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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 12, 2014 4:55:43 GMT
Geoffrey paced in front of Penelope's Pies. Back and forth, back and forth. He had about had it with this game of cat and mouse. He normally loved this game, but things were out of control. Last time he was here, he had to introduce himself. Again. She hadn't even known his name! He felt himself deflate at the time. What else was he supposed to do? Beaumonts rarely asked anyone for advice, especially not in matters like this, but he had had no choice. The charming, clumsy baker of pies had forced his hand! She was much too cute, you see, and also much too oblivious to his advances for him to sit idly by.
After having a talk with Miss Ackerman, he had discovered that he didn't have one of the qualities that Thanksgiving women likely looked for. He was not hard-working, not even in the slightest. The thought of a job made him cringe, but there was something different about Emma, other than the fact that she didn't notice him even once, and he was determined to make her at least turn her head. And so, he had decided to do what he would have never done before to become hard-working:
Get a job.
Where better than Thanksgiving town? He was fairly certain they didn't need the help, but that was of no significance! If Emma saw him looking for a job, that would be enough for long enough for him to actually find one, but now that he was here, he felt his old self flaring up again a bit. He bit his lip and looked up at the sign again. No. He would do it! They probably didn't even need him, right? And if they did, he would get to work with this girl that alluded him so! He straightened his back and pushed his way into the shop, bell dinging as he did.
There were several people inside other than the workers, but he couldn't be bothered with that right now. He vaguely heard someone welcome him, but his blood was pounding in his head. He was so nervous. So very nervous. But this had to be done. He kind of needed a job anyway, so if worse came to worse and they did have a position available he could have, it would be good for him. He strode to the counter, looking and sounding much more confident than he felt at that moment (which was a big deal for him- usually he was confident enough for three or more people).
"Good morning," he said brightly to no one in particular as he neared the counter. "I was wondering if you were hiring? I need a job, you see, and I'm willing to..." he swallowed hard, "do my absolute best and work hard."
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 12, 2014 18:45:28 GMT
Emma heard a voice above her as she adjusted the display under the counter. It was strange that she'd missed whoever had come in. Usually she was able to hear the tinkling bell on the door no matter how loud it was in the shop. But she was a bit stressed today, what with getting ready to move into the new University on top of a shortage of cinnamon happening in the town. With the autumn season arriving in the human world cinnamon was becoming a rare good. She stood up, careful not to hit her head on the counter like she had done so many times before. Putting on her best "let me sell you this pie" smile, she grabbed her pen and order pad and looked at the customer. And realized who it was. And what he had said.
"You want to work here?" she asked. When Geoffrey nodded she set down her notepad and held up a finger. "Alright, let me get you an application. You can take a seat at a table if you'd like." She turned and made her way into the hot kitchen, feeling red creep up her face as she went. Turkey feathers, why was he asking for a job here. When Emma arrived at the cluttered desk in the kitchen corner, she shuffled through it until she found a pad of applications. She glared at it for a second and told herself to calm down. She had to be calm, she had to be polite. She let out a sigh and strode back to the stop front, glancing around for the applicant. She found him and put on her happy face. Holding out the application pad she said, "I just need you to fill this out. Right now we only need a dish washer slash storefront cleaner, which is exactly what it sounds like. Not too hard, but the little jobs help out during the rushes. If you have any questions I'll be at the counter."
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 12, 2014 19:47:59 GMT
Geoffrey was put at ease a bit by Emma being there at all, but she still didn't appear to be overly concerned with his presence- at least not that he could tell. He nodded, offering her his best smile and showing off his single dimple, all nervousness aside. He could do this part, at least.
He stood and took the application pad graciously. "Merci beaucoup, ma cher Mademoiselle. It should only take me a moment." He paused for a moment, glancing over the application and trying not to dwell on it. You can do this! There are so many reasons you need to do this!
"Miss Emma, do forgive my rudeness," he started again, wanting to stretch out any attention he got from her, "I meant to mention how nice you look! Even when you are working you manage to be radiant." Ah yes, this was definitely the part he could do. He bowed, application pad still in hand. "As much as I would love to tell you more on the topic, I won't keep you. I have an application to fill out and you have a rose to put in water." As he said this, he pulled a pink and white rose out of (seemingly) thin air and handed it to her gracefully.
The application will be so much harder to stomach than this, he decided, but I can do this! In all truth, he was a little excited about maybe getting a job for the first time, but he was also afraid that he wouldn't know how to do anything. Had he washed a dish before? He couldn't remember.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 12, 2014 21:28:16 GMT
Emma looked up at her reflection in the shop window. She was definitely not radiant. She had clumsily braided her hair this morning and loose pieces were constantly falling out of it. She'd packed away all her nice clothing for college and thus had been forced to wear an over sized "Penelope's Pies!" t-shirt tucked into jeans she'd been wearing for three days straight. And she knew there were dark circles under her eyes from all the late nights doing inventory. She began to consider taking the next day off, but snapped back into reality when she saw a rose pushed into her line of view. She hadn't heard what he said during her space out, so she just stared at it until she realized it was for her. She felt color rise to her cheeks and quickly took it from him, coughing out a thank you before fleeing to the kitchen. Buttersquash, she was such a space case! The other baker in the shop gave her an odd look as she ran past him. She backpedaled and held the rose up to him. "What do I do with this?" He pointed towards a cupboard. Emma opened it, finding a vase. "Right, brilliant." She filled it with water and took a deep breath. Your fine, she told herself. She returned to the front counter and set it to the side, then picked up her note pad so she could begin taking the orders of those waiting.
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 13, 2014 0:59:10 GMT
Though he wouldn't draw attention to himself (this time), he noticed the slight blush and was much more proud of himself than he should have been. Now that was progress! He felt a (rather goofy) grin spread across his face until he sat down at a table and began working on the application, caring less and less every minute that he could potentially be washing dishes after today.
Only one problem: the application was asking about what jobs he'd had before. His mind raced and he looked around in a few directions to see a kid staring at him. He grinned crookedly and waggled his fingers at her to which she blushed at and hid her face in her mom's dress. He got up from his table and approached the mother and the child, thankful for the distraction.
"Bonjour, ma petite amie," he said to the child as he knelt down. "What's your name?" She hid behind her mother who laughed. "Her name is Michaela," she said and Geoffrey grinned at the mother before pulling out a tiny rosebud and handing it to the little girl. "Trés bien. Here you are, Miss Michaela." The little girl blushed and the mother thanked him, slightly flustered herself. He stood and bowed to them, used to the reaction on both ends. But now he was out of children to charm so he went back to his seat.
Past experience, past experience... They probably wouldn't hire him if he didn't have any past experience, right? Well that didn't make any sense, how would anyone ever get hired? He already sensed a flaw in the system. He tapped his pen (was this a fountain pen? They mostly just had quills in Valentine-Ville, so that was kind of neat!) against the application pad a few times before stealing a sneak at Emma. Had she been looking back at him a moment prior? He wasn't sure. How are you so pretty all the time, Brookhaven girl? Have you partaken out of the fountain of youth and beauty?
Okay, Geoffrey, focus. Focus! If this goes well you can look at her all you want later. After some more thought, he wrote, "Freelance artist, Freelance songwriter, Freelance performer" on the line and called it good. References. Who on Cloud Olympus would be a good reference for him? Only Zeus knew. He couldn't use his parents, they would talk about how much of a slacker he was, and he needed to change that. Raphael could work, but... wait- it was so obvious! He grinned (a bit mischievously) and wrote, 'Emma Brookhaven' on the line, and wrote 'Pie-maker and resident beauty' on the line under 'occupation.' Under contact he wrote, 'An excellent question,' instead of any form of address. He wasn't one to look back and see how awful an idea was while he was in the process of carrying it through, so he picked up the pad and got in the dwindling line to the counter.
He'd had every intention of supporting her business by buying a slice of pumpkin pie while he was there, anyway, so he figured waiting in line would likely be the best way to go about that. Sacre Bleu! I only have a few Valentine's coins on me! What kind of money did they use in Thanksgiving Town, anyway? He was at a loss. He'd just turn in the application and leave, he supposed.
Pleased to see he was the last in line when he got to the front, he handed her the application pad with a flourish. "I do hope you find what you're looking for," he said confidently. "Whether it's me or not." He bowed, pulling off his beret and holding it on his chest as he did. He considered tucking a lock of her hair that was adorably askew behind her ear, but he decided he better not. Not yet.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 13, 2014 5:08:40 GMT
Using her many years of experience of the shop, Emma was able to clear up the line fast enough. Every now and then she'd glance over at Geoffrey, wondering how much experience a Valentine's citizen could possibly have at working with pies. Or working. Not that she thought they slackers, they just seemed more laid back then the average Thanksgiving goer. She noticed Geoffrey charming the little girl and couldn't help but smile. If she did end up hiring him, at least he'd be good at customer service.
When he looked up she snapped her head back to the front. There were customers here, it was time to get down to business! She swiftly took more orders and sliced more pies, and even had a chance at one point to help out in the kitchen. When she returned, she saw Geoffrey had made his way to the now small row of people. She took the pad from him and smiled politely, thanking him. Placing her notepad on top of the application, she heard herself say, "Would you like any pie? It's on the house." She knew she could spare a slice and it wasn't like he was a stranger.
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 13, 2014 5:36:59 GMT
Geoffrey blinked at her a few times. Could she do that? It was then that it occurred to him that she was probably the owner of the pie shop considering she lives like on top of it. Was he an idiot??? Probably. Instead of voice any of these things, though, he smiled at her widely.
"I would love some, actually," he admitted. "Ever since I tried that pumpkin pie, I haven't been able to put it out of my mind." They didn't have delicious things like that in Valentine-Ville! He supposed they had tarts and chocolate everything, and those were good, but it wasn't the same. He wondered how French chocolate would taste in a pie, and he made a mental note to bring some by next time he visited.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 14, 2014 5:24:49 GMT
"Pumpkin it is then!" Emma scanned the variety of pies under the counter, but it seemed all the pumpkin had run out. "Just a moment, I'll have to go to the the back." As she left she grabbed the application, wanting to read it as she went. A familiar name caught her eye and it looked suspiciously like hers. Wait a second. It was hers. Under the references. He had listed her as a reference. Her face turned red. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, she couldn't tell. If Geoffrey wanted a job here, he was going to have to take it seriously! Her grandmother did not give her this place just so she could hire cheeky slackers! She quickly sliced off a piece of pie and slapped it down on a dish, then spun herself around to the front. She marched up to the counter and aggressively slid the dish to him. "I was looking over your application and I noticed who you're reference was. I just wanted to warn you that she's not the most helpful reference, especially on such short notice. You may want to find someone else to vouch for you." Emma tossed the application at him and stomped off. Bloody Halloween! This boy-man-person was so incredibly frustrating! She muscled through the back door and sat on the stairs leading up to her and John's apartment. Laying her head back on an higher step, she let out a long sigh. What the heckle-speckle was wrong with her, getting so worked up like that? Nothing, a small voice told her. But she felt so rotten! She covered her hands with her face and rubbed it violently. She had to take tomorrow off.
Getting up, Emma made her way back to the shop front. She couldn't look Geoffrey in the eye, so she just said, "Look. I'm really sorry about getting so mad. It's just... you can't write stuff like that on there! You'll never get a job! And besides the point, you can't just chat up girls all the time! Some of them could be creeps! How do you know I'm not a creep?!" She finally got the courage to look up at him. "Go to the library. Look up some books on applying for jobs. Bring this"- she pointed to the application pad in front of her- "back here with actual references, and I can almost promise you a job. Okay?"
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 14, 2014 5:52:04 GMT
Geoffrey felt deflated. What he thought was an innocent joke really did turn out to be a very bad idea. While she was gone, he looked around a bit (uncharacteristically) sheepishly at those who were staring at him. He chewed his lip. What could he do to make it up to her? He knew better than anyone that if a woman was angry with you when you thought everything was going well, you needed to change something. He took the application up and hastily scratched out a few things, filling them in with what he hoped would sound reasonable. Under references he still had a minute-long staring contest with the paper, but suddenly remembered that there had been one person that could vouch for him. He scribbled the name 'Fabio Valentino,' followed by 'Teacher, writer and arrow gardener,' and attempted to squeeze his address into the few lines he left himself thanks to his previous mistake. It was then that he heard footsteps approaching and he (somewhat frantically! He needed to have the timing right!!) threw the application pad down where he hoped she'd see it when she came back in and stared long and hard at the pie he hadn't touched while she talked.
He looked up at her apologetically, taking off his beret while he did. "Miss Brookhaven, I apologize deeply. I didn't mean to offend you or anyone else who works here, nor did I mean to belittle the seriousness of what I'm asking." He picked up the pad and handed it to her carefully. "I've fixed my errors. The truth is, I don't have much work experience- in fact, I don't even really know my way around a kitchen. But I would like to learn." He looked up at her. She wasn't looking back, but even still, he could see a certain tiredness in her eyes that he hadn't noticed before. "I pray that you would allow me to make it up to you by allowing me to take you to lunch sometime. Tomorrow perhaps, if you're not busy?" He wouldn't ever say it out loud, but something told him that she was in desperate need of a day off. Whether that meant she would say yes to him or not, he hadn't the slightest clue, but he would never forgive himself if he didn't at least try.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 15, 2014 6:30:03 GMT
Emma did not think lunch with Geoffrey would count as an easy day off, but he did look really sorry. Her hand skimmed over her scar- a nervous tick of hers- and she sighed for the hundredth time today. She took the application from him and carefully looked it over. He had changed the reference to someone who at least sounded a little legitimate, and other mistakes were fixed as well. He seemed to be capable of learning from mistakes, which was always a good thing in an employee. "Alright. Lunch. Here. And while we're eating, I'll explain your new job to you." If they were eating anywhere, it would be in Emma's element. And work was her element. She tapped her fingers on the application pad, wondering if she'd just made a stupid decision. Dishes aren't that hard to clean though, and the floors here practically sweep themselves! Whatever that means.
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 15, 2014 16:59:46 GMT
Geoffrey: Wait, had he seriously just gotten a job? Oh boy, if his dad could see him now! He, Geoffrey Chauncey Beaumont III, son of Beaumont, heir to the Beaumont fortune just got a job! That both excited him immeasurably and terrified him worse than that time he woke up and his hair didn't fall perfectly on his head for three whole hours. Stay calm... be cool... You can do this.
"Then, it's a date! Merci beaucoup, ma cher!" He bowed to her again, sunk to his knee in one fluid movement, and took her hand to plant a kiss on it. "I will do my best to help in any way I can! You will not regret hiring me!" ...probably! Psyche's candle, what had he gotten himself into? No! He wouldn't worry about it! He'd be great.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 16, 2014 3:03:58 GMT
Emma blushed when he kissed her hand, but any girl would right? No one went around and just kissed other people's hands! "I-It's a lunch, yes." Taking her hand back, she gave a 'hold up' sign and went to the corner of the counter space. A box sat there filled with "Penelope Pies!" t-shirts, and she grabbed one that looked like it would fit Geoffrey. She held it out to him and explained. "You don't have to where it every day, but I encourage it at least once a week. They're free if you want another or if someone comes in and asks." She then looked him hard in the eye and tried to be the most intimidating Emma she could be. "Please try your best. This shop is very very important to me, and I will not tolerate undignified slacking." She then gave an easy smile. "See you tomorrow!"
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 17, 2014 5:25:45 GMT
Geoffrey: "Yes, a lunch date!" he proclaimed in a sing-song voice. "Or... are you not interested in dating the likes of me?" he asked teasingly. He saw the tell-tale flare up of red on her cheeks, and now he just had to see if his presence was flustering her or if she had feelings for him. It might take a while, but he was determined to try!
Geoffrey grew serious when she tried to look intimidating. He nodded silently, looking down at the shirt. This is it. No turning back. You're a working man now, and you have to do your best. This is important to her. He looked at her very seriously, determination in his eyes. "I promise to do my best." If his best was good enough, he wasn't sure, but he hoped it would be. This whole thing was making him nervous again. "'Til then, ma fleur!" He turned around swiftly and half-danced, half-twirled to the door before turning around and blowing her a kiss while winking mischievously. The door bells jangled on his way out and he trotted down the street, stopping at the end of it to bite his nail. Michael the Archangel, I've gotten myself into a mess.
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Post by macxcheese on Aug 18, 2014 1:09:11 GMT
Emma: She watched him walk out and looked down at her note pad. What was she supposed to teach him anyways? It was all sweeping and washing! Unless... he didn't know how to sweep or wash...
~~TIME SKIP~~
Emma trotted down the steps to the shop's kitchen and passed through with a hello to Milo and John. She wore her hair in a braid crown and sported a cardigan over yet another Penelope's Pies shirt. On her way to the front she grabbed a small tart and gobbled it down. She'd slept in later than usual and had woken up starving. Geoffrey had better be soon or she was eating without him! She turned out of the counter space and made her way to the back of the shop where the utility closet was. After unlocking it, she pulled out a mop cart along with a broom and dust pan. Setting those aside, she grabbed some window cleaner and rag, placing them on top of the cart. She pushed the cart over to a table not near the customers, that way they wouldn't get any cleaning chemicals on them. She smiled at a family and skipped back to the kitchen to see what was cooking. Milo had a few meat pies in the oven while John was cooking what might be a cake. She gave him a supportive thumbs up, wondering how he was related to her or their grandmother. She went back out into the shop front, pulled a chair over to the counter, and sat on it. She folded her arms on top of the glass and rested her head on them. She was pretty tired still, and a few more minutes of sleep could be possible before Geoffrey arrived. Closing her eyes, she drifted off into a light slumber.
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Post by zykrinnox on Aug 18, 2014 1:39:41 GMT
Geoffrey: That morning he had pulled on the Penelope's Pies t-shirt and frowned at himself in the mirror. Surely there was some way to make this look less... boring. He looked around for a moment before pulling out one of his favorite, tried-and-true cardigans. He put it on, rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, and tied his blue neckerchief around his neck. That was certainly better, but... He tucked the t-shirt into his dress pants and situated his beret so it was just a little more crooked. Trés magnifique!
He left the public bathroom with his suitcase before tucking it behind a rose bush nearby-- wait! He had almost forgotten! He rifled through the front pocket and pulled out his cologne which he proceeded to spritz on. He was a pro at knowing how much of the stuff to wear.
After heading out of Valentine-Ville and spending a few of his last coins on a small bouquet of sunflowers at a nearby florist, he headed up the stairs to the ring of trees on a pedestal behind a wooded area. Geoffrey glanced around for only a moment before entering the door shaped like a turkey and ending up in the middle of the square. The wind from the strange ride through the tree had jostled his beret a bit, so he fixed it as he trotted up the stairs to get to the bakery district, mouth watering at the pies he could already smell coming from Penelope's Pies a few blocks away. He noticed he had raised a few eyebrows, whether because of his obvious Valentine's heritage or the fact he was wearing a Penelope's Pies t-shirt or the fact he was holding a bouquet or some conglomeration of all three, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't easily shaken from his ideas, whether they were smart or not.
He bounced in through the door that jangled on his way in and he looked around to find the beautiful pie-maker. He didn't see her immediately, but when he did he saw that she was leaned over on the front counter, either asleep or troubled. He made his way to the front carefully, in case of the first, and glanced back at a customer who was seated and enjoying what looked like a strawberry pie of some sort.
"Excusez-moi, mademoiselle, mais do you know how long she has been sleeping?" he said quietly, pointing to Emma with his thumb on his free hand.
"Oh, fifteen minutes or so," she said after looking over. She looked him up and down, once to the t-shirt once to the bouquet and once again to Emma. Geoffrey knew that look, and if Thanksgiving Town was half as gossipy as Valentine-Ville, a rumor would be spread across the town that they had gone on a date. He didn't think Emma would like that much.
Bowing, he said, "Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle. I'm just here to discuss my new job." She raised an eyebrow, looking incredulous. Geoffrey saw her eyes flick over to the bouquet and then back at him. "Oh, these old things? I thought they'd look nice in the shop." She still didn't seem to buy it, but he hoped that would curb some rumours at least. Emma took this place very seriously and he didn't really want to ruin the reputation of the shop.
He bit his lip. He knew what he would like to do in this situation, a sleeping girl who was extremely beautiful sitting right in front of him when he was on a date (whether she acknowledged it or not) with her. But with what he had just said to that woman and how she would now be following his gaze wherever he looked and whatever he did, he had to put that aside. Thanksgiving town, by most accounts, seemed to be the opposite of Valentine Ville in this matter.
He sighed before going over to her at long last and placing a hand on her upper back. "Ma fleur?" he said quietly. "Dormez-vous?" Of course she was asleep, so why was he asking? Also, she didn't understand French, probably. "I'm here now. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." He leaned down a bit closer to her face as she stirred. "I brought some flowers for your shop."
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