Friday on the Upper East Side [RP for Aryn Wakefield]

[sandandwater]

A lunch date with a casual friend, at noon and in Manhattan no less, meant Pippa had to do something she normally shied away from: wake up early. So much for reclaiming her life and her routine, she thought to herself as she stumbled around her kitchen making coffee. Mornings were not her favorite time of day. But she had to shower and dress, talk herself into a state of semi-normalcy so she could even face Aryn at the upscale bistro. And then of course, there was the drive.

"You're doing this, Kerr." Muttering to herself, coffee mug in hand, Pippa went back into her bedroom. She even managed a smile as she caught sight of her puppy curled against the sprawled form of her lover, both still sound asleep. She'd be tempted to rejoin them and cancel on Aryn if there were any room for her in the bed.

Instead, she showered and dressed in a favorite fall ensemble, something with long sleeves that afforded her the opportunity to hide her hands from view. From there she played with the hopelessly choppy lengths of her hair, finally giving up and leaving them in what she hoped passed for artful disarray. After Larch had butchered her long curly locks, Pippa resorted to straightening and further trimming her auburn mane in an attempt to rectify the damage. She wasn't satisfied with the results but until her hair grew out, there was little else she could do with it.

She left the apartment with those thoughts in her head, turned off the alarm on her car (recently returned to her after the mechanic's massive repairs) and set out for the bridge that would connect her with the much larger city. The radio was conspicuously silent for the duration of her drive. She hadn't been able to listen to anything by Breaker Street and other music held even less appeal to her.

Reaching her destination, she opted to valet park at Jaques'. Finding a place to self-park was never something she enjoyed and if she was going to put on her happy face and pretend life was wonderful, she didn't need that aggravation. Pippa shrugged her purse onto her right shoulder and tugged the sleeve of her left over her hand, holding the hem with her fingertips, hiding the missing pinky and the dark bruising as she handed over her car keys and got out of the green VW Bug.

Showtime.

Comments

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn woke early for a day off, smiling at Phantom, sprawled out across the other side of the bed. He yawned and opened one eye as she got up, then stretched lazily and went back to sleep. She laughed and dragged herself off to the shower.

A short while later, she surveyed her closet, trying to decide on an ensemble. The weather was cool, but not freezing, and she finally pulled on a pair of olive pants and a vermilion turtleneck (http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk84/bookish_blonde/clothes/outfit.jpg), completing the outfit with her favorite boots (http://www.chineselaundry.com/img/shoes/BCBS01ZKEMOC_M.jpg). Running a brush through her hair, she pulled it back in a messy bun and shrugged into her leather jacket (http://zoom.jcpenney.com/is-viewers/dynapi/src/lib/tsapi/images/cover.gif?500x500), grabbing her purse and keys.

Locking her door behind her, she rode the elevator downstairs and made the drive to Jacques. Not seeing any parking streetside, she pulled up to the valet and got out of the metallic brown Prius, tucking the claim ticket from the attendant into her purse before heading inside.

She glanced around for Pippa and finally saw her, seated at a table near the back. Shrugging out of her jacket, she draped it over one arm and gestured to the hostess that she'd found her party, then headed for the table.

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa was sitting, left hand in her lap, toying with a glass of water and feigning interest in the menu while she waited for Aryn. She'd been to the bistro often enough to already have in mind the meal she wanted to order.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as someone stepped up to the table and automatically put a smile on her face before looking up. "Hi, you made it."

Stating the obvious, but she did so in a cheerful tone as she took in the blonde's appearance. "Our waiter said he'd be back in five..." A glance at her watch, "About ten minutes ago, so..."

Pippa laughed lightly and gestured at the seat opposite herself. "Sit. Have you eaten here before? Menu hasn't changed..."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

The first thing Aryn noticed was the hair. It was hard to see from the entrance with other patrons' heads in the way, but now she was standing in front of her with an unobstructed view. "You cut your hair." She folded herself into the seat across from Pippa and canted her head with a slight chuckle and a grin. "It's... short. But I like it."

Flipping open her menu, she glanced around the upscale establishment and shook her head. "First time here." Her eyes slid back to her menu as she tried to decide what to order. "So what's good?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"The salmon is devine but then so are the mussels and the lamb" Pippa commented in a soft voice, hand lifting to her shorn and straightened hair in a self-conscious manner. "I'm ordering the salmon, myself."

She gave Aryn a thoughtful look, taking in the other woman's appearance. They haven't seen each other much since the blonde's house warming party. Remarking on Aryn's sweater, "That is a great color on you."

She often shied away from such hues because of her natural hair color but may have been just the slightest bit envious of her friend's complexion and ability to wear just about anything. "I'd look horrid in that. I'm jealous."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Mussels sound fabulous, but I think I'll have the same as you," Aryn replied, folding her menu and laying it back down in front of her. "It's been a while since I've had a good salmon."

She smiled at the other woman's compliment. "Thanks. I saw it online at Victoria's Secret and couldn't pass it up. And don't be too jealous. You probably look way better in green than I ever will. Lucky for me, Remy's got a thing for red and that's my best color."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa unfolded and draped her napkin across her lap as she nodded. "Greens, blues, earth tones..." She mentally went through the bulk of her wardrobe and then gave a wry smile at the outfit she was currently wearing, "And black of course."

That her clothing came from Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel, not Victoria's Secret or The Gap, Pippa kept to herself. Taste and habits would never change in certain areas of her life regardless of the image she tried to present to those around her.

"How is Remy? I haven't seen or really spoken to you in so long, I feel like I've really lost track." Her interest is genuine, as is the guilt she feels over not already knowing the answer to her own question.

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn grew quiet and shrugged. "He's good. At least that's what he says." Another shrug. "We had to go to New Orleans to settle some legal stuff on a house someone left him. It was a hard trip."

She sighed. "And I think I ended up making it harder, trying to get him to talk to me. He said I didn't, but..." she shook her head, "I don't know."

She realized she was rambling and had probably told her friend way more than she'd wanted to hear, and looked at Pippa with a smile that was forcibly bright. "What about Rory? How's he?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, was it someone he was close to?" Pippa make the appropriate sympathetic sounds but realized she could probably identify more with the Cajun than Aryn at this point. "Maybe he just needs some time to sort out his feelings before he can talk about it."

Speaking form personal experience there.

"Hmm...Ro." A mixture of emotions cross her features, the usual fondness and maybe something a bit darker as she considers her lover and his current state of being. "He's been a bit preoccupied lately. It's something of a hush hush matter right now, but he's had meetings with a record label, so..."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

A nod. "The man who took him in when he was a kid."

Aryn kept the details vague. It wasn't her story to tell and she wouldn't betray the small confidence he'd placed in her by revealing things it wasn't her place to.

"He mentioned something to that effect, but it was hell even getting that out of him." She sighed. "I just want to make things better for him, the way he has for me. But I don't know what to do or where to start."

She looked curiously at the flicker of emotion that passed over the other woman's features as she spoke of her boyfriend. Aryn got the feeling that she was missing something, but chose not to pry, deciding to wait until Pippa chose to voice it; if she ever did.

"A record label," she grinned, genuinely happy for the man in her friend's life, "that's great news. He must be thrilled."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"Oh, he is...the whole band, really. They've worked so hard and so long and even the possibility of something better than playing New York night clubs for the rest of forever is exciting." There's more warmth in her voice as she speaks about the entirety of Breaker Street, they are more than just the members of Rory's band to her, they are all friends in their own right. "I'm proud of them."

The waiter did make good on his word at last, just before Pippa could launch into commentary about Remy's possible reluctance to talk. Giving Aryn a tight smile that said 'conversation's tabled for now' she turned and placed both her order and that of the other woman as well.

"Do you want a glass of wine with this?"

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Sure," she smiled. "Chardonnay's fine."

The waiter left to put their orders in, and Aryn smiled. "They're on cloud nine, I'm sure." She laughed. "Just let me know when the record's out. I still have yet to get out to Last Call to see them play. I always intend to, and then something always comes up."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa nearly blanches at the mention of Breaker Street playing at Last Call, covers her mouth and coughs gently to try and pass the reaction off as something else. "Oh, it's all right. I know people have busy lives and things just have a way of happening."

She drops her hand then, letting her wrist rest on the edge of the table. "I'll have to ask Ro about getting you a copy of their current CD, I honestly haven't talked about the band's music with him at all recently. I don't know what their plans are or if he's even working on anything new.

"Sounds horrible, doesn't it? Not knowing what my boyfriend is up to, I must be the world's worst girlfriend."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn frowned at Pippa's admission that she hadn't talked about the band or their music at all lately. It wasn't like her. In all the months Aryn had known Pippa, Breaker Street and their music was one of the things she couldn't stop talking about. So much so that she'd get teased about being their PR rep.

She was torn between not wanting to pry and wondering what was going on. In the end, Aryn decided to wait until Pippa decided to tell her.

"If that's true, then we should share the crown. I don't always know what Remy's up to, either."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I don't know...only child. I never properly learned how to share." She laughed, a soft tumble of sound that she recovered from quickly. "Besides, I doubt Remy sees you as a burden or someone he needs to take care of and fret over constantly. Are you causing him to lose sleep?"

She tried to sound flippant with her remarks but it was clear that Pippa was commenting on her own relationship and not Aryn's.

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn wasn't quite sure what to say. It was obvious they weren't really talking about her and Remy, which meant she'd missed something big. Again, she wished she'd made it more of a point to stay in touch with the other woman.

"I'm sure it's not like that," she finally said gently, as the waiter brought their drinks.

Aryn smiled her thanks and turned back to Pippa. "Why would it be?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa nodded and then raised her left hand to accept the glass from the waiter, not thinking about the view she was giving Aryn of the side of her hand and the obviously missing digit. Too late she realizes her gaffe and nearly spills her wine in an effort to set the glass down and rehide her hand.

"Things have been...tense, I'm sure I'm making it sound worse than it is, I can't really talk to anyone about it. Everyone I know is either in his band or related to him." She gives Aryn a look of pleading, not wanting to explain her injury. "Besides, I can hardly blame him when I'm the problem, he's a dear to put up with me."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn couldn't help but notice the missing digit on Pippa's hand as she reached up to take the wine glass from the waiter. Her eyebrows shot up in response before she could stop them, and she knew she was probably staring at the space where the other woman's pinkie finger should have been, but she couldn't help it. What the hell had she missed?

Tearing her eyes away from where Pippa's hand had been, Aryn looked at her. "I'm not," she replied, catching the pleading look and letting the implication hang. "I've told Remy the same thing, though he doesn't see it quite that way. I'm willing to bet Rory probably doesn't either."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell...she had to say something now, she couldn't completely ignore Aryn's look. "He doesn't. It's just that...there was an accident."

There, that's safe and vague enough, isn't it? "And he worries, wants to take care of me and well...I'm started to feel smothered, that's all. I'm sure it'll pass."

She offered the last with more confidence than she felt. Dealing in half-truths meant she couldn't tell her friend about the nightmares and the mood swings and the anger and shame...she really couldn't tell her much as all.

Pippa smiled again and lifted her glass with her right hand this time, "Which is why I wanted to have lunch in the first place. I needed to get out of my apartment and do something without him fussing over me for a couple of hours."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Must've been one hell of an accident. Can't really blame him for worrying." Aryn looked sheepish for a moment. "I think I may have been just as bad after Remy dropped that transmission on his chest and broke ribs."

She sipped her wine and her expression sobered. "He only worries because he loves you."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"I can assure you I didn't intend for it to happen." Possibly the biggest understatement ever. "It's not that I don't appreciate him, honestly, Ro's the only one I've even wanted around for the most part, but I can't...ugh." She makes a small sound of frustration, "I just want to get back to the way things were and I can't make it happen fast enough. I suppose I'm a very bad patient."

Softer, "I know he loves me. I've never doubted that for a moment." Pippa studies the contents of her glass thoughtfully. "He's the most amazing man there is, Aryn. Almost like something out of a book of fairytales."

And then to turn the tables a bit, "How is Remy? Has he managed to heal okay after that? I can't imagine broken ribs mend too quickly."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure it will eventually," she offered gently, "it'll probably just take some time. And rushing it's probably not a good idea."

Aryn smiled. "I don't know about the love part yet, but that's how I feel about Remy. Things are so... good... I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop." She sipped her wine and waved a hand. "He's fine now. All healed up and back to normal activity. Being laid up nearly drove him crazy."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"Time..." Pippa repeated quietly. Time, give herself a chance, take it easy...things people kept telling her. "I feel like I'm wasting time, if that makes any sense. I'm not at work, I'm not in my studio...I'm not doing anything except watching time pass."

Pippa smiled again as she listened tot he other woman talk. "I think I knew I loved him before he even knew I liked him." She laughed, chuckled really, at that. "Men can be dense."

Then she reached out and gave Aryn's hand a pat. "Enjoy the good, don't look for something to go wrong. I'm actually glad I never saw this coming because I have all that good to hold onto now." Another wry look, "I'm jealous of Remy, I think, but I do empathize completely with him. At least I'm not stuck in bed." Anymore.

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes it's necessary."

Aryn laughed with her. "They can. He honestly doesn't understand how big a deal it is, all these surprises he plans."

"I am. It's just hard sometimes, not to think about it. I'm so used to the rug being pulled out from under me just about the time I start feeling like it's not going to happen." She frowned. "And saw what coming? You make it sound like it's over."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa shook her head and then nodded at her left hand. "This. And I don't think we're over, I hope we aren't over. I wouldn't know what to do without him but it is hard. Everything has changed."

This conversation with its half-truths and many omissions only served to make Pippa realize that she couldn't come out and tell anyone what truly happened. If the simplified version of events was this complicated, the whole gruesome affair would only be worse. Much worse.

"Don't mind me, like I said earlier, I know I'm being sensitive to things right now. Probably proof that I do need more time."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"It's gonna take time to get used to the change, but you will, eventually. And when you love someone, you take the good with the bad. That seems to be what he's doing. I would very seriously doubt you're over."

The waiter arrived with their food and Aryn smiled her thanks as he set their plates down.

"But you're probably tired of talking about this and I bet you hate being asked about it all the time, so we can talk about something else if you want. How's Mr. Beaker?" She chuckled. "Hasn't eaten any more earrings, I hope?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa was more than a little grateful for the change in subject matter once their food arrived. She played with her salmon as she thought about the dog. "He's getting too big to act like the puppy he still thinks he is...which is funny until he does something like trying to sit in my lap.

Ro and I have pretty much given up hope that Mr. Beaker will ever actually learn the concept of 'fetch' too. Chase, tug and lay there like a lump he has down pat though." She lifted a forkful of fish and took a bite.

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Makes me glad I have a cat," Aryn grinned, taking a bit of her fish. "Though I do have to do something about him hiding in my closet. He's gotten locked in there a few times because I didn't realize where he was."

She washed down her salmon with a sip of wine and smiled, shaking her head. "Remy has a dog too, now. He likes to pretend he's this big macho guy, but he found him living next to a dumpster and took him home."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"What breed, do you know?" Pippa smiled at the idea of anyone bringing home a stray, that's more or less how she ended up with a Doberman after all. "Mr. Beaker doesn't get accidentally locked in places, but there have been times when we've had to purposely lock him out. He seems to think the only place to sleep is between Ro and I and well...my bed is just not that big when you consider Mr. Beaker takes up a much space as an adult."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"An Australian Shepherd, I think. Looks like, anyway. He has mismatched eyes, blue and brown. His name is Jack and he's very sweet. Gets along well with Phantom, too." She wrinkled her nose. "But he likes to lick everything in sight."

Even with wrinkling her nose in distaste at the licking, it was obvious that she was fond of the dog.

"And is he really that big already? Wow. It doesn't seem like it's been that long." She chuckled. "And I can see how you'd have to kick him out of bed. I have to fight him for my spot when I stay over because he likes to sprawl out and take up my whole side of the bed."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"That is disgusting." Her face matched her tone as she envisioned a dog slobbering on the contents of her own apartment. "Mr. Beaker is nearly nine months old and he's all legs it seems. I've jokingly said we may as well have a horse in the apartment, really."

More eating, more moving food around her plate. "It sounds like you and Remy and the cat and dog have managed to make things work out pretty well. I've never brought Mr. Beaker to Ro's, but I have had him over at Ro's sister's place. Puppy is not fond of the ferry so I have to take the car."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"It is, yeah. He licked the hell out of my face when I first met him."

She wrinkled her nose and took another sip of wine and another bite of salmon.

"We have, I think. Usually Remy brings Jack to my place. It's easier to move him than it is to pack up all of Phantom's stuff and cart him somewhere. Jack likes my couch. And sometimes Phantom will jump up and sleep with him when he's over. It's cute." She smirked. "Also keeps them both out of the bed."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"That's sweet." Pippa opted for water and not more wine as she continued to eat, not being at all subtle as she pushed the beans to one side of her plate and ignored them. "The problem taking Mr. Beaker to Ro's is that I don't like taking separate vehicles and Ro almost always has his bike. And I'm not even sure his building allows pets."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

Aryn laughed. "Yeah, I can see how that wouldn't work. Dog on a bike is a scary thought. Remy's got the Mustang running now, so he drives that if he's bringing Jack." She smiled. "We actually took it to Atlantic City when he got it running. It was just for a night over because I had to work the next evening, but it was nice. And he made out good in the casino."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa snorted. "Jersey?" Oh some biases will never fade. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves but I don't think you could ever get me to willingly venture into Jersey. If I want to see the beach, I only have to walk a couple of blocks from my apartment."

Never mind the gambling, she's never cared for it and Rory doesn't play games of chance.

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

She shrugged. "Remy was in the mood to gamble, so we went. I just watched, I have lousy luck for playing. He did good, though. It was nice to see him enjoying himself after New Orleans."

She shook her head and played with her wine glass. "That was a hard trip for him. Well, for both of us. But it was only hard for me because it was hard for him."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"I can only imagine." It's been so hard to watch her caregivers, Rory's family, struggle with their own issues over Larch and what happened to her knowing that they were trying to shield her from what they were feeling. And Rory himself..."I hate seeing Ro unhappy or out of sorts."

"How long where you in New Orleans? I didn't even know you were gone."

[bookish-blonde.livejournal.com]

"Just four days. Only long enough to settle the legal stuff and check out the house to make sure Katrina didn't damage it too badly. Fortunately, it looked okay. Just a little dusty. But he hadn't been back in a while and it was... difficult."

She chose not to mention the key to the safe deposit box that they'd found or the way people looked at him as they walked back to the hotel. Pippa didn't know the truth of what he was, and Aryn didn't think she needed to right now.

"I think he really needed the distraction after that."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa nodded as she listened, frowned a few times but kept her comments to herself. It really wasn't her place to judge how anyone else handled grief and she didn't really know Remy well enough to ask for more details. "Distractions can be good, at least he had company he enjoys."