OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

[thesupersmeller]

After his heart to heart with Demeter, as they were always heart to heart with her, and all the confusion he's felt between his body, mind, and most of all his heart, Gus is more at ease than before but without any answers. He's already told The Devil once and for all it's off, he doesn't want to be that guy that keeps an open option - especially not an open option that could destroy him... and maybe still would. He's not that guy at all. Instead, he's been going through the motions; closing the case and helping get everything ready for the impending party.

The day after Juliet's birthday party, he gets a text message from Shawn telling him to be at Milliways as soon as possible at a bench by the lake. Later, it would occur to him that Shawn was clearly up to something - but as he walks a slow circle around the bench in the pink silk shirt and black slacks he'd worn to work for the day and waits for his friend to show it's more annoying than anything.

Comments

[iamhismummy]

Nancy is wearing a nice dress and shoes, borrowed from the Bar, and she even took a room for just long enough to discover the joy of a power shower.

She approaches a little nervously from the direction of the bar. "Are you Gus?"

[thesupersmeller]

Gus looks up from his thoughts and flashes a mild smile; "Yeah, that's me... Can I help you with something?"

[iamhismummy]

"I'm Nancy", she explains. "I think you might have been waiting for me?"

[thesupersmeller]

The older man shakes his head, but his smile doesn't fade; "Uh... you're probably mistaken - see, my buddy Shawn texted me to be here..."

It takes a second, but after a frustrated pause, he frowns and shakes his head. "I am gonna kill him..."

[iamhismummy]

"He didn't tell you?" She blinks, then looks a little deflated. "I didn't know that."

[thesupersmeller]

"It's okay, Nancy." He smiles again, though somewhat more reserved than before; "Shawn... kind of... doesn't always tell me when he does things."

He sits down on the bench and looks up at her, both shoulders coming up in an easy shrug; "Okay, so that's not the best foot to get off on... but, if Shawn thought I should meet you, there's probably a pretty good reason."

He extends a hand to her; "Would you like a drink?"

[iamhismummy]

She smiles back, visibly cheering up at his reaction, and takes his hand.

"I'd love one, thank you."

[thesupersmeller]

Pulling himself back off the bench, Gus is content to lead the girl into the bar and to a comfortable table.

"I'll have a beer, please," he nods to the waitrat - still honestly a little bit freaked out by them despite the months he's been around them - and then looks back to his company; "and whatever she'd like."

[iamhismummy]

"A nice wine?" she says with a small shrug. "Don't know a lot about it, so surprise me."

[thesupersmeller]

Gus holds up his hand and stops the rat short; "Cancel the beer, I'd like a bottle of pinot noir - Cambria 2006 if possible. Two glasses." He's only showing off a little, it really is one of his favorite wines.

When the critter had gone to do whatever it is they do to bring back drinks, he chuckled under his breath; "Wine sounded nice."

[iamhismummy]

Nancy grins.

"And you're a bit of an expert from the sound of it."

[thesupersmeller]

He half-shrugs and shakes his head a little bashfully; "Nah, not really - I mean... I've got a few I like but that's one that's actually made about an hour from where I live. And, it's really good."

The bottle arrives quickly and he takes the honor of opening it smelling the cork with his eyes half lidded; "Mmm; black cherries, raspberries and cinnamon with just a hint of vanilla and nutmeg. Then a lingering taste of plum and oak at the end." He pours out half-glasses and replaces the cork before he explains, "I've got an extra-sensitive sense of smell."

[iamhismummy]

"Really?" She gives him an intrigued look, accepting the glass and taking a sip. "Mm, it is good. We don't get a lot of wine when I'm from."

[thesupersmeller]

He leans forward slightly, echoing her sip; "You're from England, right? I'm not very good at placing accents."

[iamhismummy]

"London", she confirms, and hesitates slightly before continuing, "1943."

[thesupersmeller]

"Ahhh," he nods slowly; "during the war... wow."

He examines her again, a little more closely as recognition lights on his face. Even though he's gotten used to people from different words, different times and different cultures in the bar... it's almost refreshing to have it explained to him.

"America, 2011."

[iamhismummy]

She grins. "Shawn and Juliet mentioned that. It must be really different."

[thesupersmeller]

Nodding, he takes another long drink; "I can only imagine what this place must be like for you. I mean, I thought I was dead the first time I came and now it seems like every time I'm turning around I'm running into goddesses or someone with magic that just blows my mind..."

[iamhismummy]

Nancy nods.

"One of the first people I met here was a dead tribal king from a thousand years ago. Mind you, turns out my world's not as mundane as I thought it was either."

[thesupersmeller]

His eyebrow rises over the rim of his wine glass.

"Really? Well now I'm curious..."

[iamhismummy]

"Aliens", she tells him. "Or I think they were, maybe they were just from the future. A very strange man that could do things I'd never imagined, and a girl with him who knew how the war was going to end."

[thesupersmeller]

His eyes open even wider and his brain warns him against digging too deep for why that seems familiar.

"Wow, is that how you found this place?"

[iamhismummy]

"Not exactly how, but it was around that time. A bit before I met them, actually, I was out on a food run."

[thesupersmeller]

His brows knit together for a moment, considering her words.

"You're a refugee?"

[iamhismummy]

"In a way. There's kids I look after, make sure they get food one way or another - you'd be surprised how many there are out there on their own - and... and my son."

She looks at him over her wine glass at that, waiting to see how he'll react.