Posters! Posters everywhere, bearing her name and her picture, and Mataya had a very shrewd idea of who was responsible for them. As flattered as she was, with Max and Oscar at home, not to mention the dogs, and the Spring Gala about to begin, Beltane was the furthest thing from her mind right now. That didn't mean she couldn't make her friend sweat about it, though. She had it on good authority that Jon was visiting his wife at the theater to take her out to lunch, and as such, the theater owner was waiting in the foyer when her star turn arrived. "Jonathan Granger, I want a word with you," she said ominously, one of those posters in her hand.
Jon's gaze darted from the look on Mataya's face to the poster she was holding in her hands, and he winced. He knew immediately that he was in trouble, but hopefully, she wasn't too angry. he had his reaasons, after all. "If it's about the posters, I can explain ..." Right there, he had practically admitted his guilt.
"Oh, I hope you can," 'Taya said, her brows rising above what might have been a smile. She was trying very hard to intimidate him, but they knew each other too well. he knew perfectly well that he wasn't in that much trouble. She waved the poster at him. "Explain."
He sighed, sensing her irritation beneath the facade of either amusement or even the hoped for intimidation. "Look, I know it was stupid, but I can't think of anyone else who deserves to be May Queen more than you. You've done so much for the city, 'Tay. I realize this is a business, but you never fail to give back. You're outgoing and welcoming to everyone who comes here, patron or perfomer. You juggle home and family and career and still have time to do charity work." To his credit, he wasn't just sucking up; he really meant everything he said. And sure, there were plenty of people in Rhy'Din who did things for the city, but few who had been as consistently doing it for years the way Mataya had.
She held his gaze for a long moment, the wind taken out of her sails by the remarkably well thought out response she'd been given. "All right, well ..." She cleared her throat. "You virtually described yourself there, too, you know. Maybe I should nominate you for this." No, Jon really wasn't being told off. Mataya had been blindsided by it a little, that was all. "Look, Jon, it's not that I don't appreciate it, or that I'm not flattered by it, but you should have told me."
It wasn't really that well thought out; it was just honest. He rolled his eyes and laughed at her remark. "Please don't. I've been accused of being a queen once too often. Let's not give them more fuel for the fire, shall we?" he asked, linking his arm with hers. "Come on. I'll buy you a cup of coffee to make amends."
"You're supposed to be taking your wife to lunch," she reminded him with a faint smile. "I've withdrawn my name, you know. I might go to the Beltane fires, but I enjoy my quiet time with Max and Oscar too much to say for certain that I'll be anywhere in the evenings."
"It wouldn't have been a surprise if I'd told you, but I understand," he told her, not letting go of her arm as he led her toward the cafe for a quick cup of coffee. "She won't be ready for a little while yet. I'm early, and we don't get enough time to just talk," he told her.
"You're lucky she wouldn't believe for one second you'd cheat on her, Jonathan Granger," Mataya teased him, putting the crumpled poster in the trash as they headed for the cafe. "Especially not with me. I'm sorry, it was a lovely gesture. Just ....not the right timing this year."
"It's the thought that counts, right?" he asked with a hopeful smile. He knew Vicki would never accuse him of cheating, especially not with his best friend. They might have been lovers once, but that had been a very long time ago - another lifetime ago, as far as Jon was concerned, and one he didn't remember. "Anyway, I understand. My time with Vicki and the kids is precious. There's very little I'd give it up for."
"And it was a lovely thought," she assured him, flashing a smile to Elouise behind the counter. Ms. Matsuo knew what they'd order, so there was no need to do it, just find a seat and get comfortable. "I can't believe Oscar's two already," Mataya said, thumping down into a seat. "All that heartache over thinking I'd never have a baby, and I have a ramnbunctious toddler running around, driving his father crazy."
Jon chuckled as he followed her to a seat and claimed one for his own. "I know a couple you can borrow if you're feeling the urge," he told her with a grin. He wasn't sure if she and Max would ever try to have another. As it was, Oscar was her miracle baby, but she was perfectly welcome to borrow his two whenever she wanted.
"Three by the end of the year," Mataya snickered cheerfully. "I nearly predicted it accurately - I should have gone with my instincts and offered you the end of the summer off, not the beginning." She smiled as Elouise slid two coffees off a tray and onto the table between them. "Thank you, Elly ....and don't you dare foist your terrible twosome off on me without warning. I love your children dearly, but they're a pain in the ass."
He laughed at her very honest reaction to his suggestion. "Thanks, I think. I'll be sure to share that with Vicki," he said, regarding their children. He nodded his thanks for the coffee before taking a small sip. "I used to tease Vicki that we'd have six before we were through, but to be honest, I'm a little nervous about this one."
Mataya frowned curiously at her friend as she sipped her coffee. "Why would you be nervous about this one?" she asked, at a loss to even guess his reasons. "You've done it twice already, you'll be pros this time around."
"I don't know," he admitted with a small frown. "Everything's gone so well ..." That wasn't quite true. He'd come a little too close to losing Vicki and Emily to a ghoul a few years ago, but he didn't want to talk about that. "I know it's silly, but I guess I'm just worrying when all my good luck is going to run out."
"Jon ..." Mataya rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You had a run of bad luck that would last anyone a lifetime. Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop - I've been doing that myself, and what?s happened" Everyone in my family got married and started popping out babies, that's what happened. Don't expect the absolute worst to happen, because it won't."
"I know. I'm sorry. Bad habit," he explained. "Anyway, we were talking about you. You really do deserve some acknowledgement for everything you do, Mataya, besides your paycheck." She might have think he did a lot for the theater and the community, but he knew for a fact, she did more. But then, it wasn't a competition.
Derailed from reassuring him, she squirmed a little. As much as Mataya De Luca enjoyed the spotlight, it was different when the spotlight was being aimed by a friend. "But I don't do it to be acknowledged, Jon," she said, her familiar smile almost shy for a moment. "When I came here, there was virtually no provision for the stage unless you were a ballerina. I'm proud of the performers who have acted on our stage, and the crew that work behind the scenes. I'm proud that I can give them somewhere to express themselves. Oh, that reminds me ....I really should talk to the Head over at Bristle Crios about that diploma course idea. A qualification in Theater Studies with practical experience here at the Shanachie could take a student a long way."
Jon's gaze darted from the look on Mataya's face to the poster she was holding in her hands, and he winced. He knew immediately that he was in trouble, but hopefully, she wasn't too angry. he had his reaasons, after all. "If it's about the posters, I can explain ..." Right there, he had practically admitted his guilt.
"Oh, I hope you can," 'Taya said, her brows rising above what might have been a smile. She was trying very hard to intimidate him, but they knew each other too well. he knew perfectly well that he wasn't in that much trouble. She waved the poster at him. "Explain."
He sighed, sensing her irritation beneath the facade of either amusement or even the hoped for intimidation. "Look, I know it was stupid, but I can't think of anyone else who deserves to be May Queen more than you. You've done so much for the city, 'Tay. I realize this is a business, but you never fail to give back. You're outgoing and welcoming to everyone who comes here, patron or perfomer. You juggle home and family and career and still have time to do charity work." To his credit, he wasn't just sucking up; he really meant everything he said. And sure, there were plenty of people in Rhy'Din who did things for the city, but few who had been as consistently doing it for years the way Mataya had.
She held his gaze for a long moment, the wind taken out of her sails by the remarkably well thought out response she'd been given. "All right, well ..." She cleared her throat. "You virtually described yourself there, too, you know. Maybe I should nominate you for this." No, Jon really wasn't being told off. Mataya had been blindsided by it a little, that was all. "Look, Jon, it's not that I don't appreciate it, or that I'm not flattered by it, but you should have told me."
It wasn't really that well thought out; it was just honest. He rolled his eyes and laughed at her remark. "Please don't. I've been accused of being a queen once too often. Let's not give them more fuel for the fire, shall we?" he asked, linking his arm with hers. "Come on. I'll buy you a cup of coffee to make amends."
"You're supposed to be taking your wife to lunch," she reminded him with a faint smile. "I've withdrawn my name, you know. I might go to the Beltane fires, but I enjoy my quiet time with Max and Oscar too much to say for certain that I'll be anywhere in the evenings."
"It wouldn't have been a surprise if I'd told you, but I understand," he told her, not letting go of her arm as he led her toward the cafe for a quick cup of coffee. "She won't be ready for a little while yet. I'm early, and we don't get enough time to just talk," he told her.
"You're lucky she wouldn't believe for one second you'd cheat on her, Jonathan Granger," Mataya teased him, putting the crumpled poster in the trash as they headed for the cafe. "Especially not with me. I'm sorry, it was a lovely gesture. Just ....not the right timing this year."
"It's the thought that counts, right?" he asked with a hopeful smile. He knew Vicki would never accuse him of cheating, especially not with his best friend. They might have been lovers once, but that had been a very long time ago - another lifetime ago, as far as Jon was concerned, and one he didn't remember. "Anyway, I understand. My time with Vicki and the kids is precious. There's very little I'd give it up for."
"And it was a lovely thought," she assured him, flashing a smile to Elouise behind the counter. Ms. Matsuo knew what they'd order, so there was no need to do it, just find a seat and get comfortable. "I can't believe Oscar's two already," Mataya said, thumping down into a seat. "All that heartache over thinking I'd never have a baby, and I have a ramnbunctious toddler running around, driving his father crazy."
Jon chuckled as he followed her to a seat and claimed one for his own. "I know a couple you can borrow if you're feeling the urge," he told her with a grin. He wasn't sure if she and Max would ever try to have another. As it was, Oscar was her miracle baby, but she was perfectly welcome to borrow his two whenever she wanted.
"Three by the end of the year," Mataya snickered cheerfully. "I nearly predicted it accurately - I should have gone with my instincts and offered you the end of the summer off, not the beginning." She smiled as Elouise slid two coffees off a tray and onto the table between them. "Thank you, Elly ....and don't you dare foist your terrible twosome off on me without warning. I love your children dearly, but they're a pain in the ass."
He laughed at her very honest reaction to his suggestion. "Thanks, I think. I'll be sure to share that with Vicki," he said, regarding their children. He nodded his thanks for the coffee before taking a small sip. "I used to tease Vicki that we'd have six before we were through, but to be honest, I'm a little nervous about this one."
Mataya frowned curiously at her friend as she sipped her coffee. "Why would you be nervous about this one?" she asked, at a loss to even guess his reasons. "You've done it twice already, you'll be pros this time around."
"I don't know," he admitted with a small frown. "Everything's gone so well ..." That wasn't quite true. He'd come a little too close to losing Vicki and Emily to a ghoul a few years ago, but he didn't want to talk about that. "I know it's silly, but I guess I'm just worrying when all my good luck is going to run out."
"Jon ..." Mataya rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You had a run of bad luck that would last anyone a lifetime. Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop - I've been doing that myself, and what?s happened" Everyone in my family got married and started popping out babies, that's what happened. Don't expect the absolute worst to happen, because it won't."
"I know. I'm sorry. Bad habit," he explained. "Anyway, we were talking about you. You really do deserve some acknowledgement for everything you do, Mataya, besides your paycheck." She might have think he did a lot for the theater and the community, but he knew for a fact, she did more. But then, it wasn't a competition.
Derailed from reassuring him, she squirmed a little. As much as Mataya De Luca enjoyed the spotlight, it was different when the spotlight was being aimed by a friend. "But I don't do it to be acknowledged, Jon," she said, her familiar smile almost shy for a moment. "When I came here, there was virtually no provision for the stage unless you were a ballerina. I'm proud of the performers who have acted on our stage, and the crew that work behind the scenes. I'm proud that I can give them somewhere to express themselves. Oh, that reminds me ....I really should talk to the Head over at Bristle Crios about that diploma course idea. A qualification in Theater Studies with practical experience here at the Shanachie could take a student a long way."