tilting in acknowledgement of his manners as she slipped down into the seat he proffered. "I'd love a cup of peppermint," she told him quietly, bringing out from her purse money enough to pay for it. "And don't even think about being a gentleman with money. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm doing kinda well."

"Put your money away, 'Taya. I'm not hurting either. I think I can afford a cup of tea. Would you like anything else?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Rolling her eyes, she took her money back, tucking the purse into her bag.

"So, how'd you end up on Rhydin?" he asked as he made his way to the counter. It was a quiet night, so he wasn't really worried about anyone eavesdropping. He figured they both had stories to tell, but he was more interested in hearing hers than in telling his.

Twisting in the chair to face him as she crossed her legs, 'Taya snorted with laughter. "One of the girls in Wicked was a Rhy'Dinian," she explained, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "She told me how to get here. I was still running away from Max at time. What about you? Is this where you hole up when things get out of hand?"

"Would you believe I was born here?" He nodded his thanks to the clerk behind the counter, exchanged a few coins for the tea, and returned to the table. He leaned over to carefully set the cup down in front of her before reclaiming his chair.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up with interest at the sideways confession. "So you're used to all the ghosties and ghoulies and dragons and stuff, huh' Thanks," she added as he sat down, toying with the steeping tea-bag as they spoke. "Here I was, always thinking you were a Pennsylvania kid or something like that."

He chuckled. "It's not a good idea to go around telling people you're from another planet. And I'm not sure if you ever really get used to this place." He glanced at his cup of tea, frowning for a moment. There were things he really hated about his home planet, and one of them was slavers, but he wasn't about to burden an old friend with his troubles.

Her head tilted, her expression shrewd but soft as she took in the frown on his face. "Home wouldn't be home if it was all peaches and cream all the time," she mused quietly, finally removing the bag from her cup. "Still wowing audiences with your Oberon?"

He chuckled again, briefly arching both brows. "No. I kind of miss it. The theater, I mean. Shakespeare. A live audience." His eyes were still fixed on the tea cup, idly toying with the handle.

"No?" Tea-cup halfway to her lips, she froze, shocked at this revelation. "Jonny, that's a crime! That's terrible! You're made for theater!" So spaketh the young woman who made her name on screen before switching to theater and really making a career of it. Taking a sip of her tea, she set the cup down with a nostalgic grin. "Remember doin' the Dream in New York?"

He lifted his eyes to her and smiled widely. "How could I forget' It's one of my favorites, and you were an amazing Titania. You stole the show."

"I think it was the dress that stole the show," she laughed back, "and the way the guy playing Bottom managed to get into it every night. I swear, he never did the same thing twice!"

Mataya · Date: 2010-12-15 22:15 EST

"Those were the days," he sighed, remembering. Memories were always a little bit biased as most people remembered the good things and not the bad.

Spotting the opening like the business woman she had now become, 'Taya leapt on it, leaning forward onto her elbows with an inviting smile. "Wanna get those days back again?"

He smiled. "Isn't that what we're here to talk about?"

"Just making sure we're on the same page," she chuckled, pleased that she didn't actually have to pull the flirt card out again. She wasn't entirely sure, but it might have worked a little too well the last time she did that with Jon, and she didn't want Max rearranging his face. "Well, it goes like this - I own the Shanachie Theater, in the West End. We have a Theater Company, and I'm looking to form a Rep Company to work alternately with the cast doing the musicals and the ....well, the really expensive stuff. Would you be interested in headlining the Shanachie Rep?"

There went that brow again. He'd figured she'd want to get him involved with the Theater Company, but he hadn't expected her to ask him to head up the group. "You want me to headline the group?"

Her smile widened at his obvious surprise. "Yeah," she admitted with a fervent nod of her head. "You're one of the best I've ever worked with, you're a name here and across the Nexus. That's good business." She gestured as though setting that part of the conversation aside for now. "As a friend, I have a huge opportunity here, and I want to share it with you. There's no pressure to say yes or no straightaway, and if you're only here for a coupla months, then that's cool; I'll find someone not as good as you to fill the place. But I really want you, Jon. I'll beg, if I have to." It was no idle threat, either - she was more than capable of getting onto her knees right here and now.

"I haven't done theater in a few years, 'Taya. I'm a little rusty." It was almost too good to be true. Was his lucky finally turning" He wanted to jump on the chance, but he was a little bit worried that he'd disappoint her. Still, it was exactly the opportunity he'd been looking for. He was most likely being modest. He could memorize a script and read his lines in his sleep. Theater had always been his first love, and he knew he'd be an idiot to pass up the opportunity.

"Then I have the perfect play to start you back into it," she pounced on the wavering comment. "Godot. Four-man cast, take your pick of the roles, two-week run starting the 17th of January. Interested?"

He considered a moment. If all went well, he'd be back from L.A. by then, so that shouldn't be a problem. "Godot?" he winced. "Nothing like jumping in head first."

She grinned impishly. "Only if you pick one of the main roles," she teased, knowing full well that he was unlikely to choose anything but one of the two starring roles in that particular production. "C'mon, Jon, you know you wanna do this. I can see it in your eyes."

"Who were you thinking about for me" Gogo?"

"Or Didi," she shrugged. "You're versatile enough to play either, but it is your choice. I have the full backing of my director on this." She grinned again. "You might remember him ....Ludo Von Eschenbach?"

He rolled his eyes and groaned. "He never liked me much." Or maybe he was just trying to get Jon to be a better actor.

"Trust me, he's improved," 'Taya assured him. "Besides, he didn't have the prestige of being a resident director before, so he had less job security than we did." She smiled gently. "Just tip him a wink every now and then, and he's putty in your hands these days."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and smiling. "Are you going to be doing any acting" We could set this town on fire." There was a pause. "Tip him a wink?" he echoed. "He'll probably think I'm flirting!"

She chuckled. "Oh, I'll be popping in and out of productions that I want to be a part of," she giggled. "I already did Carmen in Fame for our opening run, but I managed to convince Ludo and Gabriel not to cast me in Cinderella." She snorted with laughter at his delayed reaction to her advice. "Max does it all the time, and he hasn't been dragged into a storage cupboard yet."

He listened quietly, taking in what she was telling him. He was about to ask further about Cinderella when she mentioned Max. "Max" You two are still together?" He took a sip of his tea.

She paused, wondering how to explain this. "We're ....back together," she said carefully. "We were divorced about a month after I last saw you, but he didn't give up on me. He even followed me here, and ....we talked, for the first time in years. So yes, I'm with Max, but, uh, we're taking things a lot slower this time." Lifting her cup in her hands, she took a gulp of her cool peppermint tea. "How about you? Still looking for Miss Right?"

He shook his head slowly. "You remember that girl I told you about, Nicole?"

With a curious frown touching on her brow for a moment, 'Taya sifted through her - admittedly sketchy - memories of a couple of years before. "Oh," she said finally, in a tone of remembered wonder. "You came back for her?"

"I came back for a lot of reasons. She was one of them. We're engaged, but..." He paused a moment and then echoed her own words. "We're taking things slower this time. Or I am." Though getting engaged might not be seen as taking it slow, they weren't married yet.

She watched him quietly for a moment, choosing not to pry into his private life any further. "I can understand that. So ....do you need time to think this over? I can give you until the 27th; after that, I'm gonna have to start auditioning."

Mataya · Date: 2010-12-15 22:16 EST

He smiled. "Are you kidding me" I don't need any time to think it over, 'Taya. I'd be stupid to say no." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Max doesn't know about....you know....does he?" He was referring to their one and only night together, which he hadn't forgotten despite the drug-induced haze that clouded his memory that night.

Down went the cup; up came 'Taya's hands in a universal gesture of thanksgiving toward the ceiling. "Yes! I love you!" As the old man at the counter looked over at her as though she had lost her mind, she chuckled, lowering her hands and her tone as she looked across at Jon. His reference to ....you know ....made her pause. "I'm not that cruel," she told him quietly. She hadn't forgotten, either. "If he knew, it would just hurt him, and get your pretty face mussed up with his knuckles. It's not worth that."

He chuckled a little at her reaction to his agreeing to be part of the company, sobering just a little when she turned serious. "It never happened then." Though it really had and was something Jon would most likely never forget, what little of it he remembered anyway.

She smiled gratefully, leaning across to squeeze his hand. "Yes, it did," she corrected him, "but I learned in one fell swoop that sleeping with a really good friend is a really bad idea. I'm very lucky it didn't completely destroy our friendship."

He wrapped both his hands around hers in a gesture of friendship and affection, his expression turning serious. "Nothing could ever do that, Mataya. You were one of my closest friends once, and I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Her smile grew warmer, and her other hand closed over his for a moment before withdrawing to cradle her cup again. "Since we're both in town, we can probably get there again," she assured him. "Just remember, no sweet-talking the boss." Her expression pulled into one of mock severity before she laughed.

"I could use a few friends." And then he laughed. "Yes, dear." He smirked, eyes dancing with good humor.

Sticking her tongue out at him, 'Taya took another sip of her tea. "Oh, yeah, contract salary," she remembered suddenly, and named a figure that no repertory actor would ever receive on the other side of the Nexus. "To start, anyway."

His eyes widened. He was happy just to have a job doing what he loved and with someone he knew he'd enjoy working with. The salary was just a bonus, and he was surprised at the dollar figure. "You're doing better than I thought."

"Yeah, well, I was very lucky my grandpa loved me as much as he did," she shrugged off her success easily. "On top of my not-so-little nest egg from two years of constant work, I got to create a theater. It's the best gift he could ever have given me. Even if my mom still insists on living in that ratty two-bed apartment I grew up in." She chuckled fondly. Mrs De Luca left a sizeable impression on anyone who crossed her path, no matter how rich or famous.

He seemed to consider a moment. He had as much as accepted her offer already but he thought he might be able to help someone who needed the money a lot more than he did. "I have a favor to ask....I assume you'll be hiring a stage crew."

Her head tilted curiously, one brow ticking upward as he spoke. "I have a crew at the moment, but we're always on the look-out for more hands and specialists," she told him thoughtfully. "Rhy'Din has plenty of performers, but surprisingly few backstage crew. Why, do you have someone in mind?"

"My cousin, Oliver. He's an artist. He's got a lot of talent, but talent doesn't pay the bills."

"Really?" Both brows ticked up with interest. "I've been wracking my brains to think of someone I can entice over here to create original posters for our productions," she told him with a faint quirk of her lips. "I mean, if he really wants to, he can paint set, but if he's got the talent, it should be on display, right?"

His face lit up at her suggestion. "Really?" He seemed even more excited about getting Ollie a job than himself. "That would be great!"

"Obviously, I'd need to see something of his before signing off on it, but yeah, I'm interested," she assured him with a grin for his enthusiasm. "Are you going to put me in contact with him, or send him along to the theater with his portfolio?"

"I can give you his number. Have you got a pen?"

"I can go one better," she chuckled, leaning down to extract her cell phone from her bag. Flipping it open, she passed it over to him. "Just tap it in and save it; I'll give him a call in the next couple of days."

He took the phone from her and programmed Ollie's number into it. "Do me another favor?" he asked while punching it into her phone. "Don't tell him I suggested it?"

"Sure," she agreed without hesitation, quirking a lopsided grin in his direction. "Let me guess ....all Grangers are as proud as you are?"

He smiled and handed her back the phone. "It's a family trait." Though that wasn't really true. There were a few who didn't seem to share that particular trait, like Lola and Kaylee, for example.

Taking the cell back, she checked to make sure the number was secure before tucking it away again. "Is it an urgent call of business, this family favor?" she asked, wanting to be sure how needed the work was. She didn't want to make someone start a new job over the holiday unless it was absolutely necessary.

Mataya · Date: 2010-12-15 22:17 EST

He didn't really want to tell her too much about Ollie's personal business, but he knew he cousin was in desperate need of an income and he also knew the man was far too proud to accept charity. "Just between us, it's pretty urgent, but I wouldn't suggest him if I didn't think he was capable. He just needs a break, 'Tay."

"Then he's got one." She didn't question any further, knowing how prickly Jon could get when he didn't want to answer certain questions. "I'll call him tomorrow, first thing I get in the office. Even before I get the guys to draw up your contract," she added with a smile.

He laughed. "I haven't accepted yet." Not officially anyway.

"Don't make me pull out the sexy boss routine on you," she threatened cheerfully, waggling a finger across the table at him. "I wear glasses, I can pull it off."

"You better not. You'll just start something you can't finish." He flashed a teasing grin.

She leaned back with an indignant grin on her face. "Oh, I can finish it alright," she assured him laughingly. "You just can't handle all this hawt, Jonathan Granger, and you know it."

"Is that a challenge, Miss DeLuca?"

She seemed to consider it for a moment, then chuckled. "You wait until we hit Rocky Horror season, then I'll challenge you," she deferred with a merry wink.

He rolled his eyes. "Rocky Horror" Are you kidding me" Who are you going to make me play?" After a moment's thought, he smiled. "I'll take Brad."

Chuckling, 'Taya made no attempt to reassure him that he wouldn't actually be expected to perform in Rocky Horror. "I was thinking more of watching you and Max fighting it out for Frank'n'Furter," she grinned. "While I ram Riley O'Rourke into the right costume for Magenta."

"I am not dressing in drag. I'd make a really ugly woman."

Mataya snorted with laughter. "You really think that would stop the paying public from coming?" she teased wickedly. "I mean, c'mon ....Max is playing one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella, and I tell ya, he does not make a good woman."

"'Taya....Keyword ugly. 'Nough said." He smirked, and then the thought of Max dressed in drag made him chuckle.

Laughing still, she rolled her eyes happily. "Wow, I've missed this. Teasing you is always a challenge, Jonny."

"You just want to get me in tights again!" Jon protested. "I was practically naked as Oberon!"

"With that package, you could give Bowie a run for his money!" she cackled across the table to him, finally remembering to cover her mouth as her laughter reverberated around the quiet little teashop.

"Bowie" David Bowie" He doesn't wear tights anymore, does he?"

"Oh, man, don't tell me you've never seen Labyrinth?" She calmed sufficiently to send him a mockingly saddened look over the top of her hands. "Not anymore, but phew! He's captured for all time in the epitome of teen-aged girl fantasy films." 'Taya offered over a startlingly lecherous grin for a moment.

"Yes, I have!" He smiled. "That was not a good look for him." He appeared to consider this for a moment. "So, you're saying my package compares favorably to Bowie's in tights. How do you know he wasn't padded" I wasn't padded!"

"I don't care," she grinned cheerfully. "Bowie's tights are a cult icon to women of a certain age." She winked over at him. "And you don't need to tell me about padding, dude, we were practically in the same dressing room for eight weeks."

"So, you admit it....you peeked!" He was grinning from ear to ear, having fun teasing her, like he used to do once upon a time.

"What red-blooded woman wouldn't?" was her unrepentant reply to his accusation. "You never had to big yourself up to the ladies; I did it for you!"

"Careful, Taya. I might get a big head." She could take that however she wanted to.

"Ooh, talk dirty some more, I like it," she shot back with a grin that looked like it could be in danger of eating her nose.

"Always leave them wanting more. Isn't that what we were taught?" He leaned back in his chair and looked over at her, that grin a little smug on his face. "Would you like a ride somewhere?"

"Wise words," she nodded laughingly. "And on that note, I have to leap back to the theatre to congratulate Riley's Nutcracker cast on another splendid performance." She bent down, lifting her bag onto her shoulder as she stood up. "I've really enjoyed talking to you today, Jonny. Let's do it again. Soon. And yes, I'd love a ride."

He moved to his feet. "I haven't been to the ballet in years." He offered her an arm before starting toward the door.

"Sign your contract in the next couple of days, and I can swing you free tickets," she offered, with only the faintest hint of a tease, nodding thanks to the old man behind the counter as she looped her arm through Jon's.

"Oh, well....that makes all the difference. Besides, I've heard Miss O'Rourke is stunning as the Sugar Plum Fairy."

"She's a fantastic dancer," 'Taya agreed as they walked toward the door. "And she is a dream to dance with. Believe it or not, she's my boss at the Dance Studio."

"Your boss?"

She chuckled. "Yup. Riley owns the Black Cat Yoga & Dance Studio, and employs me as a manager and jazz teacher," she told him. "And I let her and her students use my theater for their showcases. She teaches ballet as well, you know."

"I know," he frowned a little. He had no intentions of taking ballet. He did not believe he could dance if his life depended on it. "She's my lawyer."

"Yeah, she does the whole law thing, too." 'Taya chuckled softly, giving him a tug. "C'mon, if we're quick, we'll catch the Pas De Deux."

He blinked out of his thoughts about his legal problems and got tugged. He smiled again. "Sounds like a plan." And he headed for the door, pulling it open for her before following her out.

((Edited from Live Play, with many thanks to Jonathan Granger!))