Shop Til Someone Drops [For Cait]

[sandandwater]

Saturday. A shopping date with Rory's sister. Pippa sighed as she poured herself yet another cup of coffee. If it weren't Caitlin MacEibhir she would have canceled. The morning hadn't been kind to her and the afternoon wasn't looking much better. Then there was the fact that it was Saturday and Rory (and Breaker Street) had a gig at Last Call and she wouldn't (couldn't) be there.

Her mood swings had been so drastic lately, Pippa was beginning to get on her own nerves. She wanted to be alone, she wanted Rory with her, she didn't want him there at all. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She needed to laugh. Dear God, she needed something.

She needed to answer the door.

Bringing the mug of coffee with her, Pippa went to the door, stepped over the dog and checked the peep hole before undoing the series of deadbolts and the slide chain keeping the door locked. This wasn't leftover paranoia, it was just a fact of life on Staten Island. You locked your door even when home.

"Cait, hello. Come in, please. Don't mind Mr. Beaker, for whatever reason he's taken to lying in front of the door when Ro's not here." She stepped back to let the other woman into the apartment. "I'm sorry I'm not quite ready to go, do you want some coffee? I won't be long, I just need to find my shoes."

Comments

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

"Mmmmm!" Cait's pleased hum blends her approval for both the coffee and Pippa's suggestion. "An excellent idea, m'dear ... you're not the only one that needs to find a gift for bigger brother."

Taking another sip, she considers. "Rory's one of a handful of men I know that actually seems to like getting clothes as presents. Or understated jewelry. And then there are all the possibilites for things music or motorcycle related." She grins. "Not to mention things that overlap two or more of those categories."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"Shoe!" Pippa shouted as if a non sequitur to Cait's comment. She wasn't trying to change the subject, just triumphant over locating the missing item. She walked over to the bookcase and stepped into the mule, wiggling her foot until it fit properly. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

She leaned over and slipped the other on onto her bare foot then joined Cait at the table. "Does he, really?" Pippa chewed at her bottom lip as she thought things over. "I mean yeah, sure people would think to give him things music related and so on but I don't really want to gift him with something he either already has or that someone else could easily give him." A small smile. "Which is why I am having problems coming up with something."

She thought about the half finished project sitting in her glass studio and frowned. She had come up with something but she doubted it would ever be finished now.

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

"He does, believe it or not. So if you see something you'd like to see him wearing, go for it. Lord knows those jeans and t-shirts get enough of a workout."

Cait noted the frown, but could only guess at the cause. Trying for a distraction, she donned an expression that combined wide, demure eyes with a gently wicked smile. "There are of course all sorts of more personal gifts a lady can give the man in her heart ... but you'd know far better than I what those might be in Rory's case."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"I already confiscated some of the worst ones and told him he can't have them back." Pippa tried to not roll her eyes. Part of having Rory spend so much time at her place meant that she occasionally ended up doing his laundry along with hers. She smirked. "I don't think he was amused when I pointed out that his favorite pair of jeans happened to be older than I am."

Cait's expression combined with the subject matter made Pippa both blush and laugh. Ducking her head and covering one side of her face with her hand she shook her head. "I don't know that he'd necessarily consider any of that out of the ordinary or a gift, Cait. I'd like to think I always give him what he wants in that regard."

That was quite possibly the most honest and frank Pippa had ever been regarding her sex life, at least while sober, and with that she pushed herself up from the table. "Should we get going, wherever it is we're headed?"

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

"Oh, by all means." Cait got up, rinsed out her cup and collected her purse. A farewell scratch for the Doberman and they were headed for the door.

"Hmm ..." Cait considered starting destinations. "Are we close enough to lunch to start with food, or d'you think we should build up an appetite first?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"If you're hungry, we can eat. I don't really have a preference." Pippa shrugged a shoulder as she locked the door and then as an afterthought, dug a pen and slip of paper out of her purse, scribbled a note and stuck it between the door and the threshold. "Just in case Ro pops in between now and when we get back, I don't want him to fall for Mr. Beakers antics and feed him again. Greedy little puppy."

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

Cait chuckles. "He's going to be a big boy as it is. You take good care of him."

As they head for Pippa's car, Cait thinks about how Pippa's laugh brightened her face. More than a gift for her boyfriend, the redhead is in need of both relaxation and distraction. Smiling, Cait decides that whimsical, frivolous fun will be the order of the day.

"How about brunch at Alice's Tea Cup then?" she asks. "I have been craving their Curious French Toast. Or possibly crepes ..."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa tips her head towards her little green car and jangles her keys. "West 73rd?" She asks, knowing there are several locations for the place Cait's named. "They are possibly the only breakfast I ever eat."

Due to her usually backwards schedule, Pippa is rarely up during the morning hours and usually forgoes breakfast food in general. "Poached eggs and salmon..." Maybe she's hungrier than she thought.

"You don't mind if we drive, do you? I really don't want to deal with the ferry or flagging down cabs." She doesn't want to deal with the possibility of ending up on the boat where she first ran into Larch, let's be honest here. "We can park near Alice's and wander the shops in the area, if that's alright with you?"

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

"Mmm. Chicken-potato hash." She may just have to go for the full Morning Afternoon Tea and get a real assortment.

"Sounds like an excellent plan, m'dear. And driving's fine with me." Cait has herself settled in the passenger seat of the car before she remembers Rory mentioning that Pippa could have a heavy foot on the gas at times. Ah well ... surely it won't be that big a deal.

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa may be a bit of a lead-foot and general fury while driving at times but her music is always up loud. As she starts the car she reaches for the volume control with an apologetic look at Cait. "Sorry, bad habit of mine."

Instead of the Breaker Street most people might expect from Pippa, her car stereo is currently filling the vehicle with the sounds of the much harsher and possibly angrier sounds of a mainstream rocker. It eventually gives way to some slinky electronica with raunchy lyrics...that Pippa apparently has committed to memory as occasionally sings along.

She also treats Cait to her version of the Indy 500 as they cross the bridge between the island cities, speeding where she can and weaving in and out of traffic where she can't.

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

Puca, Cait reminds herself, are hardy creatures, not easily unnerved or alarmed. She has to remind herself of this fact several times in the course of their drive into Manhattan, the better to keep from grabbing at the dashboard during Pippa's sudden swerves or stomping on an imaginary brake pedal when the redhead speeds. Somehow she manages to stay calm. Outwardly.

She does note the lack of Breaker Street music, but of course doesn't comment. Instead she hums along with the songs she knows and grins at the raunchier bits. By the time they pull into a parking garage near their chosen restaurant, Cait has quite recovered her equilibrium. She is glad for the short walk, though.

There's a wait for a table-- inevitable, on weekends --but that gives them time to browse through the Alice memorabilia, tea things and other items in the gift shop. Cait pauses as she always does at the display of colorful costume fairy wings. "These always make me smile. Sad that we probably can't convince Rory to wear a pair."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa, having no idea of the effect the car ride had on Cait, doesn't bother to apologize for her driving. Instead she gives the other woman a playful smirk as she fingers a pair of blue and green glittered wings. "Oh, no? I think we probably could convince him to wear them." Pippa taps the wings again, sending a bit of glitter scattering over herself. "Getting photographic evidence, that might be the hard part. He moves so darned fast when he wants to."

She picks up a wand and gently bops Cait over the head with it. "We've been invited to a Halloween party and we did discuss going as a priest and a nun. This might be funnier..."

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

Cait chortles at the mental image Pippa summons, picking up one of the other wands to poke her friend in return. "Oh, the multi-leveled irony ... it would be brilliant. Do you think we could manage to get him into a matching tutu?" The fairy skirts they sell here are all child-sized, but surely something can be arranged.

"And don't give up on the photo-op possibilities either," she goes on, her grin taking on that particular shade of little-sister evil. "Just arm me with a camera. However fast bigger brother moves, I assure you I can move faster."

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"If you're going to wear a tutu, then you have to wear tights." Pippa makes it sound perfectly reasonable and not in the least bit absurd, giving the child-sized garb a thoughtful look. Oh, there are easy enough alternatives. Some spray adhesive and a couple of jars of glitter. A proper ballerina's tutu from one of New York's many dance shops. Cait's look of mischief has Pippa forgetting for the moment that this is Rory's fate they are discussing and that she might not really want to go that far with the gag. She does supposedly love the man after all. "Multi-leveled...? Oh, you mean because he's and he's a...oh."

Now she does laugh. Fairy, indeed. "And am I supposed to be Peter Pan to his Tinkerbell? I suppose I have the haircut for it." She arches an eyebrow at Cait. "He's going to accuse us of being as mad as hatters, you know."

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

Excellent. An amused Pippa is just what she was after. Cait doesn't doubt that their conversations will have their ups and downs, but the more laughter they can extract from the day, the better.

"Now you're just mixing your fairy tales. Or Disney movies," she laughs. "But he won't be far wrong if he does."

Just then Cait's name is called, and a server guides the two women to a comfortable table for two in a corner. She gives her menu no more than a glance before saying, "I already know what I want. Pippa, have you decided?"

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure he's doubted my sanity more than once." She agrees quietly as they're seated, nodding at Cait's question. "I can order."

Pippa looks up at the server only to find the person looking at her hand resting at the edge of the table out of pure habit. It doesn't take Pippa long to connect the morbid curiosity with her missing finger and the redhead drops her hand to her lap. She hates this, the wondering and the silent inquiries. Ignoring it, she smiles. "I'll have the poached eggs and salmon please. And may I have a glass of ice water along with the coffee?"

[a-chaitlin.livejournal.com]

Oh, Pippa. The server looks embarrassed at being caught staring, completing the awkwardness all around. Industriously she notes down Pippa's order before turning to Cait.

"The Curious French Toast for me, with a side of potato-chicken hash," she says, smiling pleasantly as she looks over the tea selection. "And a pot of Monk's Blend with that, thank you."

As the waitress bustles off to get their order in and bring their beverages, Cait decides to risk what may or may not be a loaded question. "How are things, m'dear?" She keeps her voice relaxed, indication that Pippa may interpret "things" however she wishes.

[sand-andwater.livejournal.com]

Pippa makes a big show of putting her napkin in her lap and rearranging her flatware before answering. So many different ways she can approach that one and it all boils down to just how honest she wants to be with her friend. "That depends on what you want to know, I suppose. Ro's wonderful. I don't know how he puts up with me sometimes."

She stops fiddling with the things in front of her and lifts her gaze to Cait's, blue eyes full of frank honesty and perhaps a touch of fear. "I don't know if I can do this." It comes out in a rush of hushed words and she looks away again before continuing in a more normal tone, "I wake up screaming from nightmares that won't go away. I guess that's normal. I don't know. And I feel like everything's just..." Her hands flutter in rapid circular motions, "And I can't make it stop. I yell at him, I push him away...the last time he tried to make love to me I--"

Pippa shakes her head and stops herself there, changes tracks slightly, "And then there's everything with the band. I feel like the world's worst girlfriend. I know they're all so happy and I want to be happy for them, I want to celebrate with them and I just...I can't make myself do it. Ro says he understands, but does he really? And work, how much longer is Mike going to hang on to my position without finding someone else? I can't tell you the last time I fired up the furnaces in my studio."

She gives Cait a smile she doesn't feel. "That's how things are. I feel like I'm walking on a balance beam made of rotted wood and it's going to give way at any moment."